So we still haven't moved.... annnddd I quit!

Last Sunday we drove over to the new house to drop another load off and we marveled at the home thinking to ourselves, "by this time next week we will just drive here after church and actually be home." On Monday we made it a big moving day; we borrowed our neighbor's racing trailer and friends to help load our piano and take a load of our larger items to the house. We took all our toys, the bed frames, clothes, etc. I had the groceries planned to the day. The wash done to the day. We celebrated with four hours of Ultimate Frisbee and a farewell bbq with all our wonderful neighbors (they are the BEST). Tuesday was spent moving things and cleaning, and Addie having the time of her life at a friend's home. Travis had me call first thing in the morning to square away all our closing processes.... and in the words of Toby Keith, this is when the "Fit hit the shan!" This was the moment I realized our Loan officer was an incompetent and corrupt businessman. Oh and Lazy, let's not forget his great talent for orchestrating a mole hill to morph into a mountain. Ugh.. I don't want to hate this post in the future by coming back and re-reading the nitty gritty details of the many hours of phone calls and stern borderline threats I've had to make, so I'll just give the nutshell version. Apparently a closing date to this clown, jokester, loser, moron,.... ahem... I mean, incompetent MORON, sorry businessman (if you can really call him that) is more like a pregnancy due date: it's something to shoot for but isn't contractually binding................. weird, seeing as it's a contract!!!

Sorry, I don't know that I'm going to get this post without cursing

Let me try again, essentially his knowing the due date did nothing to motivate him to get any of his paperwork done. He gave me a bunch of b.s. about not being able to make the closing date, and I told him, "absolutely not. Do your job." After hours of back and forth convos like this, he called me "already to get this done..." (which I now know was a lie), but had bad news. Even though we'd paid for and done all the proper work to have the appraisal done four weeks ago now, they'd forgotten to order it. Oh but they'd remembered to charge us for it. And they'd lied to the realtor and told him the appraisal had been done and the paperwork had come back...... HELLO CAN YOU SAY FRAUD?!

More back and forth about how to fix this MAJOR mistake on their end and we ended up getting a rush ordered appraisal done the next day.... but then it could take a few weeks to get the forms back from the appraiser. NOPE! Not O.K.! So I pressured him more and they were able to get the forms back by Friday, at which point they were "sent in the wrong format." Then they were. Then he couldn't continue because of blah blah blah. And he stopped answering my calls and switched to texting. And then he ignored my texts and disappeared into the weekend, even though he said he'd work on Saturday; surprise, surprise he lied, again. So there is no end in sight. He's screwed us out of renting our house out in Sept. I've had to move a ton of our stuff BACK to our current house. We're sleeping on mattresses on the floor. The toys are still gone. Addie is losing her mind during this limbo state. And I'm just disgusted with the injustice of this whole process. But I've done my part. I've shaken the trees. I've been stern. I've been on him each step of the way. And now it's out of my hands and will be what it's going to be. 

And I quit

Now that it is what it is, I've decided I can't think about something I have no control over anymore. So I quit. I quit watering the plants at the new house. I quit deep cleaning my current house. Packing. Preparing for renting. Etc. And believe it or not (I'm not even sure after writing the angry post), I'm at peace with this. We don't know why things happen, but maybe this is preparing us for better renters. Maybe we needed to take some more time to enjoy our neighbors and current home. Maybe we needed to just focus on enjoying the last of the warm weather... I don't know, but I'm doing all of the above. I've been spending every minute I can with the girls. We start each morning with a walk. We play out front. Read books on a blanket in the grass. Watch the clouds. Find all the birds. Eat outside. Talk to all our neighbors. And each day the boys come home from school, Aaron grabs a popsicle for he and Addie and they go eat it outside together. Some days we stay and play at the school with friends. Other times we snuggle and watch a movie. And honestly, it's been relaxing to just focus on enjoying my children. OH, and during the overlap on the girls' naps, I shower and relax for like an hour... it's awesome. 

We've had lots of football. YM/Scouts on Wednesdays. Travis has basketball once a week. A half day midweek from work. He took a biking trip Fri-Sat and went with a friend up to Cuyuna, MN for a 30 mile mountain biking trip; he had a blast. The pictures looked beautiful. And he's surprisingly un-injured! :D Meanwhile I took the four kids to four hours of football on Saturday... let's just say, Travis  was VERY kind to me and brought me ice cream when he got home that night. Never do I want to do THAT much football with Addie ever again. Avery on the other hand was the best behaved little thing. 

And then the other weird thing of our week, I took the girls to Zerble trail here in town and planned on having this beautiful morning walk with them. The weather was perfect. The sun was shining through the lush greenery. There was a slight fall nip in the air. I turned on some piano guys to set the mood and we began this beautiful morning walk. 10 minutes. That's all we got in before it was all ruined. I got this weird feeling and I looked ahead to see a VERY strange man staggering toward us. He was taking ragged staggers, ragged puffs on his cigarette, and was wearing a short polk-a-dot dress... We made eye contact and I just had a feeling not to break it. He stared at me all the way he passed us, and then I just stood still not sure what to do. I didn't want to walk further into the woods, alone, and I didn't want to be close to this man. So I pulled up 911, just in case, waited until he was barely insight and I headed back towards the road (thankful I had the dog!). When I got back to the entrance, he was sitting his truck with his cigarette hanging from him mouth, but also nursing a beer). Once again we stared each other down, and I refused to look away until he finally drove away. Then I got shaky, loaded the girl, and went home! Nala seemed put out at such a short walk, but unfortunately there are weirdos no matter where you live, apparently!!! 

