Thanksgiving Fun + Tree Adventures

About a month ago, my husband got word that you could cut down your own tree in the wild with the purchase of a $10 permit. That's it. You hand over $10 to the National Forest Service and they give you an official sticker and map of places you're allowed to cut.

We had a full weekend of fun, starting with a 10k Turkey Trot with our little turkeys in the stroller followed by dinner at some friends' house and asleep in a hotel bed at a cute little Inn in Incline Village, Nevada (it's on Lake Tahoe). Night one, we all take a swim in the amazingly heated (like spa-temps!) pool and find ourselves in bed late and then quickly awoken to the sound of vomit coming from the kids' bed. Mmmhmm. The shared bed. Benjamin didn't wake at all.

We grab Claire up and clean her up, manage the bed as best we could and put her back. She promptly vomits again. We clean her up again and the rest of the night was quiet, except I never slept much because I anticipated that terrible sound again... #momlife also, #vomitistheworstpartofparenting

She was good for the following day, so we explored three different ski resorts and I got a massage in Squaw Valley from my birthday gift stash. We explored South Tahoe and eventually made our way back for another warm swim and some Christmas shows on television before a good night of sleep.

Saturday was a day for more swimming, sledding and more exploration before heading back down the mountain and grabbing our tree permit for the following day.

We trekked about an hour south of our home into the Northern California Toiyabe Forest and promptly found ourselves in a winter wonderland that also made for some fun adventures trying to get our new Subie out of the deeper-than-we-estimated snow. We finally found a suitable spot and trekked about 1/3 mile into the snowy woods and crossing a stream to find our tree. There are just so many great memories from this, but probably not from Claire's perspective since she refused the gloves we tried to put on her. Instead she spent the better half of the adventure screaming, as you can see from the quintessential family picture here.

We'd been tree cutting at farms in the past, but nothing compares to trekking through the wilderness with just a map and your senses to find the tree! it's a wild tree, so it's not the perfect spruce trees you expect when spending $ at the tree lots, but it's perfectly ours and we love it. Benjamin was 100% into this adventure and wanted to be a part of everything. He complained nil and it was so awesome to share that adventure with him.

We typically wait until after Andrew's birthday for the tree presentation in our home, but our kids were excited and it's getting harder to hold them back as they get older. Plus, our weekends are getting more and more booked as the holidays approach and we had a free afternoon. Still feels foreign, but being from nature and in the mountains where I feel closest to him (and God), it almost felt like he was with us, exploring, adventuring and indulging in this excitement. Plus, an added bonus is having his ornaments up for the whole month of his birth.

It was quite the weekend and nothing short of memorable. Seriously, how have more people not found out about Reno? Most people give  me the confused look or question when I mention it, but I honestly bet you would be amazed... as amazed as we are. It's like a best-kept secret of the West and we're in love.

A Month Out

Our house sold a month ago yesterday. ::Insert choir of angels singing.::

Seriously, we might rent forever. Okay, probably not, but right now it's awesome. It's like a huge weight has been lifted off our shoulders and we're free again. Relating to owning a home, the proximity from the mountains and also E's former job, we just felt like Chicago was always so heavy. Grief aside, the home projects list and E's job were more than enough to make things feel heavy. We like the idea of being free to go. Wherever, whenever.

SO boring here. And ugly.

We're feeling so light! We officially have all the money from our home sale in our possession and I'm selling even more of the stuff we brought with us. Over the last 8 months, I've probably sold off 20% of our possessions. Less is definitely more. Six years in a large home means an accumulation of things. So gone be the excess!

In fact, yesterday we did a 3-mile Diabetes walk at University of Nevada at Reno with work colleagues and then went on to summit Mt. Rose at another 10.6 miles. We followed that up with dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants that has THE BEST happy hour and a bike ride for the kids. While they were bike riding at sunset with Dad and Gramie, I was selling the playhouse I bought for them just two months ago. 

Why? They never play with it! Every time they go near it, they complain of a cobweb that appeared overnight. I bought it because we finally had an enclosed backyard and the kids were still waiting on their stuff from Illinois. I was feeling weak and guilty because they were living off sticks and rocks as their sole toys. So I caved. And instantly regretted it! Now that their stuff is here and they won another fun play thing from the local library summer reading program, we're kind of bursting at the seams with toys here. Seriously, two indoor climb-in play house things, two tunnels and a bounce house. That playhouse was a wee-bit impulsive.

