Ugh...

It has been so busy around here! I wish we had time to just sit and relax for a bit! Throughout this whole process I've realized that I spend far to much time on the computer, so one of my goals is to not do that, instead I will spend the time mopping my floors! :) Don't worry though, I won't leave you hanging, I just won't check my emails quite as often as I do now, I'm embarresed to admit how often I check them so I won't!

Good news, our fish bowl of a house just got closed in... we got blinds on all but the kids windows downstairs and the slider door! I'm so relieved, we were all using E's room to change in b/c he had fancy towels on his windows... but not anymore, I'm changing in my own room tonight! Now we just need doors!!!!! This weekend hopefully! I don't even have time or energy right now to sit here and tell you anymore, I wish I had time to share pictures, but I don't really have a lot to share, so I will try to do that this weekend! The house looks so much better than I could have ever imagined though, I will tell you that!

I have been so blessed by God's timing in all that has happened throughout this entire process of remodeling, from renter situations to friends to packing and so much more, I will leave you with this portion of a verse (Acts 1:7)... "You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business." I think this verse is talking about Christs second coming, but I'm applying it to life in general right now!

OK, off to bed!

We are in...

We've slept here at the house 2 nights now... w/o doors, but we are in and that's all that matters right now.
I'm having some major issues with Charter and hoping that in the next 15 minutes I will have email back, and with any luck it will be my old address... but according to the first person I talked to it will be ne... although the second assured me it would be the old one... does that make ANY sense, or does it sound like someone doesn't have a clue what they are doing?

We still have quite a few finishing touches to put on the house, some major, some minor. I can't wait until we have blinds and doors mostly, but a bathroom faucet would be great oo! A desk is very necesary, you should see the office, it's a big pile of boxes!I think the thing I'm lovin' the most right now is Main Floor Laundry. I'm still all caught up on laundry, I think even pajamas from last night are done already! :) Dexter isn't sure what to think, he's a little confused as to why we are here and when we are going home, but he'll get used to it just like we will. It definatly isn't' home yet, but that takes time, right????

We had a baby bird watch us move in and now he's camped out on our back porch, I don't think he can fly and I think he's been neglected... anyone know what to do about that?

OK, off to mop some floors, something I'm realizing is going to be a NEVER ENDING job! Why did I think wood floors were a good idea????? I'll try to post a few pictures later (in my "free" time)!

Moving, not moving, moving...

maybe not moving.

The upstairs is ready to move into... oh, except for the lack of washer, dryer, refrigerator, bathroom faucet, bathroom mirrors, 1/2 bath sink, oh and let's not forget the doors! We did get carpet today though, yesterday that was still a big QUESTION, but true to thier word they were there this morning at 9:30 and had it done (the upstairs only) by 1:00. Downstairs will be laid tomorow. Furniture is being delivered tomorow, Charter is coming tomorow... but will we move, that is the BIG question!

I'll try to keep you updated, but with Charter coming tomorow I don't know where/when I will have internet access.

bubbles

Coming together...

Ikea was great, a very productive trip, we got most of what we went for! the one big thing we are missing is a desk. I have looked EVERYWHERE! I don't want to spend a ton of money (although I did find one I liked... it was $1000... that's WAY to much). I have been to Staples, Talsma's, Art Van, VanHill, Target.com, West Elm.com, Pottery Barn.com, Office Max, Craigs List, 2 hotel furniture stores in town, and Holland Rescue Mission (which, thanks to Missy I picked up 2 mattresses there for a small fraction of the price that the bigger stores wanted), along with other numerous online stores, all with NO success. I want a very plain, very basic black desk (will paint if need be) with a few drawers possibly, although I can do without all the drawers. Anyone have any ideas????? Please??????

I talked to my friend that just moved to Vermont. She loaded up the moving truck (ok, not really herself, but the movers loaded it up) and left on the 31st of August, she came back to get her boys on the 9th of August... still no moving truck in Vermont, she returned to Vermont on August 11... still no moving truck in Vermont. I talked to her yesterday... still no moving truck in Vermont! Seriously, how many people could live without thier stuff for that long???? I feel so bad for them, her boys are slepeing on an air mattress. They are making do though and learning to get around!

OK, back to getting some work done... busy busy busy over here. I really try not to let things stress me out, but I'm past the point of stress right now, I'm forgetting to do things, call people etc, I can't wait to be in! So if I've forgotten you in any way, please let me know!

Another Gold...

I have never ever really cared about swimming, but I have to say that my body was tensing up watching that last race. I really couldn't care less if Phelps got all of those medals or not, but it was still exciting to see! Speaking of, did you see that race ending the other night? WOW, that was close! Don't you think?

