10 for the first half of 2010

I have missed all sorts of months for 10 lists, so I'm doing a catch-me-up.  Let's go!

10 things I don't want to forget about the last few months:

1. Moving.
2. Switching wards. That was hard. I was very fond of my old ward, and it was hard to say good-bye to it. I'm still in the same stake, but each ward has it's own flavor, and I'm still getting used to the new one.  We are in a ward building that we went to when Thomas was little, and when I was pregnant with Ben. I know I spent copious amounts of time there, but it still feels strange.  I think we changed buildings back in 2007; funny how much you forget.  One of the most vivid memories I have of our the building we now go to is when I was pregnant with Ben.  Thomas and I showed up for sacrament meeting, and right after we took the sacrament (I think the deacons were still collecting water trays), I got up and walked out.  I just couldn't do church that day, I guess.
3. Shane changing jobs. It has been so strange and has changed a lot of our patterns.  I still miss driving with him.  I'm still getting used the whole thing.
4. Ben graduating from preschool on Friday. I can't believe that he is going to be a kindergartener.  I couldn't really say a lot to his teacher when we left; I am sad that I don't have anyone else to go to her anymore.  Sniff.  He is growing up.  How did this happen?
5. Getting a texting plan on my phone.  It used to seem so....unnecessary, but now I'm catching on to the beauty of saying what you need to say to the person who who need to say it to without a formal phone call.
6. Cleaning out my mom's garage.  Wow.  Who knew it could echo in there?
7. Getting ready for 2 different relay races.  One I've already done, the other is a little one called Ragnar that I've been salivating over for a year now.  So excited!!
8. Finally figuring out how to find what I want at Ikea.  Thankfully I had a good trainer (thanks, Mel!)
9. Finding out that living for a month without blinds sucks.  They will be here tomorrow, finally!
10. Getting a new great nephew and niece.  So glad Kaison and Lucy got here safely!

9 things moving taught me:

1. It takes a lot of faith to make changes in your life.  I don't think I've ever prayed so often or so sincerely as I did when we were going through the process of buying and selling homes.  It is so humbling to know that you are taking such a leap of faith, even when you are only moving down the street.
2. When you are selling or buying, nothing is beyond interest to your mortgage lender.  They will know everything about you, eventually.
3. It sucks to feel like every person and their brother has their hands in your pockets.  Between paying closing costs for ourselves AND our seller, commissions, repairs, and appliances for our new house, it starts to feel overwhelming.
4. That there has to be a lot of luck and/or fate involved in making all things go well.  Even when you are dealing with a decent buyer, things still come up that make seem insurmountable.  If it's supposed to happen, all hurdles will eventually be cleared.  See my #1 of this list.
5. You have to feel really, really, really comfortable with your real estate agent.  And even then you still feel a little like you are on your own.
6. Don't ever change jobs in the middle of buying a house.  Just don't.  Trust me.
7. Finally feeling at home in a new house is a good, good feeling.
8. Try to take care of the cats first on moving day, rather than as an afterthought once most of the furniture has left.  The cats will thank you, and you won't be known by local missionaries as the Crazy Cat Lady.
9. The places we live in feel the way we do because they are ours.  You take the feeling of your house with you along with your toaster oven and bathrobe.  It is comforting realizing that.

8 people I should thank:

1. Miss Barbara for teaching my children how to write their names.  I don't know what I would have done without this sweet lady who taught both Thomas and Ben for preschool.  I get a little teary just thinking of how grateful I am for her talents with 3 and 4 year olds.
2. Shane for putting up with my crazy, waking-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night episodes.  Yep, I do it here, too.  But I'm getting better at identifying the strange room I wake up in as my own.  It's only taken me a month.
3. My kids for putting up with me being on the phone for a month straight.  So glad that is over.
4. The Bells, for moving us and helping us move rocks and being our friends.  You guys are the best.
5. Salt Lake county waste for bring me garbage and recycling cans.  Oh, the amount of garbage moving engenders!!
6. The person who is coming tomorrow to install my blinds.  Sigh, it will be so nice to not feel like I'm living in a fishbowl.
7. My new bishop's wife who came and sat by me today.  Her husband just got called last week as a bishop.  She still was thoughful enough to sit by me during our combined meeting today.  I guess I'm starting to make new friends in my new ward.  But it's hard, since the memories I have of the building are full of my old ward friends.  It is strange to look around a familiar room and only see strangers.  So I was very grateful to this good sister for sitting by me today.
8. The guy who lives on my street who sold us rocks for our front yard.  Rocks from the garden center were 10 cents per POUND.  Yeah, the guy down the street sold us enough rocks to build a short wall in our front yard for less than it would have cost me to buy 2 rocks.  I love good deals!  And we didn't even have to drive anywhere.  It was meant to be...

7 places that I've frequented far too frequently of late...

1. Ikea.  I bought some awesome bookcases there.  Oh and some tall floor lamps for $7 a piece.  Oh and glasses. Oh and....you get the idea.
2. Walmart, Home Depot, and Budget Blinds.  Furnishing our windows has kind of gone in stages.  I'm glad it almost over.
3. Chili's.  I love that place.  It seems that we cannot go a week without dining there.  I'm not sure that's such a good thing...
4. Lowes.  This one will be my friend for a long time, because I have to put in a yard.  I'm getting old to still be playing with sprinklers, I tell you.
5. McDonalds.  Damn you and your $1 drinks.  Damn you I say.
6. Cafe Rio.  I can finally eat their pork salads again after an unfortunate wire incident last October.  I still cringe a little bit when I think about it.
7. Sorry, I can't come up with a 7th.  But in my defense, #2 did list 3 places, so I think I'm covered.

6 things I have to do in the next few weeks:

1. Go to my niece's wedding.  Only 2 weeks!
2. Run Ragnar.  Oh I'm excited.  I am running leg 2. 
3. Visit my dad.  He will turn 68 in June, sigh.
4. Find a sewing table.  Maybe it will improve my sewing.  That's a big maybe.
5. Put in a yard.  We are getting trenched for sprinklers on Wednesday.
6. Go to a wedding shower.

5 books I want to read (thanks to a trip to Barnes and Noble)

1. World from Rough Stones
2. Private Life
3. Girl who Chased the Moon
4. Girl who Fell from the Sky
5. Solar

4 thoughts I have about the series finale of Lost:

1. It was perfect.  Perfect.  Those writers are so clever. 
2. I love that the whole last season showed us the life that the Losties would have lived if they could have.  Sawyer would have been good (but still want revenge.)  Kate would have been the same.  She didn't regret killing her father.  Jack would have had the relationship with his son that he never had with his father.
3. I cried when Sun and Jin saw their baby, when Sayid and Shannon found each other again, when Juliet and Sawyer remembered each other, and when Jack walked in to the church at the end.
4. I loved the last moment when Christian opened the door to the church.  To me, it meant that they were all free to move on to the afterlife, together.  They could all go towards the light together.

3 things I want to do today:

1. Run twice (once this morning and again later tonight). I need to get used to multiple runs in a short time.
2. Return the extra pavers we bought to build a path next to our driveway.  It looks so nice!  I can't wait to get grass.
3. Take a nap.

2 things I want:

1. A pair of black capris for work.  Can you ever have enough work pants I ask you?
2. Some cereal.  I'm hungry!

1 thing I like about Memorial Day Weekend:

1. That Sunday night didn't inspire the anxiety of having to go to work the next day. I love Monday holidays!!