I made back 75% of my money and now I don't have to watch the thing get old and dirty anymore. And the kids didn't care at all. In fact, it took them over a day to realize it was missing, after playing outside in the very place it once stood! It's maybe getting a little bad, though, because Benjamin is starting to ask me if I sold his creations and things when he has misplaced them. Never! Those just go straight to the trash. I kid. They get saved for a year, photographed, made into a booklet and then tossed in the recycling.

The kids took a bike ride in their jammies tonight and we watched the last of the glorious sunshine dip over the mountaintops until tomorrow. Reno probably won't be forever, but it's sure great for right now. So now... which mountain should we hike next weekend? Just kidding, we don't have a babysitter. 

That Reno Life

With moving comes that long list of things to accomplish.

Immunizations, updating credentials, listing crap you don't need for sale and all. the. freaking. doctor. appointments.

"I'll book that dermatology, well visit and dental appointment when we get settled in our new place." And so here we are. Settling and booking appointments. Adulting at its worst.

Lemme tell you. Seven hours of kid-free time goes by very quickly. I manage to get in a little exercise and like a phonecall before having to pick up the kids. 

This week resulted in adulting of the dental appointment nature. My own. I picked this place because of proximity to home and because the Yelp reviews told me they give complimentary lavender paraffin hand wax treatments, warm neck pillows and soothing eye cucumbers at each cleaning. The place even smelled like a spa. (That wax treatment was freaking incredible.)

Somehow it made the news of two more stupid freaking cavities and one more forming a little easier to handle. There go two more hours of kid-free time during preschool and a few hundred more not-covered-by-insurance dollars. Which then also resulted in me buying another Sonicare because the one I have is old and ancient and each replacement brush head costs the equivalent to taking my whole family out to lunch. No matter how insane the routine (brush, floss, pic floss, flouride rinse), I still manage to receive bad news from the dentist.

And somehow I left the office buying a tube of extra flouride toothpaste to the tune of $20 that I later found online for $15.

I'm starting to recognize the locals here in Reno, because I ran into a mom at the dentist that I've seen at the library before. She's one of those moms with three perfect kids who are totally smart and agreeable and she herself wears a perma-smile that just screams we can't be friends because she probably doesn't have a dead baby. It's not that I think these thoughts always, but it's sometimes clear as day. She probably didn't have any cavities either.

The weather is starting to chill just a wee bit here and the nights are down into the 40s. Pools are closed and I'm actually breaking out some long sleeves on occasion. We bought ski passes for the boys up at the coolest little co-op near Mt. Rose that we plan to spend every weekend in the winter. We'll cross our fingers about the cooperation level of our kiddo, but hoping for the best. I'm thinking the chair lift will be the incentive he might need to participate, at least for the first few lessons. And perhaps knowing he has the power to glide at top speed down a hill without his parents being his second piece of motivation. 

I'm attempting to sell on Craigslist to clear out the garage junk that didn't make the cut being stuffed into every crevice of this (half the size of our IL) house. Andrew, Benjamin and Claire's crib sold today. I'd say it was bittersweet, but it wasn't. I was ready for it to leave. I had a ton of time to think about it because it sat on Craigslist for like 10 days before anyone bothered to actually come buy it. And to top it off, I'm sitting on some currency that I'll have to verify authenticity because I fear we have some counterfeit on our hands. Seriously, selling used goods in Reno is turning out to be a crazy ordeal. Whether you're buying or selling, communication is shockingly slow and almost impossible.

I had a dream last night that we went back to our IL home and just went to stay for a night while the new owners were living there. We didn't really communicate or acknowledge one another, but I vividly remember our awesome former neighbors having a pool with a slide and about 30 teenagers (and us) enjoying it in their backyard. The new owners were tearing up all kinds of stuff to change and exposing brick (that didn't exist). Then we left without tidying up or anything. Just poof. I'm happy to be free of home ownership, at least for now. We're busy as can be, but none of that is related to caring for an enormous yard, painting, or replacing something broken. Maybe we'll own someday again. Not ready yet.

Tomorrow I'm taking the kids to the Nevada Museum of Art, followed by waking up at like 3 a.m. Sunday for the Great Reno Balloon Race. September is turning out to be one heck of an awesome month living here. 

