please?

My sister told me that about the third or fourth day of moving that she called the movers to finish the job.
I'm there.
I am tired of the trips across town.
The loading and unloading in the rain. I feel like I haven't dried out in three days.
But I am happy. I know it doesn't sound like it, but I am!
Ready to be finished but happy.
More pictures to come.
I have big plans to hang pictures on the walls tonight and get things in my fridge.
Then I will be even happier!

is this what you want?

We have had a rather eventful day today...

We got up early and went to the National Cemetery here in Chattanooga to help/watch the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts put out all of the flags for Memorial Day.

I told Chad that for some reason, I like the way it looks with a flag on every single grave.

Almost like it really looks like it is supposed to - full of honor, respect, reverence, and rememberance.

So thank you - for every person, past, present, and future -

including some of our own loved ones -

that have served to protect our freedoms.

We visited some people we knew - and loved.

Took pleasure in watching their graves be decorated with honor.

Then looked at the hillsides - all the Glory fluttering in the breeze.

Next, we went to check on these guys.

They are busy making honey - and babies.

But I try to keep this a PG blog so we won't talk about that part.

Chad is being brave - just wearing his mask and veil.

I guess he is only really worried about being stung on the face.

The dark part on the right lower corner is both eggs and honey...

the queen bee will lay eggs in this bottom chamber and they will use this honey for their own food. Soon Chad will add another chamber (frame?) on top and that honey will be for human consumption!

And this is what you were really waiting for...

sorry, I actually took these pictures the day that the inspector was there so the rooms are pretty much empty and their is odd stuff on the counters in the kitchen. These are the basics...

I will add more as we get things moved in and it looks more like home.

And of course, as we update and change things too!

This is our wonderful new-to-us home!

We live at the base of Lookout Mtn. - very close to the Incline Railway, Rock City, Ruby Falls, and some of the best rock climbing in the south!

Yes...that was an invitation!

2 guest bedrooms await your arrival!


The front of the house...

it is a 1950's all brick rancher...

front porch to sit on...

Big backyard to run around in...

we have a creek that runs through and we can't wait to fence the front side (the other three sides are already fenced) so Gwendolen can run and play all she wants.

We have an entire quarter of a block - a nice large level lot with lots of old, beautiful, big trees.

The previous owner cared a lot about the house and it shows...

Sorry...this picture was supposed to be earlier. This is the Incline Railway up Lookout Mtn.

No, I've never been on it (in my memory - there are claims that I have.)

Come see me and we will go ride!

This is our buttery yellow dining room and I am standing in the big open living room to take the picture so it is all really one big room.

The door on the left is to a big bonus room that we will use for an office, my craft room, and to keep our exercise equiptment.

The other doorway you see there on the left is to the laundry room that is a big step down but also has an entrance so we can come in there with muddy shoes, gear, etc. and drop it all off before we make it to the carpet.

Original, refinished hardwood floors in living room, dining room, and hall.

New carpets in the bedrooms and awesome new tile in the bathrooms and kitchen.

This is one side of the kitchen (please excuse the inspector's equpitment!)

She painted it a nice pumpkin orange and put this neat copper backsplash up - I never would have chosen the color but it is growing on me and I really like it!

My cool sticker wall quote will be going on the kitchen wall near the fridge (opposite side from this picture) because it will look great with the deep orange walls and bright white cabinets.
I will take a picture as soon as I can get it up!

That's all the tour for now...

more later I am sure.

We are going to take another load of stuff to the house tonight and maybe stay there for the first time...the bed and all the large furniture went today.

All that is left is small stuff - bathroom gear, clothes, and the art for the walls.

Neat little sign that is welcoming you to our cute little area of town.

So we are tired.

And then we did this.

guess what?!?

We are officially home owners!
Enough said.

down to none.

Today is the day!
I am super, de-duper-de excited.
I will commence posting picture after picture in the next few days.
Give us a chance to get things going...
Signing the paperwork at 12:30 and then it is all ours!

We already went to Home Depot this morning and bought new locks for all the doors so we can move our stuff in safely. We even got one for the front door that has the buttons on it (thrills my little soul...). I mean, I love, love technology but I thought it would be nice if we go out of town and someone needs to feed the animals, or if we have company coming before we get off work. We don't have to leave a key not-so-sneakily hidden under a rock - instead we can just give them a code (or even assign them their own code! It holds 16 different ones!!).

