Packing Day 1

Wanna know what I hate more than house hunting? Packing a Uhaul!!
Thank God for great friends and family for help! My parents watched the boys for us while we started the painful process of loading the truck. This is going to be an interesting process!
We were able to get TONS done today. We are currently on a late night run to Walmart for more tape and tie downs for the appliances.
I'm really happy with our progress today. We are sweaty, exhausted and stinky! I can't wait for a hot shower, some icy hot on my back and a soft bed!

Catch Up Time

The kids have hijacked my computer so I haven't been able to post anything. I do have the app on my phone but when you have a lot to type.. that screen is just too little!!

So 2 weeks ago I was able to accompany my husband to SC to go house hunting. I thought it would be fun... yea so not!! There were a few houses out realtor took us through where I wanted to ask her.. umm really? We're not the fixer upper type of people. Anyway, we looked at several, the one I had my heart almost set on was TERRIBLE. It was beautiful on the outside but the inside layout made no sense what so ever. Living space was so small, kitchen was minuscule, and the Washer/Dryer hookups were in the guest bathroom! Like I said... pretty bad. I was so upset by the time we took a break for lunch that I was about in tears.
Our realtor was able to make a new list of houses to look at when we were done and we set off with renewed hope. The first house we looked at that afternoon was IT. The outside was pretty, inside was perfect, we LOVED it. And within 4 hours the process to make it ours was underway.
We will find out Friday if we will be able to close early, please pray that we can. My husband and I both have had dreams that we were able to close on the 10th. It would be really awesome if that were to happen!
Once I got home the packing frenzy began. We had gotten quiet a bit done before I left for SC so that was a great help. My Aunt came out a few times to help pack and just for company. I feel really blessed to have had that opportunity and those fun memories, she passed away of a sudden heart attack last week. We spent the day together on Monday, she passed on Tuesday. Totally unreal, it's still hard to wrap my head around it. Other than the packing we did on Monday, I did nothing last week. I don't think I could have packed if I had tried. The hubs was able to come home, he was working in SC, I'm still so very thankful for that. It would have been hard without him.
SO this brings us to the present. I'm so tired of packing that I'm just throwing everything in sight into a box and labeling a random room to put it in. It's going to make unpacking interesting but at least it's in a box! We leave one week from today. I can't wait to have the moving process behind us!

Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for our journey. Also pray that we will have a safe trip!!
Thank you to everyone who has offered to help. Please don't take my declining your offer personal, our family and my husband's employer have been taking wonderful care of us! We love you all and thank you so much for offering your time.

Sad news

The house we wanted sold  :(
We have made a list of others we want to look at while we are there .. Please PLEASE PRAY that none of them sell before we get a chance to look at them! Our options are limited as is our time. If you don't pray please send NO SELL vibes LOL anything!
There is one both of us really like that is in a beautiful neighborhood. It's the first one on our list that we want to see. *fingers crossed*

On another note a group of family and friends were a HUGE HUGE help yesterday.
Not only are we packing our house up but we have a good size storage building out in wake village we had to go through! We sorted and trashed and gave away tons of stuff. I know I didn't do near as much as the rest of you stayed and did, the kids got cranky in the car. That's what they get for refusing to put clothes and shoes on.. they had to stay in the car (running with the AC blasting, I'm not a cruel mom!)
Anyways, a BIG thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you who helped and took things!

Eric and I have gotten tons boxed up and his friend came over yesterday to help get our old couch and broken down recliner out of the house. He even found some treasures he wanted from our back yard! ^_^

Have I mentioned that moving is a pain??  It's great because it's forcing us to throw out or donate all of this stuff, but it's a pain non the less.

Back to packing I guess.....

Packing causes me to speak Klingon...

                                                                                                                         6/27/2012
...and tape guns require a masters in mechanical engineering to operate.
I swear if Eric insults my intelligence because of my lack of box taping skills I'm going to throw something at him!
The packing process is in full swing and over all tonight's packing, sorting, and trashing has been pretty entertaining.
 Eric has gone through his clothes and modeled the things that he still had that are 3 sizes too small, he still had clothes from HIGH SCHOOL!!
I think I had shoes and scarves from at least 3 different fashion eras.
I'm surprised that I only have 5 boxes of books. Eric says that doesn't count the ones in storage, I refuse to think about that at this point! ^_^ Shelves are cleared, closets are being emptied, and it's still a bit surreal. 

I've always wanted the chance to move across the country. I don't know how many nights Eric and I have laid in bed and asked each other, ' If we could pick up and move anywhere in the US where would you want to go?'  We've said, Dallas or Houston, or maybe someplace between both of our parents.
This is a little farther from my family but closer to his. The Putman's live in Pennsylvania, they will be about 8 to our north.

