HELLO!!!

For anyone who still checks this blog...the Gunn family is alive and well in Rochester, Minnesota!  The past month has been eventful (the next post will be a re-cap) but we are trying to settle down to normal life in our new home.  That is if we ever finish unpacking!  So far, we love Rochester.  We also love being in our own home - although I will admit home ownership is MUCH more stressful than renting (big surprise, huh).

The move has been a bit of an adjustment for the kids - they are alternately bouncing off the walls excited or heartbroken and in tears about it.  We all miss our friends in Cleveland.  But overall, they're doing better everyday.  

Yesterday was hilarious - it was day 3 in our new home and new city and we enjoyed a lovely picnic in our backyard that afternoon.

Less than 2 hours later this is what it looked like outside

Welcome to Minnesota!!!  That was the worst hail storm - make that the worst any kind of storm I've ever personally witnessed.  I couldn't stop laughing, it was just the craziest thing.  At noon it was 78 degress and sunny - at 2pm, in a matter of minutes it was dark and cold with rain, thunder, lightning, and ENORMOUS hail coming down like you wouldn't believe.  The pictures really don't do it justice.

So, with that being said, we would love to have visitors...now don't all raise your hands at once :)

Love and miss you all - keep in touch!

Ok, this really is the last thing

Noah's last day of preschool was Thursday - they decorated their own cakes.  We have LOVED our little co-op group!  Noah has made such great friends and I have loved interacting with the other moms, their kids, and of course being able to see Noah in action.  These kids (and their moms) are great and we will miss them all so much!

Aren't they adorable?!?

One more thing...

Our car was found.  This was NOT good news.  It was totally trashed.  I was hoping insurance would total it but no such luck - they are however, paying for the repairs.  The whole experience has been a horrendous nightmare...what a way to leave Cleveland.

Checking Out

No, we're not moving quite yet...not until Memorial Day.  But tomorrow the craziness begins.  Here's a rundown of the next few weeks for the Gunn Family:

Tomorrow I fly the kids (by myself, I'll probably be crying the whole way) to my parents house in California.  I'll spend a day there getting them settled in.

Wednesday I fly back to Cleveland (alone, I'll probably be crying the whole way).  I arrive at night and Paul is picking me up at the airport and we're driving straight through the night to NYC!  Yes, Paul and I are taking a (kid-free) graduation trip together.  We're spending a couple of days in NYC, a couple of days in D.C., and a couple of days with some old friends in North Carolina.  

Paul and I drive back into Cleveland on Friday (9 days later) the same day my parents fly in with our kids!  Paul's parents arrive for graduation on Saturday, Paul has an award ceremony that day, and Sunday is Graduation!!!

Monday my parents fly home and we (me, Paul, and the kiddos) drive to Palmyra with Paul's parents.  We'll spend a couple days there and stop at Niagara Falls on our way home.  We get back Wednesday night.  Paul's parents leave Thursday.

Thursday Friday and Saturday is packing, cleaning, loading, and saying our goodbyes.  We pull out on Monday May 26th (Memorial Day).  We'll arrive in Rochester, MN on Tuesday night, we close on the house Wednesday morning and then...WE MOVE IN!  It'll be official.

So, to sum it up, even though we aren't moving for another 3 weeks the total number of days we will actually be here in Cleveland is 7.  CRAZY.  

Needless to say, I wont be posting much for the next few weeks.  I'm already feeling overwhelmed by all the catching up I'll have to do when things settle down!

Stay tuned...

One project down...

A few more to go.

So, besides building us a bed Paul decided to refinish the kids dressers.  These dressers have definitely seen better days.  They were my brothers so they're pretty old...and pretty beat-up.

Before...

and after.

The first one turned out beautifully!  It's amazing, it looks like a nice new piece of furniture.  The second dresser still needs some work.  As for the bed, it's assembled and looks great - it just needs to be stained.  

Thanks honey, I'm so impressed.  I will never again tease you about not being so handy around the house : )  

These are a few of my favorite things...

Last week I attended a "Favorite Things" party with my close friends.  The theme was "spring."  It was so much fun to put something together, see what others brought, and go home with something new.  Not to mention good company and delicious treats.  My friend Jen is the ultimate hostess - as is evident from the pictures.  The pictures are, again, the work of Sarah Palfreyman.  I'm gonna miss these girls...thanks for throwing the party before I move away!

Oh, how the years go by...

THEN...

AND NOW...

For those of you who don't know I nannied for the the first 2 1/2 years of med school.  I started watching Drew 2 weeks after we moved to Cleveland.  Noah was 8 months old and Drew was 7 months old.  1 1/2 years later Alex came along.  And a few months after Alex, Drew's baby sister Lauren came along.  4 kids.  Under the age of 2 1/2.  Basically, 2 sets of twins.  I did this for 3 months...and I don't think I need to explain why I quit.  But since then, I've been the "back-up nanny" for Drew and Lauren which has worked out great.  Drew is Noah's oldest, longest friend.  And on Wednesday we said our goodbyes.  This post makes me want to cry - which I did on wednesday.  Can you believe how much they've grown?

P.S.  For anyone who did the math and is noticing a time discrepancy...Rebecca (Drew and Lauren's mom) took a 6-month maternity leave when Lauren was born.  I continued watching Drew throughout that time, but Lauren didn't start coming until she was 6-months old and Alex was 9-months old.  I quit when Alex was one.  In other words...I REALLY DID DO THIS FOR 2 1/2 YEARS!  I think I've earned my bragging rights : )

Who needs a bunk-bed?

The kids are finding new uses for our old stuff as we pack up...

Short-Term Memory Loss

This morning when I turned off the tv Noah screamed at me and threw one of his toys at the tv - so I put him in time-out and he tried to hit me.  We went through the usual routine.  I told him why he was in time-out and set the timer for 4 minutes.  He screamed for a minute or two then said he was sorry and wanted to get out of the chair.  I wouldn't let him.  When the buzzer went off I went to have the little chat we always have before he can come out.  Here's how it went today:

Mom:  Noah why did mommy have to put you in time-out?

Noah: Ummm...(he scrunches up his face, like he's thinking really hard)...this is a tricky one mom.

Right.  Very confusing.