The Big Day

So, we moved all of our stuff this past weekend.  Closing on the house on Jonquil went smoothly on Friday, after a really late night on Thursday “just finishing up” the last few things to do at Jonquil.  I never expected it to take so long to “finish up” before we could leave.  But we ended up with two absolutely packed cars, some short tempers, and a very late bedtime (it was about 10:30 before we made it to Mom & Dad’s on Thursday).  Plus one very cranky cat and one very confused dog.  It wasn’t all that pretty, I’ll be honest!  But it was done, and the closing went fine.

Saturday we just stayed at Mom & Dad’s, and went to the wedding, and that was about it.  Well, and tried to keep our dog from killing their dogs, and Truman from escaping and hiding forever in the basement.  But totally uneventful, besides that! :)

Sunday we headed out with one seriously packed trailer, and one seriously packed Subaru.  I wish I’d taken a picture of it, because we had Josh, the girls, and me, plus the dog in her crate in the back, and Truman in his pet taxi jammed in between the girls’ car seats (literally jammed- we had to put him in, then put the car seat in next to him for it to fit. 

We got to Grandma’s house in So. IL on Sunday, and mostly just chilled for the afternoon/evening.  We locked Truman in a room downstairs, and kept Isa caged most of the time (but we did take her on a long walk in the evening). 

Monday morning, Josh and the girls (and the dog and cat, of course) jammed ourselves back into the Subaru and headed out around 5:00.  We headed straight to the new house so we could do the final walkthrough, and then to the closing at the realtor’s office.  The closing went alright, except that we forgot to bring a certified check.  So, we had to set up a wire transfer, instead.  We got out of there and headed back to the house to meet Mom, Dad, & Charlie with the truck and trailer, and the church members who were coming to help.  Only problem: the truck and trailer (along with Mom, Dad & Charlie) were stuck on the side of the road in Indiana because of a busted wheel bearing.  So, we went to the house anyway, and the girls and I just played in the empty house while Josh ran some errands to get utilities switched over.  We also let all of the church members who showed up know that we’d call them again in a couple of hours!  It actually was kind of nice to have some just chill out time after so long in the car and then at the realtor’s office.  Audrey napped, Laney watched movies (our portable dvd player MORE than earned it’s price tag during this move!), and I read.  Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours, really! 

Once the trailer got there, it didn’t take long for the group that came to help to get the whole thing unloaded.  We were just in time, too, because almost as soon as we were done, it started really storming.  While Mom & I tried to uncover enough floor space to sleep all 7 of us, Dad, Josh & Charlie made plans for the shed and headed to Lowes to buy supplies (the first of MANY trips to Lowes). 

Tuesday Mom & I spent the day unpacking, and the guys spent the day building the shed.  It was soaking wet outside, so it was pretty nasty, mucky work.  And unpacking, well, it’s always nasty work!  We focused on the kitchen and living room, and actually made pretty good progress.  The shed didn’t go quite as quickly (it was so wet the concrete took forever to set), and we pretty quickly realized we weren’t going to be able to drive back on Tuesday.  We ended up staying until early afternoon on Wednesday, which meant Mom and I got a lot done in the kitchen and living room, and the shed was at least watertight (it still needed shingles, some trim, and to be painted- all stuff Josh could do himself).

The trip back was blessedly uneventful, which was amazing considering the crazy weather that went through Southern IL that day.  We only made one stop (amazing with the two girls), and we were home by 9:00 (and in bed by 10:00!).

And now that you’ve suffered through 773 words on moving, here are a few pictures to reward you for your time!  Although, not much of a reward since I managed to forget both my cameras, so these are just cell phone pics…

From the hellacious last day at the house on Jonquil.  Note to self (and anyone about to move with small children):  FIND SOMEONE TO WATCH THE KIDS THE LAST DAY! Just trust me!

A, having a snack in her seat on the floor… the best thing she did, ‘cause she was CONTAINED!

Laney was not so bad, she mostly watched movies… again, the portable dvd player to the rescue!

And, we’re off to KY!!  Wouldn’t be right without a few traveling pictures of my girls:

Elena, the Jedi knight…

Audrey says: M&Ms are DELICIOUS!  So much for melt in your mouth… more like melt ON your mouth…

And, we MADE IT!

First, and most important, the new house:

(actually totally forgot to take a picture of the house and had to have Josh send me one… such a crazy couple of days!)

It’s a cute little ranch, clearly, and it’s all brick, which is fantastic.  I love the green shutters and door, and it’s got great, mature trees.  Despite the 1 bathroom and lack of a garage, I really like our house.

Laney supervised the unloading once the trailer got there:

Monday evening, while Mom & I were working on finding spots for everyone to sleep, Laney and A were just playing around.  Then Mom realized that Audrey was sitting next to Laney, playing with her Belle doll, and there was no screaming or fighting (a rare occurrence for my girls).  So Mom complimented Laney on playing so nicely… and got no response.  She said it a little louder, and still no response.  So she really looked at Laney, and realized she was TOTALLY ASLEEP, crouched on the floor next to the dvd player.  Poor thing had no nap, and she was just exhausted.  Had to take a picture before I moved her to our bed!

