4.08.2013

where i've been

Well HELLO friends!! It's been awhile! :-) I was going to do the whole **tap tap...... this thing on?** bit, but it's late and I'm sitting in a dark hotel room, my two boys on the pull-out sofa and Livia on a little cot under the window with her pink giraffe and a small army of water bottles on her bedside table. I didn't intentionally take a 3 month blog break, but I thought I'd pop in to let you know what's been going on. Our family of 5 (and really the tiny tornado counts as 3 people herself), has been living at the Marriott since March 15th.

It's April 8th.

The insanity is starting to set in.

There is a much longer version to this story, but the cliff notes version is that we sold our house before the one we're building is ready. This was due largely in part to a huge cabinet fiasco (read: us choosing these super fantastic upgraded modern cabinets that turned out to be giant rectangles of poo). So we had to have 5 bathrooms, the mudroom, the laundry room aaaaand the entire kitchen cabinets ripped out of our new house. Not fun. Then we had to race to find a custom cabinet company that could squeeze us in and get us back on track. I'm happy to say our new cabinets have been installed and we are nearing the home stretch. The wood floors are being sanded this week! Big happy face.

We thought a hotel would be our best living arrangement because most apartments require a 3 month minimum and we only needed about a month. So while 700 square feet, 1 bathroom and 1 closet might feel a little tight... on the upside our room has a full sized kitchen, and there is a gym, pool, and a basketball court.. and complimentary o'duerves in the lobby every Monday-Thursday evening. And someone makes my bed and does my dishes every day. :-) Always the silver lining.

To add another layer to the story, we're taking the kids on a Disney cruise and we leave April 19th. We're headed to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. John. I don't think our home will be ready before we leave. But no problemo!! Life is good and my kids are healthy so I really can't complain. We have 3 storage units, 4 rooms at hubby's office filled floor to ceiling, and half of my parents' home filled to the brim. I think it's going to feel like Christmas opening up all of our things! :-) We will be gone for 10 days, so I'm praying our home will be ready and waiting for us!

A couple little snafu's have also been resolved. There was a little miscommunication between me and hubby, and the box I had packed and boldly labeled "Shorts!!! Cruise!!" was misplaced and feared to be in the back of 1 of the 3 storage units. Behind all the furniture. Having to buy shorts for 10 days for a family of 5? Pricey. But God smiled on us last weekend during our frantic search. It was the FIRST box we touched!! (I won't embarrass Doron by telling you that he jumped up and down and screamed like a girl when the box was found. But since he would be the one crawling over the mattresses and hauling out a houseful of furniture, I'll give him a free pass on that one). Also, there was a MAJOR snafu with hubby's passport. He didn't become a U.S. citizen until 2001 and he couldn't find his naturalization paperwork. No U.S. birth certificate? No paperwork? No cruise. And it was already booked. God smiled on us again, and it was found in a box with some old photos in the garage.

And because a post is no good without pictures, I'll leave you with some recent Instagram photos.

Oh WAIT!!! I almost forgot!! GUESS WHO JUST TURNED 4????!! That's right... this little seƱorita!! (Pardon her matted down hotel hair. Not to worry, she still has her beautiful curls!!) :-)
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I hope to get back on the picture taking bandwagon when we're in our new house and settled. I don't even know if I remember how to use my camera... and as I was uploading these photos, I realized Photobucket has totally changed and I could barely find my way around. Yikes.

OK, back to the iPhone pics.

And one more thing. It's not often that I crack myself up, but it happens on occasion. If you follow me on Instagram, you've already heard this joke. Look at the middle picture in the top row. Livia is the one wearing the hot pink tutu. I titled the photo "the day Livia was out-tutu'd." Get it? The little girl to her right with a tutu 5 times bigger than hers? Oh yeah. Good stuff.
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Sooo... that's where I've been and what we've been up to. I probably won't pop in again until after our cruise, so I'll see you sometime in May! Happy Spring, friends! xoxo

17 comments:

Andrea said...