I am happy.
And looking forward to a weekend of working hard to get it like we want it.

o-n-e.

1 day until we close.
I am doing pretty good.
I have decided to just let it go.
I am going to let go of the fact that Chad hasn't helped pack but one box.
"I packed all my stuff in the closet" he said, "I'm done!".
He was so pleased with himself for getting that done.
I think that HE thinks that the rest of the stuff in the house is my stuff.
Well...atleast we know it will get there unbroken if I pack it.
I take solace in that.
I am going to let go that I no longer have control over how the move is going to go.
Everyone that is going to help us has their own way of doing things and I am going to let them do it. I will stand in the living room and direct traffic.
I am going to let go of where things get put in the house.
I can always move them later.
I am going to let go of when things get moved. I am going to pack a bag with the things I will need (Thank you Brenda!!), put it in my car, and sleep where ever my bed ends up. I am not going to worry about everything else. If I have clean underwear, my toothbrush, and a bed, I will be fine.
I am going to let go of the fact that the mortgage company and title company have all of the paperwork and still might have questions. I will calmly answer all of their questions and not get emotional (this one might be a lie but I am going to try!!
We will close tomorrow at noon.
This is my mantra.
"They said we will close at noon. They said we will close at noon. They said we will close at noon...."

Things I will do:
-say thank you (to every person involved - mortgage people, those who help us move, and especially our beyond fabulous real estate team). Everyone needs to be appreciated.
-cry when we close. come on. you know I am going to.
-act calmly.
-be reasonable.
-not get upset over the small stuff.
-laugh.
-enjoy the experience.

coming soon - to a city near you.

No really...we aren't THAT far away.
Come see us.

The bank finally called today and asked me the thousand questions that are none of their business but they have to ask anyway. I answered all of them - sent them yet more information, bank statements (which they should have!!) and started praying that is all they will need.

Please...Dear God. Let that be all they need.
It will go miles in protecting my sanity.
Amen.


I have not packed any more boxes.
Chad has not packed any more boxes.
Currently I am out of boxes to pack.

Dear Citizens of Chattanooga,
I am not encouraging you to be drunkards but I need more liquor boxes.
They are the perfect size.
Buy the liquor then bring me the boxes, please?
And thank you.

3.

You thought I forgot.
I didn't.
I am freaking out.
I didn't pack anything else tonight.
Watched NCIS instead. I thought that was the healthiest choice for today.
I probably won't feel the same way on Friday but for me, for today, it was good.

4.

Yes, the countdown continues.
No, I am not counting the day we are currently living in.
Yes, I still feel like I am losing my mind.
Yes, I did pack/organize a little more yesterday while Chad was gone to teach a CPR class.
Yes, he has still only packed one box and thinks he is done (his one box of "stuff" in the closet).
Apparently I am going to have to do it all myself.
Maybe that is why I think I might lose my mind?

How was LOST last night? Sorry. I don't watch.
I might now that it is over though.
I hear that pretty much the whole thing is available instantly on Netflix.
And the parts close to the end that are not probably will be by the time I get there.
Like I need another TV show to get involved in.
It does seem to be the word on Facebook though.
I think I am the only person I know that didn't watch it.

5.

Oh yes, we are under a week now.
Under a week - 5 days from making the biggest and most terrifying purchase of our lives.
Final walk-through went well. There was just one or two things that we saw that we think they should still fix. Which is fine because all of their tools, etc. are still there so they can go ahead and knock them out.
Other than that, our plan is to close at 9am Friday morning, go immediately to the home supply store and buy new locks/door knobs and a mailbox. Mom, don't mail me anything until you are sure we have a mailbox!! By the way, how do you find out which side of the road your mailbox is supposed to be on? Who do you call for that?!? We are the only house that faces our side of the block and all of the other houses have theirs on the other side of the road so we aren't sure if it would just be easier for us to do that or if it would confuse the mailman or anger the neighbors (of course we would ask first!!). Interesting problem.
Moving the big stuff and kitchen on Friday (per Brenda's ideas and suggestions). That of course means I need to actually start packing up the kitchen, which I have not done any of yet.
Oh dear.
I think I am going to need more boxes.
We don't have any "everyday" plates/dishes. We are getting a really nice set from the townhouse but it is not dishwasher/microwave safe so we needed some...went to Target the other night and found some plain whites on clearance (50% off!!) and used a gift card that my sister and F sent for a housewarming gift so only had to pay a little for two sets, giving us plenty of dishes for family and friends to come over!!
So, give us a few weeks to get settled then please, invite yourself over! We might not have a bed for you to sleep in but we will have a couch and I will make you dinner and give you a tour!

great advice.

