June: ALL The Unpacking

 The first week of June arrived and so did all of our stuff. 

We found our FIRST bullfrog. It was huge! Everyone was brave enough to touch it! They hope to get their hands on a lizard as well. 

The kids got their first taste of Blue Bell Ice Cream. Chocolate Peanut Butter Overload is the house favorite. It's expensive, so we stock up on a sale. 

The big white and red truck showed up again and all our stuff came off of it. I got to play blackout BINGO. They gave me a sheet filled with numbers. Each box of stuff had a numbered sticker on it. It was my job to make sure EVERY box that left the Utah house, made it to the Texas house. When the truck was empty I was only missing a couple boxes. The moving company did such a great job labeling them and I paid enough attention that I was able to located each "missing box". There is big furniture in each room and boxes in every other space. Our house in Texas is MUCH bigger than our Utah house, but all these boxes make me wonder, how much stuff do we REALLY have?! We shall see. The company also put up our trampoline and boy were they fast, it's an ordeal every fall to take it down and spring to put it back up... all those springs....

We set up bedrooms and organized all the things. The kids' rooms and closets are HUGE. They all go new dressers and shelves and we are slowly finding places for all their "special things" (clutter...). We found a free school lunch near us and go everyday. Here, the adults can eat for free too! AND, they do breakfast. We've had a lot of late nights lately, so I doubt we will be able to get up and out before it's over. We got a new to us table and I love it. However, Lyla spilled a ton of milk, REPEATEDLY as soon as we got it. Kids. Kids are why we can't have nice things. 

We spend all day and most of the evenings packing or working on a project. The kids' favorite part of each day is SWIMMING time! They swim every day. They are gonna be tan real quick. They are also becoming very confidant swimmers. They have been screaming, crying scared in the past and lately they are really blooming into stronger swimmers. There is always a new game or new trick. we are still learning how the dang thing even works and how to clean it. 

We were able to save some money and have been getting things for the house. All the new things we got were around 10+ years old at our Utah house so it was time to upgrade some items. We got a new bed and mattress. We decided to stain it. It is very "Texas". And I'm not sure I want to stain anything ever again. We got a new washer and dryer. The kids like to watch them spin. We got two sets of couches for the family room and bonus room and rounded it all off with a car upgrade. The new family room couches are GREAT to nap on. To say we are very grateful for the current sellers market, is an understatement. It worked out really well for us. Do I have pictures of all of these things? I do not. I've really struggled to take pictures when we are go go go and onto the next project. I want to say it will get better for July, but it doesn't.

We went to Buc-ees, again, because it is fun and that is just what you do! We love Buc-ees! This time we got a LIVE picture with Buc-ee himself!

The garage is the last place left to organize and unpack. It's a BEAST. I've been avoiding it, like the plague. Tyler spent some time in there and really made some progress, but we've still got a ways to go. 

Our pantry is nice, but it's just not working the way we'd like. So, we started another project of putting shelves along the whole length of the wall. Tyler is a super hero in the way that his mind works. we ran into one snag, but we figured it out and it looks great! Now, I can buy totes from Target to put all the food in! 

Our new ward here has been great! We are settling in and finding ways to serve. The boys have already been to activity days and we are finding our place here. Fun fact, the cute girl next to me was in my Rexburg home ward, MANY years ago. Her mom was my most memorable piano teacher and likely part of the reason I still play today. It is such a small world to be in her ward again! 

                                               

We finished the pantry just in time to Tyler to go on a brothers trip to Galveston. They went deep sea fishing. He had fun but wished he didn't have to rush so much to be back to work on time. He's working so hard to learn his new job, be a good manager and prepare for an unannounced audit. He's really growing in his career, he gets unsure of himself, I wish he could see how great he's really doing! He made it through 90 days at Tyson foods and we can't wait for more! It's been a great experience so far! 

 

After watching HP 1 and 2, we decided to continue onward! We finished all of Harry Potter and then all of Fantastic Beasts. It was a blast. Everything stick like became a wand. We showed the kids Harry Potter Puppet Pals and Lyls is amazingly good at the Snape(but she calls him Snake, haha) and Dumbledore parts. It's hilarious. 

Grayson FINALLY got his hands on a lizard. When he tried to share is climbed up his back and we couldn't catch it again for the others. He was so happy. 

A ward member invites us over to swim about once a week. She invites lots of different families so that all the new people in the ward to get to know people. She has a super power of help us meet kids our age, ministering families and neighbors close to us. It has been a wonderful way to spend hot afternoons! This is where I realized how confidant the boys have become in water. They dive off the ledge, 8ft deep, swim up and over to the ledge, to do it again. It was fun to watch them. Nolan has even been doing front flips into the water. It's wonderful to see them grow! In July, Lyla basically learns to swim, too! 

Up next, July, and many much more fun. 

Until next time...