3.25 - 4.3 – The long and the short of it

SHORT VERSION

We are moved into our new house and are slowly getting settled into our new place and new routine. All the work that it took to get us packed now needs to be transferred over to getting us unpacked. The girls had a fabulous first week at their new school and haven’t had a single negative thing to say about it; we couldn’t have asked for smoother transition for all of the kids and Justin loves, loves, LOVES his new and improved commute.

LONG VERSION

For the sake of posterity I’ll do my best to remember this past week. On Friday (March 25th) Justin and I each signed our name (or initials) approximately 80 times with a stipulation that no funds would be released to the builder without our written stamp of approval once the house was complete. After we signed everything we drove out to the house to see if the work was complete. It was already 4:30pm so we were surprised to find that the granite for the kitchen island was still on the truck. Our superintendant was there trying to get everything wrapped up so we didn’t stay long. By this time we were starving and decided to try out some local cuisine. We heading into the little shopping area down the road from the new house and settled on a quaint little Irish Pub. Justin was thrilled to find that each booth had its own TV so he was able to watch some basketball during dinner.


What had Justin even more excited was that we were there during happy hour so all the appetizers were half off. We started off with a trio platter of calamari (for Justin), mozzarella sticks, and our favorite discovery – fried green beans (delicious!).

Next course was a sampling of sliders for Justin, nacho fries, potato skins, and a bowl of corn chowder.

Yes, we went way overboard on the appetizers, but we’ve now learned what we’ll want to get when we return and that two appetizers is really more than enough.

Of course we spent the bulk of the weekend packing boxes. It amazes me how long it takes. Every box is like a puzzle – what size box do you need, what fits best where, and what can we squeeze into this little spot… We thought we’d end up having to drive up to the house on Sunday to check everything out; however, by Saturday afternoon we got a call from our realtor that the kitchen was done and ready for inspection.

The kitchen looked great and the island was perfect. Never again will our home look as clean and perfect as it did that day.

Once home we sent an email to escrow that we were pleased with the kitchen island and prepared to officially close on Monday. Sunday we woke up bright and early to attend our new ward. We got there a little early and sat in our pew. Yes, this was our first week in the ward, but for the past 10 years we’ve pretty much sat in the same pew every Sunday. Back row, left side. Unfortunately, we are now in an older chapel and the legroom is really tight even in the side benches – something I suppose we’ll have to get used to. Everyone was very nice and several people introduced themselves (sadly, I don’t remember a single soul). Lots of young families, but with a good mix of older families and couples as well. Abigail and Carly are both in classes with several girls their ages. Only a few families in the ward attend the same elementary school that we do so it was very lucky that Abigail had a girl in her church class that also goes to the same school. By the end of church Abigail already had plans to meet up with her new friend at recess the following day. Jason was nervous to go into Primary at first – it took about 10 minutes and promises of lots of treats when we got home, but he finally took his seat among a dozen other sunbeams and had a good time. What a blessing it is to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We could move anywhere in the world and know that we have an instant circle of friends. We don’t have to search for a congregation that believe what we believe – we will be taught the same principles and lessons in our classes regardless of where we live. This is such a huge comfort and blessing to our family.

Sunday evening we were invited to a friend’s house for dinner. I’ve always thought it silly that people offer meals when families are moving, but now I understand why. Our cupboards were bare and since it was Sunday we don’t eat out. We were incredibly grateful for a hot, homemade meal and when they asked if we’d stay and play games we were grateful for the reprieve it provided from the tasks we had waiting for us at home.

Monday was another early morning as the girls were starting at their new school 40 minutes away. We arrived early enough to meet both of their teachers and look around their classrooms.

Both of the girls’ teachers found them a buddy before school to show them around and play with them outside until the bell rang. I was nervous for them, but grateful to walk away and have them surrounded by new friends. I picked them up after school and as we drove back to Auburn to load up the moving trucks they talked non-stop about their first day. Seriously, they had so much to say that we had to take turns so I wouldn’t miss anything. They haven’t muttered a single complaint. The staff at the school has been awesome and their teachers have really helped them feel included. The students in Abigail’s class had even put together a gift basket to present her on her first day and Thursday she was asked to make an announcement over the intercom to the whole school. Their first week couldn’t have been better.

