Finally Home.

Yes, we have finally moved in. We spent our first night here last night. We had to be out of the apartment by tomorrow at noon so we took a couple of days and moved our stuff out.

We are just moving stuff from one pile to another;-)

This move has, by far, been the worst to date. We have moved a lot over the last 12 years and this one just blows all the other ones out of the water.

First, we had to move our furniture to storage. The guys at the storage facility here in SC didn't rewrap it and it got damaged. Many pieces are going to have to be repaired. Then it rained on moving day. That held the progress up. We really thought that it couldn't get worse but then it did.

The refrigerator got damaged as I talked about here. We are filing a claim and hope that they will replace it. After all of that, the movers couldn't find the hardware to put the beds together. They left and the next day Gary & Caden unloaded the ENTIRE garage to find the box marked 'parts box.' It was in the middle of the garage on the bottom of the stack. The movers should have seen the box and kept it out. After we found the box, they sent the guys out to put the beds up.

They didn't even do that right and Gary had to redo them.

So, as I am making a list of THE REPAIRS that the company is going to have to make, this is what I found.

See those two red stickers? That is what they mark the furniture with. There should only be ONE sticker on the bed but there are two. There are two because of this.

That's right. They took a chunk out of the bed (when they took it down in KY) and didn't tell me. They put two stickers over it so that it would stay together.

This bed is not even a year old. This is a chunk and not a scratch. It is big.

That is just one more thing that has to be fixed.

On Friday they sent a third party person to set up the washer and dryer and hook the refrigerator up. I was unpacking in the bedroom and the guy came back there and said that the refrigerator wouldn't fit. It.Would.Not.Fit in the space. Then he dropped the other bomb that just about sent me over the edge....the dryer wouldn't start! My brand new dryer! I just set down on the mattress (since the bed wasn't put together) and wanted to cry. I wanted to call Gary and tell him to come home from work but I didn't. I didn't cry either. A little while later Gary showed up because his boss sent him home to help with the house and he got to work. They are going to send someone to look at the dryer on Monday. I am very upset about the dryer. I have to have the dryer and I am hoping that they can fix it and that I don't have to have it replace. I am afraid that I am going to have to have the refrigerator replaced also.

The other thing that happened was the paint. I picked out the same color that we used in Kentucky. We hadn't had it that long and I wasn't tired of it, so we decided (or I decided) to go with it again.

Our painter has been painting for a couple of weeks now and he painted the kitchen the other night but when I came back over, I didn't think it looked right. Gary didn't either. We just thought that it was a different house, different cabinets, and different lighting. It looked like it had a berry tint to it. I couldn't quit thinking about it so I brought the color swatch over and guess what? Yep, it was WRONG!

Lowe's color matched it wrong. I went to Lowe's on Friday night and they redid it for me but I still didn't like it.

It just had a red undertone to it. It is the color on the right. I am so glad that our painter had not painter the great room or hallways because that was going to be the color. I thought the second from the right was a little light and the one on the left was very close to the color that I loved, so I went with the third from the right.

You can see the difference in the colors in this photo. I am so happy that I changed it. I used Prairie Dust which is what I painted Gary's office in Kentucky. We also paid the painter to repaint the kitchen. It is a nice creamy khaki color. He is trying to finish up and get out of here. He has worked nonstop for days. But tonight, he told me that he would be back Monday and finish up all the touch up and put a few more coats on the black dining room walls.

This is what our great room looks like right at this moment. I have washed all the dishes and the kitchen is set up except for all the stuff on the counters;-) The bathrooms are almost finished but I will have to wait until the painter leaves for me to really get to unpacking. Until then, we are living in a mess.

So, as you can see, it has been a disaster. I am completely wiped out. We both are but each day I am putting one foot in front of the other. I know that it will all come together. It just might take a little longer than it usually does.

I just want to thank everyone for your sweet comments and all the prayers that have gone up for us! We have needed every single one of them:) I really appreciate all of you.

Melanie

Moving Update.

I know you girls are tired of hearing about the move but I need to vent.

Hope you don't mind.

The day started off really well. The cleaner was there cleaning the house and I swept out the garage so that it would be clean for all of our boxes and extra furniture.

Here is the first, yes you read that right, the first moving semi.

They got the one semi down the culdesac without backing it in.

This was the beginning of the boxes. Not to bad so far.

