Reality

Had a meeting with our Lender last night. Crunched some numbers. Definitely an eye opener, or more like a punch in the stomach for me.

This is the way I thought it would be when I started this process: Look for a house, find the perfect house, buy the house and and rent out this house...live happily ever after!

Reality: Look for a house (waaay too much running around, having to drop what you're doing and leave at the drop of hat when the realtor calls). After four months of HARD looking find something we finally love and live with fear everyday that we may not get it. Come to terms that we'll most likely have to sell this house to get what we want (really, I haven't come to terms with that yet). Now a whole new set of worries. Will the house sell? Will we get what we want for it? Stress, Stress and more Stress...that's what this process is! And all the while I'm still trying to be a mom and a wife.

To my neighbors: When you see me going nuts, such as yesterday when my dog got out and I was chasing her up and down the street screaming, making a complete spectacle of myself, and yes, it may looked as if I was going to kill her as soon as I caught her, don't worry she is fine...please remind yourself, "Oh, she's in the process of buying a new house right now." That's a good enough excuse for losing it and making a fool of myself, right?

This was a hard one for me.

These questions were hard for me...but I never say no to a tag (well, almost never).

1. What is your current obsession?
House hunting, Utahhomes.com, and one house in particular that I want really, really badly!

2. What do you hate that everyone else seems to love? American Idol (I'm over it).

3. What are you wearing today? Oooh...this question sounds a little dirty, I feel like I need to answer with something like "I'm wearing nothing." But no, that's really not true...I'm still sitting in my PJ's...it's only 7:00 am, give me a break.

4. What’s for dinner? I have no idea yet...maybe salmon.

5. What would you eat for your last meal? Steak and potatoes, with a big slice of cheesecake for dessert. A burger and fires would also satisfy.

6. What is the last thing you bought? Hmmm...I think it was sheets at Ross. That's right, nice sheets for each of the girls bed and ours for under $50! And I'll add that this was the first set of cotton sheets I've bought for our bed since we've been married! (That's almost ten years)

7. What are you listening to right now? Bob the Builder on TV and the sound of Haley munching on dry cereal (Morgan isn't up yet).

8. What do you think of the person that tagged you? Megan tagged me, and I think she is wonderful!

9. If you could have a house- fully paid for and totally furnished where would it be? Seal Beach in CA.

10. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would it be? An hour isn't that long! But if I had to choose, I would go visit my sister-in-law in Boston.

11. What is one of your hobbies? I like to scrapbook pictures, and cooking/baking.

12. What is your favorite quote? I'm not one of those people who can remember quotes...I'm skipping this one.

13. What is your favorite color? I like bright colors, yellows and oranges...it reminds me of summer.

14. What is your favorite piece of clothing in your wardrobe? I love all my pajamas, I could wear them all day, everyday!

15. What is your dream job? Hmmm, let's see. A food critic or maybe a personal shopper.

16. Describe your personal style? Mostly casual and simple. I wish I was more glamorous, but I could never keep up with that style, I'm too lazy.

17. What is your favorite tree? California Redwoods/Giant Sequoia, I think they're amazing!

18. What are you going to do after this? Eat some breakfast.

19. What is your favorite fruit? Cantaloupe. I love it, but everyone in my family hates it.

20. What inspires you? My Ryan.

21. Who was the last person that you kissed? I gave Haley a kiss when she woke up.

22. What are you currently reading? Nothing...I need a new book and haven't gotten one yet.

23. Go to your bookshelf, take down the first book that you see with a red binding, turn to page 26 and type out the first line. "The requirements for Seeing Eye Dogs are rigid." Gun Dog by Richard A. Wolters This book was my first attempt to train my dogs to hunt...I'm failing.

24. What delighted you the most today? Haley's cheerful self when she wakes up. She's always been that way...always smiling first thing in the morning!

25. If your life had a theme song, what would it be? Not sure...skip.

26. If you bought a wiener dog today, what would you name it? I don't...Bleo. That was the name Haley gave herself when she acted like a dog. It was the first name that popped in my head.

27.What is a character trait or habit of yours that you inherited from one of your parents? I'm always interested in what the neighbors are doing, if I see anything out of the ordinary I want to know what's up...some people say nosey. My dad is the same way.

