We're here!!

Hey everyone, I missed you! :) We could not get internet until yesterday. I am so happy to be back online. Haha! Every day I have caught myself actually composing blog posts in my head about what has been going on! Where to start?....Seattle is beautiful. We are finally pretty much settled in now. I'm actually starting to explore the area, meet friends, and have fun- we even went swimming yesterday with new ward friends. Gabe is loving our yard here - he brings me his shoes and asks to play outside all the time! (He learns fast) If only we had a fenced back yard... but it works out since I can watch him through the big windows in the kitchen and across the back of the house. We have the best neighbors and so we just kind of share the big area behind our houses. We are backed up next to what is called a greenbelt here - which is a section of wild vegation that is left to grow naturally. Gabe likes to explore back there! Mostly it's way too thick to walk in - even inpenetrable - but at the edge are some pine trees he loves to walk under. Can you believe the size of those trees?!!! They are even taller than I could capture in the picture - amazing.The people here are awesome- so friendly and nice. I have heard that to be true but I can't help thinking it's HF sending me lots of little angels to help me through this difficult transition. Well either way, it's great! I'm not very good at going out of my comfort zone and making friends... but somehow it's working out. Mostly because they are too friendly and sweet for me to stay aloof! Just yesterday I pulled over to ask a woman walking her dog a question and today I found myself (with Gabe of course) at her house enjoying her gorgeous yard and spending the rest of the morning going on a beautiful walk with her through the forest. And her husband actually chauffeured us around so she could show me the area and all the best places to go walking! Can you believe it?! How incredibly kind and wonderful is that?! For how homesick I am, I can't help but feel so blessed and watched out for.

So I have to go back and tell you about moving in.... what a headache! There was one big reason for this: the house was so dirty!! First of all, I was not particularly happy about the house with my first look (sorry, honey- I know you tried) but the more I looked closely the more unhappy I got! It was just disgusting... and the movers were moving all my stuff into it. To make a long story short, the rental company ended up paying for 9 hours of professional cleaners and shampooed the carpets and it still wasn't clean! (They had not seen it yet and the owners assured them it was "immaculate". Hmm, okaaay.) The kitchen was coated with that icky sticky residue that happens when it's not cleaned for a long time, all the corners of the floors were thick with grime and junk like it had never been properly mopped or vacuumed, and the walls were absolutely atrocious. And most of that was still there after the cleaners since they were doing more basic stuff! I was appalled and justifiably grumbled my way through 2 more weeks of scrubbing... and cursing dirty people. Well, it felt justified at the time! :) Now it is mostly done and I feel better. After all, the plan is to be here only through Christmas. By that time we are hoping to have sold our house and have bought one here. I can't wait! Now someone please go buy our adorable, awesome townhome!! :)

Here are a few shots (not that good of pics though) of the 2 rooms I really like...the formal living and dining. Only since we don't have a dining set, I have made that room into a little reading nook. We love it!

Here is an extra few pics... Gabe helping Daddy wash the cars (he was so happy) and on a walk with Mommy yesterday. Tomorrow I will post a whole bunch of pictures we took on the 4th of July!