Frustration

I have decided that we will never sell/move/buy a house again!  This whole process is extremely frustrating to me.  Don't get me wrong, it has its great points - less clutter, a constantly clean, straight house, etc.  But it also has its less than great points - hoping for a buyer, looking for the perfect house, etc.

The funny thing is - we weren't *really* looking when we found the *perfect* house.  I have this habit of searching online with a real estate company - even if we aren't looking to move.  Well, way back in December I was searching and found this awesome house for sale, in our price range and in one of the areas we always talked about moving to.  The dear hubby drove by and was as smitten as I was.  We made an appointment to see the inside and we were hooked (even with the dirty carpets, windows and outdated EVERYTHING).  The only big issue - it was a foreclosure and we would have to sell our house first since really we don't have THAT much extra money sitting around. 

Fast forward to February and we are ready to list our house.  We find out that an investor actually bought the house and it was not in foreclosure as originally thought.  We list our house and write a contingent contract on the dream house, sure that our house would sell instantly!  (Have I ever mentioned that I am an extreme optimist?)  May 28th came with no buyer for our house and the end of the contingent contract on our dream.  The seller was no longer interested in a contingent contract and decided to take the house off the market and do some work on the house.  Fine - be that way - we decided.  And we began to look for dream house #2.

No such luck.  Everything was either too small for our family of seven or out of our budget.  But really, that was okay - no one had made us an offer on our house.  Then out of the blue, we have showings left and right and boom an offer for our house, which we accepted after a little back and forth.  Hmm - now we have a contract on our home, but NO house to move to.  Unless...dream house was still available for purchase. 

After a hunt down by our agent, dream house could be available, but only at the price we previously offered.  Well of course we did it - this is dream house!  Or is it?

This house has been vacant/on the market for an entire year or more (depending on which neighbor you ask).  We had an inspection this past weekend and now I am not so sure it is a dream - maybe more like a nightmare.  We knew that the house is pretty original to its 25 year life (roof, windows, kitchen, fixtures, tile), what we did not know is that there seems to be a pretty major water issue in the basement, and the roof leaks and there are some stupid electrical and plumbing issues.  Oh did I mention that the house was sold as is?

So now that we have had an inspection, we are getting a bid on the repair of the water problem, etc.  We have less than 10 days now to decide if we are going to walk out on this house or stick with it and see what the seller will do about the price.

The most frustrating thing right now is this - school starts in less than 4 weeks.  Where will my kids be going to school?  I need to have physicals, buy school supplies, etc. 

I have to keep reminding myself that God knows what is best for our family.  I keep turning back to Proverbs 3:5-6  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding:  in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight". 

I will keep you posted on our journey - and if you wouldn't mind, say a little prayer for us!

Summer Plans

The big question around our house this week is "What are we going to DO this summer?"  Hmm...good question.  I have been meaning to sit down and really plan some fun this year.  Fun that doesn't necessarily involve lots of money or 2 parents to wrangle kids (summer is Ricks extremely busy time at work).  My ideas seem a little self centered to me (read, sew more, exercise every day), so I gave everyone a sheet of paper and asked them to write down anything and EVERYTHING they want to do this summer, no matter how big or small.

Here is what I found out: 

1. They would really like to travel.  Florida, Tennessee and Branson, MO all made the lists.
2. They are okay with free or cheap things too.  Picnics, parks and hikes all were listed. And
3. They really had fun being in on our summer plans.

So this week we will sort through all the ideas and come up with a plan.  Although I don't see travel within the next 2 months, I see alot of other things getting checked off the lists!

What are your plans for the summer?

The Sweetest Thing

Lily said the sweetest thing to her Daddy and I the other day.  Rick and I were sharing an embrace in the kitchen when Lily pushes between us and says "I wanna be loved too!"  I love that kid!

Where Have I Been?

Sorry I haven't posted in so long.  I have been feeling overwhelmed and the blog has suffered.

We have had sickness - strep, ear infections, fevers, coughs, etc.  Everything but vomit (!) and everyone was affected.

My dad had an accident at work and spent over a week in the hospital.

We put our house on the market and put a contract on one we saw back in December. I have spent more time decluttering, clearing out, throwing away, straightening and cleaning than ever before.  Funny thing is that I am LOVING it.  I have never been a "good" housekeeper, but this has forced me to change.  I have found that without all the unnecessary stuff hanging around, it frees me up to enjoy more things.  Like reading, taking walks, cooking, playing with the kids and crafting - all things that I would put off until I had more time.

I will try to post a little more often.  Thanks for hanging in there!

