Ikea is suppose to be fun!

With two kids and a full cup of coffee Mom and I headed off to Ikea at 9:30 am. The mission was to find the perfect couch bed for the cottage. The morning went smooth, the kids traveled great (no crying).

I LOVE Ikea's showrooms. They always make everything look so stylish. Mom found all kinds of good buys. In addition to the couch; a microwave, dresser and daybed. Then came the interesting part of the day... We have all this cool stuff, now what! We have 10 pounds of sh-- for a 1 pound bag! An Ikea staff member (who was smaller than me) man handled it all in to the back of our truck. He made it look so easy, but couldn't help us with the tarp or ratchet straps. I've never had to tighten up a load like this! It took us almost an hour to figure it out. We looked like monkeys crawling over the back of that truck trying to tie it all down.

Running almost two hours behind schedule I called Dad, who was at the cottage, to tell him to hold tight we are FINALLY on our way. To my dismay he was leaving (I'm sure there was a good reason - right?)  OMGosh!!! We have a 200 pound couch in the back of the truck among other stuff! After a deep breath and a few choice words, Mom and I had a two hour drive to talk out a plan. Had to stop 3 times to re-tie the tarp. John always makes moving stuff look so easy, but that's it for me! I'll pay for shipping! We saw a rainbow on the way, a small consolation prize to an otherwise crap situation.

6:30pm and we finally arrive at the cottage. Ava was screaming, Wyatt was bouncing off the walls, it was raining and we still have to unload the truck which was now in the dark. Once the kiddies were situated the heavy lifting began. In and out, one box after another. We were soaked and exhausted, it was absurd! We must have looked ridiculous. It got so funny. I smelled like a teenage boy, and after one box dumped a ton of water straight down my shirt I also looked like a sponge! If you've ever worn nursing pads, you know what I'm talking about! It was a 12 hour marathon day by the time we made it home.

I use to tell John that our vows should have been: "To love, honor, cherish and never have to put a fitted sheet on the bed by myself again". After this Ikea adventure I think I am changing this: "To love, honor, cherish and never have move furniture".