Owning and working in a yarn shop with a bit of my life with Joe and the kids mixed in
There is a countdown going on now. We plan to spend Sunday night in the apartment.
This is my packing station - everything needed at hand. Hard to pack/fit items are on the counter. Music from my phone playing on the little black speaker. Tiny Boston is very nervous!
One of a couple of tubs of vintage sock yarn
We are up packing - hoping to get a lot done today. Our days/nights here are down to the few now! I want to remember and appreciate every day!
THE hall closet is empty! Yay! A major accomplishment! It was full of seasonal decorations from the floor to the ceiling! Originally, the space had been a laundry room in the floor plan. It has shelves from floor to ceiling on every wall! I LOVED this closet!
This is the storage unit for boxes, small items and small furniture that can easily be carried. There are close to 100 boxes in there already!
Everything was removed from the walls this afternoon. This is our last week in the house! The countdown has begun!
This evening, it is baseball (Padres and Dodgers) and a pitcher of frozen margaritas for Joe and I.
Tomorrow, I tackle the yarn room!
We have rented an apartment and today all utilities along with phone, cable and Internet have been arranged to be turned off here and turned on there! That's the part everybody dreads doing as it usually requires a lot of time.
I've spent the last two days organizing and packing. When the house went back on the market before Thanksgiving, we had to put some things away (back into closets) for the time being. Now, I'm dragging those bins and boxes back out for Joe to haul to storage. It seems as though the hall closet will never be empty. It is getting close. Some things just don't fit well into a box! At the end of the day, EVERYTHING has to go into a box. I keep telling myself, JUST PUT IT IN A BOX!
This weekends efforts -
And - holiday decoration bins that had been stashed away
We are already getting tired of eating out so, I cooked this evening. A Pinterest recipe for Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta along with an HEB rotisserie chicken. It was good!
I have a hard time cooking for two. I will be having this for lunch the remainder of the week. It's a good thing I liked it!
We have started packing again. Our house has sold for the second time. It's really a bittersweet situation - Joe and I have so many wonderful memories here. This house is our first home together! We spent every Summer working in the yard and dining on the back porch for many meals. There were a couple of crawfish boils in the back yard and some fun Easter egg hunts!
The double fireplace, viewed from two living areas, was a special enjoyment for both of us as it is huge! Our first Thanksgiving here with our children was most enjoyable. It was cold and rainy. Our SILs, Todd and Qui, kept the fire going over the day and into the night keeping the house cozy and warm.
The decision to move was long in coming but we have gotten weary of the drive into The Woodlands.
So the packing - Joe took these boxes to storage Saturday plus a truckload from his storage bldg in the back yard.
Through this move, some days may be just photos. As they as, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Christmas Day was celebrated at home. Joe cooked a chicken and sausage gumbo with potato salad. I baked a carrot cake for dessert. Also made pumpkin bread and homemade yeast bread (in the cast iron pot from Pinterest).
We drove to Lake Charles to see most of our children and grandchildren. (Grandchildren - Alexis, Crosby, Sophie, Gabby, Alec, Jack, Jayden, Jacob, Matthew and Kayla). It was a fun trip with lots of food! We came home Sunday evening. (brought home boudin balls from Peto's - my fav!)
There are three grandchildren we haven't seen yet! Aiden, Hannah and Halaina will get their presents soon!
It has been a wonderful Christmas for Joe and I! We are sharing a few pictures -
Knitted Christmas Wreath in iPurl
Erica Knight Maxi Wool
 |
| Knitted Wreath |
Getting our Tree Up
(Giggling - Joe is helping)
Bella Napping in Front of the Fire
Audrey Opening Presents
(Audrey was the only grandchild at our house Christmas Day)
 |
| Audrey |
Granddaughter Kayla
Matthew and Kayla Decorating our Tree
(Just after Thanksgiving)
A Few Decorations
New Grandson Jacob in a Box
Grandsons Jayden and Jacob
Jacob
(The baby in the family this year)
Knitting on the Trip Home
The couple backed out of the sale of the house. The old man decided he wanted to back out. So, 10 days from closing, with most of our things packed and in storage, an apartment rented; we are regrouping! The busy months for selling a house are past and we are going into the holidays. We have had to go get some things from storage. Almost all of the kitchen was packed and stored.
We are going to focus on the days ahead.
Our house has sold! We were thinking that it would take a little longer because the house is out past old Magnolia. The third family that looked at our house bought it. We have agreed to be out of the house by September 30th. A really nice couple bought our home. Joe and Earline. We are moving to the city and they are moving to the country.
Daughter Pam said the best way to handle it is to think of it as an adventure. It really is an adventure of sorts. Moving is always an experience to remember. Things will not always go as planned. It's more of a lesson in patience and the ability to be flexible and adapt to the unexpected.
