Out with the Old....

Sometimes I can be impulsive.  And I love to get rid of things/organize/de-junk.  But when I get in an impulsive de-junking mood I often do things I regret.  Well,  this summer I got rid of our beloved family piano. 

 Logan needed some motivation to practice. And he kept blaming this one key that was sticking and not playing as well.  So, in an effort to get him motivated again I decided to get a new piano.  Our neighbors had mentioned that they wanted to get rid of theirs so I went to look at it.  I was rushed and took a quick photo.  In the photo the lighting must have been just right because as I looked at it over the next few days I started to actually think it was cute!  It was smaller and small is good.  Plus it was newer and probably worked better.  So I listed our piano on facebook and my old Bwood neighbor wanted to come pick it up!  Perfect!!  

Except when I looked at our cute piano being loaded into the trailer and it hit me that all the kids had learned to play on it.  That it was one of our oldest pieces of furniture we'd had the longest.  That was a great decor peice!!!  And I started to freak out.  But a deal is a deal and our friends had rented a trailer and come all the way down for it.  I had to go through with it.  It was very sad.  Even more sad when we went across the street to get our "new" piano and saw how ugly it was.  

It's an orange-y wood color and the keys are yellowish.  It's small and won't fit my Christmas Tree collection on top at Christmastime like our old one.  Plus there's just nothing special about it and instead of enhancing the living room it actually makes it worse. 

So I cried for a few hours and then decided that I just had to move on.  Things are just things and don't matter.  I can paint our new piano and make it cuter.  And I have these pictures to remember our old one.  Everyone does stupid things sometimes but you can't wallow in it, you just need to look to the future!  Haha these are all the thoughts I was forcing into my brian at the time.  Now that it's been gone a few months I'm mostly over it.  I'll miss it at Christmas time and I'll always regret my decision but that's just life.

And that was a long post to tell a simple story.

So what color should I paint the new one?  Any suggestions?   

in our neighbors house

moving out the old...

the new ugly one in my house ... it needs some help... stay tuned...

Big News

I am overwhelmed right now.  Not only is it May, the most busiest, wildest time at the school, I have 3 photo sessions this month and two weddings, a visiting teaching conference this Sunday to plan, AND we are also moving!

You may wonder why we chose to move at such a crazy time of year.  Well, we didn't really- we put our house up for sale and hoped to sell it and move in July, but it sold in five days.  SO!  Now the new owners want to close June 1st, and said we could stay till June 15th.  That is 5 weeks away.

I need to find us a place to live!  So here are the details.  We are moving to Walnut Creek, the town where I grew up, the place where my parents live, the city that two of my brothers and their wives are moving to this summer (yay!) and most importantly the town WHERE DAVE WORKS.  The one and only reason we are moving is to be closer to Dave's office.  He has commuted from Brentwood for 7 years and he has had it.  I've had it to.  Call us babies if you want to, but we can't commute any longer.  We are hoping to find a house as close as possible to his office.  He wants to ride his bike to work and I want him to get to ride his bike to work.  Commuting is no way for us to live.  I want a simpler life with a less-stressed Daddy and more family time.  

I will miss Brentwood SO much.  We have loved our seven years here.  There are amazing, wonderful people in this town, I adore my kids school and the teachers they've had!  My kids have awesome friends in church and at school.  We have had great sports teams, coaches, neighbors, preschool, everything.  I started my business here!  I've met so many nice people. The Streets of Brentwood is two minutes from my home, not to mention our favorite Mexican restaurant, we are getting a new chapel, etc. etc.  There are a million reasons to stay.  But Dave and I both know without a doubt that this is the best thing for our family.  The good news is Walnut Creek is only 40 minutes away so we can still see our friends and come to Brentwood whenever we want.

My kids are nervous and sad.  But I've said it a million times and I'll say it again, I have great kids.  They are being totally supportive of our decision and trying to see the positives of the move. Logan is bummed to miss out on being a big 5th grader at Loma Vista with all of his friends and his drama club!  He will miss his soccer team as well.  Lexi is nervous to start middle school in a new place.  We are both praying constantly that she will find good friends (and I'm praying that Foothill Middle - where I went- is not as bad as I remember it being!).  She is sad about dance too- but her awesome teacher is helping us figure out where to get her in.  Macey and her BFF's cry occasionally still, and write love notes to each other.  They have plans to face-time when we're gone.  We are also planning a big party for them- I told them they could have all of their friends over to say goodbye (wish me luck on this one- the list is already up to 30!?!?!)

 We will be renting in Walnut Creek until we save for a good home to buy. Things down there aren't exactly easily affordable.  If you know of a place- let us know!  The market is crazy and rentals go in hours.  We have our application in for a darling little home we found, and we may find out today if we got it!  If not, I know something else will come up.

So that is our news.  If I survive May and June I will be proud of myself.  I know we can do it, just take things a day at a time.  I need to stay organized with our family calendar, and stuff some boxes with junk in any spare moment.  It will all work out.  Sometimes times like this can be so good too.  We've already had our prayers answered about this big decision and selling our house!  Have I mentioned how much I love my house??  I do.  I will miss it so much.  It's funny how a house can hold so many memories.  Mack came home to this house.  We've been so happy here.  

Things will work out, and before I know it the rush will be over, it will be summertime and life will slow down again.  Wish us luck!

p.s. I think I didn't say enough about Walnut Creek in this post because I was going off about Brentwood. But I LOVE Walnut Creek and can't wait to live there.  Not only for the no commute thing, but the trees, and the hills, and the cool evening breeze, the shopping, restaurants, closeness to the freeway, the trails!!!  I love the bike trails.  The quiet community, the beauty, the parks.  I love it all.  So, yes, we're are so sad to leave Brentwood but Walnut Creek is my first choice for a new town.  I am very blessed.