Back Online!

It has been very frustrating not having Internet access for the past week and a half or so. We got our phone here turned on at the correct time, but for some reason it has taken AT&T a bit longer for our DSL service. Oh well, now I can catch up. Sorry to anyone who has visited and not seen any new posts in quite a while!

Sunday the 23rd we got a U-Haul and did our big move into our new house. With help from a couple friends and relatives, we were able to get most everything in just a few hours. We thought we were more or less in the clear, but found out throughout the week that a lot of “little things” left at Taft added up to quite a few more car and truck loads. By Saturday, however, we were all done and the keys have been handed over. Ron said that that morning he realized as he was locking up the house for the last time, that he would never again go in there. I don’t feel like I got to say a proper “goodbye” but that’s okay. Our first home held a lot of memories, but we brought those with us when we moved.

Sunday was Lucy’s first birthday party (a day before her actual birthday, October 1st), around lunchtime. The weather was very cooperative and it was actually hotter than I expected it to be, especially in the sun. I couldn’t help but remember that a year ago, on September 30, the weather was also quite beautiful. Most of our close friends and relatives were able to come and celebrate with us, and Lucy was so well-behaved the entire time, which made us very happy! She enjoyed playing with her new toys and got some adorable outfits. She loved her cake too, but that’s no surprise… once she figured out that she had full access to a mountain of frosting in front of her she went to town! I have uploaded photos to a gallery on SmugMug of the party.


As far as the new house goes – I painted a few rooms, but not the great room with vaulted ceilings yet… that is going to be a huge job and I’ve been putting it off. I will attempt to have it done before our new cabinets and counters are delivered, so within a couple of weeks this place will see a major transformation. Things have been so hectic with moving, unpacking, and trying to make Lucy’s party nice, that I haven’t really even thought about home-improvements lately, but now we can get to work on it. We got a new refrigerator (there was not one at the house) and no longer have to use Ron’s old dorm fridge. Our new fridge currently has Lucy’s brand new magnetic letters stuck all over it, but I found out quickly that her game is to take them off and throw them on the floor. I’m glad that we have an extra bedroom on the main floor (until Lucy has to move out of the nursery) that we can use as her “playroom”, and Sunday night we actually watched a movie in the basement, which is starting to resemble a decent family room.

Best Parents Ever!

Day 2

We got a little more done today, but nothing crazy. We did not order the cabinets yet - just not enough time, but maybe tomorrow or Monday. Ron did some more carpet cleaning and I got two bedrooms taped, and one room painted one coat (nursery). I picked out and purchased the paints for the three main floor bedrooms and bathroom, but that's it for now. The great room / hallway can be done later. I forgot how much I detest painting! Really the worst part is cleaning out brushes and roller covers (I like to reuse them so I take the time to rinse them out all the way!). I can't complain though - because unlike our last house we are not tearing out walls or rerouting plumbing, or any other major "remodeling"... This is just typical buy-a-new-house stuff, and I think everyone paints when they move into a new place! I just want our room and Lucy's room done so they are ready for sleepin' in Sunday night. I can't believe we only have 3 more nights at this place!

Homeowners Again!

Yesterday afternoon we closed on our Hudsonville house... Ron and I met up at Lighthouse Group (the title company for the seller) and our Realtor and Mortgage Guy were already there. Shannon had flowers (again!) for me, and an Olive Garden gift card for Ron and I to (eventually) go out and celebrate. We began the Signing and within a half hour everything was done! Our Realtor was incredible and we couldn't have been happier with everything she has done for us. Rob (who introduced himself to the other Realtor there as "The Mortgage Guy") was also extremely helpful and fun to work with. This experience was 100 times more pleasant than the last time we bought a house ("we measured it," as Ron would say). We got the keys and went out to the new place to start the long process of cleaning. We thought a good place to begin is the carpets, since we aren't going to be replacing them right away. Especially in the great room, where the previous owner stopped caring about dirt and stains (since it was a foreclosure).


This is the dining area, which actually will not be carpeted - when we redo the flooring in the kitchen we're pretty sure we're going to run it into the dining area as well, even though the carpet is fairly nice. The carpet cleaner Ron rented from Lowe's seemed to work pretty well. A few stains are being pretty stubborn, but overall I think it's a vast improvement. We're going to go over it all again tonight. We know it was working because when Ron emptied the water into the bathtub it was a dark brownish-gray color. We're hoping to update light fixtures in the next couple of months too.


Ron picked up a six-pack of Sunset-Wheat when he ran to the store for toilet paper (might be handy while we're there working) and food (we were both starving). Since he was the one dragging the carpet cleaner around there wasn't much else I could do last night. Today and tonight I should be able to be much more productive though...

In the meantime, I am hopefully going to buy a couple cans of paint and do our bedroom and Lucy's bedroom, the ones which we will have to be sleeping in come Sunday night! Yikes! Ideally we will order our kitchen cabinets and counters either today or tomorrow.

Oh - and apparently someone went in before we closed and cleaned up that area of mold that was causing so much drama.

However they failed to go on spider patrol for us. Tonight they meet their fate: the shop vac. There was one hanging from the middle of the ceiling in the downstairs bedroom (which didn't have a working light) and I only caught a glimpse of it when the light from the window hit it just right, as it was dangling in front of my face! Yyyyyeech! Don't worry Kelly, we'll have them all cleaned up before you ever have to sleep down there! (Anonymous quote: "WTF is that?! Ohmigod, I would totally move!")

I have to say I'm excited about this new place but the big move on Sunday is starting to worry me. Luckily we won't be doing it ourselves, because we're having some friends come over to help load the truck... I SHOULD be worried about how the heck Ron is going to back that thing into our driveway...

Lucy's Halloween Costume

"I'm Crazy Desitin Arm Girl! Now give me some CANDY!"

Someone better get this...

On a Lighter Note

I wanted to add a funny photo of Lucy to take the edge off my blog. That last post was quite a rant. Thanks for putting up with me.

Pincher Bug

I took some more pictures of Lucy today, out in the backyard (where there is more wide open space for her to take steps and crash to the ground...). When reviewing the photos, I noticed that she almost always has her fingers in a "pinch" position while she is trying to walk. Maybe it helps her concentrate. I don't know - but it's funny.

Sneak Peek

This is the Problem. This kitchen is about 90% non-functional. Check out the dishwasher. Imagine you are standing at the sink. Now open the dishwa... Not so fast! You just opened it into the side of your leg! Well, I guess we could wash dishes by hand in the sink there - except the faucet sprays everywhere BUT in the sink basin. Not even getting into the filth that I believe is living in the 1986 oven (which I understand can be cleaned, but I think we're going to upgrade) and the generally dirty cabinets. The stove top fires up (yay) but other than that, there isn't much that can be done in here. Therefore we're scraping together to redo the entire kitchen. It will be laid out more wisely and look a lot prettier.


