Hello!
I have received SO MANY EMAILS from you all that I thought I’d write one big update for you all! Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. It has been an interesting few weeks!
First, New Jersey itself is a very fine state. The weather is great (if you like a bit of rain and temps in the mid 70s in July!), and Joe & I enjoy sitting out on our deck with a glass of wine in the evenings after the kids are down for the night. There are lakes EVERYWHERE, plenty of Italian places to eat, shopping similar to Dallas (there are 3 huge malls within 20 minutes of my house), and even a Whole Foods! So, I am pretty happy with the amenities.
Chloe is happy with her gym – the girls have really welcomed her & made her feel a part of the team – and she has adapted to the move very well. We still have a few tears every once in awhile, but for the most part, she seems to be adjusting. Ross spent last Friday night at Youth Group (yes, they do YG on Friday night, which is a phenomenal idea when you have non-driving almost teenagers in the house!!!) and had a blast. He came home with more information about his 3 hours there than we’ve heard in a long time. I am looking into a couple of camps to keep him busy and help him meet some people before school starts. Right now, he spends most of his days at home with the girls, and while they’ve really bonded, I think he’s ready for some space! Emmy is doing fine, too. She acts out every once in awhile when she’s frustrated with me, but for the most part, she is adjusting. Rex the dog thinks he’s died and gone to Heaven. The back yard is partially wooded, so he goes out the door every morning, thinking he’s on a new adventure! A few nights ago, he was barking in the laundry room at about 2 in the morning, and Joe went to investigate. There was a raccoon on our deck eating his dog food! So, you can imagine that his nose was working overtime the next morning! Funny to watch!
Now for the few irritating things about moving. First, I don’t know where ANYTHING is. There is no zoning here, so the grocery store might literally be a block up, and next door to someone’s house. It is taking me a long time to learn my way around, and I still feel lost a lot of the time. And, because my cell phone service SUCKS (sorry, mom – I know you hate that word, but it’s TRUE!!!) here, my GPS is not even helpful. Joe has assured me this problem will be taken care of this weekend, when we all switch to SPRINT. After asking around, that is the one provider that seems to work in Franklin Lakes. But I digress. The towns here are tiny and connected by roads that change names as you enter the new town. For example, the grocery store that I use is on Wyckoff Avenue, but when I turn onto that street in my town, it is called Franklin Avenue. So, I begin on Franklin Avenue, NEVER TURN, and end up on Wyckoff Avenue. Frustrating.
Next, THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS WITHIN A 10 MILE RADIUS OF MY HOUSE. My children are going to starve to death! Seriously, people. I’ve found ONE Wendys and ONE McDonalds without a play yard in the towns adjacent to mine. I guess in the long run this is a great thing. But for now, I need new recipes, because hot dogs, mac & cheese, and chicken nuggets are not going to cut it!
The people here are very different, too. The moms at the gym are really nice & have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome. They’ve given me tips on doctors, hair salons, coupons, fun things to do with the kids, etc., and that has been great. My neighbors are a different story. I met my next door neighbor, Sheila, when she was returning my trash can, which had been accidentally put back on her curb. She had a sharpie in her hand and asked me to write my house # on the can so the “mistake” wouldn’t happen again. Are you KIDDING me?? Where’s my WELCOME basket??? Where’s the “you’re gonna love it here!”? Where’s the “Let me know if you need anything!”? Non-existent. Joe met another neighbor when he was chasing Rex down the street one night. Those are the only 2 people we’ve met so far. And, we’ve been here for 4 weeks. In Texas, the neighborhood would’ve thrown a party for us by now!!! J
The last thing I’ll complain about in this email is the time change. An hour doesn’t seem like much time, right? Well, it’s not until the nightly news doesn’t start until 11:00! I mean, I’m sure in some other lifetime 11 wasn’t late to me, but right now, it seems really close to THE NEXT MORNING!
When school starts, I think we’ll all feel a sense of routine and belonging. Right now, we’re kind-of floating out here on our own. It has been a real growth opportunity for all of us. Chloe said yesterday that Ross and Emmy are a lot more fun in NJ than they were in Texas! I think it’s because right now, they really just have each other. We leave next Sunday for the Cayman Islands, and we’ll be there for a week. We are looking forward to the time together on the beach in the SUN!
We hope everyone is doing well, and again, thank you for all your support! We all miss you!
