Moving

Months in the making and it is upon us. Our move. To be precise, it has been years in the making.

In spring of 2006 we put our custom built home up on the market in an effort to expand our business outside of the state of Utah. We sold out house, had our sweet #5 Burger Baby and relocated to Denver CO and remained a renter  in "temporary mode" for a little over 18 months. Then came Austin Texas. We have nestled in here quite nicely. Austin certainly has carved out a place in my heart that will be there forever. It is a hard place not to absolutely love. After reflecting back upon the past few years it was fan to go back and relive some of our memories surrounding our move to Austin like this one and this and this and this. 

It has been quite the journey but it is also a great feeling to know you are right where you are suppose to be. Our story, interestingly enough is not that unusual. We have many a friends that were pulled here with ropes much the way we were. Just driving up and down the streets, walking into my kids schools I feel the spirit, I feel warm fuzzys, the peaceful, easy feeling that confirms and reconfirms this in home. After so many moves and years of "what the h*** are we doing" it feels like heaven on earth to KNOW we are home in AUSTIN for a long time to come. 

In April we found a house very close to where we live now that we really liked and now that it is ours, we love it even more. Our purchase is a short sale, meaning we are purchasing it for less than what the home is owed (= great deal), so the process has been long and at times excruciating... but it is done. Documents have been printed (woohoo) and after re-carpeting we move in next week.  We are thrilled and can hardly wait. To call a place ours again sounds almost too good to be true. I had forgotten what it felt like to own a home. Subconsciously, my mind set was been "oh, just put that there for now... it really doesn't matter". Being a long term renter has its advantages but certainly it's drawbacks. We can hardly wait to unpack for good.  And ode to Ogio again, remember this. These tough little boxes will have been through 4 moves, crossed state lines by the time all is said and done and I will be beyond thrilled to finally bid farewell.

So, there it is. Pictures will be posted soon along with the dozens more posts of the past few months. I am so far behind but oh well, life happens and life comes 1st! :)

Austin Texas is Home

Well this is it, our saga has ended, well maybe just beginning :) Regardless it feels good to be here, getting settled and know we are here for all the right reasons. This is where our Heavenly Father wanted us to be and that feeling is even more present now that we are here.

The Boys are doing great, they have became fast friends with all the toads around here, I think they have caught 9 to date and probably double that but MOM said no! #4 and #5 are happy and busy playing with all their old toys. Brady and Nat get here tomorrow and we are so excited to see them. I have finally gotten my pantry unpacked, my office organized and I can now successful walk from my front door to the kitchen without tripping so I thought it was a good time to get caught up on my blogging.

I am already in love with Texas. I think down deep I am a country girl at heart. In another life I could have lived with my family in the middle of nowhere, in the open fields of this beautiful planet, riding horses, working hard, feeling the quite breeze in my hair and scrapping the earth out from under my nails each night. There is a quite solemnity about that life style that really appeals to me. As we drove into Texas for a good hour or 2 there were small US flag randomly taped on road signs and mile marker post. I probably saw over a dozen flags. It said something special about this great state and its love of country and state, maybe this is just nostalgia but it sure seemed to be a sweet welcoming and I knew I would love it here.

A few days ago I went to run some errands solo and while leaving Costco I was naturally pushing and pulling 2 very heavy carts and immediately one of the workers ran over to assist me in my struggle to steer straight. I abruptly came to a halt, in shock I was being offered help. Never, NOT once through all 5 of my children, no matter how big and round I was with child, no matter how many children I happened to be carrying, no matter how many of my children were crying and laying on the Costco floor, I have NEVER been offered help even despite my silent desperate plea in my eyes. Secretly I have resented Costco for that, anyway I of course gladly accepted the assistance. When I got to Mr. Smilie Face cart checker I turned around and said "thank you SO much" and then Mr. Smilie Face enthusiastically says, " No honey, you leave your carts right here and pull up, we'll load your car for you" I nearly dropped to the ground. With eyes as big as silver dollars, I said "seriously??? is that just because it is a slow day and you have nothing better to do?" he said no it is just because we are nice here." I replied by saying "golly I am loving Texas more and more all the time!". He then gently said with a big'ol smile, "Dear this is not the Texas way, this is the "Austin way"!"

Well that sums it up. The following posts are of some of the experiences we have had over thee last few weeks and are in chronological order from the most recent. We love you all and thank you for all your warm wishes and prayers as we have made this exciting transition.

