The final countdown

In two days the movers will arrive to pack our house.  Friday, they load the truck.  Saturday, we tie up loose ends and have our going away party and Sunday we are gone.  For 17 years, Dallas has been my home and in just a few short days we will start a brand new adventure and it really hasn't hit me yet.  


The appraisal on our house went well; it was the last thing we were waiting on and to hear that the house appraised for our asking price was an incredible blessing.  I'm pretty sure Drew was literally holding his breath until he heard the news and if it had been anything other than positive, you would have been hearing about me on the news because I would have set fire to the whole neighborhood.  We have come TOO FAR to get sent back to the starting line because of some dumb appraisal.  So it's a RILL good thing that the appraiser did his job well because I don't look good in prison orange.


Not that we're completely in the clear.  Stress levels are still high and there is still a lot to be done.  There has been tension, there have been arguments but most importantly, there has been making up because the light at the end of the tunnel is shining bright and we're almost there.  We may be bruised and battered and exhausted but we WILL make it.

You should see the house right now.

We've got boxes of things we'll need at the apartment.

Drew had to strategically pack and figure out what he would need in Reading and what could go with the movers.

All the pictures are off the walls, the holes have been patched and I'm painting tomorrow.

And we're throwing away the things we're not taking with us.

I would like a moment of silence for that last picture.  Those are my binders of notes from my college years.  I kept them because they are representative of the blood sweat and tears that I spent those four years that I took a full courseload and waited tables for forty hours a week.  They represent all that time sitting in class taking notes, answering questions and studying for tests.  I was near tears when Drew said I really needed to throw them away.  I knew he was right but I just couldn't bear the thought of throwing all that hard work in the garbage and I seriously needed a minute.  I thumbed through some of them, remembering where I sat in that particular class, reciting some of my notes from French class, explaining to Drew and my mom about the particulars of Hinduism versus Judaism from my Intro to World Religions class.  

I loved school and throwing away my notes seemed like blasphemy.  I had to go in the house when Drew took the box out to the trash and I'm still sad thinking about it, but at least they are immortalized on my blog.  Rest in peace, my notes from college.

We also went ahead and threw out my first suitcase from when I was a flight attendant.

We have so many suitcases and it was so beat up, it didn't make sense to keep it but it was my first suitcase!  From when I was a flight attendant!

In case you haven't noticed, I'm a huge sentimental mushball.  I have birthday cards from when I was in sixth grade.  I'm not telling Drew where they are because he'll just want to throw them away.

We spent all day Sunday like that, going through stuff in the garage, me gasping all happily when I found something I thought I'd lost and Drew being like You didn't even know you had that, so let's throw it away and me being like NO!  I can use that someday!

We took a short break from cleaning/throwing things away when our realtor stopped by to give us the 'Sale Pending' sign for our yard.  I was so excited to have them that I insisted that Drew take pictures to document it!

The only thing prettier than 'Sale Pending' is 'Sold' but since we'll be gone when that actually happens, I'll take it!

Drew was kind enough to even take videos of the whole thing.  And yes, I'll go ahead and show it to you but I have to tell you a few things first.

1. I threw the sign on there because we FINALLY get to do that and simply placing it on there all nice and sweet just wasn't cutting it.
2. I apologize in advance for my 'singing.'  If I was good at making movies, I'd put the real Hallelujah Chorus over it and I'm sure it would be much better.  For now, you'll just have to use your imagination.
3. I do have a bra on.  I don't know why it looks like I don't.  I apologize for that as well.
4. Finally, do not adjust your screen.  I am that big of a dork.  That, I don't apologize for.

BEHOLD.

Halleluyer from Desiree on Vimeo.

I don't really know if there's anything else I can say after that video.  I only showed you because we're all friends here and y'all already know how much of a dork I am and you know I rarely take myself seriously.  As if you couldn't tell, right?

Anyway, after he left we got back to cleaning the garage, in the billion degree heat.  We were sticky and smelly and when Drew suggested we bring out the sprinkler, nothing in the world sounded better in that very moment.  

I feel like I have to say that my mom was inside with the baby the whole time we were out in the garage and I was nearly done with my beer when she snapped this picture.

It's not like I regularly have a beer in one hand and a kid in the other.

But you know what, it was hot and the beer was cold and the sprinkler was wet and it felt pretty damn good.

Sofia liked the sprinkler too.

We even got my mom to jump in for a second!

You guys, it is so amazing to finally be at this step.  The mood around our house has changed so much, you can feel the lightness.  We have so much hope now and it's only because we have it again, did we realize just how little we used to have.  

We're going to be a family again.  Drew is going to be home for dinner.  We're going to get to do family things on the weekends.  There will be no more showings, not nearly as much travel and we're going to be together again.  Seriously, I'm getting kinda choked up just thinking about it.

Drew is in Reading until tomorrow night because he had to sign the final papers on the house and he met with the contractors this week to talk to them about the work we're going to have them do and I'm so excited!  I can't wait to finally be there and begin exploring our new city.  Together.  As A Family.  Gah, the nightmare is about to be over.  After ten longasHELL months this is all going to be OVER.  Please reference the above video when I say, HAAAA-le-lu-jah!

Once again, yes.  I'm that much of a dork.