 

Tuesday: Unpacking like crazy, and shed building!

Laney alternated between watching movies on the portable dvd player (are you sensing a theme?!) and picking every dandelion in our new yard.  Not a bad way to spend a couple of days!  And she was totally thrilled that I let her watch several movies in one day (usually a no-no).. and Mom & I were thrilled that she was occupied!Meanwhile, Audrey helped with the unpacking!

Truman skulked… (he’s actually doing amazingly well, considering the craziness of his last week!)

And the boys built the shed…

While unpacking the kitchen, Mom & I quickly ran out of space, b/c this kitchen does not have nearly the counter/cabinet space that our old one did.  We knew that when we bought it, so we figured we’d buy a buffet.  So, of course, Mom and I did some online buffet shopping when we ran out of room to put stuff in the kitchen, but we couldn’t find anything that I liked, that would work, and that was in our price range.  So I decided to try Craig’s list, which I’m not usually very successful with, but thought was worth a shot.  And, eureka!, I found the PERFECT buffet, and it was in Etown, AND it was only $150!  So we picked it up Tuesday evening, brought it in the kitchen, and immediately filled it with stuff!  I LOVE it! 

At first I was going to paint it, ‘cause the red doesn’t really go with anything else in my kitchen, but it’s kind of grown on me…  Just for reference, here’s a shot of the kitchen, with the buffet there:

See what I mean about the no counter/cabinet space actually in the kitchen?!  At least it’s really nice, though.  The house was bought in foreclosure by a builder, who flipped it.  So everything inside has been redone, which is awesome- new fixtures, new appliances, new paint, new floor, etc.  Such a good deal!

There was some time for fun while we were there, although not a ton, we were so busy!

We discovered a VERY FULL nest in one of the apple trees in the backyard (yes, we have TWO apple trees in our yard… awesome!)

We set up the girls’ slide in the backyard, and A tried it out:

Grandma, reading her girls some books:

And, then, Wednesday, we headed out.  By then, the shed looked like this:

Like I said, pretty easy trip, other then some serious wind and awhile with some pretty strong rain, too.  But, the storm did provide us with this beautiful double rainbow:

It was one of the clearest, brightest rainbows I’ve ever seen.  I mean, holy cow, look how bright it is on a cell phone camera held out of the window of a truck going 70 mph! 

So, now Josh is finishing up the shed, and working on unpacking.  Charlie and Corey are headed to Etown the week of June 6th to help Josh build a privacy fence for Isa (she has already escaped once, clearly the chain link there is not dog-proof!) who is spending most of her time now on her tie-out.  And, two weeks from today is my last day at work, and we’ll be headed out for good that weekend.  I expected to be more sad as I say goodbye to a lot of the teachers I’ve worked with and to be more sad about the idea of leaving.  But, maybe it’s because this transition has been drug out for so long, I’m just ready for it to be over so we can be settled, which makes me look forward to moving. 

And there’s a ridiculous amount of writing and pictures about a simple move… but we really are excited to get this new phase in life started.  It’s going to be quite the adventure!!

Now

This is what it looks like at my house right now… sorry for poor quality, all of these were taking with my cell phone b/c I don’t really know where my camera is right now…

Truman, helping me pack up the stuff in the desk…

Sad, bare cabinets with just enough dishes to get us through the next few days.

Audrey, helping Daddy go through cds.

It’s kind of sad… and exciting… I will miss this house; I really love it. There are a lot of memories in it, from college and since we bought it a couple of years ago. I’m sad to be leaving a place with so many good memories… early in dating Josh (from the second time around), lots of time spent with good friends, learning to live on my own, and then coming back and buying it as a married couple, raising kids, growing into the house.

But, the good news is, the memories aren’t limited to the location, and the most important parts of those memories are moving with me!

And, speaking of memories, some of the really interesting things about moving and packing are the hidden gems that are unearthed while sorting through old papers and pictures. Gems such as these:

Ahh, brothers… Let’s just say that we will have quite the arsenal of pictures for Charlie’s wedding montage! :)

And, just to show that I’m equal opportunity, one of me, too…

Nice glasses, huh? Those glasses (or at least glasses that size) plagued me all through junior high. ‘Cause I needed help being not cool in junior high… and, Jess, nice skirt and purse combo! :)

So, things are obviously rolling right along. We are making good progress packing, and everything seems smooth as far as the closings on Friday and Monday. We have gathered in all of our “resoruces,” and we’re trusting God that it will be enough to cover costs on Monday. The plan is still to drive to IL on Sunday, and then on to KY on Monday morning. We are working to figure out how to get a privacy fence up, since the Bella will jump a chain link without even trying. I think Dad and Charlie are going to build us a shed while we’re moving (Tunnel Hill is planning to help unload, so that should leave Charlie and Dad free to work on the shed all day Monday and Tuesday). So awesome to have family to help! Still both sad and excited for this to actually be happening…

Daddy Visits!

