Things are finally moving... literally

More than 4 weeks after Chad accepted his new position... and just 10 days from when we targeted a moving date we have the movers booked! (We had to wait on Chad's parent company to arrange the details... and let's just say this is the second time they have moved us and we have some "feedback" for them)

So... Monday 12/21 they will pack us, that Tuesday everything gets loaded (and our cars picked up too).

Wed 12/23 we fly back to Illinois and make the rounds, depart on one way tickets to Houston on January 3rd.

Chad found a nice house for us there, we're renting for 18 months until we feel like we really know exactly where we want to be, etc before considering a purchase. If these last two years on the road have taught me anything, it's you never really know an area until you live there, the advantages, disadvantages, etc. The house has 4 bedrooms, a big backyard and they are leaving the swing set too (and a trampoline - the jury is still out on how I exactly feel about that part, we'll see how it goes). They just finished a tollway that literally takes Chad right to work and traffic from where we'll be is light (it's Houston, you hear about the nightmares of traffic... it's all relative, this should be the ideal place to commute into the city from). It is about 30-40 minutes, which is much shorter than his commute now.

It's in Katy, TX (actually the southern part of Katy, called Cinco Ranch)... and this is what I'm super excited about! Chad and I are social people, and always have been, but since we left Chicago we haven't been all that social. Whether it was not having access to a babysitter, or simply not really being able to meet too many people in the neighborhood, and included that I knew we weren't here forever, so maybe I didn't try hard enough. But I am hopeful that's all about to change!

Cinco Ranch (http://www.cincoranch.com/) is a huge master planned community designed for families. From the SIX neighborhood pools, to the Water Park and the Beach Park, playgrounds, Cinco Ranch ladies club and Lake House with social activities. While it's technically a part of Katy, TX it seems like it could almost be it's own town with all the shopping, schools, gyms, etc. It sounds like suburbia at it's finest and I'm looking forward to all the cheesy, family fun!