An update.

So, we're as moved into our new home as we're gonna get for now.

The morning of moving day was really foggy; we had to drive around 40mph to get out here. Jon's BIL and some of his family came to help move furniture (thanks Virg, Susie, Olie and Rem!) and we had the apartment empty in just over 2 hours.

We'd been to the house for what seemed like 20 minutes when my in-laws arrived. Actually, they arrived just as we discovered that the couch wouldn't fit through the front door. LOL Jon took care of that in a flash by removing the couches back legs and all is well.

My MIL and Auntie prepared a great lunch for all, but I was too excited to eat. Then due to some impending nasty weather for all of our guests, everyone was out of the house by 2:30pm.

Jon started with C's bed since it is a bunk and would give both C and M some place to sleep, then he put together our bed. We had chosen the room at the top of the stairs thinking that it'd be best for us to be aware of all activity on the stairs in the middle of the night. Turns out, it's a small room. We have little room for more than the king sized bed, the dresser and a nightstand. It's fine, but going from a room that was 13x17 in the apartment to this was a bit of an adjustment.

The "projects" that we have had to complete in the last 11 days have been enlightening, sometimes frustrating, and fun. Project number 1 was to get a tub-drain system set up for the new washer delivery. Let's just say that it involves a 10 foot section of PVC pipe and Caleb's car window open for the ride from Fleet Farm to Jon's office. He brought it home the next night in the other vehicle. (The boys and I are in agreement that Jon needs to look into getting a truck. LOL) Needless to say, the project was completed and works great.

Project #2 was to get some electrical to said system and the washer. Whoever lived here before must have used adapters and extention cords to the ancient electrical in the ceiling. Bad idea. With some advice from the master electrician at Home Depot and some on the spot advice from my Dad, (thanks, Dad!!!) we were able to complete new electrical for the washer that works great, is grounded, and will be awhile before it has to be done again. And Jon learned an important lesson. When your father-in-law tells you to make sure to turn off the main, you need to listen. He took a shock before he followed that advice and has a LED flashlight that will now never be the same. LOL

Then there was the project to get the waterbed up and filled. M decided that he wasn't interested in sharing a room with C, so he'd taken his mattress to the floor of his room. So the child needed to get off the floor. Since we had taken the waterbed down almost 4 years ago and put it in storage, it took Jon a bit to remember exactly how it went together. Here, some more thanks go out to my Dad who had the foresight in 1995 when the bed left his home to mark the pieces for Jon. The red crayon marks (LOL) come in handy.

Filling the waterbed leads to the hot water heater taking a nosedive. We knew that the clock was ticking on that, considering that we knew it had a leak before we closed on the house last month. Jon had purchased a new waterheater that Virg moved from the garage to the basement on moving day. We are fortunate enough that Jon's immediate supervisor used to be a plumbing apprentice and he took Sunday afternoon away from his family to come out and teach Jon how to replace the waterheater. We had hot water about 45 minutes after L left the house; 24 hours with no hot water was quite enough.

On Sunday morning, we learned the all important lesson that we need to take a trip 40 minutes south to save $$ and time getting groceries. All that is in the town nearest to us is an Econofoods, and the town 15 miles away has a REGULAR Wal-Mart (who knew!!) and a Piggly Wiggly. I sent Jon into work yesterday with a list of things that I KNEW he could get cheaper in Appleton, even if he just went to the Wal-Mart Supercenter; which he did.

The boys had their first day at the schools yesterday. The bus arrives promptly at 7:15, so that means that they have to be up no later than 6:15. For the first 2 days, they have adjusted well to that. M is finding the adjustment to middle school to be a bit more than he bargained for, but when I asked him if he would go back, he responded with an enthusiastic "Yes!". C is in a classroom with dual teachers. I asked him how his day was and he said "good." The kid that he remembers is named Matthew, LOL.

I am on my second day of rattling around in this big house. Big to me, of course; maybe small to others. I can see myself being happy staying home until spring, and then I am gonna need a project, a new hobby or a part-time job. Just to keep what sanity I have left. LOL

Stay tuned.