Can you tell it's been a busy month? Can you tell it's May?
Yes, I'm still here. Behind in posting and behind in reading and visiting, but I'm here.
Now that summer is officially here (today was the last day of the school year!) I hope to get back into the swing of things.
It was about this time last year, give or take a few weeks, that I posted about the winds of change that blew through Drosche Land, reread here. That was when Amy left Trinity and re-entered the classroom as a teacher at a new school. Well, the winds of change died down after this but never truly went away. In fact, they've picked back up.
If you've put two and two together then you've probably figured out what I'm getting at. Yes, I am also now leaving Trinity and moving to a new school. It was something that began back in January and was finalized around Spring Break. But I didn't post about it. Life was busy. April came and brought the A-Z Challenge. Then May came and brought its usual crazy busyness. But I figured today was a great day to finally get this post out there, since it is the last day of the school year.
Why leave, you might ask. Well, it's just time. Time for change. Time to move on. I truly feel as though God is moving me around in ministry. Calling me to go where He needs me. It is something that was stirring inside of me for a while. A nudging. A small, nagging feeling that didn't go away. So I prayed and I listened and I thought. Doors were opened and I was led through them. It wasn't an easy decision to make by any means. I'm not always eager or receptive to change. Quite the opposite sometimes. But this was a change that was clearly in His plan for me.
Where are you going, you might ask. Well, that is the funny part of the story. I am heading to the school where I attended 2nd - 8th Grades. The school where I met Amy. The church I grew up in. Small world huh? Made even smaller by the fact that the principal was actually my 8th Grade teacher. Crazy huh? I'll be teaching 1st Grade again, my dream job.
What about the kids, you're probably asking now. Well, that was a big decision for Amy and I. Again, not an easy one to make. We have made the choice to split them up. Braeden and Stella will attend where I am working. Jackson will be moving to Amy's school. We decided this more many reasons. Logistical. Emotional. Financial. Personal. We also wanted to give each of the boys a chance to stand on their own, make a name for themselves. So far we have been blessed with this decision as they are both ecstatic about it and cannot wait to start at their new schools in August. We truly feel like we've made the right choice.
So change. It's coming again. Soon. Today was quite emotional for me as I said goodbye to my students. This year was an awesome year and I truly bonded with them. I'll miss them tremendously but know they will achieve success in whatever they do. Today I was also reminded that I don't just have coworkers, but friends. The past 4 years have brought some great memories and great times that I'll cherish as I move on. Friendships have been made that I pray remain strong. I feel they will.
There you have it. A bittersweet day. Saying goodbye. Ending a chapter in life while simultaneously beginning a new one. Moving on. Moving forward. That's what is happening here. The next couple of months will be a whirlwind as summer officially begins and I mentally, and then physically, prepare for a new year at a new school. But life is good. We are blessed for what we've had and what He has in store for us. Blessed.
All is well, windy and changing, in Drosche Land.
Showing posts with label Moving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moving. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Out Back
So, you know that Amy and I are always ones to suddenly start a home improvement project. Just on a whim. Out of the blue.
Sometimes it's thought out and planned. Other times it's spur of the moment. Sometimes it's a grandiose project that spans several days. Other times it's a short adventure, lasting only a few hours.
You might recall some of our past projects. Painting the living room and entry. Painting the kids' bathroom (and then painting it again when we listed the house), tiling the living room and entry, building a deck, or the most recent project - chalkboard paint. Well, this past weekend was a glorious 3-day weekend and we did our fair share of relaxing. However, we can't go that long or have any extended break without getting involved in something. Come on, you know us better than that. So, lo and behold, Monday morning it began.
It has its roots in our frustration at the amount of shedding that Rex does. Oh dear is it a lot. A lot. A lot. A lot. See, I had to write it 3 times in bold, italics, and underline to get the point across so you are aware of just how much it is. I just can't believe that one dog can shed that much! Anywho, I digress. He sheds, you get the picture.
So, Stella is nearly crawling (we're like a week or so away!) and it is killing us to think about the shedding and her impending mobility. We can't get rid of the dog. I don't fee like wrestling him down to shave him bald, plus he might get cold. Brushing doesn't seem to help. Our options are limited and running out. We decided to get them out of the house more. Maybe that will help. Less time inside, more time to run around. More exposure to varying temperatures to help. We're at the end of our rope here dear readers.
So, we ventured out on Monday to the lovely Home Depot in search of a doggy igloo, you know the one I'm talking about. Well, in case you didn't know, they don't sell those at Home Depot. At least not the one near our house. We didn't want to tackle building a doghouse or dog run so we were once again limited and desperate. Then, in a moment of beautiful inspiration, Amy had an idea. We'll move down one of their kennels (the big one they can both fit into) into the back yard and take the door off. Bingo! Problem solved, plus it was FREE!
Meanwhile, we have 100 concrete pavers that we put down in our backyard when we first moved in. Just to the right of the patio. It was a quick and easy attempt to extend the patio. However, it was also done hastily and, dare I say, lazily. We didn't have quite the knowhow or funds to do it properly. We didn't level it correctly or lay down any kind of barrier. So, over the few years you can imagine what we have now. Wobbly, uneven pavers with weeds and grass growing on, in, and around them. NOT the picture we had in mind when we created it. So, it's been bothering us for at least a year but we haven't decided what to do to remedy it. Until this past weekend that is! Up came the pavers. Some were re-purposed to lay out a platform for the dogs' kennel/house. The others sacrificially gave their lives so they could each be broken in half and used to build a (drumroll please) raised bed!
Woo hoo! We've always wanted one and now we are well on the way to having it. It's laid out and build (with barrier thank you very much). We are now waiting to purchase the soil and seeds after we do a bit more thinking and research about what we'd like to grow. Again, this project is all the more better because it was FREE!
I know what you're thinking though. What about the big empty space where the pavers were that is devoid of grass and holds the potential to turn into a huge mud pit when the next rain comes? Good question and no, we are not installing a mud wrestling pit (bummer). Nope, we bought grass seed to plant. The grass in our backyard is nearly all dead, I'd say a good 75% gone, after the massive drought/heatwave we had 2 summers ago. This is our first step to re-grassing (yeah, I'm sure that's a word and a home improvement term) the backyard. We'll start with this small area and then move on to the rest of the yard later.
See, now aren't you proud of us? Not only are we hard at work on another project, but it only cost $15 for the grass seed. I'm pretty sure Dave Ramsey would approve. We figured that since we have finally, fully decided to stay here (we love this house and the area so much) forever, it was time we focused a bit on the backyard. So, we will continue to revamp over Spring Break and into the summer. Stay tuned to see what lies ahead!
So, that's it. I'm pretty stoked about it all. It was fun to get out there and work. Reclaim our backyard from the jungle I had let it become and see our vision come to life! Hopefully the work will continue to stay on this path of easy, fun, and inexpensive! Below is a picture of how the raised bed looks now!
All is well, one more project begun, in Drosche Land.
Sometimes it's thought out and planned. Other times it's spur of the moment. Sometimes it's a grandiose project that spans several days. Other times it's a short adventure, lasting only a few hours.
You might recall some of our past projects. Painting the living room and entry. Painting the kids' bathroom (and then painting it again when we listed the house), tiling the living room and entry, building a deck, or the most recent project - chalkboard paint. Well, this past weekend was a glorious 3-day weekend and we did our fair share of relaxing. However, we can't go that long or have any extended break without getting involved in something. Come on, you know us better than that. So, lo and behold, Monday morning it began.
It has its roots in our frustration at the amount of shedding that Rex does. Oh dear is it a lot. A lot. A lot. A lot. See, I had to write it 3 times in bold, italics, and underline to get the point across so you are aware of just how much it is. I just can't believe that one dog can shed that much! Anywho, I digress. He sheds, you get the picture.
So, Stella is nearly crawling (we're like a week or so away!) and it is killing us to think about the shedding and her impending mobility. We can't get rid of the dog. I don't fee like wrestling him down to shave him bald, plus he might get cold. Brushing doesn't seem to help. Our options are limited and running out. We decided to get them out of the house more. Maybe that will help. Less time inside, more time to run around. More exposure to varying temperatures to help. We're at the end of our rope here dear readers.
So, we ventured out on Monday to the lovely Home Depot in search of a doggy igloo, you know the one I'm talking about. Well, in case you didn't know, they don't sell those at Home Depot. At least not the one near our house. We didn't want to tackle building a doghouse or dog run so we were once again limited and desperate. Then, in a moment of beautiful inspiration, Amy had an idea. We'll move down one of their kennels (the big one they can both fit into) into the back yard and take the door off. Bingo! Problem solved, plus it was FREE!
Meanwhile, we have 100 concrete pavers that we put down in our backyard when we first moved in. Just to the right of the patio. It was a quick and easy attempt to extend the patio. However, it was also done hastily and, dare I say, lazily. We didn't have quite the knowhow or funds to do it properly. We didn't level it correctly or lay down any kind of barrier. So, over the few years you can imagine what we have now. Wobbly, uneven pavers with weeds and grass growing on, in, and around them. NOT the picture we had in mind when we created it. So, it's been bothering us for at least a year but we haven't decided what to do to remedy it. Until this past weekend that is! Up came the pavers. Some were re-purposed to lay out a platform for the dogs' kennel/house. The others sacrificially gave their lives so they could each be broken in half and used to build a (drumroll please) raised bed!
Woo hoo! We've always wanted one and now we are well on the way to having it. It's laid out and build (with barrier thank you very much). We are now waiting to purchase the soil and seeds after we do a bit more thinking and research about what we'd like to grow. Again, this project is all the more better because it was FREE!
