Moving Day 2010 (B) Day 1

Well, isn't THAT title nice and technical? You see, we've already moved in 2010. And today is our "official" move date...although between you and me, Hannah's room is all set up and ready to go, and the boys' room is 90% done too. #1 has been working very hard this week to get things moved over on his own.

I won't be able to check blogs or update this one (I don't think) because the new house won't have internet until Tuesday, and I'm not planning on sitting on the bare floor of the rental with my laptop.

Baby is staying where she is very nicely right now. I had a great day yesterday and was able to get lots done ***you know, putting sheets on little beds and hanging coats in a closet...don't worry, I'm OK!***. I think it would be very convenient for her to be born Easter Sunday, but we'll see. I keep sending her little vibes. :o)


Snug has been asking some questions and had some interesting comments about Jesus' death and resurrection lately. I wish I could write stuff down when he says it, but he is most chatty in the van while we are going somewhere. He asked me the other day to tell him the whole story, starting with the "trees" and "kozannah" (Palm Sunday). He asked me on Sunday if I could hear his class saying "kozannah" because it was "ve-wry loud"! I guess they did it with gusto.

He was not really very happy when I told him that people spit on Jesus. Sometimes Little Monkey spits on him (working on that) and it makes him really upset. I asked him how it would make Jesus feel and he said "I don't know, but mommy, tell Jesus to just wipe it off and keep playing". I'm not sure how much of the story he gets.

The nails at the cross were also of interest to him. While at a friend's house the other day at the playground (in their backyard! How convenient is that??) he found a large spike sticking out of the ground. It seemed like the best thing to describe to him what the nails would have been like. I think he was picturing little finishing nails for trim board and pictures! He wanted to know if it was very sharp, and I told him, yes. He decided he didn't want anyone to put one in him.

The best thing though, is he keeps telling me "mommy, Jesus is alive!" No matter what he understands of the story, I am so glad he understands that Jesus died and that He is alive. That is a great starting point for a 3 year old!


Thank you everyone for all of your prayers, encouraging words, and comments. This whole moving/being pregnant/moving again/wheat-gluten adventure/raising children thing has been pretty stressful, but it has also been so neat to see what God has in store for us.

Setting Up The Nursery

Today we had a busy day. Along with moving a bunch of stuff over to the new house, #1 set up the nursery. Mostly. There are a few more things to do, but I'll share what is done so far.
Here he is putting together the daybed that will be in her room. This was my bed from about the time I was 16 until I got married. One problem. Somewhere in the move we lost the hardware to put it together. We got some bots and nuts, but they aren't right. The bed is "together" but don't even lean on it or it will fall apart.

We didn't even bother to put the mattress or trundle part in because it is so unstable. You can see some of the cute girl things Hannah has on the chest on the left. When I find the right box there will be a cute Peter Rabbit lamp on that table.

And the crib went up today. This is the third (and final) time that #1 will have to put it together. I laid a blanket and put Peter Rabbit in the bed, but I don't have a fitted mattress pad yet, and the pink sheet I have to put on the bed is currently on Snug's bed...I was a bit behind on the laundry. I have a new set of purple/pink sheets but I left them in the package...just in case we are wrong.

Here you can see this side of her room. The chest of drawers was from when I was a baby. I still have pictures and things to hang, but her room is almost done!

And here is her closet. I hung up dresses so that they were not smashed in boxes...they are all different sizes and I will organize them later.

Very soon the rest of the house will be looking as good as her room!

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Ok, next order of buisness. I was "tagged" on A Police Wife and now I will answer her questions.

3 Joys:

1. The Gift of Salvation

2. My husband and kids

3. Our new house

3 Fears:

1. That I will have Hannah before Easter Sunda

2. That I won't have Hannah by 40 weeks

3. Someone from America's Most Wanted will get us :o)

3 Goals

1. To see all of my children recieve Christ (maybe not be there, but know about it)

2. To pay off our house in ten years

3. To be a better wife

3 Obsessions

1. Taking pictures of everything we do

2. Reading blogs

3. Organizing things (even if it doesn't appear to be so to other people...there is always method to my madness)

Baby Shower!

A bunch of the girls from my ladies Bible study/young families class at church threw a baby shower for us last night. It was so much fun, and they have been very supportive and generous. Everyone brought yummy food and we received some super cute girly stuff! Along with that, I have had three moms give me beautiful hand-me-downs so this girl is set!

