ch-ch-ch-change will do you good.

I am such a lazy blogger right now, but that doesn't mean my head isn't swirling with blog ideas and to-do's.  I have so much to say and so little time to say it/blog it.

At any rate, I thought I should document a recent change in our lives.

It's actually been over a month since we moved.  We didn't go far.  We are still in the same neighborhood, in the same city, in the same ward (mormon lingo for congregation), and as happy as ever...though that last one seemed a little unsure for me for a while.

Let me explain.

I loved our house.  Like...really loved!  Not because it was the BEST house, or the cutest house, or in the most awesome location, but because it was our FIRST house.  It had memories.

When we decided to buy a house it was the most exciting thing EVER.  We drove out religiously from Dana Point every Sunday to check on its progress. We took pictures with it.  We walked around and assessed its progress.  We brought friends out to see it.  We just couldn't contain our excitement to be homeowners.  And the day we moved in was almost as exciting as the day our first child arrived.  

Then our first child arrived.  Shortly followed by the second.  And life just kept getting better.  In our house, our first house, we added our own personal touches.  Troy added the most beautiful woodwork to the walls.  We painted our kitchen cupboards white and never looked back!  We put photos on the walls and landscaping in the yard.  We planted a garden.  We decorated the rooms just the way we wanted.  We lived, and played, shared, laughed, grew closer together, built traditions and loved in that house.  But the day came that we knew we had to do something with it.

Troy's job has been in jeopardy for some time.  His company filed for bankruptcy last year and basically all the employees left are riding a sinking titanic.  We have NO idea how long we will be employed.  We have no idea what the company may or may not turn into.  And we have no guarantee for employment once the bankruptcy is settled.  And having seen many friends and family who have lost jobs and been unemployed for months in this economy, we decided we needed to put ourselves in a position where we could look for employment nationwide and have the flexibility to move anywhere if need be.

So, we decided the best way to have more flexibility was to rent until life is more certain.  So with a lot of tears (for me, especially) we said goodbye to our house.  It was very hard for me in the early stages of moving.  Each thing I took down or dismantled represented something to me.  But as the house got more empty and each box was hauled out, I looked around and thought...you know, this house is JUST a house.  What made it a home was US. 

 So now, without hesitation, I can say that we are enjoying our new HOME with US in it!  

So please come for a visit!  We would love to have you!

I will be sending out our address to my facebook friends, but if you need it otherwise, send me an e-mail at alidegraff@yahoo.com.

I leave you with pictures from our last pizza night in the house on Overboard.

(troy likes to take his shirt off when performing manly tasks such as dough tossing)

(actually he had just gone swimming)