Home is Where the Heart is
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I know our family and friends have been asking about the house and how its coming together so I took a few update photos to show you! As of today, the entire house except the guest bedroom and garage are good to go! The garage needs to get done first though before I can tackle the GB due to storage containers and space. Many of our belongings I'm not going to take out of the box or vacuum sealed bags just to have to put back in 2 years and we won't even use/need them. But no hurry as we aren't expecting guests until about January... *cough Beth cough* ;)
<------------So with out further ado, here are some pics! And no judging our "kitchen table" haha We have one ordered and its a beauty!! |
We first went to Volunteer park which is somewhere in the Seattle area (very ritzy) and then the next stop was Kerry park with a magnificent view of Mt. Rainier. We ended our day with some dinner and drinks at a local restaurant called Hop Jacks.
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Thanksgiving in Washington
Its November so time for Thanksgiving decorations! NOT CHRISTMAS PEOPLE! I always feel sad when I think how Thanksgiving can get lost in the commercial hype of Christmas.
With the house under way, I took a few moments and decorated our front porch and yard! I have to admit that out of all of the other homes I have driven by, ours looks the nicest for Thanksgiving! And lastly, an over due picture of the front of our new rental home! |
Settling In
Ok so we have been at our new place for about two weeks now and are settling in quite nice. Nate had his first day of work on Monday and I am trying to work out my routine with the house and trying to get it all unpacked. So far I have finished the downstairs, our bedroom, closet, and our bathroom along with the guest bathroom. All I have left are the two other bedrooms that we are going to set up as an office and a guest bedroom. Honestly... I do NOT know how we acquired so much stuff! its boxes upon boxes!!! I haven't taken photos of everything yet but I have a few to share from the home and maybe a TON of our kitten Kloe :)
I also remembered that I took some gorgeous photos on Nate's phone during our drive from Kennewick to our home! My phone is being a brat and saying constantly that I have no storage!! Ugh next upgrade I'm getting the 64gig instead of the 16gig! WA is known for its wet climate and so it welcomed us with open arms and lived up to its hype!! I put them in order from closest to our home to further out.
We Have Arrived
We arrived to our new rental home on the 23rd of October and have been moving in like crazy since. The house we are renting is about a thousand square feet smaller than our home in Texas and it has been interesting trying to find space for all of our possessions; honestly I'm not sure how we even acquired so much STUFF!
It has been a bit frustrating right off the bat with the house though to be honest. We started paying rent on October 15th because that when it was supposed to be "move-in" ready. We show up and trim is missing in the kitchen, the back of the house has some siding missing, the two upstairs toilets are running constantly, and there is a bunch of junk in the garage that needs to be taken away. Now we have to schedule ourselves around the landlords so they can come fix everything. The guy was supposed to be here yesterday and rescheduled, then was supposed to be here tonight at 6 and at 7:08 I have to text him to see if he is still coming and of course he mixed up his days. So now a little after 8 he comes over. And to top it off, it doesn't seem like he is good with toilets as he didn't even purchase the best replacements and now had to go BACK out to purchase more items.... Needless to say, Nate isn't too thrilled.
I feel so tired and in need of a break. Or maybe just a day all by myself to be in my own head and just relax and get back to normal.... that would be nice*
But any who, many of my family and friends have been asking for some photos and even though we are still not done unpacking and having everything in order I do have some beginning photos to share of our home.
It has been a bit frustrating right off the bat with the house though to be honest. We started paying rent on October 15th because that when it was supposed to be "move-in" ready. We show up and trim is missing in the kitchen, the back of the house has some siding missing, the two upstairs toilets are running constantly, and there is a bunch of junk in the garage that needs to be taken away. Now we have to schedule ourselves around the landlords so they can come fix everything. The guy was supposed to be here yesterday and rescheduled, then was supposed to be here tonight at 6 and at 7:08 I have to text him to see if he is still coming and of course he mixed up his days. So now a little after 8 he comes over. And to top it off, it doesn't seem like he is good with toilets as he didn't even purchase the best replacements and now had to go BACK out to purchase more items.... Needless to say, Nate isn't too thrilled.
I feel so tired and in need of a break. Or maybe just a day all by myself to be in my own head and just relax and get back to normal.... that would be nice*
But any who, many of my family and friends have been asking for some photos and even though we are still not done unpacking and having everything in order I do have some beginning photos to share of our home.