So did I take any pictures? Of course not. Could I take some right now and show you?

Well...I could...but I have already put things in boxes ready to move and the though of unpacking anything just makes me...well...it isn't gonna happen.

Here are some things we have had the blessing of getting:

Onesies, little dresses, sweaters, sweatshirts, outfits, jammies, , shoes, pink and purple sheets, receiving blankets, pacifiers, diapers (I take disposables to church if I have them), and a couple of toys.

I am not driving unless absolutely necessary these days because I have a lot of pain in my lower abdomen/legs and I don't feel very safe doing so. #1 got the boys in their jammies and then drove me to the baby shower last night (the girl who hosted it lives on our rental house street!). On the way Snug wanted to know where I was going and I told him a party-a party for Hannah. He has showed zero jealousy about this new little addition...but he did have a bit last night. He was really upset to think that Hannah was going to eat cake, and he wasn't. I asked him "does Hannah eat right now?" He said "um...no." Then I asked if he thought she was really going to eat cake and he laughed and decided that no, she wasn't. Ok, technically she did eat cake via me, but we were not getting into that.

The other day he asked, again, how we were going to get Hannah out. I reminded him that we will go to the hospital and that the doctor will take her out. This time, that answer didn't suffice. He said "How? How will he get her out?". I tried to change the topic but he promptly said "mommy, there is something you are NOT telling me". He cracks me up.


Tomorrow the plan is to move some of the junk things that collect when you have children out of the garage and to the new house. Along with that we are going to try and set up the nursery there. I will not be doing any of this, I am, as Snug says, "the coach". I will take pictures of that if it happens, and then you can see some of the cute girly things we now have. I am not taking tags off of anything until she is born though.

We also think that that we will be moving next weekend. WOW!!!!!!!


**On a very different note, Officer Walsh's funeral was today. #1 got to see some of it at work as it had been recorded and put online. I guess he was quite the guy, very professional, and some of the stories shared about him as an officer and dad were just so remarkable. Please continue to pray for this family.

Let The Work Begin

We spent our whole morning and a good chunk of the afternoon working on the house today. Here's how we divided up the responsibilities:
#1-shovel the driveway (we got 2 inches last night...not much but still he now has 2 driveways to do), get the screws/molly bolts out of the walls, install the diaper sprayer (this was his idea, not mine)
Me-pull the nails out of the walls, take down unwanted curtains, keep the boys busy, fill nail holes
Snug-play outside in the new backyard, stay out of the way, be nice to Little Monkey Man
Little Monkey Man-run, climb, jump, scream, be nice to Snug
Here are some pictures of Hannah's room aka the nursery. This wall needs some Kilz for sure! While I think the idea of a chalk wall for kids is nice, overall I do believe it would teach my kids to color all over the walls...not just the designated one. Besides that, I think in this room it is ugly.

I forgot to take a picture before I took down numerous Disney posters (tried to save them but they were old and ripped easily), tape stuck to the walls, bright pink curtains, and wall stickers. This is a picture before #1 took down the white shelving you see. We will try to use it in a closet somewhere.

The yellow doesn't look too bad in these pictures, again, the camera is being very generous. Like every other room, this one is cable ready...or at least is now. We'll be taking care of that very soon too. I really wish you could see the paint in this house. EVERYTHING is painted, right down to the actual light switches. I am so so happy they didn't paint the trim in the livingroom/dining room. That is a blessing.

I took some pictures out the back. Here is our deck (the metal rods in the corners are part of a tent thing that goes up in the summer and gives almost the whole deck shade. Nice! You can also see the fire pit (yeah marshmallows!), swing set, and play set they left. Snug played out here for probably 40 minutes today (didn't get pictures, had spackle/putty all over my hands) and decided it was a really good yard.

Another view of the porch. I can just imagine Hannah and I relaxing on the deck as the boys play in the yard with our dogs this summer.

This is the window looking out the front from the living room. Excuse my photographic blunder with balance of color/light here. Anyway, it is HUGE and I think the kids will spend a great deal of time looking outside. I really want to get some kind of a bird feeder out there.

This is how Snug spent part of his day. He was watching Bob the Builder, but when it was over he didn't turn it off and then an episode of Barney came on...and then a couple of other cartoons that I had never even heard of. They looked like something college students had made for a class project, but they were using nice language so I left it on. I had no idea they were at the end of the DVD. #1 and I were laughing though. We are working hard to get the cable lines out of the bedrooms and fill in holes from mounted TVs...and yet Snug spent a chunk of the day watching TV in his new room. Oh well. It kept him occupied.

