I pee-a on IKEA

*This post is my own oppinion, and isnt targeting or judging anyone who shops at this place. Just my observations*
Went to Ikea this week. Everyone in Utah hyped it up and I felt a little silly for having never been to the "Mecca".
I seriously thought I had stepped into an Austin Powers movie when I got upstairs.
I walked around this huge showroom to see crazy ugly furniture and weird design. Really, this is what everyone talks about???
The bedroom displays were like visiting the Jetsons home, minus the robot maid, Rosie. All the cabinets and storage spaces were so small you couldn't really get anything stored in them unless you wanted to put 1 item in each of the 40 cubbies. I mean seriously, who's kidding who? Would you really want to buy a couch that looks like 1.5 people could fit on it? Or an in home wicker swing to hang in your family room? YUCK, YUCK, YUCK. The whole store just rubbed me wrong. I couldnt handle it.

I'll level with you. I think its a great place for people who are in college. Just starting out who need a desk to study on or a cheap chair for their space. Or maybe its a good place for the occasional lamp or accessory. As for the rest of the products...send them back to whence they came. Norway must house lots of smurfs or 70's paraphernalia enthusiasts. I was unimpressed.

The free babysitting was nice. Next time, maybe I'll drop the kids off for an hour and I'll leave the store. They loved IKEA.

Not really fun!

Update: First the bad news.

I flew to Phoenix last weekend. Spent all day that Saturday looking at homes.

We made an offer on Sunday. Visited the wards Sunday , which were brimming with lots of couples our age and tons of youth and kids (I was worried we would be in a geriatric convention if we bought in the wrong place) .

Tuesday we were informed that the owners wouldn't take less than asking price. "WHAT? Seriously, you have no intention of negotiating?"- "NOPE, NONE!"
Come to find out that they are seriously underwater on the home and cannot take less. They dont want to shortsale, so they will just rent if they dont sell.-

Ok..newsflash sellers....If your home aint worth what you paid, why would you think I will pay more than its worth?????
So, we wasted our time with most of the properties since they were all shortsales, and all of them had offers already. Let me just tell you how many were actually for sale. I mean really for sale, not shortsales or forclosures.- The one we put the offer on.
There were 14 on our inital list. Isnt that crazy? Everyone is upside down in their homes. And despite what you hear in the media, the Arizona market is full of buyers and very competitive. The home owners may be upsidedown, but the minute they are ready to get rid of the property for a steal there are people lined up.
We arranged to see a shortsale that had been listed for less than 24 hrs. We even had our offer already made and we were going to sign it upon viewing the property. Mike was getting ready to drive to the property when we heard from our realtor that they had already accepted an offer. Its nuts..this house hadnt even been listed for more than 24 hrs!!!

I wont go into all the details of this nightmare we are having finding a home out here.

To top off my wonderful weekend of wasted time, I hear from the realtor that the market is not gaining anything new and has been depleted of nice homes. Its right before school is starting and everyone wants in a house. So...that was the cherry on top of the experience. She basically told me to sit tight until after school starts. The average market has a three month inventory. Arizona has less than 1 mth inventory. Its CHAOS here!


Mike hasnt seen the kids in 3 weeks. Tanner keeps asking me about Mike. He was in tears when he asked me " Is Daddy dead?". The next day he asked "Is daddy getting old?" (which in his mind means he is going to die) .Its awful everytime. Poor kid. He really misses his dad.


Im hanging in there. I miss having a husband. I miss going to the gym or having any time to myself. I miss being able to see my girlfriends for a girls night out. I miss Wendy's bread, Jana's wise words, Bridget's stories, and Jenny's laugher.- Its all a little hard right now. I wont try to sugar coat it, Im feeling some remorse about leaving. I do know that it will get better. Eventually, we will find a home and settle down. Its all just a little discouraging.

The good news: Our friend from Las Vegas has graciously offered her home in Queen Creek to us to rent. They are selling it and we are in need of a month to month situation with the shortsale market craziness. I cant tell you the weight that has been lifted, with her offer. It has been stressing Mike and I out for a long time now and its kept us apart, not being able to find something short term to rent. It was an answer to prayers! Im so thankful for her and her family!


Enough of my sob story: here are some photos of some things we have been doing to keep us sane here in Utah.

The boys love playing in the yard. And playing with their cousin Lex!

Swimming lessons with Miss Amy

Uncle Madison came to start school at BYU. He came to our swimming lesson too.

