Shocker!

Well, whaddaya know? They changed the closing date to next Thursday. Yaaaaaay. I say that sarcastically, but it ended up actually being a good thing. I was actually surprised they hadn't changed the date sooner or more times by now. I heard that frequently changing close dates was all the rage in the home buying industry. But, like I said, it ended up being a blessing.

Just coming back from vacay had us all out of wonk and we still had a lot to do, so this gave us more time and a-whole-nother weekend, which is very nice. But another great thing was, way back when, we decided to leave the washer and dryer with the house. #1 to maybe help it sell and #2 those are the two heaviest things in our house probably and it sure would be nice to not have to move them. We said if the buyers didn't want them, of course we'd take them. But, they did want them, so we were okay with that. But, me and my brilliant decisions...I didn't think about the fact that we would need a washer/dryer at the apartment while the house was being built. I kept thinking, oh, yeah, they'll just install the new set in the house and voila! Oh, Ruth. We're (hopefully) moving into the apartment next Saturday and Mama needs a washer/dryer. Fine, fine, I'll get the new set for the apartment and we'll just move those to the house.

I ordered a set that I was super happy with, but they were on backorder and the earliest they could deliver them was June 21. UHHH...what? The apartment complex has a coin laundry there, but I do laundry during the day and no way I can take the girls every afternoon for almost two weeks and hang out at a laundromat for a couple of hours in a small room. These kids are crazy and I would go crazy. David offered to do it at night, but that's my time with him, so no. But, now with the closing date moved and us moving in a week later, that leaves us without a washer/dryer for 4 days...we can manage that. And a new washer and dryer, squeeeeee!! I love how girls get excited about stuff like that. New kitchen equipment, vacuum, Swiffer supplies. We whine about doing household things, but secretly we love it.

This is turning out to be the most long, drawn-out story ever. Anyways. Closing next Thursday, happy for the extra time. Done. The builder is getting us the final plans back hopefully today. I'll have to scan them in and show you guys. I'm so pumped.

I'm about 1/3 of the way through Hunger Games book 2 (I'm almost done with The Help, Mom! I'll get it back to you!) and I am not a happy camper. Before I started reading the series, I asked sister Sara if they ended well because I wasn't going to invest that time and then be really mad at the end. She said (verbatim), "Oh, yeah, they end great! I mean, the characters go through some really hard times, but it ends really well and justice is served." So, in my mind, I take that as, "Gale and Katniss get married and have kids. Peeta finds the love of his life. The Capitol is overthrown and President Snow is put in a prison arena with muttations and mockingjays and the yellow jacket things. Nobody is ever hungry again and the districts all live in peace and happiness." But, apparently, that's not the case. I finished Book 1 and was like, "Man, that was crazy, but at least they're done now and can all be happy." And I was talking to my buddies Kelly and Ashley (who have read the trilogy) about it and they both were like, "Uhm...well...uh...it ends with some justice and you really should read it, it's a good ending, but it's not wrapped up neatly with a pretty little bow." WHAT?! That's what I was wanting! I want picture-perfect endings. I'm not a realist. I like to live in the clouds. So...apparently, Sara is a liar. SARA! Ugh, and now I have to finish the books and they just keep getting sadder and sadder.

Okay, that's all I have. Since we have this whole weekend now, I can work on some Alaska posts! David got the best pictures of the whole trip.