The day finally arrived

Time is up.  Its time to go.  Pat and Seth came down for 4 days to help.  Pat and I packed up the kitchen.  That was a big project!  So grateful for the help. 

 I lost a lot of sleep over my fruit trees and flowers and plants.  I wanted to take them.  The new owners didn't want all the fruit trees.  I  just wish I could have dug up so many more plants.  But oh well!  With the combined effort of my parents, Darren's parents and my little family we got 5 bushes planted and 5 trees moved over and planted at the new house.  

This one was one of those projects that my husband just has to tell himself he loves me, he loves me, he loves me.  If he says it enough times he won't hate every minute of moving my precious plants over to a house we don't even own yet! I was so grateful!

 We went to church and people were still just finding out that we were moving... the next day.  We never put a for sale sign so it was a surprise to many people.  We had so many people come help us.  It was amazing.  People would stop in to help for an hour or two... and it always seemed just when we were dragging.  When we were exhausted and needed a fresh back!  some fresh energy!

 Darren saying "Mon' Back"... because its a joke we say all the time, but he really was doing it for real!

Nolan, Darrens brother came to help.  I laughed really hard at these photos.  

And one of the last things we shoved into the U-haul.  The log house.  Poor Ang was stuck inside on the phone.  But don't worry, she can manage getting out even while on the phone.  

As we loaded up the last load.  The Third big U-haul load. What a relief.  We were all so tired.  But we all had mattresses to sleep on.  Abby had her crib up and ready.  We found our toothbrushes.  WE didn't find the extra toilet paper until the next day.  

I even had great friends who took my kids for two days so we could just pack and unpack and move with the truck.  It was amazing!

This picture was beautiful.  I knew it wouldn't work but It has a memory.  Darren and I finally laying down on a mattress up stairs.  It was pouring rain then.  (we were so grateful it hadn't rained while we were trying to move!!!) and the temple was glowing outside our window.  We are so grateful to be here in this town.  We will love it!

Things to miss in Sandy

There are lots of things I will miss about Sandy.  We lived there 11 years.  We met lots of great people who shaped me to who I am today.  Here are a few things I will miss, documented with pictures.  

I will miss my yard so much.  It was beautiful to me.  I had so many plants.  It had taken me years to love my yard.  I know a new house can be great again one day.  But right now its just to overwhelming to even think about!

I really loved my calling as Cub Scout Den Leader.  I worked with two ladies who knew everything.  I helped but it wasn't me who knew it and had to do it all.  I got to do it with Tyler and he was so excited to be there.  I also got to bring Ella and Abby.  And not having to coordinate babysitters was so great!  Tyler loved the Pinewood Derby.  I am glad we have more years to master car making.  

I will miss the time when Tyler and Ella slept in the same room.  Thats like an era gone.  They have shared rooms for almost 4 years.   Tyler is excited to have his own room.  and Ella will hopefully keep loving Abby in her room.  

There were so many people I will miss seeing on a regular basis in Sandy.  So many I cant even start to write them all down because I will miss some.  But I started running with these girls.  Many years ago.  It is a hard things to find girls to run with at 5:00 or 6:00 in the morning.  Who you know will be there every morning.  You know they won't sleep in,  you know they won't bail.  They are reliable.  The best part of all of this is that they are both moving now too.  CLOSER TO ME!  I need my workout buddies! Thank you Amber and Liz!

And I don't have pictures of Kathryn or Sarah who taught me so much.  Cooking, canning, how to be a good mom.  How to have fun with your kids.  how to balance out life.  

Oh I must stop.  the list could go on!

Daren and I made lots of list. I needed these lists often.  Too look at.  To think...  WHY ARE WE DOING THIS!  Should we be doing this!?

What we want in a house.

Outside house appeal. Place to stay for 20 years
Nice kitchen
Socializing area.  Big open area.
3 car garage /bike shop area
Lots of yard for fruit trees
Cul de sac
Not too much on water
Young families. 
Fireplace that works
Cold storage
Window or room for plants
Shutters
Craft room.  Sewing machine out.
Bonus room over garage
Open ceilings in kitchen.
Bar seats 6ish
Not too recessed front porch
Unique windows
Kitchen outside /Pueblo looking outside fireplace
Love cool arched ceilings in up stairs rooms
Central vacuum
Master shower




The Pros and Cons of Moving

Pros
Change is good
Hard things are good
Build character
Low Interest rates
Have a nice house because you work hard
Enjoy Mnt more often
Investment
Away from ____
3 car garage
Corner canyon. Lifestyle.


