Curb Appeal

I am not very good at the gardening stuff.  Thankfully Abigail enjoys it tremendously.  It means our outside looks better. 

She planted some flowers in pots around our yard.

This one sits on our front porch.

back deck

front porch

backyard by the driveway

she wanted to plant some veggies

front porch

We have an American Robin's nest in our tree/bush in the backyard.  I believe there are 3 babies.  Let me just say, she is a good mom.  I try to get photos periodically so I can see the progress but she attacks.  I mean she will swoop out of a neighboring tree and dive bomb your head to get you away.  So sadly this is the only photo I was able to capture.  (On a side note  - the neighbors must think I am nuts because I scream my head off when she attacks me.)

Kitchen

While I have a large kitchen that I adore, I have always been unhappy with cabinet space and countertop. The solution - Ikea. Slowly coming together. 

Working for the Weekend

With all that I have been doing these past 3 weeks (yes, it is 3 weeks I have been in my new home), I really wanted to take a much needed respite today.  But the house had other plans.   We needed to open up a new check account, get some items to repair the washer leak, and unpack more boxes.   Ohhhh! this body is weary and tired.  I have little to no energy as I write this.  Lord, help me!

The garage is really looking better.  Unfortunately not too many other rooms are but here are the latest looks.

The garage.

The kitchen

more kitchen

family room (new picture soon, we just bought a new tv console)

foyer from living room into dining room

living room

New Umbrella.  I just had to put this one in.  The backyard is

looking good!!!  We still need to get the swingset put up.

Amazing

My Dad is one amazing fellow.  He came over on Saturday to help us with PODS 3 & 4.   That now makes two weekends in a row that he came by to help us unload or set up our place.   My Mom did good by him.  He even had plans to go out to dinner with friends but he came to us for 2 hours.  We did accomplish a lot.  Now my house looks like a war zone.  There are boxes and stuff everywhere.  My revelation during this whole process:   We have waaaaaaay too much stuff.  I do see a purging coming on!!!!!

The kitchen.

The foyer into the living room.

One side of the basement.

The other side of the basement.

The garage.

Gettin' There

I called my folks in the morning because I forgot to put the plate from the microwave inside the one that we gave them.   I wanted my Mom to know that I had it and not to go out and buy one!   Well my Dad answered the phone and asked if we needed some help today.  I said, "YES!"  We still had not built any beds to date, no bookcases, and Abs's dresser was still sitting in the garage.  While we were considering not working too long, I also know we needed to get things moving before the next set of PODS arrive.  Well my brother Jason came over with my Dad and they went to building!!!   It was fantastic!  But let me just say that it did take over 5 hours to get it all done.  There were a few side steps but nothing that lasted too long.   I am ever so grateful for family.  Joshua and Abigail were thrilled to see their "complete" rooms.  It really does feel like home!!!!

My Mom also drove her car over to pick up Joshua and Abigail and take them back to her house to swim in her pool.   It was extremely hot here!!  I was thankful she did that as I know they would have been bored out of their minds.  Well maybe not that bored.  When she called to say she would take them for the day, they were playing Monopoly.  But it was much better for them to be out of the house.  NO distractions is a good thing.

As you can see by the pictures, the rooms are coming along nicely.  We just need to get stuff hung on the walls and we are good to go.  Honestly, that won't happen until next week.  But very excited to have that "completed" feeling.

Abigail's room

Joshua's room

Stephen's room

Visitors

We received our first visitors today.  Bill's parents stopped by!!  It was very exciting for the children to have them come.  They also came with some goodies they picked up for the kids from Hawaii.  Just little trinkets, but kids love that stuff.  

It was a nice visit.   A time of catching up and talking.  It has been some time since we were able to all be together. 

It really does feel like home already!!  It was such a great feeling today.  Sitting down on the sofa with my hubby relaxing and watching  HGTV, it really hit me that this is ours and we are home.   Will be fun when the PODS start arriving as we get to unpack all the stuff.  Someone mentioned that it will feel like Christmas here.  So true, it has been a while since we had those items. 

