Tourists

Though we were no longer in need of their offered moving assistance, mom and dad still came up to Spokane a few weekends ago to hang out with the Rolinator and me while Justin was out of town. 

My smart, thoughtful and dutifully documenting mother suggested we play tourist in Spokane, to make sure we experienced and snapped photos of the sites we’d soon leave unexplored. I’m so glad she came up with the idea; I really doubt it would have even crossed my mind until we got to Phoenix.

Not sure you know this or not, readers, but I was born in Spokane too. We lived there for just six months after my arrival.

This is Rolin and me in front of the house mom and dad called home as newlyweds. A neat fact about this house is that my dad moved the staircase. He just moved it! Before he and my mom went a courtin', he decided the staircase would be better on a different side of the house, so he did what any bachelor with power tools would do: he cut a hole in the floor and made new stairs. He told me this when I was little Christine and I remember thinking, "that is the coolest thing anyone has ever done!"

This is me where I was baptized.

We also headed down to Riverfront Park. We hit up the (huge) little red wagon, stood on the over-sized blocks, checked out the ducks and geese and then pretended to be Bloomsday runners.  

Go, dad go!

Rolin and I rode the carousel twice, once with Grandma and again with Grandpa.

Rolin loved it! He had a gaping smile on his face for the first half of both rides. He ended the last half of both rides with a slightly nauseated look on his face -- he kept it together, though. No barf from this kiddo (I don’t imagine we’ll always be this lucky).

Of course we finished the afternoon enjoying sno-cones. Though it may be hard to believe just by looking at the picture, Rolin said he preferred cherry over watermelon.

We're moving!

A couple months ago, Team Thompson entertained the idea of buying a home in Spokane. We then decided we'd be better off renting for another year before buying, and instead hit up the rental sites to see if we could find a cute house for rent or lease (something with a fenced yard, two bathrooms, all appliances included, extra bedrooms, something close to a nice neighborhood cafe...you know...the works). 

We didn't find many great options online or from our in-person visits, but one day in mid-June I decided to drive down 23rd Ave. on the South Hill and spotted a for lease sign. It was for a super cute house, with a fenced yard, two bathrooms, new appliances, extra bedrooms, it's next to The Scoop...you know...the works! I called the number on the sign and scheduled a viewing for later that afternoon. 

It was perfect! A nice kitchen with new, stainless steel appliances, three bedrooms + a loft/attic area for a guestroom/playroom/children's room, a garage, was located next to The Scoop...you know...the works. Just look at it! We filled out an application that day. We made it through the screening process and signed the lease the following week. 

We sent out invitations to Rolin's first birthday, listing our new place as the venue. We've lined people up to help move us. We've picked up boxes from random sources. We've packed up about half our townhouse. We are set to move.

To Phoenix. Arizona. Phoenix, Arizona.

So forget what's above. Apparently, someone else has other plans for our family! Just days after we signed our lease, Justin got a call from his boss about an opportunity in Phoenix.

See, a couple weeks prior to this, Justin had casually mentioned to his boss that we were house hunting. The boss was excited for us! Then, a few days later, boss called JT to ask him if he'd reconsider signing a lease because something might be coming up at some point. Maybe. He couldn't tell anything more than that. No hints, no timeline, no possible destinations, nothing.

That's ok, I get the need for secrecy.

So, we decided to go ahead and sign for the house we found. It was perfect, after all, with it's fenced yard, two bathrooms, new appliances, extra bedrooms, it's located next to The Scoop...you know...the works. I mean, just look at it!

Really, LOOK AT IT! You want to rent it too, don't you? (Well, someone needs to rent it...but I'll get to that in a minute.)

Anyway, as I said above, we signed the lease. I immediately started packing boxes and making arrangements. However, within days, we got the call about Phoenix. So, we weighed our options, we told family members, we stopped packing, we talked to friends who knew the Phoenix area, we started wondering what exactly you should do if you or your child are bitten by a desert creature, such as a scorpion.

We also waited. We waited and waited and waited and waited and WAITED for more information from the company. When the official offer finally came in, Justin accepted the position right away.

It's a good move for him professionally, as well as for our family. For starters, the district is not as spread out as his current district, so he'll be home on a more regular basis. Maybe the bags under my eyes will go away?

As you can imagine, we've had quite a few decisions to make and details to take care of over the last few weeks, so please accept this as a formal apology if you are just now being informed of our move.

Our timeline: Movers come at the end of this week.We fly away on August 11th. Ack!

Back to the lease on the other place...so we did sign it. We paid the required fees and first month's rent, yadda yadda yadda. Now we're stuck with a year-long lease for a home into which we will not be settling. It's back on the market and I've been soliciting friends and strangers (including a dude at the park) to please, pretty please, tell all acquaintances about a cute, craftsman-style house for rent on the South Hill. It has a fenced yard, two bathrooms, new appliances, extra bedrooms, it's next to The Scoop...you know...the works.

Thank you to those of you who have said prayers for us during this process, as well as other events that have come up in the last month. I know your prayers were heard because overall JT and I have felt pretty good and at ease about things. Of course we've had our outbursts, but, like I said, overall we're doing ok. Please keep it up :)

I promise to post soon about our crazy July, a month that presented a very momentous occasion for Team Thompson...Rolin's 1st birthday!

In the meantime, enjoy this picture of Rolly bug and my dad on the Spokane Carousel:

Polo shirt party!

The Craft

"Thanks to Pinterest, I looked like a town crazy as I walked home from the park with the stroller undercarriage overflowing with sticks, pine cones and leaves. Hopefully the craft turns out well!"

That was my Facebook post a few weeks ago. More people than I expected were interested in seeing the final product, so without further adieu, behold:

This is how you can make one yourself: 

Step 1: Find a nearby park full of Oaks. Do not complete a lap around said park without stopping to pick up acorns or their caps. Repeat over the course of a few days, always thinking the next cap is better than the previous. Silently tell yourself you're pretty awesome for finding some rare and elusive twin acorn caps. Pick up some sticks and twigs along the way also. Be prepared with a way to transport your trove of treasures home; a stroller works well. 


Step 2: Make sure the boss is asleep.

Step 3: Make sure you have the instructions handy. Turns out this was not a Pinterest project after all! After thoroughly searching my Pinterest boards, I remembered I'd seen it in a Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, not Pinterest. 

Step 4: Arrange all necessary materials in neat little piles, then take a picture.

Step 4: Begin gluing PomPoms into acorn caps. Remember, hot glue is hot. If you touch the molten glue soon after it's dispensed from the gun, you WILL burn your finger. Smooth.

Step 5: Make sure the boss is either still asleep, or has at least found something educational to read.

Step 6: Glue the PomPomed acorns to the branches. Add a leaf, if you are so inclined. Notice your wine rack is looking dismal. If you're of age, make a mental note to do something about that.

Step 7: Step back and admire your work!