Snapshot Saturday: Moving
Behind the scenes of all the yummy goodness posted in the last few weeks, my little family and I have been trekking across this grand ol’ country moving. Despite having just moved two years ago from Wisconsin to Minnesota and having remodeled a home there that we thought we would live in forever, it seems my best laid plans for our lives have been uprooted again (and after moving seven times in twelve years, I have to say, I’m kind of tired of moving). Brian got an unexpected job change taking us to the southwestern wilds of Idaho (near the Boise area) and despite the bittersweet challenges of moving, we are grateful for this new adventure.
So in honor of moving, here are a few highlights (ok, and one or two lowlights mixed in) of our recent move:
– No longer having to drive two hours for any shopping; Costco and Trader Joe’s, you and I are going to be great friends.
– Officially trading the hot, humid, mosquito-filled Minnesota summer for the hot, dry Idaho desert summer (it actually cools down at night which is nothing short of a miracle!).
– Driving with the five kids and a packed to the hilt Yukon pulling a trailer loaded with a 4-wheeler, RAZR and treadmill on a 15-hour stretch to meet Brian and Maggie the Dog who were a few days behind us…and running out of gas in the middle of nowhere Montana. Super special experience I hope to never relive again ever.
– Finally being closer than a 12+ hour drive to family (parents in Oregon and Montana, lots of siblings in Utah/Wyoming). A six hour drive is basically next door in our book.
– Living next to my famous Aunt Marilyn because believe it or not, she lives just 25 minutes down the road. You won’t even believe the fabulous things we have cooking to share with you.
– Leaving dear friends that were like family to us in Minnesota (did I mention: moving stinks!).
– Having a fenced yard in our new-to-us-but-not-really-new house. What can I say, I’ve always wanted one.
While I hoped to make the chaotic business of our move without interrupting the rhythm of this blog, you may have noticed I was a little slow to respond to comments and questions over the last couple of weeks. Thanks for your patience even if you didn’t realize it was needed. We are pretty much settled and back to normal life (whatever that is) so hold on to your hats because there are some awesome back-to-school menu solutions and recipes coming your way soon! In the meantime, I’m off to update my resume (that doesn’t actually exist) to state my new job title: Moving and Unpacking Analyst and Expert.
I moved my daughter & myself from MN to Idaho 6+ years ago & other than leaving dear friends & some family behind I’ve never regretted one moment!! We now live in Kuna and love how close everything is. Thanks for keeping my family’s bellies full & happy!
I think I can relate on small level with you on moving. We’ve moved every year and on our move to Minnesota, with my husband not too far behind in the Uhaul, he called to tell me he ran out of gas. It just happened to be right after I saw the sign for “Welcome to Minnesota” and told my kids we were almost there. We’re making Minnesota our home so I sure hope we don’t have to uproot anytime soon. I wish you the best in Idaho!
Oh dear, I live in the middle of nowhere Montana! I know how far apart gas stations can be! So sorry you had that bad experience in my beautiful state. Don’t let that color your feelings about Montana please! You will have to visit some of our beautiful country while living in Idaho, Glacier Park is a not to be missed opportunity. Idaho is beautiful too! We are kind of neighbors now! I bet you will love leaving the humidity behind! Welcome to my neck of the woods!
you are amazing, I don’t know how you do it all. You are my go to when I need a recipe. hoping you settle in smoothly.
Yes, indeed, moving stinks; but how nice to be a lot nearer to family, and to have your Aunt Marilyn just down the road is awesome! After 22 years in the Chicago area, my husband and I moved back to our briar patch this summer and have settled in Cape Cod near my two sisters. With my twin daughters attending med school in Boston, I am one happy mama to be near everyone again. It was definitely bittersweet, though, to leave so many dear friends in the Chicago area, not to mention leaving a son who has a great job and life in Chicago. Did I mention that I broke my right wrist the day we were supposed to start packing? I was in a cast for eight long weeks, so my poor husband had to pack and then unpack everything by himself. In addition to that, he even had to cut my food for me and do all the paperwork because I couldn’t hold a knife or pen and I’m an incompetent leftie. All’s well now, but it’s hard to think of a more difficult time for this to have happened. Best wishes on your move and new home!
You moved AGAIN? Oh- I feel so bad for you and your family! Well…that photo of your children is adorable, and I’m so glad that you are closer to your family and Aunt Marilyn! I can’t wait to read about what you two are cooking up! Also, I’m so happy that you won’t have to suffer through another Minnasota Winter (or Summer). I have driven through Idaho on trips from Montana to Wyoming. I felt so happy ’cause I am a potato lover! I hope you settle in soon and love your new home, Mel! π
Glad you are getting settled !! Can’t wait to see the back to school solutions!! We started last week and I’m already trying to figure out how I can spend less time in the kitchen and still create lots of amazing food to feed the gang!!
My sister’s family just moved from NC to WA. They feel your pain. And I’m excited to have family just a day’s drive away (11 hrs, with ferries), but they’ve moved away from all their other family (NC, OH, PA). I hope they all make friends quickly! I know they’ve been checking out playgrounds.
