The Move to Austin

Hello! It's been awhile! We're officially Texas residents! It's been a really busy and crazy couple of months. When we left Pennsylvania, we knew we were in for a crazy few weeks as that's the norm with any move, but this one exceeded our expectations...and not in a good way. Our moving truck arrived super late, we had some issues with our apartment, and the daycare/school that we enrolled the kids in was awful. Not a great start to say the least. It's been exhausting and to be honest, there have been many times that we have questioned ourselves for making this move. But we remind ourselves that God wanted us here in Austin for a reason so we persevere! Our stuff eventually arrived. We moved the kids to a new school and it is amazing - they're loving it and doing so great! And we have actually decided to move apartments to be closer to downtown Austin, George's works, and the kid's school. We found a rare, affordable apartment downtown in a very neat older neighborhood. So, the exhaustion isn't quite over, but things are definitely looking up and we're incredibly thankful for that. Moving is not for the faint of heart! 

 Obviously I'm way behind on the blog, but now you know why! I'll fill you in on the last couple of months with pictures. 

Our last day in Pennsylvania...already nostalgic seeing these! 

Family trip to Pineridge! My goal over Thanksgiving and Christmas break is to compile a video of everyone's pics and videos. 

 

Moving day! 

Saying goodbye to Flag Factory Loft in Collegeville, PA. Probably the most unique home we'll ever have! 

My parents were kind enough to take the kids for two weeks while we did the move and drive to Austin. George and I had the best time ever on our trip. We lived it up...had nice meals, went to a movie, took some naps, it was great! We stopped in Richmond, Atlanta, and New Orleans.

We drove past our old house in Atlanta. It was as big and beautiful as I remembered! We also dined at Stoney River that night. Just as delicious as I remembered! ;) 

We stopped in Tuscaloosa, Alabama to see George's relatives on his mom's side. It was the first time George has ever met them (besides when he was really little). They were the nicest people and we had a wonderful afternoon with them. 

They're huge 'Bama fans so they were sure to give us a tour of the campus. 

And, finally....we ate our way through New Orleans. We had so much delicious seafood and of course, beignets! 

Meanwhile, the kids were living it up with Grandma and Grandpa in Canada, New York, and then Arizona. 

My parents actually flew the kids out to Austin and spent a few days here. That was before the moving truck arrived so we all slept on air mattresses and ate on a card table. I took a day off of work and went with my parents to Magnolia in Waco! It was picture perfect. I can't wait to go back for more of those baked goods! 

The kids have been LOVING our apartment pool. We won't have one in the new place (it's a small 5 unit building, not a complex), so we're going to get a YMCA membership. 

Madeline and I went to see Beauty and the Beast at a local theater. She loved it!

In early September, I took the kids up to see Hannah and Jeremiah in Colorado. We had a blast! They took us all around Denver. What a beautiful city! 

We have some exciting things on the horizon. Tomorrow, I head to Arizona for a work trip and am bringing both kids. In a couple of weeks, our good friend Derek is coming to visit. George and Derek are going to Austin City Limits music festival to see Paul McCartney. At the end of the month, we're heading to Disney World!!! In mid-November, George's family is coming to visit and we're going to spend a couple of nights in San Antonio. At the end of November, we're heading back to Colorado for our annual Beaver Creek ski trip!!!! And in mid-December, my parents are coming to visit us in Austin. It's going to be a fun fall! Have a great rest of your Sunday. Love you all! 

New York

We took our last trip to New York (for awhile) last weekend. Our friends, Nick and Shelby, were in town from Arizona so we decided to meet them there for a couple of nights. We mostly walked around the city and ate! :)  We went to the Highline Park and Central Park so the kids could get some energy out. We also hired a babysitter through the same babysitter agency that we've used in the past, on both Friday and Saturday night. It was nice to have a couple of nights out for the first time in quite awhile and it was very nice to catch up with Nick and Shelby.

This weekend is our last one in Philly. I think we'll have to make one last trip down to Reading Terminal Market for our favorite donuts. Next Saturday, we head to Pineridge (in Canada) with the entire Warren side of the family. We're sooo looking forward to our time with family. I personally can't wait to unplug from work (yay for no phone or internet). Things have been BUSY and I desperately need a break. From Pineridge, the kids will head back to Phoenix with my parents for a week. They'll fly the kids out to Austin 4 days after George and I arrive. George and I have to leave Pineridge a few days early to return back to Philly for our pack and load. Right after the pack and load, we hit the road to Austin. We're stopping in Richmond, Atlanta, and New Orleans. We're making a little vacation out of it and will be in New Orleans for two nights. It's going to be a crazy few weeks....probably few months. I think this will be my last post until Austin. By then, I'll have a lot to fill you in on. I'll leave you with some pictures from New York...

Fightin Phils 2018

Our time in PA is quickly coming to a close. My company has people come in to do the pack and load (thank goodness!), but we've still been trying to go through and organize some things and donate/sell items that we know won't fit in our apartment in Austin. Since we had today off, we spent the majority of the day doing that....aka movie day for the kids! The reality of downsizing again is sinking in. Our house in AZ is 2700 square feet. Our place here is 1400 square feet, but we have a good size storage room. Our place in Austin will be 1200 square feet and storage costs extra so we're trying to avoid it. I think we'll manage, but there might be some tough cuts! At this rate, we'll be living in a tiny house by 2020. 

Although today wasn't the most exciting day, last night was so much fun! We had such a blast at the Fightin Phils (AA affiliate of the Phillies) game last year, we knew we wanted to do it again this year. They put on a massive firework show after the game...I'm talking Disney World level. It lasted 15-20 minutes and was coordinated to music. The kids stay surprisingly entertained throughout the game. The hot dogs and treats and the entertainment and games between innings help! :) It was past 10 by the time we got out of there and they both quickly passed out on the drive home.