Monday, March 31, 2014

Getting Settled

After a few weeks it seems the piles of boxes are diminishing and I think the garbage man will start to like us.  We focused on the main living areas first which of course means the basement is a pit!  But it feels like home and that is a great feeling!
Ikea recycling bins become covered laundry baskets at our house
Grant loves helping put things together and always has a tool for the job!   
Jack has found his new favorite sleeping spot.
Grant took this picture with my phone.  It's the kids' reflection looking into the fountain.
It is a little hard to see but there is something green shooting through the rocks.  What will it be? Spring will soon tell us!
She chooses a different friend to sleep with each night.
We escaped for a trip to the zoo during a semi-warm day! We are so desperate for spring!
We had raclette last weekend.  Fun meal! 
A little something on Elizabeth's walls :)
This night she choose Daddy!
Brandon got his Illinois room/office all squared away!

Monday, March 17, 2014

The Move

Does it seem like we have been moving forever? It does to me!  I think today might be the first normal day we have had in months.  We woke up on a Monday, in our own home, went to school, came home for lunch, swimming and a family dinner.  There is serenity in normal sometimes!  So here a few more pictures and how things are shaping up.  We still have little piles of boxes here and there, but for the most part we are getting settled.  I cannot say enough how blessed we have been to have so much help from our families.  Aunt Sandy, Kenny Pops, Ima and Johnny Pops deserve a very large, shiny, gold star for all of their hard work and dedication.  From painting, to carpentry, to babysitting, meals, cleaning and all the advice in between we are forever grateful!

Daddy took the Camaro and the kids over to the new house on a cold night when all the moisture was frozen.

The big moving day!  Brandon is somewhere behind the wheel!!

The long awaited stuff animals finally arrive!

Scooter in the snow drift

We have our seasons and toys confused :)

The storage unit has now been relocated to our garage!

Sand box toys repurposed as snow toys! 

The men discuss how they get this desk downstairs.  It wasn't easy, but they got it done!


Grant sneaked to the playroom to feed Elizabeth's baby doll :)
Pops loves cleaning floors!
First night sleeping in the house.  Elizabeth and Grant are both in bed and Jack is their guard dog :)
My first night in the new house...Calgon take me away!
Checking out at Ikea.  Elizabeth had to help push - we had 2 carts and a flatbed!! 
Since the kids area was too busy for them to go to we bribed them with ice  cream (as any good Ikea shopping parent would!)
Our new mudroom "entry bench" that my dad built.
The new opening between the kitchen and family room.  Bottom picture is the before - top pictures are taken from both sides
As we get things hung up on the walls and find homes for all the treasures I will take more interesting pictures!  Perhaps spring will come early and we just be able to go outside and play (and swim!).  It occurred to me the other day that perhaps God gave us a snowy winter to cover up all of the devastation from the tornado.  As the snow has now melted you are easily reminded of the disaster.  However, I think having a snowy winter gave people a chance to focus on people and their lives.  Not much work could be going on in this frozen tundra!  After all, "everything in life that is really important has a first name."  So let's shove stuff in a closet and get back to spending time with each other having fun and making memories.  I probably won't remember 10 years from now where I put that glass vase anyway!

Elizabeth is 15!!

  2) HOW OLD ARE YOU? 15 3) WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? pink 4) WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND? Parker, Isabella & Julianna 5) WHAT DO YOU WAN...