I had been so worried about all of our master bedroom furniture fitting but it did! That was a relief. I also am in love with the upstairs laundry room. No carrying loads of laundry up and down the stairs for me :)
Getting more of our items moved in makes it feel more like our home :) Love seeing my book cases up but agh so bare! I need to get my books unpacked. And because we do not have as much wall space in the living room with the layout and Nate putting his gun safe in it, I put my tallest shelf at the top of the stairs which I think will make a nice focal point :p
We decided to grab some candy for Trick-Or-Treating and so I just had to put up some decorations on our porch :)
OK so that is all that I have as of now. I know I am missing one of the front but when I remembered before doing this it was already dark outside! I will get more up once our place is complete. We did take a break today and went to see some falls and then to downtown Seattle to grab some lunch since it was a beautiful non-rainy day.
OK so that is all that I have as of now. I know I am missing one of the front but when I remembered before doing this it was already dark outside! I will get more up once our place is complete. We did take a break today and went to see some falls and then to downtown Seattle to grab some lunch since it was a beautiful non-rainy day.
Day 4 Wednesday: Last Day in A Hotel :)
We crossed the border into Washington and have taken up in a beautiful hotel in Kennewick. It is a Best Western Plus and it is THE nicest hotel we have stayed in yet! The drive was yet again beautiful, especially when we started seeing all the pine trees <3 Nate drove most of the way so Kloe and I hung out...well I hung out while Kloe slept in her seat the entire 6.5 hour drive :0 Oh the life!
During our drive we saw a Bald Eagle sitting on the very tippy top of a dead tree! Nate pointed it out and was so excited! Our first time seeing one in the wild <---- if in fact it was a Bald Eagle but we are pretty positive it was :)
Almost 10-15 minutes after Nate and I switched so I could drive the rest of the way, we came upon Emigrant Hill in Oregon on I-84. This is one of the most dangerous hills to GO DOWN when towing due to having a 6% grade <---which if you know about grades is one of the largest grades in the country! I was kinda freaken' out with all the semi's around me and then regular cars flying by! I then see all these signs for Semi-Truck runaways incase they lose control! What makes this even worse was that it was a 6% grade going down hill for 6 TWISTING MILES while driving a half ton pick up towing a 4,000lb brand new car!!!!
GOT DOWN IT LIKE A CHAMP WHAT!?!?!
The hotel had a complimentary dinner of pulled pork sliders, coleslaw, baked beans, salad, and yummy cookies. After eating we came back to the hotel to look up a U-Haul place close to our new place and relax. The drive tomorrow is only 3.5 hours so we are going to take our time waking up and packing up. Poor Kloe knows EXACTLY what the rolling cart means when it arrives in the hotel room in the morning! She hides as soon as it comes through the door. This morning she tried hiding under the table because again the beds were on a block of wood. Unfortunately for us, the hotel we are in tonight do not have solid blocks of wood under the beds; Kloe has already found her hiding spot for tomorrow mooring so Nate and I have to out think her and hopefully get her in her playhouse BEFORE we bring in the cart!
OK, I'm beat and its only 8:42pm but it is actually 10:42pm for my body! This 2hour time difference is going to take some getting used to~ We will be busy for the next couple of days so I'll try to give another update some time next week after we are settled in our new place... Thanks for following our journey :)
During our drive we saw a Bald Eagle sitting on the very tippy top of a dead tree! Nate pointed it out and was so excited! Our first time seeing one in the wild <---- if in fact it was a Bald Eagle but we are pretty positive it was :)
Almost 10-15 minutes after Nate and I switched so I could drive the rest of the way, we came upon Emigrant Hill in Oregon on I-84. This is one of the most dangerous hills to GO DOWN when towing due to having a 6% grade <---which if you know about grades is one of the largest grades in the country! I was kinda freaken' out with all the semi's around me and then regular cars flying by! I then see all these signs for Semi-Truck runaways incase they lose control! What makes this even worse was that it was a 6% grade going down hill for 6 TWISTING MILES while driving a half ton pick up towing a 4,000lb brand new car!!!!
GOT DOWN IT LIKE A CHAMP WHAT!?!?!
