My kids

I love this picture so much. I just sent a letter off to some friends of ours a few days ago. So this post is mostly for them. This is kinda what our life is right now. Lots of "little things to be grateful for."

I recently just made a book about our family and the past 10 years. I put several photos in it and it made me want to post some of them here.

This was our kids almost 4 years ago. Aren't they adorable! Espically Mike holding back the other two while the baby is on their "running track."

Then there is this cutie. This is Rod when he was a baby. LOVE him!

This is Gav, when we first moved into our current home. He was waiting for dinner to be finished. I guess he was too tired.

These are my ice skating boys. Crazy and cute as ever. The last picture is Mikey playing in the fountains outside of the ice rink.

OK...I know this is out of order...but I LOVE this picture so much. This was when we lived in TX. The faces in this are just too adorable.

Halloween our first year in our current home. Oh yeah, we were vikings...and super awesome ones at that!

Story time with the big boys.

Olivia as a baby. So cute.

Playing in our front yard. G, R, O, and O

Ack! These boys are a disaster. G, & M

Date night with Mike.

Olivia....and corn starch...

Wearing clothes, whatever she can find. She will wear EVERYTHING.

Rocking horsey! These two love playing together.

Me and ALL my children for the first time.

This picture is a few months old but I still love it. Crazy kids at church.

R

X,M,O,G,

M,O

Our most recent family picture. Yeah...I was going to make super cute Christmas cards...and never did. But we did take a picture!

We just had the Blue and Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts. Mikey earned his wolf, his gold arrow point, 5 silver arrow points, and 9 various belt loops. I have some pictures from that night that I will be uploading by Saturday. Check back then!

Feel free to comment so I know you've been here!

Drawing to a Close

Closing on the house is getting nearer. As far as I know, we have all of the paperwork we need turned in. I'll know by tomorrow if they need anything else. Then all we need is an inspection and to get the house appraised. It's so close I can almost taste it. Mike is finally up here in MO to stay. And he hadn't seen the house yet and neither had the kids, so Friday, we all went to look at the house together. It felt so good to be in that house with my little family.

I was going to post the pictures that I have, but I think I'll wait a little longer until we have our stuff in the house, they're still cleaning out parts of the house. The extra carpet was still in the garage when we looked at it. But everything is updated, new lights, new sinks, new tile (the ENTIRE basement) and it's just awesome. I already know where I want everything to go. It's just a matter of closing on the house. It's getting very exciting! I promise I will post pictures...or most likely I'll just have you come over and see it! WOO!

Buying a House

Well, we've felt like it's time to buy a house for a while, but we didn't want to buy a house in TX. We've always wanted to move to MO and Mike was finally able to get a job here, so we moved back. Well, we haven't moved yet. We're kinda in a state of limbo. Staying at my moms house while I do my research and draw up the paperwork and Mike is doing his training in dallas. It's hard being away from eachother, but he's not in Afghanistan this time so I'm ok with it. We get to talk several times a day, and he said when he gets totally processed, he'll get to fly to MO to come see us. He's got 2 more weeks. Then he'll be working up here full time.

In the meantime, rental housing just never went though. So I decided to look at housing. I figured on looking at things in the 75,000 range...but everything was really tiny and not very nice looking. I found one that looked promising, so I called the realtor and he gave us the key to go look at it. Small but still not quite right. So I told the realtor nevermind on that one. We need a little more space. Then he told me about another house that he had some guys working on right then. He said, it'll cost more in the low 90,000 range, but it's more what we're looking for. Mom and I went to look at it. IT"S WONDERFUL! the bedrooms are a little small, but there is a good sized kitchen and livingroom, and a FINISHED basement!!!!! NO WAY! The basement is the same size as the rest of the house. Perfect! Game room/tv room down stairs and keep the actual house part totally clean! Monday we go in to draw up a contract! I love the house, I just wish buying a house didn't take so long.

It's hard to live in someone elses house. I'm grateful for my parents because they are willing to let us stay here, but I'm sure gonna be glad when closing time comes on that house. So keep us in your prayers. And hope for us that it goes by quickly.

the waiting game

Sigh... We were supposed to come to MO, find a house, and drive back to Greenville within a week...nope. Well I've found a house, but other people have found the same house. So the owners have decided to look at the applications and find the best renter. I wish I knew what to do to better our chances at getting this house. I want to call the guy and say, "hey, we're ready to move in now. And will do the carpet cleaning and painting on the inside for you" but I feel like my chances are better if I just wait and not push the subject. It has been almost a week since we put in the application. I'm SO ready to know if we're in this house or not. I've never wanted to be in a rental so bad in my life.

