The Move Drive

I wrote previously about the drive from MO to MI, namely about the close calls we encountered. Here are just a few pics...

May I tell you that I drove the first couple of hours, then my mom and I switched and we never switched back! She drove the rest of the way and was the biggest trooper ever. Thanks for all your help mom! (She always closes her eyes when the camera flashes!)


Adalin being bored...


Kira finally gives in and sleeps...

The first time Isis and Kitty have ever slept next to each other! Of course they do it when forced, because there wasn't anywhere else to sleep!

Pics from the Move

In a hurry as Adam was about to pull away in the moving truck from Kirksville, we snapped this picture in front of our home there. It was the first house we bought and will always be a special place to our family. We really loved that house and we are so grateful for the chance we had to own it and take care of it.

Goofy picture of Adam that he didn't want me to take in the first place, but, you know, gotta document things like this! He was such a trooper, driving that 26' truck over 600 miles, pulling a car behind, alone. Good job babe!

611 E. McPherson St, Kirksville! See ya at graduation! (The awesome new owners said we could come back to visit our old house when we are back!)

Pattie- My thoughtful, helpful, amazing neighbor who spent 2 days helping us clean. Love you Pattie!

Back and Ready to Roll

The last month has been CRAZY. We moved on the 15th of July, were in our new house for 1 1/2 weeks, then drove to Utah and Oregon and were gone for 3.

6,120 miles and 5 pounds later, we are back in Grand Blanc and ready to finally begin our life (and diets) here.

Before we took off for vacation, we got all but 2 small boxes unpacked and painted 2 bathrooms. Not bad for under 2 weeks, eh? Still, our house was left in minor disarray, with things unorganized and out of place.

It seems that with every move I loose a box too. The move 2 years ago I lost a box with baking goods in it, including my treasured Dominican Republic Real Vanilla Extract that my MIL brought back for me from their mission there. This time it was my small bin with all my bow-making stuff in it. Bummer. All that ribbon, MIA. Hope I find it.

We are being employed by our landlords to paint the trim on the outside of the house here. I took the liberty of choose a little bit different color to make way for more contrast and character. I think it looks great. Will post pics when its finished.

Next interior room to paint: don't know. It's a tie between my room and the girls' bathroom. I am leaning towards my room, since we already finished our bathroom and it would be nice to have the entire mater suite done and over with. Guess my mind is made up!

To follow, I am going to write an obscene amount of posts detailing our vacation this summer. But before that, the posts that I should have done before we left... keep your hats on!

Chocolate... hair?

We are driving through our new city today and Adalin sees the Big Boy statue and says, "Why does that guy have chocolate hair?" The things little ones say!

We taught them well, I guess.

This was a Kodak moment if I ever saw one: my two girls sitting together reading the scriptures. Adalin got Kira up on the purple chair, got her all situated, gave her the Book of Mormon and told her scripture stories. How cute is that?

Buzzy in Red

A few weeks ago for church I went a little crazy on the red with Adalin. She was so cute with her red shirt, red shoes, jean skirt, red pony tail holders and red finger nails. It sounds like overkill, but it was really cute. Adalin loves to have her nails painted. You can tell the sheer joy that painting her nails brings by her facial expressions in these pictures! She is so cute.

He Passed!

Adam passed boards!!! We are so thankful that he passed and won't have to take them again! As for the score, he wasn't in the top 10% or anything, but our goal was for him to pass, that's what we prayed for, and that's what we got! Congrats Adam! You are awesome, so smart and wonderful!

The Move

We made it to Michigan safe and sound! I really love our new house! It is pretty nice and I can see myself being very happy here. Things are different though. I am left feeling a little depressed at times knowing that I have to start completely over again. This is going to sound really funny but going to Walmart yesterday was the hardest thing that I have had to do yet. I walked in, had absolutely no idea where anything was, compared with the Walmart in the 'ville that I visited a few times per week sometimes and knew like the back of my hand. At the K-ville Walmart I saw someone I knew at least 70% of the time, so my first visit to this one was weird in that way too. I asked someone where I could find shower curtain liners and I got a dirty look in response and a pointed finger, in the wrong direction, and the words, "on the left." Well, excuse me, doesn't the back of your apron say, "How can I help you today?" The new Walmart employees redeemed themselves when I asked another lady where I could find tortillas and she was 100% friendly. It's not like going to a new grocery store is that hard, but when everything I do I have to do in a new way, it kind of throws me through a loop and I have trouble dealing sometimes. I feel this way every time I move. I feel uprooted and uncomfortable. It'll only last a little while! I am glad to be here, don't get me wrong, but I do miss where I came from a lot.