Getting on their little bus Tuesday morning Monday was a crazy, busy day.

After dropping off the girls at school we headed back to Auburn to finish packing up. Thankfully, I had a great friend offer to entertain Jason all day (7am-6pm) and Katie was able to nap at another friends house that afternoon. Justin thought that with a 4pm start time we’d be done loading the trucks by 6pm – but of course it took much longer than expected. We couldn’t have done it without so much help from friends in our ward. One of our favorite families brought their youth age children along and helped load up the trucks, take care of Katie, and clean the house. I will forever remember how grateful we were for everyone’s help.

We drove up to the new house around 8pm that night and were greeted by our deer friends.

Our friend DJ and his family followed us up to the house to drive up the trailer (Justin drove the U-Haul) and they were able to help us get out a few mattresses for the night. The girls had their sleeping bags and I thought I was prepared with something for Justin and I but I could only find Jason’s bedding. So Justin and I slept on our mattress with only twin-sized sheets to keep us warm. Even though the day had been so long and exhausting neither of us could fall asleep (not unusual for me, but completely out of character for Justin). At 2am we finally got up and walked around our empty house and took it all in. Not the most restful first night, but one that we’ll remember.

Tuesday was unloading day (and night). Our friend DJ took the day off to help us out and was joined by two members of our new ward bright and early. Between the four of them they were able to unload the entire U-Haul and trailer by 11am. They put the boxes in the garage and that evening ward members came and help distribute the boxes to their rightful rooms in the house. During the day Justin and DJ had to return to Auburn to fill the trailer up with the rest of the things there. I’ve never considered myself a hoarder in any way so it was shocking how much stuff we had. I hope we never have to move again and that if we do someone will pay to have the professionals do all the work for us.

I am so disappointed that I didn’t take a single picture of the move. No pictures of the huge U-Haul full to the brim, or the big trailer full of even more stuff (twice). How could I have missed those ginormous vehicles? They were quite the sight parked in front of our home. No images of all those who helped carried out box after box and carefully maneuvered our furniture down our angled staircase and through narrow doorframes. Actually, I tried to avoid watching them move our furniture myself – it made me too nervous. And apparently I gravitate toward large, heavy furniture - or so I’ve been told.

Wednesday we had to head back to Auburn to clean up the house for a showing that afternoon (at nearly $4/gallon our gas expenses have been ridiculous this week!) Once again we had amazing friends step in to lend a hand and by the time Justin and I got there the house was looking really good. Since we were near a Sam’s Club Justin did a little shopping before heading home and managed to rack up our biggest grocery bill ever – I suppose it’s to be expected when you’ve used up all your frozen food and bulk items over the last several months – funny though how we still didn’t feel like we had anything to eat.

Justin returned to work reluctantly on Thursday morning. I stayed at home all day planning to get things organized but instead ended up on the phone most of the day switching utilities and trying to figure out who we should get TV service and internet through. A week without internet and I was struggling – turns out it’s extremely difficult to research internet and cable companies when the only internet access you have is on your cell phone.

Good thing I had Jason around to help me with all the boxes around the house

Justin’s also done a great job unpacking boxes – in fact, he’s probably unpacked more than I have – what a guy!

Friday we had Dish Network come out and get us hooked up with a satellite. We had dish in Auburn and never had any issues so we decided to go with them again – we just can’t justify paying any more than we have to by getting a “bundle” through anyone else. Thankfully, they were able to come out quickly so we would be able to watch General Conference from home over the weekend. That evening Justin (with the help of a handy friend) installed the TV above our fireplace. It looks fabulous.

