Farewell....sort of...

Well we made it out of Mesquite with the moving truck....but not by much.  Kale and I both came down with a nasty bug...it was not at all fun or interesting to learn how impossible it is to pack boxes or a moving truck when running to the bathroom for various reasons...so although the truck got off to the storage unit it looks like we will have to make a trip back to finish off what almost finished us off on the first go around....we also learned how much harder than we thought it is to move a family of seven this far and we haven't even left Utah!

Of Course...

Well I spent literally half of the day in St. George.....between getting birth certificates replacements and a sick baby girl I feel that even though it was worth it what a waste of my day....oh well another late night....

Boys say bye bye Mesquite and Hello! Cedar City

Unexpectedly we had some helpers arrive today to haul away bags of trash...and in the process our four boys unknowingly said goodbye to Bunkerville, Mesquite, Nevada and their cats.....I don't know if they realize it with Sean being in Cedar City.  But sooner or later I am sure they will realize they aren't coming "Home"...

So for Raiden, Judge, Ender and Jenner I say goodbye to all the great friends they have made and the fun times they have had....for Ender and Jenner I especially say goodbye to the trampoline that they have absolutely loved having!!!

These noodles look like worms...

Well we are officially done selling things.  I am now giving things away to the thrift stores and people we know.  Kind of nice just to get rid of things...embarrassing though to see what we have managed to accumulate through 13 years of marriage, 5 kids and many many moves.

We celebrated this with the kids first of many last things they wanted to do before we leave town.  Nia's first and last time eating Canton Chinese food, and amazingly enough I think she ended up doing a better job with a fork than most of us do with chopsticks.  The boys last time eating at their favorite Chinese food place in town (Raiden is very proud that he is friends with the owners son).

This was followed with another last time we did this moment of...

....  :) 

Makes my mother's heart smile

T-Shirt titled "My Parents Are Exhausted"

was found the other day by a friend amongst all of my kids clothes.  I think even though he can't read Jenner must have picked up on this and shared with his sister and brother.  They are trying their darndest to drive us crazy.  Every time we turn around we catch one unpacking a box or shredding the bag that the thrift store goods are in...

I have three Gold Medalists in the Destructo/Drive Your Parents Bonkers events....and I think every family has at least one Medalist at all times.  It is required by the governing laws of childhood I think...

The count down isn't officially under way...but knock on wood...we will be headed out of Mesquite by Thursday...

Garage Sale

Thanks to all who came to browse our house of stuff.....we met a lot of very nice people, and everyone wished us well on our new adventure....we now have a lot of sorting, seperating and packing to do...and then on to Utah....and then on to Oregon...and then finally on to ALASKA!

No Rest

...for the wicked, right?  We won't tally up our points on this one.  Crazy day....I would love to say I sat back, relaxed and relished our upcoming move and my days off.  But that is not happening.  Up at 6 cause a kid needed Mom, and of course he went right back to sleep once he got what he needed...

Other than that it is clean, clean, clean and sorting things in hopes that this Friday and Saturday's garage sale goes good.  If I don't have to sort through papers again this century it will be too soon.

Jenner finally caught on that the trampoline is no longer in the back yard.  Not a happy person with mom anymore tonight...thank goodness he went to bed.

So on to better things...maybe not better but we did manage to reserve our room in Sitka today.  I thought booking a hotel here in the lower '49 with five kids was a task to be avoided...it is even trickier up in Alaska.  I wont complain about sizes of rooms or the price of getting two rooms if needed anymore.  The cheapest room we found was 150 and they wouldn't rent it to us because we went beyond capacity.  But we did get in touch with a lovely bed and Inn that has a family style room that we reserved...the fun thing is that they serve a full breakfast and not just continental. 

Not Yet....

I keep getting asked if I am going to cry.....today was my last day at work for the Mesquite Library.  I don't think it will sink in till Saturday when I don't hop out of bed and start my Saturday routine that I have had for the past 5 years....then I might feel it...possibly not though since we are trying to hold the worlds or at least Mesquites/Bunkervilles craziest garage sale ever....Ok...not really...but we are undertaking a massive task of emptying our house of what has to be 3/4 of our worldly possessions...by this I mean toys....so maybe later...when I have time....but at least for now...Yes I will miss the people I have spent the last few years working besides and the patrons I have served....

I have loved being a Librarian!!!!

Measurements

IF you measure a parents love, devotion and attentiveness to their child according to the amount of things, toys or possessions said child can claim as theirs I think I can without a doubt say we are smothering our children with our love.  Nia not quite so much, just a little, but considering she is my baby girl after four boys I feel justified.  But my boys are definitely being smothered with my affection.  Kale and I started going through the storage boxes we have designated for toys and this move, exhausting as it is, makes me see just how much you overbuy toys for kids....I know we have Christmas and birthdays but our kids in particular own way to much stuff considering it is of the toy nature.

