One Week Later...

Annnnndddd we're back! Only a week later. Gosh. Moving is hard.

We had a successful and pleasant closing last Thursday evening. Jack and Josie joined us...which is always a tad stressful, but we stopped by the new house afterward and Jack ran around without pants on. "Welcome home, kid!"

On Friday, Grandma Nancy braved Ikea with Jack & Josie...while Tyson and I directed the movers. It was fairly painless, but somehow tiring. (Haven't figured that one out yet.)

On Sunday Jack and I ventured to our new pool (just 7 houses down) and Jack had a blast! So many kids and families! The best part was - when we were done, we walked away. I'm not kidding. That was the best part.

Later that afternoon Jack gave Josie a ride on her "princess car" and she scraped up her foot. She was really mad and rightly so... She's been hobbling around all week, milking this injury for all it's worth. Doesn't she look ticked??

My parents came Monday night to check out the new house. They have been spending some quality time with the grandkids and grand dogs.

And finally - Jack's BIG announcement:

He is 100% POTTY TRAINED. And it only took a day. Okay, well three and a half years (give or take) but honest to God - ONE day. He was like, "Yeah, I want to use the potty." Done.

And now he's cruising around on this. Because, let's face it, a new bike is WAY cheaper than 10 more boxes of diapers. And I'm not above bribes incentives - whatever.

Stay tuned for my potty training post...coming soon.

Beautiful Butterfly

The other day the kids and I took a walk around our AA neighborhood - to mail some "fan mail" - and we saw the most beautiful butterfly! Every time I see a gorgeous butterfly I think of my friend, Erin, and her sweet baby boy, Christian. You can see her post about Christian's Butterflies HERE.

Anyway, when we saw the butterfly we stopped to watch it for a while. Jack asked a lot of great questions...and thanks to my stint in Kindergarten, I was able to answer them.

Josie liked the butterfly, but preferred to watch it from a distance.

And this would be the part when Jack picked up a stick and pretended to drink nectar from the flower with his long "butterfly tongue." I'm sure the neighbors think we are completely normal.

It's Moving Day! I will be SO happy to see all my "stuff" unloaded off the truck. But I don't want to see the truck again for a LONG, LONG time.

Building Towers

Jack has been really into building things lately. I think it's a "boy thing" because I remember my brother, Joe, spending hours building with his legos. Since Jack has recently traded in his nap time for more awake time…I'm thinking about giving him a big tub of legos during "quiet time." He seems to enjoy it and it keeps him pretty occupied.

The other night while I was cooking dinner, Jack & Josie emptied all of the canned goods onto the floor. At first I was annoyed - ANOTHER mess to clean up. But then Jack told me they were building a "tower."

Josie was an "assistant" - her job was to look cute and not touch anything. She is actually WAY better at demolition than she is at construction.

Jack worked hard while I cooked dinner. Aside from having to avoid cans as I moved around the kitchen, it was nice to watch Jack in action, not mention I didn't have to break up any fights!

And this was the final product…which was still standing the next morning.

Today is THE day! We will close on our house this afternoon and then move in tomorrow. To say I'm excited is a bit of an understatement.

Don't abandon us through the move…we have lots of things to share, including some BIG news from Jack.

Temporary Home

I snapped a few pictures the other night to share with my mom, since she hasn't seen where we are living in Ann Arbor for the summer. Thought I share with everyone so you can see our temporary home for the summer - or as Jack calls it "our vacation home."

This is the house we are living in until mid-August. It's in the Oxbridge/Burns Park area (for anyone familiar with AA) - and it reminds me of Foster Park (for FW people). Basically a lot of older homes, large lots, and huge trees.

I love that every house is different! Some are old, some are brand new. Some are colonial while others are modern. It's so fun to walk/drive around and just look at houses! And I've been surprised at the number of front yard gardens. (pictured above) Am I missing something? Perhaps people tend to their garden better when they have to walk past it a few times a day?!?