So here we are, about to start another week. I'm now in denial that we'll ever move. I'm not looking forward to having all the calling start back up in the morning, and I'm bummed because it's supposed to be raining a lot this week... which I wouldn't mind at all if I were busy setting up my new house, not trying to buy time and entertain a crazed toddler in "boring" house. And this morning when I was showering and someone ran in to use the bathroom... like three times, I just kept thinking, "If we'd been able to move, I'd now be getting ready in a stink free master bathroom while this child would be doing his business in the OTHER bathroom...." AH! I'm getting worked up again. 

* Breath 

in.. inn...inner.. inner peace...

Three years we've been here. Three years has seen so much
change!

fell asleep one morning, with her tongue
puckered out :D

That's him; the drugged up weirdo in the polk-a-dot dress

She can be such a little angel for brief moments

New Outfit; feel good to actually have
something to wear

She kept squawking like a
parakeet when I'd get her with
the blowdryer. 

I just wanted a Sunday picture with my pretty
girl... nope. Full blown meltdown.

Took her for a morning run, and we were both quite happy

Reading to her

The Week I Embraced Summer's Soon to End :(

Monday:

We had an entire day of screen time and being lazy.

To celebrate National Dog Day we rented, "A Dog's Journey Home" and snuggled Nala.

Tuesday: 

The boys took Addie out front and found them reading news papers at their little picnic table; like little old men! 

We had their Back to School meeting with their teachers where they saw their classrooms, their desks, lockers, and signed contracts that they'd behave and do their best! 

Had our Back 2 School dinner: Macaroni, and apple cupcakes.

We had Maddix's football practice at Newman; 

he killed it! 

Wednesday: 

First Day of School!!! >:*( 

While the boys were ecstatic, the girls and I were devastated. The whole drive home Addie was so confused and concerned over why the boys didn't come back to the car to leave with us! She kept saying, "Buddy? Eh-win?" and point at the school. And "no... NO!" as we drove away.

As soon as we were home she went NUTS! 

While I fed the baby Addie ate the tops off half a dozen red sprinkled cupcakes... then dove onto the couch. While I went to the bathroom she snuck into Avery's room where she napped and woke her up and unrolled a bunch of tape. While I cleaned that up she snuck back into the bathroom and got toothpaste all in the rug. She climbed to the top of the piano and got the keys, i-pad, and computer. She climbed onto the counter and started spraying the bleach spray to "help" me clean. 

By 10:00am I gave up and downloaded some apps on the iPad and we just wallowed on the couch until nap time!! 

But then they came home, and she was happy again! Aaron took her right outside for popsicles and loves! 

Travis went biking

Travis went and coached Aaron's football team

Then YW/Scouts

Thursday:

Just after school drop off, I took the girls to Target before Avery's nap and once we came home Addie was much better behaved! She just HAS to have an outing or she goes crazy! 

Susan picked the boys up from school and they enjoyed some time at her house. 

Travis went to basketball 

Friday/Saturday: 

Susan picked the boys up from school. Addie and I were outside running down Susan's ramp when she pulled home in her van. Addie was happy to see Susan, but when the van doors opened and she saw the boys...

... let's just say I've NEVER NEVER seen such a reaction! It was just like the military videos when the child is beyond happy and flooded with emotions. She screamed. She shook. She jumped up and down. She laughed until she began crying in their arms; I'm tearing up just thinking about the three of them, wrapped in each other'r arms. 

We ended up being invited on a camping trip... was supposed to just be Travis, but then I received a text with the food I was in charge of... and I realized all the camping stuff I'd just taken to the new house was now needing to be picked back up and we were ALL going camping. 

Not going to like, I was stressed. 

However, it ended up being a great time where I could just let the kids wonder around and feel a sense of independence! We met some new people and despite the on and off rain, it didn't stop us from seizing each moment of the trip. 

The kids got to ride around in a UTV (driven by their 8yr old friend!), hiking trails alone, scouting for animals, panning for gold, building a fire, shooting the guns, collecting wagons of walnuts (and Addie throwing them all out of the wagon when they weren't looking), games, chased a toad, and horse back riding.

I came home with some sort of... rash? Hives? Bites? I don't know! But they are itchy, SO itchy. And spreading; so, that part I don't love. 

And then 5 mins into the car ride Addie was out. 10 mins later, Avery. Quickly after, Aaron. And then even Maddix passed out across my lap! That was probably my favorite part to the trip; just knowing they'd played until they dropped! 

Me: Do you want to jump off the porch like we do each year?
Maddix: No, not this year; I'm good
:*( Yeah... he's too old now. 

Good thing she has Avery to shift ALL her love and attentions on to

First day back after school.

Aaron, jumping into the new school year! 

This was the project we were working on for so long!
It will become a bookshelf in the new house.

She just kept saying, "Yeeha!" and then flicking the reigns!

Aaron was having a rough morning after staying up
so late. Addie went over and asked, "You okay Eh-win?"
Then continued to talk/cheer him up

This girl... I just can't.
She is perfect.
I love her so much!

See? Little old men, reading the paper

Patiently waiting for food, even though
Travis hand't even begun making the pancakes!

They had the NIACC Baseball team out front,
giving high-fives to all the kids,
welcoming them to a new school year. 

Now it's back to just us girls at home, except for when
Dad pops his head in on lunch break each day! 

Travis nailed his clay pigeon! 

Yep... she's just chillin in her classes, sister's little jacket, and
watching a Barbie commercial.

All zonked out! 

Where they spent 80% of the trip

So that's where we are at. School has started. The weather is perfectly cool. And now I feel like we've closed out the summer with a quick camping trip. Now onto moving! Tomorrow-Wednesday. Then it's done. And we can really take advantage of all this extra time with Travis. 

It feels like a permanent vacation to have him home for breakfasts, lunch breaks, dinner, weekends, and even obscure holidays, like Labor Day! 

Yay for no more Residency!!!