You’re such a trooper Mel! The kids must be having a blast. But I guess living close to aunt marilyn is worth it!! Can’t wait for those recipes together.
WHAT?! Boise is fantastic. I hope you love it as much as I do! I hope to see you at Costco or Trader Joe’s. You are my go to recipe site!
Yay for the west coast! Good luck with your new adventure. And trader joe’s, so glad you will be close to one. And I would to run into you in oregon one of these days, haha.
Yippee!!! I live in Boise! maybe we will run into each other at Trader Joe’s π Love your recipes!
Yay! Welcome to Idaho. I love all things “melskitchencafe,” including your darling sense of humor, and would love to be your personal tour guide around the city of Boise if you need any assistance whatsoever. We live in Eagle and LOVE everything about this area. We would love to have your family over for dinner and swimming if that isn’t too weird and stalker-ish. (I sorta feel like we’re BFFs, because you help me with dinner 3-4 nights a week).
I’ve also moved a lot and it is hard, so good luck! I don’t know how you do it all- you amaze me. I must say I was very surprised when I read this post today. I wish you the very best. Thanks for all you do and share with all of us out here!
Mel, you are amazing. Whenever I make one of your recipes (which is practically daily), I’m like, “Yeah, this is Mel’s recipe” as if we are BFFs (or had even met before… We will be if you ever move to St. George…) π Thanks for your candid humor and honesty and, of course, your fabulous recipes. Love your guts!
Wow, reading all the comments I feel left out. I wish I were moving to your neck of the woods. What a great trooper you are with a great attitude. I am looking forward to those good things yet to come. So thankful you can be closer to family. It will be so nice to have more Grandma time. Keep up the good work. I love your blog. I think you are one talented lady!
Wow…didn’t see that coming…ha! Glad your finally getting settled. Never been that way but if it has less humidity AND mosquitoes, sounds good to me!! How nice that your close to Aunt Marilyn now…and not as far from other family. Looking forward to future posts and hearing about your new adventure in Boise.
I’m amazed you have been keeping your blog going so strong through another move! You never even missed a beat! Having moved 10 times in 15 years I know how crazy it can be. Thoroughly impressed!
Idaho welcomes you! We’re in Pocatello, so about 3 hours from Boise, but love that area and the stores!!
Hoping for your sake that this is the last move forever (or at least many years!).
Thanks for all your amazing recipes. Love them all. You rock.
Ugh! I so feel for you! My family of 11 just finished moving and it was
impossiblehard to be grateful in the midst of it…but now we’re settled into our gorgeous new house and I couldn’t be more thankful. God is good! Hoping you find the same blessings at the end of your moving adventure!Good luck to your family! I’ll miss stories from your part of the country! You are now going to be neighbors with Sara from OBB…one of my other favorite cooking blogs!
Wow! Nothing like moving to add some excitement to life – maybe even unwanted excitement. We moved two years ago and I will be glad not to do it again for a LONG time. We have friends in Moscow, ID (north of Boise) and have really loved visiting them.
Mel! Thank you for sharing your crazy but memorable experiences! I’ve, obviously, never met you or your cute family, but love hearing your stories! It helps me get through my every day, crazy life filled with home, hubby, and 3 small kids. Helps me put a smile on and keep on pressing through!
Oh my heck. I can’t believe you got stranded in the middle of no where with all 5 kids… and no husband!! I, for one, am excited you live by Aunt Marilyn. She needs to make it in a Snapshot Saturday post so we can see the genius behind the recipes π
Welcome to the great state of Idaho! I am a transplant to Eastern Idaho from the East Coast. We have enjoyed visiting Boise and they have a lot of fabulous restaurants. You have a happy attitude, so I’m sure you will love Boise.
I’m excited about more Mel-Marilyn recipes too!
I’m impressed that you kept it a secret for so long. Hope you adjust quickly to your new home!
Welcome to my home state!!! I love it here and I’m sure you and your family will too!
I love your recipes and your thoughts on life! I search your recipes often, and would love to meet you someday. I live in rural Caldwell in the beauty of the Snake river and fruit orchards!
Good luck on your move.
WELCOME TO IDAHO!! Regardless of where you live, you have lots of fans…BUT so many of my friends and family here in the Boise/Meridian/Nampa area LOVE your recipes and make them and refer them to others often! Idaho will love you, and hopefully it will be a perfect fit for your family too:)
Moving does stink! We did it 5 times in a 7 year period. I agree with what Pat said. You will love, love, love the Boise area! I was raised in a tiny town an hour outside Boise and about half of my family is still around there (Emmett, Star) and they love it. Good luck to you guys!!!
You will love, love, love the Boise area. Or wherever it will be in south Idaho. Clean air, hot in Summer (but dry, mostly), the folks are friendly, the Winters are cold, but fairly short.
God bless you and the family in your move! Going to be a lot more LDS there than in MN., I bet! Good thing!
I live in Nampa, hope we’re neighbors! What town did you move to?
Moving is not fun… I did it twice in 6 months this last year and that was enough for me- we are settled. I can’t imagine moving more than that, with kids, pets AND multi-state- (mine was still local within- 40 miles) so I can’t complain. I live “next door” in Washington. I don’t know much about Idaho- except driving through on my way back from Missouri. Wishing you well. Blessings to you.