They took the oven out that came with the house but they hadn't found the new one on the truck yet. This is just a peak at the tiled backsplash.

This is what the kitchen looked like after two, yes two boxes:(

Then it started raining. RAINING! I have lived down here for two months and we have had about 2 days, 3 at the most, of rain. It might rain an hour and then go back to sunshine. But we woke to rain this morning. I thought "what else can go wrong with this move?"

Then came the brand new refrigerator that we bought when we moved to Kentucky last year.

I will start off by saying that we were noticing that none of the furniture was wrapped in the quilts. It was all wrapped in thin paper. Not even packing paper. I asked the movers why and they said that since it had to go to storage, the original mover wanted his quilts back so they wrap it in paper. That would explain the two scratches on the dining room table, the scratch on my dresser, and my buffet table with a big gash on the foot. (the furniture didn't make it as easily this time around.)

So back to the refrigerator.

They got the refrigerator to the front door and they couldn't get it in. The handles stick out on the front and even taking the door down wasn't going to get it in.

When I went to the door to see what they were going to do, I saw this.

You can't see them all but there were 7 dents in the side. One side.

A couple of dents on the other side and a big long scuff mark.

Then a dent on the door. When they got it inside (after Gary figured out how to take the bottom freezer off) It had a big scratch on the FRONT door and another two dents on the door. THAT is when I had a meltdown. A full blown meltdown. Every move brings at least one and it was time. I just couldn't believe what my refrigerator looked like.

Now I have to file a claim. Wonder how long that will take? They are going to either buy me another refrigerator or fix the one that I have. All the men said that they would vouch for me that it was damaged.

Then, no one could find the bed hardware. Not for ONE.SINGLE.BED! The movers are suppose to set up the beds, put any tables together etc. NONE of that was done.

There was no finding the box for the hardware because this is our garage.

We could not get one more thing in it. We have stuff on the back porch, garbage cans in the yard, and bicycles too.

It is a mess. The craters didn't show up to uncrate the TVs, hook up the washer and dryer, or the refrigerator. So until I unpack some boxes, we won't be moving in because we can't put the beds up.

Oh, and the painter is painting around all the furniture that is in the middle of the rooms. He also dropped black paint on the hardwood floor. A LOT! I know that he was upset because he knew that I had been crying and he probably thought that I would have another meltdown but I didn't. He is wonderful and cleaned it right up.

The only upside to this day is that the painter started painting the black dining room. I can't wait to see it finished tomorrow.

So I really need all your prayers. I am crying at the drop of the hat and I don't know how I am going to unpack when the bedrooms are not quite set up. I am going to keep Caden home from school tomorrow so that he can move boxes for me and I am going to do the kitchen, closets, and clothing. I have to make some headway so that we can find the bed hardware.

Wish me luck.

I will see you all on Monday.

Happy weekend,

Melanie

PS. To all that commented on Caden or the move, I appreciate them all and I will do my best to email you all back.

Almost Here.

The moving day is almost here. It has been a stressful 3 months. More stressful than any other move that we have had. It all started with the house and finding one that was headed (or in) foreclosure. I say that because we were told that it was headed there but at closing the attorney said that it was in foreclosure.

Either way, we closed last Friday. We didn't close on time but we closed. The painter has been over there since last week caulking, touching up the trim, and painting. The biggest headache has been the builder. He builds a good house but he procrastinates. THAT has been the biggest stress. He is suppose to be finished today and sending a person over to clean the house.

I really hope that he does because the moving semi will be showing up bright and early tomorrow morning. Come Friday, I will be knee deep in boxes and happy to be with my 'stuff!' It is a running joke with everyone because I love my stuff, meaning our furniture. I guess I have learned to not love a house but to love us being together as a family and our things.

Getting your heart broken over a house will do that to you. That and moving a lot;-)

So, I will be away for a few days getting the furniture moved in and will be unpacking boxes. I hope to take a few photos and post them on Friday morning. I have so much to show you girls and will have plenty to blog about.

I am leaving you with a picture of Lake Tahoe that I took while we were on vacation. It is not photoshopped. The water is truly that color.

Enjoy. (believe me, there are many more to come of that! :)

Melanie

Three Houses.

That is what we have lived in in less than a year! Can you believe it? I sure can't.

Can you say LONG YEAR?!?