He and Monkey Man also had puzzles (trying to perk up his interest in this area), books, matchbox cars, and a soft sided ball. They didn't veg out all day. Actually, that was a picture of the probably 5 min. total Little Monkey watched anything.

But Little Monkey Man doesn't believe in playing with toys for long if he can help it. Nope, daddy's drill is the toy for him!

And being daddy's shadow is a full time job. There are several odd features about this house, and we're not really sure how to get rid of them without making a bigger mess. The house used to have a central vacuum system. I guess it was a vacuum that ran in the basement and each room has a hole in the floor you would stick a hose in. Another feature is a speaker system similar to what you'd see at a department store (in the ceiling). We have no idea how to use it/if it works. #1 is taking down a circular apparatus that appeared to be a light, but ended up being a hole to the attic that does who-knows-what.

The kitchen will indeed need to be painted. Poor #1. On closer look in the daylight we discovered there are many many nail holes, and the walls are quite dirty. All the walls are filthy in fact because they burned paper (TONS AND TONS) in their fireplace (perhaps also the flu wasn't all the way open???) and because the chimney needs to be cleaned so bad, it left soot on all the walls, particularly where they took pictures down.

It was fun to be over there working today though because we know everyday it will be a little closer to being ready to be lived in. Today I filled 109 holes in the walls. And I am exhausted.

On a completely different note, Little Monkey Man's diarrhea is not better. We've been doing what the GI told us to do, but we have seen little difference. Please continue to pray for him as it doesn't feel good to him and for us as we continue to make decisions about his health. He has two more medical related appointments this coming week.

Welcome To Our Home

Hello, and welcome to "the new house". We closed on it tonight, and then headed over to look it over. Snug and Little Monkey Man will give you the full tour. Or at least show up in many of the pictures because they were running around the empty house like crazy.

There are two closets as you walk in the front door, and this one is really neat. Snug is standing in it and you can see how big it is!

To the left of where Snug was standing is MORE storage space.

Here is one of two bathrooms. It isn't surprising Little Monkey is in this picture as he loves bathrooms. L O V E S them. They hold SO many fun things. Water...potties...toilet brushes...yeah, they are so fun. This bathroom won't have anything done to it as the paint and everything are in good condition. The curtains? They gotta go.

Here is the boys' room. It will be the smallest room they have ever been in...even smaller than the rental. That is the one thing I don't really like about the house is the bedroom sizes, but we really couldn't find a 3 bedroom with bigger rooms that we could afford-found lots of houses with bedrooms smaller than these. This room will get a coat of paint, curtains, and it looks like a new set of blinds.

Ignore the white spots all over this picture, something was on my lens. This is our room. It is also pretty small, but the curtains and the paint-oh my. The paint actually looks OK in this picture, but it isn't. Three walls are a dirty off white color and dirty. The fourth wall is yellow. The trim also looks pretty good in this shot, but it has been painted dark brown, and not painted well. I actually made #1 take down the curtains tonight-they were just GAG.

Anyone who had been to our old house will recognize this floor :o) It is the SAME flooring we had at our old house. This room won't have to have any paint. #1 is thankful for that!

Eventually I'd love to replace the cabinets and take out that wall oven, along with converting the "eat in kitchen" (maybe for a family of 2) you see on the right side of the picture into more cabinets/counter tops.

This is me standing in the dining room looking out to the living room. The kitchen is on the left, the bedrooms on the right.

Now I am standing by the fireplace looking at the entrance. You can see Snug in the closet I love, and the coat closet. This room needs to be painted also. You can see the top right part of the picture where they had things hung on the wall and the paint has actually faded. On the top left of the picture you can see where the garage comes in...to the right is the basement stairs, to the left another bathroom (didn't take pictures of it).

And this is looking into the dining room. To the right is the kitchen and straight ahead goes out to the backyard.

This is the basement as seen from the bottom of the stairs. They left this lovely couch for us, but I think if we vacuum, disinfect, and wash it we will use it. The fireplace can be used (the upstairs one must be cleaned and the chimney cleaned) but we think we are going to save for an insert in this one and heat the basement with it. We love a wood burning fireplace, and want the one upstaires to stay that way.

