Y’all Have a Lot of Catching Up to Do
“This has been the most stressful summer of my life” is the absolute understatement of the century. I haven’t had time to write, let alone do much breathing. In the spring, Mr. BBM was called by a recruiter about a position that sounded pretty intriguing. About a week later he had a phone interview. Within five days of that, he was flown in for a face-to-face interview. At the airport, waiting for his return flight, his recruiter called him and said he’d have an offer by the end of the week. I panicked as he got further along in the process. I won’t lie. I prayed the offer would suck. The offer did not suck.
In fact, as I questioned Mr. BBM on each component of the offer, it became clear that there was no saying “no” to it. We had four days to make a decision, to completely uproot our family, leave the home we built just five years ago, and the swim club that I consider my 4th child. We ran a swim meet the next day, came home and grabbed our bags and drive five hours to Virginia. I couldn’t make a decision to move us without at least seeing the place. We arrived very late at night and woke up on Mother’s Day in the hotel to what could only be described as a place with nothing to dislike. The neighborhoods felt resort-like, the swim club had great reputations and phenomenal facilities. The cost of living is less. The decision was made.
We began preparing our house to sell and told those close to us what was happening. In between staging rooms at my house, I spent a lot of time crying. I have my entire family in Pennsylvania. All my best friends are here too. You don’t just make friends like I have overnight. It takes a long time before you reach the comfort level we’ve reached with each other, and I was leery about starting the process all over again.
We went on a company paid house-hunting trip and saw 26 properties over the course of four days. We saw a few we liked but our favorite went under contract before we could even get a second showing. We left after those four days with no home prospects, and knowing our own house was going up for sale in only days. I am the type of person who needs to know where I’m going to land before I jump, and I wasn’t going to have that option. I asked Mr. BBM what school district do your kids attend when you’re living in the Homewood Suites? I didn’t want to go.
The day the “for sale” sign was going up at our house, we got a call from our realtor, that our favorite house was available. The deal fell through. We put in an offer and held our breath. Because the selling family was also a relo family, the offer could not be contingent. We held our breath as four showing requests came in over the next three days. On the third night, we had three offers, all with escalation clauses. Our realtor was as shocked as we were. We chose an offer, removed the contingency and got our house.
In June, Mr. BBM left for VA, and left me behind with three kids as emotionally exhausted as I was. In July, the movers came, spent two days packing our entire house and two days loading our entire house. The truck pulled out and we lived with friends for 6 days before we closed on our new home. I made the trip in record time with three kids, two cats, two hibiscus trees I refused to leave behind, and an unhappy mom-mom who didn’t want us to go either.
We have been in our house for almost three weeks now. We are adjusting to things, and are mostly unpacked. However, we’re feeling pretty lonely without our friends and family from home. We have much painting to do in our new house, and a lot of getting used to how over-the-top friendly Virginians are when they don’t even know you. This begins a new adventure for the BBM family. I hope you’ll follow along.
Vanished
I hate moving. Inevitably, something goes missing. Inevitably, it's always something important. No, I couldn't be missing the box that contains old college textbooks. Those boxes are all accounted for. And it's not another miscellaneous box full of baby toys either.
I'm missing two boxes to be exact.
I'm missing my very small and carefully labeled box with St. Joseph in it. I'm also missing my box that contains all my curtain rod brackets and picture framing hardware. I'm starting to suspect that St. Joseph wasn't really happy about being packed up temporarily and that he decided to mess with me a bit. Taking my curtain hardware would do just that.
I'd like to let St. Joseph know that I have big plans for him, and that I have a place of honor picked out where everyone will see him so I'll be able to tell the story about how he helped us sell our house and thereby increase everyone's faith. But I can't do that unless I find him, and find him, I can't.
Roller coaster week
We pretty much finished our move today, before the torrential rain that is washing away our newly seeded yard arrived. This week has been exhausting. Tonight I will sleep in my own bed in my own room for the very first time in my new house. I can't wait.
During the middle of the week, I got some exciting news from my best friend that turned into miserable news only days later. In the absense of me having anything worth telling you, go and read her story and give her some love and support.
It’s Done
My fingers hurt. My toes hurt. My back kills. I’m exhausted and grumpy; but the move is finally done.
We started bright and early on Saturday morning and we weren’t at my parent’s house until after 10 p.m. Yesterday, Mr. BBM and I took the girls back to the house to get the last minute stuff and clean the house. We were there for almost the entire day. The last minute stuff pretty much filled up the truck (yet again) and it was miserable. The girls were upset and unhappy at seeing their vacant rooms. I was overwhelmed with stuff; and we had to load everything in between two nasty storms. We had to drive through one of them with hail, crazy winds and thunder that even made me scream.
We are now officially living with my parents and trying not to step on any toes will be a full time job. I have two little girls who think that Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop are their personal play toys 24/7. I have three rooms to unpack and organize, and absolutely no energy. Two cups of coffee couldn’t even cure my lack of energy today.
I think I need to hibernate for about a week.
I’d like to thank Renovation Girl who helped me pack and prepare. Without her, I can’t even imagine how awful it would have been. I’d also like to thank Eric and Matt, who arrived just when Mr. BBM and my Dad were really getting tired, after putting in a full day at the dojo work day. Without your help, I don’t know what we would have done. I’d also like to thank my Dad (who doesn’t even read this blog, but oh well) for working non-stop and carrying things he really shouldn’t have been carrying. Then there’s my sister and her boyfriend, who took two loads in their truck and also came back to rescue my cats from moving insanity to take them to their temporary housing for a few months. There’s also "Fancy" who helped me pack up the last few things, offered hugs when I felt like I was going to break down and cry or kill someone or both, and spent one of her precious days off helping out a friend. I also can’t forget to mention my lovely neighbors "K" and "S" who supplied me with a shot glass full of wine when I had a little break. I so needed that. Nothing would have been accomplished if not for my Mom who volunteered to keep the girls the night before the move and the entire moving day. Clearly, you’re all owed big time.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. If I could lift my arms, I’d give you all a giant hug.
Last Night
It’s my last night in our home of almost five years.
The closets are empty (Thanks to Renovation Girl who followed me around the house forcing me to pack, pack, pack 24/7). What’s left is the mess that will go in "misc" boxes and the furniture which will go to the storage unit tomorrow. The girls are already settled in at my parent’s house, complete with all of their clothes and their beds. Lil C was a very unhappy girl until she saw her bed all set up in Mom-Mom’s house. She asked me lots of questions and seemed to be more at ease when I kissed her good night and headed back home to finish the last minute packing.
While leaving this wonderful house is sad, I know that we’ve made the right choice. Clearly, we’ve grown out of our current home and it’s time to move on. That doesn’t mean there won’t be tears. I brought Lil C home for the first time in this house; and Big I was only two when we moved in here. We’ve made some excellent friends in the neighborhood; and I’ll miss stopping over for a glass of wine and a chat. Moving out now, when our new house consists only of basement walls, is difficult. Squeezing all of our stuff into two closets and a bathroom we’ll all have to all share for a few months is also going to be difficult.
I know it will all be worth it.
Right now, all I know is that I need a shower and some ibuprofen for my aching back.
Copyright
© Copyright 2006-2019 blackbeltmama dot com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Follow Me
Blog Designed By
My Creations
Things You Could Care Less About