Yet ANOTHER Snow Day...

Here we are - the first day of February and we have almost used all of our snow days!  We are under a "Blizzard Warning" with a forecast of 12+ inches.  So, what's a mom to do today (and probably tomorrow) with a house full of kids?

• Make Banana Bread
• Do laundry
• Pray the kids sleep late :-)
• Force the kids to do the homework they brought home
• Get crafty and work on these homemade Valentines from Family Fun and maybe lots of these for me and the girls to wear

What do you love to do on Snow Days?

A Fresh Start

Happy 2011!

I hope the new year is off to a wonderful start for you.  Our family is recovering from a stomach bug that hit on Thursday.  Ugh!  Thankfully everyone is feeling better today, but we plan on hanging around the house - just in case!

Do you make New Year Resolution's?  I almost always make the same ones:  Read the bible more, lose weight, be a better wife and mother.  This year I decided to expand on those.  Here is my list:

• Delve more deeply into God's word.  I don't know if that means reading through the Bible this year or an in depth study of a few books of the Bible. 
• Lose some of this baby weight by eating more real foods and not a lot of processed foods.  This should affect the whole family (shh - don't let the kids know!)
• Live with less.  I am so tired of the stuff around here!  Less stuff = less picking up!
• Give more generously to those in need.
• To truly love my husband, children and those around me.
• To blog more regularly (ha) than I did in 2010!

I am sure this list will get edited many times, probably forgotten some days, too.  There is accountability though by typing this list here for all to see. 

Looking forward to a wonderful 2011!  One full of changes, surprises, happiness and more!

Thankful Thoughts

Happiest Thanksgiving to everyone!

Today I am thankful for:

• a super hubby
• great kids
• living in the US
• a warm house
• good friends - old and new
• food to eat
• a new modem so I can stay connected to the internet (!)
• caring neighbors
• most of all - God!

Hope you have had a great day!  Time to hit the hay - Black Friday is calling!

Blessings!

Updates

Sorry - it has been crazy chaotic around here and blogging took a back seat to everything else!

Family updates:

Carson - rolling both ways, delving into solids and playing with his toes!
Bryce - loves playing on PBS kids and going to Mom's Day Out
Lily - loving school and reading chapter books, especially Magic Tree House books
Haley - getting ready for her first concert of the school year with WB Singers
Ross - gearing up for the Halloween dance at the middle school
Rick - working less than he did during the HOT summer (yay!)
Me - started the HCG diet and have lost 17 pounds

The hot topic of conversation daily is Halloween costumes!  Carson is going to be Peas in a Pod - a hand me down from family and Bryce is going to be a robot.  No one else has decided 100% yet.

Reading Updates:

I usually do not read books during the time I am in our women's bible study at church.  I find I spend more time reading my "fun book" and less time reading the Bible and answering my questions.  I have made a few exceptions this Fall.  Here is what I am and have been reading:

                                                                                                                           













52 Simple Ways to Build Your Child's Self-Esteem and Confidence


















The last two are definitely not current hot sellers, but books I have picked up at the thrift shop because they caught my attention. 

I am really excited about the Taste of Home cookbook!  I am looking forward to having ready made meals in the freezer for those times when life gets crazy!  We have really been making an effort to stop eating out as often as we did this summer and I think this will be a great way to help us continue as we enter in the holiday season.  There are a few recipes in the book that are proven winners in our house and many more that I can't wait to try!

Other Stuff:

I am the Room Parent for Lily's 1st grade class.  Since we can't celebrate Halloween, I have chosen the theme of scarecrows.  I have found great coloring sheets and an adorable take home treat so far.  I am considering a "Pin the nose on the Scarecrow" game.  What do you think?

We finally finished redecorating the girls bedroom.  We - Rick, my mom and I - did it while Haley was away at 5th grade camp - she was so excited to see it.  She and Lily have been taking such good care of their "new" room.  They have actually been making their beds WITHOUT a reminder!  Here is what it looks like now:

We have been enjoying our new fire pit.  I love the smell of the fire right then - not so much on our clothes when we come in!  And I don't know how many times I have said "Don't get too close to the fire pit" to one of the kids!

And finally, I have been loving the fall weather - this year!  Last year I was soooo sick with morning sickness that I didn't even pull out the fall decorations!  I sat/laid on the couch wrapped up in a blanket and sucked on pieces of candied ginger!  I love my little Carson, but man I hated that morning sickness!  I also love enjoying it with him and the rest of the family!

Be blessed!

Recovering from the Weekend

Whew - everyone is back to school and work today and we can relax a bit and I can finish recovering from the cold I came down with on Friday!