Cons
Moving stressful on marriage/family
No baby.  But move house
Guilt of not being clean
Less time to clean.
Commuting - no walk home school
Don't go to school with neighbors
Money. Can't build up savings
More money for commuting &Bills
Work to move.
Longer mortgage
School for kids - get to know kids in neighborhood
New house expenses
What can we afford?
Bigger house - harder to keep clean

April is out with a Bang!

Its pretty sad that I started this post at the beginning of May and now I am finishing it the beginning of June.  Days are so busy here I don't get everything done I wish I could.  

But here are some key events in April.  We got to meet Ang's friend Steve.  Great guy.  He is in the back on the couch.  Ang, my good friend, is happy.  Divorce is hard and she has come out on top and is happy.  She deserves a lot of happiness!

I also started a challenge with my family.  Super fun.  You get three points a day.  One for not eating treats, soda, chips.  One point for exercising at least 30 minutes a day.  This can be yard work, walking, running...etc.  And one point for eating 7 servings of fruits or vegetables each day.  The last one is the hard one.  First it took my body a few weeks to get used to all that fiber I was putting in my body.  And it took some time to realize that at each meal you had to have a fruit and/or a vegetable.  You couldn't have a bowl of cereal or a plain egg because you would be full and not get enough produce in your body.  I have drunken a lot of smoothies.  I have learned to enjoy more produce.  We planned in a few free days.  So you could miss two points a week.  So in the last few weeks I have only had 4 days when I have had sweets.  IT IS POSSIBLE!!! and it feels good.  It feels good to eat healthy.  I believe it is a life style.  Its a healthy choice.  

This week my moms cousin died of type two diabetes.  She was younger than my mom.  It is sad to see life not taken care of when it is a preventable disease, a curable disease.  To see all the sad people who are mourning the loss of their friend/cousin is sad.  So I appreciate this challenge to force me to make healthy choices and put away the treats.  It was't too bad.  

I also took a weekend away to run a race down in Zions.  The race actually got cancelled half way through because the rain made the trails so dangerous and muddy.  Then the snow settled in and tents were collapsing on people and people couldn't see the trail markers of where to run anymore.  So I can say I have done my Ragnar race and I am finished with it.  It was fun. My headlamp batteries pretty much died on my 8 mile leg which happened to be in the middle of the night and I had to run about 6 miles in the dark.  It was a bad time.  One I don't even like to think about.  

Kind of glad March is over...

March was a great and stressful month.  We had our house under contract so thankfully we didn't have to have it perfectly clean all the time for any showing that might call!  And truthfully the packing wasn't so bad.  I did a few boxes here and there.  So the packing was manageable.  

Darren was the master hole patch-er-uper!  He took things off wall, muddied and painted.  I was so grateful!  (of course Abby wanted to help with it all!)

But before the move we did do a few fun things.  The Beus's had a fun birthday party.  Abby wanted to ride the bike all day!

We had several little miracles in March.  This was one of them.  Abby was schedule for tubes to be put in. The first surgery opening was 10 days away.  10 days with a sad crying baby thats in pain is hard.  We prayed, and a miracle happened.  The surgery was bumped up to 3 days away.  Abby was a trooper.  She started walking really well as soon as the tubes were in.  She was happy.  Sleeping.  AND HAPPY!!!

Ella is still our fashion statement girl.  She likes scarfs and dressing up cute. Sadly... Yesterday she came home and tell me she had to wear this and this and this... because this certain girl was wearing it.  And she wanted to be cute like her.  It starts already.  Kindergarten! But she is also my greatest helper.  She is home half day and helped me so much with cleaning, packing and taking care of Abby.  I couldn't have done this move without her!

Tyler drew this of him.  His teachers call him the BOMB.  because he finishes his work so fast.  Sometimes doing it really well and sometimes missing 10 problems!  Tyler is excelling so fast at the piano.  He likes to practice.  His piano teachers says it is fun to teach someone who is so eager to learn new things.  

We went on first bike ride.  I ran and pushed Abby in the stroller.  

 This is our friend Bella who will always hold a place in my heart.  If every child had good parents I would be so happy.  She deserves good parents.

Abby loves to sit and read her books.  It is one mess I don't mind cleaning up.  She also has learned a lot of sign.  Bath, Bath, Bath... that is one sign she knows well! 

 We got to go to a Jazz game.  This picture of Tyler looks just like his father.  I guess I will believe it when everyone says Tyler looks just like Darren.

 Ella was award the Eagle of the month for her Kindergartner class.  She has grown up so much this year.  She has learned to be so responsible with her homework.  Her reading and math has improved so much.   Her teacher Ms Bailey wrote.  " Ella Lynn is a very responsible student.  She turns her homework in each day.  She is an excellent reader and writer.  She has learned her number facts.  She is kind to all her classmates.  I love being Ella Lynn's Teacher!"  (she is Ella Lynn at school because there is another Ella already)