Making it Ours

The daunting yet exciting task of unpacking and making this place ours has been both rewarding and exhausting!  

The many remarks from the children about working "so hard" or "when will we be done" have had me chuckling.   While I do require them to pitch in and help, they have not done anything yet.  When those PODS start arriving the real work will begin.   I am not saying they are not working, oh they are, but I know what went into those PODS and I know what must come out of them!  

Some of the things they have done:  unpacked books and put them on shelves, unpacked their clothes and put them away, unpacked toys and put them in big closet in basement, put away the Wii and xbox games, unpacked the pantry box, unpacked cups, etc.   I know I should have taken some photos but I was busy right along side them.  I will try to remember to take some over the next few weeks!  

When all the problems arose with the PODS I was a little annoyed.  Prayed and God showed me that spacing them out is better.  I know me and I would work hard to accomplish emptying them.  The scattering will allow us time to rest before we need to attack the next set.   After staying in the apartment for 2 years, I really want to be IN!

The children enjoyed playing basketball today, kicking a beach ball in the yard (it was windy which made it very fun), and climbing our trees!!!  Even though it was hot out there today, they still managed to play outside!!

We are happy!  Thank you, Lord!

39 Days!!

Not that I'm counting or anything, but there are only 39 days left until we close on the house.  I still feel like pinching myself.  Imagine how much pinching will be going on when we actually get in.  I feel like it has been a looong time. 

I love watching the HGTV network to gather all sorts of information and ideas about what to do in and out of your home.  Watching it though really makes me want to be in all that much sooner.  I can't wait. 

Recall that I am NOT a shopper but I think the month of July will prove me otherwise!!

Coming down the home stretch!!!

A Visit to the House

Friday was the inspection at the house we are in contract with.  I thought it would be a great time to take the children over to see the house as they have yet to do so.   I knew it was going to take a long time and that there would be some boredom there.  Boy was I ever right.  2 hours later we were able to go out to get some much needed food!!!

We did have the opportunity to see and hear some children playing at some of the neighboring homes.  Stephen did not see or hear anyone his age and he is a bit concerned.  I kept trying to encourage him by reminding him that it was a beautiful Friday night, so I am sure there were some baseball games being played and perhaps they were out at those.  (nudge nudge wink wink)  Here's hoping and praying!!!!

I also reminded him that since he will be heading out to a brick and mortar next year he really didn't need friends right next door.  He will be making some soon enough.  (I really do hope it is soon!)

The house was in great shape per the inspector.   A very few minor details that will need to be addressed.  But it was a great time for me to visualize where we would put our things once we move in.  The boys were deciding which room they wanted.  Stephen is the decider there.  I gave him carte blanche, being the oldest and all.  I think we have it settled!!  

My challenge will be to see where all our furniture will fit!   We were able to have such large oversized furniture in Ohio, that I am concerned about size and location of said furniture.   I guess I could always sell or give what we have away and then buy new.  ;}  

As for the color scheme.  I really like most of it.   There will have to be some changes which I am none too thrilled as I am not a fan of painting.  May have to recruit my good friend Heather.   She painted two of my rooms in Ohio!!!   A great way to get her to come and visit!   BTW - she is an amazing painter.   I must say,  I didn't know that a nonprofessional could do such a great job!!!

A House!

Well it has been 8 months, 15 days, and 6 hours since we began our hunt for a home.   The Lord answered our prayers and as of 10:39 pm we were informed that the sellers accepted our offer.   Can I get an amen?!?!






We are eager and excited to get this moving in the right direction.   He is so faithful and works in His own timing.

Back to the Beginning

As the previous post stated, we put in an offer to a house.  Unfortunately they declined the offer.  We as a family are totally fine with it.  We know and trust God with all that we are and where He wants us to be.  So we will begin the search again!  It is out there and we will find it!