Here's another one: the main floor bathroom has 3 - count them, THREE, different kinds of flooring! Why narrow it down to one, or even two? Well, we're going to take the leap and replace all three of them with one simple sheet of vinyl flooring. Hopefully we don't have to wait too long to update this room. The walls are going to be painted a light grayish purple color, and we're of course going to invest in a shower curtain. The best part of the bathroom: TWO SINKS! We get ready for bed at the same time and I have learned that two sinks would be very beneficial to our marriage. I included another view which shows the awesome brass cover plates and hardware, as well as the 2nd door to the bathroom which connects to our master bedroom.

We have a lot of work to do - every room needs help. Cleaning, painting, and decorating will make a difference in the majority of the spaces, but the kitchen/great room is going to be a big project. We're hoping to maintain patience and sanity. If we take our time we will do a better job and not "burn out" from the work. I'll be posting more photos as we get things done.

Lunch at the Grill

This morning I met my old friend Lindsey at the Rainbow Grill for lunch. She had her daughter Lola (almost 21 months) with her, and I of course brought Lucy. It was nice to see her and actually get to talk one-on-one. Last time I saw her was a little over 3 years ago at a friend's wedding shower, and we didn't talk at all while we were there. I have known Lindsey as long as I can remember and I like the idea of becoming friends again, even after we had drifted apart for quite a while. She lives in Hudsonville, which is where we are moving, so maybe we will have to get together... It seems like everyone lives in Hudsonville!

Anyway, when they were house shopping a year or so ago, she and her husband actually checked out the one that we are buying! They passed on it, due to the amount of work required to fix it up. I just think it's funny that they were in our house before - and that's another reminder of just how long it was vacant / for sale.

52° and Partially Crazy

I just decided to clean out our bathroom drawers - we have so much junk! I have body sprays, lotions, jewelry I haven't thought about in ages, half-empty tubes and bottles and all kinds of things I just chuck into the trash can without thinking about it for too long. If I start to spend time pondering whether or not I want to discard my last 2 droplets of some perfume, or some old lip gloss, I might start to feel guilty - and that is when I get going with perhaps my strangest habit: personifying inanimate objects and worrying about whether or not they will get to fulfill their destiny. Like that perfume was made at the perfume factory long, long ago. It has sat patiently in my drawer believing that one day it would be chosen for a special occasion. It must - otherwise it would have been thrown out by now, right? Then one day the giant hand appears and reaches for it, lifts it out of the drawer, and - could it be? Just as that perfume gets its hopes up, it finds itself in the trash can with all the other unwanted toiletries. It makes me sad. I know it sounds crazy, but I do this with everthing from un-popped popcorn kernels to the last square of toilet paper. In my mind I know they don't actually have thoughts and feelings, but something in my heart starts to convince me otherwise, and I can't shake it. I guess I really don't like to be wasteful!

New York, London, Paris, Munich...

... Everybody talk about Pop Musik!

Just got this e-mail from U2.Com

It was billed as a 'sci-fi disco supermarket' and it was a rock'n'roll tour like no other. You had to see PopMart to believe it... and now you can.

This week U2's 1997/8 'PopMart' world tour is released on DVD for the first time - live from Mexico City.

And at U2.Com we've just launched a dedicated site celebrating all things PopMart including a twenty minute live audio webcast of the Rotterdam show, the press conference where the band announce they are 'taking the Lemon' to Sarajevo, a behind-the-scenes road diary and a gallery of exclusive shots from on the road.

The DVD comes in a Standard 1-disc format, featuring the concert, and a Special Limited Edition 2-disc format, the 2nd bonus disc containing unreleased live audio and video material, including documentaries, a PopMart tour visuals montage, and DVD-ROM extras.

Everything you need to know including the complete tracklisting.

I am lucky enough to say that I have gone to several U2 concerts, including one show of the PopMart tour - October 31, 1997. Halloween. Pontiac Silverdome. Smashmouth was the opening band, and they were awful! Awful! However, U2 was amazing (and maybe just in my 16-year-old mind it was just so surreal to see tiny Bono out there on the stage... the mirrorball lemon...). We were astounded by the giant screen and all the other drama and huge-ness of it, and afterward we were all yelling at each other in the car on the way home, trying to speak over the ringing in our ears, about how "awesome" it was. I'll never forget it, and although I have been known to put in the VHS from time to time, it's going to be muuuuch nicer to have it on DVD with all the extras (cuz you know I'm getting the Special Limited Edition 2-disc format...) It comes in waves, but I'm still a U2 nut.

Switched Again!

So, our assertive and awesome Realtor got on the phone with some different people and put the heat on, so our close date wouldn't keep getting pushed further and further back. Now, we are officially scheduled to do a split-close this Friday at 4:00 PM. That way, the buyers of our house will fill out their papers at a time convenient for them, and we will fill ours out at a time convenient for us! From what I understand this is fairly common. We will then close on our house in Hudsonville next week, sometime (17th or 18th). At that point we will have possession and get to start cleaning, painting, moving things in, and so forth! We will also have the ability to order our cabinets and get some new appliances, switch plates (ours are brass too... what the heck!), and other little details... which we will take as they come. We're not going to be able to do it all at once, but we want the main / messy stuff out of the way before too long, since by the end of the month, we will have to actually LIVE there!

Parks and Brown Pants

I brought Lucy to a couple of parks today to take some photos of her. The weather was nice, and there were some cool clouds in the sky. I dressed her in brown pants because I knew there would be plenty of dirt involved. Smart thinkin', huh? Anyway, the session ended when Lucy spat up on her sleeve and we headed home for her to take a nap. The wind really got whipping while we were at Heritage Park, and I thought it might even rain... And watch out for those ducks and geese - they come after YOU!


More Here

What's Another Few Days, Then?

UGH Our Realtor called and told me that the close date is going to be pushed back a little on our house (Taft) because the buyers have some weird stuff going on with their loan... so to make a long story short, we're not going to be moving quite as soon as we thought. We'll close on our houses sometime next week, and as much as this stuff annoys me, the good part is that we have more time to get things packed and sort through whatever we might want to throw away or give to Goodwill. I just can't wait for this process to be behind us, and pushing the date back is prolonging it even more. It seems to stress me out, and I hope that our next place turns out to be a home we'd like to live in for a long time - so we don't have to do this again anytime soon! I know my sister has moved more times than anyone. Anyone. So I can't complain too much. I'm just starting to really understand how much STUFF we can fit into our basement...

