The kids are all happily playing with various items with electrical components, so I have a quick second ;)
As much as I have dreaded aging in the past, i find myself thankful today for many things, including the promise of this new year. As a kid i always hated having my birthday in January,...let's face it, having a birthday just 6 weeks shy of Christmas leaves a very long years with nothing in between. As an adult though, it's kind of become a beacon for me to gauge my year to come. Last year my birthday (to put it as nicely as I can) SUUUUUCKED. if I recall correctly Dean worked, and it was just *another day* as if felt, kids were cooped up, tired, cranky...I was pg, you get the picture.
This year, so much is different. It's like my life took a 180, got on a plane, flew to another country and got a full body makeover lol. Seriously I'm not exaggerating, or at least i don't think I am.
Anyway, things are heading in a direction that is not a norm for me, or us I should say because lets not forget that while I travel this life through my eyes, I have that better half O.K.A. Dino ;) (*sigh* he still makes me swoon....I can't help it lol!!).
So, with that said, here are my reasons for my feeling incredibly fulfilled...
God has so blessed me it is beyond me to even fathom why or how he does it, all I know is, while i am still struggling with direction I know that I have finally come to a place in my walk in this past year where I fully trust in HIM. Not myself, mt my husband.,...not the economy, just Him and his almighty ways. The only disheartening part is that it took me this long to get to this point. For that I'll forever be eternally apologetic.
We are moving along financially in ways that I never dreamed possible.
We are all healthy, thank you Lord.
Our parents are still alive and doing well lately which is good :)
I'm getting my new tatt done here in a few weeks, i can't wait!
I got my taxes done, i <3 tax time lol. AND....we got back nearly 2K more than we expected so that's good because it will be more security for renting out current said house.
I have finally FINALLY taken the steps to set up savings accounts for all my kids. They had a really fun learning time yesterday while doing this because it gave them a chance to be a part of it and put some of their hard earned $ into the bank.
I am going for my first triathlon in May!!! I cannot TELL YOU how excited I am to do this. I spent this weekend relaxing and enjoying my diet, even went out last night and spent time with friends who threw a party for me for my birthday so I got my last few drinks in between now and summer once the Tri is over because I won't be able to partake in such things until then. I can't wait! I have to find a place to brush up on my swimming, it has been a few years since I swam, but I'm sure it will return quickly once I get into the pool. I was on swim team from about age 7 until I was...a sophomore in HS? yeah. Love the pool. I also can't wait to get my bike back out, the lagoons are calling my name ;)
And, of course....this is the first year in like what feels like forever that I will not BE pregnant , nor will I GET pregnant LOL. Yesssssssssssssssssssss.
LOL! (I would go on and on about this, but if your a faithful reader, you already know how I've dished on this one before so I won't go there).
All in all, turning 35 isn't anything I'm hating, or afraid of. I'm looking forward to tis year of 2010 and thankful to be where I am in life. Peaceful.... peace in knowing that I am where I am supposed to be, even if I don't always understand how I got here.
And the last thing is I am incredibly excited to once again have the privilege of watching 8 beautiful kids grow and mature this year. I love every stage of their growth, even the ones that drive me nuts as I am slowly learning. I'm really trying hard to resolve to love every bit of the mistakes they make because I can now see it shapes them and makes them who they are and who they will eventually become. I love watcing Lettie crawl on her chubby/stubby little legs like a wind up baby. I love how Nate seriously cannot help his hyperness LOL, and he does THE BEST impersonations of people. I love how Dylan thinks almost identical to how I think, and when I look at him I see my cousin Beth (seriously he got the Mac genes without a doubt). I love how Peanut still desperately needs her mama every day, even though she is almost 6 and goes to Kgarten , which she says is the most fun ever. I love how JP can kick everyone's butt at super mario bros on the Wii, to where NO one wants to play with him (seriously no lie) and he is only 4. I love how Cessalie is learning that what you are on the inside is just as important (if not more so) than whats on the outside, and she seriously idolizes Pink. I love how Susie will gladly blow off anything in life (outside of food and sleep and TV lol) , but when it comes to the plight and life of the wolf, she knows every single fact there is, AND she is now dreaming of her first Ididerod. And while he is a TOTAL tornado, and his little brain doesn't stop from 7am until 8pm when I carry him to bed, I love Cohen's inquisitiveness. Mama's of toddlers....embrace that spunk, it's something to be cherished and loved. Mess making is learning, and while it stinks you have to clean it up (10 times a day, trust me I know!) it's that little mind working thing in their world out. Kiss them extra when they mess make, and then make them help you clean it up!! ;)
That reminds me...I'm running out of time so this will have to be quick. That cute little toddler of mine who is learning about the potty much to my satisfaction right now, decided to flush....something down the toilet 2 days ago. I had to REALLY REMIND MYSELF how cute he was when the plumber pulled the toilet and proceeded to tell me that this problem would not be solved with a toilet snake....OH No!! Whatever it was , was logged inside the toilet itself and the only remedy was replace the toilet. Well normally I would have paid him the basic service call and sent im on his way, relied on the other toilet in the house and made due until Dean was off work and we could install a new one, problem was Dean was working midnights and we don't HAVE another toilet. So Cohen is now worth another $275.15 as of this week :D (i'm smiling....he's cute, he's still cute...right? lol). It was totally my fault too, I turned my back for all of 5 nano -seconds and the stealth bomber (as my FIL calls him) proceeded to wreak his havoc. *sigh*
With that said, he is running around now because his electronic entertainment has now expired so I guess that's my cue to wrap it up. I have 8 kids to get ready for the outting to Toledo anyway, so I guess it's perfect timing.
