Waiting for it all to hit me

This post is a little lengthy...if you want the reader's digest version just know that we're moving and skip to the next paragraph!

A lot has happened in the past week! I don't even know where to begin. Well, over my 2 week break we got really serious about wanting to find a house to rent (we are MAJORLY growing out of our apartment), but then as we started to really search we realized that we would be making some BIG financial changes in order to move into the kind of home we were wanting in the area we wanted. So we looked at a few places with no expectations except to see what was out there. We found one in a great neighborhood but the set up of it was slightly awkward and the price was too high. We decided to move on. BUT the next day the realtor called us and told us that the owners just dropped the price drastically on craigslist. (to the same price as we're paying now at our apartment....wowzers) so we jumped on it! At that point, who cares if it's a little awkward! The day after we submitted our money and application the realtor called use again, come to find out the craigslist listing was a scam. lame. We thought we lost the place, BUT by some miracle the owner compromised on a very reasonable price. One that we couldn't pass up so we jumped on it! and now...tut tut...a week later we're packing up shop and taking off!

It all hasn't hit me yet. I know it will sometime...I get a little emotional thinking of how wonderful our apartment has been and all the memories that took place within these walls. It's where I brought my two babies home to! There are definitely things I will miss (walking to church, doing 2 loads of laundry at once, being so close to my mom and dad, our hand held shower head, our vintage 1970's oven, just to name a few)

BUT I am looking forward to the prospects of living in a house. (not having to pay a $1.75 for each load of laundry, a back yard, a garage, an extra room for Matt's drums, etc, being able to store our stroller(s) in the garage rather than our kitchen)

These are a few things I've learned so far from doing our spur of the moment move:
1. No matter how much you want to "go green" while cleaning the oven, if it hasn't been cleaned in 3 years you'll have to pull out the big guns (easy off) or you'll end up spending 2 1/2 days with your head in the oven only to have raw fingers and give up in the end. chemicals 1, going green 0.

**side note: and those people who say cleaning an oven is "so easy" spray this and that and let it sit and then it will just "wipe off" must have super powers of some kind...or are just mean.

2. It's good to know people with boxes
3. Use all the help you can get
4. Have a system
5. Some security guards frown upon dumpster diving for boxes.
6. No matter what kind of system you have, or how organized you think you are the house will still look like a war zone.

That's it for now...and when I say "you" in the list...I'm referring to me...not you...just me... Time to pack some more...but before I go let's take a look at some of the good times in our Apartment on College Avenue.Bringing Emmie home from the hospital

Emmie's blessing day

Emmie's first drum lessonStroller rides around the neighborhood
Luxurious sink bathes
Hanging out with dadOff to ASU

Lots of hours practicing
Running around in the front lawn

Emmie's first hair cut
The girl's got style
Bad hampster

The beginning of an artist
Hygiene is very important
Lot's of cousin love
Watching the train pass by
Bringing Prime home from the hospital
nap time
Cousins
My boys


okay...I was only going to put 3 or 4...but once I started I couldn't stop...we've seriously LOVED this place. Gilbert may be my new address, but Tempe will always be my home.