The hotel had a complimentary dinner of pulled pork sliders, coleslaw, baked beans, salad, and yummy cookies. After eating we came back to the hotel to look up a U-Haul place close to our new place and relax. The drive tomorrow is only 3.5 hours so we are going to take our time waking up and packing up. Poor Kloe knows EXACTLY what the rolling cart means when it arrives in the hotel room in the morning! She hides as soon as it comes through the door. This morning she tried hiding under the table because again the beds were on a block of wood. Unfortunately for us, the hotel we are in tonight do not have solid blocks of wood under the beds; Kloe has already found her hiding spot for tomorrow mooring so Nate and I have to out think her and hopefully get her in her playhouse BEFORE we bring in the cart!
OK, I'm beat and its only 8:42pm but it is actually 10:42pm for my body! This 2hour time difference is going to take some getting used to~ We will be busy for the next couple of days so I'll try to give another update some time next week after we are settled in our new place... Thanks for following our journey :)
Day 4 Tuesday: Its Almost Over!Even though I took ZzzQuil last night I still could not sleep. Maybe it was the 2.5 iced tea's I had at dinner?! I do say though, the past two nights taking that I have had some pretty weird/awesome dreams! A combination of vampires from TVD and Buffy, high school parties, atomic bombs that I survived and God knows what else~
This hotels breakfast was decent but only served sugar free syrup... What are they trying to tell me? Shouldn't I have at least the option to choose regular fully loaded sugary syrup :p After breakfast we came back up to the room to pack everything up. Kloe had been sitting on the chair next to the window. As soon as she saw us packing up and the cart come through the door, under the bed she darted! But thankfully for us, the bed is sitting on a large block of wood so she was only hiding underneath the bedskirt :p Poor girl already knows the drill and did NOT want to do it again. But after we were loaded in the truck and on the highway I let her out of her playhouse and she sat on her middle console on a comfy blanket the ENTIRE drive and just passed out! However, Nate and I both feel she is getting to her wits end :( We drove about 5.5 hours today and it beat us up. I was getting pretty sleepy at the wheel but wanted to only leave about an hour left before Nate and I switched up. Singing Wheels On the Bus, 99 Bottles of Beer, and This Is the Song That Never Ends, we did anything we could to stay awake and get the drive over! |
It was another beautiful drive but a lot of it was straight and flat; seeming like it would never end! Finally making it to our destination in Jerome, ID, we unpacked and are thankful we again have a clean comfy bed to sleep in.
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The temperature definitely dropped and the wind is pretty wicked. It was around 55* at 4pm and with the wind it was closer to about 50*. Needless to say it was a cool crisp day with a mild scent of horse manure....surprisingly refreshing! McDonalds was dinner for us tonight as it was right next to the hotel and neither of us wanted to walk far in this weather when we hadn't dressed properly for it. Now relaxing in the hotel and are excited that we only have 2 more days to go before we make it to our final destination ----> HOME :)
Day 3 Monday: A Beautiful Drive
OK so we are now up to date with our travels. We woke up WELL RESTED this morning and enjoyed a tasty complimentary breakfast at Drury Inn & Suites. We packed up our belongings and hit the road headed for Rock Springs, WY. We took I-80 once we crossed the state line in to Wyoming and it was one of the most beautiful drives I have ever done. Just rolling hills with the mountains in the background. And I love the huge white windmills far off in the distance....just so surreal with the fluffy white clouds against the brilliant blue sky. Today went along without any hitches :) Nate drove us out of the city and then I took over and ended up driving 3/4 of the way here. Of course Kloe was allowed out to hang with us during the drive and she was such a good girl!
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We scored again with another great hotel, Hampton Inn. White fluffy comforters with 4 amazing down pillows. Is this weird? Nate and I HAD to get 2 Queens when we stayed in the Best Western and actually really enjoyed having our own space so since then we have been getting rooms with just that?! We are just so beat after our trips that it is nice to spread out and not worry about waking the other person or tugging on the covers! haha But its back to one bed when we arrive at our new home so we will enjoy it while it lasts :p
Due to the truck being hooked up to the Subaru we don't want to drive it around town so again we ended up walking to dinner. It is a gorgeous fall night here in Wyoming and the air smells of crushed leaves, fresh grass, and mountains. Jeans and a zip up sweater is all that we needed and hand in hand we walked to dinner. We ate at a diner called Village Inn I believe and it was amazing! I'd compare its style to a Denny's but thought their food was 10x better! Nate ordered a good avocado sandwich and I had a turkey and mashed potato dinner and then we shared (mostly Nate) a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup pie. Now back in our hotel room we are relaxing in our own beds watching the Steelers kick some Texas Houston butt and I catch up on this blog!