More shots of the basement. It has a great high ceiling so eventually a drop ceiling will be in order.

This is looking at the basement stairs. The wooden part is built in under stair storage. The walls are painted...but won't look like that forever. This area isn't our top priority.

Seriously, the spots are awful on my camera. I even cleaned the lens when I took this one. I hope my camera isn't on the fritz. This is another area of the basement. They were nice enough to leave lots of interesting things and even some garbage for us.

So we have lots of work to do. We have nearly 2 months to do it in before our lease is up on the rental. We want to be in this house by the first of April, but don't have to be. Mostly cleaning and painting. We have a huge list of "we'd like to..." but the down payment on this one pretty much wiped out "we'd like to..." for awhile. Paint, paint paint. That is our goal.

I didn't get any pictures of the backyard because it was dark out and we are in the middle of a snowstorm. The house has a 2 car garage with a garage door opener (we didn't have that before*). The backyard is twice the size of our old one, and they left the swing set and a Little Tykes play set climbing thing. It also has a really nice deck. We spend lots of time outside so that was a trade off for small bedrooms. Really we spend most of our time in the living areas of the house and backyard, not in our rooms.

I hope you enjoyed your tour. I realize I didn't take a picture of Hannah's room, but it needs a lot of work. I'll try to remember to photograph it next time and then you can see how our makeover progresses. We're hoping a good cleaning and coat of paint, along with working on the sockets (all 2 prong, no 3 prong) will get us where we need to be to move in. We plan on being in this house for many many years, so we can slowly do things as we get the money and as we get the dream. Right now we are just tired!

*When we pulled into the garage tonight, something Snug has never had happen before, he said "Oh look at the big room for our van!!!"

New House

This is a (very old) picture of our new house. I don't think the big tree in the front yard is still there, but I won't swear by that. It still needs to be landscaped, but it does look a bit better at present then in this picture. I personally think it resembles our old house somewhat. #1 says they are both brick ranches built in the 50's...and that is the only reason why I might think that because he thinks they look really different.

I so wanted to show you the inside pictures from the realty site, but by the time I got internet, the listing had been taken down. I'll take pictures when we are working on the house.

So! It has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a full basement. It sits on a 1/2 acre lot. We would have loved to have had more land/been out a bit farther but that wasn't financially happening. The actual living space (kitchen, living room, dining room) isn't lots bigger than what we had, but another bedroom and bathroom was our main objective. The house overall is bigger so the basement is too. Both the basement and the living room have a fireplace. Love that!

Two car garage, nice deck, and a flat driveway are perks of the house. Our other house had an almost one car garage, o.k. deck, and sloping driveway. Flat driveways are nice for boys to play basketball on. Also, our new road is such that only people who live on it will be using it-hardly any traffic. Our old road was the main route to the hospital (6 houses down)...very busy.

Although I will miss my old house (and haven't even driven by since I picked up the dogs because I don't want to see it different than how I left it) this one really will be a blessing for us.

Thanks for all your prayers. Thanks to everyone who has helped us move, watched our kids, brought us meals, and been an encouragement. We couldn't have done it without you.

In about two months we'll have to bug you again...cause we still won't be able to do it alone!

Internet Trouble & Good News

I have access to the internet here for a minute so I wanted to drop in and update you on the Drays, today.

Our rental is a dream, very efficient and more than we ever hoped for...the phone company came out and hooked up our internet/phone (supposedly) but either they didn't truly do it, or all of the phone jacks in the house do not work. We think it is the latter. So eventually I might be able to get online, but not anytime soon.

WE HAVE A HOUSE!!!! We found a house and it is very nice. God has truly blessed us because so so many things have fallen into place to make the new house possible. I'll tell you more about it when I get time. We close on the 26th of February and have occupancy the same day. We won't move in right away as it needs to be painted and all of the electrical sockets are two prong. Besides, we have the rental until May 1 so there will be no rush. Only one month of rent/mortgage will overlap so that is also good. Doing that for very long would be quite draining on the budget!

More later, thanks for your prayers.

Jenney

Moving Week: Friday &Saturday

Ah, all moved in...or not. But we are getting there. Here are some pictures from the last couple of days. We won't have phone or internet till the 29th at the rental house. I think seems how they don't even have to come out to either property to do anything that is a bit long to wait, but I just let it go.

