The Hargrove Home

There are so many cool things to do in Fort Worth especially in the summer. Last year at this time we had just moved so we were getting to know the town and figure out some cheap/free family things to do. There weren't many options mainly because Elijah was just one. He turns two next month and it's crazy what a difference a year makes. We have so many more options that have opened up for us to do as a family this summer. Stuff we know he will enjoy as well as activities that we can do as a family but will be more fun than stressful (can I get an amen, toddler parents?). I've tried to provide as many links as possible so if you're in this area you can try them out as well! If you'll notice there is a small trend with most of them. Hint: It's going to be hot in Texas, y'all.

• Bicentennial Splash Pad
• Sycamore Spray Ground
• Burger's Lake
• Fort Worth Zoo (For an extra $5 you can enjoy their splash pad before or after your zoo trip and Wednesdays are half price admission)
• Panther Fest (The Slide is already sold out but there are a ton of other things to do their. So fun!)
• Pirates Cove
• NRH2O (This one and the above can get a bit pricey so we will probably only go once or twice this summer to each)
• Rockport (Kaleb's add to the list)
• Enchanted Rock (Kaleb's add-he says he'll wear Elijah the whole time. Ha! We'll see how that goes)
• Coyote Drive-In
• Fort Worth Children's Museum
• Trips to Kerrville
• Lots of park play
• Find some lightening bugs and catch them in a jar
• Family Drop-in
• Feed the ducks at the pond
• Go for lots of family walks in the evenings
• Teach E to ride a tricycle
• Take E to Build-A-Bear
• Movie nights in Sundance Square
• Celebration of Freedom
• Visit Clearfork Food Park
• Movies in the park
• Little Sprouts
• Forest Park Miniature Railroad

I think just by the title it sounds like such a lovely thing. A town home in the city must be beautiful! I'm here to tell you that isn't always the case but one thing I believe for sure is that you can always, always make your living environment functional and beautiful. My family lives in a 3 bedroom/2 bath town home in a city in Texas. It's not everything we dreamed it would be but I think that's mostly because we have a toddler now and are dreaming of the day that we can get a house with a backyard for him to run around. However, like stated above, you can always make something work for you and the season of life you and your family are in.

See. Functional. We didn't have any storage for our bigger items so we had to create something. We had empty space underneath the stairs so we pushed our couch up against to create a make shift storage area. It holds most of our outside items-bike, golf clubs, chars, etc. I thought it would look very tacky but surprisingly enough it looks normal as if that's all it was meant for.



One thing I wish we had here is Compass. This fantastic website helps match you (MATCH YOU) to your ideal apartment. My husband and I had to Google and search and ask all around before we found a place here and even then it's still not exactly what we're looking for. With a site like Urban Compass we could have found a place in our budget as well as one in a neighborhood that fit our personality and taste. Maybe someone will be genius enough to follow in the footsteps of these New Yorkers and create one for Texas someday.

Last night we went out to Chili's with some friends. They called it our good-bye dinner which is as sweet as it is depressing. They're moving to College Station in July so we're not exactly sure when we will see them again. We were in a booth so Elijah was seated at the end in a high chair. There never seems to be enough room on tables for littles because not long after getting our drinks he grabbed one of our friends water cups and spilled it all over himself. The minute the cold water and fresh ice cubes hit his lap he started crying. I immediately told Kaleb to hand him to me and I would go change his diaper and leave his wet shorts off. Yes, I let my kid rock a shirt and cloth diaper for the rest of the night in public. It had to be done! On my way to the bathroom he was shaking still. That makes sense to me. He was cold and wet, poor guy. But the minute I laid him down on the changing table to get him dry he started full on screaming. No one in that bathroom could do their business I'm sure. The diaper change that should have taken 2 minutes (even with tossing and turning) felt like it took an hour because of the angry crying my son was doing.

He wasn't so much sad as he was scared and angry at the changing process. He was mad he got wet in the first place. He was mad he was cold. He was scared to be on the tall changing table. He was scared of getting changed. After it was over and I picked him up he was calm. The tears dried up and the shaking ceased. He was still in my arms as I carried him back to the table. When I got back to the booth and resumed conversation with our friends we got asked these questions:

"Are you guys nervous about moving?"

No way! I'm so excited!

"Are you sad to be leaving people or are you just like oh-my-gosh-it's-coming-so-fast-I'm-not-ready-for-this?"

I'm not so much sad as I am scared and angry to be leaving these people and our church. I don't think anyone quite understands how mad I am that I can't just pick up SAF and bring the entire church body with us to Fort Worth. The changing process is one I'm kicking and screaming through when it comes to changing churches. I guess I've always known I can't live and die at SAF but I'm not ready to say good-bye to the church I've called home for so long and friends who have impacted me greatly.  Our last Sunday is in 2 days and as I'm typing that tears are welling up in my eyes. Kaleb might have to drag me out kicking and screaming after service ends.