Over all the trip has gone well. The only real hiccup we had was Nate's back giving him problems but I feel, now, that it was a blessing in disguise because due to it acting up, we got the trailer which now allows us to all make this journey together, as a family <3 Tomorrow we have another five hour drive to Twin Falls, Idaho.
Due to the truck being hooked up to the Subaru we don't want to drive it around town so again we ended up walking to dinner. It is a gorgeous fall night here in Wyoming and the air smells of crushed leaves, fresh grass, and mountains. Jeans and a zip up sweater is all that we needed and hand in hand we walked to dinner. We ate at a diner called Village Inn I believe and it was amazing! I'd compare its style to a Denny's but thought their food was 10x better! Nate ordered a good avocado sandwich and I had a turkey and mashed potato dinner and then we shared (mostly Nate) a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup pie. Now back in our hotel room we are relaxing in our own beds watching the Steelers kick some Texas Houston butt and I catch up on this blog!
Over all the trip has gone well. The only real hiccup we had was Nate's back giving him problems but I feel, now, that it was a blessing in disguise because due to it acting up, we got the trailer which now allows us to all make this journey together, as a family <3 Tomorrow we have another five hour drive to Twin Falls, Idaho.
Day 2 Sunday: Part 2
OK so it was Sunday morning when we woke up in Dumas, TX. We had decided to drive to Pueblo, CO and pick up a trailer. Nate called the company and found that we had to be there no later than 1:45PM. By the time Nate drove to Wal-Mart to purchase the 2inch ball we'd need and we packed up our belongings we had to haul ass to make it there on time! It was about a 4 hour drive.
We book it down the desolate highway doing about 75-80mph all the while I kept checking on Nate to make sure his back was OK. Kloe was doing pretty good today but was a bit antsy in the beginning. And I am not sure if it was luck or on purpose but she went into her litter box and then gagged a bit IN the litter box and then went and laid back down on her bed?!?! So either she knew NOT to throw up in her bed sine the last 2 times she did it she had to get cleaned OR it was luck that she had gone in her litter box and THEN had to throw up.
After a straight drive through, sweet Jesus we made it with time to spare :) We hooked up the trailer, drove my car up it, and rearranged our stuff so that Kloe's playhouse could be put in Nate's back seat so she was with us. Nate was feeling good so he continued the drive and we made it to Denver, CO :) It was only about an hour and a half from Pueblo. Once we got to the hotel we were exhausted! Kloe was too as I let her out of her playhouse and in to the front seat with us! She <3 it!! She had not eaten or drank anything all day so she was pretty hungry and thirsty once we got in to the hotel. After our Super 8 experience, we figured we have suffered enough with Extended Stay and it so we all paying the extra bucks to get a more decent hotel. Clean room, comfy beds, and smells oh so good :)
We book it down the desolate highway doing about 75-80mph all the while I kept checking on Nate to make sure his back was OK. Kloe was doing pretty good today but was a bit antsy in the beginning. And I am not sure if it was luck or on purpose but she went into her litter box and then gagged a bit IN the litter box and then went and laid back down on her bed?!?! So either she knew NOT to throw up in her bed sine the last 2 times she did it she had to get cleaned OR it was luck that she had gone in her litter box and THEN had to throw up.
