She's IS home!!! new pics added!!

[Chelly]

We asked the lady at the school about the winter, and she told us last year was very mild, she said the kids only had a few days where they had enough snow to build snowmen etc.. I think they had 5 snow days or late start days the whole year.
My hubby's uncle said the highest the snow has been on the barn was a 6 foot drift on the one side (where we want to put a door) I think perhaps Thomas county missed the bad year last year.


The kids LOVE it here, school is alot different, from a class size of 26 or 27 last year my son has just 6 kids in his grade here, and he is enjoying that! They have two grades in one class, so I think they have a total of 14 of 15 kids! His class also goes to the high school every day to use the gym, and he has music class, which he never had in San Diego. He loves walking to school and home again with his friends, its really good for him, and for that reason alone we're thrilled we moved. Oh and his little sister gets to go to his school twice a week, she LOVES the fact she gets to see her brother on the play ground etc...
I get to work from home now as well, which makes a big difference for us, I can have dinner on the table at a good time, its just SO much easier in that regard. I'm not out the house for 9 or 10 hours a day.

My husband wants to get a generator - there is one here, was his grandfathers, but I don't know if it works or not.

 

[thndrdancr]

Yea, thats the thing about small town life. Everyone gets to know everyone and usually its great. If your kid gets lost, everyone knows where they belong and can help them find their way home, etc. That part I love. I really am not a big city gal myself, really envy you being in the country.

That snow was sporadic in where it hit, and it was very unusual, but probably being in the country it would behoove you to have a generator. I think most folks in the country do, seeing as some people here are a good distance from the nearest city. I think the worst thing here now and then are the ice storms that cause power problems and not deep snow. We DO get those a lot, since we have a lot of hot and cool air mix. The thing I hate the most is the ungodly frigid cold now and then, anything below 20 degrees and I never warm up no matter how I dress. And I HATE wearing all those clothes. blech!

 

[Chelly]

I don't have any winter clothing - my closet for winter consists of jeans, t-shirts and a sweater, I kinda doubt its going to cut it out here - I told my hubby the FIRST thing I want is waterproof boots.... those are a MUST have I'm sure, and I love warm feet!

I really wish there was a goodwill store or something close, its going to cost a FORTUNE to get us all clothes for winter! (including Rosie, who will probably FREAK out at the sight of White stuff all over her grass!)

 

[tink]

Chelly...When we moved from San Diego to South Carolina....we froze our first year here. You will need and good hat, scarf, gloves and a good coat. Even with that you will still be freezing for the first year. We dont miss SD at all now....which is good because we could never afford to go back.
Tink

 

[Chelly]

Thanks Tink.... (glad to know we're not the only ones' who left San Diego) I think our biggest change so far is from a HUGE city to a tiny little town with a population of around 250! I do like it, its just a big change.

We couldn't afford to live there, hence the move - I'm satified to read the housing market is the lowest its ever been out there since 96 or 97!
(you can't get a condo there for under $250K)

I'll have to get hats and gloves for the kids, my son only has work gloves to match his dad's - if I could muster up the motivation I'd start knitting...... I dont' think thats going to happen any time soon!

 

[Standard Hen]

Tht's all so nice Chelly but definately a huge change from San Diego.
I could easily live with less people in the area! Just when I think they can't possibly fit anymore they build something else. My town used to be a nice little old New England agricultural one,,,farmers started getting old, thier kids did not want to be bothered with farming so guess where the land ends up going? Builders are virtual vultures around here.The town is now what I call suburbia, we still do not have street lights, fire hydrants, or city water or sewerage but I can see that all changing someday as all the city people are moving in.And with that they want to things that city life offers. Our little back country roads have turned into racetracks, people fly and they are winding and narrow with dense woods and big a$$ trees on both sides. Dangerous. Forget riding your horses on the streets to get from trail and fields like it used to be, you would be nuts to do that today.
Soooo, love every minute of where you are and know that your kids are growing up in a much healthier place.
And also as far as winter clothes find the closest city and look in the phone book, they all have consignment stores and such for you to outfit the family with some warm winter gear. And there is always e-bay which you could do right from the computer and sometimes you can find some really good deals!

 

[tink]

Chelly... I grew up in Lakeside and had a horse when I was a kid. Some day soon I want to have one again. Seeing your pictures make me jealous. Right now we dont have any corrals or barns.....just lots of trees so we have some work to do first. Sounds like you may have to make a trip into the big town and get some shopping done!! Grab some tortias's if you find some!! LOL We used to have friends mail us some when we first moved because we couldn't find any. Good luck
Tink

 

[Chelly]

Wow Tink, small world, my horse was boarding in Lakeside for a while, on Morena Blvd. My husband worked in Lakeside on Vigilante.
I have a friend in Vista, she said she'd send me stuff! (I told her I couldn't even find a Jalepeno out here with any KICK to it)
We lived in Clairemont for a while, then Santee, and then El Cajon.

You might even KNOW my trainer - she grew up in Lakeside, I think she moved when she was in highschool, and then back to lakeside after she graduated. I think she is about 32 years old.


I don't miss the traffic AT all, its so nice not having RUDE people on the road... and if I drive the kids to school, it takes 5 minutes instead of 20 - getting to work for me is as good as turning on the computer, in San diego I was commuting about 30-45 minutes on a good day!

 

[tink]

chelly.....I emailed you
tink

 

[Chelly]

OK, now I'm a little shocked!

I started sorting out stuff, since our move we still have junk in boxes.... anyway - one of the bedrooms is going to be my office/sewing room..... so I packed one closet and I'm SHOCKED!!!

(I think I should MAKE winter clothes, but I don't have the spare time to get much done)

I haven't even started on my stash of fabric's....