I know what you're thinking though. What about the big empty space where the pavers were that is devoid of grass and holds the potential to turn into a huge mud pit when the next rain comes? Good question and no, we are not installing a mud wrestling pit (bummer). Nope, we bought grass seed to plant. The grass in our backyard is nearly all dead, I'd say a good 75% gone, after the massive drought/heatwave we had 2 summers ago. This is our first step to re-grassing (yeah, I'm sure that's a word and a home improvement term) the backyard. We'll start with this small area and then move on to the rest of the yard later.
See, now aren't you proud of us? Not only are we hard at work on another project, but it only cost $15 for the grass seed. I'm pretty sure Dave Ramsey would approve. We figured that since we have finally, fully decided to stay here (we love this house and the area so much) forever, it was time we focused a bit on the backyard. So, we will continue to revamp over Spring Break and into the summer. Stay tuned to see what lies ahead!
So, that's it. I'm pretty stoked about it all. It was fun to get out there and work. Reclaim our backyard from the jungle I had let it become and see our vision come to life! Hopefully the work will continue to stay on this path of easy, fun, and inexpensive! Below is a picture of how the raised bed looks now!
 |
| Upcycled, revamped, and FREE! |
All is well, one more project begun, in Drosche Land.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Holidaze / Resolutions Revisited
Seriously?! It's that time again?! This post is a blend of 2 separate posts I've been mentally working on over the past couple of days but have yet to get out so I've combined them here into one entry. I have a good excuse though for not getting the post done. We've been busy doing absolutely NOTHING these past few days. Nothing other than enjoying our vacation that is. This past holiday season was ridiculously busy and blew past us (hence the clever "Holidaze" portion of the title!). It seems as though I was just finishing Halloween candy and suddenly I'm baking cookies for the big man in red to enjoy after he brings us the spoils of our good behavior this past year. Where did November and December go exactly? The holidays were so busy I didn't even get Christmas cards out! That just killed me because it is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. Luckily Amy helped me to come to the conclusion that I can send out New Years cards! So improvise I did and they are ready, anxiously awaiting me to address and deliver/mail them! I'd post a I true of them but I don't want to ruin it for all of the friends and family (you know who you are!) that are daily visiting their mailboxes, hoping to find the treasure of said card inside! Worry not, they are almost on their way! So, 2011 is quickly coming to an end and I cannot believe it. Professionally speaking I can't either, 1/2 of the school year is over?! Only 5 months left to fill the minds of my little Firsties with tons of phonetic and mathematical knowledge?! Anyway, back to the topic at hand. The past week was spent enjoying quality time with the family, our couch, and our DVR. We had the cousins over for a sleepover and that was tons of fun but other than that we have been working hard on relaxing, basking in just being. We definitely all need it here after the crazy past few months we've had in Drosche Land. Maybe 2012 will be slower? More even-paced and calm? HA! I'm sure it will prove to be crazy and fun as always though!
On to the second part of my post. This past week I suddenly remembered that my first post of 2011 was about resolutions. Really, I made them? What were they? I'll admit, like millions of others life got in the way and I quickly forgot about them. So, I hesitantly re-read that post, found here, hoping I hadn't failed my past self too much. The only thing I remembered was that I had made 10 (that's an awful lot past Dusty, nice going) resolutions because it would be easy to come up with an easy success/failure percentage. Honestly, it wasn't as bad as I'd feared. I'll revisit and update them here so let's see how I did!
1: "Lose the 4 (or 5 depending on the day) pounds I have put on this holiday season.". Success! I got back to my normal weight and I'm happy to say that this season I've managed not to put on only like 1-2 (again depending upon the day) pounds! Not to bad, granted I began the Christmas break with a wicked stomach bug which allowed me plenty of flexibility but hey, it's all good!
2: "Be a more active member in the financial freedom of our family (Amy stop rolling your eyes).". Um, fail I think. I don't think I did all that much better and I'm sure that Amy would agree!
3: "Be more patient with the kids, not everything has to be done my way (Amy, didn't I just ask you to stop rolling your eyes ;)!).". Um, success? I think so yeah, I mean we all have our days but overall? I think I'll count it as yes (we'll see if Amy agrees!).
4: "Finish the Bible reading plan I began last year (only about 2 months left) AND start a new one!". Success! I not only finished that one but 2 others! I love it and highly recommend it! I'm going to begin a new plan tomorrow, I need to peruse them and find one that I like!
5: "Begin praying for the adoption process and our daughter.". Hmmm. I did this, lots. Bt as you know we had to stop the process so I think this one no longer makes the list. Although 2011 taught me that everything is on HIS plan, not mine! We are eagerly awaiting #3 so it is a twist of things from this time last year, but all is well!
6: "Finish my Masters! (Yes I know this will obviously be done, but it'll give me something to check off and provide motivation!).". Success! Yes I know it was a given, but I still think Amy and I finishing our Masters is a big deal!
7: "Take more pictures of the boys and document everything (should be a cinch with my new camera!).". Success! Thanks to Sunday Snapshot and my fabulous camera from Amy last year I think I've done a great job!
8: "Stop worrying/thinking about the move. What is meant to happen will happen.". Success? Technically speaking I did stop, yes we took the house off the market and decided not to move but it was a big decision, I'm counting it!
9: "Start reading for pleasure more (I still haven't finished Breaking Dawn!).". Success! I have done this! I just finished The Winshaw Legacy but Jonathan Coe and am currently about halfway through The Help (I highly recommend both!). Funnily enough I still haven't finished Breaking Dawn so I need to get that done. I also have the Steve Jobs biography burning a hole in my iPad!
10: "Drink more water! (Not instead of caffeine, I'm not cutting down on that, but in addition to!). Hmmmm. Ok, I'll concede with this and claim fail! I have gotten slightly better, maybe, but still a far cry where I should be. Oh well, I have enjoyed coffee and caffeine in all it's other forms though!
So, there you have it. Not too shabby huh? Take off the adoption resolution to bring me to 9. 7 successes and 2 failures gives me a 78% success rate. Could be better but it's not failing! Well, how did you do on your 2011 resolutions? Success? Fail? Mixture? I haven't decided about ones for 2012 yet, I'll be thinking and posting about that tomorrow. I'm thinking less than 10 though, mainly because I can't think of 10 things right now, we will see if divine inspiration occurs. Until then I'll be content with my 78%.
2011. Overall it was a good year I think. We had our share of ups and downs here in Drosche Land, but who didn't? We were, are, and remain extremely blessed. 2012 is already poised to be a big year for us and I am so excited! I'm entering the new year with positive thinking and anticipation. I hope that you enjoyed 2011 and are ready for a blessed 2012. We will see if I post more in 2012 (I hope so!), I think my overall post number was lower this past year than in 2010. So, I hope you are ready to join me for the ride! See you next year!
All is well, for auld lang syne, in Drosche Land.
On to the second part of my post. This past week I suddenly remembered that my first post of 2011 was about resolutions. Really, I made them? What were they? I'll admit, like millions of others life got in the way and I quickly forgot about them. So, I hesitantly re-read that post, found here, hoping I hadn't failed my past self too much. The only thing I remembered was that I had made 10 (that's an awful lot past Dusty, nice going) resolutions because it would be easy to come up with an easy success/failure percentage. Honestly, it wasn't as bad as I'd feared. I'll revisit and update them here so let's see how I did!
1: "Lose the 4 (or 5 depending on the day) pounds I have put on this holiday season.". Success! I got back to my normal weight and I'm happy to say that this season I've managed not to put on only like 1-2 (again depending upon the day) pounds! Not to bad, granted I began the Christmas break with a wicked stomach bug which allowed me plenty of flexibility but hey, it's all good!
2: "Be a more active member in the financial freedom of our family (Amy stop rolling your eyes).". Um, fail I think. I don't think I did all that much better and I'm sure that Amy would agree!
3: "Be more patient with the kids, not everything has to be done my way (Amy, didn't I just ask you to stop rolling your eyes ;)!).". Um, success? I think so yeah, I mean we all have our days but overall? I think I'll count it as yes (we'll see if Amy agrees!).
4: "Finish the Bible reading plan I began last year (only about 2 months left) AND start a new one!". Success! I not only finished that one but 2 others! I love it and highly recommend it! I'm going to begin a new plan tomorrow, I need to peruse them and find one that I like!
5: "Begin praying for the adoption process and our daughter.". Hmmm. I did this, lots. Bt as you know we had to stop the process so I think this one no longer makes the list. Although 2011 taught me that everything is on HIS plan, not mine! We are eagerly awaiting #3 so it is a twist of things from this time last year, but all is well!
6: "Finish my Masters! (Yes I know this will obviously be done, but it'll give me something to check off and provide motivation!).". Success! Yes I know it was a given, but I still think Amy and I finishing our Masters is a big deal!
7: "Take more pictures of the boys and document everything (should be a cinch with my new camera!).". Success! Thanks to Sunday Snapshot and my fabulous camera from Amy last year I think I've done a great job!
8: "Stop worrying/thinking about the move. What is meant to happen will happen.". Success? Technically speaking I did stop, yes we took the house off the market and decided not to move but it was a big decision, I'm counting it!
9: "Start reading for pleasure more (I still haven't finished Breaking Dawn!).". Success! I have done this! I just finished The Winshaw Legacy but Jonathan Coe and am currently about halfway through The Help (I highly recommend both!). Funnily enough I still haven't finished Breaking Dawn so I need to get that done. I also have the Steve Jobs biography burning a hole in my iPad!