Here is Little Monkey Man enjoying his first meal at the rental. We did hotdogs on the George Foreman as I wasn't feeling very "cooking" that first evening.

Snug was thrilled that he had hot dogs and chips and nothing else for dinner. That was his kind of meal!

And Little Monkey Man got his big boy bed. I have similar pictures of when Snug got his. I was just a month shy of starting blogging when Snug got his big boy bed, so I don't have a post to link to. VERY soon though I can link back to when Snug was the same age as Little Monkey.

Someone was excited to get a new bed. My mom made the sheet, and I made the pillow case out of leftover scrap from his quilt (coming when grandmommy gets back from Florida).

Look how BIG he is! I can't believe it. There was blood curdling screaming for the first 30 minutes after we put him to bed that night, and after awhile he settled down and slept just fine. Nap time yesterday was a little harder. It took about 45 minutes and several times out of bed. Last night he climbed in and slept all night without a peep.

Here is the view in the boys' room. Their little matching beds are so cute! There is also a dresser in there, but we really are not going to decorate (still have to paint this room as part of our rental contract) or do anything else because we will be moving again so fast.

Little Monkey Man, being the adventurer that he is, loves the empty cabinets in the kitchen. I am loving all the cabinets period. Our old house had very very few. I told him not to get used to it because A) not everything that goes IN those cabinets is unpacked yet and B) the house we are really looking at/going to put an offer in on doesn't have nearly this many. In the meantime he has a great time getting in and out and in and out.

Either tonight or tomorrow we are going to put in an offer on a house we saw recently. #1 and I went back without kids today to look at it closer and decided (except for the location...I personally wasn't wanting to switch towns) it really fit everything we have been looking for. In fact, it is VERY similar to the house we just sold, only bigger. It even has twice the yard. I will have to make new friends but we won't have to switch churches or anything, and I still plan on going to our old library/grocery stores/bank. Everything is a mere 10 minutes away.

IF they accept our offer (and counter offers and all that junk). I have to remember that we might not get that house. And that will be OK too because that means there is something better out there. Thank you for all your prayers, God has been so generous with us. We never expected to live in such a nice rental, and this other house, if it goes through, will come available to move into just a few weeks before we have to be OUT of the rental, giving us time to paint and make any adjustments. We may even be bringing a new baby into our own house and not a rental. That would be nice!

Like I said, I don't have internet or phone...just if I am the one to stop by our old house and feed our dogs will I be able to check my e-mail quick. I will MISS reading all of your posts, they are so much fun. I promise when we get internet at the rental I will take the time to read what all has been happening in your lives. I will miss you!!!!

Moving Week: Thursday

Today is the biggest moving day of the week. Lord willing, all of our furniture will be moved to the rental house today. We have three guys coming to help #1 accomplish as much of that task as possible. We plan on spending the night there tonight, so last night was probably our last official night at this house. I am posting at 6am because I really doubt I will have any time later today to do so.
Being the last night in this house, it was also this little boy's last night in a crib. We are going to move his big boy bed into the rental and make the transition that way. New place, new bed, no big deal? We'll see!

We are all very excited about today (except Snug, he is not really thrilled with the whole idea) and it is going to be a BUSY one. Yes, I still have Draycare today. And guess what? It is a late start day which means, on top of the three I normally have, I have three "big kids" as well until 11am. Yes, eight children will be in this house we are moving out of until 11am. They will play/have preschool (if applicable) in the playroom side of the basement as that is not going to be a high traffic moving area today. I kinda figure that it will keep me from moving/lifting/trying things I should not be doing at 27 weeks pregnant. I will have my hands full of kiddos, not boxes. Definitely a better option for the baby and my health.

Thanks for all your prayers, maybe tomorrow I will have pictures of a new big boy bed and some of the other rooms.

**Did you see the painting behind Little Monkey Man's head? My mom did that for the nursery before Snug was born. I am going to miss it because it is beautiful!

Moving Week: Wonderful Wednesday

Wow, the past 24 hours have been WOW. Late yesterday afternoon I got a call from a lady who said the house I talked about here had come available to rent again, and would we still be interested? Um...YES. Last night about 8:30 I went and signed the lease and gave them the deposit and rent money. We now have a place to live, PRAISE THE LORD!

#1 has been there all day painting the living room, halls and bedrooms. That is part of the contract. Fine with us, it will be nice and ready for us tomorrow. This house is about $50 more a month than our current mortgage (as opposed to the apartment where we were going to end up which with a storage unit was going to be over $300 a month more) and includes ALL the storage we will need.

