Condo Fun

The day after we got everything unloaded, Micah and I were busy trying to make some sense out of all the boxes, so Dan, Sandy, and Larry took the boys to the park and pool that we have. One of the definite draws for us picking this place was that there was a playground on site and it had a great pool and hot tub.

Aiden was very excited to go to the park...it's one of the things he's been talking about since we told him about our new home. He couldn't wait to play on his new playground :)

We put the kids in some swim trunks and they headed out to the pool.

Devin had no fear jumping into the water. He is definitely going to be our water bug...complete opposite of Aiden!

Aiden needs a bit more coaxing to get him in the water. I think he finally saw how much fun Devin was having and decided to join the fun.

Loved having some fun quality time with Uncle Danno before he had to leave and go back home.

They called us and made us take a minute to relax with the family...the unpacking will happen in due time...so we put on our suits and headed on down...I was looking forward to the hot tub. Too bad the jets have been out of working order for a year, and it doesn't seem like the HOA is going to be quick about fixing them either. But at least it's still warm!

Grandpa was taking advantage of the workout facility we have while we were enjoying the water.

It was good to relax for a bit and enjoy the amenities our condo has to offer. We will be taking advantage as often as we can!

More CA fun with Kiki and Grandpa

We really wanted to get the kids out of the condo for some family fun, so Kiki did a little research and found this Children's Museum for us to go to. We enjoyed it so much that we went ahead and got a membership there so we can take the kids whenever. It's big enough that you can spend the whole day there doing different activities, or just go for a few hours and hit up a few areas or attend one of their concerts during the summer concert series. My camera battery pretty much died, so we only have a few pictures, but you get the idea.

They had this fire engine that the kids could sit in and look at all the gears and dress up on the top of it. For some reason Aiden didn't want to go in it...wierd huh?

So Micah got in :)

Aiden and I played with the air balls.

Devin soon joined us

They had a Bob the Builder exhibit traveling through, and it was pretty cute.

Here's the last picture before my camera really called it quits. It was a fun day.

On the last night we decided to christen the Jokers and Marbles board in the new place...and of course the kids had to "play" first.

We put the kiddos to bed and then got to really play. I can't remember who won, but I'm pretty sure the girls did...as usual ;) haha! (we'll see if Larry or Micah actually read this and dispute it). So for now, we'll go with that ;)
We were sad to see them go, and so grateful for all the help and company. But it was time for us to really get settled in as a family and get to unpacking.

San Franscisco

After we got the truck unloaded and some of the essentials unpacked and put together, we really wanted to spend some quality time with Kiki and Grandpa before they had to leave. So we headed up to San Francisco for the day.

Grabbing some breakfast before getting on the road.

Our plan was to go the aquarium for a few hours and then hit up Fisherman's Wharf for lunch. But when we got to the aquarium and saw how expensive it was, we opted not to go since it wouldn't be worth it for the few hours we were planning on spending there. Well, we were in a bit of a pickle since we had been talking about going to see Sea Creatures all morning to Aiden. We HAD to find some sea creatures! So God smiled upon us and brought us to this little pond on the grounds and we made the biggest deal about looking for Sea Creatures. Sooooo lucky for us that there were turtles swimming around and some small fish. We got lucky with that one!

Trying to point out the turtles to us

I've never been so happy to see a turtle in my life! haha :)

The kids really did enjoy themselves, and one day when we have more time we may try the aquarium again...but for now, we're all about the "free" pond and turtles :)

Then we walked some more around the gardens and came across these huge leafy plants. I was hoping for a great picture of them, but they're not always the most cooperative when it comes to taking pictures.

After the pond and the gardens we drove up to Fisherman's Wharf for lunch to the restaurant Micah and I went to when we came out in May looking for housing.

Giving the boys some coins to give the street entertainment. Of course Aiden didn't want to have anything to do with the robot guy. And yes we saw the man scaring people behind the fake bush again! They weren't too keen on him either though...

Our view from Tarantino's Restaurant on Fisherman's Wharf...sooo yummy :)

It was a great day and the boys got to see a little more of what California has to offer. It's definitely different out here! We're really starting to experience new things and having a good time along the way.

Moving day

Well, moving day arrived. We packed all weekend in between attending all the final parties and Monday morning we began the loading of the truck. My parents came out to help us while Micah's parents had the kids and were going to fly out and meet us on Thursday. So the loading began...

We had some AWESOME neighbors who helped us all day loading and packing. We really wouldn't have gotten it all done in a day if it wasn't for them!

Our minivan was getting worked on and I'm on the phone with the dealership trying to get everything taken care of. As annoying as it was to have to deal with that on top of all the work we were already doing, I welcomed the chance to sit for a minute!

All packed up...sort of. We still had some odds and ends to get in there, but we couldn't believe we got it all in. Well, that's a lie. See my dad's truck on the side...loaded with stuff for storage. Garage had a pile of stuff still to go to storage and Goodwill. I had Sandy's car since the van was at the shop, and that was packed to the brim. Oh yeah, and some stuff in the cab of the moving truck. It all got transferred into our vehicles that were being towed (they were both at our parent's houses because they were both getting work done on them before our trip).

So after we loaded everything up and cleaned the house we left Monday night for our parents' house 2 hours away. Spent the night, and then Tuesday morning picked up the van and put it on the tow dolly and met everyone for a final breakfast. This gave us the chance to say goodbye to everyone one last time, and see the boys before we got on the road. They were excited to see us and the truck with all our stuff, but Aiden did start crying when we were leaving. I am sure he was pretty confused as to what was really going on. But Grammy did a good job distracting them and giving them plenty of fun things to do before they left with Sandy and Larry on the plane to meet us in our new home!

Getting on the road! We were so grateful that Dan made the drive with us. I didn't drive at all...no way I was going to pull that big truck with a trailer on the back with our van! No experience, no thank you! haha

We stopped in Utah on our way out for a quick breather and visited with Ben's mom LuAnn and Ben's niece Lucy. She was so welcoming and opened her house up to us for a few hours. If I had my way (which I was trumped by the two men driving who wanted to continue straight through) I would have wanted to stay the night and seen a little of Utah, and actually get some real sleep laying down. But I was going to take what I could get, and she made us a wonderful breakfast, gave us a few hours of sleep, and a warm shower. I felt human again! Even if it was just for a few hours :) Thank you so much LuAnn!!

I tried to get some pictures of the scenery with my phone...sorry about all the bug splatters. We actually welcomed the rain we encountered to help wash them off! All these are in Utah.

So while we were leaving Nevada, the boys were getting ready to go to the airport and fly with Kiki and Grandpa to meet us!

Getting ready to board the plane! And see Mommy and Daddy!!! and their new home with a playground and a pool :)

I think they did ok on the plane. This isn't their first time, but it is Devin's first time in his own seat. I'm just so happy and thankful everyone arrived safe and sound. Especially AJ who took off a day after us towing Micah's car, and he drove almost straight through. So glad he stopped in Reno to get some sleep before getting back on the road.

San Fransisco! No this is not the Golden Gate bridge...but you get the idea.

Putting together the boys' airplane bed.
I really didn't take pictures of the mayhem that followed after we arrived. The unloading and boxes everywhere were a bit overwhelming. We had some friendly neighborhood kids ask if they could help us unload...and it was fabulous! Since we live on the 2nd floor, it was great to have the help taking boxes up the stairs. We showered them with pop and Popsicles in gratitude (hope the parents didn't get mad)! So many people played an instrumental part in helping us with this move, and we are so incredibly grateful to each and every one of them! We truly don't know what we would have done with out you!

We love and miss you all!!