10: "Drink more water! (Not instead of caffeine, I'm not cutting down on that, but in addition to!). Hmmmm. Ok, I'll concede with this and claim fail! I have gotten slightly better, maybe, but still a far cry where I should be. Oh well, I have enjoyed coffee and caffeine in all it's other forms though!
So, there you have it. Not too shabby huh? Take off the adoption resolution to bring me to 9. 7 successes and 2 failures gives me a 78% success rate. Could be better but it's not failing! Well, how did you do on your 2011 resolutions? Success? Fail? Mixture? I haven't decided about ones for 2012 yet, I'll be thinking and posting about that tomorrow. I'm thinking less than 10 though, mainly because I can't think of 10 things right now, we will see if divine inspiration occurs. Until then I'll be content with my 78%.
2011. Overall it was a good year I think. We had our share of ups and downs here in Drosche Land, but who didn't? We were, are, and remain extremely blessed. 2012 is already poised to be a big year for us and I am so excited! I'm entering the new year with positive thinking and anticipation. I hope that you enjoyed 2011 and are ready for a blessed 2012. We will see if I post more in 2012 (I hope so!), I think my overall post number was lower this past year than in 2010. So, I hope you are ready to join me for the ride! See you next year!
All is well, for auld lang syne, in Drosche Land.
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Sunday Snapshot - Year in Review
So, I've been thinking about what pictures to post for this Sunday when I got a great idea. Although, I will be upfront and admit it is not my own original idea, one I have seen on several of the blogs I follow. A trip through the photos of 2010. I have gone through all the pictures from last year and it was hard to narrow it down. The best I could do was about 2 pictures per month! Looking back it was not only a busy year, but a great one. We have the pictures to prove it! Enjoy!
Are our kids really old enough for board games? Apparently so, in September Braeden won his first game ever - Sorry!
September also brought Braeden's first homework assignment! He was so proud, almost as much as I was!
Of course the end of the month brings Jack's birthday! 3, seriously?! Already?!
October 2010
October brought the listing of the house. Still an important memory from this past year, despite the revelation of today's prior post!
Wolverine joined us for Halloween 2010
What's October and Halloween without carving pumpkins? The boys had a blast scooping and cleaning their pumpkin!
HA! And who could forget the great pumpkin seed rain of 2010!
November 2010
I turned 30, I can say the actual number now! :)
My birthday trip to San Antonio with my beautiful family!
The obligatory Alamo photo!
December 2010
Braeden's winter dance recital. Of course he didn't dance, but his little brother was still proud of him!
Merry Christmas!
January 2010
I took this of Jack and I at one of Jared's basketball games. It is one of my all-time favorites of us!
February 2010
Go Texan Day 2010 - adorable! I cannot wait until this year - they have boots!
March 2010
The Backyard Camp Out! Such a success we have to do it again!
April 2010
Easter of course brought many great pictures, but this one has to be my favorite! I love the look on his face!
April also brought the addition of a new pet to Drosche Land - Nemo! Sadly he has gone on to the great fishbowl in the sky, but the kids loved getting him!
May 2010
May wouldn't be complete without Braeden's birthday and he turned 4 in 2010! Yes, 4! I can't believe he is now going to be 5!
At the end of the month we took a trip, the boys' first, to the beach! They loved it and have been asking since when we can go again!
June 2010
Summer came! My first at home and the boys and I had a blast at home. Early on in the month we had a little bunny come and visit us in the backyard!
Splashing, definitely the favorite daily activity in Drosche Land over the summer!
July 2010
Another fun thing we did this past summer was make our own Play Doh! Something else they ask to do again - often!
July 4th! More sparkler fun - we will see if Jack participates this coming July after the New Years mishap!
August 2010
Amy's birthday! Just about 1 month post-surgery and we were already seeing the awesome results! She continues her success and looks even more amazing than she did here!
September 2010
October 2010
As did Batman
November 2010
December 2010
Sit Down, Relax, Stay A While
Well, you can tell from the lack of posts this week that vacation, in all its forms, is finally over. School resumed on Monday and our courses began again on Thursday. Although it was a nice and smooth week to ease back into things, it was busy nonetheless. Luckily though, all is well and we have remained sane despite the end of a wonderful vacation. Which brings me to the title of this post.
So, as you know, there has been zero, zilch, nada, nothing, no interest in the house since it was listed almost 3 months ago. Yes I know 3 months is relatively short, especially given the housing market. And yes I know it was the holidays. But seriously. Nothing. No showings, a failed Open House, and no inquiries from the website or the sign out front. This has caused Amy and I to reevaluate our plans right now. Since around Christmas/New Years we have been discussing whether or not we want to keep the house listed, or move at all for that matter. After a couple of weeks of heavy discussions and looking closely at our lives and plans for the current and near future, we have decided to un-list the house and stay here for a while longer, a few years at least.
See, apparently you can only proceed forward with one major life change at once, if you want to keep your sanity at least. Right now we have 3 major adventures swirling around - the adoption, moving, and possibly buying a 2nd car. Financially, mentally, emotionally, logistically we can only do one of these at a time. Once we looked at the situation in this manner the answer to the question was clear, the adoption is far more important to us at this time. Having made this decision now, we can begin saving up and planning for the adoption, so once Amy turns 30 in August there is a strong chance we may be ready, or very close, to beginning the actual process. This means that by this time next year we would be fully into the process and possibly (fingers-crossed) have a picture of our daughter as we prepare to travel to her!
So, although it sounds easy it wasn't. After much praying and thinking about it I truly do believe that this whole process was God's way of getting us to prioritize our life and get everything ready, finding out what was most important. I'm comfortable with that thought because then all of the work we put in wasn't for naught. Another silver lining is the fact that the house is immaculate and well-organized. We have been able to purge and organize our house and can now work on keeping it that way. Also, we will be able to do some of the minor updates to the house we have always talked about - flooring, lighting, etc. On the downside, Spring Break will bring the back-breaking work of reclaiming the garage and unpacking and sorting everything in there, deciding if we truly need it or not. Eventually, in the future, we do plan to move. But that will be when there are 5 people residing in Drosche Land!
So, this will most likely be the last post with the tag of moving for a very long time. All in all it was a fun and educational process. I'm happy with the decision, I cannot wait to have our daughter join us finally and making this decision has just gotten us closer to her!
All is well, staying put, in Drosche Land.
So, as you know, there has been zero, zilch, nada, nothing, no interest in the house since it was listed almost 3 months ago. Yes I know 3 months is relatively short, especially given the housing market. And yes I know it was the holidays. But seriously. Nothing. No showings, a failed Open House, and no inquiries from the website or the sign out front. This has caused Amy and I to reevaluate our plans right now. Since around Christmas/New Years we have been discussing whether or not we want to keep the house listed, or move at all for that matter. After a couple of weeks of heavy discussions and looking closely at our lives and plans for the current and near future, we have decided to un-list the house and stay here for a while longer, a few years at least.
See, apparently you can only proceed forward with one major life change at once, if you want to keep your sanity at least. Right now we have 3 major adventures swirling around - the adoption, moving, and possibly buying a 2nd car. Financially, mentally, emotionally, logistically we can only do one of these at a time. Once we looked at the situation in this manner the answer to the question was clear, the adoption is far more important to us at this time. Having made this decision now, we can begin saving up and planning for the adoption, so once Amy turns 30 in August there is a strong chance we may be ready, or very close, to beginning the actual process. This means that by this time next year we would be fully into the process and possibly (fingers-crossed) have a picture of our daughter as we prepare to travel to her!
So, although it sounds easy it wasn't. After much praying and thinking about it I truly do believe that this whole process was God's way of getting us to prioritize our life and get everything ready, finding out what was most important. I'm comfortable with that thought because then all of the work we put in wasn't for naught. Another silver lining is the fact that the house is immaculate and well-organized. We have been able to purge and organize our house and can now work on keeping it that way. Also, we will be able to do some of the minor updates to the house we have always talked about - flooring, lighting, etc. On the downside, Spring Break will bring the back-breaking work of reclaiming the garage and unpacking and sorting everything in there, deciding if we truly need it or not. Eventually, in the future, we do plan to move. But that will be when there are 5 people residing in Drosche Land!
So, this will most likely be the last post with the tag of moving for a very long time. All in all it was a fun and educational process. I'm happy with the decision, I cannot wait to have our daughter join us finally and making this decision has just gotten us closer to her!
All is well, staying put, in Drosche Land.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Resolutions!
Well, 2011 is officially here. We decided this year to ring in a new year quite uneventfully by relaxing at home and blissfully doing nothing. Boy did we do it too! After Amy and I picked up the boys from my parents' house following our Date Night we made a quick stop at the ridiculously crowded grocery store before heading home to enjoy our brand new couch. Oh, I totally forgot to mention that the other day so I will go off on a tangent here for a minute to discuss this. Amy has been gently insisting (bugging) me for the past year and a half to get a new sofa. I have been holding out and I must give myself credit for lasting so long. However, I was blindsided the other day when out of the blue Amy mentioned we would go couch shopping. I was trapped so I went a long. A day of searching later we are the proud new owners of the most amazing couch in the world! Thank you Gallery Furniture for your awesome furniture and great deal! It has 4, yes 4, recliners and a console where we can hide things like remotes! The best part of it is the fact that it is a 3-piece sectional that includes a full-size sofa, love seat, and a ginormous wedge. So we can rearrange it however we see fit. This will come in very handy when and if we ever do move since we obviously do not know what kind of living room we will end up with. Needless to say, we are thoroughly enjoying our new couch and have been spending as much time as possible lounging on it! But I digress, time to get back to the post at hand.
