Moving Progress

I was really struggling last week. I'm not sure if it's a difference between Seattle and Phoenix, or a change in the market since the last time I searched for a rental, but finding a vacancy is extremely difficult. I made a ton of phone calls, spent hours scouring the internet, and found only a few places that had units available for rent immediately.

It seems the seller is in control here, that renters usually sign leases without ever viewing the unit they are leasing. The last time I apartment hunted, I was able to view model apartments, have options in which unit I wanted, and schedule a date to move in! It seems these days that having a model unit is a waste of money, that management companies can justify leasing out the models because renters are desperate enough for a place to live that they will sign a lease without physically viewing the property. In my mind, that is crazy.

After much searching, after much prayer, we found an apartment complex last Wednesday with a unit available and put a hold on it. However, I didn't feel right about it. Something was wrong and I wasn't sure what. I just knew that it didn't feel like home and that we were supposed to keep looking.

Lisa, our brilliant realtor, sent us several more advertisements on Wednesday evening. We found a condo and a townhouse to tour and scheduled the tours on Thursday afternoon. The first condo was nice but on the second of three floors, something Jeff wanted to avoid. He's ok with neighbors being above or below us, but not both at the same time.

On our way to the townhouse, I was convinced we were headed home. I had been praying about it and kept repeating to myself the verse in my last post. "Trust in the Lord... He will direct your path." When we first arrived at the townhouse, the realtor couldn't get the keys! I was really disappointed but knew that we were supposed to live there. Finally, Jeff figured out how to open the key safe and we were able to enter the townhouse.

I fell in love. The place is gorgeous. All wood floors, something I've always wanted. Two levels with the bedrooms below and the living area above. Two patios. A flat burner stove, another dream of mine. A fireplace! A skylight that illuminates the living room. I felt like I was at home.

Now, could we qualify to rent the place? We were still waiting final approval on the apartment we had put on hold. We have good credit, a steady employment history, and a solid rental history (six years at our last address!). Do we make enough money to qualify for a townhouse instead of an apartment?

First thing on Friday morning, we submitted all of the applications and documentation. Then we waited. And waited. And waited some more. Our final approval for the apartment arrived but we were still waiting on the townhouse. Was I correct that God wanted us in the townhouse? I kept praying!

On Saturday evening, we received an email that our screening was complete and that we qualified for the townhouse. The only step left was to await the owner's final approval. With that, we cancelled our hold on the apartment. That was nerve wracking, knowing that we had no back up plan. I tried to hold on to my faith, reminding myself constantly that God was in control.

This morning, we found out that we are approved! We visited with the rental management company and signed the lease this afternoon. Tomorrow morning, we are moving in to the beautiful townhouse! God is very, very good. I am so grateful that He led us every step of the way, taking care of us on our trip to Washington, guiding us in our house hunting, and helping us learn to wait on Him.

We have spent the last week living out of a hotel and it's been a bit rough. It's hard to "keep house" when the house doesn't exist. Now I can cook again! Of course, we own not a single pot or pan. Some research and a shopping trip are in the works.

I can't wait to pick up the keys tomorrow morning. I will post pictures as soon as I can!

Trust.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6). I am trying to claim this promise today. Help me to trust, Lord!

Countdown - Zero days to Seattle

Today is THE day. Moving day, that is.

I am so excited. My stress is mostly gone after a long prayer session last night asking for strength. The only thing I'm having a hard time relaxing about is the prospect of our two car hater cats being cooped up in a carrier for two entire days. We are not looking forward to that aspect of the move.

I am indulging in a rare morning cup of coffee, waiting for the laundry to finish and making a list of the cleaning yet to be done. We hope to be ready to go in four hours, as that's when the office opens and we can drop off our keys.

Today - drive to L.A. and spend the night with hubby's sister.
Tomorrow - drive from L.A. to Seattle. Hopefully.

Seattle, here we come!

Countdown - Two days to Seattle

I so wanted to blog this week all about my adventures packing and getting ready for our move. There just isn't time!

Some statistics:

Two more days!
9 more boxes to the post office
Two more days!
16 boxes total shipped
Two more days!
1.25 bathrooms left to be cleaned
Two more days!
5 more meals before we leave
Two more days!
2 stressed cats
Two more days!
2 semi-stressed but very excited adults
Two more days!
104 degrees in Mesa, sunny
Two more days!
55 degrees in Seattle, rain

TWO MORE DAYS!!

Countdown - Four days to Seattle

Only four more days!! I am starting to get really, really excited. Can we move tomorrow?

Obligatory kitty photo
Does he look ready to move?

Today I accomplished a lot. I scrubbed down kitchen cupboards, the medicine chest, and the rest of the master bedroom closet. Hubby and I cleaned off his desk, packing everything that needed to be packed and getting rid of the rest. We dropped off a huge bag of hangers at the donation bin and had to buy more packing tape.

Sorry if these pictures are boring, but to me they represent accomplishment! Living in my house, it's harder to see the changes. Looking at these photos, I can see evidence of an upcoming move.

Kitchen cupboard
Second kitchen cupboard
Above the stove
Medicine chest
Closet
This morning we took a trip to the post office. We mailed off our comforter and a giant stuffed bear that my husband had as a child. Originally, the plan was to pack both in the trunk but we decided that since they are light enough to ship cheaply, we should clear additional space in the car. We also mailed a box of books and talked to the post office about media rate. We can ship the rest of our boxes media rate at an estimated $17 a box! That is way cheaper than replacing our library.

Boxes of books ready to ship
Tomorrow we'll take the remaining boxes to the post office and start packing the trunk. Our suitcase is almost full with all the clothes that we won't be needing in the next four days. I can't wait until we hit the road!

Countdown - Six days to Seattle

We've slowly been making progress with move preparation. Before I returned home, hubby got rid of the couch and chair. I keep forgetting that we don't have one anymore!

I've packed up six boxes of books, culled out my closet for clothes I don't wear, and started sorting through my kitchen. We are shipping a few boxes, packing our car, and getting rid of the rest. It feels freeing to eliminate most of our stuff! So much of it we don't use or need. Now we have the opportunity to start over and keep our purchases to what is actually necessary.

Despite the progress made thus far, our house doesn't look too much different. It's cluttered but small areas are slowly starting to empty out. Today I emptied out my side of the closet, scrubbed it down, and vacuumed the floor. Then I emptied our game shelves and scrubbed those down. Tomorrow I'll start consolidating the kitchen and cleaning the empty cupboards.

Game Shelf - everything packed up and shelves cleaned
And in the middle of it all, I feel the need to be creative. I'm trying to finish up my denim quilt before we leave. It's extremely hot here in Phoenix but Seattle has daily highs in the 50s! I might need that quilt sooner than I think. Bucket of denim
Pile of denim
Cutting out blocks
Quilt in progress, inspected by local Quilt Police

Home again!

After nine weeks, I am back home. Whew! I'm still trying to get settled, though that's not really possible since we're moving to Seattle in 13 days! A much longer post is soon to come. :) I hope all are doing well!