Day 9

The final push... less than a week and a half and we did it... the kids got to enjoy a day at the zoo today with their nana and papa and aunti Meg and cousin Elena. I got up about 5:30 and finished all the packing and then went to a soccer tournament where I played 3 games (they're short games) and then came back and finished loading the van and bringing in garden tools and spreading straw over the garden beds to keep weeds down. (the big garden- we put a large tarp over it.) I am doing a final load of laundry now and took all the garbage cans down to the street earlier. We enjoyed a nice dinner with Grammie and Grandpa and Elizabeth and Tauney at the Oyster House. The kids are spent, I am spent. The house is clear with the exception of a final load of odds and ends my parents will come get when we are gone and a pile of things a friend wanted. It is beautiful outside, the leaves are turning colors and the change in season is apparent with the chill in the morning and at night. It is fitting that we have this change in the season of life... it will be a beautiful drive. I'm not sure that I will have internet access for a few days. So the next time I post I hope to have photo's of our new place! Good bye field, good bye smelly chicken house, good bye 4 acres and 2400 sq ft of house that need to be maintained.... =) Hello LONG TERM VACATION~ =)

Day 8

Really getting down to decision time for the packing... so many factors... Do I really want to store this that long? Will this toy be age appropriate by the time we are back? Will these clothes fit them? What should I leave for when we come and visit? What should I take? Agh! The few remaining boxes I packed today took more thought and time than any. Both kids rooms are clear-bare floors (other than Christian's pack and play in his). Truck load to the dump done, contracts signed and done, trip to grocery store for goodies for the road, trip to bank to pay for gas, carrier is fixed to the top of the van and loaded with towels, bedding and Christian potty seat ( I had JUST bought it for him). Linda (Michael's aunt) came with Lacey (her granddaughter) to get Oliver today. I will have to post pictures later, I packed the cord that enables me to upload them... but real cute- all the kids got in the back with him. It was sad. Elle cried a little after they left, but she's tough. Susan (Michael's moom) brought us the most incredible dinner, I got to hang out with my mom most of the afternoon running the above erronds, while Melody (friend) watched the kids. (thank you! Elle had a BALL!) The van is packed, with the exception of the few boxes I have left to "top off" and Elle is "camping out" in my room tonight as her bed is disassembled. She is laying here snoring beside me... I love that little munchkin!

Day 7

ALL TRIM IS PAINTED AND ALL WALLS TOUCHED UP!!! Hooo-RAY! Thank you to Jerusha and Lindsay, who came and played with the kids while I finished. Got my AAA card, set up the tenants contracts for the other house, fed the horses down the road the remaining carrots from the garden, sold the rooster and 5 other hens, packed the remaining kitchen drawers, packed a duffel bag of the kids clothes for the trip,  and picked out carpet color and pad at Home Depot.

Tomorrow will be the moment of truth to see if everything I am planning to bring will actually fit in the van! =)

Day 6

Pruned 5 apple trees and 1 pear tree, started pruning the grapes, FINISHED painting all the trim and windows! (hoo-ray! That was a dreaded one- that has taken HOURS and HOURS over the last couple days... still have to touch up paint all the walls) My mom came over today and CLEANED... I mean CLEANED my van out.. it is sparkelen! It has NEVER been so food or dog hair free...I am scared to even go anywhere... maybe I will just stay home until it is time to leave for Miami... While my mom was here, she had the kids and I made the most of it by taking care of referring all of my real estate business and signing over my license to the referal department of my office so I can still help people find AWESOME agents if they are looking for a home, or planning to sell theirs. I also took the last standing order of T-shirts to Bayview, tagged them, invoiced them and delivered them. Elle and I had a good time planting the strawberries I pulled out of the garden (before mowing it) in another garden area that won't be covered with plastic...probably about 40 plants and lastly I may have figured out the rental situation for the basement of the other house... I should know tomorrow for sure. I CAN NOT WAIT to say I am completely done with the painting! That is a TOUGH job with little ones... one that wants to help, and the other that wants to tip the tray and play in it... so glad we don't have carpet installed yet...

