Snow!

We're getting quite a snow storm in Memphis today, and to think it's almost March!

Look Who's "Dog of the Day" for February 26, 2009!

Chee'Burger's famous! Sam submitted this last July, so imagine the surprise when grandma and grandpa called to say Chee was online!

Gas in the POD, Part 2

So, after the whole farting fiasco, Chris found yet another weapon--a very old bottle of Avon perfume that had been stored in a box for years, subject to extreme heat and cold. You think gas smells nasty? It has NOTHIN' on this stuff!

With an evil grin, Chris hides the bottle and runs after Sam. Notice even our stray cat guest is running with them.

Anyway, it turned into a huge perfume fight, requiring much wash machine time to remedy.

Stay tuned for Part 3!

Gas in the POD, Part I

Boy lifts heavy boxes. Boys rests on ladder. Little sister passes out. This POD may not be gas-powered, but CJ sure gave it some fuel over the weekend!

A Little Help from Our Friend

We had a four-legged supervisor while we loaded the POD--a stray cat who was friendly as could be. She tried to get in the house, followed us everywhere, and even scouted out the garage. Such a sweety-pie. Her pink collar had no tag either, so we have no idea where she belongs. She's too friendly and well-groomed to be a full-time outdoor cat, but her company was much appreciated.

Almost There

It ain't pretty, but it's almost full thanks to a lot of muscle, teamwork, sweat, cursing under our breath, and yeah, a little goofiness, too. We still have some gaps to fill to minimize shifting, but I'd say we did pretty darn good filling up a 16x8x8 POD. Just don't ask me how much is still in the house...

Belated Xbox Valentine

This was what I was SUPPOSED to post yesterday until I got so excited about getting the apartment... Hope you all had a great one!

A Moving Valentine's Gift

Talk about the best Valentine's Day gift ever... The model of apartment we wanted just came available TODAY. It's right across the way from the pool, fitness center, and other goodies, too. We're so excited because FINALLY the move seems real. Who needs flowers, chocolates, and cards when we've set the wheels in motion to get this gang together again?!?

And let me tell you the location of the place. It's ACROSS THE STREET from the Kamiak High School's campus. We'll be able to hear the band from our freakin' deck during Friday night games! Buses, fast food restaurants, and drug stores are all easily walkable from here. Baby, I'm goin' to CIVILIZATION again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back to POD loading....

POD People

It's official. My husband's a genius. Guess maybe that's why Microsoft hired him, but hey, now we have additional proof (laughs)!

Remember how I said Blogger wouldn't let me upload pictures anymore? Well I kinda knew what the problem might be (long story short, my inferior computer networking skills), but had no idea how to solve it. Wayne gave me an idea which failed to work the first time so I gave up. Well tonight I was feeling stubborn and in the mood to beat up on my PC and lo and behold...it works!

All that fuss over such boring pictures... Above, you see the POD in our driveway ready for filling. I'm proud to say it's now over half full to the brim, and this weekend the kids and I plan to polish it off.

Man, I knew we had a lot of junk, but you wouldn't believe how much we've thrown away and how cluttered the house still seems. Ugh. And while packing and hauling isn't great fun, it's still probably a step above the next phase in our mission--CLEANING THE HOUSE (shudder)!

Let's POD-dy Everyone!

Well, Blogger has decided not to let me upload pictures anymore. After spending a couple of hours trying to debug the problem, I decided my time was better spent packing. Sorry, you'll just have to use your imagination for now (laughs)!

In an attempt to get our move jumpstarted, I had one of those POD containers delivered to our driveway. It's essentially a 16X8X8 mini garage that you pack at your own pace. When you're done, they come and get it. From there, you can either ship the POD across country, or leave it in a local storage facility for a monthly fee. Since we'll be renting, we'll leave the stuff in a Memphis warehouse rather than pay the big bucks to move it all up front.

Sam's been a beast when it comes to fitting things into the POD. She has her dad's puzzle skills big-time. I can't believe how much we've gotten crammed in there already. I think taking the time and packing methodically is really paying off. Of course our trash collectors aren't real happy, but hey, at least they won't be bored!

The kids' spring break here starts March 13. Since that corresponds to the end of the quarter gradewise, we're thinking of pulling them then, and then enrolling them in Kamiak High School in Mukilteo for the start of their last quarter. Their spring break ends April 13, so the kids may get a bit of a break, but I'd rather have the grading periods nicely divided. If we get out to Washington before April 13, they may go to school earlier, but I'm trying to make things as minimally stressful as possible. Wayne and I just believe it's very important for the kids to be out there before the end of the school year so they can have friends over the summer. It'll just make adjusting to the move that much easier.