Moved in!

We did it. We moved into our new flat, have furniture, and a working kitchen! The children worked so hard and the deliveries came off without too much trouble. I was able to buy some bare essentials in Discovery Bay and get my kitchen up and running by day two.

Wednesday, the kids and I packed up our large rolling suitcases, rolled them down to the new flat and met our real estate agent here to open the door for our IKEA delivery. We waited for a couple hours before they came, but they brought everything PLUS one item that we thought was back ordered! We got couches, chairs, and mattresses, plus linens and kitchen stuff!

We spent one last night at the temporary flat and then Thursday, we moved out full force and were in our new place waiting on another furniture delivery by 10am. This delivery came from a second hand furniture store and contained bed frames, dining table and chairs, and lastly desks. Only one major screwup and that was a huge loft bed Sam had fallen in love with couldn't make it up his staircase to his bedroom. He was sorely disappointed and so was I. However, he has rallied and found some additional furniture he wants for his space and this time armed with a tape measure....I will make sure it can happen!

I seriously don't know what I would have done without the help of the children, especially John. He helped me with the logistics of moving with a hire car, helped with his younger siblings by taking them out to eat (the gas cooktop wasn't connected for 24 hours), and was simply amazing. Paul, Sam, and even Lizzy moved furniture, helped put together IKEA furniture and were patient and flexible. In addition to the children, my guardian angel, Gary, our wonderful real estate agent helped us find our flat, negotiate a good rent, find a temporary flat, and then Thursday and Friday brought three different workers here to figure out the gas issue, before finally coming back alone, climbing up on my kitchen cabinets, moving ceiling tiles around till he found the problem...a switch that needed to be turned! I don't know of many real estate agents in the U.S. who would do this sort of thing. He is a nice family man and said he couldn't eat his own supper if I couldn't cook that night. Such an godsend he was.

Here are some photos of my kitchen. HUGE by Hong Kong standards, with an oven and a dishwasher AND more counter space than my Redwood drive house!

The kitchen is a square room, with sink and cooking area at one end...

Refrigerator on one side. That's my hidden dishwasher by the fridge. Full size and cleans well.

Pantry on the other...one is just shelves and one slides out! Love this! That door leads to my utility area.

My washer and dryer...that REALLY dries clothes! My favorite thing so far!

That's the kitchen tour. When we can rearrange the living room and dining room area to suit...I'll take some good photos of that.

Our animals arrive on Wednesday morning...Tuesday evening for you all. Please say a prayer for their safety and peace while they travel. You will hear our shouts of joy all the way from here when they make it!

 

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