Moving is Not My Favorite

Well hello there!  Guess who just got internet at the new house?  Just popping in briefly to say that we're alive and well and have moved in to our new place, although things are definitely still on the chaotic side of the moving experience.  Here's a brief update in the lazy blogger's friend, bullet points!

• We have spent the last six weeks attempting to update everything we possibly could before moving out of our rental house by June 1st.  Our landlord was selling the house, so part of that time included showing the rental house to prospective buyers.  If any of you have attempted to show a home for sale with small children, you know that it is positively maddening.  Luckily, after one showing a day for a week straight, the house sold and we were able to get started on the packing/upheaval part of the move without worrying about realtors dropping by.  
• Over at the new house, we seriously spent every spare moment at work.  Jonathan would grab a quick bite after work and head over to the new house until about 11 p.m., and he and his brother spent every bit of the weekends out there.  We also had lots of help from Jonathan's parents and some family friends, and I spent all of my Mother's Day Out days there too.  Between all of us, we were able to sand, prime, and paint every bit of woodwork in the house, paint all of the walls, and finish most of a kitchen renovation that included building custom cabinetry.  There is still so much to do, and it was definitely stressful, but I know we wouldn't have done much of it had we attempted it while living here with two small children.  
• Last week we shipped the boys off to my parents in Arkansas so that we could actually finish out the moving process.  Some dear friends were already heading east to their lake house and graciously offered to add our boys to their mini van and meet my parents on I-40 for a handoff.  Y'all, they had FIVE boys under the age of six in their van; so very brave!  We seriously could not have done all we needed to do without the help of these friends and my parents.  Such a gift!
• We're all moved in now, although we are very much still living in boxes.  The guys still haven't put shelves in my kitchen cabinets, and the faucet hasn't been installed, so I can't unpack the kitchen and I don't have running water in there.  Lots of grilling and microwave meals going on!  It can be pretty chaotic and I am definitely ready to get settled, but I know that one day this will all be a distant memory and life will feel normal.
• Loose ends aside, we are loving it out here.  We spend so much time outside and have already seen deer, bunnies, lots of different birds and bugs, skunks, and one snake on our land.  Despite the separation between "homesteads" out here, two neighbors have already reached out and been so kind.  It is so peaceful.  And although there are things I miss about living in 800 square feet, I have to say that I am grateful for just a little bit more room.  The layout of this home is such that I can easily keep tabs on the children and feel cozy, yet we all have a bit more room to breathe.  Although I can now confirm that our messes are just because we're a mess and not to be blamed on the small space!  So much for that excuse...  : / 

That's it for now!  Off to paint some trim in the kitchen before the boys wake up.  One new thing I'm learning about homeownership: there's always something to do!  Pictures to come soon!