We spent the weekend getting organized in between General Conference sessions. Justin headed back down to Auburn Saturday night for Priesthood session and returned home late after doing a massive Winco run. So nice to finally have decent food in the house. While Justin was gone we had a visitor.

A little deer was mowing our front lawn. All the banging on the window and squealing didn’t even phase the deer, she just kept on eating.

Apparently she can’t read When the rain started back up (has it stopped this past week???) she took shelter on our front porch. If I would have opened the front door I think she would have walked right on in and made herself at home. Even though we are on a dead end street there are still several cars that drive by. Every single one had to stop and take a look.

Sunday was a welcome opportunity to stay home all day and watch General Conference as a family. The kids listened to a lot of the conference, but they also had some fun building forts with all the boxes we have laying around. Their largest fort took up most of family room.

Well, that takes us through week 1 (did you make it?) – this week is spring break, but we’ll leave that for another post. Tonight I’m posting from the city library five minutes down the road (forgive the formating issues) - hopefully we’ll get internet at home by the end of the week.

10 Years

This May would mark ten years that we have lived in this house. When we moved here we thought we'd only be here for a few years, but then we fell in love.

Next week we close on our new house (hopefully). As the time grows closer to pack up and start a new, we can't help but reflect on our time here.

Here are 10 things I will miss:

So I went a little overboard on the pictures, but I had so much fun looking back through these – I couldn’t help myself. Most are of only Abigail and Carly, but that’s only because I started this blog before Jason was born so Jason and Katie have their entire lives on the blog already.

1. Our ward. Over ten years we've seen a lot of changes, friends moved away, youth grew up and left home, many even starting families of their own, seven years ago there was a boundary change that left many friends attending another ward. But even when the ward was small and struggling to fill positions we have always felt blessed to be acquainted with amazing individuals and families. We've been surrounded with wonderful examples of the gospel.

This past Sunday was our last Sunday in our ward and Justin was asked to speak. Right before the meeting started a dear elderly widow in the ward approached us with tears in her eyes and expressed how much she would miss us. Right then Justin knew it would be hard to stand up there and pretend it was any other speaking assignment. Had it not been our very last week it wouldn’t have been near as emotional, but knowing that this would be the last time you’d see many of these people made it difficult for even my non-emotional husband.

2. Our House. If course we are super excited about our new house, but there are a few things we will miss about this house.

My Office: No doubt the best thing we did in this house is converting part of the garage into our office. Easily the most used room in the house and perfectly situated by the family room and kitchen so I can be in the office, but still be part of the action. The office in the new house is right near the front door so not only will it be a little removed, I'll also have to keep it clean. It also has glass doors so I can’t just shut the doors and hide my mess.

One of my favorite pictures of Abigail (I found her quietly reading in the office when we were nearing the end of construction)

Mudroom: Several years ago I finally succeeded in convincing Justin to add shelving in an unused part of the laundry room. Best decision ever! We can store so much stuff on these shelves and even better is that we are no longer tripping over shoes every time we enter the house. When we enter the new house from the garage we will walk right into the kitchen so doing something like this isn't really an option. We'll likely have to keep our shoes in the garage, which wouldn't be so bad if that wasn't where icky bugs and spiders live.

Our Yard: We've put a lot of time and money into our yard and we love it. The patio design is fun and unique, we have beautiful, mature plants, and my favorite feature is our sunken garden.

This “after” picture above was taken just this past year

The amount of stone that was brought into our yard was incredible

The slope was leveled and my garden took shape

Abigail and Carly with our first bounteous year of produce

3. The Neighborhood. We live in an awesome neighborhood! Living across the street from a culd-e-sac is perfect. We enjoy all the benefits of living in a culd-e-sac (tons of playspace and away from busy streets) without any of the negatives (lack of parking and kids messing around in your yard). If the sun is out you can pretty much guarantee that the culd-e-sac will be full of kids. What makes it even more perfect is that it's flat, ideal for riding bikes, drawing with chalk, and rollerblading.

