In between holidays and making decisions...

After we decided that we were for sure going to move to Tampa, we had A LOT of decisions to make.

We had to sell our house, sell our of our cars, find packers/movers, find a new house, new school for the boys, new pediatrician, and much more...all of this while Gabe was basically in Florida full time and I was working full time and coming home to the boys at night!

We had one week between when Gabe accepted the job and when he started. In that one week, we packed up a lot of our house, put it in storage, had it staged to sell (thanks to Autumn Banks - - she is the BEST STAGER EVER!!! - If you need help, she is the person to call), listed it and put it on the market. After that one week, Gabe was gone.

I was very nervous about our house selling...let's face it...the market STINKS!!! So I was very anxious to see how everything was going to pan out. I also am a big believer in fate and I truly believed that if Tampa was the place we were supposed to be then everything should work out. People get roadblocks for things they want sometimes and I feel they are ignored...I had my eyes open wide and was very eager to see and Gabe and I were being realistic about that...after 2.5 months of changes, it was very apparent that we WERE supposed to be in Tampa.

We started getting showings on the house right away...but nothing more than once but at least we had traffic which I was told was a lot more than some people were getting. After about 6 weeks, we decided to lower the price a little and then we had A LOT more showings..we had a guy who was very interested but the street killed it (we live on a busy street) and then one day, we had a showing call with a barely another notice...they came and saw our house once and BAM...we had an offer...was it a great offer? No not really but it was an offer and in this market, we decided to make it work. We wouldn't have to take a check to the table which was the most important thing to us right now. So after a bit of back and forth, we had a contract and a date for closing...January 27...so please PRAY that nothing changes in the next week and a half!

That was all said and done by mid-November. One week after that, we were headed to Tampa for a long weekend of finding a place to rent and schools for the boys. We had lots of homes to look at but schools were an issue. I couldn't find ANY preschool that had spots for both Landon and Dylan. I would find one that had a spot for Landon and another that had a spot for Dylan, but nothing together so I was a bit discouraged.

I got to Tampa late Wednesday night and Thursday morning I went to the one and only school that had a spot for both boys...it was NOT GOING TO HAPPEN...I would have left them at home all day before I would have sent them there. I was not happy but had to hold it together because now it was time to find a place to rent.

I got in the car with the agent at noon and we finished at 8:30 pm...we looked at over 30 houses and I was brain dead. I narrowed those 30 down to 5 which Gabe and I were going to look at together on Friday after another visit with another school. I was beyond exhausted.

Friday morning I went to Panera to just relax for a bit and have lunch with a friend I work with as McKinsey has an office in Tampa...by the way, another reason I say Tampa was meant to be is that I got to keep my job...not just with McKinsey but with my boss. I was so happy...I would get to work from home which meant spending more time with my boys and more time for myself...I have an easier time walking away at night when  I am home than when I am at the office. It was just a great feeling to know I was moving somewhere I had never been to before and knew no one but for 8 hours a day, I would know exactly what I was doing and I was good at it...just a good feeling of comfort and security!

Anyway, after lunch, I went to the only other school that was left as nothing else struck me and they only had a spot for Landon...I walked in, took a tour and knew Landon would be great here. Very similar set up as to the day school so I was at least happy for that. I sat down with the Director at noon (supposed to meet Gabe and agent at 12:45) and after blabbing with her for almost an hour, she looked right at me and said she would be right back....She came back in and said, she couldn't bare for my experience not to be great and that she had made a spot for Dylan...I was ECSTATIC!!! Needless to say, I was late for the realtor but I didn't care...I had BOTH my boys in a good school TOGETHER!!! I got the paperwork, wrapped things up and went and met Gabe.

We went and looked at the 5 houses and he helped narrow it down to one. Those who know me know that I am awful and making final decisions. I am glad we met when we did and made a decision. We picked a house and called the agent. He said he needed the paperwork filled out and the deposit check. We booked a time and met him. He said he couldn't tell us on the phone but another couple wanted it as well and were on their way to get their cashiers check...we beat them to it by about an hour...just another sign!!! Gabe and I spent the rest of the weekend relaxing and looking around...I was happy as I knew I was going home with a house and a school...mission accomplished...the cherry on top was a friend in Atlanta put me in touch with a couple here and we went to their house for a party and met some great people...we left there with new phone numbers and email...so hopefully leaving with some friends as well!

More to come but don't want to bore you to tears...even though this is mainly for my remembrance, I have to remember people read this :)