Write Blog Post

It was on the list for today. I'm barely squeaking by with this one, so I'm sure it's gonna be a real winner. Don't mind me... between dental appointments and enduring rigorous Nevada immunization updates for Benjamin (5! At once! And they were combined! Note: Nevada is cray and Illinois is lax, but that's the only time those two qualities are switched).

We're just a little busy around here.

After day 1 of terrible Pre-K, I cried. After day 2 of terrible Pre-K, Benjamin literally refused to go and I cried even more. Like, kicked and screamed and full-blown tantrumed on the exact day and time the movers were to be arriving at the house. So while the movers were there and Benjamin was condemned to his carseat (because I was pissed and to keep him out of the way while 2937 boxes and furniture pieces were being moved in), I was feverishly calling preschools to check for availability and setup tours to get him out of terrible Pre-K #1.

We visited one that was actually pretty fantastic. I had to drive past the fabulous "sorry, we're full" montessori school on the way, but this new place just felt RIGHT. They even have a sight word wall, which are things we're working on at home because this kid has an uncanny memory and is totally well on his way to reading success. He's obsessing over words lately, so we're running with it and making sight word flashcards based on words he already knows (so, go, I, no, ice cream, pizza, pink, the, they, yes, stop, bump, Reno, etc.). He's now getting sassy about the words and only wants to tell me words that are also on his school word wall, but anyway. He's learning. Just don't make him color in the lines. #rebelwithoutacause

Today was day 1 of new preschool and when I arrived for pickup, Benjamin was smiling and happy and told me, "This one is a good fit, Mom." Now, if only little sister wasn't totally jelly about him getting a new school because she wants all. the. same. things. In her defense, his preschool is pretty bomb and hers is kind of dismal. But she needs a routine-based program to prepare her for potential full-day preschool next year and Mama possibly going back to teaching. I toured a school I'm hoping she attends next year and it's super cool. So big. So many resources.

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Little sister is zero percent potty trained. Like, we ask her daily and she says, "not yet. Tomorrow." We've had a WHOLE lot of tomorrows. Bootcamp coming soon. Stay tuned.

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In other news, my kids don't sleep anymore. Like, Benjamin was awake at 2 a.m. last night telling me about some random ailment I can no longer remember that is clearly no longer an issue. And Claire was completely awake between 3-5 a.m. absolutely refusing to sleep in her room. She no longer crib sleeps and there are no locks on the doors. It's just really... unfortunate. And so after literally seeing the clock every single hour from 2-5 a.m., we relented and she slept on my side of the king bed and I happily headed to the guest bedroom for a catnap before my alarm chimed to get the kids off to school.

And because it was the only morning I had kid-free this week, I knocked out a 5.5 miler on like 4 broken hours of sleep and I'm practically falling asleep at the keyboard here. And since Claire is currently sleeping in the hallway and screams bloody murder if you dare wake to move her to bed, she will definitely be in our room tonight and I will find my way to the guest bedroom once again. I do not co-sleep. I can barely co-sleep with my husband in a king bed. I'm a light sleeper even with earplugs. Tomorrow pack'n'play whether the little tyrant likes it or not because #mamacannotdeal with this no sleep business anymore. Send coffee. And a nanny perhaps.

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The house in IL is sold and that's at least a burden off our shoulders. We're officially Nevada license holders and visiting the mountains on weekends and currently planning a gondola ride, swim and skating at the top of the mountain in Squaw Valley this weekend. I'm joining the children's museum this week with the kids and we're looking forward to a huge hot air balloon festival next weekend and a couple date nights this weekend when my mom comes into town.

It's not all roses with all the tears about preschool and husband working long hours and #teamnosleep and ZERO people wanting to buy any of my stuff on Craigslist (seriously, people in Chicago would've been clawing down my door for a crib, mattress and AngelCare for $50), but we're definitely enjoying the mountain life with a side of mullet and huge side of leg tattoo that Reno proudly sports as a culture.

Reno 10 Miler

I'm a runner. I've always been decent, but never really competitive or award winning fast. I spent many years living at the beach running along the strand in Redondo, Hermosa and Manhattan. Often, I ran all three and clocked decent miles. This was before the popularity of running watches and fancy running gear and really before color runs and 5k races became the "cool" thing to do. (Which I think is great that something so healthy can become trendy, btw. That's my same take on Pokemon Go.)

