24 November 2008

Thanks!

This week, we'll be on the road for "thankful Tuesday", so I thought that I'd take a minute and make a list for Thanksgiving week!

1. I'm thankful for the drop in prices at the pump. I got a *full* tank of gas last week for just under $30. My last full tank cost me double.

2. I'm thankful to be able to live and work and worship in the United States. We are so fortunate.

3. I'm thankful that my boys had the proper winter gear to head to school today.

4. I'm thankful that four years after Mom's breast cancer diagnosis at age 50, she is healthy and whole and able to celebrate with us!

5. Most of all, I'm thankful this week for the opportunity to spend time with my grandparents, parents, siblings and neices and nephew. AND to get to eat Mom's cooking!

Have a happy Thanksgiving everybody!!

21 November 2008

Random thoughts part 2.

You wouldn't believe the number of pencils, pens, markers and crayons that were in the drawer in the kitchen.

I'm so tired.

I hate packing. *stomps feet*

Awfully cold overnight. Lovely.

I've been obsessive about getting on the web to look at the pictures of "our" house. I can't wait to be in it!

I can't wait for Tuesday.

I shouldn't have eaten the chips and dip at 2:30; I won't be hungry for dinner.

I miss my Mom.

I can't wait to hug my sister.

Hopefully C will let me sleep in tomorrow morning.

I wanna watch the Michigan/Bl-ohio State game tomorrow, but I don't.

Sometimes people suck.

I really want to meet 2 of my message board friends.

Thank GOD today is Friday!

19 November 2008

Don't let the door hit ya!

Making this move would be so much easier if people were happy to see us go. Every day, another teacher or staff member finds out about our news and the reaction is always excitement mixed with disappointment. Excitement that we are buying our first home, but disappointment that it means a change in schools for our boys and for me.

M had to tell the Safety Patrol advisor that we were leaving. He had done that last week some time, but today was the first time that she had a chance to mention it to me. And like everyone, she was happy for us but sad to see us go. She's especially disappointed that she will have to choose a new captain for Safety Patrol. She assures me that M will do well with his adjustment to middle school; he's apprehensive, but he'll settle right in, I hope. J and I have promised him that we are going to do everything possible to make sure that the next time he has to move, he'll be headed off to college. That should allow him to put down some roots and hopefully graduate from that district with a few "lifelong" friends.

C hates change with every fiber of his little 6 year old body. He's going to have a harder time, I think. But our current principal encourages us to still attend dances and events held at our school and that C can write to his teacher and classmates if he chooses. I pray that he is able to find a buddy at the new school that will help him make the adjustments.

I've promised myself that I'm not going to cry on our last day. Some days, I think that I'll make it; today, I'm sure that I won't.

We're excited and sad too, in a way. For me, it just brings back every time I ever moved as a kid. There's sadness at leaving the friends and home that I've known and excitement at what having new friends and a new home means. I'm very social, so it wasn't particularly hard for me to move. It was much harder for my sister who didn't make friends as easily. But it all worked out in the end.

And this move will too.

18 November 2008

Thankful Tuesday!

I've missed the last couple of Tuesdays, so I needed to make sure and get here today. Here's my thanks:

I'm thankful for my husband. He's doing everything he can to see that we get into that house and can stay there. He's a hard worker and an involved dad and one of my best friends. I'm very lucky.

I'm thankful to see the sunshine, even if there is a dusting of snow on the ground. :)

I'm thankful for my co-workers reactions to our house and moving news. I'm glad that not one of them have been happy to see me go.

I'm thankful for leftover pasta. "They" are right, it does taste better as leftovers.

Give thanks!!

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17 November 2008

Random thoughts

1. I really should turn on the light next to the computer. Then I wouldn't be mistyping absolutely everything.

2. The living room looks like a tornado hit it.

3. How could we have accumulated so much crap in only 2.5 years??

4. The majority of the food that I have consumed in the last 36 hours has been bisquick sausage cheese balls.

5. It snowed this afternoon and most of it already melted. Thank God.

6. I really need to tell my neighbors that we're moving.

7. I swore that J wasn't going to help me pack, but I'm not sure that I want to do it alone.

8. I really wanted to have a third baby.

9. I can't wait to see my family next week!

10. If I see a mouse in the basement I'm never going down there again.

14 November 2008

It's official....I've been sucked in.

To shopping early for Christmas, that is.