With the arrival of a new year I have been debating what my resolution(s) will be. Such a difficult decision to make every 12 months. What can I realistically accomplish, stick with, or do??? Maybe this year I will just list all the things I can think of and attempt to get as many of them checked off as possible. After all, I do love making a good list. That way if I don't finish all of them I will still have some sense of accomplishment when I check things off. So, on with the ideas. Some easy, some quite lofty. We will see what successes 2011 brings.
- Lose the 4 (or 5 depending on the day) pounds I have put on this holiday season.
- Be a more active member in the financial freedom of our family (Amy stop rolling your eyes)
- Be more patient with the kids, not everything has to be done my way (Amy, didn't I just ask you to stop rolling your eyes ;)!)
- Finish the Bible reading plan I began last year (only about 2 months left) AND start a new one!
- Begin praying for the adoption process and our daughter
- Finish my Masters! (Yes I know this will obviously be done, but it'll give me something to check off and provide motivation!)
- Take more pictures of the boys and document everything (should be a cinch with my new camera!)
- Stop worrying/thinking about the move. What is meant to happen will happen.
- Start reading for pleasure more (I still haven't finished Breaking Dawn!)
- Drink more water! (Not instead of caffeine, I'm not cutting down on that, but in addition to!)
Ok, so there are 10 things. I'm sure more will pop into my head over the first few weeks of this new year, but for now that seems adequate right? Some seem like easy successes, others more ongoing ideas. Maybe I'll revisit this post in 364 days and see how I've done. Plus having 10 things will make figuring out percentages easy! Ok, now let's get to work!
All is well, resolved, in Drosche Land.
With the arrival of a new year I have been debating what my resolution(s) will be. Such a difficult decision to make every 12 months. What can I realistically accomplish, stick with, or do??? Maybe this year I will just list all the things I can think of and attempt to get as many of them checked off as possible. After all, I do love making a good list. That way if I don't finish all of them I will still have some sense of accomplishment when I check things off. So, on with the ideas. Some easy, some quite lofty. We will see what successes 2011 brings.
- Lose the 4 (or 5 depending on the day) pounds I have put on this holiday season.
- Be a more active member in the financial freedom of our family (Amy stop rolling your eyes)
- Be more patient with the kids, not everything has to be done my way (Amy, didn't I just ask you to stop rolling your eyes ;)!)
- Finish the Bible reading plan I began last year (only about 2 months left) AND start a new one!
- Begin praying for the adoption process and our daughter
- Finish my Masters! (Yes I know this will obviously be done, but it'll give me something to check off and provide motivation!)
- Take more pictures of the boys and document everything (should be a cinch with my new camera!)
- Stop worrying/thinking about the move. What is meant to happen will happen.
- Start reading for pleasure more (I still haven't finished Breaking Dawn!)
- Drink more water! (Not instead of caffeine, I'm not cutting down on that, but in addition to!)
Ok, so there are 10 things. I'm sure more will pop into my head over the first few weeks of this new year, but for now that seems adequate right? Some seem like easy successes, others more ongoing ideas. Maybe I'll revisit this post in 364 days and see how I've done. Plus having 10 things will make figuring out percentages easy! Ok, now let's get to work!
All is well, resolved, in Drosche Land.
Our awesome new couch - huge & wonderful!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Year In Review
Well, 2010 is rapidly coming to a close. A little over 8 hours left, depending upon your time zone of course. With it ends another decade as well. So, I thought what better way to end the year via blog than to revisit, review, and update some of the information covered in the posts of our blog's inaugural year. There were 181 (182 counting this one) posts this past year. Not too shabby for my first year if I do say so myself. So, on with the review (yes, I have anally put it in alphabetical order of events).
Adoption - This was the big reason that we started this blog really. We wanted to keep everyone informed with all the happenings of our lives, but it was also our intention to document our journey to our daughter. We have extensively discussed this and we know that this is how we are going to expand our family. We have looked through the lists of special needs and have noted the ones we are capable of accommodating. We are still fully into the adoption, but with our current lives it has gotten pushed a bit further back. Right now we plan on fully entering into the process no later than next January 2012. With the possible move in the future and the financial aspects of the adoption, we feel this is the best choice for our family. We are super excited about the process, especially the trip to China, but we have to be realistic about it all and do what is best for us all.
Amy - Of course there is the big news about Amy's gastric bypass surgery this past summer. It was a big decision she made for herself, her health, and our family. Honestly I could not be more proud of her. She has done remarkably well and has lost 80 lbs thus far. She looks amazing and we are both super excited to see how well she continues to progress over the next 6 months until she hits her 1 year anniversary.
Dave Ramsey/Debt Snowball - This was a big year for us financially as well. Thanks to Amy (and Dave's program) we are happily on the road to financial freedom and being debt free! It has not been without some bumps and setback here and there, but we trudge forward knowing the pay off is going to be totally worth it! The biggest victory possibly came this Christmas as it was a totally "Cash Christmas" here in Drosche Land. No credit was used for anything and we are super proud of ourselves. 2011 will undoubtedly bring further success in this adventure!
Lady Gaga - Of course I had to include this event! Amy scored me tickets to the concert and this summer traveled to Dallas for an amazingly fun concert. A mini road trip and kid-less fun was just what the doctor ordered for the adults in Drosche Land. She comes to Houston again in the spring of 2011, we will see if I have any luck with the radio contests that are sure to happen!
Masters - We are almost done, the end is near, there is a light at the end of the tunnel! I have just 2 courses left, Amy has 4 (sorry Am!). While it hasn't been hard work we are definitely done with being students. Let's just say that I will not be pursuing another Masters, or Doctorate for that matter, any time soon. I cannot wait until we graduate and one thing is removed from our over-crowded plates! On a positive note we did get some postcards from GCU in the mail the other day stating that graduation was near and we should log on for more information about getting ready for the big event. I think I'll do that once this is posted.
Moving - The latest adventure here in Drosche Land. We made it 3 years into our planned 5-year stint here in beautiful Cypress. The house has only been listed for about 2 months but we have had no interest whatsoever. You may recall the showing that never was or the Open House where no one came. What's next? Well, after much debate Amy and I have decided to keep the house on the market until Spring Break. If it sells before then, we will obviously make the choice to move. However, if March rolls around and we are still here in Cypress struggling to maintain a clutter-free home we will have to make a decision to stay or go. Right now we are combining the wait & see and prayer stances on the move. Amy thinks that we will have no offers or interest in the house at all, I am working to remain positive that something will happen. We will see what God has in store for us concerning this adventure though!
Scentsy - Amy started her own adventure this year as she became a (quite successful) Scentsy consultant! This started quite innocently when she was introduced to this awesome product by some friends (Thanks Taryn & Dedrick!) and quickly turned into something super fun and super rewarding. Amy has already enjoyed success as she moves up the ladder and builds her team. 2011 should be very exciting as she is going to be traveling to shows and conferences to run a Scentsy booth and spread the scentsational joy that we have come to love. *Shameless Plug Alert* Remember you can always visit her website here. I personally am proud of Amy for doing so well and I cannot wait to see how she continues to amaze me this coming year!
30
Does that cover it? I think so. Those seem to be the biggest adventures from the past year here in Drosche
All is well, bidding 2010 adieu, in Drosche Land.
Adoption - This was the big reason that we started this blog really. We wanted to keep everyone informed with all the happenings of our lives, but it was also our intention to document our journey to our daughter. We have extensively discussed this and we know that this is how we are going to expand our family. We have looked through the lists of special needs and have noted the ones we are capable of accommodating. We are still fully into the adoption, but with our current lives it has gotten pushed a bit further back. Right now we plan on fully entering into the process no later than next January 2012. With the possible move in the future and the financial aspects of the adoption, we feel this is the best choice for our family. We are super excited about the process, especially the trip to China, but we have to be realistic about it all and do what is best for us all.
Amy - Of course there is the big news about Amy's gastric bypass surgery this past summer. It was a big decision she made for herself, her health, and our family. Honestly I could not be more proud of her. She has done remarkably well and has lost 80 lbs thus far. She looks amazing and we are both super excited to see how well she continues to progress over the next 6 months until she hits her 1 year anniversary.
Dave Ramsey/Debt Snowball - This was a big year for us financially as well. Thanks to Amy (and Dave's program) we are happily on the road to financial freedom and being debt free! It has not been without some bumps and setback here and there, but we trudge forward knowing the pay off is going to be totally worth it! The biggest victory possibly came this Christmas as it was a totally "Cash Christmas" here in Drosche Land. No credit was used for anything and we are super proud of ourselves. 2011 will undoubtedly bring further success in this adventure!
Lady Gaga - Of course I had to include this event! Amy scored me tickets to the concert and this summer traveled to Dallas for an amazingly fun concert. A mini road trip and kid-less fun was just what the doctor ordered for the adults in Drosche Land. She comes to Houston again in the spring of 2011, we will see if I have any luck with the radio contests that are sure to happen!
Masters - We are almost done, the end is near, there is a light at the end of the tunnel! I have just 2 courses left, Amy has 4 (sorry Am!). While it hasn't been hard work we are definitely done with being students. Let's just say that I will not be pursuing another Masters, or Doctorate for that matter, any time soon. I cannot wait until we graduate and one thing is removed from our over-crowded plates! On a positive note we did get some postcards from GCU in the mail the other day stating that graduation was near and we should log on for more information about getting ready for the big event. I think I'll do that once this is posted.