I'm not much a morning person, so running as the sun rises doesn't appeal. Competitive races are almost always in the morning and now that I'm a mother (runner), evening races don't work for kiddo bedtime.

 

I spent some years grumbling at my husband when he mentioned we go for a skunk run when we were first married. (So many skunks at night in Redondo Beach, CA!) I wasn't into it then. I didn't have the drive.

But then I had kids. I spend all day with them and hear the word MOM all day long (so grateful and yet, so exhausting to hear!). I recently read a meme that said, "My nickname is Mom. My full name is Mom Mom Mom Mom Mom." That's definitely the life I currently live with our 2 and 4 year old kids. It's lovely, but it's loud. Kids have a higher decibel tolerance than adults. Or maybe just me. I need silence. And some fresh air. And a little space. I'm huge on personal space and as a parent, it does. not. exist. I'm not really a cuddler, and it's kind of a job performance expectation when it comes to the parenting gig.

So once the kiddos were somewhat self sufficient and I knew I wasn't having any more, I took back to running. It helped that breastfeeding ended and they were sleeping through the night, too. Before that, just existing was the day's goal. I loved the free space, the free head space, the quiet. I don't run with music (though I did totally jam out to some old 90's tunes at the race today). I don't get enough quiet and I crave the outlet of being free and among the trees and birds and mountains. Plus, gotta get some exercise if you put down the amount of donuts we do each week. I feel like this shirt was made for me.

It helps that some of my closest friends and my SIL have taken up running in the past few years and I've watched their progress (and races!). They were killing it out there and enjoying themselves, so why not join the fun? After months of running treadmills at the YMCA everyday, I ran a 10k in April (not my longest distance, but longest timed race). I started to notice my clothes weren't fitting, but it took awhile to figure that out because I'd only been wearing workout clothes for so long (ah, the mom life). I'm lighter than I've been in 10 years and enjoying the sweat, but mostly enjoying the scenery and calm of being alone and out in the wide open. I'm also enjoying Claire announce, "Mom, you smell" post run.

Those ladies in pink were wearing shirts that said the 5:20 Running Group. As in, 5:20 a.m. Not the club for me.

Today I got up just as the sun was creeping to run my first race in Reno and my first medal race ever, actually.  I don't like paying for races, but they are so motivating and actually really fun. The beer at the end doesn't hurt (I try to seek those races out, natch).

It was a warm one running into that desert sun. The first three miles were a bit hillier than I was used to and once I was seeing my watch in the 10:00 zone up those hills, I gave up my goal of a sub 1hr 30 minute and overall sub 9:00 mile a kiss goodbye. But then came some downhills and I made up some ground. It wasn't the most beautiful run ever, but it was well organized and nice to run the distance through our new city, under the iconic sign and past the casinos with mountain views. Once I hit the 9 mile mark, I checked my time and knew I could beat my goal time, so I booked it, clocking an 8:28 during my final mile into Wingfield Park and a 1:29:40 finish.

Algae Pools + Tough Month Ahead

We were so spoiled in IL with the posh pool life. We paid a hefty tax bill for great schools and a killer water park just 3 miles from home, but dang, was it nice.

Our closest pool (outside of condominium complexes or gyms) is 12 miles away. That's a 24-mile round trip to let Benjamin work his mad skillz in the water! And... they don't have memberships. It's pay-per-use. I'm considering making very good friends with someone in that HOA facility I run by at night. Because I never see anyone in that pool and it's so stinking close to home.

We went to one public pool and Benjamin killed it with the double flume slides. The kid is a maniac. So much, that the second pool we went to, the lifeguard yelled at us (among other reasons), for Benjamin being "too wild" in the pool. She said he needed to be in the shallow end if he was going to act crazy. And then we got yelled at for like 3 other things at different times and I about asked for my money back.

So we went back to pool #1. The double flume. It's in a totally sketch area of Reno, attached to this questionable middle school and behind one of the county libraries that is the size of a modular classroom (low taxes affect everything, it turns out). The first time we pulled up, the school alarm was blaring because God knows why, and no one seemed to be alarmed (see what I did there? Hardy Har Har). It's only open from 1-4pm, so the kids were warned that we would be spending a lot of time there because we were paying and skipped Claire's nap for this.