Josh's Day

Joshua had a packed day today. He began his day by house hunting with Bill and me. We were out for 2 hours and saw 4 houses. He was very good considering all the driving and walking and looking that is involved. He was cute and wanted to know which room would be his. He also felt the need to express his opinion in some of the homes. It was fun to just have him accompany us! After the houses we stopped for a little snack as he was to go out to a birthday party for 3 hours with his friends. After the party he had a friend come back with him for a sleepover. He is feeling super special as this is his second sleepover in a few short weeks. I think he is getting ready to venture out to someone's home for a sleepover all by himself. His latest one involved his sister! All a good start but I do see how he is thinking it would be great to be able to be at one all by himself. Soon, very soon!!!

Am I being Obedient?

The message today at church was on Matthew chapter 21 where Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. The pastor pointed out how obedient the disciples were upon securing the donkey for him. So the question of whom do you obey? arose! I very good question that has me especially thinking about it considering our choice of a home. My prayer has been to find a home that fits the needs that I think we need, not at all seeking what the Lord has for us!! I know now I need to change my thought process to be in sync with what the Lord wants for us!

We did drive around some neighborhoods today just to show the kids what is available and what is the reasoning why we have not found one. (Other than the above paragraph)! They would see a house they liked and then we would mention that it needed to be for sale! When we saw one for sale they had some comments as to the location of the home. It was nice for them to see how much is involved with what it takes to find the right fit.

More House Hunting

Saturday morning brought us out and about again looking at some houses. We began early and finished early considering the last house we could not get in. Let me back up - We started at a house that was for sale by owner. So they had to be there. I am not a fan of the people being home as they want to "sell" their home. It was a lovely home but did not have all the right space for our size family. The lot was little bit small too. Mostly side yard. The second house was great but it was on a busy cut-through street and I can see some danger down the road with my daughter. Since she loves being outside, I know she will be involved in some unfortunate accident. DON'T want that to happen so it comes off the list. But let me just say it had ALL and MORE of what we were looking for. The current owners are homeschoolers themselves so the already have space dedicated to a classroom. See what I mean!!! :). The 3rd house was a no-go from the get-go. We arrived a tad bit early and the man was very nasty stating that we would have to "wait a bit". We walked the outside of the property and we were not at all impressed with the curb appeal. Lots of overgrown weeds and an area of the yard was just pooling with water. I mean it was saturated and although we did recently have rain it should have dried up by now. So that made 2 negatives. Here is the 3rd and final - while we were walking around our realtor went over to talk to the owner stating that he has been having trouble using his electronic lock thing to get into a house and the guy said well that's your problem. So needless to say we never made it in and we have NO desire to head back. I'm thinking the guy really doesn't want to sell. Besides, can you imagine the nightmare it would be to finalize a contract with that yahoo. NO Thanks!!! I was a bit bummed that we were all over the place and had no luck as Rick (realtor) said he picked the best in the crop. Uh Oh! But Bill and I have decided to get some homes together this weekend and have him set up appointments for one night this week. I think sticking in the same town will give us a better feel for what is available to us. In all fairness to Rick, we were extremely busy this week and unable to devote the necessary time to looking at the houses we wanted to see. After today I am definitely being involved. LOL!

Not Impressed

Bill and I printed off some of the houses for sale from the internet and drove around Lawrenceville to check them out. As you can guess from the title... we were not impressed. The pictures were doctored. For example they removed a driveway from one of them. The color of the house looked much better in the picture than in person. And they neglected to tell us about corner lots. We are not fans of being on a corner. Just way too many options for my children. Especially my daughter. I fear we would lose her. One house on a cul de sac looks like a possibility but due to all the rain we got in the morning there looked to be a little reservoir in the back yard. We kept only this one on the list as all the others we a flat out NO!!! We drove by 6 of them.

