Life is crazy right now. I left my camera at the new house and the only pictures I have taken on my phone these days are boring: paint color names, invoice amounts, and reminders. However, I figured this blog needed a little update on our life right now. So no pictures, but lots of words.
House Update:
We bought our house three weeks ago and finally yesterday all the contractors finished up. All the wallpaper is gone. The walls are all freshly painted, and the outside has a new coat of paint as well. There is brand new carpet, and my dad came over last night and installed new outside entry doorknobs and locks. Also, last weekend we had a cleaning frenzy. Tim's parents, a couple from my work, Barrett and Tim and I worked all day Saturday cleaning. Then on Sunday Tim, Barrett and I went back for more fun. There is so much wood work and the house is just big. The drywall dust was so hard to clean up. Thankfully, my mom stayed at the old house with our girls so we could get stuff accomplished. Having young children and a house in remodel mode is exhausting! It is so hard to get anything accomplished while Lilah is trying to stick something in a light socket and Addison is trying to figure out how to use Tim's tools. A typical day in the last week has been: stop at the house on the way to work to make sure contractors are there; go to work; at noon go check on contractors; after work pick up Lilah and meet Tim and Addy at the new house; chase kids around while Tim tried to get something accomplished; grab something to eat; take the kids home quick bath and bed; Tim stays to work on the house; we fall into bed exhausted and try to plan the goal for the next day. All of that is so tiring and I think my poor babies are ready for a little less crazy. We were going to move Oct 12, but we have decided for a number of reasons to move it up to Oct 5. This weekend and week our goal is to box everything up and take small loads as we can. It is all so exhausting and stressful, but equally exciting. Oh yeah, Don came back to visit the house yesterday. He approved of all the updates we did. He liked our new carpet so much he wanted a sample and the name to install it in his house. We are loving the neighborhood and have already met several neighbors.
Addison Update:
Addison is absolutely LOVING and flourishing in school. She has learned bible verses, how to write letters and numbers, scissor skills and lots of other things. She loves her teacher and has made new friends. She also started soccer. We are only two practices in and today is her first game. So far she has learned a bit about kicking a ball, but all of the kiddos get a bit uneasy when they all have to share one ball. Let's just say during both practices several members of the Little Sharks were crying at one point of both practices. This week poor Addison hasn't felt well. Yesterday she had a fever and complained of an ear ache so luckily we got some medicine. She just woke up and said she feels good, so who knows if we will go to the soccer game or not. It is a pretty cute sight to see her in her soccer uniform. She is excited about the new house and loves riding her bike up and down the driveway.
Lilah Update:
Lilah is still a cute easy going girl. She is starting to talk more. When she started walking she pretty much stopped talking. But now she is back at it. She is a tough little girl. She falls and gets back up as if nothing happened, complete opposite of her dramatic sister. When she walks she just barrels over anything in her way. She is still snugly and loves her thumb more everyday. While I was doing her monthly updates she would eat pretty much everything. Since turning one she has become picky. She doesn't eat a lot of meat, doesn't like cheese, eggs, or bread. For a while she would not eat pasta. I think she has a texture issue. However, she is slowly getting more adventurous. She loves all fruits and vegetables. She still is a mamas girl and loves to try everything her sister does.
Tim Update:
Tim is absolutely LOVING his new job. The kids are great and the parents are so supportive. Everyone is so nice and a student's grandma made him a cheesecake for his birthday. It was the best cheesecake I have ever had in my life. It is all the complete opposite of the school he was at the past 5 years. He is coaching basketball, which is a change from football and baseball. He is liking this as well. The head coach has become a great mentor and friend. I am so thankful for his new job. He has been super busy with projects at the new house, lots of handy man jobs. Thank goodness he is good at this stuff. He went to OKC last night to help Barrett build a mantle and move a hot tub for his parents. He is a busy building bee.
Amy Update:
I feel like I need a vacation! Obviously my personal life is crazy with the new house, but my work seems to be equally as crazy. Balancing all of these things is a bit stressful, but I am thankful to have these stresses in my life. I like to be busy and have projects. However, I do think I have reached my limit and ready for a bit of a breather. I just finished a huge project at work yesterday, so hoping that relieves a bit of stress. We have decided to skip the soccer game this morning, so I think we will just laze around until Tim gets home this afternoon. Everyone needs some rest to get well for next week. Tim and I have started attending a Sunday school class and are meeting new people at the church. It feels good to get more involved and become part of the church community.
Okay, gotta wrap this up. Addison has been watching cartoons beside me and is now ready for some breakfast.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Monday, September 9, 2013
We bought a house!