We stayed an hour. The kids got their fill apparently, but I obliged because I noticed this slimy green algae lining the entire pool interior. And of course, Claire pooped in her swim diaper. Thank God for these reusables for the environment and my pocketbook, dude, but tossing those Little Swimmers is way the heck easier to clean when the kid has el accidente. I told her she could have a Starburst today if she just told me before she pooped so I didn't have to clean her butt today. She pooped three times. None of which earned her a Starburst. Don't sign us up for the potty training bus yet. I'll pass.

sludge pool. be warned.

As we exited, I brought the POOL SLUDGE to the manager's attention who explained to me that while they chlorinate everyday and "regularly" clean, the "dead algae" just returns because they never have a chance to drain the pool, even in winter. I threw up some big eyes right then, because all places that experience winter weather, drain their pools. The reason they don't? Vandalism. So I left, vowing that pool was forever off the list and made sure to scrub the kiddies down well with soap after that incident (and well, Claire needed it anyway, because, code brown). One lady I met there with her kids (who randomly approached me to show me a HUGE splinter under her nail) told me about some of the casino pools and how it's possible I can just walk in and that she's never had a problem. So that's how things are done in Reno! Hah. I guess people just keep their swimming to the Truckee River, which is spectacular in every way, honestly. And free.

Hello Truckee River. Fresh Tahoe water... ahhhh.

Switching gears, the house update. It's exhausting, honestly. We have an offer we've accepted and it's a good one. And we're happy for the most part. About as happy as two people can be who are paying basically two mortgages, two times utilities, a lawn service and still without any of their actual furniture in their empty rental (paying top dollar for) in Reno. We knew this was the option we'd choose in order to stay together, but moving and selling a house, in particular, is pricey. And so is the list of inspection not-so-related expensive garage doors they want us to provide. But that's neither here nor there. It's just, we're feeling stretched thin and also in the process of buying a new car because moving requires new tags and our almost 15 year old car is on its last leg and very well will fail their emissions test anyway. And that cursed premium gas is going to do us in with this 40+ mile commute and my 24-mile round trip adventures to find another, hopefully algae-free pool.

It's a car we're really excited about and one that is very popular in Northern Nevada (seriously, ever other car), Oregon, Colorado, Washington, Northern California, Maine and some of the upper Eastern states. Any guesses? But new cars also come with a heavy price tag and of course the costs are feeling extra heavy these days.

We'll get through it, but as super sensible people who really thrive on saving money, it pains us to see the money we're spending and will continue to spend until our house closes at the end of next month.

Tomorrow though, you'll find us back hiking trails and engaging in a nature program along with lunch out in the Galena Creek Regional Park, because if there is one thing Reno has that totally trumps anything our high-tax state of Illinois didn't, it's free and plentiful nature escapes in real woods with real trails and real elevation gain into the {real, not trash hill} mountains. Benjamin has placed his request for a hike with a stream. It's the real deal so, challenge accepted.

Wild Horses

I just had the most majestic run probably of my life. I honestly never thought sweating could be such a beautiful experience. It was 4 miles of blissful happiness.

I've ran in a lot of places in my life. I grew up at the beach. Running along with crashing waves was my life for many years. Chicago had some beautiful runs with the most recent being a deer spotting about a week before we moved West.

But tonight. You guys.

When we flew back to Chicago after finding a rental here in Reno, I sat next to this guy who grew up in Chicago but moved to Reno on a whim just because he wanted to be among the mountains. He and his wife went all up and down the west coast and settled here because of the proximity to the mountains. He told me about these wild horses that roam in our general area near the mountains in South Reno.

Never did I think I'd see them. But today, we did.

We had dinner and prepared some ice cream cones (Umpqua, Oregon based... #hearteyes) and headed on a walk to the local elementary school. It's just under a mile away and about .2 mile away from our house, we pass a little free library right in our neighborhood. There are trails that run behind houses just like in our Green Trails neighborhood in Illinois. As we approached the school (and park behind), I saw the wild horses! They were walking in the street near the school, all 11 of them. There are 10 grown and one baby horse. And they're beautiful. A local stopped to chat and explain the horse situation and how there used to be 5 groups of them, but this is the last remaining group.