Oh so glad to see you are back!!
I'm glad you blogged this whole experience so you can remember it in years to come. ;-)
And why did I think you'd already gone on your trip?!
I have missed you sweet friend!!
Xoxo
Can't wait to see pics from your trio and the new house. :-)

Jane said...

Oh wow what a story. Hope everything will workout and you live happely ever after :). I wanted to invite you for an online workshop but since it will start may 5th it probably is to soon. This is the link just in case http://purephotoworkshop.blogspot.nl/

Kat said...

wow I cannnnot imagine bunking up in a hotel room for so long! And happy 4th birthday!

Liz said...

So Exciting. It will be worth it when you are all moved in. Can`t wait to see shots of your new home.

Natalie said...

Have a good trip. Love the IG photos as usual.

Sarah Halstead said...

Have fun on your cruise!! Well at least you will be out of the hotel soon. Can't wait to see photos of your new house

Kristal said...

What a great few months for you! I can't imagine three kids in a hotel room and still functioning!

Enjoy your cruise and new house!

Mama Hen said...

Happy birthday Livia! I just wathced that video of my daughter singing to Livia the other day. I think she was four years old when she did. How time flies. I hope you have fun on the cruise my friend! That must be crazy living in such a small space, but before you know it you will be settled in again and typing away at your computer with some space to breathe. :) I hope all is well! Have a great trip!

Mama Hen

Discovery School at First Baptist Heath said...

been praying for that house building.. enjoy your cruise!!!

Jaymi said...

So good to see you post again! I've been having trouble keeping up with my blog as well, life just gets in the way sometimes. Good to hear you're keeping a good attitude despite the house troubles! Enjoy your cruise--can't wait to see pics from it! :)

Adeena said...

She's four?!? How did that happen? That means Hannah is going to be four this summer. Stop it!

Have fun on your cruise! :)

Unknown said...

Have a blast on the cruise - you are literally in the home stretch! Soon this will all be behind you and you will be loving your time as a family in your new home! Can't wait to see photos from the cruise. Relax. Forget about boxes and all that stuff. It will all be there when you get back. Love and lots of hugs! Hard to believe she is now 4!!!! She is just as beautiful and her smile fills me to the brim with joy!

Gina Kleinworth said...

Love the update & your msg you left me last night on IG. Always brings a huge smile to my face to hear from you.

What an adventure you have been on. I know 5 people in a hotel room is rough- I am always ready to be done with that after about day 2.

Feeling for you. I totally cracked up at the idea of your hubs & the box of shorts. Mine would have done the exact same thing because yep- he would be the one digging through the loads of stuff to find it. Probably cursing like a sailor the entire time with a very unpleasant disposition. :) I certainly feel your angst. I absolutely can't wait to see your new place when you get back to "regular" life. Can you imaging how good that will feel!! Praying all is good & you have a safe trip. Will be looking for updates as you have time.

Love ya to pieces my dear friend! Hugs to all.

Bunch of Barrons said...

Wow! :) Hats off to you for living in such a tiny space for so long. I love my kids, but I think we would surely be insane. Glad that things are coming along. Have fun on your cruise!

Skye said...

Holy crap you are alive lol - glad to hear your debacle is almost over - but living in a hotel room is no fun for that long. We lived in a hotel for 3 days during a hurricane 2 year ago and that was no fun. I can't imagine a month... but the end reward is you will have this big beautiful house to go home to! YAY! And Yay Livi is 4 years old - WOW! Enjoy your vacation and see ya when you're back. I myself will be giving birth to baby right around 5/16 - Looking forward to this pregnancy hell ending soon. LOL.

Anonymous said...

Ah, first world problems. Gotta love them!

Jeska said...

Your daughter is so beautiful. Happy Birthday to her!!

And can I be you?! Seriously every picture you take is amazing, even if it's of nothing at all. Oh and I saw your new home on IG and I must say, I'm insanely jealous- CONGRATS~!!