Just to update you, yes, we found a place to live.  We now live in a completely different neighborhood than before, but the setup is just about perfect and our fingers are crossed that we won't have to move again.  

The actual move-day took place almost two weeks ago, right at the end of August, so we were technically out by the end of the month, but took a few extra days to get the old place cleaned up and keys handed over.  We were in a hurry, so once we decided on this apartment, we asked the owners what the earliest date we could move would be.  They were doing some fix-up work on the place and having it painted, so our timelines ended up meeting right in the middle.  The last Tuesday in August was a holiday, so our friends all told us we should move that day so they could come help...so we did.  We actually moved in on the day the painter finished up, but luckily he had already done all the living spaces, so we just left that last room alone and set it up a day or two later.

We got up that morning, having packed as much as possible in the week leading up to that and dropped the girls off at Rachel's house to hang out.  Back at the house, where Kyle had already loaded up the car the day before, he and Greg loaded the combi as well, then headed over to the new apartment to meet the helpers who would be showing up.  The new place is on the 4th floor, so we figured we would rather have them help run loads of boxes and suitcases aaaaallll the way up here rather than just load up the car.  The guys unloaded stuff into the garage, then left them all to get it upstairs while they came back for a second load.  It only took a couple, considering how well loaded down the cars were to make trips.  Manuela was at the old house with me, helping me finish up last minute packing and food stuff.  The big truck with hired guys was coming in the afternoon, so our goal was to clear out the house besides furniture.  It actually went much more quickly than I expected and a couple of hours later, Manuela and I loaded up with the last carload, Kyle drove us by to pick up the kiddos, and we headed to the new place. 

I was shocked when we arrived.  Valentin, Mercedes, Paty and her daughter Isabel, Alfredo, Judith, Greg, and Silvia had descended on our stuff, hauled it all upstairs, and unpacked half of it.  Most of the dishes were out on the counters in the kitchen, newspapers bagged up and boxes flattened.  Judith was wiping out drawers.  Mercedes was standing on the counter cleaning the windows.  It was amazing.  Once the girls and I got up to the apartment, we didn't have to leave again.  Some people had to leave for other commitments, but several stayed for a pizza lunch and to help shift around the boxes and suitcases that remained scattered to make room for the furniture.

Kyle went back to the old house at about 2:00 to meet the hired truck, guys and Abraham (who had arranged it all for us).  It was a large, covered truck, so it only took a couple of loads to get it all.  And these guys were HOSSES.  Peruvians are not large people, and one of the men in particular was a short person.  Nonetheless, their method was as follows:

At the truck, two guys would lift a large piece of furniture to about shoulder-height.  Then one of the other guys would get up underneath it and get it situated on his back.  The other two would settle it down and let go, and the one guy would truck his way up the stairs.

This is how they brought up our easy chairs, loveseats, refrigerator, buffet, dressers, bed frames, and more.  It was impressive.  My job was to meet them at the door and direct them to the appropriate room...and keep Cora from heading to the stairwell.  It went very smoothly and before we knew it, we were officially moved in.  We put beds together and called it a night.  

A few days later, we found out that we needed to host our Sunday church meeting, so we hurried to unpack and get mostly settled in by the weekend.  We're still working out some kinks in the function and flow, and it is all still unfamiliar...like we are on an extended vacation or something...but we're getting used to it.  

And honestly, I think we may be with the best landlords we've ever had.  They are extremely kind and helpful.  For example, the electric garage door opener (swanky!) broke two days ago.  We called and told them, the repairman came to evaluate it yesterday, and it was fixed today.  Um, are we still in Peru?  Nothing ever happens that fast around here.