We played at the park and then it was back home for bedtime. I strapped up my shoes and went for a run after the kids went down. I'm not a morning runner, but I love running at sunset. I ran the same route we walked with the kids earlier and then took a left for a run along the mountains. It's a road that dead-ends and the only ones driving it would be utility workers or homeowners up in the mountains. I passed no cars. I passed no people. I ran by the same group of horses in the fields as the sun was setting. The mountains were shadows of beauty and jackrabbits were scurrying along the road every 1/4 mile. Butterflies were crossing the path and I was perched high enough along the mountain ridge to see the city (and casino) lights and snow capped mountains in the distance.

It was downright gorgeous.

We've already taken our first day trip to California to see Donner Lake and the ski resort towns along part of Lake Tahoe. I had Thrifty ice cream and ate legit Mexican food and thrift shopped (scoring these cute Born brand shoes for Claire for $2!) and hiked and rode a canoe with my loves.

My mind has been in a million places this week as I sleep on the floor still in anticipation that our house sale is swift. There is some activity, but nothing we're willing to celebrate until the moving truck is being loaded with comforts of home and headed West. We bought a couch and some bar stools here, but that sums up the amount of furniture that's in our 1700 square foot rental at this time. Soon things will change and soon this will feel like home, too.

Tomorrow we're headed to Downtown Reno for Artown, which is a month-long festival of free art activities and festivals for all ages. Tomorrow morning's kid-friendly activity is a Discovering Acrobatics show. On Thursday, they are holding a free tap dance class for kids.

Summer is all kinds of fabulous.

Sell, Baby, Sell

For years now, I've honestly felt like I was swimming in space. It was sometimes nice and totally the American dream to own all the crap and have the big fat house to store it all in. But it was always way more than we needed. And when Andrew died, it was way more than I ever wanted. I felt like the space was mocking me.

I truly don't know what people do with larger houses. The basement has remained mostly empty for our 6+ years in this 2,640 square feet + 1,320 square feet house. Basements are a funny thing. People literally buy houses with basements here with the sole priority being to store crap they never use in it. It's incredibly perplexing to someone like me who grew up in small houses in Los Angeles (because that's what people do there). Our 1,320 square foot basement is literally bigger than most houses I grew up in. And yes, houses. Because renting in Los Angeles is totally normal. Almost none of my friends have Christmas at their childhood home they lived in from birth. It's a transient lifestyle, all made well by the incredible weather and killer outdoor scene.

Quaint, they say. Cute, they say. Reality is more like it. In Los Angeles, two to three bedrooms is standard and alllllll the peoples share a single bathroom. With a single sink. GASP. I know. I know. Share. a. sink. I seriously remember invading my brother's space while he was showering so I could pee. Because that one bathroom? Also housed the only toilet in the whole house.

This house we own currently? There are FOUR. There is nothing quaint about this living space. It's large.

When we left the kiddos with my mom for 2 days to hop on a plane (and then another because, connections and expensive flights!), we expected to find ourselves a decent-sized house that will hold all of our crap in Reno. I was thinking 2,000 square feet. And we found it over and over again, but I wasn't feeling the vibe in any of those entirely.

Well, the house that we found to be the best fit for us that felt like home was an 1,800 square foot ranch house. Crazy. It's only a rental and if we don't like it, fine. We can just move. But that's unrealistic unless we're moving states again, because moving is expensive and timely and we would have to pay for it ourselves. (GASP again.) So we kind of wanted to like the place for a hot second.

Which meant for me, a fenced-in backyard that is nice. Reno is 300 sunshine days a year, and so I want to spend those lovely days outside. We have a massive deck at our Chicago house and we spend most of our time outside when the weather is nice.

I'm kind of excited to live in a ranch house again. No pile of crap at the bottom of the stairs to transport back on your next trip to the upper level. No schlepping the (better) vacuum up and down stairs. And NO cleaning stairs! Can I get an amen to that?

With the downsize in space means a downsize in crap. Because us Wilsons, we actually do like parking in the 2-car garage (though a 3-car would've solved all of our space issues...). The closets in this joint will be packed to the gills, but at least we love the layout, school district (though one year left to use it), neighborhood, proximity to skiing (14.8 miles!!!) and overall feel. And the backyard is KILLER. It's hard to beat our current backyard, so we're pretty excited to have one that just might.

