Journey Thru Middle Class: Restarting our Game

So, it's been a while on here. A lot of changes have happened, as they would over what, 3 years? I am a real serious blogger... well, I wasn't, but I am hoping to get back on here and share some adventures from what is happening in our lives.

In the voice of this blog, it's time to get back in to our enormous RPG. At first, I felt like we had lost a life and couldn't find a 1up to get back in or something. That's not what happened. In the past few years, we have been doing alright, but it started being a lot like Animal Crossing when you don't actually get in there and pull the weeds, talk to the animals, check for the furniture to complete your home. Life starting rushing by us between the boys in school, activities, me working full-time, Dustin working full-time, changing jobs, going back to school, working a second job, moving.... Yeah, I think you get the point. We finally started trying to get back in to our life, we opened the game back up, and we were overloaded with weeds and it felt like there were some animals that had moved from our town. There were some of our favorites. Maybe Julian the Unicorn? Yeah, I loved that guy. So, we came to a point where it was time to restart our game.

We got on the train again and talked to our little cat friend and chose to start completely fresh. Rename our town, make sure the layout was different, so it really felt new. IRL, we moved. We moved to another state. Not super far, but far enough that everything is new and different. Idaho has quickly become our home and we love it! Turns out, and we knew this when we hoped on the train, that some of those animals were already over in this new town. Both my brothers had made the move out here over the last year. We have missed them and their families a lot and it was time for that restart.

So far, we have been out in Meridian for a little over a month. It was quite a bit like Animal Crossing when we got here. We didn't have a place and felt like we were being sent all over the place to meet people and do odd jobs before we would have a place to call our own. For 2 weeks before the little guys and I move out there, Dustin was residing at my little brother's since he started his new job pretty quickly. He was hoping to find a home for us before we moved out here to join, however his job ended up being a bigger endeavor than we had expected. Just a bump in the journey. My brothers are both so gracious. When I moved out here with the kiddos, older brother and family housed the boys and Dustin and I were able to stay with the little brother. It felt like a week long slumber party and I was getting a bit restless. I finally went all in and had applications with about 5 different rentals just waiting to have someone say yes and have it available then. By the end of the week we got our first thumbs up. We took it, then got like 3 more calls... Oh well. We do love our place.

It's a cute townhouse quadplex. Great neighborhood, lots to walk to. When we first were moving out here we thought we had found the dance studio for Toby, and it was down the street. The school close by is rated super high and within walking distance. Things were looking a little too perfect. So, time to shake it up!

Dustin sent me a text about the time we had finally started moving in to our place with a link to an amazing dance studio right by my work (which is about 20 mins away from our home) that I instantly fell in love with. Toby felt the same as we started looking into it. As I was looking over all the different facets of the studio I stumbled upon a job posting. Here's where I shake things up. They were hiring an office manager and I figured that was definitely up my alley. The hours worked great with my schedule at Tmobile and, like I said, it was right by work. Literally across the street. So, I sent an app, interviewed and now will be working over there as well!!! Toby of course will be dancing there as well. This shouldn't seem that crazy, it should be just as perfect. However, I start there at 4, and schools out here do not get out until 3:55. WHAT!?

We have a pretty crazy schedule worked out that will be fine as long as Dustin doesn't have insane traffic from his drive home. We have a 9 month lease where we are at. So, this year, we're gonna make do! However, after this 9 months, we will be choosing a different location. Time to live by the all the things we do instead of down by the ocean (another Animal Crossing reference. It is my theme today). We will be shaking the trees, making crazy trades, and storing up as many bells as possible while we head through the next couple months. We have goals to be buying a house next year out here closer to my works and dance. The parkour gym is pretty close by to that area, as well, so it really should be nice.

Get ready to hear all about the ups and downs we have our work cut out for us on this new journey. My favorite part about tearing down the old town and starting fresh is that there are so many of your old friends that still show up in the new town! Sometimes to stay! Sometimes to just visit! It really makes the new environment really awesome. So, enjoy some fun shots from our adventures this summer and then keep reading for new updates and XP in the life of #teamburks.

Driving in to Idaho: this time not just to visit.

Took the cousins around Downtown Boise to learn all about Pokemon Go.

Go the Keys to our place! The big white card is for the pool and gym!

The parks out here are AMAZING! and this trip with the cousins included the Walters visiting from Oregon <3

First day at the new Call Center out here! They welcomed me with a desk fully decorated in Pokemon! and I wore my 503 Shirt... lol

Toby went back to Oregon for a camp, so Odin and I enjoyed a lot of Mom and Son time, so lunch date at Chikfila after some fun park exploring!

Toby was super stoked to get to go to Intensive Dance Camp with his dance friends back in Oregon to say goodbye and dance together, again! Thank you, Aunt Cati for keeping him for the week!

Coral and Grandma Elaine came to visit and I took them to the state Capital. We found a Representative with our last name! It was hyphenated, so we just used those Ward noggins to cover that right up.