But it's change and while I fight the initial process I know that God is carrying my family safely to the next one. In His arms all crying stops and shaking ceases as I trust him to carry us to the next chapter of the place we will get spiritually fed. I can't say that I'm not scared, I'm terrified! But He's a good God and He knows the plans He has for us even when we stand there, shaking and unsure. 5 years ago He was faithful to provide me, even as a new Christian, with a church that helped me grow and He is faithful to do it again.

He is faithful to do it again.

Well, to start off, the house hunting was a total flop. We had our hearts set on a house in general but one impaticular that we were excited about dragged us around for a couple of weeks and then finally told us it had been leased. Other then that we just weren't having any luck. I thought this had to do with the fact that searching online for a house is hard but now I see that it was the Lord leading us in a different direction. Of course, as usual, I had my heart set on a house so bad that I didn't even stop to consider if the Lord would open up a different door for us. Pun totally intended right there. I had been wondering for a while if an apartment would be the way to go. I can't stand apartment life so I just figured that was a no but then Kaleb and I talked over the benefits. We would only have to sign a 6 month lease and then maybe could look into buying a home instead of renting one once it was up, utilities are lower, they're easier to find, and we could move in sooner.

So, to make a long story short we are moving into this cute little 2 story town home on June 7th! That is SOON, people. 3 weeks and we're out of here. We were in Fort Worth for a 2 day visit and we found this town home, filled out applications, and put the deposit down. It's a good feeling to have this part squared away. Kaleb also had lunch with his new boss while we were in town and is really excited about starting his new job as soon as we move. Things are falling into place at the exact time God ordained for them to and I'm so grateful. There's so much to do in such a short time that I found myself standing, frozen in the kitchen after Kaleb left for work this morning wondering what I should do first. As any motivated person would I decided to fold laundry and watch Call The Midwife. Which was quickly interrupted when Elijah decided to fall, bust his lip, and cause me to have a heart attack and rush him to the ER. No worries, no worries. He's completely fine. His frenulum was lacerated in the fall but the doctor said it will heal on his own and to just give him Tylenol for the pain.

There you have it, friends! The Hargrove's will be moving June 7th to Fort Worth. I am so excited and sad at the same time but we will be back for Caleb and Kaitlin's wedding on the 20th and I will definitely be having Elijah's first birthday party here in San Angelo so we will be back to visit and will not lose touch with the amazing friends God has blessed us with here.


"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens......a time to plant and a time to uproot" 

I'm not quite sure if anyone still calls it that but when I attended Crowley High School years ago that's what we called our neighbor town, B-town aka Burleson. That's right folks we're moving to Burleson. Or maybe we're moving to Fort Worth. Either way Kaleb has a job waiting for him in Burleson!!!!! There was a series of events in this application process ranging from "There are no more positions available in Fort Worth" to "Would you be willing to move to Austin?" It was enough to drive me crazy and I'm sure Kaleb was going a little mad himself. I have made my life public through this blog (which doesn't bother me one bit) so I would love to share the story with all of you about how this all unfolded.

Sunday morning I called Charlotte to see how her birthday went. We chatted for a while about her weekend, birthday, friends, etc. Then I decided to update her on everything. I told her the lady Kaleb had been in contact with had told him there were no positions available in Fort Worth but that she was looking into one in Austin for us. However, Kaleb's boss had been emailing back and forth with a DSM in Fort Worth who was looking for a new lead to help kick start the Sam's Club that was being relocated from Fort Worth to Burleson. It wasn't the supervisor position Kaleb had been praying for but it was a pay increase and a stepping stone into something bigger. I told Charlotte I wasn't sure if the pay increase was significant enough to allow us to be steady there but that I would hate for Kaleb to miss out on such a great opportunity. He would be learning how to work from the ground up and would get first dibs on any opening supervisor positions that would become available in the near future. Charlotte paused and declared she had a pretty good idea. But first let me brief you on my sisters living situations.

Charlotte's roommate decided to sell his house back in February so within a months time she had to find a place to live. Her boss and his family graciously opened their home to her and that's where she has been living for the last couple of months. You can imagine how awkward this is but it was her only place to go. So, Charlotte suggested she move in with us for a while in order to help us get grounded in Fort Worth and to allow her to save up money for her own place. Kaleb and I thoroughly enjoy being around Charlotte so this was an automatic yes but only if Kaleb got the job. He had emailed the DSM a week ago about details for the job but hadn't heard anything back so we weren't exactly holding our breath. After hanging up the phone I talked to God about it for quite a while. When Kaleb got off work we went for a walk around the park and let Elijah swing while we went over what exactly would need to be done if this worked out. Getting a 3 bedroom house, splitting all of the bills with Charlotte, nailing down a move date that would work for all of us, etc.

