Because we need a new lawn mower anyway.

So I'm having a moment. Or, lately, moments. I was flipping through pictures, and I realized something. I realized they don't look like this any more.I realized, that until looking at these pictures which force me to face the growth that has happened minute by minute over the last nine months since they were taken, the kids hadn't changed an ounce in my mind.

Time just blows through like a hurricane these days. And apparently, it takes chubby cheeks right along with it. Looking at these makes me wish that hiding in a bathroom with a weather radio and snacks would make things stand still. But it's not that kind of hurricane. It's more like the kind that blows through without a care, and takes whatever it can with it. It doesn't look back at pictures.

I guess that's why we decided that the crazy idea we started talking about five years ago...the one where we start our own business and hope the American Dream colors us in...was a good one to bring to life right now. Despite the economy. Despite the fact that we have more responsibilities now than ever. Despite the drought that looms over our area, threatening to replay the difficulties of last year.

Five years is long enough to talk about something...each year seeing more opportunities slip by. Each year, feeling like we should have just done it the last. Each year, feeling like we might have been happier if. When I think of how fast the nine months has gone since those pictures were taken, it physically hurts.

The thing is, in a lot of ways, Andrew has already started and run two landscaping companies. The second time, much more so than the first. Those particular "lots of ways" just didn't include us paying for things...minor discrepancy, right?

So, perhaps it's those chubby cheeks that are turning into college-tuition-needing-blush-covered-apples faster that we can say slow down. Or, perhaps it's the thought that this is truly the best way to take care of our family. Or, perhaps it's years of frustration and responsibility for nothing. Probably a bit of all of those things led us to the decision to start back at square one...and do it on our own. That, and blind faith.

Yesterday, I woke up with a pit in my stomach. You know the kind. Full of nerves. Full of unknown. Way too full to eat. I wasn't sure how to read it. I felt excited. I felt scared. Andrew quit his job. A job he created for himself out of a passion for landscaping. A job that, over the last few months, has changed to something different, and also become something that no longer provided for our family adequately. A job that has caused enough stress that it made the decision to leave a little easier. In many ways, I was thankful for that stress. It pushed us to a place we may otherwise have not been brave enough to go.

After he quit, the pit in my stomach went away. I felt joy. I felt confidence in him and his ability to pull this off. We can pull this off. It can be what our family needs. It can be an investment that will provide Andrew with a job he loves, and us with the life we want to have. It's not going to be easy. But it's all for us, and right now, that's what matters.

So, the company is called Oak City Landscaping, for our beloved city of Raleigh, the City of Oaks. The website, though still much under construction, will be http://www.oakcitylandscaping.com/. Andrew is quite skilled at what he does. He graduated from NCSU with a BS in Horticulture, Concentration in Landscape Design. He is a certified Landscape Contractor, and holds a host of other certifications in his field. He knows the area well, can provide immaculate maintenance, and creates beautiful designs and landscapes for those who want them...from patios, to plantings, to ponds, and lighting. His clients love working with him because he loves what he does. I truly believe in him, and in our ability to run a successful business. It's very exciting! Wish us luck!