Balloons!

The boys were just getting up from a short nap this afternoon when the doorbell rang.  They were so excited when they saw that it was a bunch of balloons.  And not just any balloons, but happy face balloons with pretty colors!  Thank you Nana and Gramps for the thoughtful delivery!  It made our day!

Monday Morning...

Our first Monday morning in our new house went pretty good.  It started (predictably) early, but the guys really showed me that they are growing and maturing and they can handle the free time in the morning.  They didn't want to stay in their rooms this morning, but we compromised and they got to lay in Mom's bed while I showered.  Whatever works, I guess!  Today they had a little "sock hop" at school so the boys wore their blue jeans and white t-shirts.  They also got to bring home the babies that they made at school.  They got to fill a bag with enough sand to equal their own birth weight.  (Theirs were the smallest babies in both of their classes!)  They fed the babies lunch and now (hopefully) Conner and Ben will take a nap with their babies.  I'm not sure how naptime will go, since they are separated now and they don't have a gate at their door blocking them in.  Ben has already been up once since they laid down about ten minutes ago.  We shall see....

Tearful Sunday...

More good-byes today as we visited our old house for the last time.  After all, Nick had to put that bedroom door back on!  The kids didn't seem sad, in fact, they just wanted to go back to the new house!  It was a tearful Sunday for me, though, as I realized that everything was changing.  Scary... but the fact that my kids and husband are so completely excited makes all the changes a bit easier.  

Our last family picture in our old house... not a great one, especially since I had shed a few tears at this point, but I defiintely wanted to remember this day!

When we got home, the boys watched some George on the computer while Daddy made dinner. They were so exhausted...

So far, Ben and Conner's favorite thing to do in the new house is ride their cars and trikes in the unfinished part of our basement!  Surprise, Surprise!

Moving Day...

Moving day came quick, as I knew it would.   It went by so fast, I didn't even get many pictures.  We had lots of great help!  Thank you to Steve, Becky, Bill and Kristin, Mom and Dad, Josh and Jenn, Andy, Chris, and Shaun for all of your help!  You all helped us out so much and we appreciate it more than you know.

On Friday morning, the boys didn't have school, so they spent their morning running errands with us, as we tried to get everything ready to move!  On Saturday morning, Nick was moving the truck into the driveway and the boys had been begging to ride in it, so they got to sit up in the moving truck for a little while...

 

The boys helped clean the old house as we cleared out each and every room...

Ben couldn't take it anymore...   After sleeping in Nana's arms for a little while, we finally put our little buddy in his brand new bed....

Conner was also exhausted on Saturday night, but had a teensy bit more energy than Ben, so when I snuck in to take a picture of him sleeping in his new bed for the first time, he popped up and gave me a smile!

We had a great time on Saturday night with friends and family and it really made me look forward to when we finally have this house in order, and we can start having parties!

Good-bye Terrace St....

The day after we signed the deal for the new house to be built, the sadness hit me hard.  I am truly sad to leave our home.... I was able to push that aside (until now) because we have been so busy picking out colors, spending every free moment we have buying things for the new house, worrying about the fact that our current home will not be bringing a very good return, and the general fact that raising two four year old boys keeps me pretty consumed.  But as time draws nearer to say goodbye to this place, it becomes harder.  Don't get me wrong... I am ecstatic about our new house.  The boys will love it and I can completely see us there, spending time together, and enjoying all the hard work it took to get there.  But, putting that all aside now, all I can think about is how much I will miss everything (well, most everything...) about this house, the place that we have made our home.  I can remember the first time I walked into it... we knew right away that it would be ours.  We loved so many things about it.  It just felt like us... I don't even know how else to explain it.  I don't think there is any other way to explain it.

As with most things these days, my thoughts immediately go to my kids.  We brought them home to this house when they were two months old.  We had to say goodbye to them in this house.  It was the toughest thing that these walls have ever seen with us.  I would go into their room every once in a while, when I was feeling strong or when I just wanted to be as near to my boys as I could.  I think it's part of the reason I have such a strong connection to our home... their room represented so much to me.  I would take a picture off the wall one day and put it back the next.  I would take the crib sheets off the mattresses, just to return them later.  I spent time in there, and I also closed the door and avoided it.  That door would stay closed until I could bear to peek my head in again, knowing that there would be no smiling faces looking back at me.  But my guys did come home.  They came home to us and that room.  And as soon as they were able, they did whatever they could to tear that door down (literally!), so that door would never again be shut... That irony has never been lost on me...

Along with a few sad memories, there are countless wonderful ones.  This has been such a great house to us.  We have enjoyed so many celebrations, parties, and gatherings with friends and family.   I remember when Nick jumped over the balcony from the hallway down to the living room and we were pretty sure he was going to go right through the floor.  I remember when Nick actually did fall through the kitchen ceiling.  I remember when Nick got stuck on the roof because his ladder was too far away and he stomped around for a while trying to get my attention.  Hmmm... I'm noticing a theme here....  This house has been filled with our laughter for almost 8 years!  Our boys will definitely miss this house, the only one that they have ever been able to call home.  They will no longer be sharing a room, but will have their own big boy rooms now... an idea that really excites them, but will undoubtedly be hard when we actually tuck them into their separate rooms that first night.   