Kate
I have received SO MANY EMAILS from you all that I thought I’d write one big update for you all! Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. It has been an interesting few weeks!
First, New Jersey itself is a very fine state. The weather is great (if you like a bit of rain and temps in the mid 70s in July!), and Joe & I enjoy sitting out on our deck with a glass of wine in the evenings after the kids are down for the night. There are lakes EVERYWHERE, plenty of Italian places to eat, shopping similar to Dallas (there are 3 huge malls within 20 minutes of my house), and even a Whole Foods! So, I am pretty happy with the amenities.
Chloe is happy with her gym – the girls have really welcomed her & made her feel a part of the team – and she has adapted to the move very well. We still have a few tears every once in awhile, but for the most part, she seems to be adjusting. Ross spent last Friday night at Youth Group (yes, they do YG on Friday night, which is a phenomenal idea when you have non-driving almost teenagers in the house!!!) and had a blast. He came home with more information about his 3 hours there than we’ve heard in a long time. I am looking into a couple of camps to keep him busy and help him meet some people before school starts. Right now, he spends most of his days at home with the girls, and while they’ve really bonded, I think he’s ready for some space! Emmy is doing fine, too. She acts out every once in awhile when she’s frustrated with me, but for the most part, she is adjusting. Rex the dog thinks he’s died and gone to Heaven. The back yard is partially wooded, so he goes out the door every morning, thinking he’s on a new adventure! A few nights ago, he was barking in the laundry room at about 2 in the morning, and Joe went to investigate. There was a raccoon on our deck eating his dog food! So, you can imagine that his nose was working overtime the next morning! Funny to watch!
Now for the few irritating things about moving. First, I don’t know where ANYTHING is. There is no zoning here, so the grocery store might literally be a block up, and next door to someone’s house. It is taking me a long time to learn my way around, and I still feel lost a lot of the time. And, because my cell phone service SUCKS (sorry, mom – I know you hate that word, but it’s TRUE!!!) here, my GPS is not even helpful. Joe has assured me this problem will be taken care of this weekend, when we all switch to SPRINT. After asking around, that is the one provider that seems to work in Franklin Lakes. But I digress. The towns here are tiny and connected by roads that change names as you enter the new town. For example, the grocery store that I use is on Wyckoff Avenue, but when I turn onto that street in my town, it is called Franklin Avenue. So, I begin on Franklin Avenue, NEVER TURN, and end up on Wyckoff Avenue. Frustrating.
Next, THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS WITHIN A 10 MILE RADIUS OF MY HOUSE. My children are going to starve to death! Seriously, people. I’ve found ONE Wendys and ONE McDonalds without a play yard in the towns adjacent to mine. I guess in the long run this is a great thing. But for now, I need new recipes, because hot dogs, mac & cheese, and chicken nuggets are not going to cut it!
The people here are very different, too. The moms at the gym are really nice & have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome. They’ve given me tips on doctors, hair salons, coupons, fun things to do with the kids, etc., and that has been great. My neighbors are a different story. I met my next door neighbor, Sheila, when she was returning my trash can, which had been accidentally put back on her curb. She had a sharpie in her hand and asked me to write my house # on the can so the “mistake” wouldn’t happen again. Are you KIDDING me?? Where’s my WELCOME basket??? Where’s the “you’re gonna love it here!”? Where’s the “Let me know if you need anything!”? Non-existent. Joe met another neighbor when he was chasing Rex down the street one night. Those are the only 2 people we’ve met so far. And, we’ve been here for 4 weeks. In Texas, the neighborhood would’ve thrown a party for us by now!!! J
The last thing I’ll complain about in this email is the time change. An hour doesn’t seem like much time, right? Well, it’s not until the nightly news doesn’t start until 11:00! I mean, I’m sure in some other lifetime 11 wasn’t late to me, but right now, it seems really close to THE NEXT MORNING!
When school starts, I think we’ll all feel a sense of routine and belonging. Right now, we’re kind-of floating out here on our own. It has been a real growth opportunity for all of us. Chloe said yesterday that Ross and Emmy are a lot more fun in NJ than they were in Texas! I think it’s because right now, they really just have each other. We leave next Sunday for the Cayman Islands, and we’ll be there for a week. We are looking forward to the time together on the beach in the SUN!
We hope everyone is doing well, and again, thank you for all your support! We all miss you!
Kate
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