We Moved!

Hello Hello Hello…..anyone out there?? Why yes, 14 days later there is someone here…… and this gal is ALL MOVED!!! Thank you for your patience while we moved. It has been a unique combination of long and tiring, and fast and energizing, and crazy exciting and crazy overwhelming ……but the end result - the one where we are settled in our new home, for just three, making the space ours - glorious!!

Two weekends ago I left work armed with boxes and my car full from the temporary move to my inlaws, ready for three full days of M-O-V-I-N-G! On Friday night we unloaded our stuff from dog and house sitting, reorganized, packed up what else had not been touched in our current home - my parent’s basement - snacked on pizza, and did our darnedest to remember our new place. It had been over a month since our little tour when we put in our application and there were a lot of things that stuck out to us, but the sizes of the rooms, placement of windows, what was hardwood and what was carpet was getting pretty foggy. So we did our best planning to help with our movers and hit the hay! It was moving weekend and everyone needed a little bit of rest!

The next morning we had a meeting with our landlord at 9AM sharp to get one final lay of the land and pay the big bucks! Our originally assigned move in date was March 15. We knew this date back in February and had to use it for booking movers, but our landlord said if we could get in earlier she would allow it. So we actually had one day ahead of schedule. This I thought was going to DRIVE ME CRAZY! Have the house a full Saturday with no movers and real progress - WASTE!!! But it actually worked out perfectly!

Saturday we had time to walk around and really plan what furniture we wanted where, how to address getting things from the our storage unit, from my in-laws and from my parents’ homes to the new place. This was in no way was a traditional move so an untraditional schedule was just what we needed. And Saturday ended up being really fun! Danny and I had time to just be in the house alone, make some notes and plans, grab breakfast followed by Starbucks and a trip to Homegoods and Target! It was PERFECT! We were really soaking it all in and enjoying the time - silly me wanting to cram it all in and hit the ground running….what a great start to this whole adventure - quiet, slow and with my husband.

By midday there was no holding off the family and both sets of parents came with cars full and to take a tour. They loved it and were really excited for us. Besides our two stays with family the Bessette’s have always called much closer to DC home. Our prior places had been really cute, in great locations, but also very quaint. Danny and I in our whole marriage have never not had to share a bathroom and I don’t just mean with each other but guests too! We have had little porches or french doors but no yard. We have had some great kitchens - but creative on storage space. I loved those homes and each of them held a really specific role in the story of our family. It just helps to explain why the opportunity to move further out and have a lot more space is so exciting. Things are not everything and just because we have this great new spot does not mean we live happily ever after….but it really is part of a new “lease” on life for us and we are so very excited for the memories and experiences to come!

Saturday night we were pretty tuckered out from some pre-move moving, planning, shopping, giving tours….. that the perfect way to spend our first night with the house? Just us three and a very simple dinner. We were so very excited for Quinlan to see the new place and to watch how he reacted. With the help of some Chipolte chips - he was loving it.

Sunday we had the movers and it was AWESOME! I have never moved with movers and I can safely say I will never move again without them! They were fast, kind, careful and we were so very grateful. Even with the help of movers though, by mid-afternoon Danny was exhausted and not so sure how he was going to put the bed together so we could actually sleep that night. I called my parents and they were great - helped with the bedroom setup, the bathroom prep and just a few more things to get us comfortable. We have moved out of their home and are so very excited to have our own space….but we are less than 10 minutes away and in the end that is really important. No matter how you dice it - for me, for Danny, for Quinlan - our world is unique and sometimes help is needed ASAP……and I am glad my family is here.

Danny was too I think because at the end of it all - we added my sisters to the bunch and had a Chinese dinner at our house - his idea! It was a blast. We ate at the table with odds and ends for chairs, surrounded by boxes, a mix and match of eating utensils and plates, but we all laughed and joked and imagined what was to come for this home….and I think my sister Katy said it best - “this house just has great ju-ju (spelling??) of our family” - yes, yes it does.

