We closed on our new home on February 22nd and officially moved into it on March 1st!
Glllooooorrrry Glory Hallelluuuuuuujaaaaaah!
Our prayers were answered and we are SO HAPPY not to be in the rental for another year.
As happy as this occasion was, I have to admit: I hate moving.
Moving is messy. It's disorganized, discombobulating, inefficient, inconvenient and anxiety producing now matter how short the distance of your move and no matter how much you work to ensure it flows otherwise. And also, something gets broken. Every time.
That said, I was practically doing cartwheels when the moving guys' van pulled up because it meant we were on our way to obtaining FRRRREEEEEEEEEDOMMMMMM from the pink rental house!!!!
"I thought you'd never come! Thank you for riding up on your white steed and saving us!! What's your name again?? Rojelio? Can I hug you, Rojelio??"
But I get ahead of myself......
*****
Since we were moving only 5 miles down the road, the plan on paper was:
- Transport our whole kitchen ourselves ahead of time to allow us to have it organized and functional right away. While a pain to execute -- this was, in hindsight, brilliant. (Thanks, Steph)
- Pack the rest ourselves, which wasn't actually that bad since the move was only 4 miles away and a lot of stuff could just be tucked into dresser drawers or dumped imperfectly into boxes, if not breakable. Brilliant enough.
- Hire two key groups:
1. Pro movers for all furniture and remaining boxes (Brilliant.)
and 2. Our babysitter Taylor to entertain Nolan at the new house until we arrived and the movers finished their work (Brilliant.) The night before, I hauled all of Nolan's toys, and his stroller / pack & play / sound machine / teddy bear / binkies / diapers / food and snacks / sippy cups / high chair over for her use. (Can I get a "Brilliant"??)
**Taylor proved even more necessary when I realized that I had scheduled the move for a weekend that Mikel was, of course, on call and, of course, busy with cases. This, by contrast, was not so brilliant.
*****
The week leading up to the big move was, in a word, terrible. Here was my daily routine:
Wake up early
Throw on gym clothes
Pack like a crazy person
Nolan wakes up
Do all things Nolan until lunch
Nolan goes to nap
Pack some more and load the packed things into the Jeep
Nolan wakes up
Strap him in his carseat and make a run to the new house
Unload packed things into the garage of the new house while Nolan complains loudly from his seat
Do all things Nolan until dinner
Bath and bedtime routine / maybe Mikel gets home
One of our tremendous and amazing friends comes to sit at our house while N sleeps
***shout out to Aubrea and Krista!!***
We (or I, if no friends that evening) load and make a second run to the house
We pull everything from the garage into the kitchen or wherever it kind of goes
Unpack / organize
Head home
Collapse
Do it again
Notice anything missing? Shower for Mom, perhaps? This was 50/50 for getting accomplished, though quickly and not so thoroughly. Sorry you guys couldn't be here.
Plus -- the towels had all been used as packing materials during our late night transports. Not that Scarlett minded.
*****
Feb 22nd -- Signing
No, this photo wasn't staged. Why do you ask?
*****
Then the work began...
A sample of our pantry "packing" technique. Laundry baskets are perfect for jobs like this!
The night that Krista kindly came over to hold down the fort while Mikel and I made a run to the house, he and I got to have a romantic dinner at a real, live restaurant.
Thanks to catching a reflection of myself in the window upon entering, I realized I was in my PJ's with no makeup for this rendezvous. But I had showered that day. He's a lucky man indeed.
(So glad Krista accepts payment in the form of milk shakes and french fries!)
*****
March 1st: Moving Day
My carefully preserved, non-packed coffee set-up (with mug!)
The white steed. Ain't she a beaut?
Nolan had just woken up when the movers arrived, and he was stunned by all of the action.
Craning to see around the corner.
"What're they doin'?!?"
one of the near hug recipients
Finally moved him for a front row view.
Taylor!
After I dropped Nolan at the house with Taylor, I went back to the rental and quickly realized I was just going to be in those guys' way... So I made myself scarce and parked it just around the corner for a little bit (Brilliant!)
With movers at one house and a babysitter at the other, I can confidently say that the week leading up to moving day was a lot more work than actual moving day!
*****
The factor that earned the fewest points for brilliance that day was this:
It rained.
and rained.
and rained some more.
The Phoenix drainage system is easily overwhelmed when anything more than a sprinkle falls from the sky, so that means roads were flooding and our back patio was quickly turning into an extension of our pool. We actually love weather like this -- but not so much on moving day! #whaddayagonnado?
A view from our balcony seconds before another torrential downpour.
The movers got it done, though - earning themselves a generous tip - and Mikel got home in time for us to send Taylor safely on her way home before dark/more rain.
These pics don't really do the patio justice, but I was getting nervous about the rising water level because it was creeping closer and closer to the house (aka, my hardwood floors!). I put a couple of beach towels outside of the sliding door, much to Mikel's entertainment.
"where'm I 'pose to potty??"
It seems we have GREAT neighbors. More to write about that later, but the family just to the west of us is George and Polly with David (12) and Paul (9). George had popped over to introduce himself briefly when we were moving in earlier that day, and at 7pm he reappeared with the most glorious delivery:
Dinner! We scarfed it down. So kind!
*****
The next morning, I was much relieved to see that the patio water had receded and this sunrise greeted us instead:
Since then, the unpacking has been going slowly -- mostly because this spot calls to me for at least part of Nolan's nap time most days....
...and my kitchen cleaning endeavors get distracted by this new pretty view.
So glad to be in OUR new home! Pinching ourselves at God's blessings and mercies, which are indeed new every morning.
Don't you agree, Carl the Cactus?
