November, part 2

The Move.

Let me just start by saying, moving is something I would classify as "happy stress." Hard things caused by progress, goal-setting, moving forward, and new beginnings.
So it's all good,
but still hard. And I just want to remember how hard it was, and how we got through it.

 I have to admit, it's taken me seven weeks to get to where I don't start twitching when I think back about our move.
Oh it was rough. 
Does everyone have it this bad when they move? Because seriously, why don't we all just stay where we are forever??? 
Moving, is the worst. Especially with children. And I'll be happy if I never do it again. 
(But let's be real.....I married Kent....we'll be moving again, I just hope it isn't for a MUCH longer time.)

The week before the move, I was trying to pack for our 2 week vacation to California, 
our 2 month stay in a condo, Christmas, 
and pack up the house.
I had so many lists I felt like my brain was going to explode. Trying to make sure everything made it into the correct storage unit, suitcase, tote, car, etc.

These beautiful wonderful amazing suitcase organizers have saved my life. Not even kidding. I bought four sets. And while living out of suitcases for the past two months, I have praised that purchase every.single.day. 
Search suitcase organizer cubes on Amazon. All brands have glowing reviews. Because they're amazing.

Two days before we moved out, we had a walk through of our new house with the builder. 
I woke up with a uti that morning (SUPER fun, people.)
I was supposed to be cleaning the house, wiping down cupboards, mopping floors, etc, but I dropped the kids off at school and dashed to the doctor's office.

Then I picked the kids up from school, we picked up Kent from work, dropped off his car at my brother's apartment where it was going to stay while we were in California, got lunch, and drove the 45 minutes down to our new house.

It was freezing cold. Ellie was a super-grump. There were about seven guys working on the house at that moment, and there was music blaring so loud we could barely hear our agent. Christian was crying in the carrier, and I still didn't feel well at all. Now that the house is more finished, I see several mistakes that we should have noticed that day, but the walk through was kind of a bust. 
Ce la vie.

The next morning we started bright and early loading up our pod with all of our remaining furniture. Goodbye fridge, couches, beds, table, everything.

Seriously, what a day. Thankfully we had help from so many of our friends and neighbors with moving the big stuff out that morning.
The rest of the day was a whirlwind of cleaning and organizing and last-minute packing. 
Oh, and our vacuum died.
And the buyers of the house visited, right in the middle of us eating dinner on the floor of the kitchen, surrounded in all of that last-minute odds and ends and garbage....
I'm sure they were feeling a little freaked out about the condition of their new home.

 The next day was Sunday, the day we were leaving.
We woke up and got ready for Church while also trying to feed the kids and keep them entertained and clean up the disaster of a house on moving day. So many odds and ends, so much wiping and packing and "just throw it in a box and be done with it!"

 The kids threw epic tantrums before Church. Two hours of screaming about their Church clothes/shoes/lines in their socks/ "why are these shoes even real?!"
Poor things, we were all feeling completely emotionally exhausted. 
At Church Ellie refused to go to her class, 
so I sat in a dark classroom with her while I nursed Christian.

After Church, our dear neighbors the Lee's had us over for dinner. 
I cannot even say how wonderful it felt to be taken care of that evening. 

Nicholas and Ellie are sure missing being able to run across the street every day and sit on the porch and talk with Brother and Sister Lee!

We got the kids together, picked up the very last of our belongings,
hung Nicholas upside-down so he'd stop crying long enough for a picture,

 and Kent loaded the older kids into the car while I sat on the floor and nursed Christian for the last time in that home.

 We drove up to Salt Lake that night to stay in a hotel so we could catch our flight the next morning. 
Ellie was hungry when we got to the hotel (surprise surprise) so we made microwave mac and cheese, got the kids cuddled into bed, 
and slept soundly all night (thank you, Christian!)

The end.