The left is the sliding glass door (from the living room/kitchen area) and this covered lanai thing is a great shade without blocking all of the sunshine. And that cute patch of grass over there (high end astroturf, brilliant, selling our mower!) is perfect for a playhouse. Which I am totally buying. I refused to buy one for our current house because we have trails that run through our neighborhood and almost no one has a fence. I didn't like the "trail appeal" it had and we really had nowhere to put it since our deck spans the majority of our backyard useable space. Anyone have a playhouse for their kiddos?

I was thinking this one from Amazon. They have red and tan. I want something affordable but also cute and I love the little flag holder. My kids are kind of obsessed with flags. And ever-so-fitting, we are moving in July 4! Kinda feels like that's the winner.

We will transport our current patio chaise loungers and leave the awesome picnic table that works so well for our current deck behind. It's going to be hard though, because I love that table.

So that's the backyard. The rest is super nice, adorable and totally our style. And the shower? It has a pebble rock floor. I'm kinda stoked about it. And did I mention only 2 toilets to clean instead of my current four?

I've been selling like a mad woman on all the apps and used garage sale sites you can imagine. So. much. stuff. And we have way less than most people. But still, it's stuff. If we buy again in a few years (or 10), we will buy all those home project items again, but at least we won't have to schlep them from house to house in the interim. Every sale I do makes me feel lighter and lighter.

Totally ready to have the rest of those boxes stacked to the ceiling and minimal storage in favor of a killer outdoor living space and weekend trips to the mountains instead of house work. Moving out this week. Reno or bust.

Westward Movement

Currently, I'm sitting on a flight to Reno, our new home state. We both have middle seats, but I can't complain, because this is my first flight without a kid on my lap in 4.5 years and it. is. magical.

Life is so thrilling right now and I'm feeling so crazy grateful that we are all healthy and able to see and live in parts of the country we haven't been before. 

As most of my readers know, Chicago was never my first choice in places to live, but when we made the decision to move there, we were elated. We had been married just a year before taking off on our month-long road trip that took us to countless national parks, many states, up through Canada and ultimately to our new state where we would create a beautiful life together, buy our first home, populate it with adorably pasty white babies and live happily ever after. Nothing could stop us. Not even those terrible winters.

And some of that happened. We made fantastic friends. We did. We bought the beautiful house and populated it with babies and also went through the worst heartbreak of our lives in that home. The ups and downs of home ownership were weathered together and the husband successfully became president of his company before choosing to leave for another opportunity at the start of 2016. 

There has been some soul searching and lots of family togetherness and building some new dreams and even newer dreams now that are leading us west. 

Before ultimately accepting the position in Reno as the west coast director of distribution for a Fortune 500 company (LinkedIn stalking might be necessary for some of you, though title won't be officially changed until start date of July 5). There were decisions to be made for our family which led to the final decision which wasn't the sexiest company (compared to others he interviewed with and turned down) but a solidly great one. Many interviews with the coolest and most well known companies on the planet (of which YOU use everyday) occurred and offers were extended (in Silicon Valley, which happens to be the most expensive place to live in the entire west). You guys, I married a really, really smart guy. Decisions were both hard and easy, but we knew that no matter where we were headed, we were up for new scenery and a new adventure. And so, Reno is our new stomping ground. For now.

And selling our house for easy (rental) living in favor of weekends in Lake Tahoe instead is basically fireworks status exciting. The home sale process and all that jazz is coming at you soon. I am ever-so-elated to take back family time and forego home projects for the easy life. 

Reno is almost definitely not going to be our final stop of adventure living. Oddly, leaving his position late last year in Chicago made us both feel like we have a new lease on life and we are pretty excited to see which way the wind blows and takes us (which is also the metaphor I shall assume when keeping the blog domain the same... but changing the header to one that includes our new backyard view.) Spoiler: mountains. YOU GUYS. Mountains!!!!

Until then, we left the kids in our mostly barren and meticulously clean going-on-the-market-very-soon home with their Gawbee to seek out a landing place for when we head west at the end of this month with the two munchkins (and Andrew in the cup holder. Too dark? Honest.) on our westward movement road trip. Wish us luck. The requests have been solidly made for a pink and orange bedroom for each of them. #stylishkids #whatcanisay