On Thursday Tim and I bought our dream home. This experience was so different from our home buying experience the first time around. The first time around I remember being so devastated when we lost the first house we bid on. Then we found the home we live in on accident and it turned out to be perfect first house. Tim took care of all of the loan stuff because that was his career at the time. So I really did nothing and nearly had a heart attack at the closing. It was so much paper work and so overwhelming to be making such a big step. However the house has been so perfect over the last seven years and will get it's own goodbye post later.
Last summer, we started looking for houses on-line and driving around neighborhoods trying to find an area for us to call home for perhaps the rest of our life. At the time we were not in the position to really buy because we were unsure where Tim would find a job for school year 2013-2014. So we would look then stop because we knew nothing could happen until we were set on a location. Also we started paying daycare for two babies last year, so financially we weren't in a good spot. Around May of this year we started looking at houses again. We were praying for Tim to find the perfect job and if now would be the right time to find a house. A positive part about this experience is we were not in a rush. If it happened great, if not well then it just wasn't the right time. We were truly trusting God would lead us in the right direction if we just let Him. Well, I believe it was the middle of May Tim got offered a job at a Christian school in Broken Arrow. At first I was not super excited, I was nervous of the pay of a private school, the lack of benefits and the school is a different denomination than ours. I even said I wouldn't send my kids to a private school. Basically, I was a Debbie Downer about this place. Tim on the other hand was excited. The more we spoke to the administration and prayed about it I came around. Oh and once our kids are two they can go there for free. That helped the accountant realize this might be a great deal. So end of May we got serious about a house and called my Aunt Peggy to say, "Okay, we are ready! Find us our dream home!" We had a lot on our wish list. We really didn't want to settle. If this was going to be our forever home, we didn't want to rush it. Once we started looking we realized our must have's, at least an acre lot, mature trees, 4 bedrooms, shaded back yard, large living room and kitchen, and a pantry was going to be hard to find in our price range. Middle of June after a day full of house hunting we found one we decided we would put in an offer. It had been on the market for two years, so Peggy and we went home and made a plan. We would put our house on the market in two weeks and then put an offer on the other home. We didn't feel rushed because it had already been two years, what's another two weeks. That night we prayed that if this is the right house please let us know. We got a call from my aunt the next day, "well, this morning the house went pending". It was disappointing, but I knew that meant it wasn't our house. We looked for several more weeks. Even drove by the house that went pending to see if it really sold. The new owners were moving in. God was saying MOVE ON. So we continued watching the daily listings. It was the last week before Tim had to report for school. I told him to just go check out a house without me. I really couldn't leave work and taking kids to a house wasn't very easy. He called and said "This could be the one. You need to see it." I made arrangements for the kiddos and went that evening. The house wasn't exactly in selling condition. There were things scattered everywhere. However, the bones of the house were good. It had everything on our wish list except the pantry (but plenty of kitchen cabinets). It cosmetically needed a lot of updating. We waited a couple of days and got some bids on what it would take to update the house. Finally, on Friday we decided to make an offer. After lots of back and forth and waiting we finally had a contract the following Thursday. This past Thursday (September 5th), we finally closed. Throughout the process we were fortunate enough to meet and talk with the previous owner, Don several times. He had so much to clear out of his house, so he was there nearly everytime we went to visit. We made sure to let him know that we were going to take care of his house and love the house that he and his late wife so lovingly built as their dream home. After we closed on the house, he had asked to stay the night in the house one or two more nights. At this point we felt as though Don was like a grandparent so we didn't mind at all. Thursday evening we brought the girls over and took lots of pictures of the house and with Don. Then Don spent nearly 3 hours talking Tim through all the tips and tricks of the property, house, and neighborhood, truly priceless information. Okay I think that covers it through the closing process, on to some pictures.....
