we're here

It's hard to believe we had family and friends over a week ago today to help pack our house. It seems forever ago, but a lot has happened in the past week! Here's a quick update.

1. We loaded a massive semi (we couldn't have done it in 4 1/2 hours without our amazing friends and family...even from N. Ireland!) on Friday with our entire house. Our driver Dennis, is amazing at packing our entire house into 24 feet. We literally had 1 foot to spare.

2. We said many tearful goodbye's on Friday. I'll be honest and say it sucked saying goodbye. Though it wasn't a goodbye forever. They (and we) know we'll be back really soon.

3. We sent the kids back to Lansing. One with Grandma, one with Uncle John and Aunt Crystal, so Ed and I could walk through the house one more time.

4. We left our house of 4 1/2 years. Locked up nice and snug, ready for the next family who is going to own it.

5. We were back 1/2 an hour later as our realtor stopped by and he couldn't get in as the door knob was acting up. So with the help of our neighbors, we were able to break into our house (all the keys were on the counter) and fix the door knob (thank heavens for that roll of packing tape in the car).

6. We made our way to Lansing, spent the night, visited my dad in the hospital and took off to the airport on Saturday.

7. Flights went smooth, were all on time and all our luggage made it. We finally made it to a hotel that had vacancy after 20 hours of being up/traveling.

8. Our friends we met back in November (who moved here 2 months ago) have graciously given up their bedroom for us so we can have a place to stay until we found a house.

9. We found a house. It's further than where we have been looking, but realized quickly the houses in our price range in the city were in that price range for a reason. Ed will have a short commute, but will be in class only 3 days a week. Sam's school is 15 minutes away in which we will be driving him there.

10. We've spent time downtown, time getting lost (a lot of time...Ed bought a car compass), time at Sam's school, time looking at what felt like a bazillion houses and time at our new place.

11. I'm amazed: that there are Thai restaurants every few blocks, that there is a 2 story Target (that starts on the 3rd floor with an escalator for the grocery carts), that cars actually make it up the hills here without tipping over, how many pine trees there are, how beautiful the city is, that people will carry on a conversation with you even when they don't speak English and don't care that you don't speak their language, that there are palm trees here, that Starbucks charges $10 to use their internet access (even when you buy a drink), and how many organic stores and fresh farm markets there are.

12. Our parents fly in Monday. My dad was released from the hospital this past Tuesday after being in a week and a half and got the O.K. from the doctor to come here next week.

13. We "move" into our house today. More like move into the garage as the carpets are being cleaned tomorrow, so we have to wait until Saturday to move all our furniture in.

14. Pictures will be coming.