Daddy got to come home for a long weekend for my birthday weekend, and we had a great time! But first, a few catch up pictures I found as I was looking through the camera…

Poor Laney, so abused… one day as we were going into or out of the house she started throwing a fit on the front porch. I don’t think she appreciated it when I started taking pictures…

Laney’s new favorite thing to do: pick flowers! We don’t go anywhere without her wiping out the entire dandelion population!

Miss A is fascinated with Isa… and the feeling appears to be mutual!

And a few Easter shots I missed… these are from Uncle Tim’s house the Saturday before Easter.

Grandpa and his girls!

Laney & Mal dyeing eggs. Laney doesn’t quite have finesse down yet, so she’d drop the eggs from about six inches above the cup… good thing the table was covered!

All done dyeing!

One of Audrey’s new favorite past times- sitting on Laney’s bed reading. She loves books… my kid! :)

And now onto our weekend with Daddy! Before he got here on Thursday evening, the girls and I headed to the ball fields to watch “the boys” play softball (Charlie, Corey, James and Dad all play on a league sponsored by Black and Gold Auctions and our church). It wasn’t Audrey’s first foray onto the fields, but it was the first that she was alert enough to know where she was! She was pretty intrigued by what was going on for a little while…

We did manage to enjoy a few days of good weather while Josh was here (which was quite refreshing, since it’s pretty much rained nonstop for the past month). So we took the opportunity to spend lots of time outside! (And Josh got to mow the yard that hadn’t been mowed since he was home last 3 weeks ago… he needed a machete- lucky him!)

Audrey has discovered the little cozy coupe and she loves it! She hops in, and then pushes it backwards until it runs into something, grinning like a maniac the whole time. Pretty cute!

Let’s go, Mom!

We busted out Laney’s t-ball set, too, which is what Mommy likes to see!! :)

Look at that determination!

Even Audrey got in on the t-ball action!

We also got out the giant bubble wands Grandma & Grandpa Price got for the girls for Easter. Laney loves to pop bubbles!

And we had to cool off with a popsicle, of course. A’s first freeze pop, and she seemed to be a fan!

On Saturday we headed out to my folks’ house to celebrate my birthday with our typical grilled food and lemon cake with lemon icing! And, because I do it to everyone else on their birthday, a picture of me with the cake…

Audrey was a FAN of the lemon cake… of course, I haven’t really found much Audrey isn’t a fan of, particularly in the sweets department…

Laney was more a fan of the present bags…

Love that smile!

And one last shot of the night… Charlie, Sam, and Josh watching Anastasia with Laney! :) Those boys would put up with anything for their girls!

So that’s about it from our weekend with Josh home. We had fun, but we sure are looking forward to being settled as a family again! It’s coming up pretty quick- Josh’s next trip home will be to help pack, close on our house here, drive to KY, and close on our house there. Then, the next time he comes home will be to drive me and the girls there for good. Kind of scary to think about!

Things are moving along pretty well with the double closings. We close on our house in Columbia on Friday, May 20th. Then, we’re going to stay in town for the weekend to go to a wedding on the 21st. We’ll probably drive to Grandma Judy’s house on Sunday and spend the night. Then we’ll get up and leave early Monday morning to close on our house in Elizabethtown, unload the trailer, then Mom, Dad, the girls, and I will be headed back to Columbia.

We are pretty excited about our house in Etown. It’s the only house that we looked at that I really walked in and thought “I could live here, this house would really work for us.” It’s downsizing, about 1000 square feet, but we expected that. It’s a house that was bought by a builder and he’s gone through and updated it (painted, closed off the washer and dryer so they’re not just out in the kitchen, put in overhead lighting, central air, a heat pump, all new counters and appliances in the kitchen, etc.). There was a little scariness in the making an offer, because we thought we were approved for pretty much exactly what it was listed for. But part of that approval included a $5000 grant, and when Josh went back to look at the house one more time before putting in an offer, we found out the grant was gone. And, since we now didn’t have the grant to count as our down payment, there was actually a $7000 swing in what we were approved for. I was pretty bummed. But our realtor convinced us to go ahead and put in the offer, and just see what the builder did. So, we put in an offer for $77,000 on an $85,000 house, not expecting much. But, God is good, and the guy took the offer! He did not, however, agree to pay any of our closing costs, so now we are going to have to come up with about $5000 by our closing date. Some of it will come from the sale of our house here, and the rest, well, we’re counting on God to provide. He has worked everything else out so far, we don’t expect this to be any different. We probably have enough in savings (although, I wasn’t counting on an $800 van repair this week), we just won’t have much of a safety net left. But, well, Matthew 6:25-34 is still true! And now we’ve gotten a fantastic deal on a solid little house (here it is, if you’re curious). So, if we have to move again after Josh finishes school, we’ll be in good shape to sell it…

In other news, I actually had a job interview this week! It is an information specialist (librarian) position at the DOD schools in Ft. Knox. So, it would be about 30 minutes north of Etown, but it would have fantastic benefits. I think the interview went pretty well, but, since it’s the army, there won’t be any news for at least 2 weeks. I would love to know before our closing, because then we wouldn’t have to worry so much about being approved for our loan… but, again, God will provide.

So, there’s the long update! Lots of pictures and lots of news… will try to keep everyone updated between packing stints! :)