We had a few potential disasters on the way here. First, my mom and I and the girls are in Chicago traffic and this guy in his old red Cadillac with the tan leather roof (you know the kind I am talking about) passed us on the left then completely cuts us off. If he would have hit us, the front of our vehicle (which is a large, white SUV, can't miss it) would have been hit him at his rear door! He must have been completely blind. My mom was luckily paying close attention and swirved over to the lane on the right (good thing no one was over there) and laid on the horn. The Caddy driver had absolutely no clue. Maybe he should un-recline (is that a word?) his seat a little from now on. Secondly, we are almost to the new house, driving on the freeway and I see a deer at the edge of the road getting ready to cross. Not too big of a deal, but enough to make your heart jump. Thirdly, and the most scary... Adam pulls off the interstate in the moving truck to get gas and checks our car that was being towed behind. The straps that go over the tires of the car had somehow wiggled their way completely off. Honestly, I don't know how that car didn't fall off the tow dolly on I-80 going 70 miles an hour.
Things like that make us grateful that Heavenly Father is watching over us!

I few people that I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart:
My mom: She flew out to help me do some last-minute packing, cleaning and babysat the girls countless times so I could do the aforementioned. Thanks so much Mom!
Pattie: She babysat my kids and came over twice in the last hours at our old house to clean. She wiped out my kitchen cupboards, vacuumed my entire upstairs, did a final wipe-down in my bathroom, swept, took my last-minute trash and recycling back to her house for us... I know I am leaving something out... Oh yeah, she brought us dinner too! Pattie- You helped me so much and I am so grateful for your friendship and love.
Melissa J.: She fed us dinner when there was no food left in our fridge and watched my kids for an entire afternoon so we could clean and pack up the truck. Kira was being such a pill, but she sweated it out and was more than willing to help! Thanks Melissa! You are awesome.
Rebecca S., DeAnne, Katherine, Sister Stubbs, Tiffany, Valerie, Lynda... (I am sure I am leaving someone out and I am so sorry!) You all helped me in one way or another, from taking random things for me that I didn't know what to do with to even being great friends and bringing me yummy pies and brownies and offering to take my kids, I appreciate it so much. You are all the best!

Here is our new contact info:
10334 Edgewater Tr.
Holly, MI 48442
810.771.7818
801.602.2862

I will post some pics from the move in a few days!

4th of July Weekend

Our 4th of July weekend was great. Friday the 4th we went to the parade, which was quite lame, but the girls looked cute with their red, white and blue hair bows and festive outfits. We BBQed with some friends that evening and squeezed in half a game of Croquet, which I never played before and its way fun. Then there were the fireworks! We took the seats out of the Sequoia and set up the kids with pillows, blankets and a movie, which was the best idea I have had in a long time. Kira LOVED the fireworks; Adalin wouldn't have been all that sad to miss them. She is such a stinker when she's exhausted. Of course, who isn't?

Saturday Adam played in a softball tourney for 10 1/2 hours. I was back and forth from the baseball fields with the kiddos, which was fabulous. I LOVE softball games! The sun, jungle gym, nachos and dust always make for a great summer day.

Now for the cheesy part: I thought a lot about what the 4th of July really means to me this weekend. Honestly, I have no idea what it is like to not live in a free country and how remarkable my life really is because of the country that I live in. I can make whatever I want for dinner each night, travel to see family whenever I feel like hitting the road, get an education of my choice, have as many children as I want and buy virtually anything that I would like to. I am grateful for the sacrifices of my forefathers that make this country everything wonderful that it is today. In all honesty, I don't think that I am grateful enough for all my freedom. I love this country though, and despite its weaknesses, it the best place to live in all the world.

The Hat

All we needed to have a few good giggles and some cute pictures snapped was the cowgirl hat. They are too dang sweet.