So much for the get caught up with laundry jazz. The machine is quite slow in it's washing. I don't know if it is because it is a stacked washer/dryer or what. Will have to look into the matter in the future. As it is it does a fine job washing and so if it takes doing a load every night for the rest of our lives...ARGGGG

Kev has realized his dream of hooking up the computer to the stereo system. Now he just needs to load our computer chock full of our cd collection (remember to use that word "our" loosely) so we can hit scramble and have thousands of songs to hear. I bet there will be some songs we don't even remember!!

We are steadily working on emptying more boxes and putting things in their places. I can hardly wait until September because that is the month we get our new sofa/sleeper and ottoman delivered and I can finish the cave (converted garage). I am planning on hanging all of our family shots over the couch (how 1980's Americana). I think it will look great though and since none of the shots are glamour shots we should be fine. I have hung all the pictures in our bedroom and one of Mom's cross-stitches in the hallway (it's the animal one, Mom). It looks perfect with the moss green walls we have. There is still a box of pictures though waiting to find out where they are going to live. Again, it will be nice when we have all our furniture here so I can really start playing with where things will go.

I think I just heard the buzzer from the washer. I will put one more load in and change it out in the morning before heading to work. Must use my time wisely and not fritter away my morning on mindless things...so much for my Kate and Ally fix!! :)

Good night all.

So tonight is the night I get caught up with our laundry! This I swear. We will pass on unpacking any boxes because for the third day in a row we are having record high temperatures. The A/C at work isn't cutting it either, I think it's a freon thing and I have a guy coming (supposedly) today to fill-er-up.

Didn't sleep much last night. Combination heat and cat issue. Our large Simon decided he wanted to sit on the window ledge (not a true sill) that is not much wider than his boo-tay and my over active imagination had him pushing the screen out with his wide load and falling out, only to get into a row with the cats that we have seen in our yard. So I ended up pulling the curtain over the window at about 2:00 this morning. Luckily nothing like I thought happened, but we did have a visit on our deck this morning by a lovely little cream colored kitty. Chloe had a fit and the other kitty just quietly walked off the deck. Chloe, of course, turned her fury on Simon and spat at him while smacking him in his face. That poor kid gets so much abuse by her.

I have turned to rambling, something I swore I would try not to do. Now is the time to say goodbye until something fabulous happens with the house...

Ahhhh, our first cooked meal in the house. Nothing fancy, just a meal in a bag. Twas good and filling. Of course we sat our behinds on the couch in the cave (the converted garage) and watched stupid tv (what tv isn't stupid you are asking?). I have put more of the kitchen in order and Kev has started the daunting chore of organizing the cave.

We stopped by the apartment for the last bits and pieces. It was sad leaving, but at the same time not as hard as I thought. Sunday was a bit harder for me. We saw Betsy, one of the best neighbors in the world!!!

I forgot to mention that my dear friend, Jessica, helped out yesterday. She was the brains behind the closet layout. Me thinks it will stay as is, but only time will tell. We've got the work clothes/out of season one in the sewing room. And we have the play clothes in the bedroom. This way when Kev gets home from work to change the basket is right there for him to deposit his dirties. At least that is the idea behind it.

He is busy alphabatizing our cd collection (I use the word "our" loosely). He just found a bunch more in a box...d'oh!

I am now ready for bed. It has been another long day for us with more to continue.

Well a new day is upon us. We have done our first loads of laundry, run the dishwasher, and cursed our shower head. We need to soak it in some CLR so it becomes unclogged and is not like a dog drooling on our heads as we try to shower. I can not wait to get everything put in place. Although I think the cats like the boxes...

I am looking forward to going to work today, as it is supposed to get upwards of 100 degrees today. A little A/C sounds mighty nice to me. I think the kits will miss us today, but they need to get back to "normal" with our schedules. Ugh, the weather man just said the heat will continue tomorrow as well. Will we ever get the weather we dreamed of when we moved here?!!?

Well, must go finish getting ready for work, and my 40 minute bus ride.

Ugh, moving is nooooo fun. Although when you have the help of three fabulous men-Brandon, Merek and James- (other than your husband) it goes rather quickly. I honestly don't think I lifted one heavy thing! I just packed and packed and packed what we hadn't gotten done.

The place is slowly coming together. My friend Kris tried to explain picture links, but I need Kev to look at what he is saying to help me. I promise you will see it soon, but probably not until we have everything set up!

The kitties are adjusting to life here at the house, all the new noises are a bit frightening though. Chloe is just not fond of Simon at the time. She keeps hissing at him. Although she does tend to follow him around when he is exploring. We already know where some of their favorite spots to perch will be.

