Greetings From Suburbia

It is hard to believe that we have been in our new house for a whole week. I got my pictures hung on the wall yesterday (Thanks Rach) and it is starting to feel like home. The move went really smoothly. At the insistence of my brothers, who live on the east coast and consequently couldn't help, we defied the so called "mormon move" and had our entire house boxed when people showed up on Saturday. It took a little over an hour to get the truck loaded and thanks to some quick cleaning we were gone at about noon. Special thanks to our awesome friends and family who helped. Especially considering it was a holiday weekend....you know who you are and we love you dearly. Wes you are a lot stronger than you look, Merritt you are as perfect as the doctor said you are, Andrea as always you amaze me with your freakish strength...not to mention my dad has a super crush on you since you are cowgirl....ye haw!

So far we have loved it here and we can sure tell we are in suburbia. We hadn't been here 15 minutes than our neighbor, the elders quorum president, came over with gloves in hand to help us move in. I was really impressed that he gave up swimming with his family on a holiday to come help a perfect stranger. By the end of the day practically our entire street had come over to meet us complete with freezer jam in hand. Last week the entire Relief Society presidency came to visit me and they would not leave until I submitted to them bringing us dinner next week. I told them we were doing okay but they were worried that I was doing too much. Tim has been not only dead bolting the door but using the chain as well and I've had to show him how children are running freely down the street, no parents, and how I haven't seen one drug deal or police car since we moved in. I guess some habits die hard. Not to mention at the our nearest grocery store I didn't see one pregnant meth head or drunk. Oh and get this when people have parties on their decks (which we can see a lot of people's decks from our deck...kinda weird) they go inside by 10:30 pm and no one sounds drunk. It is really refreshing. We haven't made it to church yet because the first Sunday my ankles were the size of my knees and today was Stake Conference but I really feel like we are going to like it here.

Gage has declared our other house "lame" and the boys are loving having the extra room. I could spend the rest of my life in our master bathroom. There are a lot of projects that need to be undertaken like the fire engine red wall in the living room...looks great with my purple arm chairs! And the colors in the master were aptly named by Andrea as "traffic lights"....you got it yellow, green, and red. I'm just hoping to have things in semi order before my little one comes which is scarily starting to feel like might be sooner rather than later. I'll get some pictures up soon.

Is She Singing Yet?

At four o' clock today I'm supposed to hear a fat lady sing. I sure hope she sings loud. Our friend and loan officer Merritt told us that everything with closing on our house isn't over until the fat lady sings, and let me tell you she better sing. We were supposed to close yesterday but there is some hiccup with the chick that bought our house. Tim and I signed all the papers yesterday but it isn't recorded and the chick (since I can't remember her name) didn't sign until this morning and if all goes as planned it should record today at four. It hasn't really sunk in yet that we are moving. I mean I'm surrounded by boxes and my house is filthy but I guess with things being touch and go the last couple of days I'm just not facing reality yet.

I'm really pumped to move. I'm excited for more space and to meet new people. But I'm feeling a little nostalgic today. I love how leaving a place makes you only remember the good about that place. You know like on the last day of High School or College all you can think about is all the great people you'll miss and all the fun you had hanging from the ceiling in an ill fated escape attempt? You never think about the finals, or the boring teachers, or the mean girls. That's where I'm at right now. All I can think about is how no one will open up the organ at church like Merv Brown does. We have a pew that's ours at church. (until the Pasketts took it...they could smell we were moving and we were perpetually late) There are so many beautiful trees on my street and I won't get to see them in the fall this year. I'm positive that I'll never meet as many people that are half as nice as the women in this ward. For Girls Night Out this month the girls surprised me with a baby shower and as we were sitting at the table I just realized how much I'll miss seeing them all.

Then there is the house itself that makes me feel sad. I know you are thinking what? Your tiny house with one bathroom and no closet big enough to house a vacuum. When I look at each room I remember what it looked like when we first moved in. It was old lady central. Through our sacrifice and hard work we have transformed every room except the bathroom (no hope for that room I wish the owner lots of luck) I love that Tim stayed up late to paint each and every room. I love that we pulled out carpet tacks to reveal the lovely hard wood and that we talked and laughed for hours together while the boys slept while we did it. None of it looks perfect but we did it together and the satisfaction of doing it yourself is unbeatable. The yard has been a constant uphill battle and one that I think the morning glory won a long time ago. But it's been home for four years and it all ours. We own every flaw and every great memory.

I can't help but realize that my Gage was not even one year old when we moved in and Luke not even thought of let alone Fetus. Gage broke his teeth on the bathroom counter. Learned to crawl and walk on the sea foam green carpet. Discovered Peter Pan, Star Wars, and X-men in the Living Room. Was Potty Trained in the pink and yellow bathroom and slept through his first night in a big boy bed. He went to two years of preschool and started and left the nursery at church to join the primary. He looked out the front window to look for reindeer prints on Christmas for the first time and worried that we didn't have a fireplace. He climbed his first tree in our yard and rode his bike.

I had the joy of realizing I was pregnant with Luke while Tim was painting our bedroom. Luke had all his physical therapy for his neck on the rug in the Living Room. He learned to wield a light saber before he could walk. Told me he loved me for the first time in his little bedroom. Said his first prayer too. Discovered tools and building stuff in the shed and that he loved water in the back yard. He learned to climb to the top of the ladder on our swing set and that if he asks to "wing" enough that we will finally relent and just set up a chair to push him for as long as he wants in his dolphin swing. He worried that Jax, our neighbor's dog, was cold and wanted to give him a blanket.

Tim got his first gaming job while we lived here. I'll never forget when the FedEx came with the job offer and how shocked we were with the low offer! Boy the things you sacrifice for your first job in field you love...it's sure has been worth it. He finally got mad about something for the first time in our marriage. Scout Master Tim sure got angry about a lot! He called the police on our innocent neighbors and jumped to look out the window at every drug deal. He mowed our neighbors lawn each week even though she is possibly the weirdest lady I've ever met.

I had the joy of witnessing these and many other small but great moments while our family has tripled! It is hard for me to remember things that have happened to me in this house. I guess it is easier to recognize it in others. I did plant and harvest my first garden. I learned to sew and home-make. I really came into my stride with cooking. I now add a little of this and little of this on a whim without the recipe telling me to. I realized that I'm not good with Young Women and that I love love love working in the Primary. Well I'm finished looking back now and I'm excited to experience adventures yet to come.

Mother's Day

I realize this post is a week late but better late than never right? I had a really good Mother's Day. Let's face the fact that Mother's Day is a totally made up holiday but I have to say I love the cheesy cards, poems, flowers, and the the things that the boys made for me at church and at school. I love that Tim is extra nice to me on Mother's Day and cooks me dinner. I'm pretty easy to please on Mother's Day....I told Tim that I wanted a battery for my watch and he delivered! He also helped the boys make this video for me and I like it so much that I decided to share. Gage, Luke, and fetus I love being your mom!!