4. Friends. We have been blessed with great friends here. I seriously doubt I will find a better group of friends anywhere else. The kids have created friendships in the neighborhood, school, church, and through sports programs. Walking away from that is tough. Starting over will be hard for us all. If only we could take everyone with us.

5. Mt. Rainier. This is a layout of my trip to Seattle to meet Justin’s parents when we were dating.

The upper right picture is Mt. Rainier. I remember wondering why people thought Mt. Rainier was so special when I grew up in Utah next to an entire mountain range. We had no idea that someday we would move to the very city that picture was taken. Let's be honest, there’s no question that we are getting a better overall view in Snoqualmie, but I will miss seeing this mountain from my front window on a clear day.

6. Proximity to Shopping. Auburn doesn't have a lot of great shopping or restaurants (nor does Snoqualmie), but it does have some great stores to save money. The Supermall is home to great outlet stores like Gap, Banana Republic, Gymboree, and Nordstrom Rack. Our old, tattered Wal-Mart was just replaced with a new supercenter (waited 9 years for that) and we also just got a new Winco close by. How crazy is it that after we move many of these stores here will still be the closest of their kind to me. And the store I frequent most often, Sam’s Club. I'm going to have to switch to Costco (which will cost more, the exact percentage I'll share after I complete the research I've been working on for several months, but it's looking close to 10% which is a huge chunk of change in a year).

7. Memories. Each of our four children were born while living here. As babies they all slept in the room at the top of the stairs and took their first real bath in my bathtub. So many memories of their childhood were within these walls.

8. Diversity. The demographics at our current elementary school vs. the elementary school we are transferring to are:
Our current neighbors include Japanese, Pilipino, Mexican, and African American. I love the diversity we enjoy here, the different cultures and languages my kids are exposed to is unique and wonderful. And at this young age these kids don't care that they are different. I asked a close friend (who is from England and married to a Korean) why Snoqualmie isn't as diverse, she thought it was because Asians tend to live in more populated cities and Snoqualmie is too rural. Whatever the reason, we will miss the diversity we enjoy here.

9. Close Schools. We live within walking distance of our elementary school. I can be there in less than five minutes to volunteer, take Jason to speech, or bring something to school that the girls forgot. The school is only 5 years old and the teachers are great. Due to overcrowding at the closest elementary, our new little neighborhood is currently getting bussed 15 minutes away. I think the girls will end up glad they no longer have to walk everyday, because as it is now rain, shine, snow, or hail they always walk to and from school. However, I'll definitely miss having their school so close by.

10. Our Community. We live is a master planned community, the neighborhood as a whole is huge, easily over a thousand homes. We pay annual HOA sites to keep the trails, parks, etc... looking nice. And they do a great job. As a family we love going on bike rides through the area. It its beautiful. It is clean. It's safe. People are always out going on walks. They clean up after their pets. Each year our dues also sponsor a neighborhood Easter egg hunt, a fun summer social, and donuts with Santa. These activities are very well done and something our family really looks forward to each year. We hope that as Snoqualmie continues to develop we will have that same strong sense of community that we have enjoyed here.

Carly was very excited to see the Easter Bunny at the neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt – Easter 2005

The girls at the annual Donuts with Santa event – December 2005

It’s hard to imagine living anywhere else. This home is all we have known as a family. We are so excited, but we are also very nervous and sad as well. We've had a wonderful 10 years here. As I looked through old pictures I can’t help but wonder what the next 10 years will bring.

Off He Goes

I've mentioned before that Jason is very excited for his birthday. He knew that after Abigail’s birthday in January, there would be Carly's birthday, then Katie’s, followed by mine, and then finally his. He'll go through this chronological list any time birthdays come up. As we were nearing Carly’s birthday earlier this month I proposed an idea to Jason that he forgo his birthday and stay three forever. It was working for awhile, but then he started to change his mind. He didn't want to be my little boy forever {sniff, sniff}. Yesterday was further proof that my boy is growing up. And growing up too quickly.

