Vicarious House Hunting

Our offer was accepted, and we are putting a rush on all parties involved, so we can move in as soon as possible.  The sellers have moved out already, and now it is up to the lender.  Maybe next week.  We are so excited.

After driving into town late the night before, we went to see the house the next day.  The realtor and inspector in tow.  It sits on a flag lot on a little hill, quiet and private, with an open field/park behind the property.  The main floor has an eat-in kitchen that is open and spacious, and a front room with large windows that look out over the rolling hills of the Palouse.  The main floor also has a half bath.  We like the garage, which is 2-car-sized, but extra deep so there is room to store things.  The daylight basement looks like it will be a good space to use for sewing and the tv.  There's also a bedroom and full bath down there.  There are 3 bedrooms upstairs, as well as 2 bathrooms - hall and master. The master bath is laid out in a strange way, but will be fine for now.  The only other drawback we've noticed is the long driveway, which will have to be plowed if it snows too much.   

Scott's mom found the house and had described the whole thing to us over the phone.  The funny thing is that the house she found and recommended for us is the one we ended up picking.  We didn't even look at any other houses after arriving in town.  We just went to look at it and signed the papers 30 minutes later.  We knew a lot about Pullman before we moved here, but I'm still impressed that Scott's mom found us the right place without us even seeing it in person.

So, I finally got on the band wagonand read Stephanie Meyer's first book, "Twilight".  It was a lot of fun, and I kept thinking how I would have enjoyed it even more if I had been able to read it back when I was in high school.  I attended a private magnet school in Japan with a rigid curriculum.  I was always staying up late studying, and I never had time to read anything besides my required literature.  There were no dances, and what's more, boys and girls studied in different buildings.  I was lucky I had brothers and church friends.  Some of my friends hadn't even talked to a guy besides their father for months.  An American high school story would have been a lot of fun to read for me and for my friends.  Regarding the book itself, I was glad I took my friend's advice and waited to start it until the move was over.  It grips you right away and you won't be able to put it down until the end.  A good explanation for my lack of blogging this past week.  Check out the t-shirt my friend, Kimberly, made.  She is so hilarious!          

Travel, Wednesday and Thursday

A few more pictures from the trip...

Kai walking out of the Olive Garden in Eugene, OR.  Note all the stuff he is trying to leave with, including the mints in his mouth.  

Redwoods.  We walked the little trail behind the Paul Bunyan to admire all the trees, and then rode the gondola up to the top to enjoy the view out to the ocean.  It was the perfect way to enjoy nature without serious hiking.  The trail ended at the gift shop, of course, where they sold homemade fudge for $12.00/lb.  Worth trying if you ever go.  

Scott and I woke up on Thursday in Medford, OR, and decided to drive straight to Pullman.  Mapquest said 10 hours 19 minutes.  It sounded like a lot in one day, but we were getting impatient about house hunting.  We stopped at Barns and Noble in Eugene to get a book on CD for me and some books for the kids.  I also pulled out the dry roasted edamame (soy beans) from the back and had it ready for munching.  A few stops for meals, nursing and bathroom took longer than we thought, and it was past midnight when we got to Scott's parent's house.         

  

Monday and Tuesday

Yesterday, we stopped at Monterey Bay Aquarium in the afternoon and then stayed in San Jose last night. The aquarium was very nice. The modern architecture showcased the water life in an artistic way. Every floor had large terraces that overlooked the bay. It was refreshing to be out there and watch the fishing boats. We enjoyed learning about the history of fishing and canning of Monterey Bay. Since I can never see fish without thinking how I would cook and eat it, I found it very interesting. I also loved seeing the fat tuna. Yum! The kids enjoyed the many hands on activities. Jerome and Asha were glued to the microscopes.

We are in Fortuna tonight. After some swimming this morning at the hotel, we drove through San Fransisco, Sonoma, and the windy roads of Red Woods. Driving two cars hasn't been bad at all. I didn't know how I would do since I had never driven more than two hours at a time, but so far, so good. Scott and I keep tabs on each other with a walkie-talkie. I also love it that I don't get car sick when I drive. I do have about half an hour each day where I get really sleepy. Do any of you have any tips to cope with that? Is Red Bull the only solution?

We made an offer on a house from the hotel this morning. Since we have not even set foot in the house yet, we put a stipulation that we see the house first. Scott's mom has viewed it and gave us her strong recommendation. We are excited to see what the sellers say.

Camping out

It is Saturday morning. The second PODS container left early, and we are camping out in this empty house. It is kind of fun and relaxing. We found a few things we forgot to put in the container, one of which was my closet drawers. But then I realized that we can set them in the back of the van and put all the kids' clothes in them. When we get to the hotel each night, I will just pull out a set of clothes for each kid, and we won't have to take everything in.

We were up until well past midnight on Friday, packing and loading up the "last little bit of random stuff". Stu was right when he said that the last bit accounts for 10% of your move. I didn't know if he meant 10% in amount of stuff or 10% in time, but I decided since that it is both. Getting curtains off the rods, taking shelves down from high walls, and taking the crib down in the wee hours did take a lot more time than we allotted. Finding the coat closet half full at 1:00am was not funny.

It is Sunday evening now. We are staying at the Residence Inn in Oxnard, northwest of L.A. Scott drove his car with Jerome and Kai, while I followed in the van with Asha and Quinn. The drive was easy. We had a light supper of veggies and yogurt, and the kids are now in bed.