Over and Out from Texas

Road Trip to TEXAS

After weeks of activities we packed up AGAIN and headed home... well our old home Colorado and literally camped in B's office for a few days to get it pack up. Thank goodness for Lifetime we were able to get a hot shower everyday. a few have asked "why not just stay in a hotel?" well I guess if you hadn't already been in a hotel for 3 weeks that would make since but I was too cheap to spend the money on a good hotel and too much of a germ-a-phobieac to sleep in a cheap hotel, so the office it was. Even though it was a bit weird, it was actually quite comfortable.

Ice Cream cones in the middle of Wyoming

Packing up our U haul at B's office which carried some few essential things. Douba and Hamburger looked like complete orphans I am sure but who cares...We didn't, they we happy.


On the Road again - to begin our 2 long day drive into the middle of Texas. It was a really interesting drive into Texas. Someone said once that you really spend a day just getting into Texas and they weren't kiddin! We took a rather rural route, at least that is what it felt like. Small town after small town, dead with activity except the ones traveling through much like ourselves, literally in the middle of nowhere. So many of these towns clearly were bustling little towns once upon a time with cute little main streets and shops and diners and now most of them are boarded up, lonely and silent. It would be fun to explore those towns more. I know this might seem a bit strange but one of my lifelong dreams is to go on a road trip and explore abandoned buildings and homesteads. I was just dieing to jump out of our car and explore so many of these towns, maybe someday!

Home Again Home Again Riggity Jig! Alas we arrive in Austin on a rainy Thursday night a balmy 77 degrees. We were so glad to be home.

AND I must say, I would be happy if I never, ever had to see one of these again! EVER! When you are in the middle of nowhere they sure know where to stick it to ya! Is anyone else tried of ridiculous gas prices??? maybe just me? One too many road trips may have done us in for a while.

Colorado Move Out

Our move out was June 27th and 28th. We lived in our house for a few days after that while we packed what seemed like the endless chore of packing all the odds and ends. We were also gearing up for what would be a month of homeless traveling and living out of suitcases. This moving event was much harder than past ones. I think us knowing we would not be in that home very long we got lax on staying organized. Plus when we moved in #5 was only 5 weeks old so things really never got properly unpacked anyway. We were SO SO glad to get out of that stink'in house!


The Wednesday before our move a few of my most special friends (some not in attendance) went to dinner. It was a hard night for me. I could barely keep my eyes dry. As I looked around the table at these wonderful and beautiful women (inside and out) I realized I may never see any of them again.... Texas is very far away, not sure we'll be making too many trips back to Colorado, Utah is where we will likely go. Anyway, by the end I became overwhelmed with feelings towards these sweet friends and went weeping to my car like a little child. It was really sad, for me at least. There was one obvious missing link, that was my friend Kristin who I had gotten so close too which brought its own sadness. Our "Colorado Experiment" was such a positive experience and I have so many wonderful memories in Colorado and made some fabulous friends, I will sure miss them and many others, I love you all!

Austin - Safe and Sound

Well we are here in Austin alas, safe and sound. Still in a bit of a mess but loving it it just the same. I will post the events of the past few weeks including pictures when I get a chance, just wanted y'all (I am a Texan now, it is some unwritten law somewhere... I think... that once a Texan you must use the word "Y'all") to know we are here, settling in and doing well.

Crazy Time

This certainly has been a crazy time of life we will not soon forget. One thing is for sure is I am tired! We have been camping out in a new place every few days and each one of us has truly been going in different directions for weeks. We are SO looking forward to next Friday when we will all be together again, at "home", in Austin :).

Since we have been literally homeless since July 1st when we moved out of our Colorado house, we have lived with our sweet friends and family and are now in a hotel for a few more days until the wedding festivities are over and we return to Denver to pack our office and a few remaining things..... not sure where we will sleep there but we'll figure that out.

In short, Cousins Camp was amazing and I will recap that with photos once we are settled. The wedding has been perfect and I am so happy for my darling niece Kylie and my adorable sister who is the mother of the bride, this has been such a fun time for them.

Well I just wanted to leave a short note stating we are all still alive and well. Having fun and enjoying this time even though we are living out of our truck and our suitcases. These are crazy times but we are enjoying them for what they are and one day we will look back and say "remember when we were homeless???" and laugh.

Hope all is well

XXOO
The Hursts

Theres No Place Like Home

There is no place like home.... I am not sure at the moment where "HOME" is???... But soon Austin will be HOME. We finally found a house and just signed papers on it. We were running out of time, the market there in Austin is pretty competitive and fast moving and we had to pull the trigger on something or we were going to be homeless. We are renting it for a year and will either buy existing or build near by. We are so anxious to be homeowners again, I never thought I'd miss yard work and painting walls the way I do :). It has been 2 years of "temporary living" and we are getting anxious to dig our heals in deep but that digging will have to wait a little longer. This is a brand new home, never been lived in and will work great. The surrounding areas that really appeal to us would still be in the school and ward boundary as this home, so it worked out perfect. Everything continues to fall into place and we are so grateful for the peaceful feelings, guidance and many prayers answered as we have made this change. This adventure continues to get more and more exciting!


