Omaha...Again....

It is official, we are back in Omaha. This is the 4th time in the past 15 years that Kevin has been in Omaha. The 5th time we have lived in Nebraska. Katie was born in Kearney when we lived in North Platte 12 years ago. We moved to Omaha when she was 4 months old and had the twins here 8 years ago. We moved away 7 and a half years ago and can honestly say that I haven't missed it since.

The winters are unbearably cold, I don't know how people live further north! It snowed a lot where we lived in California and Oregon but it never got below 32 degrees so it was just pretty. Here it is COLD and WINDY and BITTERY COLD....Did I mention COLD! Can anyone tell I am not looking forward to Winter? That being said it has been beautiful weather since we got here. It has been cool and bug free!

The house is nice, I like it other than the fact that having the laundry off of the kitchen is a pain in the patootie, I would much rather have it upstairs where all of the bedrooms are! I do love having a two story. The paint needs to be changed in the living room but all things considered it is much better than I expected. I have been unpacking like a mad woman and have all of the main floor and the upstairs done and just this afternoon I finished unpacking an office and scrapbooking space that I made do with in the basement. The basement is unfinished but it is a walkout with great west facing windows that let in a lot of light so I set up a temporary office with craft space so that I don't go insane with nothing to do. The last time we moved the twins weren't in school yet so I had them to keep me from going insane with loneliness and boredom. They drove me to get out to keep from being insane with them around under foot all the time. This time the kids started school four days after the movers dropped off all of our stuff so I have been alone a lot and who knew you could unpack a semi in just a week when you are bored! The garage isn't done yet but that isn't my responsibility! Now I am faced with the fact that everything is unpacked and I don't have much else to do. I am so used to being on the PTO or being involved in GS or helping at church that I don't know what to do with myself. I HATE the kids school, I am sure it will pass but the secretary at the elementary was so rude to me the day I had to register the kids that I don't want to walk through the door again much less help with anything. We haven't found a church home yet either, I am used to being one of the involved parties and it is hard for me to walk in and not have friends there. I found myself irrationally annoyed with the lady at the church we visited today for assuming that I NEEDED to take the alpha course that was beginning instead of bothering to find out if I was interested in taking one of the other classes being offered. I know I shouldn't have been annoyed with her but I couldn't help it! I don't know how I will go in and just sit in the background and watch as someone else runs the youth program either. I have this insane need to be needed and I am not feeling needed here at all.

Overall I guess this has been a good move for Kevin and the girls. While they miss their friends they are adjusting very well and the twins are blossoming, making new friends and being in seperate classes has made a huge difference, they are both able to tell me about their days and have something to tell me. I know that Katie is doing well, she misses Amanda and Darla but she is a trooper and realizes that this is what she has to deal with. She starts Volleyball on Wednesday and I can't wait for that! Kevin loves his new job and is so much happier. His stress level is better and that has to be good for him. I guess I just wish I saw any upside for me! All I still feel is that I have been torn away from my support system with no one to talk to. I do have two acquaintances here that I knew last time we were here but when I called them to tell them we were back they both said we should get together for coffee "next month". What the heck is that, my true friends would have been here that day! I guess once you know what true friends are it is hard to go back!

Well, I am going to have to wrap this up, my battery is about to die and it is too late to bother going in to find the charger. I am going to sit out here on the deck with my bottle of wine and my dog with the slobbery tennis ball and my ipod. Before I go, I just want to say that today would have been Sandi's 35th birthday, I thought about you all day Sandi, especially when we walked into church and the first song was a soloist singing Nichole Nordeman's Legacy. I miss you every day and even more now that I don't have my friends to distract me!