After a straight drive through, sweet Jesus we made it with time to spare :) We hooked up the trailer, drove my car up it, and rearranged our stuff so that Kloe's playhouse could be put in Nate's back seat so she was with us. Nate was feeling good so he continued the drive and we made it to Denver, CO :) It was only about an hour and a half from Pueblo. Once we got to the hotel we were exhausted! Kloe was too as I let her out of her playhouse and in to the front seat with us! She <3 it!! She had not eaten or drank anything all day so she was pretty hungry and thirsty once we got in to the hotel. After our Super 8 experience, we figured we have suffered enough with Extended Stay and it so we all paying the extra bucks to get a more decent hotel. Clean room, comfy beds, and smells oh so good :)
The whole time planning this trip I have been EXTREMELY excited about our Denver stop because they have a Landry's Seafood restaurant. Nate and I went to one in San Antonio, TX and I swear they have THE best Lobster Bisque so I was so happy to have it most likely ONE last time! We walk the 0.8 miles to the restaurant and sit down to order. I look at the menu and what do I find to my dismay??!?! NO LOBSTER BISQUE SOUP!?!? What the heck I say?!?! I cannot stand when items are not available from one location to the next but it is the SAME restaurant :( I ended up ordering some Seafood gumbo which I did NOT like and so Nate was going to eat it. The waitress came by and noticed and took it away and off the bill. I still do love their Mango Mojito's though! We then made the walk back to our hotel and changed into some comfy clothes. Kloe had a grand time in this hotel because we were on the 6th floor. Nate made her a little bed on the window mantel and I swear she was there the entire night! I, on the other hand took some ZzzQuil so I could FINALLY get a good nights sleep.
Day 2 Saturday: Part 1
Waking up alive in our sketchy Super 8 motel, Nate was in some pain with his back. If you do not already know, Nate has a bad back from a long ago football injury and then from reinsuring it when we first started dating. He has episodes every now and then with it and some are worse than others. So he took a hot shower and I massaged his back hoping to make it feel better. We then gathered our belongings and hit the road for our second stop on the trip: Denver, CO.
Nate ended up getting some muscle relaxers and an anti-inflammatory shot and we headed back to the hotel. We waited a little while for it to kick in and then he tested it out by sitting in his truck <--- it was a no go. We were stuck in Dumas, TX for the night and now off schedule. I called all the companies we set up and pushed everything back by two days just incase. We also decided that we want to pick up a car hauler and tow my Subaru behind Nate's truck so we can take turns driving. But for that day, we were done; put a fork in us!
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We stop about three times within an hour and a half. Our last stop is at a Wal-Mart where Nate wants to purchase some ICYHOT patches. He comes back to the vehicles and he just couldn't go any further, he is in so much pain. We were in Dumas, TX at this point. Finding the nearest pet friendly motel, we went to Best Western so Nate can rest. Uh and thankfully it was a really nice motel..NOT like the Super 8 we stayed in the night before... YIKES!
We wanted to go to an Urgent Care or something where Nate might be able to get some pain meds for his back that could get him through drive. The town is so small that the only choice we had was the ER! Ha and funny thing: The ER has procedure signs that state "If you have a temperature of 104.8 AND have also traveled to affected countries in Africa AND Dallas you need to let someone know immediately so proper precautions can be followed" :p Thankfully we weren't symptomatic! |
October 17, 2014 ~And So It Begins: Day 1 Friday~
So we wanted to trick everyone and left a couple days early!! JUST KIDDING :) Well no seriously we did leave earlier but it was sort of a last minute decision. We packed up our Extended Stay (thankfully) and hit the road this morning. Our first journey was to Amarillo. We left a little after 10am and arrived to our motel a little after 4pm <---- not too shabby!
I had Kloe with me the entire way (which it will be that way for the whole trip). I fed her this morning while we were showering and packing up not thinking it would be that big of a deal....WRONG!! About an hour and a half in she was meowing a bit and then I hear the gagging :X Poor girl threw up her breakfast. I walkie-talkied Nate and told him we needed to stop at the next exit so I could et her cleaned up and then grab some lunch.
After she was all cleaned and we were back on the road again I am so happy to report that she only meowed ONCE!! She layer in her playhouse like the best little kitten she is and we just drove down the highway singing some iTunes together! Once we arrive to the hotel, she was so different than when we first went to the Extended Stay. I opened up the playhouse and she jumped right out and then investigated the room!! I was astonished! A complete turn around from the first night away from home! Now let us pray that it stays this way and she is a happy kitten for the next 4 days of driving!
I had Kloe with me the entire way (which it will be that way for the whole trip). I fed her this morning while we were showering and packing up not thinking it would be that big of a deal....WRONG!! About an hour and a half in she was meowing a bit and then I hear the gagging :X Poor girl threw up her breakfast. I walkie-talkied Nate and told him we needed to stop at the next exit so I could et her cleaned up and then grab some lunch.