My buddies - Coop & Tuck - take me on an evening stroll around the neighborhood every night. They LOVE all the smells and since there are so many streets, we can take a different path every night. They look forward to it. And, I won't lie, I do too.

Breaking News:

Jack got his hair cut...so he looks a little less like a Californian kid/hippie. It was our first tear-free haircut (Granted, he's only had a few).

And Josie {still} loves chocolate.

We are happy for the weekend! Pizza with friends tonight and a visit to the lake Saturday. Oh, and it's finally AUGUST...which means we'll have a house in 14 days!

One more thing. If you have Netflix - you MUST watch the series Orange is the New Black. Trust me.

Laking It Lately

We have closed on the Fort Wayne house. A beer was necessary afterward - and I can tell you it wasn't for celebratory purposes. Strictly medicinal. Glad that is behind us.

After a dentist appointment on Thursday we waved goodbye to our La Petite (daycare) friends and headed north (again).  On Friday Tyson and I had the inspection on the home we are buying in Northville. Grandma Nancy was kind enough to schedule a couple days off work for the Ann Arbor Art Fair and babysitting. The inspection went great! We are excited to get our things moved in mid-August!

After the inspection - we were lake bound!

The kids were able to catch up on some reading at the Lake - always a good thing! We also played outside a lot and watched some movies! Favorites lately: Silver Lining's Playbook, Pitch Perfect, and Hotel Transylvania (for the kids).

This morning we were up early and headed over to Plymouth for the annual Clevenger Family Summer Get-Together. Jack had a BLAST with Ada (not pictured), Owen, and Elliott.

Jack was brave and tried out tubing! Not surprising: he LOVED it. He is such a thrill seeker.

Miss Josie had fun playing in the lake. She was a fish most of the afternoon. She did take a juice break with Grandma Shirlee…but then it was right back to the water.

We are back in Ann Arbor - until further notice. Looking forward to some stability, since I'm pretty sure my kids have NO IDEA where we are going when we tell them we are "going home."

Adios FW

 This was our last family photo at 1502 Sweet Flag. Kind of sad. Tyson and I did not plan to wear matching green shirts, by the way. The kids and I will head back to FW Wednesday for closing and a final dentist appt. Then we are officially non-homeowners for 30 days…until we embark on this craziness yet again.

And I had to share this picture of Jack from last night.  As you know we are "renting" from our DPU friends who live in Ann Arbor. Well, they have a "library" with tons of books. Last night Jack said he needed to get a book and went into the library to pick one out. He came back with President Obama's book: The Audacity of Hope. I had to chuckle…as I know this will be a picture his grandparents will want to display proudly. {not really} I told him I'd read it to him later and we opted for a Clifford book instead.

Home Sweet Home (again)

Well - it didn't take us long to be "homeless" and find new house. We found this house "For Sale By Owner". Our agent got Tyson a walk-thru on Thurs night. I walked through it with the kids on Friday morning and our offer was accepted this afternoon.

It's in Northville - in a VERY family friendly neighborhood. We were happy to see a lot of kiddos Jack & Josie's age! It's about 30 minutes from Tyson's work, 20 minutes from Ann Arbor, a hour and a half from the Lake House, 2hr 15min from Fort Wayne, 3 hours from Warsaw, and a LONG flight from Moscow, ID {no change there}.

The best part - it has a COMMUNITY pool & playground! No cleaning a pool or paying an insane amount of money for upkeep. (SCORE!) The pool is 7 houses down and we will be there often.

Pending inspection - we will close August 15th and move in on August 16th! So cheers to another home - where we plan to live for a while. A long while…

Details:
4 Bed
3 Full Baths
3 Half Baths
Finished Basement
3200 Sq Ft (upstairs)
1000 Sq Ft (basement)

Plenty of room for visitors!

On the Move

I will not apologize for my lack of blogging. It is a miracle that I currently have my sanity, so let's all hope it lasts through the next few days.

