Catching up

We've been living in our new house, in a new city and state, for over a month now. I've started several blog posts in that time, but I can't seem to put my thoughts into an organized post, so I'm starting over in a list format. Here goes!

I am thankful for:

• My running route. I'm so excited that our home is on the road we used to run/walk when we lived here five years ago! (John ran, I walked - with the double jogger) Now that I've become a runner, I run the first 4 miles and walk the last 1.25. That last part includes a super hard hill that I just can't run yet, but I'm working up to it. I love that I get to run past wheat fields and watch their transformation from green to gold. I love the foresty parts and the smell of the pine trees. I love the little streams along the side of the road, and the open fields where cows graze. I love, love, love the wildlife! There are always deer, and sometimes wild turkeys, pheasants, chipmunks, squirrels. (Five years ago, Alisa and I came across a porcupine that scared us to death, but I haven't had that happen again...yet.) I run with one headphone so I can still hear the sounds of nature. I hope I never take for granted the beauty I get to enjoy while I'm burning calories!
•  Space. Our new house is almost 3 times the size of our old one. While this presents some problems, like lack of furniture and decor, I'm enjoying the open feeling. I'm trying to get organized, get rid of stuff I should have tossed when I was packing, and I want to avoid filling all of the space with clutter. Did I mention the storage space? I have more cupboards and closets than I know what to do with (I hope it stays that way), and we all have walk-in closets. John and I even get our own! Mine's pretty empty, in case you're wondering. ;)
• Our view/neighborhood. The main thing that made me choose our house is the property. We have five acres, as do the surrounding homes, and we're on the Palouse. This means we're surrounded by rolling prairie. There are lots of wheat fields, and tons of pine trees. It's beautiful! And I get that view from almost every window in the house! (Not from the smaller bathroom windows.) From our deck, we can watch the sun set and the moon rise at the same time. And it's so peaceful! We hear the occasional car or truck, but most of the sounds are from the wildlife. We feel like we're in heaven all of the time!
• The people here. We have been welcomed with open arms. The people at church have been amazing! We've been invited to dinner by a few different families, and even to someone's lake cabin for a day. That was super fun! I don't feel like I have super close friends yet, and it's a little lonely, but that's normal. I feel blessed to have people who are nice, friends we can call for the kids to play with, and people I know I can call if I need something.
• Friends and family who helped in a million ways to get our house on the market and packed and cleaned, and to get us moved here. My mom gave so much of her time to help me paint, fix things, and pack up at our old house. I don't know what I would have done without her! My sister was a great help, too. My mother-in-law helped paint, and took the kids a bunch of times so I could work without them in my hair. Shane and Becky helped us pack our junk into the moving truck for our first trip up. Without them and our next door neighbor, we would have been packing our giant U-Haul by ourselves. Not fun! Ginger took time to hang out with me and my crazy kids so I could take a breather from the stress of moving. She even pretended to like our company! ;) And I had other friends and neighbors offer to help in other ways, especially by taking the kids for a while. It feels nice to be loved and supported by so many helpful people!

I miss:

• My friends and family, of course. We can't just drive to see grandmas and grandpas, or meet up with them for dinner whenever we want. I can't call up a friend and go get pedicures, take the kids swimming, or grab dinner. I can't meet up with my sister or go visit her just to get out of the house. Thank goodness for Facebook, texting, and my phone. And thanks for calling me or answering when I call you. It's definitely a little lonely in a new place before you really make good friends.
• My neighbors. We had no idea when we moved into our old house that we would make such strong bonds with the neighbors. My next door neighbors are like surrogate grandparents to our kids, and were two of my best friends. I could run next door for any reason, any time. I enjoyed their company and loved just knowing they were right there if I needed them. I've talked to them on the phone a few times since we moved and will continue to do so. I love them! There are other wonderful people in our old neighborhood whom we miss terribly. Luckily for us, they're watching over our still-not-sold house as it sits there empty.
• My old house. Just kidding! Maybe it's because we still own it and are still paying the mortgage and power and water! I got a little emotional when I drove away from it at 2 am after cleaning for hours and hours and trying to cram the last little items into John's truck! I will always love the memories we made in that house. But it's just a house, and we brought our memory-makers with us. I don't miss the icky, icky basement or the feeling of being on top of each other. I'll probably have a harder time once we actually sell the place, if we ever do!

Here are some pictures, just for fun. :)

The view from the back of our house, scanning left to right:

 Our family room and the only new furniture we'll have for quite a while ;)

 The kitchen, in all of its oak glory:

Except with these stools (oops, they're new, too):

Hallway:

Basement family room:

The big red slide downtown:

Zach loves the new kitty:

Ta ta for now! :)