After she was all cleaned and we were back on the road again I am so happy to report that she only meowed ONCE!! She layer in her playhouse like the best little kitten she is and we just drove down the highway singing some iTunes together! Once we arrive to the hotel, she was so different than when we first went to the Extended Stay. I opened up the playhouse and she jumped right out and then investigated the room!! I was astonished! A complete turn around from the first night away from home! Now let us pray that it stays this way and she is a happy kitten for the next 4 days of driving!
I had pre-arranged some Super 8's after reading reviews and seeing pictures. Of course we ended up at the wrong one and it is PRETTY sketchy :X Not the greatest room but at least it SMELLS clean! Just a mile down the road was the famous steakhouse The Big Texan Ranch who are known for their 72oz steak! We grabbed some dinner and fudge for later and headed back to the motel.
So now we are just relaxing on the king size bed ( and YES it IS a KING size bed!!) watching tv as I update you all on our journey. I am almost finished with my book The Husband's Secret which is REALLY GOOD :) Can not wait to write a review on my Pages to Film page! |
5th day in and still alive
The hotel is better I must admit. I purchased a mini shop vac to vacuum up Kloe's litter mess and some air fresheners and It is better. Yesterday was not a great day as I spent the majority cramped up in the tiny room with nothing to do. Just a bit stir crazy. If Nate hadn't made me pack my Angel DVD box set it might not have been so bad but instead I ended up watching HGTV for like 6 hours straight while reading my new book during commercial breaks :X
Though today, I woke up feeling refreshed and in a better mood. Past couple days I sunk a bit. I think seeing our house completely empty and closing yesterday morning, it finally hit that Nate and are leaving our LIFE here in Texas; not just our home and moving to a different part of DFW but moving our entire life we had built here that has been super good to us. But again, feel better today and more motivated! Got up and cleaned up our little room and played a bit with Kloe <---- that is far and in-between because she is just such a smuggler she does not ever do much else :p Today I took on the task of plotting out our journey and designating hotel stops. I found Super 8 is in every area we are stopping and has great deals allowing us to have Kloe as well! Knowing we had this journey ahead of us, we became AAA members and I gotta tell ya, you get some major discounts on hotels being a member! I'm saving almost $10-$15 a night in each hotel due to their memberships! Staying in a hotel for 4 nights that is about $40-$60 total in savings :) Overall, I do not think it will be that bad. I'll just be SUPER glad to be in our new place and getting back to our normal lives. |
12 days in extended stay: Day 2
Its day 2 in our Extended stay. Yesterday was pretty hectic as the movers came to load our belongings and then we waited for both PODS to be picked up from our place. Everyone did an excellent job! I have to admit that Nate and I did a great job preparing our belongings :D. The two men who came to load everything only took 2.5 hours to put EVERYTHING in the PODS and packed it nicely to where I do not foresee any issues! The guy who dropped the PODS off also came to collect both of them. It is SO neat to watch the PODS being delivered and picked up. The machine is some what like a transformer :p After everything waS taken care of, we loaded our belongings we will need for the next 3 weeks, Kloe, and headed to Extended Stay.
It really is true that "you get what you paid for". Our room is around $53 a night and that is what we got. If it weren't for the odor that it possess' it wouldn't be AS terrible <---which is why I am going to get some AIRWICKs today at Wal-Mart. The other part is just the size. Living in this for 12 days is not going to be fun and then to have to be cramped in a car for 5 days on our journey there.... hmmm! I am most worried about Kloe. She did not have a good first night here. I'm sure it could have been worse as she wasn't trembling in fear but at first she would not come out of her playhouse, then she would NOT leave the bed from us. All the noises, smells, and people in the hallway were freaking her out. I felt so bad for my baby! She kept me up oat of the night only because she was so.... its hard to say it in one word. She just wanted to be like laying underneath me to feel secure and so I felt bad rolling over away from her. She was curled in to my arm which then feel asleep! Her head would pop up every time she heard something and she just couldn't get relaxed. I think FINALLY mother nature won and she slowly crept off the bed to use her litter box ( thank God)!!! Today is day 2 of 12 and she is doing MUCh better! Nate introduced her to the big window and she likes to get up there and look out. She goes to her food bowl on her own and has been scouting out the place like the true "Tigress" she is <3 Due to keeping her litter in her playhouse for travel purposes, we had to be an open pan and it is getting litter on the carpet when she buries her business :p While at Wal-Mart I am also going to pick up a mini shop vac that will be nice for the hotel stays, my car, and then just general car cleanings in the future! |
october 4th, 2014 -----> its getting real
Today the PODs are being delivered and then in a couple days the movers will be here to load them. IT IS GETTING REAL people! One thing that we have been worried about for this trip is Kloe. She hates driving and when we would take her in the car it was for the vet or the groomers----2 places she hates!
