This is why I moved to Utah.

For optimism's sake, I'm making a list of the reasons it's been a blessing for me to be in Utah this past week.

* I'm never alone. Like....never.

* Because I'm never (in the house) alone I fall asleep like a baby. No worrying what-so-ever.

* I love sharing my kids with family. Seeing them laugh and love them as much as me is so fulfilling.

* I can leave Lydia home with my mom while Henry and I go for runs with my "lucky" stroller.

* It's been super warm (by Alaskan standards) and my kids have played outside every free moment they've had.

* Gracie's already made friends in the neighborhood. (I don't even have to drive somewhere for her to play with a friend)

*  I think it helps Scott's worrying mind to know that we are surrounded by people 24/7 and that I have others to pass my kids off to when I need a break.

I'm grateful for my family. I'm grateful to have Scott's family so close. I'm grateful that Heavenly Father knows what is best for my family and me and that He made it clear to Scott and I that moving to Utah is what was best.

Scott in Cuba

I'm not much for blogging this week.

Next week I'll have my computer and I'll be more diligent.

In the mean time...

you should check out Scott's new blog.

At this point you might cry. You might roll your eyes. You might throw up from the strong cheese.

But soon he'll have all sorts of stories to tell. I bought him a camera so he can take lots of picutres, though I can't guarantee he'll use it.

Until next week.

Okay,

I'm posting from our hotel room. This is it. Tonight is the night.

I'm fighting the racing heart and heavy stomach.

To lighten thing up a bit I'm posting a practice paragraph Gracie brought home that she had written at school.

"If I threw a penny in a well I would wish for one million dollars! My family does not have very much money. I want this because I love money. I would buy a pony with the money. I would take good care of the pony."

I'm not sure what to think about Gracie's perception of our financial situation, but I had to laugh!

A chaotic farewell

Why must packing up a house be such a messy job?

Well, this is my last post from Alaska. 

*sniff*sniff*

I'll be off line for about a week.

See you on the other side. 

A case of the "stupids".

It seems as though my stupidity is catching up with me. Every day a new stress pops into my life as a result from my tenacious stupidity. Let's make a list shall we?

1.  I procrastinated ordering a part our van needed because it was expensive. The part was on back order. We finally got it in only to find out that our $1,000 service didn't fix the problem. No. We need to order a $1,500 dollar part now to fix the problem. Our new, expensive part is now on back order.

2. I purchased our airline tickets over a month ago. Then Scott made sure to jump through some hoops so that he could fly on the same flights as us on his way to Florida. He called me as he was making the transaction, "Early morning on the 23rd...right?"  Right, I said. The other morning I got a reminder/itinerary email that enlightened my mind to the fact that I had actually purchased a flight for the 24th...not the 23rd.

3. A few days ago as our van was stuck in snow in the street just in front of our home I turned it off and got outside to dig out the tires. When I got back in the van wouldn't start. I freaked. I cried. 15 minutes later Scott came in saying, "You just forgot to put it in "park".

4. Tonight I ran a few errands. One of them was to drop off a few books from the library. I jump out, shut the door and ran the books into the drop off box. When I walk back to the truck I realize that somehow I had locked the truck. It's still running. My cell phone is inside...of course. The library is closed...of course. So, I walk across the parking lot to a restaurant and borrow some nice mans cell phone. Can I call Scott to come and bring a spare key? No. Our van is in the shop for the millionth time this week (hence the reason I'm driving the truck). So, I call a company and wait 20 minutes for them to come and stick a piece of wire inside of the door to roll down the window and push "unlock". Then I pay the nice man $25.00.  Could have been worse, I suppose.

5. 2 days ago I got an email from my dear friends husband. He's planning a birthday party for his wife on her birthday. The same day I scheduled as our move out date. I'm such a lame friend. I'm SO sorry Cathie! Here friends you decide...birthday party for Cathie, or helping us move out. Who do you like better? Sheesh! I tried to change the time of our move out so that our friends can do both, but I feel so lame.


I told you. It's a bad case of "the stupids". Don't they have a vaccine for this kind of stuff?