We move out of our house in Colorado next weekend and will literally be homeless for the next 4 weeks during another whirlwind of events accoss 2 states. I will take more pictures and do a blogathon when we get there July 25th. Love to all!

Whirlwind Weekend

What a whirlwind of a weekend!! Friday night we celebrated Fathers Day (Happy Fathers Day Sugar Precious!) by taking the family to see Kung Fu Panda and then to dinner at Mt. Fuji Japanese, YUM! After dinner we watched the kids play in the fountains at Southlands and eat some delicious cookies from The Cookie Company.

Our favorite place to eat Mt. Fuji

At Mt Fuji. Daidy was quite worried about the fire on the table.


Southlands Outdoor Mall


Saturday I woke up at 4:30am to take the 3 older boys to the airport, they had a 7am flight to Utah. I got home about 7:45 and as I walked in B asks if I wanted to go to Austin? We had sort of discussed it but by the looks of my house at that moment I clearly had made little effort to do it. Anyway I paused for a minute, called the airline to see if we could get a flight and before you knew it we were running all over the house gathering our things to make a 11am flight to Austin.

Sending the boys off bright and early. (We love you tunzo and will miss you!)


We were in Austin by 2:00pm and then spent the afternoon with our sweet realtor Teresa (who dropped everything to be with us) looking at more houses both to buy and rent. We were also lucky enough to have Ben's parents come down from Dallas and spend the night too. We spent all day Sunday together doing all kinds of sight seeing and house shopping. By mid afternoon we said our goodbyes and we still had a few hours to kill before we had to go to the airport so we decided to go swimming, heck why not our perspiration had already made us wet!

Some things I re-learned about Austin
1) It is green and beautiful
2) Super nice people
3) It is a bit weird but we love it
4) It is HOT
5) It IS possible to sweat from EVERY pore without an elevated heart rate.
6) It is where WE are suppose to be
7) We are so excited to start our life there

My only regret is I didn't take a picture of Ben's hilarious fro hair. The humidity does some super funny things to his hair.

We got home Sunday night at 1:30am and we were exhausted! Actually still are :)


B's new office at Penn Field, of course in a few weeks the sign will say Fueld Films :) Yippee
Some funny little coffee house next to Ben's new office where a rather eclectic lady was singing about giving your Mom a hug and not watching too much TV or your brain will turn to mush.

Hamburger was having strange behavioral reactions to the heat, the constant sweaty forehead made him a bit loopy.


Plane ride home, leaving Austin

Tuckered right out!!!!!!!!!!!


FYI ---- CONGRATULATIONS to Brady and Nat (our partners) for selling their house in less then 24 hours! We love ya! Austin here we come!

Bye Bye and Bye Bye Bunny

My Sweet friend Laura Dickman threw a going away party, a bit premature in lieu of us moving our move date back a month to July. Regardless is was a fun BBQ and good to spend some time with some great people.




While we were there, Laura found a baby bunny, one of many actually. For those that don't know bunnies are EVERYWHERE here in Parker. Anyway we thought it would be a fun thing to bring it home so the kids could see it. When we got home we showed the boys, played with it for a while and then stored it in a shoe box above our fridge. We all went too bed so excited to wake up in the morning to show Daidy and Sam. That next morning Tyler comes in saying the bunny was dead and Daidy had it in her hands. We ran down and after some strong interrogation we determined the poor bunny wiggled out of his box and fell steeply from the fridge to his certain death. It managed to hop a few feet onto the carpet and died which is where Daidy found it stiff and motionless. Not exactly the reaction we were hoping for but oh well.... we tried. Lesson learned?? Don't put baby bunnies on top of your fridge.

Austin House Hunt

Ben and I went on a house hunting trip in Austin and saw way to many great houses and explored way too many options including building, we left a bit overwhelmed. We have yet to finalize anything but are hopeful that we will find a house that works for our family of 7 and soon. Our realtor is working hard, bless her little heart, maybe I should have prefaced our relationship with the fact Ben and I are both perfectionist and can be hard to please :)

This is what we saw a 10 minutes before boarding the plane.... WHAT the heck! it was May 1st! When we got off the plane in Austin it was 80 degrees and like heaven.

As much as we tried to remember to take pictures we just simply did not but here are 2 that confirm our trip :)