Brady is TEN!

Remember when you turned ten and you thought it was so cool because you were double digits and you could tell everyone you were a decade old? I do. Remember when you were a new parent and you thought people with ten year old kids were kinda old? Ugh, I remember that too. But alas, here we are. Brady is ten and we are the parents of a decade old kid.

But, what an awesome decade it’s been. This ten year old kid of ours is better than anything I could have dreamed up. He is thoughtful and empathetic. He is an adventurer and a dreamer. He has the most positive attitude of anyone I know and always looks on the bright side of life. He is easy going and eager to please. He works hard and strives for success in all he does. He is willing to try new things, and he cheers on others always.

This year Brady excelled in Taekwondo and made it to a green belt. He got straight A’s all through 4th grade. He tried baseball for the first time. And, he continues to be his happiest when reading a good book.

This year we also threw a major curve ball into his life by moving him 10 states away from family and friends. He embraced this change with excitement and courage. He says he was born to live in Maine because it is full of new experiences and challenges. I just love him to pieces.

Happy birthday, Brady-boo. May your life always be an adventure!

Florida to Maine: Smith Family on the Move (Again!)

In April we officially closed on our new house in Maine. While the boys and I stayed in Florida to finish up the school year, Chris moved half of our stuff up north and started working his New England territory. For two months we were a long distance family. I wrapped up teaching and packing while Chris was doing some major overhaul on the new (OLD!!) house.

By the time the boys and I had our last day of school, it was time to start our journey up to Maine. My dad offered to help with the drive so we stopped in Savannah to pick him up on the way. The boys got to drive through 11 states in a matter of 3 days- Florida>Georgia>South Carolina>North Carolina>Virginia>Maryland>Pennsylvania>New York>Massachusetts>New Hampshire>Maine. My dad drove my car with the boys, the dog, and the fish (in a Tervis Tumbler in the cupholder!) I rode with Chris in the bumpy moving truck. We made it to Maine on Sunday the 13th. We celebrated my birthday the next day by unloading a moving truck- yay! My mom sent flowers and treats to make it feel a little more special.

What happens when you get to the hotel after being cooped up in a car for 14 hours…

While the house is still not 100% done, we’ve made some great progress. Chris did an awesome job of getting it in shape before we arrived and now I’m having fun putting my touches on it. Our first Airbnb guests arrived the week after we moved in and it’s been going great. Now on to exploring Maine. So far, it is magical!