Happy to report

...this dude has handled the transition to our new home beautifully... almost too easily? Aren't cats supposed to be weird about change? Oh well, I'll count my blessings!

Happy Easter!

He is risen, he is risen!

Tell it out with joyful voice:

he has burst his three days' prison;

let the whole wide earth rejoice:

death is conquered, man is free,

Christ has won the victory.

He is risen, he is risen!

He hath opened heaven's gate:

we are free from sin's dark prison,

risen to a holier state;

and a brighter Easter beam

on our longing eyes shall stream.

-Cecil Alexander

"Where ya been?"

I've been in our cute new apartment doing a lot of this:

(this isn't our place, btw...)

Actually, I unpacked ALMOST every box by last Saturday - I was determined to be rid of boxes. Unfortunately there are 2-3 stragglers that I need to figure out what to do with... they may just end up in the storage unit. One is that box of 'stuff' that normally finds itself on some shelf/in some cubby hole somewhere... you'd think you could just toss it, right? But somehow that mystery stuff lives on.

On a side note, as you've probably assumed, yes, the sale of our home went through and the deal is FINAL! Papers were signed, hands shook, and money was wired into our account (such a pleasant feeling). It is a little funny only living one street over from our previous residence, but I haven't walked by our old townhome too often lately, so I feel pretty removed from it. Hopefully the new owners are enjoying getting settled in!

As for us, we are quite happy to be settled into a new (temporary) location and we will be even happier when graduation finally gets here... Matt only has about 3 more weeks to survive so we're hopeful he can make it that much further! (I know he will :) Let the countdown begin!!!!

MOVED! (part 1)

Thanks to good weather and good friends, the main part of our move-out went extremely smooth yesterday! Although I about did myself in during the week getting ready for it, for the actual move itself Mason and I headed over to the "Eggstravaganza" the church hosted and got some brunch and found some eggs! Not only did it give me a sort of break, but it also got monkey boy out of the house for the movers. I liked how it worked out :) We now have a pretty-much empty house - with only a computer desk & crib left in it (we slept on an air mattress last night)! However, we also have our clothes, food, and toiletries here - the essentials - so it has made for an interesting time! I am quickly realizing that having essentials at one location and comforts at the other isn't the most fabulous set up, so I imagine we may move everything over tomorrow and call it good (and give me about 4 days to get this place clean and ready to be occupied by someone else). Thank goodness for the bulk of this being over - even when we do move (to wherever) in May, it should be a cinch. Yay!

Thanks again for those that helped us -- you seriously made this burden so much lighter!

No Turkeys

We went out for a quick game of bowling last weekend and Mason got his first taste of the bowling experience... and was ELATED! Amazingly, I had the highest score at a mighty 112 - I have to note it bc I am TERRIBLE at bowling and so it was a sheer miracle that this happened - Ellie & Matt were both apparently having "off nights". We've already planned a rematch. Anyway, most of the time that night Mase just sat in his stroller and clapped gleefully (regardless of whether you had a strike or a gutter ball - great morale booster!), but we let him push a ball or two down the lane at the end. I am sure that before long Matt will be showing him fancy bowling moves - as opposed to Mommy's awkward 'chucking' of the ball down the lane...

Organized (maybe) Chaos

(note the pile of liquor boxes in the background... if people didn't know us better...)

Packing, Packing, Packing... with playing inserted sporadically. Maybe too much playing :) Yesterday was so beautiful that we went on two long walks outside even though I probably should have been packing that entire time! We're down to crunch time with plans to move the majority of our things out of the house this Saturday - then we will trickle the last bit out during the days following until we have to be officially out on Friday the 26th. It is unreal to me that is has arrived already, gone are the days of "I've got weeks ahead of me!"

I think one of the hardest parts for me right now is accepting the state of our house!! The other night, on one of my nightly treks to the little girls room thanks to baby #2, I gasped and panicked a little at the sight of our disheveled bedroom! Since then I've been trying to keep things at least in "piles" so it doesn't seem quite as overwhelming. All in good time... for now I am just trying to keep the kitchen sink clean so I can feel better about the overall state of things - isn't is funny how keeping your sink clean can make everything else feel OK?

Now, time to get back to work!!!

It's a BOY!

Here is his manly profile :)

Let the name suggestions begin!