Small Things Are Big Things

We went back to the Old Place Sunday after church to do the final cleaning. I cried when we Magically Erased Eli’s wall art –>>Then we had to clean the empty apartment. It was a great way to say goodbye to every inch…
Goodbye: Cheap white linoleum with scratches and spaces, kitchen faucet that squirts over 6 feet (had to keep a washcloth over it!), faux green/tan marble (in both bathrooms), eroding mirrors (in both bathrooms), hole it tub, tub that isn’t sealed to the floor and leaks water (from hole in the tub), moldy 2.5 x 2.5′ shower, moldy plastic carpet, thermostat that only sets to extremely hot and only 4 windows in the whole place (that includes the sliding glass door in the back!).
Hello: Beautiful new wood floors and lovely floor tile, nice fixtures that are just to die for, granite counters, travertine tiled tub and shower (no leaks in sight!), huge shower with corner seat, thick cozy carpet, thermostat with timer and air conditioning, 2 car garage, 15 HUGE double paned windows, three bedrooms, and open happy perfect uplifting feelings.

Hello down there…

Unpacking is just dandy…

The way I listed the contents of these boxes just cracked me up later. The first one has my beloved pumpkins in it and it says “Random Horizontal Stuff” (you can also see an Eli’s Lids label peeking out from the slit).

The other box says “Junk Drawer and Important Papers.”

One thing I’m really bummed to say goodbye to is our little backyard. The first thing we did after we moved in was put in the grass. We were surrounded by a busy street and my little back yard felt like our family’s secret little oasis in the middle of the city. We had a lot of fun back there with buddies, bubbles, a tiny plastic pool, flowers, picnics…

After we cleaned Hot Hubby and I just sat in the empty living room and cried (I cried, he cuddled). It wasn’t home anymore… but the new place wasn’t yet either.

.

“Mom, I’m so tired of the Moving Saga…”

That’s right folks… I’m hugging a fridge. I loved that fridge. It was the first big item Hot Hubby and I bought after we got married. It was also one of the few household items that my preference differs from my mom’s. I was sad because it was something I picked out all my myself for my new role as grown-up-wife. We sold it on Craig’s List.
My awesome cousin Olivia came over to watch the kiddos (FYI she has run a marathon… how impressive is that!?!?). Cora was stuck to her like glue. It was adorable and just made my heart melt thinking of what fun they are going to have as Cora gets older. Just like the great memories I have of my time with Olivia’s mom 🙂

Moving stinks. We had lots of friends come out and lucky for us two of our neighbors helped too… thanks Jodi and Ryan! You were a God-send!

The Laborers…

Lawrence (Aimee’s hubby), Adam (Jami’s hubby), Devon (Sarah’s hubby), My Hot Hubby and Jason (Rachael’s hubby).Goodbye old stinky place… hello house in the hills!

After the grunt work was over we invited the wives and kiddos over for a picnic. I love my friends!

At the day’s end we were tired… oh so tired. Can you tell?

We got our second wind at my inspiration‘s delight over his new big boy bed. Thanks GG!!We even had enough energy to go out to sushi with my beautiful cousin. Thanks for dinner Olivia. We couldn’t have done the day without you watching the kiddos. They adore you Auntie Olivia and I adore that!!

