Independence Day

I really should work on posting more than once a year. OK, I'll try not to make this post miles long, but I have so much to update you with! 

Last I posted we were leaning towards Northern California. We were house and job hunting in the Redding area. I really loved it there. But then, somehow we were house and job hunting in Oregon. Around Baker City. There was a for sale by owner online that we fell in love with. It was perfect. Everything we were looking for. House, outbuildings, fruit and nut trees, about 50 acres, water, huge garden...perfect.

In February Darran got an interview for a mechanic position in Baker City. His parents were headed to California on a sort of meandering vacation, so they agreed to take him to his interview and then back to Boise to fly home. We were full of hope. I had already started to fall in love with the idea of Oregon.

On the way to the interview they stopped by the homestead we'd been looking at online. It's quite amazing what people can do with pictures. Quite amazing. It was NOTHING like we'd hoped. He said it was in fact, quite a dump. Le sigh.

Next, he went to the job interview. He had been talking to these people for a couple months before he took the leap to go all the way out there for an interview. The interview went OK, but he didn't feel like things were quite right. He got a job offer, but didn't want to take it.

Before he'd left our son had said, "Please get this job so we can finally move Dad." I think that was tugging at his heart. Pretty sure come hell or high water Darran was not coming home without a job. He just couldn't shake the feeling that the Baker City job wasn't right though.

He and his parents explored Baker City a little. Looked at a couple other places for sale. Looked at some rentals. Things still didn't feel right to him.

They headed towards Boise a little early because Darran was over Baker City. On the way they stopped at an ag equipment dealer near the Oregon/Idaho border. Darran went in and asked if they were hiring. He talked to the guy there for a while and he sent Darran's info to the main boss (who was in the Boise area). 

Off they went towards the airport, not expecting to hear back. It had been pretty random. Darran was to fly out the next morning, so they thought they'd explore Boise a bit. Then, before they even got to Boise, Darran got a call. They wanted an interview ASAP. Before Darran flew out!

The interview went amazingly well. Darran felt like THIS was the right company for him. The main boss told him that he would let him know in a couple days. He asked Darran if he had a preference which store he worked out of (they have stores all over Idaho and even in Oregon and Washington), Darran said he didn't. It may sound crazy, but if he got the job we prepared to go wherever they sent us.

Darran flew home.

Long story long, I suppose, Darran got the job and was placed in the Idaho Falls store.

Whoa. FINALLY! We were moving. To Idaho Falls? Here, I should let you know that I'd never even been to Idaho at this point.

I love the falls. One of our favorite things to do is walk the river.

We madly began packing. We browsed houses online and pondered what to do about our current house. Darran and I took a trip out to Idaho Falls to look at houses and let me at least SEE where we'd be moving. Though I was already all in. He loved it, I would to. Things just felt right to both of us.

Then, we got word that they wanted Darran in Idaho sooner than was first discussed. He wound up throwing his tools in our truck and leaving me to finish things with the Colorado house.

THAT was more than I bargained for. I had gone through most of OUR stuff, but that wasn't even the tip of the iceberg. You see, we were living in a house that his great grandfather built. Then it was his grandfathers, then his fathers, then his. NO one ever cleaned all their crap out of that place. Every attic, basement, shed, crook, and cranny was filled with 5 generations of Olkjer stuff. 

Pretty much this. The whole time. 

My family really stepped up and helped me go through everything. It was pretty nuts. Oh the treasures we found (I can't find the pics I took. I'll post them if I find them.). Oh the trash we found. It was kind of fun, but more so a lot of work.

The plan was I'd stay until the house sold. But...I couldn't stand being away from Darran. I made it 3 weeks (including spending Easter and Darran's birthday apart) and then I loaded the kids up and bolted.

I left the house before even getting it listed. Yep, it's not even on the market as I'm writing this. You see, with all the family history of that place, we had always hoped someone in Darran's family would buy it. Well, I found out that Darran's parents really wanted to. I won't go into all the details, but we decided to give them some time to work things out.

The trip for the kids and I out to Idaho was horrible. Let's just say Wyoming is no longer my friend. There was a horrible storm, accidents, scariest drive of my life. Then, we got to Idaho. It all melted away and we were home!

Crazy as it sounds it is home. Already.

My new kitchen the first day we moved in. Our rental house is small, but really nice.

People have asked me how we could leave beautiful Colorado, leave our families, leave that cute little small town, leave our amazing home, leave our history... But what most don't see is what it was like for us. What it was like to live somewhere that not only did everyone know your life history, but the life history of all your people. I can't speak for Darran, but no one ever knew me there. They knew what they thought I was. They pre-judged me. I was never me. I was my past, my family, my husband, my husband's family. It hasn't felt like home to me since childhood and after everything that had happened the last year I was more than done.

I cannot express to you how amazing things are since the move. Yes, we wound up in a little rental waiting for the house situation to resolve, but I'm me. I'm home. It feels as if the entire slate of my life has been wiped clean and I can write on it whatever I want.

Happy Independence Day. I've been celebrating for weeks. :)