Fragile

Last night, unfortunately we received some truly sad news. Our friend went into early labor (19 weeks) Friday night, and lost her baby. Her daughter was born alive and although her time on earth was short, she will be a very important part of their lives forever. Her water broke a few days earlier and they were doing everything they could to prevent labor, knowing how tiny the baby still was - during that time, they gave her the name Lily Jane, a delicate flower that needed to grow and be protected. I cannot imagine what they are going through, and of course have no idea what I would even say to them right now. No words can make their pain go away, and we all feel helpless in our desire to make them feel better. I have a lot of feelings that all seem to contradict each other - about knowing that someday their lives will go on, even though right now they can't even begin to think about that. I also feel strangely guilty that we have a healthy daughter and theirs was lost... while at the same time feeling immensely grateful and lucky that this didn't happen to us. It's so confusing to feel sad, hopeful, guilty, and thankful all at once.

I was fortunate to have a very smooth pregnancy and labor & delivery. We are blessed with a healthy child. Looking back, I think I took it for granted how easy I had it, and I am sorry for doing that. Sorry also to be Debbie Downer, but I felt like mentioning this, because it's on my mind.

Frog's Hollow

This afternoon, Ron, Lucy, and I went out to eat at Russ', and then decided to continue our evening by driving around. We meandered over by the new Metro Hospital (opening September 30) and found Frog's Hollow, a cute little playground for kids. No one was there! How could no one else know about it? The weather was nice... Anyway, we had the whole place to ourselves for a while, but before too long a few more kids showed up to play, which intrigued Lucy somewhat. We even ran into a former teacher (with her husband and daugther), and a current teacher at GHS. Anyway, I took plenty of photos since the sun was out and Lucy was having so much fun...

So Much Can Happen During Naptime...

I am FINISHED with the scrapbook of Lucy's first year. Well, really it's a photo book, and does not include any other mementos. I keep that stuff in her baby book. Anyway, I am going to leave a couple of blank pages at the end for the rest of September and also to include photos from her birthday party.

In the process I have a huge mess of "snipits" on the dining room table, and the floor surrounding. I will pick them up, but I had to hustle up here and blog about it first.

It is nice to have that done and out of the way, and I am going to really try to do a couple pages a month. Then I can take my time and do an even nicer job, and it won't seem like such a daunting task.

Ron is expecting me to put in the same effort for child #2 when he or she comes along, and of course I agree that's only fair... but I imagine it's easier said than done, right? Okay, time to pick up my mess.

Stop Sign?

I am driving down Taft, on our way back from visiting Grandville High School, and as I am about to pass a cross street, I see someone running the stop sign! I honk and she slams on the breaks, luckily in plenty of time. There is full visibility from her side and no reason she wouldn't have seen me coming... my headlights are even on (all the time automatically). She would have hit the driver's side of my car, which is of course the side Lucy is on in the back seat. I'm not a perfect driver, but I think it's pretty insane to blow through a stop sign... but at least she didn't hit me. Rant complete.

365 Portraits

I just stumbled upon an awesome photography project site that is so inspiring! It is called 365 Portraits. He's not the first to do this type of project, but according to Thomas Hawk (linked under photography blogs), he's the best. Here's an explanation:

I'm Bill Wadman, a New York-based photographer who after completing my first 365 Project, and then a weekly 52 Project, has taken it upon myself to shoot and post one portrait every day of 2007. The photo will have been taken that day, and each day will be a different person. Some will be in the studio, some will be in the wild. Hopefully they will all be interesting.

I added it to my links so that I can visit each day. I'm tempted to go back and search throughout the entire year... maybe when I'm really bored.

*Note, I stumbled upon one or two nudes, so if you're at work and afraid of getting busted, watch out. Nothing pornographic, but I wanted to give fair warning...

Another First!

Today Lucy got her first tattoo. I know she's not quite one, but I figured she was ready. She went with a gray and white kitten on her left shoulder/bicep. She thought it would show her tough, but feminine side. She didn't cry at all while she was getting it, because she's so hard-core. Here's a close-up:

Creepy Puppet Book

When going through stuff in the basement a while ago, we discovered this book from Ron's childhood. It was in his stuff, but it seems oddly familiar. Kelly, didn't we have some like this, with the holographic cover? I think we did... Either way, we set it aside for Lucy's enjoyment, and today I found it again and put it on her bookshelf.

Anyway, the illustrations are really photos of puppets with eyes that are solid color - not like human eyes - which I find quite disturbing. This one is all about how to tell time, and the things these two puppets do throughout the day at various times.

Here they are enjoying their creepy supper at 6:00. Notice the puppet knives they each are holding. Is this not a recipe for nightmares? Of course, today when I set Lucy free to "read" (pull off the shelf and flip through) all her books this morning, what was the first book she went for?.... you guessed it!

Ready to Move!

Put In Lucy's Room

Last Minute Scrapbook

As unbelievable as it seems, Lucy is turning ONE in less than a month! Since I have taken so many photos over the past year, I have decided that NOW is a good time to put them into a scrapbook. Nothing fancy - I'm keeping it simple to save time and money - but I already got several pages done. I just ran out of glue-stick, so I am stopping until I can get more.

It's going to be nice to have a book of her first year to set out at her party, and hopefully people will enjoy watching her grow up "in pictures". We still have not had professional portraits taken of her, and I'm thinking we should consider getting some - I think at least once per year, around her birthday, would be good (and when she starts school, those school portraits will be timed closely enough to keep it going).

I have completed about 2-3 months of her life, and at that rate, it should only take me a week or so to get it done... then we'll see if I can keep up on it (not likely!).

Last Night of Crazy

Last night was officially the last night that Ron could stay up late and have fun and not have to face teenagers the next day. We had our friends over to have dinner, etc. - one of whom is also a teacher at the high school, so she also made the most of her final evening of summer vacation. We had some good food and drinks, and some very interesting conversation about everything from babies to theories about the existence of aliens. They had the privilege of witnessing Lucy in ultra rare form - one of the screaming-est nights of her life. She is the loudest baby I've ever heard. Not a competition we'd like to win, but we were all quite impressed by her powerful lungs. After I got her bathed and she had her last bottle of the day, we gave her her "lovey" (pink bear) and then she started smiling. She fell asleep quickly and didn't wake up despite all the loud laughing and talking.

Hope Alumni Whitecaps BBQ!

Last night Ron and I went to Fifth Third Ballpark for the Whitecaps game. Hope Alumni who registered were also able to enjoy an all-you-can eat barbecue beforehand. The weather was absolutely perfect, although it got a little chilly when the sun went down, and I was wishing I had a long-sleeved shirt.

We also got to spend some time with Amber and her husband, and another couple they live with, which I didn't realize until last night, but the other guy was someone else from the Pull team. Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and although we are in touch through blogs, we haven't seen each other since... the early 2000's? Well, it's been at least 6 years....