I'm not tagging anyone in particular...If you are reading this, you should do it!

Morgan the Meltdown Champ!

The weather is so nice today the girls and I decided to take a nice leisurely walk on the path this afternoon (they rode their bikes, I walked). We took the long way through the neighborhood to the river path. Well, it didn't quite go the way I had hoped.

I had to get sunscreen on them first, which is ALWAYS a battle with Morgan. I manage to get some on her by pinning her to the floor all the while she is screaming and kicking. When I'm done she says "BAD MOMMY...NO!!" over and over. I put her on a chair to scream it out while I get Haley ready. Meltdown #1.

Finally, Morgan is still furious with me, but she calms down and decides she's ready to get on her bike...we're off. We come up to some gardeners doing some lawn work. Morgan points to some of the equipment and asks what it is. I say, "A big mower." "NOOOO, what's THAT?!" as she points even harder this time. I say, "It's a leaf blower". "NOOOOO, THAT?!" "That's gas can." "NOOOOOOO! THAT!!!" Okay, I'm sure you're getting the idea. I said the name of every single lawn tool I saw...but none of it was what she was apparently pointing to. I keep walking...she's screaming. Meltdown #2

We eventually make it to path where she finally stopped screaming. We see the chickens, the horses in the pasture, and a few cows and then start heading back. Morgan starts to get a little tired so she got off her bike and started walking while dragging her bike. I knew she would get back on after she realized that it's easier to peddle the bike than to drag it. Well, all of a sudden this fast past walker was coming up to us. He saw that Morgan was dragging the bike and decided he was going to "help" her out. He says, "Here let me get that for a little ways." He picks up the bike and continues walking (in a very fast past) down the path carrying her bike. It happened so fast I didn't even have time to say anything! He was already down the path, with her bike! He finally put it down a long ways away from us. Now, I know he was just trying to help so Morgan didn't have to drag her bike that far, but he doesn't know my Morgie!! Meltdown #3. Needless to say, I'm the one who had to retrieve her bike and bring it back to her. Thanks for nothing Mr. Fast Past Walker Guy!

Off we go again. We get to the part of the path that goes back out to the neighborhood. There is a little hill that the girls love to coast down (they go really fast). They do it about three times then we continue on again. Well, Morgan starts yelling that she wants to do again (now keep in mind I already gave them another chance, if I continued saying "just one more time" we would be there all day). So I keep walking and say "no". Meltdown #4 This meltdown continued on for some time and consisted of me walking carrying her shoes and bike while she chased me screaming the entire time. Ahhh...good times.

Every meltdown Morgan had, Haley kept giggling to herself saying, "Where's the movie camera when you need it."

Kids are like men.

I made some Gooey Butter Cake a couple of days ago (it's a recipe from Paula Dean...go GOOD). And yes, since it's a recipe from Paula Dean we all know it's has a ton butter in it...hence the name, but we won't go there. Anyway, after lunch the girls and I had some for dessert. As we were all sitting at the table eating, it occurred to me how similar little kids and men are when it comes to eating. I'm not saying that men are slobs or anything...if Ryan ate spaghetti like my kids we would have to have a serious discussion! No, I'm referring to the speed at which they eat. They eat as if someone is about to take their plate! I think Haley ate that cake in one bite! And Morgan wasn't far behind! Are they even enjoying that cake?! Men seem to have that same approach...a lot of the time anyway. Put a Teuscher's truffle in front of a man and a woman. The woman will most likely make sure she is sitting down and preferably in a peaceful spot (no kids, distractions etc.) before taking a bite. She would also take small bites letting the chocolate melt in her mouth, chewing very slowly and most likely making "mmmmm's" and "ooooooohhhhh's" as she's eating it. A man on the other hand would pick it up and pop the whole thing into his mouth and eat it, most likely while he's doing something else at the same time. Now how can they savor that truffle when they eat like that?! What a waste!

Growing up us kids always made fun of my mom when it came to eating sweets. She would never eat it immediately, she would save it and eat it when the moment was perfect (no distractions, kids, you know). We could never understand why she did that. Now I know...I get it. I find that first thing in the morning, before the kids are up, and the house is calm is the best time to eat dessert...and you can bet, even if I'm alone I'm still making the "mmmmmm's" and "oooohhh's" and savoring every bite!