Moving - The latest adventure here in Drosche Land. We made it 3 years into our planned 5-year stint here in beautiful Cypress. The house has only been listed for about 2 months but we have had no interest whatsoever. You may recall the showing that never was or the Open House where no one came. What's next? Well, after much debate Amy and I have decided to keep the house on the market until Spring Break. If it sells before then, we will obviously make the choice to move. However, if March rolls around and we are still here in Cypress struggling to maintain a clutter-free home we will have to make a decision to stay or go. Right now we are combining the wait & see and prayer stances on the move. Amy thinks that we will have no offers or interest in the house at all, I am working to remain positive that something will happen. We will see what God has in store for us concerning this adventure though!
Scentsy - Amy started her own adventure this year as she became a (quite successful) Scentsy consultant! This started quite innocently when she was introduced to this awesome product by some friends (Thanks Taryn & Dedrick!) and quickly turned into something super fun and super rewarding. Amy has already enjoyed success as she moves up the ladder and builds her team. 2011 should be very exciting as she is going to be traveling to shows and conferences to run a Scentsy booth and spread the scentsational joy that we have come to love. *Shameless Plug Alert* Remember you can always visit her website here. I personally am proud of Amy for doing so well and I cannot wait to see how she continues to amaze me this coming year!
30
Does that cover it? I think so. Those seem to be the biggest adventures from the past year here in Drosche
All is well, bidding 2010 adieu, in Drosche Land.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Next Step
So today we may have taken the next step in the adventure that has been selling our house. I stress may because we will see what benefits, if any, it brings about to our situation. Today our realtor brought in a team of other Realtors for a walk-through of our house. I am nearly positive that it is for them to evaluate our house and give suggestions about what can/should/might be done to help get it sold. I'm trying to keep the phrase "constructive criticism" in my mind as we await to hear a response from our realtor tomorrow about how it went. I have always had a problem with that term and in fact find it to be quite an oxymoron. I find very little criticism to be constructive, mainly because when it is given I am too upset/worried/offended about being criticized! I much more prefer the term advice or suggestions. I had nearly gotten used to the idea of strangers walking around in my house when I'm not there (despite the fact that we've only had one failed showing and an unsuccessful open house) but this is different. This is a group of strangers with opinions and "constructive" criticism.
The worst part of this is the fact that our house was not in it's neatest condition. Now, I'm not talking anything straight out of Hoarders, but still not as tidy as we've been trying to keep it in the hopes that strangers will drop by with wads of cash to purchase our home. My biggest peeve, there were dirty dishes in the sink! Gasp! I hate that. But see, there are two, yes two, very valid excuses for this. One it's December and we are not actually home that much during the week and when we are we are generally too tired to actually work on the process of tidying. Two, Amy and Jack were out of town in Kansas for her aunt's funeral and I was dog/house sitting at Amy's Mom's. Therefore I was not able to straighten or tidy the house prior to the walk through. Oh well, my hopes is that this group of constructively suggesting (criticizing) strangers could overlook this fact and find other more constructive advice (criticisms) to give us. So, I will just have to get over the anxiety and general upset-ness I have felt all day knowing that my untidiness was on display.
But I digress. It's slow going here as we continue to wait out this latest adventure. I'm hoping the new year brings more productive results and possible a sale (fingers are crossed). On the upside, my want to move into Jersey Village was heavily validated over the past few days as I stayed at Amy's Mom's house. She lives just outside Jersey Village and it only took 20-30 minutes (with a Starbucks stop) to get to school, and that was on the main lanes so I could exit and make the Starbucks stops. Getting back from work was just as delightful as I flew back (on the HOV) in about 20ish minutes! So it is clear that I am cemented in my desire to become a Jersey Village inhabitant. The longer we wait the fewer houses I have bookmarked on HAR in Jersey Village remain available. Yikes! I should probably go and check for fresh listings! For now though we continue to wait it out. It's not too much to ask is it? We just need a buyer, oh and a house we like.
All is well, awaiting to be constructively criticized, in Drosche Land.
The worst part of this is the fact that our house was not in it's neatest condition. Now, I'm not talking anything straight out of Hoarders, but still not as tidy as we've been trying to keep it in the hopes that strangers will drop by with wads of cash to purchase our home. My biggest peeve, there were dirty dishes in the sink! Gasp! I hate that. But see, there are two, yes two, very valid excuses for this. One it's December and we are not actually home that much during the week and when we are we are generally too tired to actually work on the process of tidying. Two, Amy and Jack were out of town in Kansas for her aunt's funeral and I was dog/house sitting at Amy's Mom's. Therefore I was not able to straighten or tidy the house prior to the walk through. Oh well, my hopes is that this group of constructively suggesting (criticizing) strangers could overlook this fact and find other more constructive advice (criticisms) to give us. So, I will just have to get over the anxiety and general upset-ness I have felt all day knowing that my untidiness was on display.
But I digress. It's slow going here as we continue to wait out this latest adventure. I'm hoping the new year brings more productive results and possible a sale (fingers are crossed). On the upside, my want to move into Jersey Village was heavily validated over the past few days as I stayed at Amy's Mom's house. She lives just outside Jersey Village and it only took 20-30 minutes (with a Starbucks stop) to get to school, and that was on the main lanes so I could exit and make the Starbucks stops. Getting back from work was just as delightful as I flew back (on the HOV) in about 20ish minutes! So it is clear that I am cemented in my desire to become a Jersey Village inhabitant. The longer we wait the fewer houses I have bookmarked on HAR in Jersey Village remain available. Yikes! I should probably go and check for fresh listings! For now though we continue to wait it out. It's not too much to ask is it? We just need a buyer, oh and a house we like.
All is well, awaiting to be constructively criticized, in Drosche Land.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Wide Open
So today was our first Open House since our house has been listed. It was scheduled to be held from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. I have no clue how it went and I am wondering when it will be before we hear? We started cleaning and organizing yesterday and then kicked it into high gear this morning. There wasn't too much work to be done since we have been so busy that we haven't had much time to clutter it up. We left this morning at around 9:30 since we had some other errands to run and Amy had a Scentsy party to go to. Another launch of one of her team members, Robin, actually. So, I'm not even sure how we will tell if anyone came or not when we get home. I counted the flyers in the house before we left - 15. So I will see if there are any fewer than that when we get home. Other than that I guess it is just a waiting game to see when/if the realtor calls us to let us know. We were slightly hesitant because our realtor wouldn't actually be there, he was busy. Instead, he was sending one of his people. So who knows? On the bright side if we don't get any offers at least the house will be super clean for Amy's Scentsy Open House in 2 weeks! So, hopefully I will be back later to blog about Open House news, given there are any hints or details left behind! Otherwise, I will just be back with a Sunday Snapshot, which I'm still working on. Until then, we wait. Not my favorite game!
All is well, open for business, in Drosche Land.
All is well, open for business, in Drosche Land.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Show Off
Ok, so I am mobile blogging this post (LOVE my iPhone!) since we are in a temporary exile from the house. But it's for a good reason! Friday, in the midst of setting up for Trunks & Treats, Amy got a phone call. A realtor wanted to show out house from 3-4! Mind you, it's not the best timing. See the cousins are all coming over for trick-or-treating and we were going to serve dinner. But since life rarely works in accordance with our schedule, we adapted. After all, selling the house is just slightly more important right now! So, a trip to Costco to get pizza and pumpkin pie for tonight and we are all set!
What are we doing to fill the time? Grocery shopping and taking the car to the car wash. Nothing too fancy! Maybe a stop for ice cream if all goes well. Then it's back home for Halloween fun! So, the first of many showings or the one that turns into a sale, who knows which this one will be. Either way we're running errands with our fingers crossed!
All is well, hoping the strangers in our house love it, in Drosche Land.
What are we doing to fill the time? Grocery shopping and taking the car to the car wash. Nothing too fancy! Maybe a stop for ice cream if all goes well. Then it's back home for Halloween fun! So, the first of many showings or the one that turns into a sale, who knows which this one will be. Either way we're running errands with our fingers crossed!
All is well, hoping the strangers in our house love it, in Drosche Land.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Making A Listing and Checking It Twice
Well, it's been 3 days since the house was officially listed and no sale yet. Did I really expect it to happen this quickly though? No (yes?). I know it's silly, but there is a small part of me that thought we would have this magical, world's fastest sold house experience. Crazy, I know, but then again looks who's blogging! :) But that's ok, we are not ready to move yet, financially at least. Mentally, we might be getting there, but financially we are nowhere near. So the thought of being homeless after having the title of world's fastest sold house bestowed upon us is less exciting. So I'll deal with the house being on the market for a while longer. In my researching of the recent home sales in the area is seems as though 1-3 months is a good guesstimate so I am sure his 6-9 month estimation is very conservative. Again, no worries all in His time not mine right (Jeremiah 29:11)?
But Amy is bustin' it (no pun intended) to get us financially ready to move and purchase a new house. I must say, she is quite impressive. I'd be lost in debt and eating Ramen noodles (Yum!) without her. Speaking of bustin' it, she is doing much better. Still some pain and slow moving, but she is showing progress each day! Back to the post topic at hand, sorry if I'm a bit scatterbrained but it's late and I just finished this week's homework. Anyway, the listing. It is great. Our realtor managed to get some great shots that highlighted the house's good features. He also put together some great flyers for the info box on our sign out front! I know what you're waiting for - the listing. Well, wait no more, you can find it here. Go ahead, I'll wait while you check it out. . . . . . . Great huh? So I have great confidence that this process will continue to move along as smoothly as it has thus far! I am so glad we used Dave Ramsey's ELP program to find a realtor, we have been very pleased.