When Mike applied for the job we figured it'd be a month or two before he started. It's been 2 weeks after his application was sent in, he starts training tomorrow. I realized I had to do something. I took the kiddos and we piled in the van bound for MO to go house hunting. I had done some research before we left and knew there were plenty of rentals in Springfield, I figured we'd have to go look at them and then just decide which one we want. Not quite so, all the good rentals, other people are looking into. Mike seems to think they may be victims of the Joplin tornado. Getting into a 2 bedroom is no problem. But we have to have 3 bedrooms...and those are being taken right and left. A house in Willard I went to look at was on the market for a few weeks, and was leased out the day I went to look at it.

The one thing Michael told me when we came here was, don't settle. I could have already put in an application for a few places, but none of them were right. Too small, no garage, no fence, bad neighborhood, or various other things. I've come to the conclusion, tomorrow I'll either be headed home to pack my bags and move into the one house I've come to envision me and my family in, or I'll be out driving around looking at houses again. The thought of that is just really discouraging. I spent days looking at housing and NOTHING was seeming right until we looked at this farm house. I've been praying fervently that the lord would soften the heart of the owner towards us. But it is so hard to wait for an answer. Deep down I know that we will be taken care of. Even if we don't get into this house, there will be a good house for us elsewhere. But I also know, deep in my heart, that we would be totally happy in that house for a long time.

We've already lived in rentals that we didn't care for. This house was wonderful. It's out in the country, has enough space for growing boys. And has the right family feel/setting I want in a house. If they were selling it I would have bought it in a heartbeat. My heart aches every time I think about that house, knowing it could just slip away. Time has passed so slowly waiting to hear back from the owner. Until we hear back, we wait at my moms house. Because if we don't get it, we'll be staying longer to find a different home. I feel like we don't even have a home right now. We already know we're going to be in Missouri. So our greenville house feels kinda like a storage home while I go house hunting. Because when I go back, it'll be to pack my stuff and bring it home to MO.

Our Big Van

 Here it is. My dream come true! Not a mini and not a 15 passenger.

 I told the boys I needed pictures of the van.

 so naturally they wanted to come help.

 I guess in their minds they were helping....

 Xander trying his hardest to reach the pedals

 The van is very basic, as you can see...nothing but radio. Nothings electric. But it does have rear AC. That was a MUST

 view from the front passenger side. you can see all 4 car seats. And look how much room is left over!

 I went grocery shopping for the first time in this a few days ago and it was AWESOME. I have So much room back here!

 Just an idea on how big the van is. lol.

 Owen eating a Nutella sandwich. He caught me eating one, and I can't say no to that face.

 having a race. In our neighborhood we're the only house with a sidewalk...its the perfect track course.

On your mark! Wait Gavin I didn't say go yet!

 On your Mark.

 Get Set!

 Wait don't hit the baby!

 my poor Xander, scratching his feet again.

 Owen running away from mom.

and yes, Xander was sitting under the van for shade. It's big, but so perfect for our family. Love that van.

Still Sick

Oh yeah, it's been one of those weeks. It just keeps going around and around. It started off with Owen last week, then I got it....and still have it. Then Daddy got sick, now Owen is sick again, and Gavin and Xander are both coughing. YAY! It's a plus when we can't even drive our car to go get more cough syrup. (though mike did pick some up yesterday on his motorcycle. Everyone just lays around the house feeling sick. And lots of snot noses today too...keep the kleenex commin.

Getting Creative

 So as mentioned earlier...I have no access to a working car at the moment. And tonight I had an emergency....I wanted chocolate. Usually if I'm really needing chocolate I'll load up children and take a drive and get either ice cream or a chocolate bar. Tonight that wasn't an option. So I start scanning the kitchen. I found some semi sweet chips in the cupboard....but those just don't cut it when you really need a chocolate fix. Then, I found my salvation....ice cream fudge topping! I ate a spoonful right then, right out of the jar. (slightly stressful day. I forgot to mention in my last post that everyone is also Sick. WOO HOO!) And that helped...but I wanted a crunch with it...hum what to do. Cereal? Nope all we have is strawberry shredded wheat uh....I think I'll pass for now. Chocolate covered wheat thins? no thanks. Then I found popcorn...well it's worth a shot...it is buttery and salty...so I pop a bag....Guess what. NOT BAD! Not only not bad...it was kinda tasty!


either that or I'm just getting really desperate.