Monday I had off from work. We are gifted with a free day for our birthday and so I planned it for getting us more setteled. It was perfect and Danny even had his dad come over to help with a few handy jobs. We may have had a hard time (and by we I mean the movers) getting our bed up and it resulted in a broken handrail and scratched wall. But thanks to Danny and John it is already patched up, a pretty much forgotten moment - ultimately just another plus for movers! With our tight staircase I have NO IDEA how we would have gotten the furniture upstairs on our own. The day started out pretty productive…..but did end with a little more fun than planned…… My mom and I went on a big house shopping run to Homegoods, Bed Bath and Beyond, and World Market. We sprinkled in some lunch and laughs….and it was a really fun day!

Last week flew by! At my day job we had board meetings which made the week full and taxing and for my night job they are preparing for a board meeting the end of March. This was a little more challenging than I had expected. Every night I came home beat and could only muster the energy needed to wrap work and necessary moving of odds and ends. The good news - I was continually reminded that perfection - as in moved in, all boxes out, all decor up, and everything in its rightful spot - is not realistic or necessary to survive. Always a good lesson for this a-type gal.

The following weekend our mission was pretty clear, unpack. Friday night we did a little - but everyone was still beat! So we did a little DVR and pasta action and went to bed. Saturday we tried to start with a bang…but was still a little slow. So when the boxes were still looking pretty unorganized and not so appetizing to dive into…..Danny suggested furniture shopping! I am not sure who this guy is - encouraging all this spending….but if you give a mouse a cookie and he wants a new table - you GO FOR IT!

Actually my parents have offered to gift us a piece of furniture for my birthday and we need a sofa table for our living room so off we went! Again - 7th Heaven for me - Starbucks, Homegoods and five furniture stores. It was really fun and to be there planning, dreaming and finding a mix of what we both like, we can afford, and how to rank our wish list….I was feeling like - this is what we have been waiting for, this is what I dream about - Saturday morning, coffee in hand, planning a home with the man I love. When things aren’t going so right, these silly memories will bring me the most joy. Mix that with a few stolen kisses and wondering how I got so lucky to go from day dreaming about that guy with the dimples, to sharing his last name and a future….. I am so blessed.

We finally bit the bullet and returned home, to our museum of boxes - all shapes and sizes….for our viewing pleasure. **SIGH** but we jumped in and got a lot done. Most of the boxes are gone and we were starting to feel functional. Sunday was pretty much the same but I had to mix in a little bit of work and email life - so when it was almost church time we were racing to get to the last mass…and were so very, very late. I am saying this here in hopes that it is a reminder - Danny and I both have been really bad about being timely for church or making it a priority. With all that we have going on we are not actively avoiding it or not caring….but we also are not making it a focus. This mass - as we walked in at the end of homily, we vowed to make a change. We have been so very blessed and want to thank God - make sure we continue to fight for our faith when it comes so natural…and be ready for the days it won’t.

On that topic I think that is one of the best parts of the new house. Both Danny and I - well an actually Q too - have really been using this new home to build good habits. If we start in this house with some of our goals in motion, there is a much better chance we will see them become a habit. So Quinlan is on a 4 a day walk regiment, I am working on a stricter schedule for working, working out, sleeping, and having down time, and Danny is working really hard on being the manager of our little world here. Everyone has done pretty well…..with Danny winning the award for tonight. I walked into a meal being prepared, laundry done, puppy fed and walked and house clean…..and just to sweeten the deal, flowers!

We are most definitely in the honeymoon phase of our new home and loving every gosh darn second of it….so thank you so much for letting me gush and your patience with my silence. Now that I am back with this space as my office….I know Have A Little Faith is in for a lot of TLC…..stay tuned!!

PS - if your wondering if I took a picture of only the orgniazied areas of my office - you are 100% right.