Uncles and Aunts and Cousins Galore!

It's not that often that Michael and all of his siblings are together. The 5 of them live in 3 different states, so if he and his two sisters and two brothers do manage to be in the same place at the same time, it's even more remarkable when all their children are together, too, along with Grandma.

That's just what happened the other night. Megan, her family, and Grandma were in town from Florida, and Daniel is back to civilian life in Kentucky. We took the opportunity to have them all over for dinner and to see the house. We loved hosting all the family and sitting together (albeit snugly) around the dinner table.  Such an occasion is worthy of some posed photos -- even the kids cooperated!

Clockwise from top: Sophie, Hailey, Carter, Alyssa, Channing, Austin, Emma, Adam and Noah.

Grandma and her 9 grandchildren

Thanks, guys, for all coming over!

Happy 60th Birthday to Grandpa Dave!

Hello friends and family! Mommy is letting me tell you about our weekend at Grandpa Dave's house since it was sooo much fun! It was Grandpa Dave's birthday party and the whole family was going to visit him to celebrate. And not just my Kentucky aunts, uncles and cousins -- I had family I didn't even know about from Ohio! There was my great-Grandma Kathy and my great Aunts Becky, Marsha and Michelle and Daddy's cousins and all their kids, too. Mommy helped me count all the people and there were 15 kids and at least 25 grown ups.

Grandpa has a house in Kentucky down some really windy roads with lots and lots of trees and grass. There's a place up the hill that everyone set up tents around a campfire but down by the house is where we spent all our time because there's a swimming pool! You all know how much I love to swim and I got to show off all my tricks. Everyone was so impressed with how I just jump right in the water, hold my breath, and kick to the surface. I even showed off my back dive, too. We spent a lot of time in the pool because it was so hot outside.

Daddy and the big boys spent a lot of time on the big 4-wheelers riding back in the trees and would sometimes come back all muddy. Daddy even took me for a short ride. Then later Grandpa brought out his horses, but when Daddy put me up in the saddle with him all I kept saying was, "nooooooo." I liked the smaller lawnmower to play on better.

There was also this really big bouncy thing called a trampoline. The only one I had ever seen was small but this one was huge and really high off the ground! It was so cool! When the big kids weren't using it I got to go on it. I thought it was so funny to run around in circles on it, and I really really tried to jump up and down. I know it has to do with bending my knees, and I could make it bounce a little. I am sure with some practice on the beds and couch at home I'll get really good at jumping!

When it got dark they lit a big fire outside. We all sat around it talking and the grown-ups looked up at the sky to see all the stars. I never knew there were so many stars! Daddy said he could faintly see the Milky Way and he and Mommy kept looking for things called satellites and shooting stars. I got to stay up really late, too, and when I woke up I was still outside -- in a tent!

It was a fun weekend, and I sure hope Grandpa had fun, too. Happy Birthday!

Carter, Uncle Scott, Uncle Kevin, Alyssa, Matthew, Aunt Jenny, Noah, Mommy, Austin, Channing, Sean, ME!, Daddy, Sara, Nancy, Great Grandma Kathie, Grandpa, Aunt Amy, Aunt Megan, Uncle Daniel, Marsha, Jeff, Brenda, Kristopher and baby Samuel, Gavin, Heather and Liam. And in front -- Michelle, Autumn, Dominick, Stephanie, Becky, Olivia, Amanda, Emma, Sophie and Nicholas. Whew!

I Come From C-I-N-C-I-N-N-A-T-I, Cincinnati!

We're nearing a month living outside of Cincinnati, and in all honesty, we haven't explored our new city as much as we've liked. We've been so busy hosting or visiting family that we haven't had time to get out and enjoy all that the area has to offer.

We did take one full day while Mindy's parents were in town to show them (and us) the riverfront and downtown. We started at Sawyer Point, a huge park that funs along the Ohio river that has lots of green spaces, sidewalks, a public "swimming" fountain, amphitheater, etc., plus beautiful views of the river and the Kentucky side. 

We also found a huge playground under one of the bridges and Adam had to test out the swing.

