Blog Changes & The Big Project Update

I sprung the news earlier this week that we're moving to the East Coast next year. I'm not sure if I really elaborated on my feelings about it, so here goes: I'm scared and I'm excited. I'm nervous, and worried, but looking forward to new possibilities, new friends, and a new way of living. I'm sad to leave my family in B.C., sad to to leave the mountains, the rain, the evergreen trees, the Pacific Northwest, the ocean, the Puget Sound, my friends, my kids' friends, the view of Mt Rainier from right down the road, the closeness of the strawberry farm and blueberry farm, the mall I have shopped at for 4 years, Safeway. Everything. I am sad to leave Washington. This feels like home to me. It has been our home for almost 10 years.

But unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

What I am looking forward to is 4 complete seasons, snow, having familial support close by, meeting my new niece/nephew, getting to drive across the country and see things we've never seen. I'm excited to be only a few hours from NYC by train, to be closer to my Brother in Ontario. I'm really happy about cheaper living, getting to know my husband's family, and living in a state where there is something to do all the time. And the thing I am looking forward to the most is that I will FINALLY have my husband home each and every night in just two years. There finally is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Pennsylvania will be an adventure for us, and hopefully I can feel about it the way I do about Washington. Maybe one day it will be home for me.

Originally we had planned to have me and the kids fly out, and my husband and his dad drive our van with the pets. We were also going to send our belongs via PODS, but found out they don't service the area we'll be moving to. Now the plan, as dreadful as it may seem, is to have ALL of us drive out. We're going to rent a 26ft UHaul, which my husband and his dad will take turns driving. I'll be the primary driver of our van, and the guys will take turns switching off with me. The dog will ride in the UHaul with my husband, and I will have the cats. He'll like that, Braddock loves taking car rides, so this will be an adventure for him. And we'll spend the money beforehand and purchase an in-car DVD system. There is NO way I am driving across the country without some method to shut my kids up. Though I might have to resort to ductape if it gets too bad.

We decided to cut costs and do it this way because the other way is too expensive. We figure we can cover most of the costs with our tax return next year, and we're saving up the rest. We do plan to purge a LOT of our belongings. All the tv/dvd/entertainment center items will be gone, save for the Wii,and possibly the dvd player. We will purge the girls' dressers (they need replaced anyway), most of our book shelves, and our bedroom set. Our bedroom set we bought when we were first married will be sold (gorgeous Cherry wood, with a 4 poster bed and two great dressers), but has been rattled a bit during our moves over the last 10 years. Plus, it is so heavy to move, so we're going to replace it once we move. So anything that we don't use, love or need, or is broken/in need of replacement, will be replaced.

So that's all for now, folks. I'll update more on our move as needed. I'm glad we finally got it out in the open! I've held that secret from my family for months! Oh and of course, I will do blog updates while we're on the road ;o)

Regarding the blog, you've probably noticed I've been doing some housekeeping around here. It was getting a bit too messy for my liking, so I decided to change it up a bit. I haven't yet found a background that totally suits me, but I'm working on it. So you might see a few more changes here and there the next week or so.

TTFN!!