The funny thing is there are some neighborhoods we got to drive by that we were very impressed with but did not see any immediate for sale signs. It looks like we will be getting that realtor soon! We know they are able to better plug in all the parameters you are asking about and get better results than the internet.

Here's hoping that it goes better the next time around!

House Hunters!

Yup! We are currently in the house hunting category of our lives. Let me just say that this side of it is far better than the selling side. Now don't get me wrong I do believe I was able to detach myself from the house and realize that not everyone would like it or want it but 13 months and nothing gets a little old. But the selling aspect really can and does take a toll on a person and I am super duper happy to be out of it. (Well almost.)

I have often been heard saying that my life has been in limbo this past year and that I am learning to love limbo. But this chickie is soooooo looking forward to climbing out of limbo and heading into the next phase of our lives.

Bill and I have been emailing different homes to one another that we find on the internet. I showed some to Stephen and he put in his opinions. (He loves looking at houses. He really enjoyed it when we were moving here 6 years ago.) I am counting down the days until I return to NJ and we can begin our quest for a realtor and then finally a home!!!!!!!!

I go into peoples home and I look over all that I like and don't like so that when I am out looking for ours I will be very efficient in the process. I don't want to be too rushed but I also don't want to take too long to find our home. I have started praying for guidance and clarity so that it does come easier.

Nothing new

I know it has been a few days since my last blog and in all honesty it is because there is nothing new.   I have been organizing like crazy around here.   Been missing Abigail, even hung out in her room yesterday morning just thinking about her.  I know she is having a great time and for her I am elated.  She really needed this to occur.   The boys have been bonding and that has been good too!!

I am not looking forward to the next few weeks.  Probably won't be blogging much as the packing won't do it itself.  Unfortunately!   I dread doing this so I need serious prayer and uplifting.  So in your quiet time I would be ever so grateful if you would think of me and the process and say a few words to the Lord.  My thanks!!

Back to the grind!

Saturday was spent in the van on the road.   As much as you like the idea of vacation it is amazing how much you forget about the drive home.  We did not arrive back in the apartment until 1:00 am.   We would have arrived about 30 minutes earlier but we missed an exit and ended up driving through DC.  Not fun when it is late and you just want to crawl into bed.    The rest of the ride was very uneventful which is always a plus.   

But now it is back to real life and all that needs to get done.  With the sale pending on the house my list has grown exponentially.  I am eager, excited, and exasperated just thinking about it.   I am very happy with our realtors.  They are on the same page and I look forward to closing this deal so we can move out and on.   

There will be blood tonight

It was a bloody day today!!   I had an appointment at Quest Diagnostics to have some blood drawn for the doctor.  I believe I mentioned before how thorough this doctor likes to be and for that I am grateful.  But today I had to have 7 vials of blood.  The phlebotomist was excellent.  She put the needle into the arm without any problems or pain on my part.   

For lunch and dinner I consumed red meat again.  For the past three weeks I have been off red meat for medical reasons but due to our pending vacation I have jumped back on the red meat wagon.   (I will revisit no red meat when I return home.   Again all for medical reasons.)  I truly love red meat and yes I did miss it!!  BTW it was bison not beef.  I do try to limit the beef intake due to the fat.

For the afternoon we ventured over to my Mom's to visit with her and my Aunt Dee.   They are quite a pair together and make the time enjoyable.  We wanted to see them before heading out knowing that we will only have a little time after vacation before we head back to Ohio.  

On the Ohio front we are in the sale pending stage.  YEA!!!!   They will be conducting the inspection this coming weekend and we are scheduled for closing on the 31st of July!!!   I still feel like the other shoe will drop, as we have been on market for over 13 months and this is the first offer.   We are all elated here and can't wait to be moving.   I am not looking forward to packing up a house and will be ecstatic when it is done!   

Could be

This could be the day in which we will accept an offer on the house!!  Please PRAY HARD for this to happen.

Thanks!!!!  :)