We also explored downtown and found Carew Tower, the second tallest building in Cincinnati and a National Historic Landmark. We took the very narrow elevators to the top to check out the observation deck. It offers 360-degree views of Ohio and Kentucky. Interesting tidbits -- the building was built in 1930 and was used as a model for the Empire State Building. It still has the original postal drop-box system that is still in use today.

We had lunch on Fountain Square, a downtown plaza that is the symbolic center of Cincinnati. Refueled from lunch we decided on one last stop at Findlay Market, the state's oldest continuously operated public market. It's open 4 or 5 days a week with an indoor section that reminded me of the public market we saw in Vancouver, and part of the year there are also outdoor vendors and farmers' markets. I believe you could get virtually any cut of meat, any spice blend, or any type of cheese there. It's a neat place to walk around (and even better with a fresh gelato).

And, fittingly enough, it's located on this street...

We are still eager to learn more about the various events, landmarks and local fare that the city has to offer. The other night Michael went to the Reds game with some of his Ky buddies -- an exciting game with a walk-off home run to win it. It's events like this that we are excited to make more frequently so they become 'regular' things to us and not so novel. Plus, we are anxious to learn even more so when we have visitors come to visit we'll have some neat and unique places to show off.

Yes, please come visit!

***********

PS. Did anyone recognize the blog title? They are lyrics from the Cincinnati Song from the movie Babes in Toyland (1986). Our brother-in-law Josh was shocked to discover we had never heard the song, much less seen the movie. So, Josh, this is for you (and everyone else out there)...

Card-Totin' Residents

It's official... we live in Ohio and have the documentation to prove it. After 3 trips (yes, 3) to the happiest place on Earth we were finally able to get our drivers' licenses and one of our cars titled and registered.
Why 3 trips you ask?

Trip 1 -
We both took the written driver's test. Neglected to bring proof of residency so we couldn't get licenses but could get the ball rolling on titling car #1, which involves getting the vehicle inspected and transferring the title from FL to OH through our lien holder.

Trip 2 -
Attempt #2 to get my license with proof of residency in hand. Unfortunately, along with the FL license and social security card, you also need a birth certificate -- though this isn't indicated on the website.

Trip 3 -
Finally, new licenses for both of us. Were also able to have car #2 retitled, registered and plated in Ohio.

Trip 4 -
Oh joy, we get to return next week to finish titling car #1 and get plates.

Things that annoy me/us about the DMV:

• In Ohio, it's the BMV, not DMV (Bureau of Motor Vehicles). I don't know if Ohio is the only state with a BMV, but I just assumed that it was DMV everywhere.
• Proof of Residency - A legal signed lease does not qualify as a legitimate proof of residency. Credit card statements, bank statements, and utility bills all qualify, as does a voter registration card. 
• Interestingly enough, you are not required to show proof of residency to register to vote (ie. you do not have to prove you live in the district you'll be voting in) but it is acceptable proof for the BMV.
• Registering a sailboat costs $5 more than registering another type of boat. It's a "conservation fee". When you figure out that logic, let me know.
• License plates are required to go on the back AND front of the car. Time to drill pretty holes in our bumpers.
• Ohio requires we take a written driver's test before we can get a license. Yes, we passed on our first try.
• "One stop locations" involve having the car inspected in one location, walking next door and processing the title, then returning to first location to purchase the plates -- each time getting in line all over again.

I'll have to say, though, that at least we found a location close to my work that has very short lines, so fortunately we were able to accomplish things on our lunch breaks.

Of course, all of this did not come without a price...

Expenses:

• Driver's License $23.00 x2: $46.00
• Transfer of title to Ohio (car 2): $22.00
• Transfer of title to Ohio (car 1): $30.00
• Registration and new License plates (car 2): $37.25
• Registration and new License plates (car 1): TBD -- awaiting title transfer from lien holder
• Saving 40% on car insurance for having cars in OH vs. FL: PRICELESS!

He's a Natural

This will get your day started off with a smile -- Adam's last swim at Gramma and Grampa's before the move. He's fearless!