I don't plan on unpacking very much at this house as we will only be there until May 1st and should have the baby by then...don't really feel like packing up a ton while juggling a newborn. Now we have to look REALLY hard for a new house. So far nothing is really available, but we know more will keep going on the market.

This house has 3 bedrooms, one of which I can use for a playroom. Snug picked which room he wants to be in today. I really didn't care, and it gave him some control of his world that is changing so fast. It also has a small room off the laundry area that will be PERFECT for doing preschool. A brand new stove was delivered today. I am thrilled.

Our current home's closing is at 5pm tonight. That is kinda sad because I love this house, but we are so blessed to have sold it.

In other news, mainly pregnancy news, we got to visit the hospital unit we plan to deliver in. I am so excited about it. I will be needing some advice on giving birth without pain medication, but other than that it "fixes" everything we didn't like about having a baby in the traditional hospital setting.

1. #1 does not have to sleep on a hard little couch type thing. There is a queen size bed in the room.

2. I do not have to lay in a bed on my back through labor. They encourage you to walk around, be in the tub, and relax.

3. I do not have to wait until after I have the baby to have a drink or something to eat. In fact, they encourage the women to snack and drink during labor. YEAH!

4. The baby will not be whisked away 5 minutes after birth to be weighed, bathed, and check out for an hour. EVERYTHING is done in the room and you are encouraged to nurse as soon as possible (not when it is convenient for the nurses).

5. If everything goes well, we can leave the hospital within 24 hours of giving birth...not 48!

6. The kids don't have to wait a few hours to come. In fact if we want them to be they can be IN the room (I don't want that). There is a wonderful family waiting area right outside the room with couches, toys, and a DVD player that they can use and then come in as soon as she is born and I am ready to see them.

7. Mom and baby have their vitals checked at the same time and they prefer to check baby when he/she is being nursed because they are so relaxed. When we had Little Monkey they were coming in every hour to check one of us. We were so exhausted and it interrupted nursing quite a bit because the insisted on holding him to check his vitals.

And the best news we got last night was that the ban the hospital had against children under 14 due to H1N1 has been lifted and the boys will be able to be there! So exciting. This is turning out to be a wonderful Wednesday!

Moving Week: Tuesday

Even though Little Monkey Man had a bath right before bed last night (hence the great looking bed head) he really did need one again this morning. For everyone's sake. The water in the tub wasn't quite ready and he was trying to climb in by himself. Then he decided to flash everyone who was still at the breakfast table. Finally I stood him in the sink to keep him occupied. I had some other really cute pictures of him looking at himself in the mirror, but they showed too much private property on his end.

So day #2 of the Great Moving week. I was up from 2:30-6am. I wasn't UP but I was awake. I've had more insomnia with this pregnancy than any of my others. It is just maddening to lay there and NOT be able to sleep, but know how tired I will be the next day. Along with having Draycare back today and doing preschool (working on a book of colors, counting out specific numbers, letter "O", and our Bible story) we managed to get everything but a rice cooker* packed out of our basement storage area.

My kitchen has very few cupboards and many items like my crock pot, stock pots, and popcorn popper had residency on a shelf in the basement. Along with this was all of our Christmas items (Thanks mom and Danielle for helping get that all packed earlier), camping gear, and random things that didn't have another home.

We have yet another box for Goodwill, threw away a significant amount of stuff that we weren't sure WHY we even had, and packed the rest. I'm a keeper, not a tosser, but I have to say getting rid of so much stuff is actually...relieving. Anyone who helps us move will think I had better get rid of 200 more things. We even negotiated. "I'll throw/give this away if you get rid of __________." Fun times.

I had to laugh this morning. After meals the kids always clear their dishes and then go wash their hands and faces/use the bathroom if they need to. Little M (boy that I sit for) said "Where is the bathroom???" He was trying to get around a big stack of boxes in the hallway and couldn't find his way through!

Tonight we are going over to the hospital where I will deliver for an orientation. It is the same hospital I had both of the boys at but we are going to try something different this time. Although many doulas or midwives would probably laugh, this section of the maternity ward is considered a more natural delivery environment than traditional L&D areas. There is a mandatory orientation and then another day of tour just to make SURE you want to use this facility. My dr. says I am a great candidate to try this because it is baby #3 (I know what I am doing) and so far my pregnancy has been by the book perfect.