The last days in that little apartment I was really able to reflect on our life there. We lived… I mean really lived there for 2 years. So much life. It is hard to put into words, but I really feel that so much meaningful life happened in that space, it just has to be sacred now. I just imagine anyone walking in the apartment will be overwhelmed with the life felt there.
I am.
As I’m typing this, tears streaming down my face, sitting in my palace in the hills, I can’t help but think what a wonderful life we had there.
So much life that everyone who lives there will get to experience just a bit of our joy. I mean how could they not!?! We live in joy.
Our daughter was born into that space.
Both of our children were dedicated in that space.
So many friends and family broke bread in that space.
Countless romantic moments and “I love yous” were spoken in that place.
Infections laughter resonated in that space.
Sacred space.
One of the sweetest memories in those last days was Cora Jane getting to discover the rain. She was in her PJs and I just let her go at her own pace and she was in awe…
Later that day I rememberedthat it was just over a year earlier when Eli discovered the rain in that same space… in his PJs… and in awe… I’m not sure why but I was pretty sad saying goodbye to the trash man.
Lame, I know!
But for goodness sake we have been running out to watch him 3 times a week for the past 2 years. Yes, 3 times a week!! I was being dragged by Eli and lugging Cora Jane and usually Eli’s trash truck too. He was just so kind to Eli… I mean we didn’t talk, but he never seemed annoyed we were watching. He would wave at Eli and say that his toy trash truck was “neat.” I even gave him a nativity I made at Christmas.
This last Trash Day we ran out with our homemade Valentine. On the back I had written a Thank You note. Before he got back in his truck he read the note then came over to say goodbye. I snapped a picture… Eli still talks about that moment!
Now Eli comments every week (we only have trash day once a week at the new place) that the new Trash Man forgets to wave at him.
It’s sad.

If you have a marvelous landlord like we do, then he would let you start moving in early (Blessing #7). Our friends loaded up their cars with a big bulk of our “stuff” and we headed off to our palace in the hills. The kiddos ran wild playing in the “forts” and we all devoured my mom’s awesome stuffing casserole and her absolutely fabulous chocolate chip cookies (Blessing #8). I’ll share the stuffing casserole… but I’m just not quite ready to reveal the cookie recipe yet 🙂
Stuffing Casserole

• Make stuffing according to the directions on the box without the butter
• Bake chicken breasts (cut into strips)
• Add 1 can of cream of chicken soup and one can of water to the chicken to make a tasty “gravy”
• Cook a bit more
• Put the finished stuffing on the bottom and sides of 9X13 pan
• Add the cooked chicken and gravy to the center of the stuffing
• Heat up everything in the oven till it is bubbly
• Serve with cranberry sauce
• This is yummy! (great for Thanksgiving leftovers)

They adore my Lids!
(other things too)
While Eli was building box forts (with real power tools!) we were pitching all the stuff unworthy of our hillside villa (two minivans full of stuff to be exact). We also sold quite a few big items on Craig’s List (Blessing #10). You meet some fun people with Craig’s List…
Like the lady who talked our wine glasses down to $5 and didn’t bring anything to pick them up in and couldn’t stop talking about gallivanting around Vegas with her husband and gay friends.
Like the nice guy who bought our patio furniture so his wife could smoke outside.
Like the tattooed couple who bought black corner shelf to display their Nightmare Before Christmas memorabilia.
Like the…

I’m going to take a quick break in the Moving Saga (I know it doesn’t really constitute a “saga” but it sure is fun to say/type saga!) to share some of the latest Eli’s Lids buzz…

After the move I found the sweetest email in my inbox from a new Lid Lover, Kelley over at Kelley’s Family Jewels. She wrote my all time favorite review!! Check it out here. It’s worth it to head on over just to see Kelley’s header photo!!

My sweet little blog was mentioned (by Suz from at Alive in Wonderland) on the OC Register’s Mom Blog here. Suz gives some great photo tips in the post too 🙂

One of my blogging friends (a real life in person one) is a fantastico photographer (check out her portfolio here) and she wrote a great feature about Eli’s Lids here. Please check out her business and blog Monkey Moon she has an effortless way of blogging that will make you jealous and her pictures… jealous too!!!

Side Notes:

We aren’t getting cable at the new place so we got Netflix L-O-V-E it!

Cora Jane and I are having our first “food stand-off.” Poor girl doesn’t know that picky eaters don’t survive around here. Oh she’ll learn, and she will eat that blueberry in the end 🙂

I ran the dishwasher and the sink backed up. Why am I happy about this? Because I’m off the hook for dinner. Taco Shmell anyone?