Last night also reminded me of my complete lack of Hope Alumni wear, and today my mom and Lucy and I went to Hope's bookstore to purchase a couple items. Lucy even got another (pink) Hope shirt (which she has to grow into a little bit). Then to Russ' for lunch. I have to say, being on campus is definitely very different now. Students were wandering around, most of them talking on cell phones, and the smell of lunch was wafting from Phelps Hall, and The Kletz while we were in the DeWitt Center. I love being around Hope, but I find it harder and harder to relate to the current students. I am a lot older now, and it's weird how much times have changed. Amber was telling me about how the housing department is having trouble because students are "learning" all about their assigned roommates through social sites like Facebook or MySpace, and are trying to switch! Definitely not a problem my class would have encountered. To them, I say, TOO BAD! Give each other a chance and you might be surprised at how many different people you can get along with! Kids today...

Progress

Today I actually packed up a significant amount of stuff from the kitchen. Ron brought home some more boxes and I figured if they are going to be sitting around, I might as well fill them.

We're still shooting for a close date on-or-around September 14. The only thing that has me concerned is there are a few more hoops to jump through regarding our loan, as we are building in a renovation loan (known as a 203(k)). It gives us a chance to make the changes we want immediately, without really adding much to our mortgage payment. After that we will continue to pay for updates "out of pocket" for all the little things. Anyway, it requires a lot of paperwork, estimates, and whatnot - all managed through a licensed contractor we know. We've done a lot of leg-work with getting estimates (roof, cabinets, appliances, flooring, etc.) and now we're just hoping that everything remains on a timely schedule... either way we will be moving out of here by the end of September! So we're hoping everything goes through alright and we have some time to get at least some of the work done before we have to live there.

Shhh, I think I Hear Something...

More New Photos

Walking (Kind Of)

Please excuse the jams we have her wearing (culottes?), she is a goofy size right now where pants that fit her waist are too short, and things the appropriate length are too loose...

Anyway, she can take a few steps on her own now! She can also take many, many steps while holding someone's hand. It's so cute to see her walking around with her daddy. She seems to be enjoying this new perspective on the world, but still reverts to crawling when she needs to get from A to B as quickly as possible.

We're excited to be moving just in time for this new phase of her development, since it will be much easier to keep tabs on her the way the new house is laid out, with a very open great room. I was also just thinking about the fact that it is pretty likely that Lucy will have little or no memory of her first home here on Taft, even though it seems like so many significant things have happened to her here. We'll just have to show her all the photos... more here.

Instead of Packing, I Will Blog

A little while ago we went through a lot of our "junk" and threw much of it away, starting putting things in large Rubbermaid bins and labeling them. Many bins-full are stacked in the basement and should be easy to deal with when it comes time to move. However, we haven't done much else since then, and today I began filling a couple of boxes with miscellany from the kitchen. Kitchens have so much random stuff! I filled two boxes and don't even feel like I've made a dent! We're not packrats either... It almost makes me want to throw together a garage sale at the time of our moving. It might not be that difficult to do... heck, I'd even give some things away for free just to have less things to move.

The other problem is I have some items that I like, but don't really feel like will go well in our next house. I guess if I'm on the fence about it, I'll pack it and assess the situation later. They can always be used as "white elephant" gifts at the traditional Thanksgiving Bingo night at the Hiddemas!

Out in the Country

Snapshot of Ron and Lucy at the Woodcraft picnic this afternoon.

Milestone!

A couple hours ago we took Lucy over to my parents' house to spend the night there (we're going out tonight), and we hung out for an hour or so. While we were there Ron tried standing Lucy up (we're always trying to see what she can do), and she took 3-4 actual steps toward me. I turned her around and she did the same thing on her way back to her daddy. She never did that before! She kept her balance and took controlled steps like she knew what she was doing! Then she did it a few more times. It is so exciting because it just happened out of the blue, and we weren't expecting her to be taking steps quite yet.

I'm really happy that Ron was there to see it, since he works and I'm usually the one who spends the most time with Lucy. It was just how it worked out. Anyway, no camera in hand, but possibly tomorrow we'll try to get a video clip of Lucy performing her new talent.

Manipulation

For the longest time, when Lucy would show definite signs of needing a nap, I would put her down and she would often yell for a few minutes ("ahhhh"), but it was obvious that it was forced and that she wasn't really suffering. She didn't want to take a nap, but eventually she'd settle down and fall asleep. Since her yelling didn't always get us to come to her "rescue", she has given up on it and replaced it with all-out blood-curdling screams that make me think shutting the windows might be a wise idea. Luckily, these fits don't last as long (I think energy output is greater, and she runs out of steam more quicky...). So our naptime routine is as follows: horrific sounding shrieks of terror followed by silence. What must the neighbors think?

Project Playlist

You may or may not have noticed that I have a music player on the right hand side of this blog (under my list of Blog Buddies). It is from Project Playlist, a site that allows you to borrow music from the Internet, insert it into a little default player, and post that player to your MySpace, Facebook, Blogspot, or whatever. I've seen a few people getting them so I decided I need to hop on the bandwagon before it becomes old news. I wanted it on the side there, but it wouldn't fit properly. I shrunk the player, but the text size seems to be set in stone. I will have Ron look into this. I just threw a few cool songs up for you enjoyment, but I hope to switch it up from time to time.

5 Years!

I just realized thanks to my friend Sam that the 5 year reunion (class of 2002) is coming up at Hope College. This fall's homecoming weekend has a couple of events I'd like to go to, and I'm really looking forward to seeing Sam and Clay, and who knows who else from back in the day. Okay, 5 years might not seem that long, but it totally snuck up on me. I am very excited about celebrating homecoming at Hope and seeing some old friends!

Note To Self

As I was lying in bed last night it finally hit me that Lucy could have been seriously hurt earlier that day when she pushed on a screen too hard, causing it to pop out of the window! From there it would've been about a 4 or 5 foot drop to the driveway. I guess at the time we just scooped her up and got her away from danger, like "phew", but later on I was thinking about the way things could have gone. I tried to brush that dreadful thought from my mind, because I know it won't be the last time we have a near miss. I hate to think of all the times growing up where my sister or I could have been injured, or worse, during everyday play and exploration, which I am sure caused our mom tremendous stress and fear. The fact is, we survived. There's only so much you can do to keep kids safe, and accidents will happen. Stupid, neglectful, could-have-been-prevented moments will rattle your cage enough to be more vigilant as your child becomes more and more determined to get into trouble. So, note to self: make sure baby does not throw herself out the window.

Megan & Jason

Yesterday my cousin Jason and his long-time girlfriend Megan finally tied the knot! Their wedding was at a church in Grand Haven and their reception at Grand Haven Golf Club. Megan and Jason clearly had the time of their lives! We wouldn't have missed it for the world, and we're so excited that she is "officially" part of the family - although it seems like she has been for several years. I can't wait to see what life has in store for them.
Photos Here

Cripes!

We went to the house again, and met the inspector there to go over the place from top to bottom. Here's the lowdown:

1) Original roof - the house is 21 years old. It's showing its age, although for an original roof, he said it's in good shape. We're going to replace it.

2) Wood siding has a certain appeal, but it is showing signs of damage, minor spots of rot, etc. in places, so we're opting to replace it with low/no-maintenance vinyl, but try to match the current look.

