Ahhhhhh!!!!!! (and Dad was right!)

So, last night, Travis calls me to tell me that we are not moving in 11 days, but we are moving in 6 days! Hello? Zoiks! I spent all day yesterday just cleaning and packing the smallest bedroom! How the heck am I gonna do that to the rest of the place in 6 days? Well, today it is now 5 days.

*sigh*Now I am now going to have to admit something that I reallllly hate admitting, even though anyone who knows me even a little knows the sad truth...I. Am. A. PACK RAT! Yep. And the worst part of it...I married one too. And we bred 4 little ones. My dad told me...out of love you know...that I am a pack rat and that when we move, maybe I should try to overcome that little habit and teach the rest of the family my secrets. He's right. It's true. I've always been the one that absolutely hates to throw anything away. I think some of it is the teacher in me. It's not a toilet paper roll...it's a puppet...or a chew toy for the guinea pigs! But...it's taking me for-ever to clean out and pack this place up. Part of that reason is cause I'm tossing! I'm tossing out things that normally I would think I needed (like the box of old Christmas cards that, about 10 years ago, I thought I should keep cause I might like to cut them up and use them in scrap booking or something...) Hello...haven't scrap booked anything for years! Gone! I feel cleansed!

Okay...break's over. Gotta get back to the grind. I am exorcising my demons. This house is clear...well...almost. Eeek...it's after midnight! Only 4 days to go!!!!!!!!!!!

Work Work Work!!!!

Our application was approved and we got the contract for the house today! Woot! This means that we are in total overdrive here for packing and cleaning. We just couldn't get ourselves to get serious about the whole packing thing while we didn't have a place secured. BUT~now that it is in the bag...we are in serious box and toss mode. Here are a few pictures of what we did today before Travis went to work. (This is a reminder to clean off my little camera lens thing on my cell phone before taking pictures...sorry they are kinda fuzzy)

Here is Joseph with our "borrowed" shopping cart. Someone else borrowed it and left it on the side of the road, so we borrowed it from the side of the road and are using it to move boxes from the apartment to the garage. We will return it where we found it before we move. Joseph's new obsession is shopping carts and store interiors. The store interior part started when he started making model Wal-Marts using legos...the cart thing. I don't know. Our kids are home schooled...they have original ideas and tastes I suppose...very curious. (but for those who worry that our kids are completely shut out...have no fear...Mario Brothers and Sonic are very well loved here)
Anyway....here is Travis taking pictures of the kids. They were supposed to be helping, and did a wonderful job of playing gopher when we needed them to go for stuff, but they mostly just had a blast riding bikes and toy cars and being free in the *gasp* sun!

See....fun stuff! Can't wait to have an actual yard to put it all in instead of worrying about all the cars in the parking lot! Woot! (again)
So we swept out the garage and divided it up...left side donation and the right side is where we will start stacking boxes from inside the apartment. Never had a garage in any of our previous moves, so this is wonderful...I pack them...then Travis gets the snazzy borrowed cart and hauls them off to be in the garage. It will make for easier loading of the truck and makes more room for me to pack. Sweet!
After over two hours of cleaning and sorting and tossing and stacking...phew! ...we were hungry! So we took a break and had tacos in th garage. A garage picnic! Woot again!!!

Here is Lizbet enjoying her tortilla. Mmmm....cheap Mexican food.

Okay! Now...on to some other business. Since the house is pretty much ours (for however long we decide, but probably a year or so), I thought I would post a couple more picture. It is totally retro house. It was built in 1979 and I'm pretty sure that besides the fridge and stove...most of it has been there since it was built. But...it's a roof over our heads and I will enjoy making it into a home. (too bad I can't redo the cupboards and paint the doors a lighter color though)

Joseph took these pictures. We were busy looking at all the details while he was running around snapping photos. We are glad he did cause it's nice to have documentation of the place to figure out where everything will go. Like I said...it's little...like 1,300 sq ft little. We are super excited about this wood burning stove. It's gonna be fun this winter using it. If I remember correctly, there's even a place on top to put a kettle on! Yee haw!

Joseph took this picture from the outside window looking in. We actually really like the open kitchen. Please note the fence in the back yard and all the trees that you see out of the windows.
Here's a picture that they posted on their sight, which is why it is a bit crisper image than from Joseph's beat up old Canon that he inherited. They built in the garage and made this second half of the living room. Behind that awesome wood wall is a little tiny 1/2 bath/laundry room.

This is the other photo from the site. Notice the lack of the refrigerator? Down that little hall are the doors to the bathroom and bedrooms. Cute, eh? I can't wait!

Okay...back to work. Soooooo much to do!

We are moving...

to here....

Well, sort of. Travis got promoted to Executive at Walgreens...a HUGE accomplishment considering after 33 stores in the district, he was the only one chosen. He's worked so hard for so many years for this opportunity. (I'm so proud!) The store that they are sending him to is in Sequim, WA. (that is pronounced...squim...like squid...yah, kind of weird, but we have a lot of odd names in Washington. This above picture is Port Angeles. We are hoping to rent a house in Port Angeles. It would be a 17 minute commute for him.

Yesterday we drove all 2 1/2 hours to Port Angeles to look at this house....

but when we got there, it really looked like this.... (that's Travis talking to the property manager)

It's a tiny little house with a seriously angry yard, but with some TLC, it will be perfect for us while we wait out the raise to kick in. See, Travis got the promotion, but he has to take classes this summer and PASS them, in order to get the raise. The raise is a nice amount and will officially make Travis's passion and talent for retail actually really worth it. So, until the first of October, we needed a little place with low rent that would rent to us month to month. This is the one we picked. Oh, and can I just mentioned that there is a yard with a big old bad Elizabeth-proof fence...once we tame the grass...she is going to be in outdoor heaven! Anyway, we are crossing our fingers that the application will go through because if it doesn't...well, that would just plain suck! AND, they want Travis to start work there no later than Memorial Day! Yep...we are getting 3 weeks notice to find a home, pack up and move. Considering the fact that we have been in Ashley Terrace for almost 10 years...there's a lot to pack! And throw out! And donate! Zoiks! So, why am I sitting here typing on my blog instead of packing and cleaning? Cause I am seriously intimidated by the sheer amount of stuff we have managed to cram into 1,400 square feet!

Okay, off I go to slay the dragon. Here is a picture or two to make the post complete...

(please note that I have cut my boys hair since Easter...they were all looking sooo scraggly!)