I've been wandering around my house with a dead digital camera in my hands, wondering where I might find a set of batteries in the middle of all this mess. Because there's this one picture that I want to take. I keep turning on my camera just to check that maybe, the batteries will miraculously revive themselves and give me one more open and shut of the shutter. No luck. And I realized this afternoon that I've been walking around looking for batteries for the last two days.

You'd think I'd just go to the grocery store and get me some, but that would require packing up the kids, finding my wallet and taking off these comfortable cotton cropped sweats. The other day my husband asked me, as we were getting ready for bed, "Did you mean to be in sweats all day?"

But she's coming to visit at the end of the week, and she and I have a date for IKEA, so I will get my act together, tomorrow........

Seriously, though. It's not that bad. At least I don't think so.

I feel like we brought our beds over to the new house, put sheets on, stuffed three shirts and a pair of underwear in the dresser, unpacked one box of plates and cereal bowls and then life got busy. The first week we were in the house my mother-in-law was here. A great help, but still not "normal" life. The second (and third?) week was marred by repairmen, electrical issues, opening up a farm account to get a propane tank to run my stove, and kicker of all kickers--septic issues.

Some Sunday night since we moved in, which is now a blur, Dan and I woke to strange sounds coming from the downstairs toilet. Which turned out to be overflowing streams of water running into the dining room. So the next two days--no toilets, no washing machine, no doing dishes (THAT I can handle). My girls would whine, "But mom I neeed to go the bathroom!" And we'd all pile in the car in a flurry of full bladders and show up at my Dad's house, running cross-legged to the restroom.

And then it was fixed.

And then it broke. Again.

When people ask me, "how's life in the new house?" I have the feeling I'm giving them this glazed over smile and blabbering something about "a few hiccups, but we still love it." Big smile.

So yes, there have been a few hiccups. But really, it's like we're waking up a sleeping house. Giving it new life. And there are a few sore muscles in the old girl. And I confess to a few meltdowns. A night of sitting on the edge of the tub, in a bathroom with no electricity, crying to my husband. But then laughing through those tears in the very same minute.

And I'm still laughing now. Now that I *think* we're on the other side of some of these hiccups. (At least for this week.) Though I get a little weak in the knees when I see all the boxes and bags and stuff. I'm somehow finding a way to work very hard all day and yet it seems that not a single box has been emptied.

But my sister is here this week, with her kids. And it's a nice relief. Even though I still haven't unpacked a box. Or gone to the grocery store.

But we did go to IKEA this morning and I bought a little runner for the bottom of the steps. And that makes me happy.

And I swept my kitchen floor this morning and there's a little pile in the corner big enough to well....clog a septic system. Not that I'd want to.

So bear with me as I get back in the swing of things and laugh with me, please, as I recount the early days in the new house. I will move on to other topics, I promise.

I have a bit of news to share. And, as if I didn't have enough to do, I'm dreaming up a little swap. A very simple, easy swap. I'm not that crazy.

Stay tuned. More adventures are around the corner, I'm sure.