Weekend project

Last week we received a very generous housewarming gift from Grandpa Dave -- a swing set for Adam. If you know Adam at all, you know he LOVES to swing. Gramma and Grampa had a swing at their house and any time he was outside he'd do the "swing" sign and head over to the side yard. At the park, the swings are the first thing he beelines for. I get tired of pushing him sooner than he gets tired of swinging. In fact, when Michael asked Adam if he'd like a swingset from Grandpa Dave, he immediately turned to face the neighbor's swingset and started walking to the fence, all the while making the "swing" sign. Needless to say, such a gift would go over well.
Grandpa picked out a playset especially for him and we picked it up last week.

Of course, it came in 2 boxes and about a zillion pieces...

And before assembly began the lawn really needed to be trimmed...

Then start off with a couple hours inventorying all the pieces...

Next it's on to assembly in 90+ degree heat for 2 days....

But it's all worth it for Adam's innaugural ride on his very own swing.

And innaugural slide. Of course, he does love climbing up the ladder when no one is looking, which scares Mommy a litle bit.

Thank you, Daddy for all your hard work! We still need to finish sealing the wood, and we're waiting on a part to finish the roof...



But otherwise, it's open for business!



Back to the Grind

I am a working girl again! On Monday I started my new job as Product Manager/Graphics with a company called Powerstep. (Find us on Facebook!) It's actually called Stable Step but Powerstep is our brand. We manufacture shoe orthotics and have both a retail line that is sold in running and shoe stores and a professional line sold through podiatrists. It's a small company with fewer than 20 employees, and I am quite sure I'm going to love it there. Everyone is so kind and seems excited for me to be there.

For starters, the company has a very laid-back, family atmosphere. I like that I am going to be very involved in corporate work but in a relaxed atmosphere. Most people aren't in the office until almost 9, and at 5:00 everyone's out the door. I'm enjoying the hours, as I get to spend more morning time with Adam before leaving for the day.

In October the company will be moving to a bigger, more professional building, which happens to be about a mile from our house! (How's that for perfect?) Yesterday I was at the new building discussing and helping to choose the new office furniture (and even chose my new office) -- it feels good to come in and be so hands on and respected from the get-go.

As I've mentioned before, I am working for my former boss, and after nearly 10 years of working together I know how she thinks and what she expects, and that makes it so much easier. She has told me that Powerstep is much like our last company was in the beginning, so I can see where she wants to take this company and how we're going to get there. That shared background and mentality is so beneficial, especially since she works remotely and isn't here on a day-to-day basis. I already get the impression that I am going to be very involved, learn a lot and see big growth with the company as new products, marketing materials and procedures are developed. I am excited. And as a bonus, I have a brand new 17" macbook pro on my desk!

So far my separation from Adam has been much easier than I envisioned, but maybe that's because he is at home with Michael, who works out of our house. I think Adam is a bit bored during the day, as he was used to our walks and playdates with his little buddies and their mommies each week (which I miss!). Is it hot hot hot where you live? We have this great fenced in backyard but it's just been too hot for him to be outside during the day. Last week we checked out a daycare facility near our house and loved it. It offered a great curriculum, hot meals, 6 ventilation systems and more. (It also has the internet video monitoring which Gramma loves! ) We haven't decided when we'll be starting him but will likely begin with a couple days a week until Michael's busy season kicks in.

But in the meantime, it's Daddy and Adam days, and I love seeing Adam's face when I walk through the door at the end of the day!

Moving Prep - Phase IV: Clean 'Em Up and Head 'Em Out

Returning to the Packing phase for a second -- Here are some photos I finally downloaded from my camera:

Fun with boxes

Holy-Moley, that's a lot of boxes!

I am sure you've been in suspense to know how the rest of the move unfolded. Now that the truck was loaded, this was the plan: wake up early and go to the condo for final cleaning, touch-up painting and laying the thresholds on the laminate floors Michael installed. Have all this completed by noon. Final goodbyes and hit the road.

But plans are just ideal guidelines.... right?

Super Angie to the rescue

We were all over at the condo by 9am to get started on the final clean-up. My friends Christie and Sarah came over to help, and though I had 18 different tasks in my head to complete I couldn’t seem to assign anyone anything. Thank goodness for Christie who took charge while I was a scattered mess: Sarah cleaned the refrigerator, Christie swept and assembled trash and truck piles, I touched up paint, and Angie cleaned random things here and there. Michael had gone to my parents’ house for the proper tools to finish the thresholds. We were set on our 12pm departure.