Last summer, we started looking for houses on-line and driving around neighborhoods trying to find an area for us to call home for perhaps the rest of our life. At the time we were not in the position to really buy because we were unsure where Tim would find a job for school year 2013-2014. So we would look then stop because we knew nothing could happen until we were set on a location. Also we started paying daycare for two babies last year, so financially we weren't in a good spot. Around May of this year we started looking at houses again. We were praying for Tim to find the perfect job and if now would be the right time to find a house. A positive part about this experience is we were not in a rush. If it happened great, if not well then it just wasn't the right time. We were truly trusting God would lead us in the right direction if we just let Him. Well, I believe it was the middle of May Tim got offered a job at a Christian school in Broken Arrow. At first I was not super excited, I was nervous of the pay of a private school, the lack of benefits and the school is a different denomination than ours. I even said I wouldn't send my kids to a private school. Basically, I was a Debbie Downer about this place. Tim on the other hand was excited. The more we spoke to the administration and prayed about it I came around. Oh and once our kids are two they can go there for free. That helped the accountant realize this might be a great deal. So end of May we got serious about a house and called my Aunt Peggy to say, "Okay, we are ready! Find us our dream home!" We had a lot on our wish list. We really didn't want to settle. If this was going to be our forever home, we didn't want to rush it. Once we started looking we realized our must have's, at least an acre lot, mature trees, 4 bedrooms, shaded back yard, large living room and kitchen, and a pantry was going to be hard to find in our price range. Middle of June after a day full of house hunting we found one we decided we would put in an offer. It had been on the market for two years, so Peggy and we went home and made a plan. We would put our house on the market in two weeks and then put an offer on the other home. We didn't feel rushed because it had already been two years, what's another two weeks. That night we prayed that if this is the right house please let us know. We got a call from my aunt the next day, "well, this morning the house went pending". It was disappointing, but I knew that meant it wasn't our house. We looked for several more weeks. Even drove by the house that went pending to see if it really sold. The new owners were moving in. God was saying MOVE ON. So we continued watching the daily listings. It was the last week before Tim had to report for school. I told him to just go check out a house without me. I really couldn't leave work and taking kids to a house wasn't very easy. He called and said "This could be the one. You need to see it." I made arrangements for the kiddos and went that evening. The house wasn't exactly in selling condition. There were things scattered everywhere. However, the bones of the house were good. It had everything on our wish list except the pantry (but plenty of kitchen cabinets). It cosmetically needed a lot of updating. We waited a couple of days and got some bids on what it would take to update the house. Finally, on Friday we decided to make an offer. After lots of back and forth and waiting we finally had a contract the following Thursday. This past Thursday (September 5th), we finally closed. Throughout the process we were fortunate enough to meet and talk with the previous owner, Don several times. He had so much to clear out of his house, so he was there nearly everytime we went to visit. We made sure to let him know that we were going to take care of his house and love the house that he and his late wife so lovingly built as their dream home. After we closed on the house, he had asked to stay the night in the house one or two more nights. At this point we felt as though Don was like a grandparent so we didn't mind at all. Thursday evening we brought the girls over and took lots of pictures of the house and with Don. Then Don spent nearly 3 hours talking Tim through all the tips and tricks of the property, house, and neighborhood, truly priceless information. Okay I think that covers it through the closing process, on to some pictures.....
Don wanted the closing to be a party so my aunt brought a cake.
Don and George(his realtor)
Some before pictures....
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Blankets
When I was a little girl I was obsessed with my bankie (blanket). I would smell my beloved bankie ALL the time. I am a bit embarrassed to say I was still loving it at the age of 13. Then my lovely brother Ken and sister Lisa "hid" it one day and I never saw it again. Well, one thing I would tell my brothers and sisters is that I could speak Mars (yes, I am very weird). Only my bankie or pillow(ie things I would smell) could understand Mars. So basically when I didn't want to talk or stop smelling, I would hum into my bankie. That was me talking Mars. Then they would have to leave me alone or it would buy me a little more time to get some extra sniffs in. I still have an obsession with smelling things. It has moved to my hair. It is such a comforting thing for me. So that's the back story for my children to read later to see just how weird their mom is, LOL.
Lilah is a little Tim. Everyone says she looks like him. Her demeanor is spot on, so very laid back, go with the flow, content. All her daddy. I was beginning to wonder if she had any of my traits. Then tonight while I was rocking her she spoke to me. She speaks MARS! Haha. She is a thumb sucker and also a blanket lover. She will suck on her thumb with a blanket in her fist smelling and sucking away. When you are singing to her at night she will start to hum, just like I did when I was little. So there you have it Lilah is just like her mom! We both speak mars. Now I am sure everyone thinks I might just be from mars. Haha
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Lilah is a little Tim. Everyone says she looks like him. Her demeanor is spot on, so very laid back, go with the flow, content. All her daddy. I was beginning to wonder if she had any of my traits. Then tonight while I was rocking her she spoke to me. She speaks MARS! Haha. She is a thumb sucker and also a blanket lover. She will suck on her thumb with a blanket in her fist smelling and sucking away. When you are singing to her at night she will start to hum, just like I did when I was little. So there you have it Lilah is just like her mom! We both speak mars. Now I am sure everyone thinks I might just be from mars. Haha
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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