We're Moving!

A sign in the yard makes it official -- we're moving!

Well, said better, we hope to move.

Andi and I listed our house for sale last Thursday. We've tossed around the idea of moving for a few months now, and ultimately decided the early spring housing market (February 1 - May 31) is the perfect time in our lives to take the leap.

Several factors played in our decision to move. For one, Andi wants to live closer to his office. Technically we live about 9 miles away right now, but with traffic (which is always in the Twin Cities) his commute becomes close to 45-60 minutes each way. This forces him to leave the house before the heaviest period of traffic in the morning and stay at the office until after traffic dies down in the evening, turning a regular day at the office into a 15 hour work day for him. Living closer to Andi's office means he could join the kids and I for breakfast some mornings and be home for dinnertime at night. He'd actually get to see the kids while they are awake during the week -- now, there's a novel idea!

Tory's nearing kindergarten age so now is the time to move school districts if we're planning to do so. I'd like to be settled into a new neighborhood and learn the in's and out's of our area before thrusting ourselves into school days. Plus, the area around Andi's office is more urban and Andi and I have decided that's really more our style. I've enjoyed living in our quiet area of the 'burbs, but we miss being walking distance from shops and restaurants.

So, here's the thing: selling a house is hard work! Selling a house with two little kids underfoot is even harder! The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of stress and activity as we've readied our house for sale. We didn't have much to do in terms of repairs or maintenence on our actual home, but my Type A personality mandates a spotless interior for showings. Every drawer and every cabinet needs to be clean and organized. Every floor and every counter top service must shine. I want buyers to walk into our house and see exactly what I'd expect to see -- a beautiful home.

We've had 14 showings scheduled in the last five days ... which is a great turnout, I think. I want to say 'yes' to every single person who desires to walk through our home because you never know who will be The One. And, I want this process to move along as quickly as possible. It is so challenging to live in an imaculate house with two kids under the age of four. Thank goodness we have the cabin for refuge! Tory, Aden and I spent a long weekend there Friday-Tuesday and are heading back there again on Thursday. It's way too much work for me to keep everything clean while they're home, and it's also unfair for me to ask them not to play with any of their toys or mess up their rooms in an effort to keep things organized.

Our lives feel like they're turned upside down right now, but hopefully it's only for a few weeks. The inside of my car looks like a tornado hit, we've spent so much time in there! Though not surprisingly, Tory and Aden are handling all the shuffling fantastically. As I often tell Tory, "home is where our family is; as long as we're together, that's all that matters."