Saturday Shenanigans, Sunday Funday & All Its Crazy!

It's Sunday (although almost not) & my has it been crazy as we get ready to move in a few short days. This is way bigger than I think I ever expected, mainly because I don't think I expected us to be here so quickly.  Due to words said to me in my past, owning a house just never seemed like a possibility, but I am so blown away, blessed and amazed by God's provision through our entire lives, our relationship, our marriage and just everything, we will move in to our very first house before we were anticipating even starting to look. I think I have reached the denial portion of this moving into a house thing.

A month ago, I was totally accepting of the moving into a house thing. A month ago I started packing. And now, we are 1 day away from signing papers, 2 days away from receiving keys and 3 days away from moving in and I am sitting here going, there's so much to do, but we can't really be moving into a HOUSE can we? The moving thing seems normal - the house thing seems surreal. But here we are, days away from moving into our first house - the apartment in complete shambles, the bunnies a little more curious and a little more on edge because we destroyed their home with boxes they aren't allowed to play with. I bet that's how it is with kids too. Yes. Yes. I just compared our bunnies to the likeness of children. They're toddler attitudes are at least similar. The moving ability is extremely easier than that of a toddler (at least I assume because I have no real experience with that one yet and hopefully when the time comes, we won't have to move with toddlers).  Anyways...

Saturday we had our final walk through. I had no idea what to expect. Well, we pretty much walked through the house. I guess that's why they call it a "walk through". Then we spent a long time talking with the tenants, D and AM. They are seriously SO sweet. They are supposed to move out the 31st so we can move in the 1st - and even though they are having issues with the property they are moving into - they have assured us that they will be out on the 31st, even if it means staying in a hotel for a night and they are taking care of all of the cleaning for us (which I don't think is required of them as they are renters in the house), but it's great knowing that they have removed 2 hornets/wasps nests for us, sprayed for bugs, had the gardener come out, the pool guy come out, and are getting the carpets professionally cleaned for us and personally cleaning the the rest of the house. I really don't feel like that should be their responsibility as renters, but AM said that she is so excited for us and very happy that we are the ones getting the house and not an investor or another family. She even brought up which room would be best for a nursery...even though that is not happening for at least a few more years.

A also told me on Saturday that we are being gifted a pool guy for a couple months while we get into the swing of things, which is awesome - one more thing we don't have to worry about while we get used to living in and owning a house (Thanks!!).

We've ordered address announcements which should be here in the next few weeks - hopefully we ordered enough.

And did I mention the apartment is a disaster? Because it is. But Pocket is determined to climb on top of the boxes so that adds to the cuteness and entertainment around here these days. I may have already mentioned that in an earlier post, but it really is entertaining.

Today we spent mostly packing, then decided to roam around Costco, The Room Store, and Home Depot. Walked out of HD into a monsoon which was wonderful- I like to pretend we live somewhere tropical when that happens. Went to church which had an awesome and convicting message on living a life of faith daily, not just when it's convenient and then In N Out for dinner because I didn't throw the crock pot meal in the crock pot. Genius. right here. Thank you.

And lastly on this random rambling bloggy post - have I mentioned the wonderfulness of freezer meals? Totally have to utilize this and get into the habit of it before we start having munchkins. It's fantastic. I spent a couple hours on two different days preparing meals that could be frozen for up to 3 months and either tossed into a crock pot or into the oven. It has seriously been amazing! I think this was the first time that A went out of town that I actually ate a legit meal instead of some store bought freezer meal or Ramen noodles and it has kept the cost down on the restaraunts on the couple weeks before our move. I LOVE it. It's healthier, there are left overs which are great for lunches, elevensies, or midnight snack/meal.  (FYI that's probably the only LOTR reference you will get out of me - mainly because I think that's the only part I was awake for in 2 of the movies and I haven't tried the 3rd one yet, gotta actually see the entire first 2).

SO that's all that's happened. I feel like this was a very informational post. Hopefully I will be able to post a recipe or something soon. I keep forgetting to take pictures.

 Loves to you all my family and friends and random internet people who come across this!
-S

Oh - did I mention we sign tomorrow, get the keys Tuesday or Wednesday and move in on Wednesday? Cause that's what's going on. I can't wait.

And we have some paint colors picked out.

