I was born on cold November morning in Utah at 2:30 am... ok, ok, that's true, but I'm kidding, of course. I wasn't even a Ferrell then! (Be honest. Who didn't see that one coming? Srsly.)
What I really meant was my husband, Jason, FINALLY finished school! After 4 years at BYU and 4 years at Texas A&M, during all of which we were married, he finally walked across the stage in all his fancy-schmancy robes and got a diploma tube... and it was over! Now he is officially a veterinarian! WOO!
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| Not even huge robes can make Jason look fat. He sucks. |
This year, he is doing an (optional) internship at a couple of large emergency clinics near Chicago! He's worked like a dog for pretty much a dog's salary. (yay.) Suffice it to say, this is a pretty big change from Texas! So, I thought our drive up would be a good place to start.
I was a bit worried about driving cross-country with a 10-month-old, and she DID cry a bit, of course. But for the most part, Ava was a TROOPER! And when I say "trooper," I, of course, mean "sleeper." She slept for almost 2 days straight, including at night in the Motel 6 in Springfield, MO. Here's a picture I snapped over my shoulder while I was driving... hence the stellar quality. Be impressed. Be very impressed. *snort*
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| Lethargic babies are the best babies... |
We saw some surprisingly beautiful scenery. I say surprisingly because, having never been to this part of the country, I wasn't expecting it to be so green! Although much of it looked like a tornado would hit at any moment. Maybe they filmed Twister in southern Illinois?
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| Top Left: Beautiful Sky in MO Top Right: Southern IL Farmland (à la Twister) Bottom Left: Best Picture I took of the St. Louis Gateway Arch, MO Bottom Right: Long story. The arch is behind the 20 MPH sign. See it? |
Sorry I didn't take a picture of the Motel 6. I'm sure you're heartbroken. We had a few snags along the way:
- There was a huge chunk of the tread missing from one of the trailer's tires, so we had to get a tire changed before we left my parents' house.
- At one point, when we stopped for gas, Jason couldn't get the U-Haul started again. Note: It's best to start a U-Haul when it's in neutral, not in gear.
- Jason got a ticket in Oklahoma. Stupid speed traps. He was coasting down a hill in a massive vehicle. Of course he got going a bit too fast... but it's not like he was going to even be able to keep that up on level ground, weighed down like he was. That was super-frustrating... Moving costs enough as it is!
Anyway, we got here, met the landlady and our ward-member/real-estate-agent lady and signed the lease and a bunch of "village" paperwork (we live in a "village"... *eye roll*). Then a few minutes later, a bunch of the young men from the ward, their leaders, and the missionaries came over to help us unload. After a bit of a delay getting the car trailer off the truck, I swear the 17-foot U-Haul was unpacked in 15 minutes. If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't believe it. Make a mental note: Wednesday night is a great night to move in! Some of the leaders and the elders even stuck around to help us put a couple of our Ikea furniture pieces back together, namely the crib.
Speaking of cribs, I noticed that our local Ikea has stopped carrying cribs. I believe this is because they are SO UNBELIEVABLY HARD to assemble, they probably figured it just wasn't worth it...
Speaking of cribs, I noticed that our local Ikea has stopped carrying cribs. I believe this is because they are SO UNBELIEVABLY HARD to assemble, they probably figured it just wasn't worth it...
Anyway, soon the pets were getting settled in.....
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| Top Left: Lucy and Josie, curled up together on the dog bed Top Right: Mr. Kiggerz inspecting the local water supply Bottom Left: Mr. Kiggerz: King of the Closet Bottom Right: Dogs interrupted by Ava and her Cardboard Box of Toys Noticeably Absent: Samurai Jack... Dork kitty. |
Oooh, and speaking of closets, check out the built-ins in ours!
Be jealous. I just wish they were ours to keep, not just to rent. They're awesome! They extend all along one side of the bedroom. This is my side of the closet, and it extends to the left with another set of double-fold doors for Jason's side. His is the mirror of mine, except he doesn't have the tall skinny section (for dresses), just more area divided in half like the right side of mine. Then to the left of that is a smaller linen closet. It's awesome.
It took us a while to get to feeling settled. It helped that Jason didn't have to start work until a week-and-a-half after we got here. It gave us a chance to get things set up (like the internet) and buy things we needed... like 3 more floor lamps. (What's up with not having central lighting in the living room and bedrooms?) We still have a few boxes around... and no pictures on the wall. I think it took us 9-12 months to put pictures on the wall in Texas. We'll see if I even bother here!
Oh. One more thing of note. We moved from a duplex with a fenced yard to a condo with no yard. And we have 2 dogs. We would have loved to find a place with a yard, but by moving into this place, we're saving over $300 a month in rent alone. So that means (1) I get to take the dogs and baby out every 3-5 hours to go potty (which actually isn't as annoying as I thought it was going to be), and (2) we have new dog kennels to keep the dogs in when we're not here, so they don't destroy the place. Ava really likes to climb in them. All the time. I don't get it, but it's better than her splashing in the dogs' water bowls. Plus, it's great incentive to keep the dog blankets clean!
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| Awww! I forgot that when we moved here, Ava wasn't walking yet! What a cute crawling baby! |
That's it for this episode. Tune in next time when the Ferrells brave Illinois traffic, find out Garmins sometimes lie, torture small children, and eat some Chicago-style pizza. And I'm only sort-of kidding about the torture! Muahahahaha....
Sara
i had a dream with you guys last night, i think it was because i read your blog! thanks for sharing! and great name, btw!
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