Wow...

Today's my blogaversary! And I would not have known except for Teena In Toronto wished me a happy one...my oh my...I'm behind!

Okay - things have been really busy here in the MacDonald Clan household.

As most of you know, we were living in a hotel, awaiting closing on our new home. Well, last Tuesday, we finally closed. Last Wednesday, we got our all earthly possessions delivered (in decent shape, which is a big surprise - but the movers weren't so kind to our walls, sob, sob!). We began the arduous task of unpacking everything.

It's been discovery after discovery. Almost every box in my daughter's room which was marked toys had more clothing than toys. And every box marked clothes had 2 or 3 pieces, and the rest were toys. GRRRRRR....I would like, just once, to open a box and have it filled with everything that belongs in one place. It's been almost a week now, and we are slowly making progress. Today, I had a WONDERFUL lady come and take almost all the boxes I had, and all the paper.
*** side note about packing paper: it has been a lesson hard learned after 5 moves in 10 years...ALWAYS flatten out every single sheet of paper used by the packers and movers...because you will inevitably find the missing screws, brackets, lamp harps, papers, etc wrapped in a very light bundle that looked like it was just crumpled and shoved in a corner for filling.
**** we now return you to our original programming.

The bookcases are filled...the living room furniture is placed. The garage door man will come tomorrow a.m. and install the opener for us. We got measured today for blinds (the price is way too high for our tastes, but wonder of wonders, we have "standard" windows and can actually buy the blinds at a local store and install them ourselves!). The washer and dryer were serviced yesterday and proclaimed healthy (though the venting was NOT...but it was an easy fix), so the laundry's just about done for the week. I don't like taking 3 days to do it, but with the dryer not venting properly, it just wasn't drying quickly.

Hannah's enjoying her school. One of her classmates lives right across the street from us. And yet another blessing? She's got a little brother who is just Scotty's age! For the first time in a LONG time, my kids both have playmates their own ages and genders! Not that I didn't love all the boys in my last neighborhood (Hi to the Byers and the Schulers!), but once in awhile...it's nice. We met some neighbors up the street as well. Melissa, the mom, was walking her daughter, Collette, to the bus in the morning. (and let me tell you, it's EARLY morning...awful for little kids - the bus picks up at 6:34 a.m. ... and drops the kids off shortly after...so they sit in the schoolhouse for an HOUR before school starts. Where is the logic in that? We may go back to car riding, because that gives us almost an hour more.) Melissa also has a son who just turned 3. He's enjoying having a little boy to pal around with. And Scotty's in preschool again. It's harder for him, since he went from afternoon 5 days a week to mornings 4 days a week. But the price is much more appealing to us, and he does go for a bit longer on those 4 days, along with one LONG day for Lunch Bunch.

My biggest challenge right now is going to be the bonus room. That's been the catch-all room thus far. As we organize and get things where they need to be, it should change, and then the bonus room will be a combination family room/studio/craft area. We'll be putting a futon in for company (who's coming to visit soon???), and we'll have another one in our office for when we have more than a few visitors. We still have the queen raised airbed as well, so come visit!

As we get established here, it's the little things that will take over. I have yet to even go find a church. With living in a hotel, and all the stress, I really SHOULD have found some time for God, but I let the everyday things take over. And I was definitely planning on heading over to one of the churches this past Sunday, but my wonderful son decided he needed to share his cold with me...I was in the throes of the worst sinus/head cold...still am, actually. Tonight may be the first night I haven't sneezed myself into oblivion.

I'm hoping to get pictures soon...my linen closet makes me happy, it's very "martha stewart" all organized and piled nicely...the kids' rooms are about as good as they're going to get, except for wall decor and blinds....and we have to put all the pictures up in the house as well. Needing to get some miscellaneous pieces of furniture (2 tv stands, some tall bar chairs, a new dining set and hutch)...and we'll go from there.

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading. Leave a comment, and I'll pick a name and send you a Southern prize...might not be big, but it will definitely have the state logo of the Palmetto tree and moon on it!