3) Mold (!!!!) in the basement. In a small area of the would-be "workshop" (which isn't the finished area, rec room, or bedroom) there is some mold. Inspector told us that mold, being a living organism, is tricky to remove because when it feels attacked, it can actually shoot invisible spores out which will fly around and find a new place to grow. Yuck. Either way, we're not taking our chances. We'll have it removed properly by a company.

So, the mold will be removed before we move in, and the roof and siding done this fall. Must have a safe, healthy environment for our child (and us, of course).

4) Back deck isn't in great shape. Some boards are questionable, and one even broke when the inspector stepped on it (he's a big guy, but c'mon!)...

I know, it sounds like there's more bad than good... but that's not really the case. We feel that we're still getting this house for so cheap, that investing in some of these things will certainly pay off in the long run. The interior renovations may take a little longer, but fixing up the exterior right away will do a lot, we think.

5) Lots of spiders.... ewwww. I guess that happens when a house sits empty for a year.

All in all, we still think it's a great buy. The neighborhood is really nice and the property overall has a lot of great features. We're going to be turning that house around over the next year or two to be something quite a lot nicer. I'm sure the neighbors will appreciate it.


This is a photo of the great room. We want to add stone around the fireplace up to the ceiling. Of course paint, put in new light fixtures, change some flooring...

Like I posted about before, we must have some kind of desire to renovate, since this is going to be a lot of work. I'm sure at times we will feel overwhelmed and wonder if we got in over our heads. Maybe we are taking on more than we should, but eventually we'll get it to where we want it to be.

Night Lights

Yeah, that's right, we have Christmas lights on our back deck. Ron went for a swim this evening, and I happened to grab my camera so I could experiment with different settings in the dark. I'd like to try a similar effect with traffic, fire, lightning, or stars.


More Photos Here

Have a Nice Day!

Better The 2nd Time Around

Today we met with our mortgage guy (who is AWESOME) and filled out lots of paperwork... we're not going to have any problems with the loan, but there are so many things to sign and go over. Some of it seems silly, but I know it's all necessary for legal reasons ("this form just says that you received the form blah blah blah... sign here"). I remember the process last time was much more difficult due to unexpected confusion on Ron's credit report - several of his dad's (also named Ron) accounts were listed there and it was seriously harming our score. They have different middle names so I think it was pretty lame that so much could be messed up, but alas, it happened and it took a while to get it all straightened out. This time around is much smoother by comparison...

Also, last time, our mortgage guy was intimidating and mean, and was patronizing to me, and all in all we got a bad 'vibe' from him. By the way, vibes are usually very real and very accurate. This time, we're dealing with someone who was recommended to us by our Realtor (who I've known basically my whole life) and he is someone who you can just talk to, joke around with, ask lots of questions, and expect honest answers. We are so excited to be dealing with a better person - in case you're interested, it's Rob Eddie from Northern Mortgage.

Our home is being inspected Thursday. The buyers will be present, and they go through everything with a fine toothed comb, so it's a tad scary for us. There shouldn't be any real problems, but it's kind of the last major chance for this to all fall through. While that's happening, we're having the new house inspected (so we'll be there, and I'll try to take some photos). The tentative closing date is on or before September 15. Then we get to paint, clean carpets, and start moving things in!

Resolution

I just checked Amber's Blog and her post got me thinking... (it's worth linking over to check it out). Anyway, a message like that (about living life to the fullest... and so much more) can easily resonate with any one of us, no matter what is going on in your life, and it sparked a thought about where Ron and I are in our lives. Right now, obviously, Ron and I are at a turning point, committing to a home to raise our family in, a community to live in, etc., not to mention the work we are taking on to make that house "our home".

I remembered our meetings with our pastor before we got married, and going over our comparabilities, incompatibilities, goals, dreams, and so on. One thing he noticed about us is that we are always dreaming, scheming, planning for the future - which is great - but he advised us not to sacrifice the present in the process. It's true, we couldn't just pick out a "normal" house that would be easy to move right into. We had to find one that requires a little more imagination... okay, maybe a lot more imagination. We'll always be thinking about things we want to do someday (even if they might not happen)... the idea is not to miss out on life in the meantime.

Thinking back on the last 3 and a half years here, it sure has flown by, but so much has happened. The time we spent remodeling took a toll on us emotionally, physically, financially... in the end we aren't really getting much "Return on Investment", but that's okay. That's not why we did it. We made this house better for the next people, and we satisfied something inside us doing so. It brought out the best in us, the worst in us. It was a very revealing way to spend our first year or two of marriage.

Anyway, this isn't really about home-improvement... it's about having dreams, and goals, and trying to make them happen, even if people around you think you're crazy! We hope that we never run out of things to dream about. I remember pastor Randy saying that he hopes we always have that spirit. It's really easy to lose it. We might have to work for it, but it's worth it - not for the end result, but for the experience of getting there. I'm excited about the future, but I'm just going to make an effort to "enjoy the journey" as well.

SOLD!

Well, pending inspections (which should be no problem) our counter-offer was accepted. We even ended up sliiiiightly higher than I was thinking we would, due to Ron insisting that we go for it. Their Realtor had called our Realtor twice since they put their offer in (yesterday) to find out our response, so it was obvious the buyer was anxious about it too.

We went over the initial offer early this afternoon, wrote our counter offer, and by this evening it was settled! Kind of makes your head spin!

We also checked out the foreclosed house again, just to go over the details a little more. We put an offer on that one, and will order an inspection very soon to make sure there are no red flags. If everything goes through with this, we will be raising a future Hudsonville Eagle!

It's exciting but also very scary now that the wheels are in motion. I hope everything goes smoothly... I just can't believe we're actually going to be in a different house by the time Lucy turns 1. Crazy...

Let the fun begin....

Well, the good news is, we got an offer! The bad news is, they are offering quite a bit less than our asking price. That's to be expected in this market, I suppose, but it sort of hits ya hard. The other thing is they want possession at close, and since we can't close on another house until after ours is officially sold, that's just not going to be possible. I can't believe they threw that one in. We're going to counter-offer tomorrow probably, and that will be part of the counter, as well as the price issue, that we need at least a week or two of transition time.

Now they don't want the pool removed. Okay, fine with me! Maybe they want to sell the whole shebang on Craig's List.

Anyway, this is very nerve-racking, because it's such a mind game and I don't like dealing with people that way. I want to find an agreement that makes us happy, and makes them happy(ish)... but it seems like we have some wheeling and dealing to go through before we can relax. I guess we should be happy the offer came in! Now it's just going to be a challenge to get everything timed right (on top of finding the "right" house and making sure we're not buying a total lemon). Phew...

Someone Loves Our House!