We bought her a crate that I like to call her "play house". Crate, pen, cage just all sound like a prison for my baby so I had to come up with another name:) We have placed it in the living room with her food & water bowls so she can get used to it and hopefully come to like it. I am happy to say that she does! She goes in there on her own to just lay down and bask in the sun that shines through from the windows.
Yesterday I started the plan of taking her for car rides and then back to the house so she can get used to it and see that she is not going anywhere to be "harmed". She is safe in her play house :) I am glad that I started this for another reason as well. It allows me to see what changes needed to be made so she is more comfortable and so I'm not going to go insane!
Problems I encountered:
1) the plastic tray that sits in the bottom slides out anytime I step on the gas from being at a dead stop.
2) The blanket I had laid down for Kloe slides and bunches up on the plastic tray causing Kloe to slide every where
3) Kloe slides on the plastic tray and I see her trying to dig in her nails so she doesn't
4) The playhouse is metal all over and so the various handles shake and make an annoying tinging sound as they do so which irritates that crap out of me and probably adds more stress to Kloe.
Solutions I thought of:
1) Nate closed off the slit that allows the tray to slide out of the play house!
2) I bought kloe a nice comfy cat bed that I am going to velcro down to the plastic tray so it stays put. Then I also bough a small litter pan to put in there so she does not get anxious about need to go to the bathroom. I will also velcro this down to the plastic tray. Food & water will not be in her play house for the trip as this is just substance for her to vomit :X
3) With the bed and litter box Velcro'd in and not having to sit on a plastic tray, Kloe should not slide anymore :)
4) Since they do not seem to make heavy duty twisty ties, I purchased a pliable rubber coated wire that I will use to tie down the handles and anything else that bangs while driving and hitting bumps reducing the amount of rattling the cage makes!
Nate was also worried about how we are going to transport Kloe in and our of the play house to the hotels during the drive. If i just carry her she could get spooked, claw me, jump down, and run away!!! She is too heavy to keep in the play house while we take it out of the car and carry it. So at Target I found a cat harness + leash that we can use so even if she does jump down I can still have the least around my wrist and she can't get away due to being scared.
We bought her a crate that I like to call her "play house". Crate, pen, cage just all sound like a prison for my baby so I had to come up with another name:) We have placed it in the living room with her food & water bowls so she can get used to it and hopefully come to like it. I am happy to say that she does! She goes in there on her own to just lay down and bask in the sun that shines through from the windows.
Yesterday I started the plan of taking her for car rides and then back to the house so she can get used to it and see that she is not going anywhere to be "harmed". She is safe in her play house :) I am glad that I started this for another reason as well. It allows me to see what changes needed to be made so she is more comfortable and so I'm not going to go insane!
Problems I encountered:
1) the plastic tray that sits in the bottom slides out anytime I step on the gas from being at a dead stop.
2) The blanket I had laid down for Kloe slides and bunches up on the plastic tray causing Kloe to slide every where
3) Kloe slides on the plastic tray and I see her trying to dig in her nails so she doesn't
4) The playhouse is metal all over and so the various handles shake and make an annoying tinging sound as they do so which irritates that crap out of me and probably adds more stress to Kloe.
Solutions I thought of:
1) Nate closed off the slit that allows the tray to slide out of the play house!
2) I bought kloe a nice comfy cat bed that I am going to velcro down to the plastic tray so it stays put. Then I also bough a small litter pan to put in there so she does not get anxious about need to go to the bathroom. I will also velcro this down to the plastic tray. Food & water will not be in her play house for the trip as this is just substance for her to vomit :X
3) With the bed and litter box Velcro'd in and not having to sit on a plastic tray, Kloe should not slide anymore :)
4) Since they do not seem to make heavy duty twisty ties, I purchased a pliable rubber coated wire that I will use to tie down the handles and anything else that bangs while driving and hitting bumps reducing the amount of rattling the cage makes!