Saying bye to people at church was sad. My friend, Kiersten made a bingo game for each kid with road signs and things they might see as we make our drive through California. She also gave me a gift card to Borders towards my next book purchase. Sarah, our baby sitter, gave Asha a neckless that has a jeweled up letter "A". Sister Pierce, our dentist and Jerome's former primary teacher, gave us a big set of wooden blocks because she saw how much our kids liked them when we were at her house for Thanksgiving. Swan, my visiting teaching companion of two and a half years, sat with me in the mother's room during Sunday school and then held Quinn during Relief Society one last time. I had to say bye to Pam and Melissa, the two beautiful friends I visit taught many times. Sister Griffin, our primary president, followed us to the car to tell us how much she appreciated Scott in senior primary and how much Jerome and Asha will be missed. And then there are Julene and Kristen, my faithful visiting teachers, who had been there for me through three moves, Kai's accident, and Quinn's birth. I will never forget the many dinners, treats, and gifts they brought, and the laughs and tears we shared. Scott and I feel we are better people because of the example and love of these people.

We are driving up to Monteray tomorrow, and then take the kids to the aquarium there on Tuesday.

Gotta love PODS

We are in full swing with the move.  The first of the two PODS containers was delivered yesterday.  

We chose to use PODS for several reasons.  

1) We can take our time to load it up, which allows us to do most of it ourselves.

2)We don't have to drive the truck.

3)We can have the containers in storage until we find a house

    

Scott took the afternoon off and we started loading it up.  Jerome and Asha each had playdates at their friend's place, and then they put themselves to bed (We promised 15 minutes of computer time the following day in exchange for getting Kai ready for bed and reading to him.). We, well mostly Scott, filled the 8x8x16 container up completely by 9.  It felt really good to get that finished.  We worried if we were going to be able to fit everything in the two containers we had ordered, but we are confident that we will, after we saw what all went in.  

The second container is coming tomorrow.  That will be picked up on Saturday, and then we will be on our way after church on Sunday.    

 

The pictures show how the container was unloaded from the truck to our driveway.  The kids found it entertaining.  There is a motor by the far back post which moves the black frame that holds the container back and forth.  The motor also adjusts the length of each post, which moves the container up and down.   

Here is Quinn being so pleased with himself that he can stand up.  With all the boxes around the house, there are lots of fun places to pull himself up against.  He even climbed all the way up the stairs.  The only problem is that he doesn't know how to get back down yet.  He either falls backwards and hits the back of his head, or scrapes his forehead as he slides down.  Now Jerome and Asha rush up to sit behind him when they catch him standing, so they can assist him with a safe landing.       

What's in a six year old's purse?

- 1 The Book of Mormon

- 1 Children's song book

- 1 laminated "My Gospel Standards"

- 1 Doodle Doodle Book

- 1 journal with a lock

- 1 journal without a lock

- 1 mirror

- 2 lip gloss

- 2 pens

- 1 pair of sunglasses

- 1 princess credit card

- 1 Hello Kitty bubble bottle

- 1 bracelet

- 1 pearl "A"

- 1 key chain full of laminated pictures, cards, and beads

Wow!  That is a lot of treasures to carry around.  It must give her a sense of comfort to know that she is always prepared.  As I drive, I catch a glimpse of her, in the rear view mirror, reading her book, writing in her journal, or putting her lip gloss on to "get ready".  I can't wait to see what else goes into that purse.     

Girly bibs

Bibs for Pam's baby, my last project before packing the machine away.  She is due just a few days after we move out.  I can't believe I waited all this time and won't get to see the baby.  Pam promised she will email lots of pictures.  I will post some here if she lets me.  

Just in case you are interested, the fabric used are...

pic #1

dark pink - Amy Butler - Belle 

orange - Heather Ross, Lightning Bugs

pastels - Robin Pandalph, Wild Rose Farm 

pic #2

white - sheer sucker from a fabric store in Kauai

pink and purple - I think they are 30's repro, but I am not sure what line.  My mom picked them up in Utah.

pic #3

pattern on the left and paisley on the right - Heather Bailey, Fresh Cut

orange floral - Moda uptown

pic #4

pink wood pattern - Joel Dewberry, Aviary

floral on the left - fabric Alison brought home from Spain

bus - Heather Ross, Lightning bugs

pink and brown floral - Lecien, My Folklore

A diaper tote for Adrianne.

Fabric from Heather Bailey, Fresh Cut.  

A bib and diaper tote

Scott's friend at work and his wife are expecting their first baby soon, a great excuse to sew!  I made another bib/diaper tote set.  I don't know what it is about sewing, but it is very calming and relaxing.  It sure helps with all the stress of moving.  I thought this one would be easy since we are going back to Scott's home town, where we will be surrounded by people we love.  Not quite so easy.  I tear up everyday when I think about all my girl friends and wonderful families we are going to leave behind.  I might have to leave my sewing machine out a bit longer... for therapy.   

Scott and brother Stu had daddy daughter camp out in our back yard.  We were away this year for the one our church put on, and now you can only find availability at camp grounds inland where it is just too hot for any fun.  Scott was a little disappointed, but decided our yard would be better than not doing it at all.  The two took all the kids to the high school fireworks and then slept in the tent with the girls.  I was expecting the adults to come back in the house for a movie or something once the girls were asleep, but they never did.  It turns out that Asha put them to sleep.  She told them to stop talking so she could go to sleep.  When they did, they couldn't stay awake any more.         

Jerome turns 9

Jerome turned 9 this week.  We invited his best friend and his brother over for play time, followed by dinner and a cake.  Scott took them out to watch Wall-e afterwards as per Jerome's request.  They had a fun time.    

Although the birthday boy says he feels pretty much the same as when he was 8,  
we see a boy maturing every year.  We sure love you, Jerome!

We kick-started the moving process by taking down the playhouse in the yard.  Here is Kai taking the job very seriously.  

 

Quinn also helped me by organizing the cookbooks.  He started crawling last week, and now he gets into a whole lot more trouble.