Jason's training wheels broke on his bike last week. Yesterday he got on and with a little direction from Justin my little guy took off.

Down the street, off to college, family of his own...

House Update

My last post started, “Barring any further delays...” Well, this week brought yet another change to our closing date. We were hoping to move next weekend, but unfortunately, they can’t finish the kitchen island until late next Friday, which doesn’t leave enough time to close before the weekend. So we are currently planning on closing on Monday the 28th and moving what we can that evening and the following day. The girls will still start school on the 28th but we will have to drive them there and back. So that’s the latest on that.

Yesterday we had our walk-thru at the new house. We were both nervous because this was our chance to point out any cosmetic flaws in the house. After closing any scuffs, scraps, and chips are on us. Besides the kitchen island and installing the a/c the home is complete. When we got there they were putting the last coat of stain on the front door and installing the handle.

This was our first time seeing the wood floors sanded and finished. Unfortunately, by the time we were finished with the walk-thru and ready to take pictures, they had already covered most if it up to protect it while they work on the kitchen island... so no pictures this time.

Thankfully, we didn't find any major issues, mainly just areas that need a little touch up. Justin was very thorough and plastered the walls with blue painters tape so they wouldn't miss a thing. It was a good thing though, cause when he was checking out the window in the master bath he noticed a crack in the wood trim on the window seal.

Here’s a view of the backyard – I think it looks huge from this angle (a least for Seattle) and the sod seems to be doing really well.

There were hoof prints all over the front garden beds. The superintendent told us they would replace the plants in the front yard that have been destroyed by the deer right before closing and then it was up to us to find a way to keep them from eating everything. As we were leaving there were two deer across the street at the park munching on the grass.

They are fearless - I think we might have to name these guys cause it seems like will be seeing a lot of each other.

Our “New” School

Barring any further delays, the girls first day in their new school will be two weeks from today. When I called the school last week to get some questions answered the gal in the office was very nice and suggested we come in and meet with the principal. He would give us a tour of the school and it would also give him an opportunity to meet the girls. She said this would help him determine the best classroom/teacher to assign them to. I was thrilled with the idea and grateful to see that we will be moving to a school in which the principal is actively involved with the parents and students. Since the girls didn't have school today it was the perfect day for us to check out their new school.

When I say "new" school, I mean new to them. Their "new" school was actually built in 1917 so it's been around a few years. The original school has been converted into the gymnasium and the newer portion of the school was built in the 60's and 70's. It definitely looks dated but it's been renovated with all the modern educational gadgets.

If you look closely you can see the kids playing around near the front of the gymnasium. The main school entrance is to the right.

The principal was awesome and spent about 40 minutes with us. He met with us in his office first to answer any questions we had and then he walked us around the whole property (although, we forgot the one room I really wanted to see - the cafeteria - so glad my kids will no longer be eating lunch in their classrooms).

I went into our visit a little leery, but left confident. The school district is ranked 8th in the state (that’s out of 216 districts) and our “new” elementary school has received equally high ratings. Abigail was concerned when she found out we would be walking around the school when school was in session – she hates having the attention on her and walking around with your parents and the principal does create a bit of attention. Of course the girls didn’t have much to say in front of the principal and I was having a hard time reading their reactions to the experience. But when we stopped by Grandma & Grandpa Fletchers on the way home they were bursting to tell them all about it. Although I’m sure they will still be nervous to transfer to a new school, it’s comforting to hear them express some excitement as well.

11 Months Old

This is my last monthly post documenting Katie’s first year. On the next update my baby will be one and I'll be writing about her first birthday. That makes me sad. These last few months have flown by quicker than any of the previous. She is changing so quickly.

This past month Katie has started to crawl and that means she gets around.

That also means she can get herself into trouble. Katie recently discovered the dishwasher.

And a cupboard I left open

Then last week while I was vacuuming she ventured up four steps before I saw her - really, I'm shocked that we are already at this stage.

