Raleigh or Bust

The movers came last week and spent all day trudging from the house to the truck to load all our belongings. Neither my husband or I have ever dealt with movers and so we had no idea how long it would take. We both figured it would take 3 or 4 hours. We were both wrong. But we were happy to not have to be doing all the moving. Trust me, the packing was enough.

My last view of the home we brought both children to was bittersweet. I tried not to think too much about it as Tim circled around for one last look. I did manage to grab my Blackberry and snap a photo:

Last look

The ride to Raleigh actually went pretty smooth. We had one tiny tantrum and that's because baby Girl was tired. We've figured out the key to road trips is stopping about every 2 hours to let the kids stretch their legs and get some energy out. For this trip we were hoping to make as few stops as possible. Tim loaded up the car with treats and gifts for the kids and that was a lifesaver.

Seeing our rental, it was just as cute as we remember the outside to be and of course I had to herd the family together for a photo to commemorate the occassion:

And while this house is a stopping point as we determine whether Raleigh is a good fit for us and look for a home to buy...it is home. Home because as long as I have my kids and my husband, any place is home.

21 Days

They say you can form a new habit or break an old one in 21 days. At least that's what I think they say...but I've never tried it. I am a cold turkey type of gal, not to be confused with Wild Turkey. Anyhoo, I wish there was something new I could pick up in the next 3 weeks but alas in 21 days there will be a big truck here to get our belongings and move them to NC.

If you ask Spencer about it he will happily tell you that the truck is coming and that we will be moving to the green house. I've been trying to prepare him for the changes that are coming and so far he has taken them all in stride. I am hoping that the trend will continue and things will stay status quo once we move. I definitely see a lot of myself in him because I am all about changes and new things. Even if only they are new to me.

Packing up the house and yet there are still too many toys on the living room floor. And of course the few boxes of toys that I did pack up? Suddenly Spencer is having a fit because I packed away something he NEVER plays with...murphy's law I suppose. What I need to do is pack up every toy that makes too much noise, even when it's on a low setting.

I've been trying to get Teagan to sleep in her crib that we converted to a toddler bed. The first night I put her in half asleep...she about flipped her caca. Screamed like a banshee, she did. I've had better success in recent days but we aren't 100% yet. I think once she can really climb in and out it will be better. And yes, now I have no safe place to put my 15 month old. So when I post a half-crazed status on Facebook...now you know why.

So that's all for now...hopefully it won't be 21+ days before I update again!

It's Official, Yo!

So we now have a place that we will be calling home come June and for the next year. Who knew that renting would be as stressful as it was? Not that I was really stressed, it just seemed to take longer than it should have. Apparently the rental market in Raleigh is doing quite well!

We went back and forth between renting and possibly just buying a home. Our realtor was adamantly against us buying anything without having lived in the area for a bit. And I get that, a good realtor should steer you that way. But when we bought our current home, I came not knowing what I was in for. I moved from a place we called the shoebox to a 3 bedroom home 25 minutes south of the Atlanta airport. I didn't step foot in our new home until after we were married and spent the night before we took off for Maui. And the only thing I had issue with? The bright green wall that made the living room seem tiny. Oh and the 90's wallpaper. But I knew that first night it was home and I wasn't worried.

But in just a few weeks (1 month and 2 weeks to be exact) we will be calling a new place home. I am most excited about the fact that there will be an actual bonus room...where I can stash all the kids toys and shut the door. No longer will I have to walk into a living room that looks like an aisle at Toys R Us. Seems silly that something as simple as a bonus room has me excited...but there you have it.

And without further ado...this is where we will be calling home for the next 365:

Moving On Up

Wow, almost a whole month has gone by and yet this post has been sitting in my mind the whole time. In case you missed it on Facebook or Twitter or in a conversation with me...we are moving. Up in this case means two states north to North Carolina.

I have to be honest, when we moved to Georgia, it just never felt like our last stop. I love our house and our neighborhood. If we could take what we have now and move it somewhere else? We would do it. Many people love Georgia and the city of Atlanta but somehow I am missing what they truly love. I don't feel like if we leave I will say things like "Man, I miss that traffic!" Maybe we never really gave the city or state a fair shot but after 8 years? It's been fair enough and we are ready to try something new.

We played around with a lot of different ideas before finally settling on Raleigh, North Carolina. Florida, New York, Michigan and a few others. But after all was said and done, NC seems like the best option for us. We will give it a go and see what happens. Our Georgia home will be for rent in the off chance we have to come back.

I am excited to be on this new adventure but at the same time as I look around our home...I get a little sad. This is the home we came to after we were married. This is the home we brought out children too after they were born. It will be hard to say good bye but then I think of what's just over the horizon and I know we will all be okay.