Moving In

I've been a little busy lately. Unpacking with a 7 month old is a little difficult, but I love our new house and how it is starting to feel like our home. Living with my in-laws for a little over a year was definitely not idea, but it put us in the position to own our home and for that, I'm grateful.

We're still trying to get into a routine with our little guy, so for now we're rolling with the punches and loving that he's ours. Every day is different and that's ok.

There have been some positive changes with living here! My husband is home an average of 30 minutes earlier and is coming home early on Fridays starting tomorrow! He's also signed up to be able to work from home and we're hoping that he'll be able to start that once every two weeks as of next week. This means he would be off work that day at 2:30pm and be here to spend more time with me and Matthew.

I love that this new house (and the location) has given us new opportunities to be together more. With his commute being so long, it's nice to have more time together and Matthew lights up when his daddy walks through the door. It's seriously so cute!

We're all adjusting here nicely and constantly running to the store, unpacking, or cleaning up around the house. We're very blessed.

Our New House

I've been a little more M.I.A over here lately (not that I end up posting too much as of late) and it's because I've been super busy with our new house!

We closed the day after our anniversary (what a great gift!) and we went straight to painting for two days and my mother-in-law did a lot of cleaning. Our house was pretty much move-in-ready (for the most part), but as with all houses we have already had some unexpected costs.

Our storage locker that held most of our belongings for the past 15 months was an outside unit, so with the weather out here, a ton of our belongings were so molded we had to throw them away. We still have plenty of things and have been blessed with Phil's family that has offered us some extra furnishings to get by until we choose to upgrade them. We've had to be a little creative with seating since we currently have no couch or dining room table so we've been working with two bar stools, the recliner in Matthew's room, and an Ikea Poang chair without the cover (since that was molded).

We've also chosen to replace the appliances and the toilet in the hallway bathroom. The dishwasher was unsalvageable due to the lack of upkeep and was so disgusting. The washer was able to be cleaned, but left the clothes really wet after the extra spin cycle, and the dryer was a fire-hazard with the lint caked in under the trap, the bearings going out, and the smell of something burning when running. We also got an upright freezer for the basement for extra food storage and that makes me one happy girl!

Even though we've had unexpected costs (thank you, Lord for our tax return!), we're still very happy with our new place. We have a lot of furnishing to do over time, but I'm so glad to be able to raise my son here and have a place for our little family to call our own.

Unsolicited Advice

The past week or so has been a whirlwind of emotions. We were scared and worried about who was coming into our home. We were happy and excited to be able to get out quickly. We were stressed between packing and moving in a week. And now the emotions are being sorted out and we're figuring it all out.

People have their opinions and I need to not let it get to me. People are telling my mother-in-law that I need to work and get a job so we don't have to live here. It's hurtful and rude. But the truth is, I don't need to get a job. We can afford to rent another apartment or a mortgage. We're living here to save up faster and to be able to take time to find a house.

The realtor said that we should start looking in February. Until then and until we find somewhere we like we're just going to save money so that we have a good down payment and money in the bank as a cushion in case it's needed. We're making a smart decision not to waste our money in renting while we have this incredible opportunity.

Is it hard putting 95% of your things into storage and fitting as much as you can into one small bedroom? Heck yes it is! We have less privacy and for a young, married couple...that's hard. But, it's what we signed up for because we're looking at the bigger picture and not focusing on the now.

The Big Move & A New Plan

Yesterday was the big move. We got most of our stuff out of the apartment and into the storage locker or my in-laws basement. We ended up having a lot of help and it went by fairly quickly. We are so blessed to have such great people willing to help us with such short notice.

In a nutshell, we packed and moved in a week's time. There's still a few small things to do at the apartment like cleaning for the final inspection, boxing up under the kitchen and bathroom sinks, and doing a final go-through of the small amount of things that we left behind. Other than that, we're out and have officially moved in with the in-laws.

Of course, with this move came a new plan.

My in-laws are insistent that they want to see us in a house. They do not want us to rent anymore and know we are trying to start a family. So, after discussing things with them we have decided to stay here and save up to buy a house! We are blessed with parents who want what's best for us and have given us minimal expenses while we are here. They would rather see our savings account grow rather than have them get any rent. Of course, we have our own personal bills (my student loan, whatever we spend on our Discover each month, cell phone bill, and some groceries), but other than our own expenses, it is all supposed to go to savings!

We've spoken with a realtor and have been pre-approved for a loan. She told us that we should start looking around February (our two year anniversary!) when people will start to put new houses on the market so we'll have a better selection for our price range.

