We are Here! We are Here! We are Here!

Haha--little Horton hearing a Who...but, yes, we are HERE!!! We pulled out of Butler Thursday morning-Bill with Michael, Ruby and Tucker, then me with Mom, Sweet Pea, and all the birds, both vehicles crammed to the hilt with first day boxes and last minute 'I can't leave THAT!!' but I left all my plants sitting on the couch and loveseat by the curb because there just wasn't room--*sob*!! But, there really isn't anywhere here to put plants right now, so...I suppose it was just as well.

The ride was...interesting. Thank goodness for Ativan. Not a note of music for ten hours. Sweet Pea did much better than I thought she would--thank goodness for doggie downers. She cried a little but slept most of the way. And the parakeets were the only ones we heard from of the birds, little twitters and chirps here and there, and the others were quiet the whole time. I am not a highway driver--or passenger, apparently, and held a death grip to the door handle pretty much the entire time. I knew I would be glad to see New Bedford, but I must've flown out of that van as soon as we pulled in the driveway! I am NOT doing that ride ever again...

We got here just around five, and seriously, we weren't even out of the car ten minutes and there were a handful of kids riding by on bikes eyeing Michael, so Bill walked him a few houses up to where most of them were hanging out, gave a brief introduction, and the kid was in like flint. Let's see, there's Dominic, Jacob, Colin, Stephen, Jimmy, Shawn, and Kendra--that's the main crew. I believe there are more in the plan--which is HUGE! I could run for a good hour and not hit the same road twice, or a main road, either. It's awesome! All the kids are on bikes or scooters and every car that goes through here drives slow knowing the kids are all out and about. One of the kids, Jacob, will be on Michael's bowling team--perfect! He is busting a gut happy to have friends to play with every day and we hardly saw hide nor hair of him the entire weekend, including the Columbus Day holiday on Monday since there was no school and all the kids were making the neighborhood rounds.

Sitting on our front step: Jimmy in blue, Dominic on the right, and this little guy down on the left is cute as a button but drove me about out of my mind wanting to come in and see the dogs, poked a lovely hole in the screen door, let Tucker and Ruby out the front door one time...and just. wouldn't. go. AWAY!!! Ashlee threatened to drag him home if he didn't stop nagging to come in...Oh my....

We finally made it to Horseneck Beach Saturday night before we went to dinner. We're twenty minutes from the ocean, less if you hit the beach downtown (which is actually Buzzard's Bay, I believe) and that's ten minutes away--a block from Ashlee's house. She can see the water from her front yard--love it!!! Michael was delirious walking up to the beach, so excited and the wind blowing his hair-and the sand-every which direction. But...breathtaking, seeing those waves rolling in and the beach stretching out as far as the eye could see. Some people were flying kites a little way down from us, and a couple were actually surfing. I rolled up my jeans, slipped off my flip flops and waded out into the surf...yeah, I cried. It's so beautiful and I can't believe we actually get to live here!! Bill and Bug went on a seashell search while I soaked in the salt air and snapped a few shots of the sunset. Heaven...

I went completely OCD and unpacked the entire downstairs over the weekend. I couldn't stop until every box was emptied, broken down, and piled in the garage. I was hoping to get the bedrooms unpacked upstairs Monday or Tuesday, but that didn't happen. Ash and I went shopping Monday (this could be a dangerous combination...) I had to run Bug back downtown to the school's administration office before he could be admitted into school yesterday morning and the cable guy was here most of the morning hooking up the TV's, DVR's, the phone and internet. Then I was having a hanger shortage crisis after tackling the eight load mountain in the basement, so we had to run around and find hangers, which entailed lunch and a stop at the pet store just to 'check it out'--haha! Oh the birds they have!!! But I can tackle the upstairs today since Bill is back off to work and Bug will take the bus to school. I do need to run to Walmart and the grocery store (thank goodness for the GPS because I have no idea where anything is even though Bill and Ashlee keep trying to tell me how to get around. Brain not absorbing, too much overload right now...) I have lists upon lists to create other lists of lists...Now if I could just manage to check a few things OFF those lists...all in time...all in time...

So, if you've managed to hang in there all the way to here--a few quick pics of the house:

Our House (is a very, very fine house!)

Livingroom

Diningroom (the pink curtains gotta go...)

Kitchen, Tucker making dinner??

This is my nook on the other side of the kitchen--the whole room is huge! Also where I'll be arting until we can get the Loft going...

We have a Mr. Ed door! And Tucker loves to neb. Pea laying in the sunshine coming in from the patio doors...

I decorated a little for Halloween and will take pics of the upstairs and yard after I unpack and remember to do so...(good luck with that--hahaha!) But, it's time for some breakfast and a shower before the guys have to get up and moving for the day so I can scoot after the bus swings by for Bug and buds...Things to do folks!! Have a great, uh....Wednesday, right?? Halfway to the weekend!! Yay!!