Then Michael called:

“What insurance do we have?”

Uh-oh. Did he get in a car accident the day we are leaving Florida??!?

“Do we have Aetna?

What? No, that’s health insurance not car insurance…. 

“WHAT HAPPENED???!?”

Turns out while using my father’s planer to trim the thresholds, his left middle finger hit the blade and he lost part of the fleshy pad. He needed medical attention! He drove himself to Urgent Care and Christie met him there to give him his insurance card. In retrospect, while she was out, we should have had her bring us to pick up a car. By the time my friends left around noon, Angie, Adam and I were stranded at the empty apartment with a big moving truck and no car seat… for two more hours. 

Angie set about entertaining Adam (which wasn't easy in an empty apartment) while I continued to find things to clean and improve while we waited. And waited. 

Finally Michael was back by 3 and we still had some final things to load before we could hit the road. He didn't get stitches as there was nothing to stitch. Instead he has a foam piece adhered to the wound that will eventually fall off once the skin underneath grows in and heals. I'll spare you a photo but honestly, I expected it to look much worse.

Leaving our unit was bittersweet. We are super excited about our move, but this was our home for 6+ years -- a home that saw us get engaged, married, and bring home a baby. I walked around thinking how nice and clean it all looked -- and big. I thought to myself, "I'd rent this place!"

Finally, by 5pm we were on our way to Jacksonville. We were only 5 hours behind schedule. We stayed a night with Michael's sister and family, then by 8am the next morning we were on our way again, bound for Kentucky.

Angie and I took Adam in our car, and Michael drove the truck with his Mom, who we picked up in Jacksonville. I couldn't have managed the drive so well without Angie helping entertain Adam. He loves his Aunt Angie, and they have all sorts of fun little games they play together. By the time we hit the Tennessee line Angie was in the driver's seat and I was singing songs to Adam when he looked at me and did his sign language to tell me "All Done, Mommy." Guess this kid was ready to be there!

Twelve hours later we arrived in Georgetown for the night. Our drive was much more comfortable than Michael's in the truck. Not only did he have a completely upright bench seat, a throbbing finger, and a 30 mph pace on the mountain climbs, the truck nearly overheated and he had to open the windows and crank the heat for the last hour or so. You can probably gauge his mood by the time he arrived.

Tomorrow was move-in day, and while we were all exhausted, we were fortunate to have so many wonderful, rested family and friends come out to help us unload. The rest of the move-in went so smoothly, and we finally met the owners who were wonderful. Special thanks to Dave, Rich, Josh, Matthew, and Dad for all your hard work and strong muscles, and to the Moms and Kim for helping us unpack and settle in so quickly. Very soon I will have to take pictures and give you a "tour." But for now, I"m happy to say We're Home.

Moving Prep - Phase III: Packing & Loading

Whew! We made it! We are finally all settled and mostly organized in the new house. With the exception of hanging pictures and debating to-paint-or-not-to-paint, most everything is finally in the place it will remain. By the way, we love the house! For a property that we hadn’t seen until we pulled up with the moving truck, we sure are pleased! More to come on the house.. I am getting ahead of myself.

Back up a week or so – last week my sister Angie flew to Florida to help us pack, clean and watch Adam while we packed and cleaned. She was a HUGE help, especially on loading day. She also watched Adam while we had some final social gatherings with our closest and dearest friends in Florida. I am really trying not to think about how much I miss them!

On Tuesday we picked up the rental truck and then loaded it with items we had stored at my parents’ house or at their storage unit. This included an armoire (from here forward referred as to The $%#&@! Armoire due to its heft), a dining set, a few bookcases, an upholstered rocker, a large outdoor cooler, a half dozen or more boxes, plus a futon and computer table. You know, just a couple of things. We also set about pulling items down from the attic that we hadn’t seen in some time. The problem with having an attic about the size of your condo is you tend to use all the space available. We pulled down 20+ boxes from there – holiday decorations, lots of boxes of books, a Bowflex, golf clubs, yet-to-be-used wedding gifts, bowling balls… Lots. Originally I had plans to pull all this down way in advance and go through what I hadn’t seen in years and discard and consolidate. That didn’t happen for lack of time, and frankly, lack of space. Lesson learned #1.