Katie had also started to pull herself up on things. Usually it's me she is using as a climbing toy. The first time she stood herself up was by using the shredder in the office.

Once she's up though she has zero balance so we really need to keep an eye on her.

With all her new mobility it is becoming difficult to keep her entertained in one spot. One afternoon I had to get some things done in the office so I set the diaper bag in front of Katie and set her loose. I knew she'd pull everything out, but I didn't know she was cleaver enough to open a Ziploc baggie and proceed to munch on a bagel (um, just a small choking hazard). Thank goodness Jason was paying attention.

Katie is also cutting more teeth, but is going a little against the norm and is getting a top side tooth before her two front teeth.

Not the best picture, but you get the idea

Katie is liking her binkie a little more these days and although we try to keep it to sleeping (and of course church) it does seem like we are seeing more and more of them these days.

Katie takes two 2-3 hour naps everyday and usually doesn’t want to bother with any of the rocking to sleep business – she’d rather we just lay her down. Right after I lay her down she usually rolls onto her right side with her blankie and goes right to sleep. Thankfully, she will still take a nap away from home which has been a blessing these past few crazy weeks.

Who wouldn’t want to walk into a room and see this happy little face beaming up at them?

This girl brings so much JOY into our family.

Packing Up

Can you guess what we are working on this weekend?

I think we’ll take this one with us for sure!

Moving Update: Our closing date has been moved out a few days, but we’ll still be moving on March 25^th and 26^th – just in case anyone feels inclined to lend a hand

Nothin' better than Chick-fil-A

This was my first time tasting Chick-fil-A in Washington and it tastes just as great here as it does everywhere else, even after a long special delivery by my mom from way up north (Bellingham).

House Update

It’s been a while since I’ve done an update on the new house. Truth be told I’ve been avoiding it. If I thought building a home was a roller coaster ride before these past few weeks I was severely mistaken.

The details are incredibly complicated (and very frustrating), but in short – once the kitchen island was complete we realized there wasn’t enough space between the bar and the family room. Correcting it entails new cabinets, new granite, weaving in new hardwood, moving lighting, etc... I felt the responsibility for this was the builders and of course they felt slightly otherwise. I fought against Goliath, then Goliath’s Daddy, then Goliaths Granddaddy (actually, Goliaths Granddaddy (a.k.a. the President of the company) wouldn’t talk to me personally, but I tried – more than once). I was unarmed and without even a stone to sling at them – just words and what I perceived as logically reasoning. I should have been intimidated, I should have cowered in their presence, but I learned I’m stronger than I thought possible.

In the end we reached a compromise – we will get the island how we want, but we will need to contribute a portion of the cost (small in comparison to what they will pay, but not the ideal outcome I was working toward). I am incredibly relieved that we have found a resolution to this issue and glad that we can get back to being excited about this move and the home we will soon call our own.

Here’s our kitchen in it’s current state of remodeling:

Today was our inspection. We hadn’t been up to the house in nearly three weeks so it was neat to see some of the final touches in place. During my recent battle with Goliath I addressed a few other concerns I had. One was the frustration we’ve experienced with the master bathroom – specifically that the company fabricating the countertops couldn’t locate a slab of marble long enough for the countertop. To avoid a seam I selected another countertop and hoped it would work in the space. Well, that countertop looked like this…

Which was incredibly different from the sample and not at all what I was going for. Thankfully, Goliath himself agreed that it was unacceptable (shocking) so he offered to let us go back to the original marble and they would make the seam as seamless as possible. I agreed that a seam was better than what was put in.

Today when I walked into the bathroom I was shocked to find that somehow, somewhere they found a single slab of the marble I love – it is beautiful and 100% seamless.

Anyhow, the inspection went really well – it’s a new home and the builder does have a fabulous reputation (we’ll leave Goliath out of this). We can’t wait to move in, but of course the drama can’t quite end yet, we learned today that the changes to the island are causing some delays so we may have to push out our closing date another week or so. Not the best news, but if it means everything gets done right then it’s OK with us.