All the freaking out aside, I am super excited.
Final walk-through tonight then we should have pretty much everything together to finish up and sign the papers.
My sister Brenda posted comments on the last post that would be super helpful to anyone who is moving - read them if you have plans in the near future!
As for me, I am taking notes and doing all of that stuff.
Like today.
Maybe it will make me feel less like my life is in upheaval.
I can only imagine how my parents must have felt this past month as they have had their house renovated and moved stuff from room to room.
Sorry I wasn't more sympathetic Mom.

inching closer.

One week from today we will be headed, not to work, but to sign the papers for our house.
I can't wait.
I am nervous - not about buying the house. I am very confident in that decision.
I am absolutely freaking out about the actual act of moving. The literal moving of our stuff.
I sorta like to do things my way (did you know that about me? oh. surprise!). and the idea of people just coming in to help us (don't think I don't appreciate it! we need all the help we can get!) and touching all our stuff and putting it where ever they want it instead of where ever I want it...I am getting a little nauseous just thinking about it.
I am sort of one of those people who has a mental picture of how things are going to go - a perfect picture in my head of how things will look, how they will work, how the plans will go.
And when they go askew I get frustrated so easily.
It's a fault. I know.

getting close.

I got a call yesterday that everything at the house is pretty much finished. There was some small details that were being finished yesterday like painting trim, etc. but it looks like it is pretty much done and ready for us to live in!
The inspector and appraiser have to go back and check things over but I wonder if it would be possible for us to move up the closing a week...to tomorrow?
Pretty please?
With homemade whipped cream and a cherry on top (but only if you like cherries!!)?
I could manage it.
I have plenty of over-worked hours to take the day off.
What is that you say? There is no possible way to get everything together by then?
Ok, I guess you are right.
And I will just have to suffer through another week.

parte dos.

I forgot this part before I posted the last one...
Chad is finishing up teaching a lifeguarding class tonight. Hopefully the weather holds and they get completely done and he can focus on other things.
Like hanging out with me.
I have one more school to visit and I am done with spring recruitment.
And I will be able to hang out at night with him for the summer.
And then I hit the road running in the fall - recruiting at my 47 schools (yes, that equals 47 morning visits with the girls and 47 evenings out at parent nights).
Not to mention that I get a whole week off in July to hang out - heading to Columbus to see my parents and their virtually new house and then road trippin' with my mom - and maybe dad if we can convince him that we might be fun - (super stoked!!).
But anyway, tonight Chad is at lifeguarding.
Tomorrow night we actually get to hang out.
Thursday night I have my parent night.
and then the weekend.
The blessed weekend.
Is it bad that it is Tuesday and I am already living for the weekend?

motivation.

I have had three sorta not successful recruitments in a row this past week and a half.
It makes me sad. And frustrated. And makes me feel like I kinda don't know what I am doing - which is really ok because frankly, I don't really know what I am doing.
Add together unsuccessful recruitments and a major motivation problem when it comes to packing up our house and you get one fairly frustrated Paula.

Ok...done venting! We are approximately a week and four days from being homeowners and all the wonder that entails.
I am nervous, excited, happy, frustrated, curious, and looking forward to it in a major way.
Prepare yourselves for more "before and after" pictures than you ever knew was possible.

please note.

I have officially packed about 7 boxes now.
And it isn't fun any more.
Mostly because we don't really have any place to put them once they are filled up. We moved the dining room table against one wall and are putting stuff in there but it won't be long before we run out of room. We are also struggling with what we can pack up at the moment. We have packed up books, taken art off the walls, put some things away from the closet but I really need to go through some major stuff before it gets moved to another house. We are going to be seriously short on storage room until we build our garage so we need to either be prepared to give up an entire bedroom to storage or just take less stuff with us.
Yeah, the 28th can't come fast enough.
Of course, I need to call about 10 places before then (power, water, gas, alarm company, etc.) to make sure the utilities are moved over on time but I just want this process to be over.