Finally...

...we found a house that we both LOVE! It's in a perfect location...PERFECT! It has the yard that we want, and it's tucked away in an area that feels very private. It has the space we need and then some, and I love the kitchen! Sounds great right?! But it seems that no matter what, the houses we find always, always have something wrong with them...I have just have to figure out when to compromise and when to hold my ground on what we want. Problem: It's an older home, which is fine, I can live with the outdated bathrooms. However, it has a evaporated cooler for AC and a hot water/boiler system for heat. I have been reading and talking to heating/cooling companies trying to learn as much as I can about these systems. The boiler system definitely has some advantages: no dust flying around, no dry air, more uniform heat distribution, more cost efficient. But that only if it's an upgraded system, which I'm not sure if it is. Also, with the evap cooler, if it's a good upgraded one they can do the job pretty well. So anyway, that's where we're at. We've already put an offer on it, but because it's a short sell, who knows when we'll hear back. But I LOVE this house!! And I might add, that this is the first house that even Ryan is super excited about! And he rarely shows any emotion when looking at houses.

Long Beach Visit

I should probably update about our trip...I meant to do it yesterday, but...you know...life happens. Anyway, we had a wonderful time! We left early Thursday and the girls did super for the drive! They each have a backpack that they keep all their "stuff" to entertain them for the 9-10 hour drive (books, toys, magnadoodle, magazines etc.). But the thing that really did the trick were the Color Wonder markers and book. They are FABULOUS! The book and markers came in a convenient travel case that doubles as a clipboard and a little caddy for the markers. It entertained them for a long while! I just love it when I find something that really works.

So anyway, back to the trip. We got in Thursday afternoon...just chilled that day. We were all on cloud nine after hearing my mom's good news...great day! Friday, hit up the beach. Haley definitely takes after Ryan when it comes to the beach...she LOVES it! Me...hmmm, not so much. Funny, because I grew up there, and honestly, I didn't go to the beach that much. In my defense, when we took the girls it was cold, cold, cold. I basically stayed huddled in my beach towel the whole time (Morgan eventually joined me, taking a nap on my lap). I did venture out to build a sand castle with Haley at one point. But anyway, the cold doesn't phase Haley at all, she didn't want to leave.

For the 4th we watched the fireworks at my grandparent's house. They live right next to a stadium that does a huge firework show. So we get front row seats, for free! We all sit on their roof and no kidding those fireworks explode right in front of you...you can't beat it! Very exciting!

I got to go on a ride with my dad, shopping with my mom (kid free!), got to catch up with an old friend, even squeeze in a bike ride to breakfast with Ryan. All wonderful!
The girls playing in the massive olive tree in the front yard.

On Monday, my mom planned an afternoon tea party for all us ladies. It was a celebration for her being cancer free...a kick off to a fresh start! What a great idea!! I loved it!! We dressed pretty, and got to eat dainty food while sipping iced tea! In the picture: my two grandparents on either side of my mom and Jennifer, Jeff's girlfriend, and of course the girls and me.

To decorate the table my mom made little albums for everyone. She also made the little caddy for the album to sit in, and she made little paper bags that held a truffle. I know...she is truly the queen of paper crafts...it's amazing the things she creates! And the food...oh, so yummy! We had scones, tarts, lemon squares, muffins, and little cute sandwiches. What a fun afternoon!

It was sad to leave. Picture of the girls, my parents and my brother Andrew. Jeff didn't make it into the picture, he was working. He has a pretty sweet gig as a lifeguard for the summer.

The drive home was a little tougher. Morgan didn't nap once and had several meltdowns in the car. Lots of potty stops. And the last hour or so we were scared the girls were going to fall asleep, which any parent knows that can be bad. A nap at 7:30 in the evening will result in them being up all night. So Ryan and I kept them awake by singing to kid songs on CD and rolling down the windows every so often to perk them up. It worked, they stayed awake...but to no avail, we couldn't get them to go to sleep until close to eleven that night. Oh well...that's roadtrippin'!

Happy Day!

We arrived in LB yesterday afternoon to some very good news!

My mom is cancer free!!!!

What a wonderful time to be with my family and celebrate!