We're moving back to the big house. Yet another house came on the market for well below our price ($40K less), and that sealed the deal for us.
We're moving quickly in order to avoid another month of bills come August. In fact, we've already emptied our entire storage unit and put most of it in it's proper location in the house. That, in fact, was a little like Christmas day - unpacking all my good dishes, staring into a cavernous pantry. But the best part is that I can't recall what I gave away. I know I gave away tons and tons of stuff, but since I don't remember what, I certainly haven't missed it. And I also know that the pantry will remain large and cavernous because we now live on next to nothing in the way of groceries.
We're moving August 1st - which is Caroline's second birthday (whole 'nother post coming there). We'll have her party the following weekend at home, where we can accommodate more people inside and out of this blasted heat. And for those of you more than passingly familiar with a calendar, this also means I'll be moving less than a week after returning from BlogHer '09. That's how we roll: chaos on top of chaos.
The girls (okay, we'll mostly Hannah, since Caroline doesn't remember the old house in the slightest) are thrilled. Over the moon, really. And the prospect of more sleep through the miracle of separate rooms has Todd and I bit giddy, too. As does the dishwasher and lack of a scorpion population.
Todd has already put in job applications at the Home Depot and Dick's Sporting Goods just up the street. And I've got leads on childcare options.
Mom and I are talking about turning the cabin into a vacation rental. Of course, we'd need my grandpa's permission. But it would be a nice way, I think, to recoup some of the cost of owning this place - like property taxes - while still leaving it available for family use.
Some of you had asked about the pressure of keeping up with the Joneses. It's a valid concern. But we're no longer in a position to even pretend. With no credit cards, and a hardscrabble battle to pay the most important bills each month, we couldn't cave into whims even if we wanted to.
It's still going to be a tough week-by-week fight for the foreseeable future. All we can do is continue to make the best choices we can when confronted with tough decisions. A big thank you to all of you for being an invaluable sounding board.