So, spread the word about our house. Tell your family, your friends, a neighbor you don't like and wish would move, heck - tell a stranger! I'm super excited and eager to get the ball rolling! I have a feeling I will soon be blogging about an Open House and/or showing! Well, at least I hope so. Until then we wait!
All is well, happily listed, in Drosche Land.
But Amy is bustin' it (no pun intended) to get us financially ready to move and purchase a new house. I must say, she is quite impressive. I'd be lost in debt and eating Ramen noodles (Yum!) without her. Speaking of bustin' it, she is doing much better. Still some pain and slow moving, but she is showing progress each day! Back to the post topic at hand, sorry if I'm a bit scatterbrained but it's late and I just finished this week's homework. Anyway, the listing. It is great. Our realtor managed to get some great shots that highlighted the house's good features. He also put together some great flyers for the info box on our sign out front! I know what you're waiting for - the listing. Well, wait no more, you can find it here. Go ahead, I'll wait while you check it out. . . . . . . Great huh? So I have great confidence that this process will continue to move along as smoothly as it has thus far! I am so glad we used Dave Ramsey's ELP program to find a realtor, we have been very pleased.
So, spread the word about our house. Tell your family, your friends, a neighbor you don't like and wish would move, heck - tell a stranger! I'm super excited and eager to get the ball rolling! I have a feeling I will soon be blogging about an Open House and/or showing! Well, at least I hope so. Until then we wait!
All is well, happily listed, in Drosche Land.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday Snapshot - A Tie
Well, this weekend was a big weekend for us here in Drosche Land, especially today. We met with our realtor! All the paperwork is signed, the pictures are taken, the lock box is on the door, and our sign is out front - we are all set! Tomorrow the house will officially be listed and we take the next step (a big one) in this new adventure! Originally that was going to be the sole subject of today's post but something else cute came up. Apparently Braeden has been talking a lot about Silly Bandz. All his friends have them and they are "really cool". So we gave in today and bought the boys some. Baseball, Basketball, and Halloween themed Silly Bandz. It was fun sorting through them with the boys and watching them put them all on. This is their first venture into any kind of trend or fad. Just another reminder that they are growing up so fast! Of course this momentous occasion had to be captured on film. Thus the dilemma. Not really though because they will both share the spotlight in today's post. A variety of adventures - both big and small! Enjoy!
Silly Bandz! They were very happy with their first fad!
Oh so many choices!
Jack - always so serious looking. Even when choosing his bandz!
My boy - growing too fast!
We're listed! Woo hoo!
Let the adventure begin!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Shove It
In a drawer.
In a box.
Under a bed.
In the garage.
Somewhere, anywhere because it can't be left out! That's the task for today folks. You see, the Realtor is coming tomorrow afternoon to list the house (I'm smelling a Sunday Snapshot) and we (more importantly the house) need to be ready! So the packing, organizing, touch up painting, and staging has once again commenced here in Drosche Land. However, we are almost done and I can just see (if I squint) an end to the prep work. But I dare not get too happy about it because that means that the daunting task of keeping the house the way it will look in the pictures is upon us.
You might be wondering why "In a closet" is not listed above as one of the places to "Shove it"? Good questions. Apparently another irony of listing your house is how you must show that you have lots of great storage. The way to do that - why by keeping said storage areas clean and empty of course! So our house will look nice and open with most personal affects stashed away somewhere they won't be seen unless potential buyers get a little nosy.
On a side note, I'll provide an update on Amy's down and out derriere. So far she is doing slightly (and I'll stress slightly) better. The pain is about the same, maybe a little less, but she has way more mobility. We are just taking it easy this weekend and keeping her home and laid up as much a possible. That meant having to bow out of 2 parties this afternoon but she needs the rest. I'm taking advantage of the extra time to shove it! So, she is on the road to recovery and we are hoping for a smooth and bump-free ride!
All is well, shoved, crammed, and stashed away, in Drosche Land.
In a box.
Under a bed.
In the garage.
Somewhere, anywhere because it can't be left out! That's the task for today folks. You see, the Realtor is coming tomorrow afternoon to list the house (I'm smelling a Sunday Snapshot) and we (more importantly the house) need to be ready! So the packing, organizing, touch up painting, and staging has once again commenced here in Drosche Land. However, we are almost done and I can just see (if I squint) an end to the prep work. But I dare not get too happy about it because that means that the daunting task of keeping the house the way it will look in the pictures is upon us.
You might be wondering why "In a closet" is not listed above as one of the places to "Shove it"? Good questions. Apparently another irony of listing your house is how you must show that you have lots of great storage. The way to do that - why by keeping said storage areas clean and empty of course! So our house will look nice and open with most personal affects stashed away somewhere they won't be seen unless potential buyers get a little nosy.
On a side note, I'll provide an update on Amy's down and out derriere. So far she is doing slightly (and I'll stress slightly) better. The pain is about the same, maybe a little less, but she has way more mobility. We are just taking it easy this weekend and keeping her home and laid up as much a possible. That meant having to bow out of 2 parties this afternoon but she needs the rest. I'm taking advantage of the extra time to shove it! So, she is on the road to recovery and we are hoping for a smooth and bump-free ride!
All is well, shoved, crammed, and stashed away, in Drosche Land.
Monday, October 18, 2010
A Cut Above
Ok, so I have something to admit. Yes, I am a teacher. Yes, I LOVE my job. But I am somewhat ashamed to admit that we don't do a lot of "school-y" things at home with the boys. I know, shocker. Now, don't get me wrong. It's not all video games, sugar, and TV here in Drosche Land for the littlest citizens. We do read, we do color, we do play outside, and we talk a lot (not just me - everyone). But things like cutting, gluing, play doh, etc. don't get done as much as you'd think (or as much as I'd always like). This is partly because I mean, it's my job, I do those things all day. So do the boys. The last thing we want to do when we get home is play school. Family time takes precedent over that. Plus the boys are just 3 and 4. There will be plenty of time for homework, projects, reading, and other various and sundry school activities. For now we take it easy and I try to focus on reading and discussing.
Why the random soap box you ask? Well, tonight it was reiterated to me just how important school is, for all ages. In this instance, Early Childhood. We were working on Braeden's homework for this week - an F/f collage and he was cutting pictures out of magazines. Well, of course you know Jack had to do some "homework" too. And since Braeden's homework involved magazines and scissors, he insisted his did also. I don't know why I thought this would be a good time to work on his cutting skills. Maybe the inner teacher in me came out, maybe the guilty teacher/parent came out, or maybe I was just a glutton for punishment. Regardless the reason, so began the painstakingly tedious activity that was teaching my darling Jack, a 3-year old, rough and tumble boy with limited fine motor skills, how to cut. Luckily I am happy to say that no one lost or sliced open a digit in the process. I am still in awe as to how I was able to cram my adult fingers into a pair of safety scissors along with his chubby, little, toddler, sausage fingers. But alas, Braeden got most of his homework finished and Jack had a great time cutting magazine pages into strips. Did the activity actually benefit Jack? Who knows? I sure hope so or the hand cramp I have was all for naught.
It did though, bring into me a great admiration and respect for all Early Childhood teachers who teach the little ones how to do basic skills such as pencil grip, cutting, fine & gross motor, etc. Wow! Saints, all of them. Special thanks to those, Vivian, Chamie, Julie, and Vera, who educate my little dudes! So, after tonight's fun I once again make the resolution to work more on those activities/skills at home with the boys. I really do want to do so, we are just often crunched for time. Hopefully the move will help with this, it should! We will see how everything fares this time around!
All is well, bandage-free, in Drosche Land.
Why the random soap box you ask? Well, tonight it was reiterated to me just how important school is, for all ages. In this instance, Early Childhood. We were working on Braeden's homework for this week - an F/f collage and he was cutting pictures out of magazines. Well, of course you know Jack had to do some "homework" too. And since Braeden's homework involved magazines and scissors, he insisted his did also. I don't know why I thought this would be a good time to work on his cutting skills. Maybe the inner teacher in me came out, maybe the guilty teacher/parent came out, or maybe I was just a glutton for punishment. Regardless the reason, so began the painstakingly tedious activity that was teaching my darling Jack, a 3-year old, rough and tumble boy with limited fine motor skills, how to cut. Luckily I am happy to say that no one lost or sliced open a digit in the process. I am still in awe as to how I was able to cram my adult fingers into a pair of safety scissors along with his chubby, little, toddler, sausage fingers. But alas, Braeden got most of his homework finished and Jack had a great time cutting magazine pages into strips. Did the activity actually benefit Jack? Who knows? I sure hope so or the hand cramp I have was all for naught.
It did though, bring into me a great admiration and respect for all Early Childhood teachers who teach the little ones how to do basic skills such as pencil grip, cutting, fine & gross motor, etc. Wow! Saints, all of them. Special thanks to those, Vivian, Chamie, Julie, and Vera, who educate my little dudes! So, after tonight's fun I once again make the resolution to work more on those activities/skills at home with the boys. I really do want to do so, we are just often crunched for time. Hopefully the move will help with this, it should! We will see how everything fares this time around!
All is well, bandage-free, in Drosche Land.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
One More Week
Until what? I know the anticipation is killing you, so I will go ahead and tell you and then move onto the post. Listing the house. Yeah, so it was supposed to happen this weekend, but as it turns out our realtor is out of town. Bummer. But, the house is technically not totally ready so I guess it's for the best. Although I have to say I busted my butt to get it closer today.
