Ready to move

I am hoping and praying for some good news soon on the job front. Most wonder why we would want to leave beautiful Hawaii.

Here are some reasons;

I wake up sweating at 7am and sweat all day long. I cannot wait for the day to have central air conditioning again. Most don't know this but in Hawaii most houses only have window air conditioners, which cost a fortune to run. If you are rich then you can afford central air but out here it is just a luxury item, along with dish washers.

I miss family. I miss being a drive away. I want the girls to get to know family and seeing them once every 18 months just isn't cutting it.

I want the girls to grow up in a similar culture I grew up with. I would love to move to Texas or somewhere in the south.

The beaches are amazing but with 2 little kids, it is hard work going to the beach. You have to lug all the kids beach stuff. Also let's talk about sand. It gets everywhere!! In the diapers, which gives them rashes. It gets in the little ones mouth because she thinks it is food. Aleigh is also scared of the ocean these days so we really aren't able to even get in really.

It is expensive to live here. Since we have been looking into moving it has really opened my eyes to the prices out here. I cringe every time I see that price on the register screen and think that much money for how many items? When I move back to the mainland I am seriously thinking about being one of those crazy couponing people seeing all those cheap prices! I want to make it a goal to see just how cheap I can get my groceries. I just won't let myself have a huge stockpile. What I can't use soon will be donated.

I want a house. I want to wake up knowing I am in the home my kids will grow up in. I want a big yard where they can run as fast as their little legs will take them without the fear of a car driving by. I want to be able to decorate to my liking. I want to be able to build my own furniture with my own 2 hands. I want to decorate the walls with my kids artwork and inspirational quotes to help lead them through life. I want to have a house that will hold all the memories of their childhood. I am tired of moving and walking away from those memories.

I want seasons. I am desperate for hot chocolate, building snowmen and forts on the yard. I want to see the pretty leaves change and fall in autumn. I want to rake up those leaves just to let the girls jump in them. I want Christmas to feel like Christmas again. I honestly feel like I haven't celebrated Christmas in 3 years. I want to bundle up under a blanket while we all watch movies beside a warm fireplace. I want to remember that excited feeling when spring is around the corner and we all want to thaw off. To see those blooming tulips contrasting with the bright green yards and blue skies.

I want to be able to take a drive. You don't have to go to Hawaii to see a beautiful place. There are so many beautiful national parks in the US. The redwoods in northern Cali, Zion national park in Utah (I am desperate to hike the narrows one day), the Grand Canyon, Arches National park, Grand Teton and yellowstone, Yosemite. I want to have a hundred places and cities I can have access to just a cheap drive away.

For now though I am happy where I am. We are desperately going to miss Hawaii. I do love it here for a lot of reasons. I know I will cry hard when I board that plane and watch the island get smaller from the sky.

I know I will break down when we hand our keys over to our tenant for our place. Our girls were born here. They learned to walk in this apartment, this is where we heard that baby laughter, woke in the middle of the night comforting those precious babies, this is where they took their first baths, where they ate their first solid foods and left a mess in their wake. This is where the weather has always been nice enough to go on our daily strolls down the street. I will miss the sunshine.

This is also where Ashtyn was born and in a way us leaving will be hard because it will somewhat feel as if we are leaving her. I know this is not true but I am sure it will be hard when the time comes.

I am going to miss the people here. We were so scared moving here. We heard so many horror stories of how it is for haole's (white people) here. In almost 3 &1/2 years we have not experienced anything bad. Everyone here is so genuine and kind. If they want to know how you are they will ask and guess what? They actually listen for the answer and care. If they don't want to know, they don't ask. Everybody here is family to each other. Everyone is somebody's uncle, auntie or cousin, not by blood but in their hearts. I want to try my best to bring the Aloha with me when we move.

I might be jumping the gun writing this but we shall see. Hoping and praying for some good news.