Small group tonight. I'm looking forward to it even though I have a pretty serious migraine. Then a long week at work - lots of schools to visit and parents to convince!

one of our own.

We are having a little countdown of our own around here...officially two weeks until we close on the house.
And begin to move in.
Immediately.
Our plan is to move the bed last - mostly so we have some place to sleep up until the very end.
But Chad proposed last night that we bring out the sleeping bags the first night and sleep in a totally empty house. It will never look like that again so we might as well.
As soon as we get the locks changed.
Minor detail.
I haven't packed one box. Nothing. Not. One. Thing.
I mean, I realize that there is no rush but there sort of is - the townhouse will have a new resident as soon as we can get our stuff out. And it will be Memorial Day weekend - giving us an extra day off so we are going to do everything we can that weekend.
I thought about going to Columbus and checking out my parents mostly-new/remodeled-so-nicely-that-they-don't-want-to-move-now house but mom convinced me to stay home and start packing this weekend. I think I will start with books and art - wrapping stuff in t-shirts that have to go anyway.
Anyone local have boxes they want to donate or know where we can find some good ones? (Yes mom, I will ask BiLo about the apple boxes).

new team. make suggestions!

The parents came and went and it was good.
It was so nice to have them here for 18 or so hours.
I missed them and to have them in my house, talking, hanging out, burning hamburgers - ah, it was grand.

Spent the day in a training class - had some great ideas tossed about - now if we can put them into action we will rock out with recruiting, retaining, and just generally keeping our Girl Scouts happy. Hopefully all of our good ideas will come to pass!
I am also on a new team at work called the "culture of wellness". It is a group of people, including myself, who have decided that health and wellness is key to both doing our jobs, having stamina, and setting a good example for other employees and Girl Scouts in general (not to mention that it will lower our insurance premiums!!). We want to create a "culture" in our offices that encourages the employees to desire to be healthy (notice we did not say "skinny" and we aren't seeing who can lose the most weight). We want employees and co-workers with healthy minds, bodies, and spirits. We are suggesting all kinds of things - health and wellness weekends at camp with yoga teachers, healthy cooking classes, hikes, and skin care classes - to creating an exercise space in an unused office. If you have any suggestions about how your company does this or what you would want to see your company do, let me know! We are looking for all kinds of input - including if you know someone who might want to give of their time to teach a class, lead a hike, do a facial, etc. Healthy employees are, in theory, happier, more productive people. And that is what we want.

if you are in high school...

If you are in high school, please read this post.
If you are in middle school, please read this post.
If you are in elementary school, you don't have to read it. (you already think your parents are grand!)

I am excited.
Like the super-de-duper-de-can't-sleep-jittery kind of excited.
My parents are coming to Chattanooga tonight to see our house (sans a mortgage contract or furniture but I am calling it ours!) then spending the night. I am making grilled hamburgers and veggies for dinner - hopefully the weather holds or it will be the George Foreman for us and well - hamburgers just lack something on the GF Grill.
I am so excited that they are coming that I can barely contain myself. My hours at work today are going to be long and slow - I already feel it.
I can't even tell you how much I miss my folks. Would I have said this 5 years ago? In middle school - when everyone else got to do things I wasn't allowed to do? or high school - when nothing is "fair"? or even college - when we fought over a "fair" curfew and me staying out late with a cute boy?
Nope. I wouldn't have.
But now I am. I am confessing to all the world - I am 25 and I miss my parents.
Please don't get me wrong - I love my life. I am crazy about my husband and I know that he is my "new" family. I like my job and I am excited about buying a house and "settling down".
But I miss my parents. I miss being able to just hang out with them, talk to them, the smell of their house (and don't get me started on that one or I might cry this morning - they just had their house renovated and not only is it not going to look like home, it is going to smell different. Excited but not excited.).
I am so happy that they will be here, spending the night in the house we live in just once more before we move into our new house. They can't get here fast enough.

oh mom...

How could I thank you enough?
You're the greatest - I become more and more thankful for all of the things you do for me as i get older and understand.
I can only imagine what it will be like when I have children of my own (not the animal variety) and have to deal with all of the things you have been dealing with over the last...how old am I?...27 years (this includes my crazy...I mean awesome-I-love-her-dearly sister).
You rock.

I can't wait to see you and dad Tuesday. You'll get to see my cute new house.
And I will get to cook you dinner.

the homefront.