We had a wonderful three day weekend that began when the hubby ordered pizza for dinner Friday night (yay to not having to cook)!  Saturday was beautiful so we thought we would visit the St. Louis Zoo.  Well, it seemed that pretty much everyone else had the same idea, so we changed plans and went to the St. Louis Science Center instead!  What a great time we had - the crowd was light and the kids had a blast interacting with the exhibits.  But the coolest thing was the Navy Week expo outside in the planetarium's parking lot.  There were 5-6 booths set up with everything Navy, including a dive tank and a flight simulator that Rick and the kids got to ride.  Way cool!

Saturday afternoon the kids and Rick went outside so I could get some rest.  The girls had an impromptu play date that evening with a family from school, and the house was so peaceful.  Actually, the house could have fallen in and I wouldn't have known.  I was feeling so awful by that time that I didn't even know that Rick had gotten all the kids to bed!

Sunday evening we had a friend over for dinner and we had the most awesome pork steaks, grilled to perfection by the hubby!  Topped off by a berry cobbler and ice cream.  Delish!

Monday started with a movie Despicable Me, which we loved, a quick trip around the mall and ended with my parents over for barbecue and homemade ice cream.

It was a wonderful weekend - what did you do?

The Big Purge

We are gearing up for our annual yard sale on September 11th.  This year two of our neighbors will be having sales on the same day.  I am hoping for a gorgeous day and lots of buyers.

So, the Big Purge at our house has begun.  We simply have too much stuff - too many things that no one uses, no one watches, no one wears or no one plays with.  No closet, drawer or cabinet is safe!  I am looking forward to this even though it is more work for me than anyone else.  I mean come on, my kids are blissfully unaware that they have too many things.  They are completely happy to pile things on top of their dressers or desks because they won't fit in the drawers or closets.

How do you control the "stuff"?  Do you have a yearly purge like us or do you do it more often?  What do you do with the things you no longer need - do you sell them either at a garage sale or through Craigslist, or do you donate to a charity?

Siblings

"I think people that have a brother or sister don't realize how lucky they are. Sure, they fight a lot, but to know that there's always somebody there, somebody that's family."
Trey Parker and Matt Stone, South Park, Cat O***, 1999


My oldest son has been lamenting the fact that he has brothers and sisters.  He has many friends that are only children or the only kid still at home.  He is pretty sure that if he didn't have these siblings that he would have a laptop!  Instead he gets a lot of silly, crazy memories to look back on!

Silly, crazy memories indeed!

August 25th

Today is my birthday - woo hoo - break out the party hats and the streamers!
 
Really though, I have been reminiscing about my life.

In my growing up years, I was a "good girl".  I got good grades, didn't skip school, didn't party.  I guess I was a nerd!  Most of my friends went to my church and my school.  I spent a lot of time with my family.  I was a daddy's girl.  Really a daddy's girl - my mom and I fought from the time I was 13 until I turned 18 and realized she really did know a thing or two.  I started community college on my 18th birthday.

In my early 20's I tried to be the person that I thought my friends wanted me to be.  I partied, I drank, I smoked.  I bought a new car and moved out of my parents house just because I could.  I dropped out of college because I could work full time and make good money.  I dated a few guys, endured a few heart breaks.  But my 20's were also when I met Rick and then became his wife.

My 30's were spent learning to be a mom.  Four of my children were born in this decade of my life.  I started out trying to be the mom and wife the books, the magazines and the Internet said I should be.  Who could ever live up to those standards?  Definitely not me! During these years I really grew as a person.  I began to rely more on God working in me than me working in me (darn selfishness).

My 40's are now.   I am more in love with my husband than ever before.  I am more relaxed in my parenting.  I am not sweating the small stuff - I am meeting it head on.  I don't feel the need for approval from others.  I am who I am - take it or leave it.  I'm happy with the experiences I have had - good and bad.  They have made me unique!

And - I got the most amazing birthday gift today - a new nephew!  I got to meet him when he was just a few hours old and he is beautiful.  Congrats Robb and Sara and big sister Riley!

Baby Griffin

Randomness

A little random rambling this morning!

• My hubby is working lots and has had to be at work at 6:00 - 6:30am.  I really miss our time together in the morning before the kids get up!  But - I am so thankful for lots of work compared to last summer!
• I had two barbecue bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers (from here) for breakfast this morning - and they were so good! (The recipe is from her cookbook)
• Carson is turning over from his tummy to his back at least once a day.  The funny thing is that it startles him EVERY time he does it!
• Today, the little boys and I are going to our favorite thrift shop to browse.  Tuesdays are 25% off!
• Bryce is talking lots since the big kids are back to school.
• I am looking forward to breakfast at Mimi's Cafe tomorrow with my mom and niece
• Tomorrow is my birthday which I will share with a new niece or nephew.  My sister in law, Sara is scheduled for a C-Section tomorrow morning!