After dinner and Elijahs bath we sat down to relax for a bit before putting him to bed. I was texting someone, Elijah was playing, and Kaleb was checking his emails. He started getting a little over excited and read aloud an email to me that he had just opened. Tears filled to the brims, I jumped on the couch to hug Kaleb. He got the job! The DSM had told him he wanted him out there to help with the set up ASAP. It all lined up at just the right time and there it was-the answer to our prayers and even prayers of some of our friends who had been supporting us through this process. First thing I did was call my mom who cried, of course. And now you know where I get all of my crazy emotions from. Then Charlotte who was literally screaming through the phone at how excited she was. We immediately jumped on the computer and started searching Trulia and Zillow to find some houses for rent and in our price range. We have found a couple we like and one specifically that is in Crowley. The grand opening of the relocated club is July 10th but we are moving there on June 21st.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to those of you who fought in prayer for us and I am thanking God for moving at the right time. I'm not good at waiting on the Lord, y'all. I'm really impatient to the point where I stress myself out and get down right angry at the unknown but He is always teaching me. Always. Even when it drives me nuts and I want to sit in the corner and pout like a 5 year old, still He teaches. I am sad to leave the people we love here in San Angelo and particularly sad about leaving our amazing church but I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us in Fort Worth.

These next couple of months will bring so much excitement and change for our family. In April, I'll turn 23 (and my parents and sister are coming up for my birthday weekend), Elijah will have his first Easter, the JBF sale will be in town, AND my in laws are throwing their annual crawfish cook out/broil. I'm not sure which one it is. Sorry, Michell and Kirk! At the end of May we will be taking a trip to Fort Worth to look at houses that are for rent. We've discussed buying a house since we know that we will be in FW for quite a while but we don't want to rush a decision that big so for now we'll be renting a house. Then, of course, in June we will be moving. Oh! How could I forget? Our sweet friends Caleb and Kaitlin are getting married in June and they asked us if Elijah could be their ring bearer. My baby in a wedding?! Uh, DUH! I'm so excited! It's going to be a beautiful wedding and the fact that both of my handsome guys are in it (Kaleb's a groomsmen) just makes me more excited.

Do you ever feel frozen when you begin to think about your to-do list? Especially if a move is involved? I've never made a move this big. Even when I moved from Fort Worth to San Angelo I was only moving into a dorm so all of my stuff fit into the back of my dad's truck. This is so different! We're moving our entire 3 bdrm/2bth apartment 4 hours away. *sigh* The amount of organization this move will require is ridiculous. I can't toss all of our clothes that hang in the closet in the backseat of our car and drive down the street to our new home. Nope! I actually have to pack up every. single. thing. Oy. Still, the move is 4 months away so I don't have to start packing just yet.

Does anyone have any good moving tips? Organizing your boxes, different ways to pack, easier routes to take instead of just boxes….? Anything will help!

I haven't made this "blog public" or even Facebook public for that matter mostly because I wanted to be 110% sure it would even happen but I'm not 110% sure; I'm only 90% sure (which is good enough for me). The Hargrove's are (trying to) move to Fort Worth. We've been discussing it since before Elijah was born but we weren't sure if it was the right move for us, if we had the finances, if it was really worth it, etc. Kaleb has been training at his job to be in a higher position, however, since there is only 1 Sam's Club here in good ole' Angelo he can't obtain that position because it's already filled. In Fort Worth there are a bajillion Sam's. In fact, there is a new one opening in Burleson. We're praying extra hard that he can be a supervisor for the demo's in one of the many Sam's there. Do we want to leave Angelo? Meh. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. The hardest thing for us will be leaving SAF. I can't even let myself think about it for too long because my heart hurts. But is it the smartest move for us? Yes, it's definitely starting to look that way. 2014 could be the year we get out of debt and that's more likely to happen if Kaleb could get this position. Our lease is up at the end of June so that's our time frame. Kaleb can apply to various locations, we can check on houses, and hopefully if everything works out we can get ready to make that 4 hour move. And in the midst of all of this I plan on throwing Elijah's first birthday party almost an entire month before his actual birthday because I'm determined to have all of his sweet baby friends a part of that celebration before we move.

So, there it is out in the open for all of the social media to read and if it doesn't happen it's going to be annoying to have to type that blog so I'm asking for prayers. Lots and lots of prayers that this works out for my family. Like many of my blogs have stated over the last 7 months-this has been the absolute hardest season we've ever been in. I stopped working to stay home with Elijah and Kaleb became the main provider. We've struggled to pay bills and keep groceries in the cabinets and with the paychecks that didn't go directly to bills we've had our battery go out in our car and tickets to pay off but Spring is coming. Spring. Is. Coming. The season where new life blooms is coming for us. I can see the sun and feel the warm breeze. God has been more than faithful through these rough months and our faith has rooted deeper because of the trials and tribulations. Most days it hasn't felt like it but when the light has broken through on the gray mornings I can see it. The roots, they're there.