Happy birthday to me!!!! January 31st was/still is a great day to be born :)
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
We put in an offer today!!! *squeeeeee!!!*
I'm really excited, but trying not to get overly excited just yet (of course).
We put in an offer today on a house we found that fits PERFECT!! It's a 5BR, 3BA colonial, 3 car garage that actually fits my van (which is crazy because I have to have an 8 ft clearance), huge HUGE basement thats perfectly unfinished (like a blank canvas ;) )....so now it's a waiting game. It could be end of March before we know anything, but at least its out there and I can start focusing on packing (more lol).
Here is a teaser pic...
We put in an offer today on a house we found that fits PERFECT!! It's a 5BR, 3BA colonial, 3 car garage that actually fits my van (which is crazy because I have to have an 8 ft clearance), huge HUGE basement thats perfectly unfinished (like a blank canvas ;) )....so now it's a waiting game. It could be end of March before we know anything, but at least its out there and I can start focusing on packing (more lol).
Here is a teaser pic...
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
When in doubt...pray.
I always live my life by one rule of thumb, when in doubt, even a shred of doubt, pray that God make himself known. Sometimes He speaks in big major ways, sometimes in subtle ways, and sometimes I believe that God truly doesn't have an opinion and allows us to choose which path we will take. Today was one example of God speaking softly to my heart in small ways, yet I also think he gave us some big signs as to which way we should now head.
I was renewed this week in the house hunt in spirit and vigor as i got over last weeks *i visited a builder* shenanigan. I knew heading into that sitch not to get overly excited, the truth is, builders are pricey not only in a regular economy but in this one as well. The only difference is now more than ever it matters because the market is upside down equity wise. Everyone is feeling the pinch, and I see now that builders have been hit even more so because their prices truely reflect it. What upset me though wasn't so much the fact that they actually build houses for gobs of $ that do NOT include things like, window sills for example (this is no lie), it was the false (and I do say its false) advertisement they put on their website claiming they will lease your house for a period of 6 years. First of all that is subject to 1 thing...how much you spend on the house you buy from them. Ahh ha. I knew there had to be a catch, I knew it and went down that path anyway, my own stupid.
So, in retrospect I can't say that I am mad at them, just myself. The truth is, I'm desperate. Thats not a word I think I've used a lot in my lifetime to describe myself because I tend to 1. look at the bright side 2. find the good in everything 3. try and make do and all that other good stuff.
This situation though, while its not do or die, it is maddening to say the least living in a house this tiny with this many kids. It really wasn't until I got into some of these bigger homes that I realized just how tiny this one is for our size family. My house doesn't feel small until all the kids are home all day and we are all in this one room with no where else to go.
So, this past week I revisited one house in particular that has been on my mind for weeks now. I actually had a dream about it if you can believe that! So as not to confuse anyone about my dreaming/prophetic abilities...my dreams are usually about total chaos and random happenings, not anything concrete so I was a little skeptical that I should rely on that factor for anything other than coincidence.
I'm glad that is what I did too, not only did I do that, but I had several friends look at the layout of this house, asked others how big their houses were and how many kids they had and one thing I found was, this house I was considering was definitely on the small side for our size family. 6 kids...might have worked, maybe, the problem was it was only a 4BR and one of the living spaces downstairs was going to have to be made a BR, which...ok that's fine if there are living spaces to spare, and in this house it was only 1 of 2. Granted there was a basement that had a living area down there too, but it wasn't huge by any means. It just felt too small. I asked my SIL if she would come with me and check it out and thankfully she was able too. The verdict from her was the same...the kitchen was UGH TDF! But the rest felt like a tight fit. She should know, she has 7 kids so I trusted that she would shoot me straight.