We heard from our Realtor, and she said the couple "loved" the house and probably wants to put in an offer. She said they won't offer the asking price (duh) but we, of course, don't know yet just how low they'll try to go. Ultimately we can counter offer, but we also don't want to be pushovers. She said they "aren't interested in the pool" and would probably want it to be removed. Eek! Maybe we can sell it on Craig's List or Bargain Corner "you remove". We're just not necessarily willing to fill in the hole where the deep end is, or take care of the other landscaping issues that would result. And what about the deck(s) around the pool... it could be a huge job. However, if it means selling the house, we're willing to consider doing it. I hate the idea of dismantling the entire deck structure... all that wood would have to be hauled off the property. Anyone want a 28' above-ground pool?

Also, the crazy house we are interested in has expired, so we're waiting to see if it is relisted at a new price or what. We're leaning toward it - living in a house that we'd be updating over a longer period of time - although I wouldn't be too geeked about the horrendous kitchen (Ron doesn't think it's so bad). If we saved up and took our time, it could be a really cool house. Do I sound like I'm obsessing? Ha ha - it's just that we might get an offer soon, and we're going to have to make a decision. It's a big decision to commit to any new home, let alone one that is going to require some work. Especially with a child, and possibly another one in the next year or two. Well, it's just nice not to have "projects" hanging over our heads, but I guess with any house we moved into, there are going to be things we'd want to change.

I have a feeling if they loved our house, and their Realtor said they might be faxing an offer (either last night or today???) that we will be reaching a turning point in this home selling/buying situation, which is kind of scary... but it's what we've been hoping for ever since we decided to list our house!

Now We Wait....

I just wanted to mention that last night, for our showing, our house never looked better! The basement even looked good (anyone who's been down there knows that it was pretty scary... and Ron cleaned it and it's actually a livable space now!).

The Realtor left her card, but we hope to get some feedback soon. The people who saw our house are already pre-qualified, and do not have a home of their own to sell - those are 2 very good things! We're anxious about it, and trying not to get our hopes up, but we really hope it turns into something!

The house we saw on Knollview is definitely interesting - it would take redoing the whole kitchen, but it has a lot of potential, and lots of space... I think we'd want to look at a few others before jumping into anything, but right now it's Ron's favorite. Funny how we keep finding new houses. It makes me realize that no matter when ours sells, we'll find something we love!

Desert-Like

Ron found this in the yard this morning while he was walking around barefoot. I know it's been dry, but come on! This is a prickly pear cactus, part of the Opuntia genus. It's funny, lately our yard has been so dry, Ron joked that we should just give up on a lawn and make it a cactus garden - we could have nice big rocks laying around, maybe a Joshua Tree, and lots of cacti! How pretty.

Picking Up

Why oh why don't we keep the house clean all the time?. We've been slacking since lately we haven't heard much about people wanting to see our house. Boo. I just got an e-mail from our Realtor saying that someone wants to come tomorrow at 7 PM. So, we have a little time to get things ready, and I want to make the most of every chance that someone might be interested in buying our house! Almost all our fliers have been taken, but I'm afraid that many people take them to look and then never pursue. We're guilty of the same. I will keep that in mind next time we stop by a house for sale.

We found a couple more houses we're interested in - one is for sale by owner, and the only complaint is the kitchen isn't very big at all (and we've been spoiled by a large kitchen here). The other is a weirdo contemporary house in Hudsonville that is a foreclosure. We looked in windows but couldn't see bedrooms or anything, so we're going in it tomorrow morning with our Realtor. It would need some work, but with the right adjustments, it could be a really neat property. Nice neighborhood too (In case you're familiar with the area, it's on Knollview).

Alright, I should be cleaning, not blogging...

Three Years

Yesterday was our 3 year anniversary so Ron took me out for for an evening in Holland - I wasn't clued in on where we'd be going, but I had a couple guesses in my mind, which turned out to be correct! At least he chose the things I would've wanted to do! First we went to dinner at Via Maria, our favorite Italian restaurant (on 7th Street), and we had a very nice dinner. As usual the server we had was outstanding and he got a very nice tip. I ordered way too much food, so we took some with us when we left.

After dinner we went to see She Loves Me at the Hope Theater in the DeWitt Center. Basic plot described on HSRT's site:

As anonymous pen pals, Georg and Amalia love each other as much as they loathe each other in person. We're the only ones who know the true story. In one of the sweetest and most beautiful musicals HSRT has ever done (last mounted in 1986), the songwriting team behind Fiddler on the Roof gives Hungarian embellishment to a favorite story told and retold in movies including "The Little Shop Around the Corner", "In the Good Old Summer Time", and "You've Got Mail".

It was pretty good, pretty funny, and I'm always amazed at all the work and passion that goes into theater productions.

We got back to the car and discovered that in the summer heat, our wonderful leftovers from Via Maria had turned the car quite smelly. Of course the food itself would be questionable, so sadly it had to be thrown out. What a waste! Oh well...

Then we went to New Holland Brewing Company for a "night cap". The place was pretty slow on a Tuesday night, but that was alright. We sat at the bar and had a couple drinks... and also saw Barry Bonds hit his 756th home run. We stayed till about midnight and headed home. I love that place.

It was nice to get dressed up (any time I go as far as to put in earrings...), and have a grown-up evening. I only almost fell two times in my heels (I don't think anyone saw... what's up with the polished wood floors!?). But really, it was a very nice night, and I love that we were in Holland - where our relationship really started out. There are a lot of memories around there, and it's fun to look at how much our lives have changed in just a few years.

Scary Dream

Yesterday Lucy woke up from her afternoon nap (she hadn't been sleeping long), with a panicky sounding cry. Well, I can't quite describe it, but we both thought she sounded scared (not hungry or tired or any of her usual cries). We both went to her crib and she had a worried look on her face and was all sweaty! She was very clingy and after drinking a bottle she settled back down to sleep (in my arms, which NEVER happens anymore!). We were both pretty sure she had a nightmare. It seems early for that type of thing, but according to Ron's Internet "research" it is possible, even at this age. I wonder what it was about, or which experiences are jumbling around in her imagination. The world can be a scary place for a baby, I suppose, and some of it is unavoidable (doctors visits, strangers, big noisy street cleaner, whatever...). Anyone else have this happen with an infant? I know 10 months is young. Just curious. It's another "first" for Lucy (as far as we know), to wake up crying like that from a nightmare.

So, How'd She Do?

We are so proud and amazed by Kelly's accomplishment! I can't imagine how she feels, but seeing her come around that last corner and run through the finish line was incredible! I'm so glad we were able to be there.
Photos Here

Triathlon Eve

Tomorrow morning my sister will compete in the Whirlpool Steelhead 70.3 Triathlon in St. Joseph, MI. This is a half Ironman length race that involves swimming, biking, and running (like any triathlon, in that order). She has been training for what seems like forever, and tomorrow is the big day! My parents, Ron, Lucy, and I will gear up early tomorrow morning (I think I'm getting up at 3:30 AM) to try to be on the road by 4:30 or 5:00. That way we can find a place to park, and hopefully see Kelly before she goes in the water. The course covers a large area, and we're going to try to be at various points through the race to cheer her on. It's going to be a long day, and hopefully Lucy doesn't give us too much guff!!! ha ha. I think she'll do alright :) She'll have plenty to see!

