you know that expression of a person running around like a chicken with its head cut off? that is really the only way to describe me and nicolaus since last wednesday. the minute we got the keys to our new condo we started going full speed (we’re talking staying up until four in the morning painting then waking up at seven thirty to meet the carpet cleaners/box our things/start actually moving everything) and am only barely starting to feel the pressure ease up just the slightest. and we’re only moving across town. i am officially in awe of anyone who manages to move out of state/across the country/to a different country. i don’t even understand how that’s possible anymore. i’ve never respected my parents more for packing up and moving four little kids from south africa to utah.

but, we somehow managed to move everything out of our apartment and deep clean every crack and corner of the place by cleaning check time. and now that we’re officially out of our little studio apartment that’s been so good (and so cluttered) to us for the last year, we can focus on unpacking/organizing/renovating and getting things settled at our condo – which feels like a full blown castle to us with it’s two bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, office, kitchen, living room and patio. and storage space. did i mention we have STORAGE SPACE now? it almost feels like i’m a real adult the way i’ve been geeking out about having storage space.

nick’s little sister/one of my favorite human beings, abigayle, has officially moved down to provo to start school and is going to be living in our spare room – which is a huge step up from her crashing on a foam pad on our floor a few nights a week at our studio apartment…ha lots of people cautioned us about a semi-newlywed couple having someone live with them, but fortunately abigayle is so much fun/we all get along so well/all of us are going to be busy enough with school & work that the time we do all spend home at the same time will be so minimal anyways that i just have full hope that it’s all going to work out for the best. i mean, i’m sure that from time to time a sibling fight will erupt but i’ve spent enough time with nick’s family to know that instead of any hard feelings festering, they’ll just fight it out and be done with it. ha, and still love each other just as much at the end of it all :)

speaking of family, have i mentioned that we have the greatest families in the world? i have literally no idea what we would have done without them (plus mo – who’s basically family) in this entire moving process. they have been SO helpful. like heaven-sent angels. peeling off wallpaper, painting, scrubbing walls/bathrooms/kitchens, helping nick move all of our heavy stuff. which was a surprising amount of stuff. the joke of the week turned into our apartment being the “mary poppins apartment” because i have no clue how we fit as much stuff as we did in there and where everything kept coming from. plus my mom is absolutely thrilled to finally be getting rid of all my stuff i still have stored at their house...ha, but in all seriousness, a HUGE thank you to any of my family that may be reading this. there’s no way we could have done it without you.