The Joy's of Moving

Okay, so for those who don't know, we are moving next week. Since we are only planning on being at our new stop for a year we went ahead and just rented an apartment, Goodie....... I just wanted to share a couple pro's and con's of moving:

pro's -
1. My work is footing the bill to have professional movers move us!
2. We are going to be in a bigger city with more shopping choices and just more stuff to do, period (and don't forget about the Super Wal-Mart and Target!)
3. We will be in a ward again (nothing against our current branch, just hoping the new ward will have more kids Carson's age)
4. The rent is a lot less at the new place
5. The apartment is right on the lake with a swimming pool and boat dock (hoping that the lake fills back up soon, dang drought....hehe)

con's -
1. Pulling Carson out of his pre-school. One of his teacher's continues to tell us she is mad that we are moving and that she is going to miss the little guy. I don't think he quite comprehends that after next week Miss Brenda and Miss Holly aren't going to be his teachers.
2. Having to deal with land lords and checking out of the current apartment, having to deal with checking into a new apartment, and trying to connect/disconnect utilities. The disconnecting wasn't bad. It was trying to set up the phone, cable, and internet. I have spent a total of probably THREE HOURS on the phone trying to get this stuff set up. The first person I spoke with said I needed to get something with my new address verified and gave me a different number. They didn't have a clue what I was talking about. So I was transferred over and over again until I was about to go insane. I hung up the phone, took a deep breath, and tried the first number again. The new person on the phone was able to set me up without any problem!!!!! What the heck is that about???? Anyway, just a little venting I guess.
3. Leaving our little branch. I know, I'm contradicting myself a bit from my pro's list, but we have made some good friends up here and we were really feeling at home. Most of the older ladies just love Carson.
4. Leaving our neighbors. Right now we have a widower living next door to us and another widower living below us. We never hear them and have never had a problem. They just love Carson too. Now we may have to deal with rowdy neighbors or who knows what else. Just as long as it's nothing like the different neighbors we had at NAU (whole other story...) we should be alright.
5. Moving is just stressful, no matter who is doing the moving. I will be happy when next weekend comes and all the moving business has been taken care of and all we have to do is unpack (before and after the Superbowl....).

Anyone have a good moving story? Let's hear 'em.

-paul

Where have you been?

O.k. So I really can't blog during the winter because I have a circulation problem (I think) . Its either my hands or my feet. For the life of me I can't get them to stay at body temperature. They are always cold. And of course nothing helps. I've tried. Three pairs of socks:No good. And I'm not walking around the house with mittens on. Thats just crazy. Some days when its bad enough I'll go lay down on the bed and cover myself with whatever I can find. I just lay there waiting for a miracle I guess. Because even though I have two pairs of socks on and two blankets and a pillow over my feet ... They are still Freezing cold. I thought old people get cold. I'm only 26. Come on. ...........................................................................Oh sorry I had to take a brake to warm my hands up so I could keep typing. Its Humiliating when Paul calls and asks "whats up?"....Me: "Oh just soaking my feet in the tub to warm them up". Whats that all about? Any suggestions. I'm trying to talk Paul into letting me take a trip to AZ to visit the Parents . At least it would be worth it to just go for a day and sit in the sun and BE WARM and of Course see my Parents. Any suggestions on keeping warm let me know. I'm desperate if you couldn't tell. I dislike winter strongly.
-Daneen (sorry no pics to cold)

2 For 1 Special

Well, since Daneen has all of a sudden lost her ability to post I guess I will put up another one. She tells me just about every other day "we need to do another blog". Notice the key word there, "we". Anyway, rather than do two posts on two separate topics, your getting the 2 for 1 deal.

