Maybe if we click our heals!

This morning before school, Keenan looked at me & said..."Mom, I wish our house was all done selling & we were already moved to Memphis." I can't believe he is smart enough to know just having a sold sign in your front yard does not mean your work is done! While we were visiting Memphis last week the inspector & buyer came by the house to do their thing. The inspector tripped the breakers & turned off the irrigation system (it has been 100 degrees for the last 2 weeks) & neglected to re-set the system! Our poor flower beds with new plants didn't get water for almost a week before Andy noticed why our plants were dying! Then to top it off "somebody" used our master bath toilet & left a yellow spot on the back of the seat...I'll let you figure out what that might have been! I can't even tell you how much it bothered me to have to clean that spot! A little background...I grew up the only girl with 3 brothers & now I am the only girl living with 2 little boys & a husband...do all boys have bad aim & not notice spots on the toilet? Or am I just extremely picky about a clean toilet? I am guessing it is probably a little bit of both!
I am off to buy end of the year teacher gifts (I can't believe there are only 4 days left of school!) and a chimney cap for the fireplace....I like to picture the fireplace with a new top hat, but that is my crazy imagination!

SOLD!

House Proud

Yesterday we had our 3rd open house. That would be the 3rd open house in 3 consecutive weeks. I can not believe how many people have come through the house during the week. I have been trying really hard to make sure the house looks perfect when I leave to go anywhere! I have only been caught off guard twice...once when I had ground beef defrosting in the sink & once when I left the mop in the kitchen. Everything has to be in the correct place or adjusted just the right way, otherwise it drives me CRAZY! I wipe down the sinks & faucets every time I leave the house. I have to stop at Trader Joe's to get fresh flowers every week(something I think I will continue after we sell the house & move...Love having fresh flowers in the house!). I have officially become Bree VanDeCamp (think Desperate Housewives!) Before the "Memphis migration" started I had given up on having a clean house. That kind of house that people can just stop by & I am not shoving things into the closet or garage right before they get here. With two boys under the age of 6 and one husband who likes to relax when he gets home from work & would rather "take care of it later", I had just given up. It was too hard to care that the counter was full of clutter when every time I cleaned it...the next day the clutter would reappear in the same spot. But, now I know it is possible to keep the house immaculately clean for a whole month (that is how long our house has been on the market). I am taking a vow, right now, that my house will not fall into the "clutter canyon" again! It is too hard to climb out of it, & I LOVE having a house to be proud of when people come over to visit!
We might have an offer on the house! To be continued....

The truth doesn't really hurt that much

Me: Logan, how did you get to be so cute?
Logan: I don't know, I guess I'm just lucky! And I'm really smart at a lot of things, too!

20C

Today Logan came downstairs to tell me: "Mom, Dad and I were looking on the computer for houses in...Memphis twentysee....." "What?" was my reaction. Keenan says "No, Logan it's TENnessee not twentysee" Love the mind of a four year old & that my five year old can interpret for me!

I am thankful for laundry...

Now, notice the title of this post is not...I LOVE to DO laundry. I actually hate to do laundry. My dryer takes at least 2 or more hours to dry a normal sized load, & towels...don't get me started! Putting the clothes away is probably my biggest challenge. Clothes usually end up on top of a dresser for my husband, or on the floor for my boys. It never seems to get into the drawers!
But, I AM thankful for laundry...
...That I have clothes to wash.
...That my husband works hard to make money & I can stay home to take care of my family & buy their clothes & wash their clothes.
...That I have a husband & two sons who need laundry done for them.
...That my family is healthy enough to go out & get the clothes dirty so I can wash them.
...That I have clean water to use to wash the clothes.
...That I have a washer & dryer to do the laundry in my own house.
...That I have electricity to run the washer & dryer.
...That I have the physical ability to do the laundry.
...That I can pack my laundry(hopefully clean!) & move it to our new home in Memphis & know that whatever happens I will always have the love of my family, & their laundry to do!
...That my God loves me so much, He put me into this world and gave me all the things I really need...including laundry.

And so it begins!

Hello!
Who knew I would have my own blog? I have been gathering so many favorites in my google reader the last year & been such a big time lurker that I actually feel guilty! I thought maybe I could start this blog to record our life as we begin the big move across the country from Arizona to Tennessee!
The title: Just off Utopia...Well, that is an easy one! We live just off Utopia Road! And I figure, when we move to Tennessee this summer we will still be...just off Utopia. Webster's dictionary definition for utopia: an ideal place or state. We have many days of utopia here in AZ, but most days are just a little off utopia!
So, here goes the big adventure! We are in for a fun ride!