Today was Day #1 of Operation Pack Da House. We have three very nice men here from the Metro Detroit area packing everything {and I do mean EVERYTHING}. Bless them - for I do not have the patience or mental stability to do their job. Honestly, I wouldn't last one day as a mover. It is my personal hell…which is shocking considering how many times we've moved.

Let's re-cap:

May 2004: Kady & Tyson graduate from DePauw. Kady MOVES home. Tyson MOVES to an apartment in Cleveland.

January 2005: Kady & Tyson get engaged. Live in Guatemala for 3 months.

April 2005: Kady MOVES to Cleveland to be with Tyson (in a shared apartment).

June 2005: Kady & Tyson MOVE to an apartment in a shady area of Cleveland Heights. Cooper is adopted.

April 2006: Kady & Tyson MOVE to Indianapolis and Bloomington to pursue Master degrees.

May 2007: Kady & Tyson live in Northville, MI for the summer while Tyson interns with OnStar.

August 2007: Kady MOVES to Bloomington to live with Tyson for his 2nd year of his MBA.

June 2008: Tyson graduates from IU - Kady & Tyson MOVE to Royal Oak, MI. Tucker is adopted in July. Jack arrives in January 2010, Josie in November 2011. (Woohoo! 3+ years in ONE place!!)

January 2012: The Beckers MOVE to Warsaw, IN for 2 months.

March 2012: The Beckers MOVE to Fort Wayne, IN.

July 2013: The Beckers MOVE to Metro Detroit {again} - currently homeless.

Lord help me if we move in again in the next 5 years. Actually, Lord help Tyson. He'll need it.

On the Move

If you are thinking: Kady, where have you been? You're not alone. I'm wondering that myself, actually. Our lives are in the midst of being thrown into a tailspin and I feel like I'm just along for the ride. I'm actually in charge of "the ride" and it's about to get CRAZY.

We are moving. Again.

Our house is JUST about to go on the market and Tyson is starting his new job on MONDAY! Yes, as in - 4 days from now.

So there are some obvious questions:

Where are you moving? We are heading back to Metro-Detroit.

Why? Tyson has been offered a new position with General Motors and he is REALLY excited about it! He'll be doing marketing for their "connected vehicle" program. It's really a perfect fit for him and his future career path.

Where will you live? We will be living in a rental in Ann Arbor this summer. And while we're there we will be hunting for houses. We are looking in a few different areas: Birmingham, Beverly Hills, Northville, and Ann Arbor.

Are you guys crazy? Yes, we might actually be… Or at least once this is finished we might be. I'm considering writing a book on how to move. Because, let's be honest, I've done it once or twice (or 6 times)

Will you get a job? That is yet to be determined. I loved having my classroom this year. It was chaotic at times, but it was a great fit for me. That being said, I've done the "job search" thing a lot (I could also write a book on that) and I'm not sure I want to go down that path at this moment. Finding a job is hard. Finding a job in Michigan is even harder. I've applied at various places and if something comes along, I'll be happy. If something doesn't come along, I will figure out my purpose and I'll be happy.

How are your families feeling about this? Everyone is sad we are leaving, but excited for our new endeavors. Tyson won "Son of the Year" when he told his mom we were moving on Mother's Day. Poor Nancy. It will be a hard move for all of us, but we aren't THAT far away. (3ish hours)

Are you seriously going to raise your children in Wolverine Country? No worries - our children will always be the ones sporting their Cream & Crimson  - in a sea of Green & White and Maize & Blue. They will hear the IU fight song every night before bed, just as they have since the day they were born.   They may have been born in Michigan and have a Michigan address - but they will always be Hoosiers are heart.

So that's the NEWS from the Becker House. Which, by the way, is for sale…if anyone would like to buy it.

Saturday Morning

Josie enjoyed her new bed and her new room. Although she got a bit lonely at 5am and then again at 6:30. I'm pretty sure I heard her yell: WHERE IS EVERYBODY?????

