Visitors...

We were excited to welcome Nana and Papa to NC this past week.  We soaked up all the time they were here with some fun exploration and quiet times at home too.

We did some retail therapy where Nana spoiled the girls rotten and Quinn and Sullivan channeled their inner little girls and hopped on some rides to reminisce.

We also got our fill of game play... just the ladies.  The men were party poopers.

We travelled downtown and went to the Natural Science museum...

Some of us liked the museum more than others.  I bet you can't guess who was who!? 

Mr. I-Love-to-Read-Every-Plaque-Sign-or-Billboard-Ever-Created really enjoyed it.

Afterwards we went to Morgan Food Hall which was close to the museum.  Those unfamiliar with food halls, think upscale mall food court with fancy food and good drinks.

The dog was glued to Nana - she couldn't get enough of the cuddles and pets and lap time.

While the girls were in school one day, we headed down to a state park that is super close to the house.  We had a nice trek around the lake and took in the trails and sunshine.  Tessa even dipped her toes in the water, but was too chicken to dive all the way in.

It was a great visit with Nana and Papa and hated to see them go.  We are already looking forward to their next visit in November!

The Best...

Happy National Daughter's Day to the two that made me a mama and gave me the best job in the world.  

I am truly blessed beyond measure to have two of the best. 

Love you more than you will ever, ever know!

A House Divided...

This weekend Purdue and Notre Dame squared up on the football field for an Indiana football battle.  We had one person in the house rooting for Notre Dame, one person rooting for Purdue, one person who didn't care, and another who didn't want to pick a side.  You decided who is who in our house!

When the game was over and an Irish win was declared, we celebrated (and drowned our sorrows) with some pretty delicious ice cream from a store we have come to love here!

Grandma Jane...

Grandma Jane was kind enough to spend the past two weeks with us - helping us unpack, get organized, and deal with that lone (but insanity inducing) bed bug.  Aside from the almost daily trips to the recycling center, almost all the days were spent getting settled. 

We did manage to get in an almost nightly card game after dinner.  Grandma and I were in no condition to be photographed after putting in long hours unpacking boxes all day.  This was one of those, "Don't take my picture" kind of days...

Look at those laughs and those smiles.  Priceless.

We did manage to clean up one afternoon and take in a little furniture shopping. The furniture shopping somehow turned into a "quick" trip to the mall too. It was a great time with the ladies.

Speaking of good times, Tessa got PLENTY of love from Grandma Jane too.  She would often be found on the couch next to Grandma getting her belly rubbed or neck scratched.  Spoiled rotten dog.

I can't adequately express how truly thankful I am to Grandma for making the trip to NC and busting her tail to help us.  We were sad to see her leave and head back to Ohio.  We are already looking forward to her next visit.

From This to That...

 When the upstairs looked like this when we first moved in, I thought there was no way we would ever find the carpet again...

Well, thanks to the hard work of Grandma Jane who unboxed and sorted and lifted and hauled more than one could imagine, we were able to knock out the loft area this week. Because of the 92,894 boxes we sorted through, we had to make 4,009 trips to the recycle center.  Here we are on one of those said trips...

We had the help of two beautiful girls yesterday who were anxious to claim their hangout space.  They helped us assemble our Lovesac sectional...

I am proud to say that the hideous loft of last week is no more.  Today, it looks like this...

It feels mighty good to see the carpet again and to have some semblance of a living space!

Loved...

 This dog might be loved... maybe.

Spoiled rotten, and she would have it no other way.

North Carolinian Trifecta...

There is an old adage that things happen in threes.  Well North Carolina has provided me no exception to that rule since moving here.

#1... Cellulitis 

 

Day 1 of living in North Carolina I visited Urgent Care.  I had an infection in my elbow (called cellulitis) that had gotten under the skin.  My elbow swelled up to the size of a beach ball (not really, but it seemed like it) and was extremely tender to the touch, red, and painful.  

If that infection wasn't bad enough, two weeks later I ended up back in the same Urgent Care with...

#2... Shingles

Apparently my body didn't handle the stress of the move, the stress of living in limbo, the stress of fighting of the elbow infection.  It decided that shingles would be a good addition.  Not just shingles, but shingles on the scalp and on my forehead.

Again, as with the cellulitis, the shingles were tender to the touch, red, and painful.  Thankfully I think we caught the shingles extremely early and I was able to be treated before they spread or got too out of control.

I was certain that the good Lord gave me all that I could handle.  Surely, I would be good with two painful incidents. The old adage of things happening in threes could be broken.  I knew that I couldn't deal with much more.  Then this week...

#3... Bed Bug

Yep, you read that correctly.  Bed bug.  Singular, not plural, but nonetheless something to send me over the edge.  I had a meltdown of epic proportions.  Nothing physical this time, but mental stress like no other.  We found one bed bug in our room.  We are not sure where it came from - whether it was off of a moving blanket or from one of the 15 hotels we visited over the past 2 months.  It doesn't really matter.  What matters is that it doesn't multiply.  It doesn't have babies.  We don't see another one like it. 

We had an expert out to the house and we have treated the whole house out of extreme precaution. My mom was here when we found it and she been nothing short of an angel.  We have washed and dried and laundered just about everything that we own. We will get through this.  But take note North Carolina, my trifecta is done.  Things don't happen in fours.  I'm done.  The End.  

Home

 For 28 days and nights we called this 'home'....

We made due with what the hotel life had to offer, got creative with meals without having an oven, lived life without a washer and dryer, and learned to be flexible.  

We broke out of the hotel and moved into the house on August 24th.  We busied ourselves with projects until our house stuff arrived a few days later and camped out on air mattresses...

Now we are up to our ears with boxes and unpacking, but we are loving the house and being reunited with our things.

Our new normal is coming... we aren't 'home' yet, but we will be before long.