Have You Missed Me? I've Missed You

Where have I been the last week and a half, you ask?

Well, I moved. Again. Only this time it was just down the street and around the corner. That was nice. But we did have to commute to the airport to the storage unit to get all our crap. That wasn't nice. I have to admit, I was a little scared to see the storage unit full of my life, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. Although now it looks much better only half full. Or half empty, if you're a pessimist like I am.

What else have I been doing? I started a business. The Back Porch Salon, LLC. I'm the owner/manager/stylist/receptionist. It's awesome so far. I have the best clients, and I always come home in a good mood. All signs of good things to come, I think.

You want more excuses for my absence? I went a week and a half without internet or TV. It was like having a limb removed. A very time consuming, narcissistic, lazy limb. But still, it was tough. Granted I could check my email and Facebook from my phone, but that was it. No blogs, no bejeweled, no GChat with Meg. It was hard.

So I took to watching borrowed movies from the library. Love Boat season 2 and Will and Grace season 6 and 7 kept me entertained. The Love Boat is awesome.

The fashions are so cool, and most of the girls outfits could be easily worn today and be very fashion forward.

Maybe not the banana hammocks the boys were sporting in the 70's, but those are never really cool. Unless you're my brother. He could rock pretty much anything.

Is that gross that I just talked about my brother in a banana hammock? Yeah, I think so too. Eew.

So now I have internet and TV and patio furniture and friends and a fire pit, and all is right with the world again.

Expect a triumphant return to my blog. Or at least something funny. Okay, maybe not funny, more like boring, or exasperating or downright foul. You know, typical me stuff.

Privileged

We have moved. Again. This is the third time in five months. You'd think we'd be pros at this. We're not.

Although quite a bit of stuff that I never though would have survived the trip actually did, and some stuff I didn't even worry about surviving didn't. Go figure. Lamp shade, worried, but it made it. Solid wood and soapstone coffee table, not worried, scratched to Hell. Nice.

I've also decided you can tell at what point in our marriage furnishings were purchased. We have the RC Willey phase, then the Ikea phase, and finally, the nice, solid wood boutique pieces. It's like a financial time line.

So now we're living in my Mom's house. But, you know, without the Mom. Although, I'm fairly sure she's back to haunt me. And I'm thrilled! You see, I told her before she died that she better come back to visit. She promised she would. She hasn't, until Sunday night. We were dead (ha ha) asleep, in her old room, mind you, when we're startled awake by a loud thud. Something had fallen onto the wood floor in the hallway. I thought maybe it was a kid. Sean went out to investigate, and found a piece of moulding had fallen from the ceiling. It had been held in place with 4, count 'em, 4 nails. It was totally mom.

Some people might think it's weird that I'm sleeping in the room she lived and died in. I did at first too. But now, after being there to clean up and paint, I feel privileged to be there. I know she wouldn't want the house to be empty, and I know she needs the love of a family there. I feel like I can feel her hugging me as I lay there quietly in her room. It's the best part of having a heavenly mom.

Christmas Spirit

Well, today has been a good day. I realize I've been MIA the last few days, but there has been a lot going on .

I'll recap.

Sean had surgery yesterday, and for those of you that follow me on Facebook, you understand when I tell you all is back to normal. Wink, wink. His hernia is hereby fixed, and he is in good spirits, and moving around like a regular person.

We have started finalizing our move to Utah. Luckily, most of our stuff was in boxes. Unluckily, most of the stuff in boxes needs to be reorganized as store/do not store stuff. A totally different way of packing. But Sean has had lots of free time on his hands, so he made a very decent dent in that situation.

Gretta had her 3 year check up. She's 30 pounds, and smart as a whip. In fact, the doctor said she's so smart, she's too smart for diapers. Gretta took this to heart, and when she woke up the next morning, she refused to put on a diaper, because she's "too mart, mom". So she's potty trained. Seriously, like 1 day, and it was done. Who knew?