On Wednesday morning the 3 loaders we had hired showed up right on time and started moving boxes to the parking lot. Well, first they had to unload the items we had picked up from my parents’ house, but then they were on to the rest of our things. Man, they were quick! I suddenly felt so rushed to get my dresser drawers emptied and my computer packed that in the end I just threw stuff in places. I should have learned from my wedding: pack your going-away bag well in advance of the Big Day so you are completely organized and sure of what you have in your suitcase. Lesson learned #2.

All the while the men are working we keep hearing, “You all have a lot of boxes.” Yet, one of them assured me it would all fit in our 24’ truck. Michael kept an eye on their loading and was very pleased at how tightly they were fitting things. (Some things may have been fit too snugly by the look of the scuff marks on some of our furniture – lesson learned #3: wrap everything to protect it and keep it clean.) We had the hired men for 3 hours, and with 30 minutes to go, the lead guy came to me and said, “You need to start prioritizing what’s left.” Panic! I suddenly realized that we may have to leave items behind! Plus, we had told Michael’s sister that if there was room (and we were sure there would be) we’d pick up a king size bed on our drive to Ohio and carry it to Michael’s brother in Kentucky. We go down to the truck, and with about 6’ of depth left….

We had this left….

And this….

\

Plus a few bookcases, a tall wine cabinet, a computer desk, and more standing on the street.

Which left me in this state….

At which point my glass of orange juice was replaced with a beer.

I was frustrated to discover that The $%#&@! Armoire had already been loaded. This was always an If-we-have-room item and would be our first choice to leave behind. It was already deep within the truck. As was the carpet remnant we were bringing to protect the carpet on move-in day and should have been the last thing loaded – also in the truck’s bowels. Lesson learned #4: Communicate your priorities up front, perhaps with post-it notes on furniture!

So here we were with potentially a small U-haul worth of belongings remaining to be loaded and our time up on our hired help. Fortunately they agreed to stay until we couldn’t fit anything more, but frankly, the wind was out of their sails by this point. (To their defense it was 90+ degrees and practically 100% humidity and we had a lot of boxes… but is all should fit, ma’am!)

For two more hours the guys worked to load as much as they could. In the end we still had a tall and a short bookcase, an office chair, a nightstand, a standing mirror, a Christmas tree base, a ladder, a vacuum, Adam’s rocking chair, various mops and brooms and a few final boxes. Ugh. Now we prioritized and decided the bookcases and office chair could go and put them by the dumpster. We loaded up some of the remaining items that wouldn’t fit in our car and brought them to my parents’ storage unit again. I was defeated and in disbelief… how did it not all fit? We were so close to getting everything inside. We took a break, picked up Adam (who had spent the day with his buddy Wylie – Thank you, thank you, thank you, Amy!!!) and a pizza. I told Michael there’s no way we could pick up the king size bed – if there was any room at all on that truck we were going to take our stuff first. (Sorry, Daniel!) I was determined to look inside the truck and see what was left, so Angie and I left Adam with Michael and headed back to the condo to see the truck for ourselves. We opened the back and holy-moley there was plenty of room!!

I was irritated that our loaders just (excuse my French) half-assed the last of the loading but also ecstatic that we just might be able to take everything we wanted! We had renewed energy! Angie, bless her heart, spent much of the next couple hours on about 12” of foot room reaching and loading and optimizing every crevice. There was a large cooler that had nothing inside it – score! We filled it with towels. There was a picnic basket with nothing inside – yay! We filled it with foil and zip loc bags. (It would take me a few days to find those in Ohio, haha!) There was our wine cabinet with nothing on its shelves – yahoo! We opened boxes and filled all the spaces with individual items. In the end, it all fit, including the items we’d moved to the storage unit!!

Sure, we had lots left to do – lots to clean and repair on our condo to get it ready to rent, but I could at least find comfort in the fact that were leaving nothing behind. Oh, sweet relief. And surely, with all that went wrong on the loading, what could possibly go wrong tomorrow??