Last Sunday

Since we decided to move last November I have been really aware of our "lasts" and tried to soak them in. Our last Halloween parade, last Thanksgiving in our dining room, last time putting Christmas lights in the big tree, last time watching the ball drop on the TV in our basement, last time mulching my flowers beds (my pride and joy). It has been wonderful to have almost a full year to know we are leaving and try to really enjoy every minute of the things we love about living here, I can hardly believe we are now down to the last Friday, Saturday, Sunday .....

This week might be a bit emotional for me.

I set alarm early to get up and do my bike. With all the packing and swim meets and getting ready to move I have not been at all diligent about exercising myself. I got up & turned it off (thinking "5 more mins") and woke up at 8:20am. Yikes! We all raced to get ready and were only a few minutes late to church - getting there during the opening hymn. Hopefully this will be the last time we are late to church? Probably not!

We saw a family who had moved two years earlier and were in town visiting. That will be something I really will miss - seeing friends who have moved away and come back for a visit. Rebekah bore her testimony, which was very sweet. They sang to Emily, Jacob & Jane in primary & the singing time leader let them pick their favorite games to play during singing time.

When we got home I tired to get organized a bit but it's hard when there are boxes everywhere and shingle sample boards for the new house in the pile in the living room!

Our friends the Taylor's invited us for dinner. We will really miss this family, they are awesome. I guess the best thing about only moving 30 minutes away is that we will still be able to see most of our friends, even if it is not as often.

The swim team awards dinner was that night but I decided not to go. Even though it is on a Sunday, we typically have gone. With moving and everything going on, I decided not to go this year. It's always long (giving out lots of awards) and i just didn't feel up for a late night with the kids. I didn't send the team president an e-mail sating we wouldn't make it, given we were moving 5 days later but she said she didn't see the e-mail until after the dinner - or she would have given us a heads up to attend. Why? Because Emily won the high scoring award for 10 & under girls and the Presidents Award was given to our family for all we have done to contribute to the team (the kids swimming on the team and Swim Across America.) Sheesh, I feel kind of lame that we didn't go.

Rick is headed to Philadelphia tomorrow and this is going to be a pretty hectic week for me home alone with the kids with a few more swim meets and getting ready to move. I debated about staying up late and getting stuff done but decided to just try and get one last good night of sleep in preparation for the next 5 days.

Last Saturday

Today marks the start of our last week in our house. Each day we will be able to say "This is our last ______"

At this point, with the mess and piles of boxes, not buying any real food because I want to use up what we have and all the trips I am making to Connecticut for the building of the house - I just want to get it over with and be moved already!

I do know that as soon as we are settled, I'll miss it here - so I am trying to soak in the things I have loved about our house and our neighborhood as we go through our last week here.

After Swim Across America we came home to get some stuff I had to mail, and tile samples, etc. We left the 2 big girls to their own devices & took J&J. Jane was still repeating "I don't want to go look at tiles!" as we put her in the car. Sorry kiddos, today is just about getting things done!

We bought Rio for the iPad and they watched it on the way up. Thank goodness for technology and the boredom killer it is.

We first went to the granite place to look at a choice for the kitchen counter tops & island. We like the one named "Tiberius" that will please my Dad! I want to consult with the kitchen designer before making a final decision, so brought a sample of that and a few others we liked home. Then, we were on to the tile place a 45 minute drive away, so stopped at Subway for lunch.

I liked the first store for their selection and the nice way it was organized but the builder told us another place was cheaper. I like this marble basket weave. I'm thinking of it in a gray in our guest powder room.

We went to the tile place the builder had recommended.  Rick describes it as "a beautiful tile store ... after an earthquake" It is a jumbled mess but they do seem to have everything - once you can find it. It's cheaper for the same tile, so worth figuring out! Jake entertained himself on the iPad. Jane just drove me crazy. We need two iPads.

Then we stopped by the house to give the builder a check. Before starting the building they scraped all the topsoil into a mountain and weeds have grown all over it. The kids think it is the BEST play area ever, and really needed blow off energy by the time we got there, so I was thankful for it.

The stonework is almost finished on the chimney's.

Rick at the far end of our backyard. (See the little blue figure in the woods?)

They started putting on the roof and it's fun to be able to get more of an idea of what it will look like when it is finished.

And the windows have been delivered.

The second best play area is the sand pile at the house. Who would have though that construction sights are so much fun??

It's great to be able to actually see rooms now and get a sense of flow from one room to another.

I love the dormer windows!

As we headed home it started raining. We got home and ordered pizza for dinner. Then it was baths & bed for everyone. I could barely keep my eyes open and fell asleep lying next to the kids. I only got up long enough to take out my contacts & put on pj's & get right back into bed.

Swim Across America

When we first heard about Swim Across America it seemed a perfect fit for us. We all love to swim and cancer took Rick's Mom back in 2007. Emily is really the only one who can swim a mile - but we plan on more family members joining her in the future!

Today she participated in Swim Across America for the third year.

Here she is after her first swim in 2009.

2010

and getting ready for the 2011 swim.

