FINALLY, FINALLY online!!!!

Okay, so the first week without internet access was kind of nice. It was good to have a break, to feel like I didn't have to worry about the "outside world" for a little while.

The second week was annoying. How am I supposed to get settled in a new home, new life, new everything and no connection to the "outside world" ??! How am I supposed to keep track of all my friends and their kids and their dogs? (I really do have a friend who just started a blog for her dog, no joke.) How am I supposed to buy furniture off craigslist when I can't even get ON craigslist in the first place?!

The third week was endurable, but only for the fact that we were on vacation at the coast and fully occupied the entire time. Oh, and also for the fact that we DID Have a connection at the beach house, though I didn't have much time to log on.

Week four, and I was about to go CRAZY! You may think it sounds kind of nice. But I dare you to try it. Try to go for a week without getting online. It's a rough, tough life, I tell you. I admit, I am addicted to the internet. Not that I am a computer junkie who sits at the screen all day. Far from it, actually. But I MUST know that connection is available for me. Life just doesn't function properly without it. Are we agreed?

That said, I plan to do some catch up blogging here in the near future. But I don't know if we have lots of pictures loaded on yet, or if those will have to continue to wait. I'll give you the skinny for now, then maybe backtrack later. Today was a first "real" day in our house. We've technically been here since July 30, but the internet only got installed yesterday, so I discount pre-online time, naturally. (Also, I already mentioned the Oregon trip. which took up a lot of the first weeks. Brian is scoffing that I don't count those first days as "real" but hey, when kids are sleeping on the floor, and we're living in suitcases, I just can't feel like this is really where we LIVE yet, okay?)

We had our nephews and niece over for the afternoon today, playing hide-and-seek in our big empty rooms and tag in our back yard. (Thanks for a fun visit, John, Cooper, Ella and Seth. Sorry Seth lost his shoes, Dalana.) It was fun. It's finally starting to feel like a home now, even though we still can't decide on couches or what color of woods to use for shelves or tables or anything. We're getting there. We got a toddler bed for Sammie last night, she was thrilled. We also got bar stools and a dining set for a bargain price, though we still need to set up the table and wait for the chairs to come in. I finally got our suitcases unpacked into our closets, so at least we aren't living off the floor anymore. Brian did a huge "staples" shopping trip to stock our fridge and pantry. And I did a trip to get trash cans, rugs, broom and mop, etc. We're still waiting for our air shipment to arrive (10 days has turned into nearly 4 weeks now!! arrrg!) But we've been told it has cleared customs finally and is scheduled for delivery next Tuesday. (I whine, as that is still five days away. I have not very nice things to say about this long of a wait!)

The things I'm loving about our new home so far...
-- By far, the biggest, best bonus is living close to family. It was so fun to have nephews and niece over today. And yesterday, Sammie was thrilled when Grandpa and Grandma Bishop stopped by for a visit. I love that we got to have my parents and sibs stay with us on the way to the coast for our reunion. How wonderful it is to be able to see these people I love so much! It is worth it, for everything I miss in London. I love being home.
-- The air conditioner. I'm actually a little TOO chilly tonight. But I love that our house stays refreshingly cool while it's toasty hot outside. I like that it IS hot outside, hot enough to actually NEED our AC.
-- The minivan. Two weeks and 2000 miles after purchase, and I admit I am a fan of the minivan. Only, I don't ever actually call it that. I still can't bring myself to be labelled like that. I still say "let's get in the CAR" or "I left the phone in the CAR." Yes, I know it is a minivan, but can we please just not say the word? If we call it something different, I really, really like it so far. It is roomy, and easy to get to the kids, and we just hauled our bar stools and dining table and hutch home in it. (Two trips, but still!) I'm impressed, much more than I thought I would be. It gets pretty good mileage, too, which is very important to me.
-- Our big master bathroom/closet suite thing. It's a whole nother room, people! It's amazing!! We have this huge two-sink vanity, a big corner tub, a nice shower, separate toilet room, and walk-in closet with TONS of shelves and racks. I know this is standard equipment to all you fellow American new-home-owners. But it's NEW to me, and VERY impressive! How am I supposed to fill all those drawers and shelves!? I love it.
-- The new fridge. It was a big decision, and we opted for a side-by-side model with an ice maker in the freezer door and the water/ice dispenser in front. It's so fun to get water from the fridge, nice and cold and icy. And I am basking the HUGE amounts of freezer space. Some day I will probably be frustrated that there's "just not enough room." But for now, I'm almost giddy with the thought that we have MASSIVE bags of chicken, peas, corn, stirfry veggies, mozzeralla, etc. And still PLENTY of room to spare for whatever we fancy! It's a miracle, really. (Reminds me of the time when I was little and I really did start crying when I told my mom "I'm so thankful for refrigerators." I now qualify that with "I'm so thankful for BIG, AMERICAN refrigerators!)
-- The hardwood kitchen floor. I'm actually terrified, not knowing how I'm supposed to care for a hardwood floor. But I LOVE the look of it, and the feel of it under my feet. I want to keep it so clean and pretty. It just adds such a warm, homey feel to our kitchen. I really like it. And if anyone has tips on how to keep it looking lovely, please feel free to share.

I need to go for now. I am reading Stephanie Meyer, finally. And as many of you know, it's not easy to do "other" stuff (like blogging) when I really want to know what happens next in my book.

Later, but not too much later, I hope!

Howdy from Idaho!

Finally! A few minutes of time with a speedy internet connection. This will be short, and no pictures. But I had to write a quick hello to let the world know... WE ARE IN IDAHO! yay!!
We made it safely home, and have continued flying by the seat of our pants ever since.

What's keeping us busy? Well, here's the quick list:
-- We stopped in San Diego on our way home for a quick overnight stay with our friends Rob and Anne. That was great -- a nice rest-up and a visit to the zoo before we flew on home.
-- For the past two weeks, we've been staying with Brian's parents, who have been sooo wonderful to put us up while we got things ready to move into our new house.
-- We had a Bishop family reunion the first weekend we were back, including tickets to a real rodeo, swimming at a hot springs pool, and DELICIOUS food and great company for three days running.
-- I had a great birthday this year. We went to church with Brian's parents, then had ice cream and a gorgeous chocolate cake made by Brian. Then I drove to see my family for a few days, taking Sammie and Spencer. (Brian went camping with his brothers.) As a special present this year, Brian paid for a massage and pedicure for me. What a treat!! I highly recommend it!
-- Amid all the busy family time, we have been spending $$$ like crazy, trying to get our house livable. Big purchases so far include: washer and dryer set, fridge and freezer, bed and box spring, and a new car!
-- That's right, we finally decided on a car earlier this week -- a Toyota Sienna minivan. I know, I don't look like the minivan type. Believe me, this is an adjustment. I've been promised I will love it. Those of you who promised better have some kind of guarantee, just in case. ;)
-- So, tonight most of my family is coming to spend the night at our new house, on the way to a Hone Family reunion at the Oregon coast. Does the fun ever end?! I imagine eventually we'll settle down and start living normally... but not yet!

Stay tuned for pictures, once we finally get internet and phone service at our new place.