It snowed pretty good today. The good kind of snow where it's not too cold outside, and the kids want to go out and play. We went to the local sledding hill, after buying an extra sled for $30! I'm sooooo tempted to return it now that we're done with it. Would that be dishonest? Yeah, I thought so too. So we sledded, and the kids had a blast. Then we went to Liz's house, and met the elusive husband. He works evening shifts, and so none of us have ever met him. We started doubting his existence at all. But I'll bear witness, he does exist, and he's very nice. We approve, Liz. ;)

Christmas is knocking at the door, and I can't believe it! I hope we're ready. I think we are, but you know how the doubt starts seeping in when it gets down the wire? Yeah, I'm at that stage. I plan on starting wrapping tonight, so we'll see if I'm in full blown crazy mom mode tomorrow, or if I can just sit back and relax.

I've been pondering a lot on the things I'll miss about Illinois. There are so many things, that I think I'll have to do a bunch of separate posts just for them individually. I'm sure that will be so boring for most of you, but I need to write it down so I don't forget this time we've spent here. It dawned on us the other day that we'll most likely be driving back to Utah 2 years to the day from when we left. It's like we had a little mission out here. I think that warrants a homecoming party, don't you?

So that's all for now. I'll be writing more this week as Christmas nears, and my anxiety peaks at code red.

Daily Update

Well, I have to say, I think I have the bestest readers in the world. I received so many positive emails and comments, I think I may just make it through all this.

But I should probably give a little update so you all know what's going on in this head of mine.

First, Sean is scheduled to have his hernia surgery on Monday. The 21st. Like 4 days before Christmas. Sounds like bad timing, but it's a blessing really. Pray that it all goes well, and that he recovers quickly.

Second, despite looking for a job here in Illinois, there is this gaping hole on Sugar Daddy's resume. See, he never finished college. I know! But he was too busy working is way up through the company, and now here we are. So thanks to the help of our families, he will be starting school in January or March, depending on...

Third, we will be moving back to Utah as soon as Sean is healed and ready. He'll be starting school full time there. We're shooting for just after the New Year, but we'll see how that goes. His health and safety are most important, so that is the determining factor.

Fourth, there was a big post coming about our new house, with pictures and everything, but now that we'll be moving, it doesn't seem post-worthy. It's too bad, too, because we really love it. But it's just a thing, and things come and go.

So there you have it. Pretty much our life in a nutshell for today. I'm so grateful for the positive and uplifting thoughts and prayers. We truly know how blessed we are. I'll be posting daily, and hopefully not just about this, but mostly about this, because this is my life, and I have to write this stuff down, or my brain hurts.

The Days That Were

Ah, summer. Long days, chilly evenings, fireflies, ice cream man, and kids frolicking in the front yard.

Or at least kids used to be frolicking.

Our front yard used to look like this:




But now, 4 of the kids pictured have moved. It's like a ghost town around here during the day. My kids are so sad. They have to play with just each other now.

We still have the fireflies, and the ice cream man, but it's just not the same without Neighbor Kate and her kids. They would walk right into my house through the garage door (like any good friend should), they would take drinks out of the fridge in the garage (like any good friend would), and we would "watch" the kids for one another, which is basically code for "don't let them go anywhere but in the circle, I'll be right back".

I miss her. :(

All I have to say is this; Georgia won't be the same now that Kate has invaded, and somebody cool better buy her house across the street. I don't need anymore freaks.

I Can Explain

I'm sure you're all wondering why the heck I would make you go to all the trouble of changing your Readers and Links to a new blog.

I totally understand.

I hate doing things like that. I mean copying and pasting is just soooooo much work.

But I have a good reason. I promise.

You see, for a year or so now, I've had a wickedly mean blog stalker. She was taking my posts and copying them onto her own blog and calling them her original works. Sorta like CJane, only not, because I'm not famous like CJane. So I thought I better start a new blog, and leave her in the dust.

And if you believe any of that, go back to bed, because I'm totally full of crap. Like anyone would want to steal my stuff! Puhlease!

Really, I was still logging in under an old old old email address, and I couldn't be logged in to Blogger and my Gmail account at the same time. I was afraid I might eventually lose the ability to log in at all to my blog, and thought I better get it switched now. So there you have it. No drama, which is just the way I like it.

Now I just have to get all my extras set up again. Pain in the arse, I tell you. But now I can be logged in to email and blogger at the same time, which is awesome, because all I need is more excuses to be on the internet.