Yay for being closer to family! We lived in that part of Idaho for a few years and loved it! Best wishes!
I am so excited! You are one of my favorite people in the entire world! I also live in the Boise area. I would love to have you and your cute family over for dinner but my husband says inviting you would be on the border of creepy/stalkerish so maybe I will just have to settle for running into you at trader joes sometime.
Bless your heart! Moving does stink! You are amazing to keep this blog up, we had no idea. You are super talented! Hope the start of school goes well in a new school for your kids and as you adjust to new place/routine and unpack boxes (hate that part of moving!) Best of luck to your and your cute family and thanks so much for keeping up your blog!!!
Mel, welcome to my part of the world. Live about 15 miles south of Salt Lake City. Think once the yucky part of moving is out of the way you will be very happy. I love it where you will be, usually go through there when heading up to visit my brother in Washington. One good thing, wherever you are, we always have your blog and for that I’m ever grateful. You’re the best!
Wow crazy! You’ve already moved three times since I started following you. At least your house gets cleaned out often!! So did you say specifically which town you will be in? Maybe not because of privacy, but I live just up the road from Boise in Fruitland. Fruitland is a great little town and the schools are awesome! Lots of church members too. I think I originally learned about you from Andra or Stephanie Clements. They both grew up here! Their mom is my good friend! Email me if I can help do anything – PLEASE!!
Hi Mel! I’m one of your biggest fans. Hearing this news made me so excited that I might actually run into you at said Costco or Trader Joes! I’d be pretty much star struck:) I live in Kuna (recently moved from L.A.) and my whole family loves it here. I hope you do to!
Like you, I just moved but we downsized! I am having such a hard time organizing the most important room of the house, the kitchen! It is so small and I have to many big items, crock pots, food processors, fryers etc and NO place to put them. Right now they are in the garage.
Good luck with your unpacking, I hope your new home is everything you want it to be plus more!
Oh I’m so excited for you! I grew up just outside of Boise (in Eagle) and my parents still live there. It is a fabulous place to live and I wish I could raise my daughter there. I hope that you love it and that things settle down because moving is horrendous!
Oh, and I think every move has an adventure story. You will always remember that time you broke down in Montana. Ours involved driving a huge Penske truck through the Black Hills in South Dakota and getting stuck with our truck blocking the road during Sturgis (a HUGE motorcycle convention). You’ve not lived until you have been passed by hundreds of bikers all flipping you the bird π
I feel your pain! We’ve also moved 7 times in the last 13 years. When the men from our church came to help us pack our truck the last time many commented it was the most organized move they had ever done. When you have lots of practice, you can really perfect the art! This last move was hopefully the last. My poor kids were so tired of making new friends and then having to leave them as soon as they felt comfortable. Good luck settling in!
You don’t know me, obviously, but just wanted to let you know that we moved to the Boise area just over two years ago (after living a bunch of places including the Midwest – Chicago and Ann Arbor). Boise was a place I said I NEVER wanted to live, but I have actually loved it. Proximity to family makes a HUGE difference. Plus, the winters here are not nearly as cold and long! There is a lot of open space, but it’s not so remote you can’t access anything. It’s also very family friendly. Moving is definitely not fun, but ultimately I’m sure you’ll like the change! Good luck!
Welcome to Southern Idaho!!! You will find more bloggers here than you can imagine! We are so excited to have you join us!!! Blogging in Boise just got a WHOLE lot yummier!
So glad you made it to the great Idaho potato state. I love living here. Nothing like it.
π
Well, I didn’t even notice a hiccup of change was in the air. I already thought you were super human but now I think you are a super hero! I’m happy for you guys! We live in Minnesota and drool over Idaho. Congrats on completing a huge move!! May it be the last!
Happy Day..you are closer to me. π There is nothing greater than being settled again. We lived in Middleton (just outside of Boise) once and it was beautiful. Hopefully this is the last move for you..fingers crossed..
Whew! Growing up, we moved every year. I went to a different school every year. By the time I was 12 I could pack a house up. It took a few years not to have the urge to leave once in a place for more than a year! Now I love that I won’t move again. You are a very special woman, your family is very lucky. Can’t wait to see your new posts with your Aunt Marilyn.
Wow, Mel, you really are a moving expert! We just moved in March, and I’m pretty sure packing and unpacking is a form of torture. Good for you for keeping such a positive attitude with all of your moves! You’ve had a lot of adventures! It will be lovely to be closer to everything and not in the middle of nowhere. That’s one of the reasons we moved, and we are loving it. Ten minutes from Target, woo hoo! And I finally was able to join Costco! And how great to be closer to family! Hope you settle in quickly! And hope things are going well with that sweet pup of yours. We just got our Golden puppy 4 weeks ago, and even though I wondered what in the world I had gotten myself into the first week, we’ve fallen in love with him, and he’s a super sweet boy! Best of luck to you!
Wow, you are a trooper! Best of luck in your new house and all of the adventures to come.