Off to Ikea tomorow. The kids need beds and we need some miscellaneous things for the house! I brought over a few boxes of stuff tonight, it felt wierd to be actually moving something into the house! I think I'm a little scared, I dont' want to just randomly put stuff away, I want it put away right, but "is this the right cupboard for cups?", "what will go in this drawer?", those things keep going through my mind. Most people are scared to hang things on the wall in a new house, I'm scared to put stuff away. I know the OCD in me is going to come out, if it can't be perfect, it's going to be trashed, and I so do not want that!

This afternoon someone was supposed to come and look at the house at 1:00, I decided to put Elliot to bed anyway and if they really liked the house, that one room wouldn't really matter, right? Landon & Bailey left with some friends to go swimming for the afternoon and I was all alone! Peace and quiet (Elliot is cranky and has a cold, so the quiet was very necesary for me by that point)! 1:10 rolls around, Matt calls and says "It's only a few minutes after 1, maybe they will show up". To me 10 minutes is like a lifetime, I'm very very very rarely late anywhere, I'm almost always early, even early to the point of being rude sometimes. Anyway, they never showed up, this is the second Saturday in a row that this has happened! Very frustrating! So after E's nap, we went to play in the sandbox on the porch and someone was parked in front of the house calling the number (Matt's cell), I walked out and asked if I could answer any questions. They were interested so I told them they could come in and look around, and long story short I think we may have our house rented! Not exactly sure how I feel about it, but it's money! YAY!!!!!!

Carpet update and freebie's

There is a blog-fest going on at WST, I think it goes all weekend... here is the information, you can find more on the WST Blog, you'll have to scroll down a little bit though!

Welcome to the {we are} storytellers Staycation Blog Festival! Our Blog Festival is our way of thanking you for checking out our Staycation Prompts and Challenges this summer of 2008! Our theme is "There is No Place Like Home" and so now we invite you to our "homes" - our blogs!!!

Check out the following blogs for freebies, coupons, and/or a chance to win something very special! Be sure to hop to these blogs for more from the {we are} storytellers team!
Julie Ann
Angela
Valorie
Emily M.
Crissy
Emily P.
Marcie
Deann
Tracie

And remember, every Tuesday we have specials for our Page Turner Tuesday. Every Thursday is our Writer's Notebook with Audrey Neal, plus Book Fair which lasts through Sunday. Our Staycation Prompts & Challenges go until September 5th - we look forward to seeing your summer memories!

And, the carpet update...
We should have carpet by next week Wednesday, they found someone who would be able to install it even though they are typically looking at three+ weeks out (they tell us at least). I'm still mad, I had to spend about an hour on the phone rescheduling stuff (cable, deliveries etc) and I think they should at least re-imburse me for my time, right? I've got to be worth at least $500/hour! ;)

So, next weekend we should be able to move in. Not counting on it though! And... Landon has a basketball tournament next weekend to work around! Whatever, nothing we can do!

Before I got to bed...

just wanted to let you know that "Book Fair" starts at midnight (or sooner since it's already midnight) and goes through Sunday midnight at We Are Storytellers

I used the kit to create this...

Seriuosly???

The dog had a tumor on his leg that he had to have removed so it didn't stain our carpet in the new house... you know, the carpet that will probably never come! We're fools really! 7 years ago when we got new carpet in the house we are in we got it from Lowes. They had a special and it looked good. So they came to install it and got it all installed and thier was a defect in the carpet (which they for some reason didn't notice, or more likely didn't think we would notice), so they had to reinstall it. Well, when they re-installed they got the colors mixed up and had ordered the wrong colors for the rooms. So we had to wait again. Finally the day before Bailey was born they got it installed right and we were able to move back into our rooms. Needless to say we threw a fit and got reimbursed for a portion of it. Not enough though.

Well idiots that we are got sucked back in with thier $99 whole house installation deal. STUPID STUPID STUPID! Really! I called today to make sure the carpet came in yesterday and it didn't, it's not scheduled to come in until next Tuesday. We are supposed to move into the upstairs this weekend. Matt has talked to someone there and he is trying to find some stuff out, but it doesn't look like we will have carpet before next week. I am livid right now. If we dont' have carpet by Friday they will compensate us. We have furniture being delivered on Saturday!

So, in conclusion, I highly recommend going anywhere BUT Lowes. Highly!

He had surgury yesterday...

Doesn't he look pathetic?

my heart...

belongs to him (among others of course)! He was being so silly yesterday when I was taking pictures (probably b/c it's silly to take pictures of someone on a potty), he was giving me these faces that just cracked me up! What a boy!

