We are ratified!

Well, we ratified a contract a few days ago for a "fixer upper" house.  We are all excited, but given the fact that we have been looking for a house for 1 1/2 yrs it doesn't seem real yet.  It seems we are always getting outbid, the house is sinking into the ground (literally), or all of plumbing and electrical has to be re-done!  Honestly, the cost of housing near the beach is pretty expensive so a fixer upper in a decent neighborhood is about all we can afford.  This particular house was a foreclcosure, and we are working with a contractor to get the interior fixed up.  He is doing the major items, we are doing the minor items.  The exterior will be fixed up after we move in (none of it is an emergency).

In true Curran style (well, I blame it on all of us, but its really just me), we tend to get too busy at one time.  Just seems everything gets busy at once!  We are having a POD container delivered in a couple of weeks, and plan to have most items packed and loaded by the 25th of this month.  I have surgery the 25th and will not be able to lift for several days...so really its a necessity.  Hopefully the container idea works out.  We close on Tuesday the 29th,  and hope to move that weekend!!  What makes all of this hectic, is I am supposed to be out of town for a big chunk of this time!  Ahhhhh, hectic!  Did I mention a probable torn ACL and an appointment with and Orthapedic Surgeon the Tuesday?  Anyway...we are both concerned about how this will affect Jackson.  He tends to have behavioral issues when I travel.  Couple this with the fact that his entire life will be turned upside down....it worries us.  We are talking about it a LOT, and driving by the house on occassion as well.  We think he will dig the big container in the driveway, and it will help him to see our 'stuff' is going into this container, allow him to be a big part of it and it will all go to the new house.  We packed our 1st box as a family last night, which he enjoyed (even though he kept wanting to get in it and hide or drive it like a car). 
Right now, Jackson is reading "A Mother For Choco".  It's a book about a little bird named Choco that is looking for a Mommy that looks just like him.  At the end, he ends up with a bear for a Mommy that also has a pig, aligator and a hippo for children. Jackson said he wanted to take Choco with us to the new house, which is fine with me :)