With my boys this wouldn't have even been an option because Snug was a preemie (delivered in an O.R. just in case) and Little Monkey Man had me on bedrest for a few weeks and was born the day after he was considered NOT to be a preemie. He cut it very close. We'll see how this one goes, but so far the pregnancies have been night and day so my dr. thinks I will probably go full term. Remind me when I am 41 weeks how GOOD of a thing that is...cause I'm pretty sure when I hit 37 weeks I will be more than ready to be DONE.

Still don't know where we are moving for sure, will tell you tomorrow...cause we have to know by tomorrow. Fun times!




*Ok. We got a 10 c. rice cooker (20 c. when done) as a wedding present. We've never used it that I can remember. I am all for giving it away to someone who wants it. #1 didn't know we had it and thinks we will use it constantly. It is in the pile of "if we can fit it in the storage area, it stays, if it doesn't fit, it's gone". Really, who makes 20 c of rice?????

Moving Week: Monday Mess

Welcome to moving week 2010. Actually, we will be moving two times in 2010, so maybe this should be "Moving Week 2010 A". I am going to take the most upbeat perspective on this that I can. Hang in there this is going to be a crazy week!
This is our basement. Ok, this is the homeschool/scrapbooking area/laundry room part of our basement. All the preschool materials have been moved upstairs so we can get school work done. I am not even thinking about scrapbooking in the next 10 years, and I have a very special path to get to the laundry area. I am determined to move with 95% clean laundry. The last 5% should be on bodies. Most of the large cardboard pile you see are tops to boxes yet to be packed...many of which will contain things to simply take to the rental and then unpack immediately.

Which rental? We don't know! That is the exciting part of this week, it is like a mystery game. We know who (us) we know when (Thurs-Sat) we know what (all this junk you see pictured) we know how (using the van, some friends, and a truck #1's dad graciously lent us) but the big question still remains: where????

Anyway, this is the boys' room. This box is an example of how exact I am trying to make the boxes that will be put in storage. Some can simply say "toys" or "#1's clothes" and that is all the explanation needed. However, other boxes I may or may not need for MONTHS to come (like this box containing diapers Little Monkey Man just outgrew along with sposies for him to use while I am at camp this summer) and I won't be opening them right away after move #2.

This is our hallway, and I am LOVING this stack. This stack is stuff that we didn't think we could live without back when we had our garage sale...but still haven't used since and it is all going to Goodwill. I gave away a big bag of boy clothes to a lady at church yesterday too. I am hanging on to most of the outgrown boy clothes just in case we don't have a girl. But we have TOO MUCH STUFF.

I have two boxes in the kitchen of things I want to go to storage, but am testing my theory out by having it packed...so far I have dug out 3 things that I really will be needing. It is so hard to predict. The toaster probably won't even make it into a box to travel. I think I will hand deliver it to the next counter top. We eat a lot of toast. I'm not super proud of that, but it is true.

Goodbye beautiful built in bookshelves. I shall miss you the most. Well, you and the built in china hutch...or the fireplace...(neighbors do NOT count in this "missing most" dilemma. They are so dear to us and will TRULY be missed the most).

And here is the boy who did not need a nap today. He informed us. He cried. He kicked the bed. He got a spanking. He sang loudly. He woke up his brother. He stood in the corner. He crashed on the couch for 2 hours. Because he did not need a nap. Poor little guy, his entire life is out of sorts right now.

We were very thankful that it was Martin Luther King Jr's birthday. Not only because he was a great man and did so many wonderful things for our country, but also because it gave us a daycare-free day to get LOTS done. Stay tuned for Tuesday's installment of Moving Week 2010!

The Truth Of It

Going to church may be something that many people do out of habit, or obligation, or for various reasons, but I have to say that especially since last year when Little Monkey was so sick it has become something I look forward to with anticipation because I learn so much.

I won't lie because some weeks I barely get out the door with everyone dressed and we will simply be there for two hours so I get to see other adults and my children can be with caring childcare workers. Some weeks are like that. But even on those weeks where my heart is not in the right place, God uses the sermons and affirmations of others.