The Irony here, or the eye opener here is that just before this while we were in another house...I was told that there was an offer on this one. This in my eyes sealed the deal for not even going for it. I'm sad, but excited too because while I loved that house for many reasons, I also know that its not God's best for us so bye bye nice house, love ya but see ya! LOL and that's that. God spoke, Chris heard/obeyed.
The other 3 houses we looked at...the first was a J.O.K.E. It said 2400 sq ft, I think they were counting the yard, seriously. OUT.
The 2nd was really tastefully decorated and it would have worked, it was in a nice sub with trees out the backdoor, but it was priced high,...the basement was finished and was very choppy IMHO, I wasn't impressed..not OUT but not high on the list right now unless they want to drop the price $20K.
The third though...now we might have something. It is a true 5BR, which has been my biggest complaint in this whole ordeal, true 5BR's are super hard to come by. This one had that, and a ton of space to spare, but not over the top. The basement is unfinished, (cool) and HUGE, its fenced, it has a 3 car garage that's big enough to fit my van in (which is seriously weird because you never see garage doors that tall, I have to have a 7 foot clearance, these are 8ft.) So...we shall see :) It's a really nice house...Brian is looking up the comparables on the neighborhood for us to see how the price compares. It doesn't have the grand kitchen that the last one did, but what is there is slightly upgraded and good sized. HUGE eat in kitchen (which I love because formal DR's to me are a total waste)...it will need some paint, and def new carpet, but I don't think VA will have any issues with it since its only 7 yrs old.
Schools are the same schools my SIL has her kids in,and its only 1 mile from an awesome metro park (running/hiking/biking/swimming HEAVEN!!!).
So, that's all I know for now :)
All in all, not how I anticipated the day going, but I guess thats how faith works. I knew that God would speak today and He did loud and clear to me. I can't say for sure this new one is THE one, but maybe if nothing else its for him to show us that what we need IS out there we only need be patient?? possibly, we shall see.
I'll update later when we know if we are going to really consider this one and go through with an offer or not ;) thanks for the prayers friends, it means so much to know those who love us and care for us are pinging the throne of God on our behalf. May God bless each of you extra this week in your walks with Him.
I was renewed this week in the house hunt in spirit and vigor as i got over last weeks *i visited a builder* shenanigan. I knew heading into that sitch not to get overly excited, the truth is, builders are pricey not only in a regular economy but in this one as well. The only difference is now more than ever it matters because the market is upside down equity wise. Everyone is feeling the pinch, and I see now that builders have been hit even more so because their prices truely reflect it. What upset me though wasn't so much the fact that they actually build houses for gobs of $ that do NOT include things like, window sills for example (this is no lie), it was the false (and I do say its false) advertisement they put on their website claiming they will lease your house for a period of 6 years. First of all that is subject to 1 thing...how much you spend on the house you buy from them. Ahh ha. I knew there had to be a catch, I knew it and went down that path anyway, my own stupid.
So, in retrospect I can't say that I am mad at them, just myself. The truth is, I'm desperate. Thats not a word I think I've used a lot in my lifetime to describe myself because I tend to 1. look at the bright side 2. find the good in everything 3. try and make do and all that other good stuff.
This situation though, while its not do or die, it is maddening to say the least living in a house this tiny with this many kids. It really wasn't until I got into some of these bigger homes that I realized just how tiny this one is for our size family. My house doesn't feel small until all the kids are home all day and we are all in this one room with no where else to go.
So, this past week I revisited one house in particular that has been on my mind for weeks now. I actually had a dream about it if you can believe that! So as not to confuse anyone about my dreaming/prophetic abilities...my dreams are usually about total chaos and random happenings, not anything concrete so I was a little skeptical that I should rely on that factor for anything other than coincidence.
I'm glad that is what I did too, not only did I do that, but I had several friends look at the layout of this house, asked others how big their houses were and how many kids they had and one thing I found was, this house I was considering was definitely on the small side for our size family. 6 kids...might have worked, maybe, the problem was it was only a 4BR and one of the living spaces downstairs was going to have to be made a BR, which...ok that's fine if there are living spaces to spare, and in this house it was only 1 of 2. Granted there was a basement that had a living area down there too, but it wasn't huge by any means. It just felt too small. I asked my SIL if she would come with me and check it out and thankfully she was able too. The verdict from her was the same...the kitchen was UGH TDF! But the rest felt like a tight fit. She should know, she has 7 kids so I trusted that she would shoot me straight.