We went from Florida.....

to Cincinnati.....

to South Carolina.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are suppose to close tomorrow at 10 a.m. and then we will move in next weekend. The house is being painted and the builder is finishing up some last minute things.

I hope that we will now be able to breathe some. I want our family to be settled. I want Gary to be able to come home to a home cooked meal, his TV, and his recliner. I want Caden to have his own room again and his normal schedule. I want to walk on the treadmill every day, read, and play in my scrapping stuff.

I want us to feel at home again.

And I think we will be, very soon.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Melanie

This is my life....again!

Just last year in November, this is what our house looked like.

Now it's October, eleven months later and it looks like this.

Girls, I'm tired! Haven't sleep much in the last few days so I am drinking plenty of this.

When the movers leave, I think I am going to do a little retail therapy and head to HomeGoods & Charming Charlies. Then it will be take out in bed at a hotel for a little R & R before flying home tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a great weekend,

Melanie

Leaving on a Jet plane.

The time has come to meet the movers at our home in Kentucky. I feel like I am dreaming since I just did this LESS than 8 months ago. It has just been a very rough move. I thought that this one would be a breeze since we knew what to expect. There have been a whole host of problems right from the get go. I won't go into all the details but it had to do with finding a house, having issues about the house at the last minute a week from closing, and then having the movers scheduled but being told two days before that they were NOT scheduled.

Was that a run on sentence? Anyhoo....

I could go on and on but that would just bring you all down and that is not what I want to do. I will say that I am happy to be going home. Caden told me the other day that it wasn't home anymore but I told him as long as our stuff was there, it was:) I will be glad to be home but it is not a vacation for sure. Male movers will show up bright and early Wednesday morning and will pack for 3 days.

It.Will.Be.A.Mess!

That's all I'm sayin.

But I will be home and surrounded by my things;-)

The latest on the house is that we should know by Friday if they accept our offer. I am okay with a yes or a no answer but we do need an answer. We were suppose to close on the house today but that did not happen. I want a final and definite answer. No more waiting.

That's what I say.

To rest my mind at night, I have been playing Words With Friends. If any of you play and you want to play me, my name is ladynole35. I am not very good at it but I do love it. So start a game with me if you want to play.

So, today I be boarding a small commuter plane and flying home.

I don't like small enclosed spaces, so I am praying that we don't get stuck on the runway sitting. That would NOT be good . I could have a slight panic attack:)

So off I go today and I am so looking forward to my bed tonight and a quite house.

Tootleoo for now,

Melanie

Maybe we don't have a house!

Whomever said that moving was an adventure, they would be correct!

Yesterday I got the mail and I sat down to go through it and our appraisal on the house in SC came in.

Good news for us, bad news for the seller. It appraised at $14,000.00 less than we agreed upon. This comes one week before closing, one week for the builder to finish the house up, and one week before I fly to Cincy to meet the movers! Meet the movers to move our furniture to.....wait, I might not have a house. I don't know where the movers will be taking the furniture.

This could not happen at a worse time. Gary has had to work the night shift since Saturday and to top that off, he only slept 4 hours yesterday when he had to get up to get on a conference call. Then it was off to the realtor's office.

We now wait to see if the builder can come down to the appraisal price. If he can't, we are back to square one. Not somewhere that we want to be.

All in all, I am taking it surprisingly well. I am like "whatever." There is another house somewhere. Gary is not happy at all. He is ready to be in a house. I am usually the one that is saying that but this time the roles are reversed.

So I will let you know when and if we have a house to move to:)

Melanie

MIA

Yes, I am missing in action. Between getting Gary moved and Caden in school, I also had to get the house ready to put up for sale. I have not had time to blog or visit any of you. I feel so out of the loop and I miss all of you. I have no internet access and I have been doing nothing but looking at houses.

This is proving to be harder than I thought it would be. I have so much to tell all of you and I hope to be back to blogging soon.

Please don't forget about me while I am away. When I get back, I will have much to blog about. Our vacation this past July, our move, and our new home. Lots in store if you will hang with me and give me a moment to get caught up.

I miss y'all and will be back soon.

Melanie

I wish!

I would love to buy this house. It just screams 'southern!' It would be a low country house in low country territory;-)

Doesn't it remind you of Paula Deen's house? Um, maybe not on her scale but it does look like something she would live in.