I stayed home with Jack today because he was still sick last night with a fever to go with his throat infection. Amy took off yesterday and took him to the doctor. Luckily today was his recovery day and all is well. Trust me, he is totally back to normal! So, he will be returning to school tomorrow. So I missed a day, which I hate, but that is the joy of being a parent! Not everything is on your time. A tough lesson to learn (stop smirking Amy!). :) But, it wasn't a total waste because I got a lot done around the house. Last weekend we finally decided on a paint color for the boys' bathroom. Did I mention that last weekend? Anyway, since not everyone is pro bright yellow paint with big blue and orange dots (I know, go figure!) I started painting today since I had the time.
I will take a moment now to pause and plug one of our favorite products - Behr paint. Not just any paint mind you, the primer and paint in one. Ahhhhh, colorful happiness in a can. So wonderful I almost forget what a chore painting can be (almost). But in all seriousness go get some. If you were thinking about painting something, buy this paint. If you weren't planning on painting anything, find something to paint, and buy this paint. It nearly covered our circus-bright bathroom in one coat! Joy!
Ok, back to the blog. So I gave the bathroom its first coat. I also began to touch up the paint downstairs where we filled nail holes in the wall and tiny, grubby hands touched and dirtied everything. I still have the stairway to do but that will have to wait when the aforementioned tiny, grubby hands aren't around. I am not going to plug the Sherwin Williams paint KB uses (seriously, don't buy it). I mean who uses flat paint! I also knocked out a couple of loads of laundry because I love doing that. Lastly, I had to deep clean the bathrooms. They weren't too bad, but needed to gleam for the pictures for the listing.
I will pause again to plug another favorite item - SOS pads. I mean I know I have blogged about these little wonderful pads of joy (here) but they warrant another mention. I mean is there anything these little scrubbers can't do. Don't waste your time trying to think of something, because I don't think there is anything. I again used them to attack the shower. Mind you, it wasn't as bad as before but I still wanted a deep scrub of everything. These little guys do an amazing job. Leaving everything with a fluffy Smurf-blue foam. Rinse that away and you are left with shining cleanliness! Ahhhh, joy!
Ok, back to the blog. So today was quite productive and I am ending it pleasantly tired and fulfilled. Somewhere in there I also found time to get my homework for this week finished. One more course down and only 3 more to go! I cannot wait to be finished. But that's a post for another time. So we have to wait a little longer until we take the next step in selling the house. Oh well. Guess I'd better learn patience with this process now since I am sure I will need it often throughout the coming months. Amy is off on Friday so she will most likely finish all the painting (she's great like that)! Plus she has the carpet cleaners coming to do the entire house, per the realtor's instructions. After those tasks are completed, we have just a little more tidying and staging left until we are ready! I'm excited to get the show on the road. 6-9 months. Seems long, but at the same time incredibly short. I spend most of my time on HAR looking at homes and dreaming! Ahhhh, Jersey Village we can't wait to get to know you better and call you home!
All is well, with a fresh coat of paint, in Drosche Land.
I stayed home with Jack today because he was still sick last night with a fever to go with his throat infection. Amy took off yesterday and took him to the doctor. Luckily today was his recovery day and all is well. Trust me, he is totally back to normal! So, he will be returning to school tomorrow. So I missed a day, which I hate, but that is the joy of being a parent! Not everything is on your time. A tough lesson to learn (stop smirking Amy!). :) But, it wasn't a total waste because I got a lot done around the house. Last weekend we finally decided on a paint color for the boys' bathroom. Did I mention that last weekend? Anyway, since not everyone is pro bright yellow paint with big blue and orange dots (I know, go figure!) I started painting today since I had the time.
I will take a moment now to pause and plug one of our favorite products - Behr paint. Not just any paint mind you, the primer and paint in one. Ahhhhh, colorful happiness in a can. So wonderful I almost forget what a chore painting can be (almost). But in all seriousness go get some. If you were thinking about painting something, buy this paint. If you weren't planning on painting anything, find something to paint, and buy this paint. It nearly covered our circus-bright bathroom in one coat! Joy!
Ok, back to the blog. So I gave the bathroom its first coat. I also began to touch up the paint downstairs where we filled nail holes in the wall and tiny, grubby hands touched and dirtied everything. I still have the stairway to do but that will have to wait when the aforementioned tiny, grubby hands aren't around. I am not going to plug the Sherwin Williams paint KB uses (seriously, don't buy it). I mean who uses flat paint! I also knocked out a couple of loads of laundry because I love doing that. Lastly, I had to deep clean the bathrooms. They weren't too bad, but needed to gleam for the pictures for the listing.
I will pause again to plug another favorite item - SOS pads. I mean I know I have blogged about these little wonderful pads of joy (here) but they warrant another mention. I mean is there anything these little scrubbers can't do. Don't waste your time trying to think of something, because I don't think there is anything. I again used them to attack the shower. Mind you, it wasn't as bad as before but I still wanted a deep scrub of everything. These little guys do an amazing job. Leaving everything with a fluffy Smurf-blue foam. Rinse that away and you are left with shining cleanliness! Ahhhh, joy!
Ok, back to the blog. So today was quite productive and I am ending it pleasantly tired and fulfilled. Somewhere in there I also found time to get my homework for this week finished. One more course down and only 3 more to go! I cannot wait to be finished. But that's a post for another time. So we have to wait a little longer until we take the next step in selling the house. Oh well. Guess I'd better learn patience with this process now since I am sure I will need it often throughout the coming months. Amy is off on Friday so she will most likely finish all the painting (she's great like that)! Plus she has the carpet cleaners coming to do the entire house, per the realtor's instructions. After those tasks are completed, we have just a little more tidying and staging left until we are ready! I'm excited to get the show on the road. 6-9 months. Seems long, but at the same time incredibly short. I spend most of my time on HAR looking at homes and dreaming! Ahhhh, Jersey Village we can't wait to get to know you better and call you home!
All is well, with a fresh coat of paint, in Drosche Land.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Cleaning Out the Closet
The title of this post is both literal and metaphorical. Deep huh? So, We are officially one week away from listing the house and have done nothing else to prepare. Not our fault (totally) because the week was busy and this weekend was beyond busy. I'm tired just remembering it. Friday night - birthday party for my nephew Jared and the boys spent the night with Amanda and the cousins. Saturday afternoon/night - waitstaff/kitchen staff for an auction dinner and we worked our tails off! Let's just say I won't be quitting my job anytime soon to work in the restaurant industry! But I digress.
So, after another busy day - church, lunch, and grocery shopping, it was time to get something ready to prep for our next meeting with the realtor. Up first - cleaning out the closets, namely the boys'. Sounds easy right? Well, sort of. See, we've been holding onto quite a bit of the baby clothes. Why? Who knows? We have gone through them before actually, every time we cycle out the boys' clothes. In doing so several times we have managed to work our way down to 6 large tubs. Yes, I know it sounds like a lot, and it is. But considering the fact that we have gone through it all at least 3 times prior to this, that's pretty good. Well, anyway, We decided to finally get rid of it all. Realistically we probably won't ever need them again. We are not planning on having any more biological children and when we adopt, it will be a girl. If we ever do change our mind and have another boy, or adopt one, we will be in the financial place to buy new (thanks to Dave Ramsey & Amy). So, rather than move it all we decided that the move was the perfect catalyst to finally say goodbye. We are giving it all to a friend who works at TLCC and just had a little boy, so that made it way easier. But it was still hard. Little onesies, outfits, socks, bibs, rompers, blankets. It brought back a lot of memories, and I'll admit I teared up a bit (ok a lot). We did save 1 tub of stuff, the most special items that were made especially for the boys or our favorite outfits, the rest we parted with. When all was said and done we had 8, yes 8, bags of clothes to give away.
This was something we had been planning on doing, and something I was somewhat dreading. It meant admitting that the boys were just that, boys. No longer our little babies. It also meant finally admitting that we were not going to (at least plan to) have any more children. We are fully committed to the adoption, and I look forward to it each and every day, but this was saying goodbye to a chapter of our lives. Then again, it was all about starting a new one. Namely moving and the adoption. So in that aspect it was also kind of exciting. But, all is said and done now. Tomorrow we give the clothes away to a friend with best wishes that they might bring special memories to someone else the way they did for us.
All is well, packing up and moving on, in Drosche Land.
So, after another busy day - church, lunch, and grocery shopping, it was time to get something ready to prep for our next meeting with the realtor. Up first - cleaning out the closets, namely the boys'. Sounds easy right? Well, sort of. See, we've been holding onto quite a bit of the baby clothes. Why? Who knows? We have gone through them before actually, every time we cycle out the boys' clothes. In doing so several times we have managed to work our way down to 6 large tubs. Yes, I know it sounds like a lot, and it is. But considering the fact that we have gone through it all at least 3 times prior to this, that's pretty good. Well, anyway, We decided to finally get rid of it all. Realistically we probably won't ever need them again. We are not planning on having any more biological children and when we adopt, it will be a girl. If we ever do change our mind and have another boy, or adopt one, we will be in the financial place to buy new (thanks to Dave Ramsey & Amy). So, rather than move it all we decided that the move was the perfect catalyst to finally say goodbye. We are giving it all to a friend who works at TLCC and just had a little boy, so that made it way easier. But it was still hard. Little onesies, outfits, socks, bibs, rompers, blankets. It brought back a lot of memories, and I'll admit I teared up a bit (ok a lot). We did save 1 tub of stuff, the most special items that were made especially for the boys or our favorite outfits, the rest we parted with. When all was said and done we had 8, yes 8, bags of clothes to give away.