Thought on today... it really is incredible how much you can accomplish in a day if you just keep doing stuff. Really... a day is a LONG time...

Seeing the world more clear

UNBELIEVEABLE the differnce clean windows in a house makes!!! We have not cleaned our windows in and out since we moved in (a year ago) and WOW what a difference! It really does let in so much more light, makes the view all the more incredible and just makes the house look cleaner (which in the disarray that my home is in right now, says A LOT). I also finally got glasses today. My vision is just bad enough to not quite notice and allow a decade to go by without taking care of it. The real "kicker" for me was Elle's 3 year check up where they tested her eyes. I stood at the line, helping make sure she stood at it, as she covered one eye and read the shapes off the chart... I stood there, leaned in as far as I could, squinting BOTH eyes, questioning, "did she get it!?" =) Between that and never being able to read road signs until they are being passed... I knew it was time. They came in today...I was happy to see that I did sort of like them... when I went in for the appt. the dc put the drops in my eyes to diolate them and then said to go out and pick what frames I wanted right then before my eyes got blurry. I was finding NOTHING that I liked...until about 8-10 minutes in...the same time my eyes started getting blurry...so I wasn't sure if it was the fact that I couldn't see myself in the mirror, or if the frames were really the right size and shape for my long chubby face... I don't hate them, so that's good... and it'll be nice to be able to read road signs....you know...for 3400 miles...

Let me tell ya... I had NO idea how beautiful it is outside! I can see leaves on trees, needles on pine trees and fur trees, even the marina that I drive by EVERY day to get to and from home is incredible... each mast on the sailboats SEPARATE from the other.. amazing... I only have the glasses for driving...but wow, I am so glad I got them before driving accross country... now I will be able to see all the beauty...

Day 5

First coat of paint done on all trim and windows (all but two windows). Trip to Home Depot to buy something I never thought I'd buy (or have)... DVD players for the kids in the van. Returns made at Target, two trips to Home Depot, items back to the library, phone call to get AAA account set up, picked up the last print order of T-shirts to deliver tomorrow to Bayview Thriftway in Olympia, John and Ali (friends of ours) came and helped paint and watch the kids- so fun to see them...mowed the grass for the last time- super short, hauled more boxes downstairs,  and deposit  made at the bank I  just recieved an email that one of our basement tenants at the other house is moving out...so now I need to figure all that out here before I leave...yey... so close...

Day 4

ALL windows washed in and out (thanks mom!), another truck load packed and moved to my parents (who will be storeing everything), the bridge railing over the creek built (thanks dad!), remainder of trim chaulked, 4 more loads of laundry done, 2 more pick ups for free items, pantry cleared out, another truck load of outside stuff stored, ran 2 miles, met with future tenants and signed paperwork and got deposit, signed over title for truck sale, hung hanging basket hook that fell off front post, chaulked sinks so they wouldn't move anymore, grandpa came and picked up the rocking chair he bought (thanks grandpa!), and sealed the wood shed with linseed oil (thanks mom and Elle!). It was a BEAUTIFUL day out, we managed to fit in a couple games of tag, playing in the puddles the tarp over the garden saved, and Elle mastered some artwork this evening. I am hopeing to get the trim painted mostly tomorrow and then the major daunting tasks will be done and just little ones left. I talked to Michael this morning, he has arrived in Miami and says that the condo is nice and that's it's real hot there... the kids miss him, it'll be nice to all be together soon.

Day 3...

Okay, so I never really got around to doing a "part 2" for Day 2... but here is where things are at today...About 80 percent of the house is packed and moved out (!), more windows have been washed, the van is full of stuff to take to the Goodwill, many people came to get free items- bed headboard/footboard, tv, dresser, bookshelf, bed table, end table, and baby items. 6 more chickens sold and all beef is now gone. 4 loads of laundry done, contract finished for new tenants (one is a cop, the other is a super cleaner...perfect tenants!) and Michael has nearly arrived in Florida. I still have 3 chickens and 2 roosters left.