We're moving in two days!

We're moving on Friday. Yup. For real.

We got the final approval from the city today, we're doing the final walk-through on Thursday, then the closing is scheduled for Friday at 10, and the movers are coming at noon!

It seems so sudden...but really it's been almost a two year process from deciding that we wanted to build, choosing a builder, planning a completely custom home, working with the builder to get plans drawn up, dealing with financing and finally starting construction in July. It's been like giving birth to a baby elephant.

So, just in time for Christmas, we're moving. This is how our house is decorated for the Holidays: A beautiful centerpiece of liquor boxes. How tasteful.
Boxes stacked all in a row.
A kitchen brimming...with boxes and bags and tape and other packing mess.
But starting Friday, this will be our new home! It STILL feels like a fairy tale...but soon a reality. :-)

Busy December

It's been a busy month so far, with no sign of letting up. I've been a candy-making making fool. First, I made two batches of truffles, and with my sister-in-law Aubrey, her friend Stephanie (and Indiana) coated and decorated tons of truffles. But that wasn't enough.
Then, I went home and made Rocky Road fudge and two batches of Pecan Pralines. Well, three...but I burnt the first batch. Pralines are super-finicky to make, and only in the midst of it did I remember why I stopped making them several years ago. They will scorch in a second and only ninja-like skills will prevent them from seizing up on you.
I am the praline ninja. I packed up 20 little boxes as co-worker gifts, plus the principals, and more importantly, their secretaries, the copy lady and building maintenance managers. Well, that didn't leave much for friends and family.

So I made more pralines and truffles.
And packed them in cute little boxes, feeling all Martha-y. :-) But that isn't the only packing I've been doing. Because...
The house is nearly ready! It hopefully will be done THIS week. THIS week! We have a tentative closing date set for the 23rd, but perhaps the 27th. Casey's been walking a tight-rope of trying to coordinate the builder, the city and the mortgage company all to get things done. Casey did the landscaping himself two Saturday's ago, and now we're waiting on the fencing and a tree to be put in to get final approval.

So, we've been packing up the whole house. There is nothing left on the walls, and we've almost completely packed up the bedrooms. The kitchen, bathrooms and living room are the last to be handled. Casey promised we could leave the Christmas tree for last.
Indy's been pretty good with all the packing. He's happy most of the time to sit and play, but he did catch Casey's cold which the doctor said not to worry about, but he has been a little fussier the last two days.

In general, he is a super happy baby. He's very friendly and will smile at strangers, but he'll play in his high chair or eat puffs while I putter around the kitchen. He loves when Casey and I sing to him or even better, sing and dance with him. He loves riding on Daddy's shoulders or bouncing or "flying." He loves to eat (as long as the food is warm) and is getting better at hand feeding himself. He just turned 8 months yesterday. My sweet boy. :-)