Matt just informed me that he was a little creeped out by this whole blog thing. He saw someone somewhere (not sure of the where, but I know the one, not that it matters) that he was really suprised to realize knew so much about our lives/home etc. I really do think it made him a little uncomfortable, but I reassured him that I don't really post about him and I try to be a little general at least about the rest... just kind of funny!

He would hate me if he knew...

If he knew this was posted online he would hate me (if he was a little older I guess) We had 2 succesful trips to the potty today. Once right after waking up (dry I might add) and then again 2 hours later! Yay for E! Don't worry, again I'm not disallusioned, I know we are no where near potty training time, but I'm still excited to get him familiar with the whole process (and b/c he's so darn cute...)!

Exciting Stuff

This is where a lot of my time this past week has been spent... at the new house, working on this! Isn't it awsome? I just LOVE it! I cut all the glass, but had a lot of help putting it up on the wall and grouting it! This is just a small portion of what is now almost done! Yay!!! Only one more wall to grout and we will be done with the backsplash in the kitchen!

Really the whole house is getting closer! I'm hoping to go tomorow night to help finish the grouting, then on Saturday I think we have a few people coming to help with lots of other things. There is a lot to get finished before next Saturday when we move in, but it's definately getting closer and I"m getting very very excited to move in!

We also have someone coming to look at the house tomorow and again on Saturday! Yay for that!

Football practice starts on Monday, so Matt won't have near as much time to work as before, luckily we are on the home stretch! I can't wait to be done!

OK, I'm tired, off to bed!

The injured...

The three inured boys... what a suprise that they are all boys, Landon seems to get hurt so much more than Bailey.

Games over...

It was a long day and I'm exausted (no rest for the weary though). We had to be at the baseball fields at 8:00, for a 9:00 game, keep in mind that we rarely get up before 9:00 anymore, so this was difficult. The team won thier first game (like 0-some insane number), so they had to play again at 11, basically one game got done and the next one started! That game was against the other Zeeland team, unfortunatly we lost. So that was two losses... double elimination, one would think we were done, but nope. That just meant that we played a "fun" game (meaning it had no meaning for rankings etc) at 3:00. I was able to come home between the last two games and Matt's mom kept the younger two for the last game thankfully! But, when I came home I left Landon there. He got hurt playing whiffle ball. Sprianed his hand/wrist pretty good. So, he didn't even play the last game. What a bummer. We had an injured Cobe over tonight too, then Elliot got a cut on his head (or a scab came off or something, anyway he was bleeding) so he had a band aid on... can't wait to show off that picture! We had a quiet evening! Now the neighbors are over so thier parents can go to a later movie! I'm exausted and really just want to go to bed, but I don't mind helping out either (does that make sense???)?

Tomorow we have a cook-out with Matt's grandma who is in town from Arkansas for the week. I have only met her one other time (at our wedding 9 years ago) and she is a joy to be around, always full of good advice! Making sure to tell Matt the other day at the house that he needed to make sure he kept his wife happy, and make time to be together! She is so sweet!

A few pictures...
Elliot slept in his "big" bed the other night, it was the CUTEST thing... I walked into his room to check on him before going to bed myself and found him on the floor, he must have heard me a little come in and he stirred awake and climbed half way back into his bed w/o ever opening his eyes. Such a QT!
My baby girl!
Landon on the rip-stik... anyone tried one of these? Not nearly as easy as they look, that's for sure! But he's a pro and I'm a mean mom that makes him wear a helmet... oh well!
Anyone wanna guess whos feet these are???? (Sorry... )

God is good...

Landons baseball games have all looked like they were going to be miserable the last two days, the heat was just unbearable, but right around game time or a little before it cooled right off, there was a little relief! God was doing that for me, b/c I would have been pretty crabby sitting in the heat for 2 hours and trying to watch Elliot!

He lost tonight unfortunatly. To a team that they won against in the All-Stars tournament. Big bummer! So now we play again tomorow morning at 9, and if they continue to win we could play again at 11, 1, 3 and 5. I'm hoping for wins for thier team, it will be the last games they play together, so when they lose, we are done. I've gotten sick of it all, but I don't want to see them lose by any means! Landon is having a lot of fun these last two games, his play time has drastically increased (sits out one inning, instead of plays one inning). It's fun to watch again! Now if only my other two had a little relief, the games get awfully long for them, but they do incredibly well considering!

Tomorow night Landon get's to have a friend over night and Sunday we have to clean our house, someone wants to go through it! That's good and bad. Our house is trashed, laundry needs to be put away, dishes need to be done, the counter that collects all of our junk needs to be cleared, boxes need to be moved... oh boy... what a job that will be! BUT... SOMEONE WANTS TO LOOK AT OUR HOUSE, so it's ok!