I suppose any big change brings with it, not only the awesome excitement, but the harsh reality of some things never being the same.  It is worth it, I know that.  But I felt like I needed to take a moment and pay respect to this extraordinary little house that has been a witness to so many things in our lives.  It is hard to leave.... I think that's a big reason why we had to build a new house instead of buying an existing one.. I just couldn't find one that could hold a candle to Terrace St.  Good-bye old friend....  You will be missed, but never forgotten...

OMG...

In the words of my son, Ben, OMG RIGHT NOW...  after the week we had last week and how this week has started out, I just hope we make it to moving day!  We had a showing on Sunday that we had to keep the house clean and picked up for.  A showing on Monday pushed us out of the house last night.  Another showing this morning used up all of my packing time.  And the worst of it all is that we finally got an offer on our house, but I'm pretty sure it is the shittiest offer ever made.  So now I have to dedicate even more of my time today to meeting with our realtor and our builder and figuring out if we can make something work before our house goes to trade on Friday.  Nick and I are beyond overwhelmed and Nick has a big nasty sty in his eye to prove it!  Plus, because of all the showings, packing has been at a stand still,  and let's just say that packing when the boys are home and awake just doesn't work out well... for any of us...  OMG RIGHT NOW!!!

Almost Ready...

We went over to the new house today to see how everything was coming together.  It looked awesome and almost everything is ready for us.  They have to finish the fireplace, put in the appliances, and clean, but it is looking great!  We will be closing on Feb. 24, as planned!

Perks...

Other than the (very important and awesome) fact that we have been able to design and build our own bigger home, there are really no other perks to moving...  Our lives are in disarray thanks to the chaos around us and everyday it seems that some other obstacle is put in our path.  (Most recently was a high radon test in our current home that we will have to spend thousands of dollars on... not good...)  But, as usual, my children remind me that the small stuff is what really matters.  After packing away everything in our window seat, the boys have claimed it as their new favorite place to sit.  On a day that left Nick and I exhausted and frustrated, Conner and Ben were able to fan away the stress and just enjoy their new favorite place.  Their excitement is contagious! 

One more week............

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Conner and Ben were very excited to go through their Valentine boxes and see what surprises were hiding in there!  Last year they didn't really care about the candy, but they sure do care now!  Also, last year, Ben was sick so he had to miss his Valentine's Day party, so he was very excited about it this time!  It was pretty funny to watch them go through everything!  They wanted to open every piece of candy right away, sharpen every pencil they received, and use every single sticker and tattoo at the same time! 

Recovery Time...

Nick and I had so much fun on Saturday night, that Sunday was a little hard on us!  Our recovery time gets a little longer as we get a little older! We had lots of stuff to do though, and an open house, so we were still able to be pretty productive.  However, mealtimes were served picnic style today... the boys didn't seem to mind!

Birthday Party!

As much as I hate getting older, I do still love a good party!  Thanks Mom and Dad and Cari, Curt, and Marley for celebrating with us!  I had such a great time!  The boys got some yummy Valentines and then we focused on all the adult food, some presents, and having a good time!

Our Kitchen!

We went over to check out the house on Saturday and show my family how it was all coming together!  The kitchen counters were in and the fireplace is almost done in the living room! 

34

Yep.. I am 34 today... as usual, I don't feel one bit different than I did yesterday when I was only 33...

I would like to think I am getting wiser with every year, but I know for sure that my boys are...  Ben was being particularly "naughty" this morning as we got ready to go to school.  I finally told him that if he couldn't be a good listener, then he would have to stay home today... he totally called my bluff and looked at me as if to say, "Yeah right, Mom, like you would actually keep me home with you instead of having your 2 hours of freedom today, which it looks like you desperately need right now..."  He was so right...

I used to think 34 sounded so old... actually it still sounds a little old...

This was my special treatment for the day...

I am looking forward to a party tomorrow night and then I will be spending the next two weeks packing furiously!  I cannot believe we are moving in two weeks...

Thank you to everyone for the happy birthday wishes!

Done!

Done... and... Done... we will add some wall decals later!

Conner wanted his picture taken as he was enjoying his sucker that he received after his haircut last night!  Conner and Ben do not have the attention span it requires to finish an entire sucker so usually, they tell me how good it is for about two minutes and then give it to me saying that they are done... Ben was done before the sucker had even grazed his lips.  Apparently, the idea of the sucker was much more appealing than the actual sucker was! Conner was pretty much done after this picture too!  (Or maybe Ben was still too full from the crayon that he ate at Buffalo Wild Wings this noon... yes... the crayon...)