Really, I hate that Christmas "comes" so early. We don't even get past Halloween and the tree displays are up in stores. And when I was at WM this week, there is christmas music playing over the loud speaker.

Now logically, I understand why someone would shop early. My mom, for example, hates crowds so it's really nicer for her to get her shopping done early. And if you don't wait till the last minute, you are much more able to find things that you're looking for. But for goodness sake, it's November 14th!

Today was payday, so I thought that I'd get a jump on the boys' lists. Would have been helpful, of course to have M's list with me. Oh well. I was aware of certain things that were on his list and did get some things that I had in mind first. It was much easier to remember what was on C's list, since everything he wanted he announced to his brother as we walked the toy aisles. (M was writing a list!)

I got a start. And I admit, it felt good. I got everything that I had in mind so far and the best part is that I paid in cash! That's a victory in itself, I tell ya.

13 November 2008

I may not make it through this.

This move may kill me. Or at least give me an excuse to see a therapist. I hate packing; I put off even packing a suitcase until the very last minute.

We've lived here for two and a half years and you wouldn't believe the crap we've accumulated. It boarders on ridiculous, really. I just spent a good portion of the late afternoon going through the cabinet above the range hood and the file box in the bedroom. It doesn't sound like much, but that was totally enough for today.

J comes from a "packrat" background. God love him, it makes me crazy. I come from a "pitch it" background. And for some reason, the packrat in this marriage has slowly taken over. I just tossed out overtime checkstubs from a job he had before C was born; that's previous to 2002! Oh, I should correct that; I put them through the shredder. That poor shredder got a workout today, that's all I can say.

And while I am slowly losing my mind in the chaos, J's only response is "I guess we have our work cut out for us." To which I want to reply, "What in the WORLD do you mean WE?!?! Have you ever packed for a move??" Actually he did for our last one and after the complete randomness of all the boxes that he packed, I swore that he was never packing another box.

Thank god that we have 29 days before we close on the house. I'm gonna need every spare minute. And the number of a good therapist.

10 November 2008

We're getting a house!!

We're super excited to announce that we had our offer accepted on a house this afternoon! It's a less than 50 year old, 5 bed, 1 bath house with detached garage in a rural community. It will need a face lift on the inside of some new paint and new carpeting, but otherwise it's great! And the price was right, it had been dropped by 10k just last Tuesday.

We expect to close on it in mid December and get out of our apartment by New Years Eve, We'll keep you posted.

08 November 2008

It's Snowing!

Yes, friends, it's true. It's barely November and the white stuff is coming down! Granted, the ground is still warm, so it isn't really sticking there, but it is definitely sticking to cars and any objects left outside.

Now I guess the bbq should hibernate for the season:


The bushes right outside the front patio. If you squint and tilt your head to the left, you can make it out!


Now granted, by the time I stepped outside to take pics, it was more of a rain/snow mix, so it won't last. And by March, we'll be sick to death of seeing it. But for today, I'm glad that I have no plans to leave the house and I can just watch it come down!

07 November 2008

Thankfulness!

I missed "Thankful Tuesdays" this week. Completely. So, here's my attempt to catch up.

C had a "super" day today. He helped out one of his classmates and she reported to the teacher that he was a good friend. C then got to move his clip to "Super". He was very excited!

My house is warm. Since we are supposed to be getting snow in the next few hours, this is a big deal.

I love my dad. I'm very thankful that I have him in my life. He's a great Christian man who strives to do God's work and do right by his wife and children.

I'll live anywhere as long as J is with me. We're struggling with the knowledge that we pay more in rent than ever, so we're trying to find a house. For the amount we can afford, we haven't had much luck. That makes me disappointed, but when it comes down to it, I'm happy just as long as I have him by my side, house or no house.

God has a plan. He sees all and knows all and He knows what's best for me and for my entire family. And that's good enough for me.

05 November 2008

I really don't like it.

It's 5:31 CST and completely dark out. That means, to me, that winter is coming. Cold, dreary, snowy days where the sun is hidden for what seems like ages. Pretty soon we'll be getting up and it'll be dark and having dinner in the dark. Gah. Bundling up till we can barely move to go outside to freeze. Driving on slippery, sloppy roads. Ick.

Why, oh why does it have to be dark so early?!?!

But that does bring us to Thanksgiving and Christmas, which I love. The food, yes, but more getting to see family. It's a few short days that we get to spend with family every year and it goes by SO FAST!

I look forward to the holidays, but for once, can't we just have them without the winter afterward?!?