We're going to try to take lots of photos and even a few video clips. Kelly's planning on finishing - as long as she isn't taken away in an ambulance for some reason! Let's hope that doesn't happen! It's a huge accomplishment just to show up for such a race and put forth the effort. We're all really proud of her no matter what, but I do believe she will cross the finish line...

Curls!

Garbage Pail Family

We have 14 of these cards altogether; we found loads of them at an antique store north of Holland a couple years ago! During a search through bins in the basement I found our little collection, and thought I'd share these four (look at the names - you might have to click on the photo).

I never collected them as a kid in the 80's, probably because I found them so creepy (still do!).

here, wabbit wabbit wabbit...

Summer Birthdays

We try to group birthdays and anniversaries together for extended-family gatherings (on my mother's side), and yesterday was a big one! My dad, Jason, Taylor, Brady, Ryan, and Grandpa all had birthdays to celebrate, plus throw in a few anniversaries. It's a lot to keep track of! Anyway, I took lots of photos, mostly of Lucy, but also a lot of my cousin's son, Ryder (5 months old), who I haven't seen in a while!

More Photos

Overheard

Ronnie told me about something he heard during his parents' anniversary party, during the "Not-So-Newlywed Game" they were participating in.

Ron and Sarah were telling the story of how they met, during the introductions of each couple. They met on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. She and her friend saw these two guys who spoke English, so they figured "they'd be safe with them".

"Little did I know, how safe," added Sarah.

Goodness knows I don't understand the intricacies of their relationship, but it works. I guess I don't need to know how. It was a sweet little moment that slipped past a lot of people... including me.

Naps To Energize!

This afternoon I couldn't wait to put Lucy down for a nap, because I could barely keep my eyes open and apparently I needed a nap too.

We went down at 12:30 or so (she in her crib, me in my bed) and it's is now going on 3:00 PM. I just woke up, and Lucy is still napping - that's alright with me, since we're going to the Hiddema's at 5:00 and the more rested she is, the better. It'll help her win all the baby competitions she'll have to undergo. ::sigh::

I think all Lucy is worried about is how she's going to score some more frosting off peoples' cake. Like she even knows what's in store for later this afternoon...

Geez, I can't believe I took a nap! I never take naps.

Who Knew?

I am on a yahoo message board for heterochromia iridium, and get e-mail digests. Today someone's post included some interesting tidbits about the condition. Did you know there is a Heterochromia holiday? Neither did I! Unfortunately we just missed it. Of course, they'll make a "holiday" for anything, but maybe it would be a good way to make Lucy feel special!

There is also a children's book about a little girl with two different colored eyes - one eye "the color of root beer while the other as blue as a lake." Sounds familiar. The book is about a girl who uses her special eyes to look for the (sometimes hidden) beauty in everyday things. It sounds like a nice story for any child!

Surprise!

Today we had a surprise party for Ron's parents - this weekend they celebrate 40 years of marriage, and despite all the ups and downs they've experienced throughout their lives together, they have come through strong and still in love. They were both completely shocked when we pulled up to the pavilion at Johnson Park (after a detour through the scenic drive, just to "kill time" on our way to a nice "lunch"). Even after we parked the car they still had no clue what was going on. The guests were on the side porch waving and it wasn't until we walked up a little closer that they figured out why we were there. They both went on and on about how amazed they were we pulled off such a complete surprise!

Ron did a lot of planning and work, as did my sisters-in-law, but I ended up talking care of a lot of details. It made for a busy last couple of days, but it was definitely worth it, because it was obvious how touched they were that we put this together.


Besides ALL of the kids and grandkids, many of their friends, and extended family made it as well. We had lots of food, music from 1967, and a "Not-So-Newlywed Game" to test 3 couples on how well they knew each other.

It was fun to test out my new camera and I quickly learned one thing: I have a lot to learn about my new camera! I got some good shots, but a lot of not-so. My favorite thing, of course, was to get photos of my nieces and nephews just being themselves.

Proud Owner

I picked up my new Canon Rebel XT today from Circuit City, a trustworthy institution where you can talk to a human being about cameras and accessories, go in empty handed, and walk out with your new purchase!

The guy who was working is a former student of Ron's, and was on the Robotics team back when Ron coached. He's been out of school for a few years, but he remembered me, and we talked a bit. Then he sold me the camera I wanted... he recommended a case that came with some other neat stuff but I passed on that for now, and opted for the cheapest case available. It works fine since I only have the 1 lens, and all the other stuff I need fits in there. I already have one large [diaper] bag to lug around...

Still waiting on my CF (memory) card - 2GB - to come in the mail. eBay was the route for that. Meanwhile, I am trying to familiarize myself with the camera, and I can still take pictures with it, which I can see for a couple seconds before they disappear. This way I can play around a little, and figure out how the heck to use all those neat functions!

Fool Me Once...

With shame, I blog...

As my previous post stated, we ordered a new digital camera the other day - a Canon Rebel XTi. We saw an ad in a digital photography magazine for a company that (obviously) sells cameras. Comparatively, this company: BroadwayPhoto.com, had the best deal. So here's what happened:

Ron placed the order with our bank card. The screen he got said, "ORDER COMPLETE - THANK YOU!" and had the order number, etc. as well as some standard fine print. Little did we know that fine print included something about the company contacting us regarding any adjustments to your order, etc. etc., but since we didn't even see such a message until after the order was submitted, it seemed inconsequential, standard for Internet shopping type stuff. I know, I know...

The next day (today) Ron received an e-mail asking him to call an 800 number to confirm the order. We thought it was processed and shipping via UPS (2-3 days), so immediately red flags went up. This seemed quite strange, so he started Googling the company and quickly found they have a sketchtastic reputation as a "bait-and-switch" scam. They want us to call so they can attempt to sell more accessories, or that our camera is the Japanese version and the US version will be more expensive... and all sorts of other outrageousness. If you refuse, according to other victims, they send you oddball crap anyway, and then charge you a "minimum" 5% restocking fee (which could be as high as %15), and do not refund shipping charges. When it's all said and done, they could charge your account for hundreds, if not thousands, more than you were expecting... Ron, take a deep breath...

Since the e-mail arrived in Ron's inbox too late for him to actually talk with someone at 'customer service' he called National City (24-hour service) and explained the situation. We're not going to be charged, we're not going to call BroadwayPhoto, and if by some chance (slim, but you never know!) we receive a package from them, we'll simply return to sender, unopened. A new bank card has already been ordered.