Sorry it has been so quiet around here on the homefront this week. I have been a busy girl - trying to just hold my life together and get things done in the 2 minutes before they slip my mind again.
Thank God for To Do lists (why do you think you see so many of them on here??!? Cause I have to write it down or it doesn't get done!!).
It has been an incredibly busy week at work - I am going to spend the rest of the month recruiting before school gets out in a few weeks. It is a bad time to do it and it probably won't be very fruitful but I couldn't really bear the thought of not really even giving it a shot until the fall when school starts back! I needed to at least try and see how it goes. This month will be crazy with work and with life - closing on the house the end of the month + mortgage stuff + work + 1,000 phone calls a day + uh, life! = a stressed out me. Not overly stressed, just aware.
On that note - this is post #550. Whoa. I guess I have had a lot to say. Not this weekend though! I plan on laying low and not doing too much. I am going to the store in a few to start a pot of chili so we can have scrambled dogs tonight. I know it is a little warm for hot food but that is true comfort food where I come from!! We are going to look at the house tomorrow with Chad's parents and Jay - they haven't been inside and not that there won't be plenty of time, sometimes it is nice to see it when it is empty (so they can appreciate what I am going to do with it right??!?). Then maybe a movie and some good, old fashioned, hanging out! Looking forward to just laying low - how awesome that I don't have to work most weekends!

talking.

It is going to be a really long day but I am looking forward to it. A normal work day of 9-5:30 is expected - except that I have to leave a few minutes early to go across town to a dinner for one of my service units. It is their annual volunteer appreciation dinner and since it is a free meal, most of them show up! I hope I will get to meet quite a few of my troop leaders, cookie moms, product sales managers, etc. It is always nice to finally put names with faces.
I also have a lunch date today with a girl I worked with at HobLob. She called me not long ago and told me that she had been thinking about India a lot and wanted to talk to me about it. Come on! I love an opportunity to talk about it! I told her that I would be more than willing to talk to her, tell her my stories, make some suggestions. I still know people who are working in an orphanage and with another non-profit so I am going to hopefully connect her with them and let her make some decisions. India is awesome - it will change you.
I am always torn between thinking that my experiences there made my world bigger and that it made my world smaller. It made my world bigger in that I went across the world, had amazing experiences, saw amazing and terrifying things, and I learned of God's heart for lost and hurting people. But in other ways, it shrank my world down. I realized that those people are just like the people that live next door to me - they need Jesus because our entire world is hurting, not just because India is hurting. There are people in India who love and people there who hate. There are people there who teach, dance, grow, laugh, and cry. And they are just like me.

walk the line.

No, sorry, not Mr. Cash style.
But close.
I have discovered that there is a very, very fine line between being environmentally friendly or aware and being crazy.
We try to conserve our electricity - when we truly don't need it - by keeping the windows open and the fans going. It works really well most of the time - at least it has been. We've been blessed with warm days and cool nights and they have been lovely.
Last night was not one of those night.
We tiptoed that line of crazy all night long. It was so hot and humid that I went and slept in another bed - couldn't stand the warm body next to me being so near!
I guess when you don't sleep because you are sweating so much you are either living in India or Chattanooga in May.
I think that it just might be time to turn on the air conditioner.
Or pray for cooler weather.
Because I almost lost my mind.
And I surely lost some sleep!
And now I am eating ice cream for breakfast trying to cool off.
Awesome.

On a much more serious note, one of the ladies in our office lost her husband this week. He passed away over the weekend after a long series of health problems. Our office is closing this afternoon so we can all go to the funeral. Please pray for her as she tries to navigate this time in her life.

of the fittest.

Survival - of the fittest - that is.
I survived being locked in the mall with 1,500 Girl Scouts last night.
It was a riot. I had fun even though I was pretty much exhausted about one hour into it at 11pm.
I was pretty excited to get home at 5:15 this morning. But I was sweatygrossnasty and had to take a shower before I would allow myself to crawl into bed. I was too sure that Chad would wake up because of the smell (though he just admitted that he has no memory of me getting in bed so I probably could have snuck the smell by him).
I slept till 8:30. When someone next door decided to use their weed-eater.
So I closed the windows.
And slept till noon.
It was lovely.
Good lunch at Ankar's, cleaning a bit now, doing some laundry then hanging out with my sweetie tonight.
And probably going to bed early.