Blessing #4: Our amazing landlord replaced the carpet down stairs with wood floors. He did it just because he cares about Eli’s asthma 🙂 This should really really really help Eli out!!
Blessing #5: Our friends came over to help put in the floors. It ‘s always more fun when you throw a baby into the mix… We are all about child labor…

Blessing #6: We have 4 closets! Or as Eli calls them, forts… I hope he isn’t too disappointed when we fill them with clothes 🙂

Things to do…

Practice on our new stairs. I like that they turn because if someone happens to fall, they will only bonk on 7 steps intsead of 15!!

Many of you noticed I was MIA for a couple of weeks. Oh, how I missed my Invisible Friends (as The Blond Duck would say). We moved and didn’t have the Internet hooked up… I must say that the first few days were torture, then there was about a week where it felt like a vacation, then I just plain missed blogging.

Our new place is AMAZING. We have been blessed beyond measure… oh, don’t you worry, I’ll be posting pix as the Moving Saga unfolds…

Before one of our friends bought his house, he had bought a condo.

Instead of selling the condo (the wise man that he is) he rents it out as an investment property.

This wonderful condo was his home for 6 years and it REALLY has the “well cared for and loved home” feel… not the apartment feel… you know what I mean, right?

Our story begins when he offered the place to us at a VERY discounted price. This is blessing #1. There is no way we could have afforded it because this place is worth twice as much as we pay!

Blessing #2 – He let us paint!!

We picked the kid’s bathroom (there are 3 bathrooms!!!!) color because of the name…
I wore my painting overalls. There is just something about painting in overalls!

Oh the packing! There is no way around it MOVING stinks… even if you are moving out of a moldy slum into a palace. Our great friends (and the kiddo’s Godparents), Jami and Adam have moved many times. They have about a zillion tips, one is to use sheets and towels as protective packing around breakables, like dishes. No bubble wrap needed…

It was inevitable… I got pretty melancholy as I was packing up our lives. Like my Valentine’s Day poem from Hot Hubby and my everlasting pumpkins. We packed the wall stuff first and the apartment lost it’s homeyness. It made me realize, I’m taking the “home” to our new place!

Of all things, I got more than misty when I took down these Cuties stickers.

At Christmas time I had started saving the holiday themed ones because I had a grandiose plan to scan them in and do some sort of funny thing with the kid’s pix and the word “cutie.”

That never happened, but one day I was peeling a Cutie for Eli and I stuck the sticker up to save for later (there were only about 3 up at the time), Eli said in an amazed voice,

“Boo-tiful Mama!!!”

Oh, how could I stop sticking those lame things on the kitchen cabinet!?!?

Everyday as I would peel he would proclaim the beauty of the stickers.

As I peeled the stickers off I just couldn’t help but think I may forget that silly moment we had… oh how being a mom pulls at your heart!

(this romantic kiss was the 4th try with the timer to get the “perfect” shot)

We arrived just before sunset and walked the coast. We were blessed with a FREE night at the Hilton!! Thanks to our friend Howard (Seriously Howard, THANKS… you are awesome!! Any single ladies want to meet a great catch?)

You can never go wrong with a stroll around the haunted Hotel Del Coronado!!

We had a fantastico dinner at Miguel’s right across the street from Hotel Del. The cheese dipping sauce is so good you will want to smother all your food with it… it’s indescribable… just go, and email me a thank you later!!

We couldn’t pass up the fire pit on our room’s patio. We got all the fixings for smores and roasted our hearts out. It was so fun and just the coolest thing ever… We slept in till 9:30am (when did 9:30 become so late!?!?!?) and enjoyed coffee in our room before heading out to an ocean view breakfast.

A February morn in California…

I’m not gonna lie… this was one fan-dandy of a celebration.

I love my husband and he loves me.
Prayers for your marriage (yes I pray for my readers!!).

It isn’t always easy… sometimes poo is involved (the baby kind) but as Gladys says, “keep on keepin‘ on.”