We get to give our baby cousin Makani loves whenever we want. She is so precious.

We also get to see Maleah and Chris (Makani's parents) too!

A Place to call HOME

The kids and I are still here in American Fork. Mike is living in Phoenix with my brother Taylor. The house hunting is going forward, but I am disappointed to report that we do not have a home yet.
Every time I mention to someone that we are moving to Phoenix, I get the same response.
"Well, now is a great time to buy, there are some good deals down there". I bite my tongue. I have started to cringe inside every time I hear this. My nails claw into my thighs rather than offend the other person, who clearly has been informed of the same rhetoric as myself.
Here are the facts. Deal are great in Arizona...if you have lots of time to patiently wait around.
There are tons of foreclosed properties. Many of which have not been maintained in many months/years. Most have major repairs, and damage to fix. All have an AS-IS status. Here is a perfect example of a home we thought looked like a possibility:
Great home at one time, good school district, great curb appeal, but it has no cabinet doors, lighting fixtures,appliances, door knobs, or garage door motor. The pool has not been maintained, is drained and may have a problem with the pump once its filled (which you wont know until you fill it).The grass and brush are overgrown and the built in BBQ is missing from its bar.
YIPPEE! (I say this seething with sarcasm)
Short sales are in abundance, and can be great if you have 4-6 mths to wait. Most people make many offers hoping to have at least 1 approved.

I know I shouldn't be complaining. Im just feeling defeated right now. Patience isnt something I'm great at yet. I despise the thought of renting an apartment for months waiting on what might not be.Not to mention the boys starting kindergarten and living with neighbors above and below me, while I wrangle three boys. CPS may start getting called on me with all the noise they would undoubtedly hear.
Mike has already looked at homes and isnt that impressed. Im flying out next weekend to join him in the hunt. We'll see what happens. Wish us luck!

In the meantime,Z&T are loving the neighborhood life. They didnt have the opportunity to have lots of kids in a neighborhood situation in our townhouse in PA. They walk and play in the cul-de-sac all day and evening. They have met many new friends and they are learning new lessons in friendships and teamwork. They start swimming lessons Monday. They are both really excited to learn to swim better. Im excited to have someone teach them how to float. We are definitely going to have to drown proof them once we get to AZ. Have you ever heard of that? Apparently you can teach kids of any age (even Asher) to stay afloat if they fall into a pool. This will come in handy in AZ.
More to come.

Where did the Month of May go?

May has been crazy! Here is an update.

We sold our home and it closed on the 27th. It was a huge blessing to get a buyer in this tough economy so we are grateful that there weren't many issues. We didnt think it would be that hard to leave, knowing we were moving closer to family. However, this proved to be underestimated drastically. I had three days of constant tears for one reason or another. Driving away, knowing I would not return was very hard. I console myself in believing that most of our friends will be leaving in next couple years also.

Mikes mom and brother Jake flew from Utah to help us drive west. Our sister-in-law Mari angel flew from Amsterdam to hop in a truck and keep her husband awake. I cant tell you how thankful I am.

So, after a day of loading two 26 ft Penske trucks, with the help of some ward members, my dad, and Mikes family, we said our goodbyes to our home. I hadnt thought about leaving so much until that day. The memories came flooding back of all our milestones that we had in that town home. Zach & Tanner were only 22 mths when we moved in. I can still see them sliding down the stairs and laughing, playing in their first real bedroom, and singing and playing with friends in the basement. Asher came home from the hospital to that home. Its the only one he has ever known.- Change is always a little bitter sweet.

My tears were both happy and sad.

Mikey drove directly to Phoenix with our things and stuck them in a storgage unit. My mother-in-law and I drove the north route with the kids to American Fork, where we will stay until we buy a house in Arizona. Just a word of advice. Dont take the nothern route unless you plan on paying lots of money in tolls. All the roads were toll roads until we were in IOWA.- It would have been nice to know this in advance.

The drive across the country was pretty uneventful. The second day we had strong winds through Nebraska that kept us white knuckled the whole time. We were glad that the tornado watches were north of us. The kids were good most of the time. The occasional brawl in the backseat happened when the twins got really bored. Asher asked to get out of his chair every few hours. For the most part, things went smoothly. We are just glad to be out of the car for a long time now.

I can now boast that in 4 weeks time, Mike and I have been to 16 states. We have done a ton of traveling.

Now its time for a rest and some relaxation...wait, is that possible when looking for a new home?

ARRRGG.