**UPDATE**


I can't believe I forgot to add this one to the list! :

6. Yesterday I bought a Chariot stroller. You may remember almost exactly a year ago I was making fun of the fact that people spent so much money on those things. I don't know if I'm just a big ol' sheep or if I've really been bitten by the Alaskan bug, but I really LOVE this stroller! Anyway, as I got home from the store I took the stroller out of the back of the truck and set it right next to our garage. I took the kids in, fed them lunch and put them down for naps. Then I went out to put the stroller in the garage. It had probably been sitting outside for an hour. It's gone. Yes. Gone. I freaked out. I screamed, I cried. I ran up and down our street. There goes $400. bucks down the tube. How could I be so STUPID?!
    Luckily, as I was investigating a kind neighbor had found it sitting in the middle of the street about 8 houses down from me. How it got there, I don't know. He said he had come to knock on my door, but I must've been upstairs with Lydia. Anyway, he had it safe and sound in his garage and had also knocked on doors to find the owner. THANK HEAVENS!!!

Scars on my heart

The first band-aid of this moving process has been ripped off. 

Penny has officially been taken to her new home. 

It's easy to say this was all a big mistake after the deed has been done. 

I've got puffy, swollen, red, and sore eyes. It was the big, ugly cry. I went to take a shower so no one would see me sob like a baby. 

Penny will be very happy. She will have other dogs near her to play with. She will be living on a small island in south Alaska with lots of space to run and explore. 

The next band-aid will be saying Goodbye to my dear Alaska friends.

Then saying Goodbye to my husband. 

How many hits can a girl take?

p.s. Gentri...McKenna...I don't want to talk about it.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of today.

Today is a good day.

Today is a bad day.

Let me break it down for you:

Reasons today is a bad day:

*I planned a yummy crockpot  dinner and around 3:30 I realized that while I had turned it on...

I forgot to plug it in. 


*I had a filling done today. The VERY back tooth in my VERY crowded mouth.

I'm sore.


* Scott's truck is in the shop. Our van is scheduled to be in the shop. 


I hate car troubles.


*While indulging in my recent found hobby of house shopping on Craigslist I found the. perfect. house. 


 Scott says, "It's too late, Chablis". 


*While talking to my father today the "truth" came out and we realized that while they'd never tell us we couldn't keep Penny, they seriously don't want her in their house.

I totally understand, but feel so torn.
(Susan...Thunder needs a friend :))


*I realized that I had accidentally payed a credit card bill with our tithing money....


Reasons today is a good day:

*Scott got a random paycheck in the mail today for some "off the record" work he had done for a friend in Virginia.  

I love paying tithing.

*Henry gives me lots of hugs and kisses.

I love his (wide, open mouth)kisses.

*I met up with friends for a playdate and lunch at McD's playland.

I love my friends. 


*I bought girl scout cookies today. 


Lots of them. 

*My negative list is longer than my positive list and I'm okay with that.

I love being a pessimist that pretends to be an optimist.

I'm taking a break from cleaning blinds and window tracks (eewww!) to blog.

The only problem is I don't really have much to blog about except packing and moving, and cleaning.

BOOOOORRRRRIINNNNGGG! 




Oh!


Wait!


I did make a little discovery yesterday! Did you know that BYU offers FREE online courses?

For REALS!


Everything from gardening 101, to Book of Mormon or Biblical studdies, to Family History and more! 

I'm totally inspired to make some education a priority in my life.

(this sounds like a bad cliche that should be from Seriously So Blessed, but no, it's just me)

Oh,  you know, I pretty much have a Masters from "Blogland University". But that's not really....


what's the word???


Important? .... Scholarly? .... I don't know, you get the jist.

So anyway, I'm ready to get all signed up and take some classes.

But that'll have to wait.

Blech.

Packing. ...............and cleaning..............packing..................and cleaning.............

HunDuddle Hussy

Need a little inspiration to stay course on your dieting??




Check this out!

I'm telling you, this girl, Jessica is insane. Her "vlog" is hilarious and after you watch her "Meat in her draws" video, you'll have to spend the next hour watching all her other videos. I especially love her "wannabe" of Tenly from The Bachelor!!

Pitty Party

And so it begins...

I can't believe we have exactly 3 weeks until the


big goodbye. 

Last night it hit me hard. 

So hard I got shaky all over...

and knots in my stomach...

pains in my head....

and I couldn't sleep. 

I can't seem to ignore the small "fishy" voice in the back of my head singing:

"Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming".