We have Arrived

Yes, we're all alive here in our new home. I can't wait to share all the gory details of the move. Strike that. I'll save the gory and just share the wonderful. I haven't located a camera cord yet, but I'll make that my top priority today in order to share pics, right next to finding the mall and making yet another run to Target and Lowe's for some odd and ends. We've learned a few things since moving:

1. It's expensive. Even when someone else pays for it. Holy cow. We've burned through cash like a stranded bank robber in the middle of a snowstorm. Like that? Yeah, me neither. But it's staying. We couldn't move any liquids or opened food in the truck, and there was limited room in Blue (our van). So upon arrival we've needed to rebuild our food supply. It took one trip to Costco and one trip to Winco to spend our entire month's grocery budget. Fabulous.

2. Owning a new home is expensive. Gratefully we had some forethought and required the builder to pay for shutters and a fridge as part of the deal. Otherwise we'd be "camping" in a fish bowl until the first paycheck comes (which regretfully won't be for some time). As it is, we've been fine on the necessities. Which by DH's definition is a lawn mower. Gotta save face for the neighborhood! And we've had some very kind neighbors who have offered the use of their washers and dryers until we can buy our own. Three cheers for clean underwear!

3. Boise is the nicest place I've ever lived. No kidding. I feel like I've stepped into Carealot. Because the people here care. A lot. From the neighbors who welcomed us with open arms, to the telephone guy who spend an extra hour yesterday hooking up our unfinished wiring, to the clerk at Winco who struck up a friendly conversation as we checked out. They are just really good people here. And not in a freaky overwhelming claustraphobic way (that was the South where we heard the whole life story, uncomfortable details and all, of our waitress while trying to eat our dinner).

4. What a difference a day makes. One day my kids are in California, cabin crazy, stuck inside with a cranky mom and a sleeping baby. And the next, they're arriving at a new home, where there's room to roam and kids to play with from dawn until dusk. Literally. I'll have to post the picture DH took last night of our kids and about 12 of the neighbor kids on top of a dirt pile playing. And that was just the kids on our little coner of the circle. Apparently there's a whole other gang on the other side that we haven't even got to roaming with. My kids have never been happier. Which makes me one very happy mama.

We're really loving it here. But we do miss our friends in California. In a perfect world I would scoop you all up and put you in the empty home lots surrounding us. Then it would be Utopia.