Can y'all tell that Gary has been looking at houses? I am getting hives just thinking about it. I love houses and love to decorate them BUT two in one year is a bit much for even me. He has been down there for two weeks now and has seen about 20 or so houses. He has lived with me for over 19 years, so he knows what I will like and don't like. He narrowed down his list and emailed it to me. I crossed off around four of those and added a few more.

I like expensive:-)

Who would have guessed that? LOL! We have a good realtor down there, so when I get to head south, we will go house hunting together. I am very decisive when it comes to houses. It won't be very hard to narrow them down. The problem is going to be finding one that doesn't require us to sell our son to be able to buy.

Which leads me to this house.

I wish Gary wouldn't have found it because I have fallen in love with it and I haven't even stepped foot in it. I love old houses but Gary doesn't. This would be the perfect combination for us. Looks old but is new. I don't understand why it has been sitting for 3 years empty. No one has bought it, so it hasn't been lived in. It is completely finished now and really there is nothing not to like. The back is as pretty as the front. When Caden got there on Saturday, Gary drove him by some of the houses that he had found and what was Caden't favorite? You guessed it, the most expensive one. I guess he is my son afterall;-)

I am overwhelmed by all of this but I am taking it a day at a time and and one appointment at a time. The railroad has a great moving package and yes, they do come and pack the house for me but that doesn't take care of all the doctors, car tags, insurance, etc. You get the picture. It is just a lot to deal with.

But to make myself feel better, I can always go back and tour this lovely house again and again. It sure beats what I have been doing....stuffing my face. Now I have 5 pounds to lose instead of 3:( ugh! Hello treadmill and goodbye sweet tea & coke!

I do hope that y'all take the tour yourself and enjoy it.

Have a good Monday,

Melanie

ps. I am using Blogger to blog this morning so who knows what it is going to look like. Still trying to learn the other program that is compatible with Mac.

pss. How do I make the photo larger in Blogger? I can't figure that out.

ETA: I took down the link. Someone text me about crazies out there and posting the address.

Guess What?

Yep, we’re moving!

AGAIN!

Every one pick your mouth up off the floor because I know that’s where they’re at;-)

I know, I know. We just got here 9 months ago. So is life with the railroad.

When we built our home in Florida, we knew that we would be moving to Cincinnati but we didn’t know when. We lived every day for three years waiting on the call. When it came, we were glad that we just knew when we were leaving.

Try living every day wondering when you are moving 800 miles from home.

I told Gary that when we got to Cincy, we had to stay put for at least 2 1/2 years so that Caden could stay in one high school and graduate.

Then we moved.

We got here on November 7th and by the end of January we heard rumblings that Gary could get a promotion that would require yet another move.

I would not hear of it.

Then in April, we heard more rumblings. By then I had made it through my first big winter and was missing the south terribly. I had not adjusted to the north like I thought I would and come to find out, neither had Caden.

Gary and I had to really discuss what we would do if we got the call. I didn’t want to discuss it. I wanted Caden to be settled in his school and in our house.

But then my head took over and I let my heart go. I had to quit thinking about it from a mom’s point of view and think about it as something that was happening for me and Gary. We couldn’t pass up a promotion no matter what. (Okay, I lied. We could pass it up if it were to New York or Maryland. I couldn’t go anywhere colder!)

The only thing was telling Caden.

Another move. Another school. Another half year of living unsettled.

But come to find out, Caden was all for it. Maybe not the unsettled part but the south part. We had decided that if we got the call, we would have to take it. Now, the only thing was telling Caden. I told Gary that he would have to do it this time:)

It ended up that I told him and he was fine with it. He missed the south as much as I did and he wanted to move back.

We got the call last Friday.

Gary left Tuesday.

It all happened very quickly.

So now we are South Carolinians.

Y’all get to watch me decorate another house and go through the process all over again. Needless to say, I am a little overwhelmed. This is why I have been a little absent from the internet. Between vacation, Caden’s mouth surgery, a broken laptop, trying to find a school over the internet, and the transfer, it has been a busy month.

Now the question is what am I going to call my blog? Keep it the same name or rename it something else?

Priorities people, priorities;-)

Melanie

PS. I have added a lot of my blog friends to my blog roll. Please check them all out. If you see your name and would rather it not be there, let me know and I will take it off. I didn’t email everyone to ask if they minded that I put their blog on my roll. Thanks.