I have already been boxing up BUT the real moving starts this weekend. Small furniture will be going into storage along with everything getting boxed. Joe and I both have moved more than most people in our first marriages. I am organized and Joe expedites! I think you should always start with the kitchen getting ANYTHING you would need to cook boxed up first! You can choose not to label those boxes making sure you find those boxes last! (Just kidding)
We will be moving into an apartment close to the shop while our next home is being built.
Just getting started -
I will be boxing all day tomorrow. I don't mind packing. It's the perfect time to sort and discard things you don't want or need any longer. I packed glassware until about 8pm.
Daughter Kim said she didnt know the last time she was at our house would be the LAST time she was at our house! I think we all feel a bit sad - there have been many wonderful memories made here! All the boxing makes Bella nervous!
Jack is our grandson who LOVES pumpkins. Everything pumpkins! Every other year or so, I knit him a new pumpkin hat. He wears it all the time everywhere and carries stuff in it; absolutely getting the very most fun out of his hat.
Joe got a phone call from his Mom not long ago saying Jack was asking for a knitted zombie doll. He has a DS zombie game that he enjoys and we guess the idea came from the game. I knew Ravelry would have zombie dolls. It didn't take long to find Zombie Monster! Patterned after Danger Crafts monsters, he seems appropriate for Jack!
And so, here I go - gathering all the materials I think I will need for this project into a basket. I am using Cascade Cotton for this so it will be washable. You know, it's for a little boy. The doll's hair is acrylic yarn from the clearance bins in the back of the shop. I am using safety eyes also - we have those at the shop too!
I took him to work with me Friday. He was very popular with everyone! Zombie seemed to like sitting surrounded by yarn!
It took a total of 21 work hours to complete this project,
Decided to give Monster a tooth! See what you think.
Hoping Jack likes his Zombie!
Pam and Jacob have been at our house for a whole week! Through an unforeseen circumstance, Pam needed to be out of her house for awhile. I drove to Beaumont, meeting them about halfway, and brought them home with me! Ryan stayed home with Jayden, the 6 year old big brother, who had come down with the adenovirus at his swim class. It's been awhile since Joe and I have been around a baby for a week! It was nice!
Being about two months, premature, Jacob is still being kept away from the general public. Specifically avoiding people who are sick and children who could possibly be carrying germs he isn't ready for yet. Although they took him off of oxygen on Father's Day, Pam still brought a canister just in case. So, we knew we would be staying in.
Sometimes the best visits are those with no plans. No shopping or running around. Bella had a great week - she was so excited about the baby being here! She would sit close and quake with excitement!
On the 4th, we had BBQ with baked beans, pasta salad, cole slaw and key lime pie. Wade and Christa came for the day bringing Audrey and Aiden. We all had a fun family day eating and visiting!
Every Friday evening, our routine is TexMex and margaritas. All our children want to go to The Blue Iguana when they are here. So, I picked up dinner from The Iguana on the way home! They make THE BEST chunky avocado salad ever!
Pam's iPhone had been acting up and she really needed to go to the Apple Store while here! Saturday evening when I got home, I babysat Jacob while Joe and Pam went to the Mall. They picked up Buca di Beppo on the way home. I rocked Jacob the WHOLE time they were gone! Our family believes babies are supposed to be held and rocked. We realize they aren't little for very long so you better hold and rock while you can! When Alexis was small, I used to get everything done so I could sit and hold her while she took her 2 hour afternoon nap. She just graduated high school. Now, I rock her new baby brother.
Yesterday, we drove back to. Beaumont, meeting Ryan at Pappadeaux's for a late lunch. Pam and Jacob went home.
Rocking Jacob
(That's a big blue binky)
 |
| Jacob Napping |
Sweet Baby
Watching the Baby Channel
 |
| Jacob watching the Baby Channel |
Playing in Mom's Lap
Pam with Jacob at Pappadeaux's
Ryan and Pam with Jacob
It has seemed really quiet today. Missing them!
Getting close to putting our house on the market, I am energized at the thought of getting very close to being finished with all the preparations.
My chore today is cleaning out the pantry. It's a nice roomy pantry that has gotten over-stocked. Joe isn't happy with just A bag of chips, he wants several kinds of chips. You get the picture! Let me show you - it is jam-packed as my Grandmother would say. I have items grouped, on twirlies, canned goods thingies, risers and so on but there is just too MUCH!
I prefer to stop at the market every couple of days, buying fresh fruit and veggies; maybe a bit of meat. Joe prefers stocking up for the long haul and the dreaded snack attack.
I have the bottom shelf emptied - three more to go. Checking expiration dates and maybe boxing some things that can go with us! Then I can put back the things we will be using over the next couple of weeks. Sigh! In the meantime, the washer and dryer are happily chugging along.
After 2.5 hours, I have gone through everything. Checking all expiration dates, organizing and wiping down the shelves. After six years, the shelves still look great. They won't need to be painted.
Closer -
Now, to sit down with a nice glass of iced tea and talk to Bella!
Posted with Blogsy