Eric and I fly out in a week and a half to go house hunting, should be fun. I really hope the one we want is as great on the inside as the pictures show it to be.
So much to do and such little time. I refuse to stress, things are going well thus far, I hope and pray the smooth sailing continues!

Time to go to bed and try not to dream of boxes and sharpie markers like I did last night.

SO much STUFF

                                                                                                                                       6-22-2012
The process has started. We had a dumpster delivered to help with purging, boxes have been ordered, the clean out has begun.

We moved the boys into the same room. I'm using my youngest son's room for sorting and storing what we are already packing.
At first the oldest wasn't too thrilled with the idea of having a room mate, he likes his quiet time. I have assured him that once we are moved he will have his own room again, that seems to help. Their first night together was last night and it went very well! They have been inseparable today! It's been fabulous! I have been able to get more sorting and clearing out done because they are playing so well together. Maybe we should have done this a long time ago!

One funny thing about moving is you find all of those things you didn't think you still had. I found boxes of the boys baby clothes. I have found homes for it all thank goodness. It's been fun sorting through it and seeing all of the tiny things. NO, it has not given me baby fever in the least, it's just been a nice trip down memory lane.

The kids are not happy to have me going through their toys. I have picked out the preschool toys and found a home for them. Now to find time for a delivery day!

I'm so not looking forward to going though my closet ... it's kind of a catch all. Ugh. I'm very thankful to have that dumpster outside!! LOL I have a feeling lots more than my hubby thinks is going to find it's way in there!

News.. and no I'm not pregnant!!

                                                                                                                 6-20-2012
I forget to blog.. but I will be documenting this moment in our lives to the best of my ability!!
I can't tell anyone yet SO I'm writing about it now and will post it when I get the ok.

Monday, June 18th, Eric and I were hanging out in Shreveport, LA. We had gone to the movies with a friend and on our way out Eric had a voice mail from his boss. These calls ALWAYS mean he's going to have to travel. I wasn't upset, I'm used to his sudden departures, it's just hard on the kids.
He hangs up and I'm like when do you have to go... he looks and says, they wants us to relocate to South Carolina. The choice was.. you can move now and be guaranteed a job OR wait till December and see if you're the one who gets fired.

 Lets back track a little bit... Eric's last trip to SC we discussed this. They were getting ready to fire someone, Eric was flying out there every time we turned around so if it came up he was going to say yes if the company would help with moving costs. I was already looking at houses and schools.

Back to the present, we talk about it on the way home. His pay would stay the same, they are negotiating a moving incentive. The plant there works more hours so technically he will make more money there than staying here. The plant there is WAY more of a stable work environment than the plant here. They want us there by September. I want to be there before school starts. South Carolina's home school laws are very demanding, I really don't want to deal with that.
SO, we have found a house we love on 3 acres in the best school district they have and it's at the lower end of our price range. We have already been talking to the bank and are in the process of getting a qualification letter so Eric can go look at it.

 Oh.. have I mentioned I'm EXCITED!! We've told our immediate family. It's bitter sweet in that regard. It was a bit of a shock but they can visit any time they want! I have never lived anywhere but here in Texarkana. I'm so excited about the drive and getting the chance to move across the country. 866 miles away to be exact. 14 hours and 15 minuets!
Just imagine.. driving a car with 2 kids, 3 cats, Eric driving the Uhaul... for 14 hours. LOL yea it's going to be interesting to say the least!
We have friends that live in the surrounding area that are willing to get a one way flight here to help us drive to SC. That would be a huge help!

That's our news!! Let the packing BEGIN!

Bibity Bobity Boo!

So the situation with my youngest little slugger worked its self out (thank you Lord!!)

All is well and calm now. Preschool has been so much fun for the both of them! We are still pretty grateful for Thanksgiving break. I much needed week of R&R.

With Christmas just around the corner I have already drug out the decorations. We have the Elf on the Shelf, the kids believe in Santa and all that. My issue is how much of the 'magical stuff' do we push onto them?

It's not just Christmas where I struggle, Easter, the Tooth Fairy, all of it.

My 5 year old is really into the Elf and Santa this year and I find it really hard to lie to him about all of this. My husband and I talked about weather or not to do 'Santa' when our kids were tiny. I remember being crushed when someone at school told me there was no Santa. I didn't want our kids to feel that, but I didn't want them to be the dream crusher either!

We don't do the Easter bunny, even as a child I remember being confused about the bunny.

Tooth Fairy does make visits to our house, although the money she leaves varies, I'm never prepared for that one!

Santa visits and eats our cookies, we make reindeer food for the yard so they aren't left out either.

The older my kids get the more questions they have and I'm struggling with answers this year.

I know all of this make believe is done in fun, but when do you stop the lies?