An Anniversary, Sort Of

It's was a year ago today. A year ago that I did the most grown-up thing of my life. A year ago that I left my little cocoon of a life behind, and started across the plains like a modern day pioneer. It was a miserable morning that day. We awoke early to an unexpected snow storm. We packed up the final necessities, hugged, kissed, and cried our loved ones goodbye, and headed East, into the sunrise. There was definite excitement as we drove. Crossing each new state line brought us closer to a new adventure. There were times when the grief of leaving family behind was almost too much to bear. But we pressed on. It grew colder. We grew more excited. With each passing mile, the draw of a new life brought a new light to our hearts. We knew it was an experience we needed. We knew that our new life was all about what we made it to be.

Without knowing even a single soul, we settled into a new home, new school, and a new church. Friends came easily for all of us, and soon life seemed normal.

Summer came, mom died, and suddenly life, I realized, will never be normal again.

This anniversary brings a gamut of emotions. Sadness, for those months I missed out on while mom was well. Joy, for knowing I can do hard things and make it work. Fulfillment, for seeing my children flourish in a new environment, and trepidation, for not knowing what lies ahead, and seeing first hand that life can change drastically in an instant.

I know that the years pass more and more quickly as time marches on, and each anniversary of this date will lessen the sadness and grief that came with it that first day. Thankfully, those aren't the only feelings I remember. I miss my old life, but I love my new life. And that makes a happy anniversary all around.

Things I've Learned Since Living In The Midwest

• How to avoid dead racoons on the road
• How to prove residency for everything
• You're likely to be the only Mormon in your town
• And probably the first one most people have met
• The true meaning of "wind chill"
• How to use a dehumidifier
• That you can't pass on the right.
  
• Game days are religious holidays

But most importantly, I've learned a lot about myself.

• I can do pretty much whatever I set my mind to
• I'm more self sufficient than I ever thought I could be
• I enjoy discovering new places
• I'm stronger than I ever thought I could be
• I appreciate my family, both near and far, for the efforts they put in each day

I love living here. I love starting a new adventure for my family, and I love knowing that wherever we are, whatever the situation, we will always have each other.

Kiss my ice

Hey.

It's cold here. Have you heard? -27. Yes, that's a -.

And even though I had internet service on Tuesday, my puter has been less than cooperative. Thanks to Sugar Daddy for making it all better.

So you want the details, I suppose.

• I Love Love Love my new house. For those of you not in the "know", I hadn't seen it until the night before we closed on it. Sean did well on the picking out part.
• My movers ruined my couch. Yes, ruined. As in grease stain all over the front, cushions, and back. Good thing they're insured.
  
• Apparently I have no sense of direction without my Utah mountains. My mom is so trusting to get in the car with me, never knowing if we'll make it back.
  
• Did I mention my mom came to visit? 1 day's notice and she was here to help unpack and rastle the kiddies. I don't know what I would have done, or will do, without her.
  
• Gretta has decided that she can stand alone for stretches of time. As long as she has something in her hand, that is. She's pretty cute, except when she's crawling around crying and holding her arms up for me to pick her up every second. Exhausting.
  
• As of right now, more than half of my home is furnished a la Ikea. 2 bedroom sets, a breakfast table and 6 chairs, 3 bar stools, a high chair, and 3 huge prints for the living room wall. I'm such a sheep.
  

I promise I will post pictures of the house, the kids, and most importantly, my Fargo hat. Yes people, I gave in and bought a Fargo hat from K-Mart to shield my poor noggin from the blasted cold. Although I still haven't bought a new coat yet. That will come soon, I'm sure. Now that I have internet and such, I promise to be a better friend.

Where to begin

I've just been overwhelmed with the thought of packing. I can't even seem to begin to wrap my mind about the task that lies ahead. Luckily Sean and I both love dejunking, so we don't have too much stuff, but we do have three kids and all the stuff that goes along with that. I've perused the internet fully on tips to move seamlessly, but still, I find myself in a funk when it comes to organizing it in my mind. What are some ways you all (or should I start saying y'all?) have found to make the moving process easier?