Daneen and Carson: The Bargain Shoppers

Okay, on Thursday last week we went down to the "big" city so I could go to a doctor's appointment. We took Carson with us because we didn't know what time we would be back and because Uncle Mark and Taylor got Carson a gift card at Toys R Us (thanks guys). Won't bore you with the doctor's appointment and just go straight to the good stuff. First of all, Carson thought it was so cool that he had a "credit card" to go buy toys with. But of course, like most kids, he wanted to buy the first thing he looked at. We convinced him to look around and then if he still wanted that first toy we would go back and get it. Well, that went on for about an hour and a half. I think he finally realized that he could get more than one toy with his "credit card". So he got some little transformer guys, the sword set (cheapo set), and a package of little green and tan army guys with tanks and planes etc (the cheap ones that are mounted on those little pieces of plastic or that are laying down or kneeling down, you know). So Carson thinks he got a great deal with his "credit card". Let me just say, he loves playing with the little army guys that I played with when I was a little kid. And it is great to see him using his imagination so much.

While we were in there Daneen noticed that all of their clothes (yes Toys R Us sells kids clothes) were like 50% off the already clearance prices. So she went into bargain shopper mode and found some great deals on shoes and clothes for the little guy.


We Scored on four pairs of shoes, a pair of flip flops, and a nike sweatshirt. The total came to like $35 or $40!!!!!!! I kicked myself when we got home for not buying a bunch of the $5 Chuck Taylor's and selling them on eBay......grrrr. So, needless to say, when you're in Toys R Us next time see if they are having a smokin' deal!

Fun Stuff

Tonight for part of Family Home Evening we played a very intense and heated game of Memory with Carson. He is getting pretty good at it. The first time he and I played the first card he would turn over was always the same one. Now he is catching on and can actually fend for himself. He has to because Daneen doesn't show him any mercy. Of course after Daneen won he got a little upset. So to cheer him up I showed him the magic of static electricity:

Yikes!!!!

Gotta love playing keep it up

Carson spent about 45 minutes laughing at his mom's hair sticking up. It was hilarious. Balloons have got to be one of the cheapest forms of entertainment available.

Hopefully Daneen's case of short term memory loss will subside and she will remember how to do this soon. Take care.


-paul

What We Have Been Up To

Well, we brought in the new year with style. Daneen and I stayed up late playing guitar hero!!!!! Now that I convinced Daneen we needed another guitar, we have been wasting a lot of quality time together (after Carson goes to bed of course)!

Carson is finally getting better. We took him to the doctor a few days before New Year's and he ended up having an ear infection. We got some antibiotics for him, the yummy pink stuff that he actually likes, and he is pretty much running on all cylinders now.

He was suppose to go back to school on the 2nd but when I was getting into bed on New Year's Night I looked outside and we had like half an inch to an inch of snow on the ground! And for anyone who is not familiar with the south, if there is so much as a trace of snow, school is canceled and good luck trying to buy any bread or milk at the grocery store! I dragged myself to work that day while Carson got to stay home with mom for one more day......so we thought. They ended up canceling school on the 3rd and the 4th too. Kind of weird if you ask me. Carson doesn't even really like the snow. He and Daneen went outside for like 5 minutes the first day school was canceled and he said "I wanna go back inside now. My cheeks are cold". It actually did get pretty cold here for a couple of days. We got down to single digits a couple nights in a row. I told my mom how cold it was here on New Year's and she just said "wow. It's been cold here to at night. I think it got down to -20 a couple times". Thanks for the simpathy mom. :)



Carson has been real excited about building stuff with the legos he got for Christmas. Last Sunday after church we got to sit down and start building. Here are a couple of his first builds. I admit, I probably had more fun playing with the legos than he did. What can I say, Daneen is right she says she has two kids to deal with.....



And finally, here is something else that Daneen and I have been doing in our spare time:




As you can tell, we don't get out much. Since Grandma Cuca was here with us we have been addicted to putting puzzles together. Weird right? We enjoy it, and I think it is very relaxing myself (except for when you check a puzzle out from the library and it is missing pieces!!!!!). Not too sure if this is going to become a full blown hobby or just a faze we are going through. Hope it's not a sign of old age.....

-paul