Dear Anyone Who May Visit in the Next Week and Those Evil Evil Boxes

Dear anyone who may visit in the next week,
I'm apologizing in advance for when you enter into our home and discover a mini-house (an apartment really) in shambles - completely destroyed by an epic disaster. I trust that, given the circumstances, you wouldn't have done any better. On the bright side - it has kept me from being anti-social as I want to be as far away from it as possible...forever....FOREVER. So, if you do feel the sudden urge to drop by, maybe we should go grab coffee or something instead. Take a nice long walk in this beautiful Arizona summer heat - oh wait, that was the boxes talking. I have every intention of being out of boxes ASAP. I don't do boxes. I hate boxes. I may even loathe them. They give me a special kind of anxiety. A very, boxy boxed-in kind of anxiety - like I can't breathe because they are just growing larger and larger.

Ok - that was a little overly dramatic. They don't give me anxiety to that level. But they make me want to run away. Maybe that was their plan all along. Multiply when I'm not looking so they can eat our things and drive us away. Well boxes, you won't win. We're bigger than you, well maybe not me, but I know people bigger than you. Plus, we have more man-power than you. I knew it was a bad idea letting you pop in for a quick dinner. Well boxes, you can take over the apartment, but you can't have our house. You're not allowed. Nope - not allowed. Access denied. Once you have returned all the items you have stolen from us, we're kicking you out. Sending you back to where you came from. Well, I don't think we can turn you back into a tree - but we're sending you away none-the-less. I will give you 3 days to spit out all your treasures that have been entrusted to us and then you're out.

Tough love. Someone's gotta do it.

Sincerely,
Sara

Things I've learned with Packing

Here's a randomly compiled list of things I've learned through the packing/moving process (this time) because our neighbors are being ridiculously loud and the police haven't shown up yet to break it up. Yes, I'm that person. It's 1:00AM go be loud somewhere else.

• AMAZING snack combination: Keebler Fudge Stripe cookies and Sour Cream & Onion Pringles. Layer them. Eat them. Enjoy it. It's amazing. 
• I'm actually pretty good at packing. The whole apartment is almost done.
• I hate the end of packing - all the random stuff - totally gives me anxiety. 
• My OCD tendencies are thrust into turbo mode when I'm feeling overwhelmed. Not only have I packed most of the house, but I've organized the hangers, over labeled all the boxes we bought (not the ones we are borrowing), made lists of lots of things - daily to do list, things to leave unpacked, things to purchase, things I would like for the house, I've done 18 zillion loads of laundry.
• I love our bunnies. They are good company. 
• Our bunnies love the boxes in the apartment. Pocket keeps trying to figure out how to get on top of them. It's not gonna happen, but she's determined to keep trying. 
• Pushing Daisies is not a terrible tv series once you get over the cheesey-ness. 
• Watching Pushing Daises is NOT conducive to packing.
• Watching iCarly is. 
• Unless you're tired, then it just serves as a distraction.
• Freezer meals are the best idea ever. 
• I'm most productive with a real dead line and not one I tell myself is real, but really has no consequences. 
• This is the LONGEST week ever. 
• Apple Juice and Starbucks (not together) are life savers. 
• I think I packed up all the caffeinated tea. 
• Nevermind, I think I packed up ALL the tea - even the tea that will help me sleep
• Packing leaves my body in the same condition the following day as if I had done a session of Insanity. I'm not sure what that means. 

We're Moving!!

     In a number of days (more than a week, less than two - can't calculate the exact number with my post-packing mush excuse of a brain), we will be moving to here:

 

We are both very excited - it's a stressed excitement, but excitement none-the-less. BUT - before you can move, you have to pack and that means our apartment looks like this:

And that we look like a combination of this:

oh hey! This one actually is us!

And I am currently sporting the "moving grunge" look. It's quite flattering - no makeup, no hair product, slouchy clothes... and if it's not flattering, it's comfortable and I reserve the right to be comfortable - and no photos will be taken.


I counted the number of boxes we have packed/almost packed today. The number is 71. 8 boxes are not finished and remain open in our kitchen waiting for the last few items to be put away. And I just want to run around the house screaming because I don't do commotion well - and while it's not noise, I'm counting the clutter as commotion and it's making me crazy. I even broke down and bought a Starbucks today (I haven't had coffee in months...like lots of months...I think 6 months, but don't quote me on that).