So, a lot of lessons in this week's blog entries, between the dishwasher thing and this. We're going to a nice big-box store where you get what you pay for. Maybe it's going to cost a bit more, but it's worth not having the headache. I'm going with the "older" Canon Rebel XT kit, which, although the megapixels are lower, is actually an excellent camera. The 2 megapixel difference between the XT (8.0) and the XTi (10.1) is negligible, and only matters for super-large prints, and even at that point most humans cannot detect a difference. Sidenote: For anyone who doesn't work for National Geographic, megapixels start to "plateau" around 7 or 8, and beyond that, it's just a buzzword to convince people that one camera is 'better' than another). The older version (Rebel XT) actually has some nicer features... AND it's slightly cheaper, so between the "downgrade" and the "big-box price" we're going to end up paying about the same. But tomorrow, I should be walking out of Best Buy or Circuit City with my new camera, and no worries. Yay!

Crappy Reviews of Broadway Photo.com

Rebel

Ron has been helping finish our friends' basement, and they paid him yesterday. How much is not important, but let's just say that we now have a couple of new "luxuries": 1) a washing machine and 2) a dishwasher.

I will confess now that we've jumped back into the 20th century, our washing machine's motor broke, and it was going to cost MORE to replace the motor than to just buy a new one. We could never justify it before, but I spotted some used appliances in someone's driveway (one benefit to living in Wyoming) and we checked them out - a washing machine in perfectly good shape for $60!!!. Needless to say we went to my parents' house, got the truck, and I was doing laundry AT HOME that night.

Our dishwasher has been out of order for a while. I can't even remember how long. I think Lucy was still in my belly. Anyway... Ron was sanitizing bottles for a batch of home brew when it started leaking all over the floor. No soap involved in that process, but clearly something was wrong. We bought a bargain corner replacement and that leaked too! Word of advice: used dishwashers probably have a bad gasket because it dries out and becomes brittle. Buy new. So that's what we did... and it works! (Queue the "Hallelujah" chorus of Handel's Messiah). Those two additions should also help our house sell.

The other purchase is a new Canon Rebel XTi, which will be nice for more "professional" looking photos... which I'm hoping to get more into. I still love my handy little Canon PowerShot but this is going to give me some different options, as well as quality. The price listed on that site is not what it cost us, because Ron and I searched around enough to find a great deal, and it's not even a used one! I just wanted to show which one I'm getting. It should be here later this week and I can't wait to test it out! I'm so grateful because this is something that I would never allow myself to get, because there are more "important" things to spend money on, but on the other hand, sometimes it's nice to do something fun and I hope to put it to good use (and maybe even make money someday).

Tooth #1

This afternoon, as I was feeling Lucy's gums (as I often do several times a day), I actually felt a sharp edge! Not like the hard-gums-almost-through that we've had up until today. They have been so close for so long, I was actually starting to wonder if she was born without teeth. Now there is no question that she has at least ONE tooth in there. I felt it, and so did Ron. I think Lucy knows about it too. So, mark it down: July 24, 2007. A week shy of 10 months old. It's about time!!!

Sentiment On Taft Avenue

There are times we really dislike our neighborhood... it is one of the reasons we hope to move soon. Sometimes there are noisy "homemade" vehicles, or hooligans going down the road, there has been graffiti on someones garage door, and a CD player has been stolen out of Ron's car... twice. There are always lots of cars parked on the street (in front of empty driveways), and sometimes people even park in their lawn! Several of the homes are for sale.

We can be negative and focus on all the bad things, but today I'm going to try to be more positive. We can see that our neighborhood has some wonderful people, and so far everyone we've met is extremely friendly. Several homes are being remodeled and made nicer, and for the most part people keep their property looking good (even if they have to paint over gang signs). When it comes down to it, the neighborhood you live in doesn't change the fact that the human experience is playing out, and it really looks similar no matter what your street sign reads. Today when I looked out our front window, I didn't see small houses and lots of cars. I saw this:


...and for a second our neighborhood was actually quite a beautiful place.

Maybe it's because I envision Ron running next to Lucy when she someday graduates from the training wheels (maybe a tad less hunky, tan, and shirtless... but you get the idea). It struck me as so classic and adorable. It's just one of those simple everyday moments that suddenly seems so much more powerful now that we have a child. As they were riding up and down the sidewalk, I couldn't resist snapping a photo from the window. He let go and she rode really far before deciding to put her feet down on the ground to stop... and they were both so proud! Ron said he wanted to go out there and clap for her.

Flight of the Conchords

Ron's brother tipped us off to an HBO series called Flight of the Conchords, and as soon as I get bored, I'm going to check out more hilarious video clips. Anyone seen the show? We're too cheap for HBO, so we'll just have to enjoy it via the Internet!

That 70's House

We were able to walk through the house tonight with our Realtor. What can I say? We love it even more now... so we're definitely what you would call "motivated sellers". The things about the house that were questionable aren't as bad as we thought, and the things that we liked about it, are even better. We still have to sell ours first, of course, but going into the house tonight answered any questions about whether or not it would be a good investment (and we have learned many things about fixing up a house... the hard way).

I didn't take any photos because I had the camera in the diaper bag and didn't feel like getting it out, plus Lucy was really squirmy and tired, and I also felt weird about photographing the house when it isn't ours. It's a bank-owned home, so no one lives there, but I still thought it would be unnecessary. Besides, we saw what we needed to see, and having pictures to stare at would only add to the obsession. Okay, so this is definitely THE house. I hope all the renovating that would be necessary scares off other potential buyers. I don't know what is in store for us, and maybe this house isn't where we're meant to be. I still have faith that we'll find the right place. However, it's all too easy to get caught up in your own desires, and I can't deny the fact that we both love this house. All we can do is wait for an offer on ours!

Shop Till Ya Drop!

Lucy, my mom, and I went to Holland for a very short shopping trip this afternoon. We went to Bumble Bee's in the Outlet Mall and found a couple cute items. Lucy loves touching all the racks of clothes and I love finding such great deals on perfectly good clothing. It's all second-hand, but they only accept items that are in excellent condition, and there is plenty of name-brand, quality stuff. I'd much rather pay a couple bucks for something, rather than full price, since she'll outgrow it before too long. If you haven't discovered this place, it's worth the trip.

Speaking of outgrowing: I wanted Lucy's shoulder straps on her carseat adjusted up a notch, so they were higher up on the back of the seat, and Ron went out to the garage to do it, but the instruction manual said the carseat only allows that to happen if it's in the forward-facing position. So we had to decide, is it better to keep Lucy rear-facing till she is 1 year old, or have the straps fit properly? I guess our tall girl is going to have the be a rebel and face forward. She seems to love the new perspective! Of course, I also love being able to see her in my rear-view mirror and she seems so grown up now, just from facing forward (I know that sounds crazy). My mom took the picture on our way home from Holland today... Lucy was sleeeeeepy.