In regards to us trying to start a family--we've decided to see if the Metformin alone will help my body do what it's supposed to do, but to stop any fertility treatments for a few months if I go in Tuesday and we find out that this cycle didn't work. We will re-evaluate in a few months. It will all depend on what we find with the houses we're looking at and what are the chances of not finding something or being able to close in a decent time frame.

Other than that, we're still busy this week adjusting to figuring out where to put everything and running things back to storage, but that's the update for now!

We Have a Full Day Ahead of Us

Moving day is tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited! There's still a few small things to pack, but all of the big things are packed away in boxes, labeled, and have a post-it on it with a color to show what room it belongs in. Yes, I am one of those people when it comes to moving.

I am also loving my job right now. It gives me so much flexibility and allows me to change things last minute. That's the great thing about being a teacher!

We still have a lot to do today that is not packing related, but that's ok. I welcome other things at this point. Some of the things we have to do today are:

1. Go to the Circuit Court to get our marriage license (yay!)
2. Go check out and decide on the tuxes the men are wearing.
3. *Hopefully, pick up the key for the new apartment!!!
4. Get Phil's desk and computer ready to move. It would be a lot easier to do now with the truck we're getting rather than waiting until February.
5. Finish packing my apartment.
6. Go to the bank to get the certified check for the first month's rent.
7. Pay rent at my other apartment.

I'm sure there's tons more, but that's all I can think of right now.

ps...I'm also ecstatic that our wreaths came in and the bridesmaid's gifts came in today as well!!!

One Week to Go

In just one week, I will be moving! Things are coming along nicely and I can attribute that to lots of help from my friend, Amanda, Phil, and Phil's mom. In fact, my room is filled with boxes at the moment and I'm ok with that. Knowing that I have lots of love and support means the world to me and it makes the whole process less overwhelming.

I still have things to do, but it's looking like it's finally coming together.

Stressed.

Stressed. Overwhelmed.

That is exactly how I feel. There's too much going on and everyone expects so much from me right now. I can't handle it. I feel like I'm drowning and there's no way out.

Phil has been super supportive and I thank God for him. I couldn't do this without him.

What I have to do...

I have a short list and a long list.

Today 

1. Buy packaging tape.
2. Get gas in my car.
3. Buy a wreath hanger.
4. Fill out the Compassion card to sponsor a child.
5. Clean the kitchen.
6. Clean the bathroom.
7. Make dinner.
8. Start packing.

The Long List

1. Clean and pack the bedroom.
2. Pack up the living room.
3. Pack the kitchen.
4. Go through the closet and donate "unwanted" items.
5. Pack the closet.
6. Call Comcast and get them to move our service to the new apartment.
7. Switch over BGE.
8. Switch renter's insurance to new address.
9. Put in an address change form.
10. Pack the bathroom.
11. Talk to the gym, switch trainers, and buy more sessions.
12. Actually go to the gym to work out.
13. Go shopping for new clothes.

I'm sure that I have so much more to do, but that's all I can think of for now. I will be gone for an ACSI convention for school Sunday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon so that gives me even less time to get everything done.

And, I got an email from my landlord saying that she will let me know when/if she needs to show the apartment before I move out. How on earth am I supposed to keep the place looking ready to show when I will have boxes packed up all over the apartment?

Somebody help me.

Deal Breakers

When looking for a new place to live, we all have our deal-breakers. Some things are smaller than others, but for me some bigger things are:

• Not having enough space to live. I know this seems simple or petty, but if there isn't enough space for my furniture and belongings, what am I supposed to do?
• Bedbugs. I haven't experienced them, but I have heard they are horrific.
• Pesky neighbors. You may not be able to control this, but since I've had "crazy neighbors" before, I would like some decent ones.
• Bad maintenance. My current place has no maintenance team and things are always done sub-par.
• Unsafe environment. I don't want to be worried about being robbed on the way to/from my car.
• Outrageous rent prices. I'm not willing to give up my future children in order to live there.

These are just a few of my deal-breakers. What are some of yours?

Wedding Wednesdays...Kind of

It's official...we've put in our application for a new apartment! We find out tomorrow if we are approved. It's kind of nerve-wrecking because all we're able to do is wait and we all know how good at that I am...not!

Assuming everything goes through, we sign the lease tomorrow and we will move me in to the new place December 4th. Phil won't move in until after we're married, of course, but it will still be nice to be able to have a place that we can call "ours" soon enough.

The wedding is just over three months away at this point and luckily, November is going by much more quickly than the previous months. I tell you, October was pure torture! I think the holidays give me something else to focus on and it's a nice change of pace.

There's really not a lot left to do except finish the favors, centerpieces, and bridal party gifts. A good friend of mine is coming over tonight to work on part of the bridesmaids' gifts so I'm super excited!

