Let me Introduce Myself!
To a whole new neighborhood.... to a whole new world!
Yesterday I was given a "mommy" card from a gal who will be our future neighbor! I love mommy cards. My sister, Heather, made me my own mommy cards a while back. It's a great way to get your information to others. I am taking my mommy cards to the bus stop today to hand out! My mommy cards list my blog on it so I thought I would take a second ( and take advantage of the fact that my kids don't have to get up at 6:00 anymore because the new school starts later) I thought I would share a little bit about me and my family. For the handful of people (and by people I pretty much mean family) who actually read my blog this information will not be new but hopefully I can throw out a new picture or two for everyone's entertainment.
I've been lucky enough to stay at home since the birth of our first daughter in December of 2006. I was a second grade teacher in the Bettendorf School District. I loved my job as a teacher but I always knew I wanted to stay home with kids one day. I am VERY blessed to get to realize this dream! My husband is Jim and is disguised as a Facilities Engineer at John Deere Davenport Works by day and becomes his true self in the evening, as the leader of three Weight Watchers meetings a week. We now have three children, a second daughter born in April of 2009 and a son born in November of 2011. Helaina, Breleigh and Easton are our miracles!
I have lived in the Quad Cities since I tied the knot in 1999. We lived first in East Moline, then in Port Byron and now moving back into town- Bettendorf ( as of Sept 20th anyway). I married my high school sweetheart. Usually when I tell people that we dated for eight years their eyes bug out of their heads but when you review the facts it makes a lot of sense. I was 16, he was 15 and we had high school and college to finish first! In some ways we took the vow of "in sickness and in health" before we ever said our marriage vows. High school saw me supporting Jim through a knee surgery and a back injury and at the end of our senior year in college it found Jim supporting me as I fought Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma. A journey and a story I am passionate to tell so don't be surprised if it pops up on the blog soon. (feel free to ask me anything also- I am an open book) We married in the Fall of 1999 and have had a great life here in the Quad Cities. Our four year streak of something negative happening in the medical department continued as Jim was diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) a few years into our marriage. He's an open book about his MS too so feel free to ask questions! He has had an AWESOME two years and I think we have a new course of drug therapy to thank for that! All in all we are pretty blessed around here. We broke that that four year medical curse by having our first child four years after Jim was diagnosed with MS. After 6 months of chemotherapy for me, while being treated for the Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, we were unsure if having children naturally would be possible. Helaina, Breleigh and Easton defied the odds... just like me!!! Blessed, Blessed, Blessed!
We are not originally from this area but instead grew up in the Cedar Rapids area. My family has all moved away from the area now. Most of my family is in Minnesota (living in pretty close proximity to one another). My mom and dad, brother and twin sister all live up there and my eldest brother lives in Colorado. I miss them and wish we could all live closer or have one of those "beam me up" Star Trek things so we could visit ALL the time! My parents and my sister and her family show up on my blog from time to time so stay tuned!
Well.... it's almost time to get the kids up so we can get ready for school. I'm currently driving across the ( one lane closed) 80 bridge each morning to get Helaina to her bus stop so she can start her school routine even before we move in. I will sign off for now but hopefully anyone who chooses to use my "mommy" card to look me up now has a little better idea of " the new neighbors!" We are VERY excited to be moving into Beaver Crossing in Bettendorf and so far all the people we have met have been wonderful!
The Moran Family