It is red hot today in the Pac NW. Supposed to be upwards of 100. The house is relativly cool, although we must invest in some bamboo shades to hang outside the sliding door in the kitchen. It is always about 5-10 degrees warmer in there. We have also decided that come August we will get a new sliding glass door. The current one is rahter hard to roll, very dated, and has no screen so we can not open it in the evening as we had been when the kitties were not here. It makes a difference when we can open it!! I already have my eye on what I want, and Kev agrees.

My kitchen is almost fully unpacked, just waiting for the box with the toaster to make it over (that box has my espresso machine attachments too). I have been draggin' my wagon all day. No caffiene makes Shanny a sleepy zombie girl.

The toiletries await. More as more happens.

It is now past midnight. We are tired, we are smelly, but best of all we finally have freaking knobs on our cabinets!!! It was no small feat, I must say. Many issues with the drill bits. Some swearing by both of us. A feeble attempt at changing the way the refrigerator door opens (must get 5/16" wrench). A quick vacuum. Now we are back at the place that has been our home for the last three years.

It is going to be sad leaving this place, but very exciting. The neighborhood where we are moving is quite diverse and we are looking forward to meeting more neighbors. Nobody will ever compare to the wonderful people we have met living here, but it is time we start having something to show for all that money we pay!! Plus, the backyard is going to be for Oliver anyway!!!

Must get clean and then pack a box or two before I can sleep. We should have internet up and running again on Monday. We'll see. Until then, dear friends, I bid you adieu.

Okay, we finally made it over last evening and did more painting of the kitchen cabinet doors. One coat of primer and three of paint later and we have the bottom doors done. The top got a coat of primer last night and Kev is over there as I type putting the paint on. (I'm not ditching out, I am at work right now...sorry Ahmed)

Kev has gotten quite energized about this move now. He is going to get a suv of some sort today so he can start taking boxes over today while paint is drying. He will pick me up at 6:00 so we can go, yet again, to the Home Depot (or Home Deep-hole as my friend Tanya calls it) so we can get the knobs. I must thank my dear Mom for the template idea!! Spoke with her this morning and she said, "I saw something on HGTV that might be helpful to you when you are installing your knobs..." Basically they made a template so your knobs would end up at the same place on each door. Thank you Mom!!! We will try to get them on tonight, if the paint is dry enough, and hang the doors tonight as well.

We have the troups coming tomorrow morning (Thank you Brandon, Pat, Merek, and Chuck-if you show). It should not be too tough, and the help is much appreciated!!!

The kitties, Simon and Chloe, will be heading over to Auntie Candace's apartment tomorrow morning so they won't get out when we are unloading the place. It's good to have good friends. I will miss them all dearly!! But, we are only moving across town.

Met one of our new neighbors last night, seems like a nice guy. Name is Juan, has only had his house for two months now and we spoke of a new fence between the properties. He asked how it was going and all I could do was groan and indicate we were STILL painting. He laughed and joked with me about him still doing much of the same.

This is all for now, dear friend. Nothing too exciting, but then again it is very exciting for us.

Well sadly we did not get to the house last night. Kev had to work later than usual so by the time he got home he was too exhausted to think about paint (quite honestly I don't blame him). I will go to his work today when I close up here at the store at 6:00 in hopes that my presence will prompt his boss to let him go a bit earlier.

I have figured out how to upload pictures, but that will cost $$ so I am trying to learn how to link you places that have the photos (that may also cost $$, but I will figure that out later-kris, any help and guidance you could give here would be great).

So nothing new really to report. Sorry for taking up your time.

Hello all! I have decided that instead of emailing all of you individually I should create a blog to keep you all updated on the house and what is going on in our lives. I will try to update this often, yet not ramble on as I am prone to do...hush you!

So here I go...

As you all know Kev and I have bought our first home. YEA! We did it in record time, we saw the house on a Saturday night online, Sunday drove by, Monday got agents, Tuesday saw it in person and made the offer, and Wednesday had said offer accepted. We don't like to beat around the bush at all!!

That was back spanning from May 31-June 4th. It is now the 24th of July and we are almost ready to move in. Before I go there, here is what we have been up to this past weekend, the 19th and 20th.

There once was a kitchen that had pickle green washed cabinets, unfinished beadboard, mint green back splash...the list goes on... We decided we wanted a white and yellow kitchen. After about two coats of yellow, above the beadboard, and four coats of white (yes, we primed first), we have just that. Although we are now working on the cabinet doors. How long will this take us? Nobody knows.

I will upload pictures, once I learn how to do it...before and after.

We have a "bark mulch" bedroom and family room (the "cave"). It is actually a beautiful color that does not make everything look dark...again, pictures to come soon.

I still have the solar system painted on my sewing room's ceiling, but that is something to contend with in the future.

Speaking of the future, I will write more then.