Nate was also worried about how we are going to transport Kloe in and our of the play house to the hotels during the drive. If i just carry her she could get spooked, claw me, jump down, and run away!!! She is too heavy to keep in the play house while we take it out of the car and carry it. So at Target I found a cat harness + leash that we can use so even if she does jump down I can still have the least around my wrist and she can't get away due to being scared.
One of the many reasons we want to move to WA is to be more active in our lives. Being in Texas we feel like we are living in the Matrix; being a battery to society. We wake up, eat, go to work, sit on the couch, go to bed to then just wake up and do everything all over again. Where has the past 8 years gone? We want to have an adventurous life! Exploring the outdoors, trying new things :) And with that, being fit and healthy <----- this right here is our #1 goal in WA. In order to do many of the activities we want to do, we need to be in shape. I had a bike that I purchased from Wal-Mart for $100. Nothing special. Well when trying to get rid of a lot of things we didn't care for or want to pack to bring with us, Nate ended up giving my bike to the neighbor who had a daughter in need of an older girls bike. Good cause but now I'm without a bike.....#BOO
Nate's co-workers had recently purchased two Townies cruisers. Brand new these things are around $500!! After a couple weeks of having them they went and purchased two brand new mountain bikes and were selling theirs combined for a whopping $300?!?!?!
INSERT NATE: At first I was like nah, we don't need to spend the money right now and then we just have to move them. Although I did want a bike because WA has many paved trails and in many areas, their driving streets has an actual section for bike riders!! Nate talked me in to going and looking at them. We went to his co-workers place and as soon as I sat on it, I was sold :) Mine is a light teal blue and has a BELL! So Cool! I also want to get some sort of basket or rack one day as they have many accessories :) I am very thankful these came in to our lives because it is part of the reason for us moving to WA. Being more active, enjoying the outdoors, and doing it all together! |
Just having these two bikes is making the adventure seem real already! We have already taken them out on 2 different bike rides and enjoy them thoroughly :) I'm picturing myself riding mine down to the local B&N to have a coffee and read my book. Ahhh cannot wait :)
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The Beginning In three short weeks, my husband and I will be moving from Texas to Washington. It was a spur of the moment decision that led to an enormous amount of work, planning, choices, and discussions.
To qoute my husband, "easy discussions make for a tough life; difficult discussions make for an easy life". His coin phrase since this has all been happening----> I tell him its going on his tomb stone! It will be a long journey and I'm excited to use my new blog as a place to document it! |
It is September 28th which gives us exactly 20 days left in Texas. I sit on my couch in my 85% empty house and can only feel excited about whats to come. When moving from PA to TX I was excited as well. I was 19 years old and had never lived on my own. It was a welcoming feeling to move out of my parents house ( although I love them dearly) and get away from Ellwood City. But I feel that this is a different kind of excitement from gosh almost 10 years ago! I have a new found respect for what it means to live on your own and be an adult. Everything that happens is a direct reflect on what you and your partner, if you have one, decide. Do you decide to not take responsibility for things such as bills and your career or do you step up to the plate, try your hardest to better yourself, and actually do well? I have to say that I am very proud of myself and of Nate. We were both young when we moved down here on our own away frm family and friends and we did it on our own! We always had our family's words of encouragement and knew we could go back if we failed but we didn't make that an option.
We went through difficult times being down here by ourselves but we did not succumb to the hardships but thrived and gained knowledge. We both also like to thank our time in Texas for how strong our relationship is. Neither of us were able to turn to family when we had a fight; we had to stick it out in the same house until it was resolved..... Or well except for that one time I just got in my car and drove down the street to the park and sat there!! Sometimes you do just need a moment to clear your head! I will say though, mom if you are reading this, the one thing I truly miss about living at home was being able to come home and say, "whats for dinner?!" <3 you!
I am excited about our journey to WA and more importantly the journey IN Washington!! We still have lots to do here at the house before it is all over but thankfully our ducks are gradually getting in a row for the big day! |