Down to Minimal Cardboard

Okay the other day I emailed this to my friend Lydia and afterwards realized - why not post it to my blog? It's an update of what's been going on, so here it is. I'll add some more to the bottom.

We are finally getting somewhere with getting things put away and what not. I have my scrapbook room set up, but not my bedroom! haha True scrapbooker - clothes are just less important haha.

I also have the kitchen full set up - alot of my kitchen items did not show up, so I'm having to make a Pampered Chef order. David says it's his fault - but I don't think all of it is. We had to order some silverware from Wal-Mart.com too - ours did not arrive, so we went to the bx and bought a get by set - real cheap, and very flimsy - I nearly bent the fork last night stirring pizza crust mix.

The kids have the rooms pretty much set up, Brier's is already a disaster! We have to hang things on the walls yet - course that's all over the house too. I have more wall space than before so I'm trying to figure out where I want it all. Actually, this house is bigger than the one we came from!

The dining room is pretty much together - not much to put in there other than the table - only thing is our bedroom Armour arrived damaged and it is sitting in there too - apparently they can repair it...we're still waiting to see on that. Really upsets me, but what can I do? Then as normal there are papers all over the table! That never ends, no matter where you are!!!

The living room is together too, except for a few boxes that we've got behind the couch - I figure David will get them out of there this weekend, and there are things that need to be hung up in there too.

We still have our box springs sitting in the hallway - David was told of some Charity place that would take it but we are having a hard time getting a hold of them. We had to order a split box springs because ours would not come up the stairs. BUMMER!

The office still needs put together - but David is waiting til our internet and tv stuff is connected (we're using the landlord's wireless internet for the time being) before he puts that room together, so he can hook everything up then.

And then of course there are other odds and end things that need done and put away, but we are getting there - little by little. We really like our house and so far everyone around here has been very friendly. There is another American Family moving in just a couple houses up. I don't know how old there children are or anything yet.

Anyway - we do have a phone line now, we don't have the Vonage thing yet...still waiting. There's so much you have to do first. We have 1 phone downstairs, David is supposed to pick up a few more today - so if you call and don't get an answer right away - it's cause I'm upstairs and running down to catch it! haha Most of you probably won't call until the Vonage thing is set up though.

I met another lady while we were in Temporary lodging that scrapbooks too! So maybe once we are completely settled and she gets settled, I can invite her & Lydia over for a scrapbooking day or evening! I love scrapbooking - I'm so missing out this weekend because this is the weekend that I normally go on retreat! I'm having withdrawls. haha

I just realized yesterday that for the first time in 6 years I am free to do whatever for 6 hours! Both my kids are at school, and I'm not babysitting anyone. I'm not quite sure what to do with that yet - but it just dawned on me thursday, "oh Brier's at school, all day!" haha No wonder I'm talking to myself haha.

Anyway - I better get back to work, trying to figure out what to do with my clothes since I can't use my armour, and the waredrobes are on back order. This could be interesting.

So this was pretty much the email I sent Lydia, but let me tell you about a few other things that have occurred.

Cooking is still an issue...but we're getting there. The first time we used the oven, we had cold enchildias. The second time, I used it to try to heat up left over enchildias - they were warmer - but not hot! So we try the oven a 3rd time, this time I try the bottom part - it's a really weird oven. I'm not sure what it's called exactly. There's this one part with just one rack in it and below that is another part with 2 racks in it. Weird. Anyway - the 3rd attempt is PIZZA - I put it in the bottom and it cooks and it's HOT! It's a miricale. There must be something really screwy with that top part. I fear baking! And we've a birthday coming up!!!

We finally got our split box springs and David and I are now sleeping restfully on a bed! As long as we can keep it cleaned off. We're still unpacking our bedroom - it's nearly done. I unpacked my scrapbooking things before my clothes...today though David says, "Honey, I really need your suitcase". So I unpacked...

Yesterday, Ashlynn went to her first B-day party. That was the most stressful part of my day! The party started at 4pm, school gets out at 315, so here we are running back home for Ashlynn to change, grab the present, finish the card I made for her, and then Ashlynn comes running in the house screaming, "There's a horse in our back yard, there's a horse in our back yard, there's a horse in our back yard!!!" Brier and I are like, "yeah right". So we go outside to shut her up, and we don't see a horse anywhere, and just as we are telling her she's crazy we round the corner and sure enough there is a horse in our back yard!

The neighbors have 2 horses, one white, one black. The white one was in our yard. The fence is broke and she decided to come check out what was going on over here I guess. So I'm like well - there is how many doors next door? How do I know which one she belongs to. I don't want her to go anywhere. So I tell Ash, keep an eye on her and I'll go to the Pub and find out what to do with her.

So I get to the Pub and 2 guys "locals" ask "what can we do for ya?" So I tell them what's going on and that I don't know what to do with this horse. The come over find the broken spot in the fence and push her back through it! I shoulda just grabbed her halter and walked her down the sidewalk, poor girl. Then they stuck something infront of the fence to keep her from coming back out. So far she has not visited again.

Okay, so we are running later and later for the party...it's already after 4! We get in the car and I'm trying to get this GPS thing to stick to the window - and I can't get it to work for NOTHING! I drop it like 5 times, and then FINALLY I get it up there and off we go. We're really close to the house according to the GPS and I was looking for a PINK house - at least that's what I remember David telling me. Wrong house and the kids inform me that the GPS will show a checkered flag when we are at the right house. I coulda smacked them! So we turn around and then drive past the correct house because we don't see a drive way. Find a place to turn around (which is a big trick around here) and we go back.

We drop Ashlynn off and Brier and I proceed to another location to pick up a tv we bought - and we pass that house! Then we have to find a place to turn around again, and try not to hit any of this brick walls that are along all these roads! We get back to the right place, get the tv, and come home.

Walking next door to the Pub, sounds like a great stress relief to me, but instead Brier and I talk a walk, come back chill out for a bit, wait to see if David is gonna make it home or if we have to go back and get Ashlynn. David's not back, so off we go. We get Ashlynn, she tells us they played some games that she had no idea what they were, and then she says "Amy didn't open my present!". So I said, "Did she open any of the presents?" Ash replies, "no". So we chalk it up to they open presents after the party or something.

A few moments go by and Ashlynn says, "I didn't get cake either!" and I'm like okay - weird party - but I had also seen a cake all cut. So I was confused. A few moments later we pass David - he is on his way to go get her...too late, beat him too it. We get home and Ashlynn opens her goodie bag and says, "I found my cake". Strange.

Then I fixed dinner - fried chicken, on the stove...it's the best meal we've had since we've been here!!! It required NO OVEN! And today - we are putting things away still and getting things hung on the wall...oh and David found a store - that is HEAVEN to him...it's called "Home Base" instead of "Home Depot" and it's a little to close to the house! I gotta feeling if he goes missing I'll know where to find him, haha.

Anyway - that's bout it, I better get back to work now...I want to scrapbook soon...so I better get my house in order! I'll post pictures again soon.

~T~