The truth of it is, I (we) are trying so hard to look to the Lord for guidance in this whole housing situation. We are clinging to the verses I posted here and praying very hard that we don't become cynical or ugly towards each other or the kids during this stressful time. We are not always successful. We do lose our tempers, feel overwhelmed (like 4am this morning when I was packing boxes because laying in bed thinking about it seemed unproductive), and get stressed out. I thank the many friends and family members who have listened to me vent because often I just need to talk about it and then things don't seem as bad.

Today our music minister (director?) told the story of Horatio Spafford. He wrote the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul". Take a minute and read the words...then read his life story. His life was not easy, and he lost everything, but he was still praising God. I think that not having an ideal or easy place to live really pales in comparison.

It Is Well With My Soul
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Refrain:It is well, with my soul,It is well, with my soul,It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Here's his story in a nutshell:

Horatio was a wealthy lawyer in Chicago in the 1800s. The first tragic thing in his story was the death of his son (1871) followed closely by the Great Chicago fire that wipes him out financially. He and his family were believers and in 1873 they planned a trip to Europe to assist D. L Moody with his ministry he had there. Because of a business manner he sent his wife and four daughters ahead and planned to join them a week later. Their ship sank mid trip after an accident with another boat in the Atlantic. His wife alone survived.

As Mr. Spafford sailed over to get his wife and bring her home, he asked the captain of the ship to let him know when he was at the location of the accident. He wrote the words to the hymn above while he was at the scene. He had lost five children and his wealth within three years. It reminds me of Job. He, like Job, remained faithful. (He later did have 3 more children, one who died and two who survived. I was glad to know that when I looked him up online today)

So I will probably continue to stress a bit this week (or a lot) about housing and the move and everything. I will more than likely share the craziness on this blog. But I AM going to remember how faithful God has been to me before, and how He promises to take care of us in the big and little things.

Trumped

We had a 3 bedroom rental with all the storage we'd need lined up, but couldn't sign the lease until a week from yesterday. It wasn't a great place, but it had been worked on (painted, carpets cleaned, etc) since the last renters. This house would have been an excellent alternative to a 2 bedroom apartment (which with the cost of a storage unit would be about $300 a month MORE than our current mortgage and 1/8 the space we have currently). The house was the same price as our current mortgage.
They decided today to rent it to people who want the house for a year. That is better for the landlords than our family who needed it for 3 months.
So we have been trumped.

Snow Much Fun

So we didn't get tons, but enough to have another 2 hour delay today. This time it was because the city didn't clear the roads...ours still hasn't been plowed. Now, with a little over an inch it isn't usually a big deal, but #1 worked last night and I guess the roads were awful.

I took the kids outside to get some fresh air. I was surprised at how much Little Monkey Man liked it. When Snug was this age he wasn't a huge fan of walking around in a snow suit and big boots. Until he would fall over though, Monkey was very happy. After being set back on his feet, he was good to go.

I haven't been posting pictures of my Draycare kids because more and more people read this and I want to protect their privacy, but I don't think Little M could be readily recognized in all his winter attire!

Snug and friends played tag, made snow angels, and ran around until Little Miss E got cold and needed to go inside. Taking off your mittens to better feel the snow will do that to you every time! The boys were pretty upset to be going back in so soon, but since my snow pants did NOT zip, and my ski jacket barely went on I was also ready to go back in-I was feeling a bit pinched.

We just had snow much fun!

We had our house inspection today. I was kinda nervous because although we didn't know of any problems, that doesn't always mean there aren't any.

Three people came.

Man #1 walked in the door and asked who went to Cedarville University because his dad teaches there and he used to teach there. Then he wanted to know who the Michigan fan was. I was guilty on all counts :o) He was happy I had gone to Cedarville, not so thrilled with the Michigan bit! Anyway, we knew lots of the same people etc, etc.

Man #2 walked in and asked who was in law enforcement. I guess these guys know their stuff because they knew that much about US from our van in the driveway. They are what you call observant. Anyway, man #2 used to work for the county and knew my husband.

Man #3 walked in and is the realtor for the family who will be buying our house. I'm sure he was super happy to see we were already chummy with the inspectors who were working for him. He was a very nice man though, and knew the former owners of our house (he did the paper work in fact because we didn't use a realtor that time) and everyone else on the block. He says a really nice family is moving in which made me happy because we love our current neighbors and want nothing less for them.

In the end they found no problems and it was only an hour long. Would have been shorter if we hadn't chatted. The kids slept through the entire thing. It looks like we're just one more step towards moving out in 15 or so days!