Status Update, Expanded

No, I didn't drop off the face of the planet. I think you all know that we arrived in San Francisco a month ago and have been going about trying to get settled in here. We're still with my SIL, as we haven't had any luck finding a place to live. Seems like the kind of home we're looking for (3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and preferably some outdoor space) are hard to come by or were snapped up right before we got here. OR, they're dirty and in horrible disrepair. So we're praying and looking hard for a place of our own, but enjoying all this time with our family after being separated by oh-so-many-miles for oh-so-very-long. 

To save me a little time on updating things here, I thought I'd just post a few of my Facebook status updates and expand on them a little. I promise not to be offended if this is your cue to excuse yourself from the premises, but after looking back through my blog recently I've realized that if I don't write these things down, I will TOTALLY forget about it. So, without further ado, a little peek into my crazy life lately:

• January 17th ~ Packing and moving is never EVER as easy as you think it's going to be. =P ~ I'd hoped to have some help packing, especially getting my kitchen boxed up, but that didn't end up happening. The time I'd hoped T would be tackling our room was spent helping me in the kitchen, we were still packing our room when we should have been done completely and again there was not quite enough room for all of our things. I am always SO glad when moving is over and done with!
• January 21st ~ About to enjoy a yummy breakfast in Santa Barbara, after having the BEST time at Disneyland the last 2 days. We're Californians again! ~ We surprised the boys by staying the night at the Disneyland Hotel and spending a day at the "Happiest Place on Earth" on our way up here. Ronan actually spotted the resort first and started yelling "Mickey! Mickey!", to which Aidan responded as only a big brother can, "No, Ronan. We're not at Disneyland." When we revealed that in fact he WAS there, he told us, "Hold on. I'm so excited I feel like fainting!". Lol! We stayed in really nice room overlooking Downtown Disney, had a great time in the Parks and then drove up to Santa Barbara for the night. I'd only ever driven through the area, and was blown away by its beauty. GOR-GEOUS.
•   January 22nd ~ Enjoyed Nick's Crispy Taco's and Blue Bottle Coffee this afternoon. Yippee! (Followed by)  Emporio Rulli for breakfast, Marnee Thai for lunch and the Beach Chalet for happy hour. I need to take a loooong walk.~ The food in San Francisco is absolutely amazing. It is truly hard to get a bad meal here. The neighborhood we are hoping to move into has Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, Irish and Italian restaurants all within a couple of blocks. Happy times for my taste buds. Not so much for my waist line!
•  January 23rd ~ We think we found the perfect teacher at the perfect school for Aidan. Hooray! ~ I'd been praying really hard that we would find the right school for Aidan, and a teacher who was really kind and "gets" him. On our last visit to the school we'd had our eye on, we found exactly that. We "bumped" into a 1st grade teacher in the office (I truly feel that God lead us right to her), who warmly welcomed us into her classroom, telling us about what they were learning, showing Aidan a class picture and just making us feel like we'd found the perfect fit for us. And she had space in her classroom, while the others were all full. We have been so pleased and are so, SO thankful for this answer to prayer. 
• January 24th ~ I must be in Italy, the view out the window is so beautiful. ~ I see views such as this and this almost every day. Spectacular!
• February 2nd ~ Enjoying the morning, surrounded by little boys. There's so much testosterone in the room, it's insane. Have I mentioned that between our family and my SIL's there are FOUR boys age 6 and under? The Shookie (almost 7), my nephew J (3 years), Ronan (2) and my nephew C (1). And one girl -- my beautiful H (5 1/2). It's loud, it's crazy and SO. MUCH. FUN!
  
• February 3rd ~ I had SO much fun at a kitchen/home tour today. Thanks Court, for the GREAT outing! ~ A local preschool has an annual kitchen and home tour fundraiser that my SIL invited me to go to. The homes were GORGEOUS. (Like, "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" kinda gorgeous.) The chance to get dressed up, go out w/o the kids, see such amazingly beautiful homes and end it all with a delicious lunch at a yacht club? It was an ooh-la-la afternoon from start to finish.
• February 4th ~ I never thought of telling Ronan not to dangle his feet (WITH shoes and socks on, btw) in the TOOOIIILET. Now that I think about it, I should have known better. ~ I can not take my eyes off this kid for ONE SECOND. 'Nuff said.
•  February 14th ~ In Napa, heading to breakfast with the love of my life ... who bought me a NANO for Valentine's Day!! ~ My parents took the boys for us and T and I had an overnight getaway. We had dinner with my brother and his wife, and then drove to Napa where he hid a gorgeous PINK Nano under my pillow before we snuggled down to watch "Slumdog Millionaire". (We celebrated on the evening of the 13th though, as that's the day that -- FIFTEEN YEARS AGO!!! -- T asked me out for the first time.) We also had a lovely breakfast here before heading back. It was SUCH a nice time. And did I mention he gave me a freakin' Nano?! I call it my Precious, lol.


So, that's where we're at right now (minus the Shookie's 7th birthday last week, that is ... can you believe it?!). Still looking for a place to live and staying with my SIL while we do. It's been discouraging lately, but I am trying to keep my hopes up and trusting that God has an awesome place for us that just hasn't been ready yet. Other than that, I think we're settling in well and starting to realize that we really are HERE, after waiting for so long. I don't know why I ever doubted whether I could love SF as much as I did NY/Brooklyn. It is absolutely as fabulous a city as NYC, and much, much more. 

Life is loud and crazy, but SO MUCH FUN! Indeed.

Comments

[Jen H.]

And thank goodness for Facebook, or I really wouldn't ever know what was going on with you (equally guilty here, ahem)!

Sounds like things are falling into place for you guys there. Hope a house comes up soon! You're making me want to come to San Fran - not that I didn't already...:)

[sarah]

Yeesh! You'd think that the recession would make San Francsico's notoriously awful housing market, not so awful! Best of luck--hold out as long as you can! HAve you checked out the houses at the Presidio? Friends of ours lived in a really nice duplex at a good rent. I don't remember how many bedrooms they had, but it was a great place.

[kate]

thanks for stopping by my blog. Glad I helped confirm the fears about the bunkbeds :) lol

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