One Week Down

So yesterday marked one week since we arrived in Fort Collins.

The Drive
We left Wednesday after Ryan got off work and drove the two hours to my uncle's home in Iowa City. Ryan drove his truck, and I had all the kids in the van. Thursday morning we got on the road early and drove to Lincoln, NE to wiggle, nurse and potty at my friend Amy's house. Ryan had the big boys in the truck, and I had Ethan in the van. Thursday afternoon we drove to North Platte, where Ryan checked me and the boys into a hotel. He continued on (until 1am) to Fort Collins and slept on the floor here in our house. He woke up early on Friday, met the moving truck, and orchestrated the delivery of all our stuff. I checked me and the kids out of the hotel and stopped by my aunt's boutique/antique shop in the mall in North Platte. Then I got on the road with the kids about noon and arrived at the house shortly after the truck left.

Overall, the kids did really well in the car with only a few tantrums and not too many tears from Ethan. Collin was our little helper, handing things to both Brennan and Ethan and keeping most everyone calm. Thank goodness for older brothers.

The House
We are renting for a year while we wait for our home in Illinois to sell. We also really want to build, which will take time to locate a lot and pick a floor plan and such. For now, we are good.

Unfortunately, it has been quite the task to try to organize our 3200 square feet of stuff into 1700 square feet. The bedroom spaces are fine, but the living space isn't what we are accustomed to. We don't have an eat-in kitchen, so we have to use the dining room for eating AND office space. The living room is half the size of our old one, and we don't have an additional family room. That's a lot of things with no where to go.

But I do love the look of the house though (rear-loading garage, Rustic-façade style, wrap-around front porch). It also is light green with cream trim, which is totally my dream home.

We only have a side-yard, and since we are a corner-lot, we are surrounded on three sides by streets. With no fence, I've been hyper about the kids being out there. There's also nothing to do out there, since we left our swing set and sand box behind (and they'd be against the HOA bylaws anyway).

On the other hand, the HOA provides for a clubhouse and pool, as well as several parks, playgrounds and a biking area. I'm trying change my ideas about yards and public spaces. It's just different from the Midwest.

The Ward
We feel very welcomed in the ward. The bishop, relief society president and primary president all took the time to chat with us on Sunday. Even though they figure we'll only probably be in their ward a year, the other moms have helped me find a preschool for Collin (now) and Brennan (in the fall). They also filled me in on library story times and parks with sand boxes. I even got the scoop on McDonald's play places. I'm attending their book club in a few weeks too. Their bishop's wife teaches a free toddler music class at the church once per week, and it sounds like they meet at a park each week in the summer time too. Being a stay-at-home mom isn't as common as in Peoria, probably because it costs so much more to live here. There's only a few of us in the ward apparently. All in all, the members seem really friendly.

The City
It is really crowded here. I guess when you live in a place where people actually WANT to live, it can become pretty crowded. There are lots of busy roads and stop lights. I haven't been impressed by the drivers' friendliness. Everyone seems like they're in a hurry and a little rude on the road. There are people everywhere all the time, even on weekday mornings. There are always cars, buses and trucks driving by the house.

On the other hand, there are lots of parks, trails and biking lanes. The beautiful mountains are always off in the distance, and it was only a 15-min drive to the mountains on Sunday.

I was really impressed with the preschool during our tour yesterday too, so that's good.

Unfortunately, the cost of living here is pretty high, so we aren't quite sure how much house we'll be able to build.  In fact, as we've visited parks this week I've ONLY met nannies, no moms. Maybe we should get used to only 1700 square feet. :-(

The Job
Ryan is liking working for a smaller company. When he needs his computer looked at or a part on the engine swapped out, he doesn't have to fill out a work order and wait three days. Everything happens in less than a half hour! The commute is a little farther than before, and he actually has to deal with some minor traffic. He also got a traffic ticket this week too, so that was a bummer. He's getting settled in, just like we are. He is super happy and even took the boys for a hike this morning.

All in all...
We are settling in. Collin starts school Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons next week. We have story time on Tuesday mornings at the library. Music time is on Friday mornings. I workout at the clubhouse each morning before Ryan leaves for work. We are getting a routine again, which has been desperately missed this past month.

Thanks for checking up on us. Life is never boring with the Williams!

It's happening

Packers today, loaders Monday, leave Wednesday.

It's a whirlwind kind of move.

It's Official

Not looking forward to leaving our first home behind, but it's official.

There's now a sign in the yard and a lock box on the door.

Anyone know anyone wanting a wonderful home in Peoria, IL? And even if you aren't in the market, you can see all our home improvements in the 32 pics. Enjoy the link:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/5816-Brookmere-St_Edwards_IL_61528_M78876-59073?row=1

Our home really is beautiful, and I'll miss it. We have so much sweat and tears in these walls. Goodbye first home! May you be loved for many years to come... and may you sell quickly to the highest bidder.