Twelve Years Ago Today...

I became a mom!

Happy Birthday Ross!  You are the first born in this wild and crazy group of kids!

Dad and I are so proud of the young man you have become and hope you have the best birthday ever!

Love you bunches!

Peacefulness

Today is the first day of school.

Okay - I did cry a little - but just a little.  I didn't think the AT&T technician was up for a weepy customer this morning.  (DSL went out on Saturday morning - obviously fixed now - yay)

But I am loving the peace and quiet.  Bryce has talked more today than he has in a month.  I went out to the garden and didn't hear screaming coming from the house.  I straightened the house this morning and it still looks good.  And I had a lovely visit from my mom - who loved on her two grandbabies that aren't in school. 

Hope you have a peaceful Monday!

Back to School Time

We are in the midst of back to school preparation. 

We considered homeschooling the kids this fall, but decided after much prayer that this probably isn't the best year to start.  So, we have been getting ready by buying school supplies, new backpacks and lunch boxes, a few new clothes, getting haircuts and filling out ALL.THOSE.FORMS.  You know which ones I mean, right?  Health and personal history, buzz book, PTO volunteer, OTC medication, etc., etc.  Between my three school age kiddos we have 14 forms to fill out this week.  School starts Monday and will bring another slew of forms I am sure!

So, this week has been crazy and chaotic.  We have had a transition day at the middle school and meet the teacher at the elementary school.  The weather has been too hot to send the kids out to play.  Today is our "take it easy and relax day".  We are all still in our pj's at 10:40, breakfast was eaten at 10:00.  Lunch will probably be a treat of Little Caesar's $5.00 Hot N Ready pizza eaten at an "indoor" picnic since it is soooo hot outside.  Maybe watch a movie this afternoon.  Just a day to relax and enjoy one another.

The Best Day of Their Lives!

That is what our three oldest have said about our trip this week to Six Flags.

They didn't care that it was hot, they didn't care that they didn't go to the arcade and play, they didn't care that we didn't ride very many rides.

What they loved:

Riding the Log Flume two times in a row to get soaking wet
Ross riding the roller coasters (his favorite) with dad
Riding Thunder River and getting soaking wet
Gigantic turkey legs
Souveniers
Riding the Tidal Wave and getting soaking wet
B.o.b. in concert (Rap artist - not dads favorite)
Riding the Colossus ferris wheel at sunset
Glow in the Park Parade
Being one of the LAST cars in the parking lot

We arrived at the park around 2:00pm and left the parking lot a little after 10:00pm.  It was a fun day despite the heat, with little whining from any of us!  It was fun to see our kids having so much fun with each other and looking out for one another. 

A few pics from our day:

l-r: Bryce and Lily in Bugs Bunny Nat'l Park; Rick and Ross on Tony Hawks Big Spin; Bryce looking out from the top of the ferris wheel; Ross and Bryce getting wet; Haley, Lily and Bryce resting and rehydrating; Haley pretending to give Bryce and Lily a ride!
  

Family Day

Today is the day that our kids have been looking forward to for the entire summer.

Today we are going to Six Flags.

Today the temps are supposed to reach 100 degrees with heat indexes of 110-115 degrees.

Today we must be crazy.

Will post pics tomorrow after we recover!

In the Good Ole Summertime

I can't believe how fast the summer is flying by!  I guess having a newborn and being sleep deprived will do that to a mom.  Here are a few memorable moments from the first half of our summer.  Enjoy!

Rick's 50th Birthday

Celebrating Riley (and Rick's) birthdays

 

Father's Day

And a fantastic family reunion

where the kids had a blast in Aunt Katie and Uncle Lin's pool.  What a great time!

Things that make me SMILE

My hubby, Rick...

My kids...

Carson - 2 months
Ross - 11
Lily - 6
Haley - 10
Bryce - 4









Fireworks...

and tons of things I don't have pictures of:

cucumbers and yellow squash from my garden

the bunny that likes to escape the heat in my cucumber plants

sidewalk chalk drawing on my driveway

flavored creamer in my coffee

homemade ice cream

rain when the sun is shining

butterfly kisses from my 4 year old son

warm cookies

hand made cards from my kids

clearance plants that are blooming like crazy

a phone call from a friend

nuzzle from my cat, Pearl