Jack found some of my foam hair rollers. He was intrigued and they held his attention for about 20 minutes. Like his boots? He loves them. Unfortunately they impair his ability to walk down stairs. He took a tumble last night while his Aunt Gina, Uncle Joe, Grandma Nancy, Grandpa Denny, and Grandpa Jerry were visiting. Didn't phase him one bit. First of all, he's from DETROIT. Secondly, he has fallen down stairs before - hardwood ones. 

I demonstrated how the rollers work. Jack begged to differ. Way more fun to stick in your mouth, Mom!

Guess where we are today!?!

At 4pm yesterday we GOT THE KEYS to our house! Of course, we drove over there right away. We are heading back today with the dogs in tow. They need to check out their new digs!

First family photo in the new house. Two tired kids and zero furniture - except for this new chair we bought for Josie's room.

"Wait, I live HERE now?"

Jack discovered all the new "toys."

 Jos and her grandma Nancy sitting by the hot tub

Josie lounged in the hammock. But didn't like it one bit.

Closing Time!

Seems like a good day to buy a house! Or a least we think so... We close on the house today and we are VERY excited! Too bad we have to wait a couple weeks to move in. 

The weather here has been gorgeous! Today it is supposed to be in the 70's. (Take THAT, Florida!) Jack, Josie, and I visited Center Lake Park yesterday morning for a little bit.

I liked this sign because I think it sends a clear message to the creep-o's that linger around the park. Didn't seem to stop them though.

Jack had fun "driving" and running and climbing and sliding. Oh, and darting toward the lake.

Yesterday afternoon we played on the 16th fairway - aka: the "park" in the backyard. Jack loves to run down the hills as fast as he can. I snapped this picture as he was running and I laughed so hard when I looked at it. The G-forces on his face are awesome.

Inspection Day

It's inspection day at 1502 Sweet Flag Cove. Let's all cross our fingers for a "clean bill of health." Our friend, Cliff - the inspector - will be going through the house...and we'll be following him around pretending we know what he's looking at...when in reality, we have no clue.

In other moving news - 416 is cleared out. All of our stuff will wait in storage until we can move into the new place. We officially "closed" with the Relocation Company effective yesterday. They will close with the new owner on March 12th. Then we will (hopefully) close on our new house March 14th. It's a housing domino effect...

Happy Friday everyone!

416 - you're popular

We are SO excited to finally be able to share that our house SOLD! It was on the market a whopping 10 days when we received TWO offers! We agreed on a price with the buyer a week ago Friday, but have been waiting for the inspection to be completed. The movers will come next Wednesday and Thursday. We'll be putting our belongings in storage until we can find a new home in Fort Wayne.

I guess St. Joseph wasn't needed after all.  We will most definitely miss our beloved 416, but we know the new owners will love her just as much as we did! And - if I may add - they are getting some pretty kick ass neighbors - Sydney & family.

We can't wait to embark on the next stage of the move and settle into a new home!

PS: Royal Oak friends - if you're ever looking for a realtor, let us know! We have been SO happy with ours - for obvious reasons! :)

This Old House

Our house officially went on the market yesterday and our realtor held an Open House there today. He reported that about 30 people walked through it and there was a couple that was "interested in knowing what our utilities were." So I'm SUPER excited and optimistic that good things will happen...and happen soon. I forgot to bury a St. Joseph statue in the yard - but I'll drive back up there and do it - if I have to.

Growing up, I lived in four different houses (one was a rental, while my parents built). Sometimes I can remember different parts of the first three houses I lived in...but I can never remember the whole house. Before we left, I decided to walk through our house and take pictures, so I never forget 416 N. West - AND so I can show the pictures to Jack and Josie when they grow up. As you can tell, I'm super sentimental about this house. I literally cry when I look through these pictures (yep, real tears). I've had to convince myself that it was the perfect house for us as we started our family. And I tell myself that it will be the perfect house for another young couple, like us, as they are starting their family.

You can see our listing by clicking HERE .  Feel free to send it along to someone who may be interested. Once we have an accepted offer, we can put an offer on a house in Fort Wayne. Time's a tickin'.