Saying Goodbye

As we prepare to leave North Carolina and make the trip to Virginia, I'm reminded of a few things. These things are random, but I want to be sure I document them here on my blog before we go. So, here's a rather disjointed list of items about our move without any photos. 

As much as I am eager to be back in Virginia where things are familiar to me, I need to remember that it is all unfamiliar to the girls. It's a new world for them and they are leaving their sense of what is familiar. 

The two weeks in January here in NC have been more difficult than I had anticipated. There were many things to accomplish and emotions have been running high. 

I've been surprised at the people who care enough to make an effort to say goodbye to us before we go. One of the difficult things about my life in NC has been the fact that I never made many close friends. I had many acquaintances, but few close friends. That has been made even clearer as we plan to leave. I admit, I sound a bit bitter about this, and well---I am. I have always been the go-to person when someone needed something and I always felt a little bit taken for granted. So, I'm going to lick my own wounds and get over it, but it does make me feel a bit sad. 

Shelly's birthday is coming up on Saturday and I'm sure she will always associate her 12th birthday with our move to Virginia Beach. 

We used Air bnb for our living situation after the sale of our house in November. For three weeks in December and two weeks in January, we lived in a condo so that the girls could attend school and finish their first semester in North Carolina. Lily hasn't loved the condo situation, but it really fit our needs and it was fully furnished. It had everything we needed with the exception of our clothes. So, both times we packed our things for a three and two week stay. That was a little daunting. 

The actual process of packing and moving occurred over two trips. I was surprised at how well the move went. I was expecting it to be much harder---or maybe I have already forgotten how hard it was. 

While we've been in NC, our cat, Daisy, has been living with my dad. He has been such a good sport about having her stay with him. She is loving it, I'm sure. I miss her terribly. 

I can't begin to explain how much I want this to all work smoothly for our girls. I am so aware that it probably will have many bumps and obstacles along the way, but I am praying and hoping for the best. If you have any spare prayers for them, I'd really appreciate them. 

House Selling/Buying Notebook

Back in August we found a house in Virginia Beach that we wanted to purchase. Then we began the process of selling our house in North Carolina. With both the house buying and selling happening simultaneously, I decided I needed two things: a notebook and a folder to keep me organized. 

I used this handy notebook that was separated into two sections. I could document all things that applied to the VA house in one section and the items for the NC house in the other section. Conveniently, it came with a little pocket for each section. So any loose notes, business cards, and receipts could be placed in the pockets. 

In the notebook, I jotted down information on home repairs, showing dates and times, moving costs, utility company phone numbers, and a variety of other important items that pertained to the buying and selling of the homes. 

I also had a folder for the sale of the NC home. It was helpful for adding the larger documents that we needed to keep track of along the way.  

In addition to the notebook and the folder, I also kept two folders in my email that were titled with the home addresses. When any, and all, emails came in I would save them under the correct house folder. This made it pretty easy to find important emails from realtors, home inspectors, painters, etc. 

I think these forms of organization are what helped me to stay on track and not lose my mind (completely)! Hope these might help someone else out there who is looking to buy or sell a house (or to do both). Good luck. 

Thanksgiving & A Closing

This past week has really been a whirlwind of activities. On Monday, the moving people packed up our house and that night the girls and I stayed in the house for our last time. We had blankets, an air mattress, a tv, wifi and we made it a girls slumber party. It was a very melancholy feeling as we drove out the driveway on Tuesday morning. So many emotions. It is really hard to describe it. 

On Tuesday afternoon, we arrived in Virginia Beach and dropped the cat off with my dad. She needed a stress-free environment. The girls and I went on to our new house and watched as the final pieces of furniture were off loaded. We spent the late afternoon and evening unpacking boxes and making some sort of organization out of the chaos. 

On Wednesday, John and I went with Lily to select the pieces for our master bathroom remodel. Then we headed back to the house with Krissy. She was a big help and we managed to organize boxes in the computer room and move a few pieces. 

Around 5:00 PM, I heard from the realtor and lawyer who let us know it was official--we closed on our house. That night the four of us went to Chick's for dinner. And we're so close to a Target that we ended up there after dinner. Very exciting. 

Thursday we spent at my sister's house for dinner with my family. It was a nice day filled with gratefulness and yummy food. 

Friday was our annual shopping fun day. My sisters and I headed out for some bargains. Then we met up with the younger girls, who had also been shopping, for lunch. Friday night I got a dreaded migraine headache. This is one of the first times the headache has gone away pretty quickly. Thankfully it did. We were invited to John's boss's house for a get together. It was very fun. 

On Saturday, John's sister was able to get us tickets for the ODU football game. It was a fun time and great seats. We had dinner with some of John's family afterward and then headed home. 

It was a busy and fun holiday. The girls and I left to head back to NC where we will be until the Christmas break. Then it's back to VB for the break and back again to NC for two weeks to finish up the girls' first semester. I just have to say how proud I am of my girls. They have handled these ups and downs and changes so well. I'm forever grateful that they both have such good attitudes. I'm a lucky mom.  

Oh, and Daisy is making the best of her new situation by finding the perfect spot to relax. 

Moving On

Tomorrow all of our items will be boxed up and put on a truck headed to our new adventure. As the moments get closer, the emotions run high and low. I think about the memories we've made in this home...a new baby, lost teeth, riding a bike for the first time, birthday parties, sleepovers, tears of joy and sadness that have filled the rooms. This house made us a family of four and for that I'll always be grateful. But now it's time to move along to our new adventure and allow this house to embrace a new family. Good bye, Feathery Court. Thanks for everything. 

Mid-Month Update

Well, since my last update, we have listed our house for sale by owner. So, if you know anyone who would like to move to the area, live on a golf course, and enjoy a swimming pool, let us know!

The girls have been busy at school. Shelly has had her share of up and down days at middle school. She told her teacher that she just really missed her mom. And so, we talked about it and I let her know that I can relate. As a 1st grader, I cried every day of school for the first month (what a pain for my mother---wish I could tell her how sorry I am). I hated leaving my mother. Hopeful that she will work through all of this and it will all be okay. But, I'm realistic and I know it can take some time. 

We have had painters painting our upstairs in a very neutral palette. We've also showed our house to several realtors, as well as, individuals who are interested in the house. That means the house needs to be "show ready" all the time. :(

We are also a bit obsessed with playing the card game Speed. It seems like the perfect stress reliever/diversion from life!

We are working on how to make our move a little less stressful by lining things up ahead of time. It's a bit overwhelming and there are days when I just want to bury my head under a pillow and go right back to sleep. But, that's not really an option. So, I will continue to take it all one day at a time and pray for the best and listen to my Joel Osteen podcasts.

Life

I recently had a conversation with an acquaintance about our plans to move. She asked how the girls were doing and mentioned that she thought Lily seemed happy about it. 

My answer was, "yes, the girls are excited, but we all have our ups and downs about it all because it's real life." 

What my answer to her really meant is that these plans of ours aren't created within a Facebook or Instagram post. There's no special filter to make it all appear perfect or craftily worded update to make our life sound better than others'. This is real life with its ups and downs, highs and lows, and anxieties and excitements. And, I'm all about keeping it real.

Funny photo of the girls, their grandpa, and their cousin in VB making silly faces.

So, some days will be easier than others, but we will make the best decisions we can for our family and have a positive attitude about our life changes.