Moving Day

Even though I'm sore in places that don't make sense, and my toe is the color of a ripe plum, I feel compelled to document the beginning of the end of this journey.

For even on it's first day it was FULL!

Timing:

I find it ironic that we assumed our escrow would close on November 15th.

This was an unconfirmed assumption as our renter's signed a lease on April 13th and we had to wait for them to be in our old house for 6 months.  That put our START of escrow at October 13th....with a 30 day close.

Blah, blah, real estate details.

As our timeline drew to a close we (er....I) pushed for a 15 day escrow hoping to close on November 5th.

As usual there were MORE than enough hiccups to get us to where we were this week....closing on November 16th.  Amazing:  

No matter how HARD I tried to 'make it happen' faster.....

Those keys did not get into my hands until the appointed time.

So yesterday, November 16, 2010- 

The Weiners went home.

hee hee.

Prep:

 Natalia and I picked up our keys, garage door openers and a little box from Tiffany & Co., from the nice salesperson.  I was surprised by the pretty blue and white bundle, but I reminded myself that we DID make quite a big purchase here.  So thank you very much Standard Pacific!   That little candy dish may be the only thing I ever get from Tiffany's!   Ha.

Then I spent the next 3 hours on my knees wiping Tile Sealer onto every eligible surface in our new home.

Let's just say that the little bottle I purchased was supposed to cover 1,000 square feet.  And I wouldn't have complained a bit about the entire process....except that I backed into the corner of a wall and jammed the second toe on my left foot.  Sprained or broken, I was not about to let it hamper this moving process!

So puffy and bruised we finished the job and settled back at my parents while those fumes aired out.

The deliveries begin:

 Today we headed back to the house to welcome our belongings.  With Jarrod still out of town for work it was just myself and one dear set of friends.  Little did I know how hard the three of us were about to work.

Our first POD finally arrived at the very last minutes of their 3 hour delivery window.   Apparently our new development is hard to find.  We spent about an hour unloading the first quarter....maybe even half of that POD when our second POD showed up.  It was about that time that we were told both PODS weren't going to fit in our driveway and that our city has an ordinance where they cannot be stored in the street.

The blessings abound:

Thankfully the driver gave us a little leeway and we kicked it in high gear.  Can I tell you that we unloaded the rest of that POD in less than 20 minutes?  I felt like we were being filmed for a reality show.  It was totally a race against time to undo this 8ft square of boxes row after jam packed row!  We didn't bring it into the house, but everything made it into the garage.  And as long as I wasn't running things up and down the stairs......my little blue toe didn't throb as much!   I am just so thankful to my dear friend Cheri who was there today and who convinced her hubby that this would be a good idea ;)  I tear up thinking about how much they helped today.  Amazing!

She even stuck around and unloaded my entire kitchen!  Another friend, Barb showed up for the evening round and helped me sort through a few boxes and wrap my head around all the decor.  On an earlier note, my mom took Merrick to his dentist appointment and then spent the rest of the day nursing my ailing daughter with chicken soup and vicks.

As you can see, I don't do anything alone.  And what a gift that has been.  Jarrod will be home tomorrow and I can't wait to see his face when he gets to the new house.  Tomorrow we'll unpack more boxes.  And I don't doubt that there will be more help to back me up!  What gifts!

stay tuned.....and until them sit back and enjoy the view.....

The clock is ticking

It's about that time.  It's November after all.....and we're smack dab in the middle of escrow.

What an unnerving and wonderful place to be!

I've been so full of thoughts and unable to organize them enough to put them down here, but just know that the gratitude is flowing over here....BIG time.

Did I ever mention the 'discussion' that started off this journey back in March.....when Jarrod and I had a nice  hash-it-all-out fight.....and we both realized we weren't fighting each other, we were actually fighting for the SAME thing......we were just sick and tired of sitting stagnant...waiting.

We weren't even sure what we were waiting for anymore.  We just tend to take a LONG time making decisions! (Insert Barb's full agreement here)  And sometimes that's due to fear, and other times is just a lack of us making the effort to get on the same page.  Life has a funny way of getting REALLY busy.  Then one day you wake up and realize you're just going through the motions rather than asking God, "What's up?  Where are we headed?"  So we finally did, and the rest is looking kinda history-like.

But the goal was never to buy a brand stinking new house.  The goal was a change.  And an effort to put our heart's desire out there.  We hoped for a little more space in the kitchen.  I longed for a schoolroom.  But is any of that crucial for a faithful walk?   Nah.  But taking that step toward a goal and really relying on the Lord to provide each step along the way.....that was important.  And call it happenstance, but He has provided.  And how.

We can't wait to be settled.    And to pray about our NEXT leap of faith. 

But this week my ponderings are much more organizational.  

I stand and look at this kitchen and for the life of me, I can't figure out where to put the dishes, or the plates, or the coffee station.  Feel free to chime in here.  Near the dishwasher I suppose....

But do I want the dishes down low enough for the kids to help me unload them?

This is where my brain is lacking.....the Martha Stewart functionality is lost on me.

I remember moving into our first home and with all the renovation we needed to make, this was the one wall I painted that stayed the same for the remainder of our time in that house.
These were my squares.  It took us atleast 4 days to tape off and paint this one wall.
I absolutely loved it.  It was serene and it also represented one of our first married couple projects together.

I can't even fathom painting in the new house.  This time I'm more concerned with the functionality of the place.  Where to hang laundry.....how to set up the kid's rooms, if I have enough bath mats for all that tile.
Oh, don't get me wrong.  There will be paint, and LOTS of it!.......but I'm pacing myself.  I'd like to get in there and watch where the light falls during the day.  It all seems so non-urgent.  Well that and the paint is all fresh and new.  God knew what I could handle this time around.  How little I could devote to the BIG projects.  And how even though I asked for this much house.......I can picture Him smiling and saying, "Open up your arms wider dear one.  You have NO idea what's in store for you."

What more could a girl ask for?
(oh that's right, I'm still asking for your help in the kitchen....thanks ;)