It just sucks you in!

Considering I made bread and brownies, washed laundry, sorted clothes, emptied dressers and fixed some bikes I still feel like Facebook just sucked me in today as far as dealing with trying to sell things online...I didn't spend all day sitting there...but it does feel like I spent more time than I had planned on it....but if it helps sell things right???

More....of more

Did more cleaning once again.....Nia's room is done and Ender's and Jenner's room is now bedless.  They just can't leave it alone so it is no longer theirs...  I did manage to sell the trampoline.... The kids were a bit surprised when they went out to jump...and it wasn't there....now we are going to go swimming to cool off....

Accomplished

Feeling quite accomplished....I haven't done much...but today I did manage to sell 3 scooters and 2 big wheels.  May tomorrow see just as much stuff in better homes...hopefully more than that...

My little firework!

Well she can grow up to be a dancer, ice skater, or participate in Cirque Du Soliel!!!

Tired

After working a six hour day, and Kale's can compare since he took all the kids (all five of them) to the doctor, we both are tired.  But I think I win because I took the four boys swimming, which involved multiple trips up the stairs to take Jenner down the slide.  I think we went 15 times this go around.  He kept telling me it wasn't hard, to climb the stairs that is.  I told him that we had gone so many times he was making me tired.  To which the lifeguard and I had to laugh at his, "It's to bad these are escalators!"

Rain, Rain Come and STAY!

FINALLY!  The rain comes.  That is sometimes what it takes to take this roaring inferno heat of 115 to something fairly tolerable below the 100 mark. 

I woke up early this morning and as I was doing my bed check...Ender is an adventurous child....neither the little guys were in their beds.  And after the great door knob removal escapades of the night before I figured I had better find them.

The Jenner was passed out on the couch in front of the TV.  The Ender wasn't to be found.  After a quick glance around I naturally looked outside.  And yep!  There he was.  Doing back flips in the rain on the trampoline.

He is very excited about having the rain around more when we go up to Alaska....I don't think he realizes that he doesn't get to take his trampoline yet.....but we wont be discussing that now...

Happy Birthday USA

4th of July with our kids....Whew!  They really know how to knock you down, run you over and then want to do it again and again all day long.  Add heat to that and you have an entirely exhausting weekend ahead of you....

It was so hot we didn't participate in the Bunkerville games and activities.  Our baby girl is teething and running a high fever and I didn't want to have her out when she was already a wee bit delirious and not the happiest camper. 

But we did go to the Pancake Breakfast.  Our ward was hosting and Raiden got to help out.  Fun to see him in that role.  He is growing up so fast.  The rest of the day was spent indoors and out of the heat and wind.  The boys did argue their cause pretty effectively and we ended up taking them to watch Despicable Me 2.  You got to hand it to those movie makers, they know what they are doing....

Other than that we did fireworks and take a day off from cleaning and packing....but you know what we did the next day???  Packing, cleaning and the boys got a break by dad taking them swimming.  (AND out of my hair thankfully!!!)  I am ready to be all packed and moved out of here....not to much longer...

Boots

My BOOTS came in....we are always excited to get a package!!!  Who doesn't want to open a present? (even though YOU paid for it?)  Judge was very happy as well that he got his BLUE boots...going to have to tease him..  But not till it is too late for him to change his mind...so August 10th will be my day to look forward to.  By the way...no teasing about the calves....you try to look sexy in mid high boots, winter socks and shorts...not a good combo...

Happy 4th!!!

Oh Darn!

Six days in and I have missed a day!  Shucks!  Oh well.  I am not in Alaska yet so I hope to be forgiven.  We had a busy day yesterday and I am sure today will be just as busy...dental appointments, eye appointments and prepping for 4th of July.  Just cause we are moving the kids can't miss out on their fireworks....quoting the source here.  This will be the first year we have a scout old enough that he needs to help with the local pancake breakfast.  Kind of exciting...I know...excitement level of maybe a parking lot speed bump...but hey it means he is growing up and it doesn't involve him being taller than me....but one more day in and one more day closer to my early...let's say retirement from the library system...Congrats by the way to Melanie for getting promoted from a page position to a library assistant.  She's worked hard and I can only think of one other person who deserved it as much as her....Good Luck!

I'm Melting.......

I never thought I would have the same worries as the Wicked Witch of the West...and this isn't regarding getting the ruby slippers from Dorothy.  Today while driving the brief few minutes that I needed to, to go get lunch, I was very glad that I didn't have a cup of water or anything else that might make me melt if thrown or dumped on me....

So, so very hot....didn't know I would ever want oven mitts just to drive my car.