The Irony here, or the eye opener here is that just before this while we were in another house...I was told that there was an offer on this one. This in my eyes sealed the deal for not even going for it. I'm sad, but excited too because while I loved that house for many reasons, I also know that its not God's best for us so bye bye nice house, love ya but see ya! LOL and that's that. God spoke, Chris heard/obeyed.
The other 3 houses we looked at...the first was a J.O.K.E. It said 2400 sq ft, I think they were counting the yard, seriously. OUT.
The 2nd was really tastefully decorated and it would have worked, it was in a nice sub with trees out the backdoor, but it was priced high,...the basement was finished and was very choppy IMHO, I wasn't impressed..not OUT but not high on the list right now unless they want to drop the price $20K.
The third though...now we might have something. It is a true 5BR, which has been my biggest complaint in this whole ordeal, true 5BR's are super hard to come by. This one had that, and a ton of space to spare, but not over the top. The basement is unfinished, (cool) and HUGE, its fenced, it has a 3 car garage that's big enough to fit my van in (which is seriously weird because you never see garage doors that tall, I have to have a 7 foot clearance, these are 8ft.) So...we shall see :) It's a really nice house...Brian is looking up the comparables on the neighborhood for us to see how the price compares. It doesn't have the grand kitchen that the last one did, but what is there is slightly upgraded and good sized. HUGE eat in kitchen (which I love because formal DR's to me are a total waste)...it will need some paint, and def new carpet, but I don't think VA will have any issues with it since its only 7 yrs old.
Schools are the same schools my SIL has her kids in,and its only 1 mile from an awesome metro park (running/hiking/biking/swimming HEAVEN!!!).
So, that's all I know for now :)
All in all, not how I anticipated the day going, but I guess thats how faith works. I knew that God would speak today and He did loud and clear to me. I can't say for sure this new one is THE one, but maybe if nothing else its for him to show us that what we need IS out there we only need be patient?? possibly, we shall see.
I'll update later when we know if we are going to really consider this one and go through with an offer or not ;) thanks for the prayers friends, it means so much to know those who love us and care for us are pinging the throne of God on our behalf. May God bless each of you extra this week in your walks with Him.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
I'm a liar, and a glutton for punishment.
I know, I lied and said i would do the pics lol....but I seriously had no time yesterday or today. Hoping tomorrow lends some time...while i hate house hunting we are still kinda looking on top of packing stuff up to go when its time, etc. I dropped over $100 today at Target getting tubs to put the kids stuff in. I'm a crazy woman, my life, time and everything in between are not my own anyways, and right now, they are even worse.
Whose dumb idea was it to make 75 cupcakes tomorrow anyways? geesh!
Whose dumb idea was it to make 75 cupcakes tomorrow anyways? geesh!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
pic'sies coming!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got my pics from the photoshoot Lettie and I did with my friend recently last night, will be working on them later tonight....after I grocery shop, and eat dinner , and put kids in the bath, and then to bed, and after I put the grocery's away , oh and after I catch my breath *huuuhhhuuuhhhhuuhh*
lol.
lol.
An old friend,..... and 15 kids!
I admit...I used to think I'd never say I wasn't open to having another baby, but alas I arrived at that conclusion very recently and am very happy with our 8 :) (eight is enough 2K style baby!! lol ).
Anyway, here is a mama I used to know way back in the day (online) when I only had like 4 or 5 kiddos, her name is Christi, her and hubby are expecting #16, WOWZA! You go girl ;)
15 BLESSINGS!!!!!!
Just had to give a shout out to her and her blog, looks like they are house hunting too....cool!
Although, thinking about her 4 BR 1 BA makes me feel a bit selfish for wanting bigger for my clan haha!! I can't imagine twice the people in this house I currently reside, my hat goes off to her and her hubby...hope you find the perfect house ;)
Anyway, here is a mama I used to know way back in the day (online) when I only had like 4 or 5 kiddos, her name is Christi, her and hubby are expecting #16, WOWZA! You go girl ;)
15 BLESSINGS!!!!!!
Just had to give a shout out to her and her blog, looks like they are house hunting too....cool!
Although, thinking about her 4 BR 1 BA makes me feel a bit selfish for wanting bigger for my clan haha!! I can't imagine twice the people in this house I currently reside, my hat goes off to her and her hubby...hope you find the perfect house ;)
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