This was something we had been planning on doing, and something I was somewhat dreading. It meant admitting that the boys were just that, boys. No longer our little babies. It also meant finally admitting that we were not going to (at least plan to) have any more children. We are fully committed to the adoption, and I look forward to it each and every day, but this was saying goodbye to a chapter of our lives. Then again, it was all about starting a new one. Namely moving and the adoption. So in that aspect it was also kind of exciting. But, all is said and done now. Tomorrow we give the clothes away to a friend with best wishes that they might bring special memories to someone else the way they did for us.
All is well, packing up and moving on, in Drosche Land.
Sunday, October 03, 2010
The Meeting
So today was the big day. The day we met with a realtor to take the next step in our latest adventure. Excitedly nervous, nervously excited. Take your pick as to how we were feeling. The day began, of course, with more cleaning as we finished our closet and were reminded of just how ginormous it actually is. We also finished our bathroom before heading to church. Before leaving Amy had time to test the paint samples we bought yesterday and, much to our dismay, they were both off, waaaaaay off. So we were left stressing out about this new discovery. However, fret for long we did not. I decided to call the Sherwin Williams by the house, just to see. Lo and behold they had some of the KB White we needed. The girl (Jackie if you're ever at the Sherwin Williams at Fry & Clay) did tell us that they stopped making that color because KB stopped using it 2 years ago. The good news is that they could, by request, make more if someone (us or any other KB homeowner) needed some. So all is well that ends well with the paint drama. After church we had enough time to quickly convert Amy's craft room/Scentsy headquarters into an office and tidy up the house before taking a brief break to wait for the realtor.
Overall the meeting went very well, we really like our agent and got some great feedback from him regarding the house. We were open and realistic with him and he was with us. We came up with the price we would need to simply break even and of course we are worried about getting that given the current market and our area, but pray and work we will to get as close to that amount as possible. He had some great things to say about our house and we discussed the positives about it, the kitchen and our upgrades there, the bigger back yard, and the general layout. The worst news was the fact that we will have to repaint the boys' bathroom. As it turns out we are likely the only people who would enjoy a bright yellow bathroom with orange and blue spots. Who knew? So, bummer, we will just have to get it knocked out in a day, next weekend probably and be done with it. The good news is that we won't have to paint it with the Sherwin Williams paint! We can just get some Behr paint & primer in one (if you haven't tried it you really should, it's amazing) in whatever neutral color we want.
We agreed to list the house in 2 weeks so we don't have much time left to paint and finish cleaning and de-cluttering the rest of the house (namely the remaining closets). We also need to have the carpets professionally cleaned. So, the race is on to listing the house, the next step in our adventure. Oh, by the way, all this prep work, packing, and de-cluttering has lost us a garage as the boxes and cleaning finally took it over. Luckily the realtor said it was alright to store 75% of our belongings in the garage throughout the process! On one hand the house has never been so clean and open, on the other it's like we're living in a model house! Again, all the cleaning makes me wonder about what our house was like before. I mean I never thought our house was that cluttered, but now I'm beginning to have second thoughts!
So, we continue the seemingly endless amount of prep work for selling the house and hopefully in 6-9 months (per the realtor's estimate) it will have all paid off! Until then we clean, box up, rearrange, hide, stage, etc. in every spare minute we have! Never a dull moment here!
All is well, 2 weeks from listing, in Drosche Land.
Overall the meeting went very well, we really like our agent and got some great feedback from him regarding the house. We were open and realistic with him and he was with us. We came up with the price we would need to simply break even and of course we are worried about getting that given the current market and our area, but pray and work we will to get as close to that amount as possible. He had some great things to say about our house and we discussed the positives about it, the kitchen and our upgrades there, the bigger back yard, and the general layout. The worst news was the fact that we will have to repaint the boys' bathroom. As it turns out we are likely the only people who would enjoy a bright yellow bathroom with orange and blue spots. Who knew? So, bummer, we will just have to get it knocked out in a day, next weekend probably and be done with it. The good news is that we won't have to paint it with the Sherwin Williams paint! We can just get some Behr paint & primer in one (if you haven't tried it you really should, it's amazing) in whatever neutral color we want.
We agreed to list the house in 2 weeks so we don't have much time left to paint and finish cleaning and de-cluttering the rest of the house (namely the remaining closets). We also need to have the carpets professionally cleaned. So, the race is on to listing the house, the next step in our adventure. Oh, by the way, all this prep work, packing, and de-cluttering has lost us a garage as the boxes and cleaning finally took it over. Luckily the realtor said it was alright to store 75% of our belongings in the garage throughout the process! On one hand the house has never been so clean and open, on the other it's like we're living in a model house! Again, all the cleaning makes me wonder about what our house was like before. I mean I never thought our house was that cluttered, but now I'm beginning to have second thoughts!
So, we continue the seemingly endless amount of prep work for selling the house and hopefully in 6-9 months (per the realtor's estimate) it will have all paid off! Until then we clean, box up, rearrange, hide, stage, etc. in every spare minute we have! Never a dull moment here!
All is well, 2 weeks from listing, in Drosche Land.
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Who Knew?
Well, it has been an incredibly busy day here in Drosche Land as we prepare for the meeting with the realtor tomorrow afternoon. We have been bustin' it to get the house ready, or as ready as it can be. Who knew that selling a house was going to be so tiresome and crazy? A lot of people I'm sure. It is still bewildering to me that in order to sell a house, it has to look like no one lives there, like it's a model home. When everyone knows full well that people live there! Crazy! It is what it is I guess though. Amy and I do find it comical that our house looks so different with so much of our stuff removed. Every time we leave and come back we walk in and are a little taken aback by it!
We continued with the cleaning, organizing, packing, and general de-personalization of our house today. The laundry room/pantry, kitchen, dining room, living room, and both the front and back yards are done. I guess I could have just said the entire first floor, oh well. Cut me some slack, we've been busy. After much debate I finally admitted defeat to Amy and acknowledged the fact that she was correct (stop grinning Amy) and took down the cross wall and all of the family pictures in the stairway. Yeah yeah yeah, nobody buying a house actually wants to recognize that someone actually lives there. I know, but still it is hard to start packing everything up while not knowing when we will even be moving. But Amy keeps me going by reminding me that everyday is one day less until we move, regardless of when it will be. However, taking down all of those things just led to more drama. No pictures/crosses means nails must come out of the wall. Nails out of the wall means spackling and touch up painting. That requires the special paint that KB used (KB White by Sherwin Williams). So we travel out to get that along with mulch for the front beds and sod for the back yard flower bed we are tearing out. An unpleasant surprise greets us at Sherwin Williams - they don't have/make/sell KB White anymore. Say what?! Yeah so now what? Grrrr argh! So after consulting some Behr paint samples we find two we think are close so we bought little sample jars to test - something else we didn't make it to. So, we will continue that adventure tomorrow.
On the bright side we mulched the front beds and they look great, tore out the bed in the back yard and sodded it over and it looks great, treated weeds in the patio and it is all set! Tomorrow after church we will kick it into warp speed and finish random tidying/hiding/cleaning and hopefully we will be ready for the realtor at 2:00 p.m. I'm excited and nervous. Excited because it is the next step in this adventure and we badly want to get the process rolling and get the house sold. Nervous because who knows what could happen? We know how much we owe on the house and we are not looking to make a profit, just get out without having to pay much, if anything to do so. Hopefully the realtor can help us do that. I'm happy because he is one of Dave Ramsey's ELPs so that is promising. But we will have to see what tomorrow brings. In the mean time we pray, prepare, and wait. Tomorrow will likely bring 2 posts, the Sunday Snapshot and of course an update on the realtor's visit. Until then!
All is well, realtor-ready?, in Drosche Land.
We continued with the cleaning, organizing, packing, and general de-personalization of our house today. The laundry room/pantry, kitchen, dining room, living room, and both the front and back yards are done. I guess I could have just said the entire first floor, oh well. Cut me some slack, we've been busy. After much debate I finally admitted defeat to Amy and acknowledged the fact that she was correct (stop grinning Amy) and took down the cross wall and all of the family pictures in the stairway. Yeah yeah yeah, nobody buying a house actually wants to recognize that someone actually lives there. I know, but still it is hard to start packing everything up while not knowing when we will even be moving. But Amy keeps me going by reminding me that everyday is one day less until we move, regardless of when it will be. However, taking down all of those things just led to more drama. No pictures/crosses means nails must come out of the wall. Nails out of the wall means spackling and touch up painting. That requires the special paint that KB used (KB White by Sherwin Williams). So we travel out to get that along with mulch for the front beds and sod for the back yard flower bed we are tearing out. An unpleasant surprise greets us at Sherwin Williams - they don't have/make/sell KB White anymore. Say what?! Yeah so now what? Grrrr argh! So after consulting some Behr paint samples we find two we think are close so we bought little sample jars to test - something else we didn't make it to. So, we will continue that adventure tomorrow.
On the bright side we mulched the front beds and they look great, tore out the bed in the back yard and sodded it over and it looks great, treated weeds in the patio and it is all set! Tomorrow after church we will kick it into warp speed and finish random tidying/hiding/cleaning and hopefully we will be ready for the realtor at 2:00 p.m. I'm excited and nervous. Excited because it is the next step in this adventure and we badly want to get the process rolling and get the house sold. Nervous because who knows what could happen? We know how much we owe on the house and we are not looking to make a profit, just get out without having to pay much, if anything to do so. Hopefully the realtor can help us do that. I'm happy because he is one of Dave Ramsey's ELPs so that is promising. But we will have to see what tomorrow brings. In the mean time we pray, prepare, and wait. Tomorrow will likely bring 2 posts, the Sunday Snapshot and of course an update on the realtor's visit. Until then!
All is well, realtor-ready?, in Drosche Land.
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