Patience

I've never been good at waiting.  Yes, I know that comes a shocking revelation.  I was the kid who couldn't sleep on Christmas Eve and I started planning my birthday in July (I was born in September).  As an adult, I've learned to keep it inside more (I have, I swear!), but I'm still as impatient as ever.  The last two weeks have been a lesson in patience. 

It will come.  It will be wonderful.  One step at a time.


While I'm waiting, I think I'll visit the Olympia Farmers Market. Again. This place rocks.

 

Curating

I love being a museum curator!  I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about being the only museum staff member or not having my own staff, and honestly, I do wish I didn't have either of those issues, but it is really wonderful to be right in the heart of all that is the museum.  As an administrator, it was wonderful being able to direct so much, make decisions and impact those around you. But I missed being on the front line, getting my hands dirty and playing with artifacts!

I am really trying to remind myself that being in Lacey now is what it was like being in Greeley 14 years ago.  We did not have the professionally run museum and archives that they have now.  Storage was crammed, modern policies were not in place and weren't being used if they were.  We came a VERY long way in 14 years.  I *love* that I did some of that.  Now I get to do it again.  This is what makes me happy.  I enjoy being able look back and see how I have made a big impact -- organizing a collection, bringing it up to professional standards and making it accessible to the public.  I am looing forward to creating a new museum, moving everything safely and creating an exhibit that will make the people in Lacey proud to be from here. 

Disappointment

We didn't get the house.  I really dislike when people go back on their word.  They accepted our offer and then changed their minds.  This experience has made me take stock, though. 

1.  This house will be the standard by which other houses will be judged.  Both in its good qualities and some of the negatives.

2.  I am convinced that we won't find our right place until there is a contract on our old place.

3.  We hired an awesome realtor in Lacey.  If anyone here needs a good realtor, she's smart and knows her stuff.  (Our realtor in Milliken--not so much).

4.  I don't think is was the perfect house for us.  I will know it when I feel it.

We have decided to rent short-term so that we can have our own place and our things and be somewhat settled before the holidays. Not what we'd hoped for, but our place IS out there.

Reunions

I've been catching up with friends and family in Washington and I have to say it's amazing.  Seeing the people that I haven't seen in five, ten or twenty years feels to me like I just saw them yesterday.  I've gotten to see cousins, aunts and uncles, long-time friends and flashes from the past.  I'm loving it. 

It's like coming home.

But hey, there's still some people I haven't seen. You know who you are.

Also, fall in Washington is awesome!

Widget's Wise Words of the Week

The girl is drawing a picture of her Dad and there is something on his head.  "Look Mom! Dad has a beaver!"

Yeah, I'm not touching that.

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House Hunting

Flash Back

Remember the last post...the one where The Girl was having a Skype with her Dad and asking for the same thing over and over?  If you don't, go back to the "Sickness" entry, read the first segment and then come back here. 

When Dad arrived last Saturday, he had a number of wonderful gifts in his suitcase (a Merida play set, lollipops, a sticker book), but most importantly, there were the dolphin slippers.  Upon seeing them, Widget asks, "Why did you bring my dolphin slippers? I already have slippers." 

Seriously?  She has no memory of asking for them EVERY night, multiple times in a conversation.  These are strange creatures, these tiny humans.




They sure missed each other!



The Intense Hunt

From the time Chris arrived until he left, our lives were completely consumed by finding a place to live.  We spent two days driving around every neighborhood in our new town so that we could learn places that we might want to live and places that we definitely don't.  Plus, we had never done this together before so we were learning what each other wants and needs and how our those overlap with each other.

An interesting thing about Lacey is that there are not very distinct high end or low end neighborhoods.  One day we drove through a trailer park and after the low end development, we drove right in to a high end development with $500,000 houses.  It meant that we had to explore everywhere instead of just targeted areas.

During the rest of the week, Chris would drive and drive and research and at night we would look at the properties he had picked out.  By the end of the week, we were beginning to despair that we weren't going to find anything.  Finally, when nothing was resonating with us, we decided to change focus and look at rental properties.  We made some appointments for showings of both rentals and sales and just as we were about to give up...

WE FOUND IT! 

Our new home (we hope!)

Front

Incredible kitchen

Beautiful open floor plan

If you want to see all the pictures, go here: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3608-Lanyard-Dr-NE-Lacey-WA-98516/69730366_zpid/

This house is well-maintained and had almost all of the features we were looking for.  There is a long way to go before it's really ours, but it feels AMAZING to have something to look forward to.  We are working out a rental agreement so that we can move in right away, so cross your fingers!

I'm glad the search is over because I'm exhausted.  Did I mention I was sick all week, too?  I'm ready to lie down!

Widget's Wise Words of the Week

On Saturday, we went to my aunt's house for a marvelous dinner with family.  Widget turns to Grandma and says, "When I grow up, I want to be just like my mom."  Awwwww.  My heart melted.  Grandma smiled and said, "I bet you will."  Widget proceeded to pull her shirt up and said "When I grow up, I'll have big ones, just like Mom!"

I bet you will.

 

Post Script

And if the week couldn't have ended any better, my Elle is here!  It never matters how long has gone by, it's always like we just saw each other yesterday.