When I was looking at old photo's from her past swims we realized that she had been number 4 her first year and number 14 her second year, so we were stoked that she could be number 24 for this year!

After she was all signed in she got on her cap & goggles ready to hit the pool! It was a little overcast & chilly but I knew she'd warm right up as soon as she got going.

One down, 71 more to go ....

She mixed it up doing some freestyle, some butterfly, some backstroke some breaststroke. She still has swim competitions this coming week so it made for a good workout!

 72 laps - still smiling!

I did it!

 Mom!  I'm so tired, please stop taking pictures of me.

Then she got to sign the banner. Emily always dedicates her swim to her Grandma & signs the banner to her.

 

Oh, how I love this girl

A picture with Aidan, one of her good friends who also swam today.

We're so proud of Emily & know Grandma is too!

To Do day!

Today is the one week mark until we move. Yikes! Since we didn't have any swimming, I made it "to do" day and planned to knock out any remaining errands and little things that we needed to do before final packing and moving.

Jacob went to play with his friend James, and Jane went to play with to William & David. Rebekah is also counting down the days until she heads of to BYU and wanted to do as much "New York" stuff as possible before leaving, so headed into the city. Emily was left at home to rest and enjoy some quiet time by herself (she's earned it after such a busy swimming week.)

I ran some errands and then filled out school forms for their new school, set up the oil & oil auto pay for the rental (it has oil heat). Then I spent some time on the phone and internet and changed our addresses and billing information for our credit cards, bank statements, the dog's microchip, mail, Amazon, etc. Once that was done I could clean up & pack up my office before collecting the kids.

Then we went to the pool. I guess because we don't spend much time there??? A quick afternoon swim to cool down the kids and tire them out is always a good plan.

That evening our dear neighbors Elaine & Sarah had planned a going away party for us. We had it on our patio because it is a good outside space but they made me promise not to do anything to help - and I didn't. We love our friends in this neighborhood and will really miss them when we are gone.

and we're pretty sure the neighborhood kids will miss our trampoline us.

Counties - Day 4

The last day of counties.
Bittersweet to think that she will not swim here again, or participate in swimming on a New York team again.

"Game face."

Backstroke.

She swam well in backstroke but didn't place or get a personal best. I always tell her it's great that she even qualifies for these meets - and it is nice when she gets to win occasionally but we can't win them all!

It's tradition that they always go to the theme park next to the pool on the last day of counties. However, since they'd added the events from the first cancelled day, the meet didn't end until later than normal and only about 30 minutes before the park closed.

For the first time in 6 years, Emily's team did not win the county championship. The winners always get free entry into the park. We hurried over and tried to figure out the best way to buy tickets (seriously, I'm not paying full price for 30 minutes). I bought a cheap non-rider pass for us both so I could just pay per ride for Emily and we went in. Emily couldn't find her friend Aidan or their coaches - the jr coaches always go in and ride the rides with them. She did a few rides, we grabbed some fudge - she loves fudge - and we left. She was already pretty bummed they they hadn't won counties and then to not be able to have the traditional "after meet" fun that they always have was even more disappointing. I promised her we'd meet up with friends there again on a day when there was more time to play. It would have been nice to move away after a win, especially as the counties will not be held there anymore but probably a good life lesson for her. Even though I know it's a neccesary part of learning and growing it just sometimes breaks my heart to see them learn those "life lessons."

Counties Day 3.

We stopped at the store again this morning. It's not very efficient going every day or so but this close to the move I am trying not to have extra food in the house and use up what we have ... so grabbing just what we need for the day or to supplement what we are using up is the easiest way to do it.

Jacob and Jane love to go in the "car cart."

If you have to fold yourself into it, you're probably getting a little big for it!

After swim practice we went home to work on packing. The kids are in charge of packing up all our toys from the playroom.

Sometimes we get a little distracted and start playing with them.

We'll create the same toy storage system at the new house (because I love it and it's been awesome) but for a temporary solution at the rental, I got the IKEA bins. All the kids have to do for the toy packing is switch them from the cloth bins to the IKEA one's. I'm leaving the cloth one's for the new owners.

I didn't realize they were purple. I thought they were gray and it just had a purplish hue to the plastic covering. I don't have time to go back and change them, so I guess we're living with purple.

Are you sick of swimming pictures yet?

If so - stop reading now because here comes a bunch more. Day three of counties is breaststroke, Emily's best stroke. They also (thankfully) decided to add a little to each of the remaining days of counties rather than add a day to make up for the cancelled day, so they did backstroke too.

Here she is waiting for her race.

She told me later that they were planning their strategy for this freestyle relay. 

LOVE IT!

They were ahead at the end of the first length. (Each swimmer only swims 25 yrds and since there are no blocks at the other end of the pool, they start in the water.)

Can you see the look of excitement on Emily's face?

Just slightly behind after the second swimmer.

Emily swims 4th.

My heart is always pounding for her, I know she feels the pressure of being the last swimmer.

She started a little behind and in second place.

Narrowed the gap.

Swimming her little heart out, she came up even ....

Then passes,

for a WIN!!!

1st place, lane 3, for a time of 2:29.96

Well done girls!