All my boxes are packed and I'm ready to go!

The apartment is empty...
The truck is completely loaded with Momo attached to the back...

We are headed to VERMONT!!!

We move a lot (This is our 10th move in 4 years!) but it is always with mixed emotions. Tan and I were lucky enough to fly to Denver yesterday and wait while Eli and his sister, Ari, drive to Vermont. Then we get to fly to Vermont - I don't envy them for the long drive but they will have fun together and probably enjoy not having to entertain a one year old! As we flew over the Salt Lake Valley and over the mountains, my heart ached for the memories we've made in Utah over the past 5 years together. We have come and gone and moved all over, but a large chunk of our time has been spent in Utah. I'll miss my friends (it's always awkward saying goodbye because when you are in the middle of packing you are stressed and not really thinking about the fact that you won't see these people again for a long long time.) I'll miss being near almost all of our extended family. I'll miss driving by the Salt Lake temple every day. I'll miss the beautiful Avenues that we spent the last 7 months exploring. I'll miss drives to Utah County to visit aunt Aly in Provo and friends/former students in Payson. I'll miss how cheap everything is in Utah compared to Vermont.

But we are headed to a new adventure and we are very excited! Eli is finally going to be a doctor-in-training (WHAT??!! We've been waiting for this for so long and it boggles my mind that it is actually happening!) We have friends in Vermont already that we are excited to meet! We have an entirely new part of the country to explore. We get to be bona fide North Easterners for the next 4 years. We get to live on loans and continue our frugal lifestyle we have been living since we got married. We get to eat FRESH maple syrup and fresh Ben and Jerry's ice cream. We are living near a beautiful lake with mountains in the distance - that is my paradise (except that we can't really go boating because of the whole poor thing)! We get to live in a place with seasons still (I LOVE seasons and don't know if I could live somewhere without them). We get to experience extreme cold but also extreme fall beauty. Those are just a few of the things I'm excited about!

Anyone and everyone is welcome to come visit! We have an extra bedroom and would love to show you around Vermont. Come in the fall and see how beautiful the "fruit loop mountains" are! The invitation is always open (and you can explore other cool cities like Boston on your trip to the East Coast).

Happy Trails to Eli and Ari as they drive across the country!

P.S. Thanks to all the friends and family who helped us pack, load, and clean! We REALLY REALLY appreciate it!!!

I have so many pictures from our adventures this past summer - it's overwhelming to go through them! Who knows if I'll even get around to posting them since we are moving in two weeks and then Eli starts school and can't spend as much time editting photos (I can do it but I'm not as skilled as he is).

Anyways, I found this picture amongst the thousands and couldn't believe how grown up my little Tan has become. There's something about eating an apple all by yourself that makes you look much older than a baby!! And he really is growing and learning so fast. I utterly adore him! The other night as I peeked at him before I went to bed, his eyes were blinking so I whispered to him, "Can I snuggle with you?" And he whispered back through his binky, "yes." So I grabbed him out of his bed, sat down in the rocking chair, and watched as he snuggled into my body and fell back asleep. My heart swelled to bursting, almost like the Grinch! It was SO SWEET! He is my best little friend!

OK back to doing something productive!

Shout out!

Here's a shout out from San Diego!! We're having a blast!