Apartment Searching

I have lived at my current apartment for almost two years and I can honestly say that I am ready for a better place. My apartment is only one of eighteen and is owned by a couple, not a property management team. This can be both good and bad. Good because the rent is better than other places, but bad for so many other reasons. The apartment I live in does not have a maintenance team so that means that our landlord will try to do "DIY" projects to fix things. Sometimes it works, but sometimes it seems like more of a "cover-up" for the problem

With the wedding only a few months away, Phil and I have been looking into apartments that I can move into now and he could join me after we're married. That's the plan, but there seems to be one, big problem. Apartments where we live are expensive and small. Seriously, for 660 sq. feet you have to pay $745-$860 and that depends on what "upgrades" you do or don't want! I just can't believe how expensive it is with this economy.

 Phil and I are pretty set on wanting to move. We are both unhappy with my current place and, although we could live with it, we would really rather not. We can afford it and really want to start our lives together in a place where we can feel like we are at home.

For now, we'll have to see if we can find something that we'll be happy with.

Moving?

Moving has always been hard for me. As a child, I moved back and forth between my parents' houses a lot. It was my choice each time, but it was still hard. As a young adult, I moved 17 times in 2 years. It was rough and unstable and it sucked. Then, in 2007, I moved across the country and lived in Virginia for a year and a half before moving to Maryland in January of 2009. To say that I've moved a lot is an understatement.

Moving brings all sorts of emotions. Happy, sad, scared, anxious, excited...pretty much anything goes when I think about moving.

I mention this because the other day Phil mentioned that we might move this next year into a better apartment. We had discussed this many times and I really never thought it was an option...until yesterday. I was talking with another teacher from my school and she mentioned that her apartment complex is pretty decently priced for what you get. I immediately, looked on their website to view prices/floor plans and called Phil to tell him. He said we should book an appointment to view the apartments available and should look into it.

We were able to make an appointment for today and went with his mom to see the apartments. I must admit, they were much nicer than what I currently have. They also have great amenities (like a pool, fitness center, volleyball court, tennis court, etc.) and are priced at a really decent rate.

The thought of moving really excites me, because I seriously dislike my current apartment, but I still get nervous thinking about it. Moving is a whole lot of work and I would be living there without Phil for a month or two before we are married.

On the plus side, he would gain anywhere from a half an hour to forty-five minutes each day because the apartment is closer to his metro stop. That also means that I would have a half an hour commute each way (which is so not a big deal). Seeing as his commute is about two hours each way, I feel that if it is worth it to him to have a little bit of extra time each day, then I'm all for it....that's love right there!

The next step in the process is to have his dad go and look at the apartments with us to determine if there are any issues with the apartment itself (you have no idea how many things he has had to "fix" where I am now to make them work) and fill out an application. We also have to choose between a one or two bedroom apartment. Since there is only a $25 difference, his mom suggested the two bedroom "just in case" we have a baby while we are living there and still can't afford a house.

As you can see, we have a lot of decisions to make. We would like to have everything figured out (and moved if necessary) before the wedding so that is one less thing we have to worry about when we get back.

What goes up must come down

This seems to be my hope at the moment. Ah, well not really, but it's fun to be overdramatic...don't you think? lol. Anywho, life happened again and I have to move by the end of April. It's normal in my life, sucks, but normal just the same.

On a better note, because of everything going on I filled my boyfriend's mom into my life thus far and she was incredibly receptive. I love him and his family so much and am incredibly thankful that they are so supportive and loving. I've definitely got it made on that front.

My job is going well. Difficult at times, but going well all the same. I get a lot done and the kids like me, depite the attitude issues...that's normal, right? Of course it is!

Only two weeks until we go to California :) Oh, it makes me so giddy to be able to visit and especially with the boyfriend. It will be so great to have him see where I grew up.

That's all for now. The boyfriend should be home any minute now :)

Moving On

This move is coming up really quickly. In just two short days everything is going to change. I am really looking forward to the change of scenery. There has been a lot going on for a while and it will be good to be closer to the boyfriend and hopefully be less stressed. I still have some packing to do, but we really got a lot done this past Friday! I am totally looking forward to moving on. I'm working on the saying, "Let go and let God!" That is a very difficult thing many times mainly because I like to try to do things myself. Of course, that just get's me into trouble, but it's a work in progress.

I have mixed emotions about leaving. Part of me will miss the boys, but the other part is relief. I know that there have been many struggles over the past 16 months and it will be so great to be rid of them. Each day becomes increasingly difficult as the days continue. Luckily it is only two more days and there's still a great deal of packing to be done....