So that's where we are at now! I'm excited to be in our first house (though NOT our first home). I'm excited to paint the kitchen yellow and for being able to host shindigs at our house and have people come because we'll have the space; instead of volunteering my in-laws house like we did in California. I'm excited to have pool parties and fondue parties and game nights and I'm excited for all the space our bunnies will have!

And through it all, we are praising God for His faithfulness. While we only looked for a few weekends, there was a lot of unknowns in this house and God has been merciful and gracious in allowing us to have this house and in showing us His blessings when we are faithful to Him. There is no way we could have gotten this house without Him, all of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, our friends and lots and lots of prayer.

Thank you Jesus for our first home, we can't wait to live in it!

-:- The Colellos -:-

We moved!

     We moved again! The whole process was pronbably the MOST unorganized move EVER, but that's ok. That's what happens when I get the flu when hubby is oot and I'm supposed to be doing the bulk of the packing. Thankfully we had lots of help with packing, loading, unloading and unpacking! We are so so so so so so so so so thankful for everyone who was able to help us out in any way, whether through physically being here to help or through praying for us! It took me until 2 days after we were moved in for me to finally get overwhelmed which is a HUGE impovement!
     We're still in the process of unpacking and getting things put away, but we're making progress. I will say that this is also the slowest I've ever unpacked, but I'm not getting too freaked out by it either. We have our kitchen set up and the bedroom and we can sit on the couch and Pocket has a nice area. The new place is interesting, unfortunately someone was mad at our neighbor yesterday and was yelling obscenities outside her door and I'm presently listening to some other people yell at each other across the way; hopefully this isn't a regular occurance.
     On the bright side I absolutely positively LOVE this place 100 times more than the last place because of this:

Pocket likes it! She's out of her area more often and she is willingly going on the couch and staying there! And this makes me happy because I want her to be a social bunny and I want her to like to hang out on the couch with me...and she's starting to so this makes me extremely happy!


On another note, we are also in the process of looking for a friend for Pocket! If I had a way to get the pictures off my phone, I would post pictures, but as of right now I cannot except for texting them to my sister and asking her to e-mail them to me...

Moving

     One of the things I love to do is to reflect on where I've been and where God has me now. Where I've been has not been pretty or easy, but it amazes me to see how God has worked in and through me in big ways. We are currently in the process of getting ready to move next week (and by process, I mean we're thinking about packing haha....). Moving and boxes and chaos have never been easy for me to handle. I get overwhelmed and have anxiety attacks (sometimes); I just can't stand the thought of "oh, it's just one more temporary place to live". It floods me with the memory of so many bad decisions and difficult patches of my life - but not this time; and not last time. I admit that when I moved into our first apartment, it took me awhile because I flat out refused to put anything in a box. I had lived out of boxes too long and I just couldn't bring myself to do it. So as the weeks led up to our wedding, I would slowly bring over a backpack full of stuff and put it away before I left for the night. When we moved from CA to AZ, we had to put things in boxes - but it didn't bother me so much. I got overwhelmed towards the end, but probably because I'm type A and there just wasn't any logic to the remaining little nick nacks left to be packed. For the most part, I was peaceful about moving, I was excited about it, and I saw God in it everywhere. He kept me calm; He gave me new eyes to see with; He gave me the ability to see that moving and packing and boxes and all of it, while it was still to a "temporary" home, it's good. It doesn't have to mean that I'll be moving in another few months; it doesn't have to mean it's just another place to get buy. So now, as my husband and I get ready to move for the second time in our marriage - I'm excited because it doesn't have to be the way it was; it's going to be the best we can make it because we're in this together - hand in hand, heart in heart. Moving is no longer something to do just to get by another month or so; this will be my 15th? 16th? (I've lost count) move since I was 17; but it's better, because A is with me.  I will probably get overwhelmed because I'm still learning to handle commotion - but it will still be good. God is with me.

5 Days!

We are 5 (FIVE) days away from moving! It still hasn't fully hit me...but I am SO ready to get out of a boxed filled apart and start putting things away :) I am definitely looking forward to the extra space out in AZ , but it will be hard (and sad) to leave all our friends and family....

Any ways, we have 5 days left (1 drs appt and 1 dentist appt left!) and they we get to enjoy Arizona... it's gonna be *hot hot hot!* (anyone else dancing when they read that?)


--SC