The Horn Family: Just Three Words...

MOVIN' ON UP!!

Next to my previous car, Rolla (may she rest in pieces), my kitchen canisters were my biggest post-college-first-real-job splurge. It was love at first sight the moment I laid eyes on them at a little boutique in Burlingame, California. I found myself entranced standing before the gorgeous urns as I day-dreamed of the grown-up home in which I hoped the four of us would someday reside. Having a remarkably frustrating ability to talk myself out of buying most things, I left the boutique and forced myself to sleep on it before I made some rash decision to spend several hundred dollars on vessels in which to store baking ingredients in the home I didn't yet live in. The next morning, I knew the love was real because they were all I could think about.

Fast forward a year, my kitchen canisters and I were fleeing my parents' coop. Packed away securely in my carry-on, my Italian-made caddies arrived safely to our newlywed town home in Enterprise, Alabama. (If only the same could be said for dear Rolla, who met her untimely firey demise after a moving truck accident somewhere outside of Yuma, Arizona.) Since then, they have beautified both of my kitchen counter tops...

Just this past week, though, I placed my beloved canisters on the counter that I dreamt they would sit on when I bought them six and a half years ago. For the first time in my life, I have been responsible for selecting my address and I couldn't be more grateful for this blessing. I have to pinch myself that it's real. I kind of feel like I have painted the walls in some other, far more mature and sophisticated, peoples' house that I just happen to be squatting in. I don't feel like I deserve to live in this big, beautiful new house, but, I will continue to do so until someone (namely Uncle Sam) makes me leave...

We closed on the house on June 22nd and took the following week to get it move-in ready. I spent three very late nights after bedtime painting the playroom (the former dining room) and both Emmy and Hannah's rooms. Painting is one task that ALWAYS takes way longer than I plan for it to. Somehow I have a very short-term memory as to the amount of time it takes to tape and paint the trim. I finished up just before 2 am on Wednesday the 27th, just in time to prepare for the carpet cleaners and my mom's arrival later that day.

Mom earned herself a very special place in Heaven for all that she did to assist in our move. I can confidently say that we couldn't have done it without her. Mom took over kid duty so that Nick and I could focus on packing and moving. Once the last box was unloaded from the truck, she got to work cleaning and organizing. She also managed to identify all of our gorgeous landscaping and bring it back from the dead (which undoubtedly occurred during the year the house was unoccupied.) I couldn't come close to the clip at which she was working, let alone know where exactly to begin. I am so grateful for everything she did and for keeping me sane in the process!

Bright and early on Friday, June 29th, several of the awesome men from our church group met up at our old pad to load most of our worldly possessions into the U-haul. Just to make things interesting, Mother Nature decided to bestow upon us a record-breaking heat wave, and the fine people at a local real estate establishment scheduled a same-day house showing giving us a 2 PM deadline. I was in awe of the guys working at fever-pitch in the century-mark-plus temperature. It was a photo-finish, but we had the house near-empty and show-ready at a couple of minutes to 2. It was incredible how much easier it was to prepare having the help of four strong men versus a five month old and, especially, a spirited two year old. Despite our collective best efforts, we were, yet again, the unchosen house from the final "short list." Better luck next time (said for the umpteenth time.)

With Nick back to work on Monday, Mom and I stepped it up to high gear to get boxes unpacked and to fulfill my job description as the "maker of our home." By the time the fantastic five Sacksteders arrived on Tuesday afternoon, we were up and functioning (minus the dining room and living room furniture that was left to stage the old house.)

Just a day later, we hosted a mini West Point reunion on the Fourth of July. We were thrilled to be able to share our new home with some of our favorite people! :)

Hannah Banana's first breakfast in her high chair!

Dinner (literally) on deck.

Baby Parking!

Uncle Derek goofing off with Jace and Jacob. :)

Addie practicing being a big sister. :)

Waterbabies!

Clairey slides down head-first.

No time for bathing suits!

Hannah and Jacob hold on tight to one another.

Blast from the past:

Sacksteder, Andrjeski, Landgraf and Horn kiddos Spring 2011

Sacksteder (minus Jacob!), Andrjeski & Horn kiddos Summer 2012...Missing those Landgraf boys! We have all been busy multiplying!

When organizing, my motto is: "like things with like things." Therefore, ALL of our "dress-up" clothes were put into the same container. Therefore, the scary Halloween mask and St. Patty's Day beer mug hats can be found with our kiddie tutus and feather boas. Clairey brought this to my attention.

Pre-bedtime dance party with the appropriate attire.

Who knew that Nick's old mullet wig would be such a hot commodity? Kris found herself needing to give the girls "the talk." Don't EVER fight over a mullet.

Taking in the fireworks.

Emmy on a rampage...

...showing up uninvited with the hose. Andy was picking weeds to earn some extra souvenir cash. Kris grossly underestimated his stamina when offering him 10 cents per weed.