Today I'm thankful for my inlaws. Yes, I sometimes complain and my MIL especially can be good at driving me batty at times but the reality is I'm very lucky and I know it. They love us and they are generally supportive of the way we choose to live our lives and raise our children and they are always willing to help in a pinch. They have helped make it possible for us to get into our new house financially and today my FIL helped us getting our entire storage shed moved into our new garage. MIL is helping get the boys to their activities this week to give me more time to pack and deal with things at the new place.
Now to remember this the next time she wants to give one of my children some vastly inappropriate gift. LOL
Sunday, November 04, 2012
Saturday, November 03, 2012
Thankfulness: Day 3
Today I'm thankful for new keys....
A garage door opener...
New doors...
Lots of closets...
Stairs...
And a beautiful view
Friday, November 02, 2012
Thankfulness: Day 2
Today I'm thankful for Fusion IO. Yes, they put us through hell with the way they treated Mark and his horrid travel schedule at the end but thanks to their actually doing an IPO, we have the money for our new house and we had a marvelous vacation.
Thursday, November 01, 2012
Thankfulness - Day 1
Not sure if I'm going to make it but I'm going to try to blog daily this month and really focus on being thankful. These past several months have been incredibly stressful and I know I've been cranky so I'm trying to refocus and I want this to be part of it.
Right now, I'm thankful that despite all the frustrations, heart attacks, ulcers, and other stress that this home buying process has given us and the fact that right now we don't have a firm close date, things are moving forward and we should be able to close next week. Also that things have been worked out to allow us to rent the house for the few days between when escrow should have closed (tomorrow) and when it actually does so we can start getting the house fixed the way we want it before moving next weekend as we had originally planned. I'm incredibly thankful for our Realtors and Loan Broker who have worked tirelessly to make this happen.
Right now, I'm thankful that despite all the frustrations, heart attacks, ulcers, and other stress that this home buying process has given us and the fact that right now we don't have a firm close date, things are moving forward and we should be able to close next week. Also that things have been worked out to allow us to rent the house for the few days between when escrow should have closed (tomorrow) and when it actually does so we can start getting the house fixed the way we want it before moving next weekend as we had originally planned. I'm incredibly thankful for our Realtors and Loan Broker who have worked tirelessly to make this happen.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
A Moment of Silence
It's a sad day here. After 3y8m3d, a trip to India and another one on a ship to Mexico, and spending almost it's entire life in my hands or my purse....my Kindle has died. It didn't deserve it's death. I loaned it to Matthew so he could do some school reading and he didn't make sure it was all the way on his desk when he jumped up to answer the phone and it fell screen first on to the floor. The screen is completely busted and at this point, there is nothing anyone can do to bring it back.
The only good news from this tragedy is that I called Amazon just to see what would happen and I was offered a new one at a discounted price plus a credit to help with accessories (cover, screen protector, etc). I'm getting the Kindle Touch I've been coveting but unwilling to replace a perfectly good working Kindle with. Same screen size but so much smaller than mine.
And Matthew is not getting near it for a looooooong time to come.
As for the rest of life, I haven't been updating because this whole buying/selling a house thing is sooooo much more stressful than I could have imagined. To make a long story short, we are supposed to close escrow on Friday but we have yet to sign loan docs because they keep coming up with more paperwork to ask for and we are now down to the wire. It's a truly stupid process because every time they find one thing that they need verified or more documentation on or whatever, they kick it back to the loan broker and stop the entire process. Then you go to the bottom of the queue once you turn that in. Then they find something else that needs more documentation and the entire process if halted again and kicked back to the loan broker. This has been going on 45 days now. I'm nauseous and stressed out after dealing with all of this and sick to think that they may kick it back to us yet again for some other stupid piddly thing which will mean we won't be able to make our escrow close date. Even after we sign the loan docs, there will be more of this crap before they will actually fund the loan which needs to take place the day before escrow closes. That would be Thursday, you know 4 days away. Yeah, it's been a whole lot of fun with all this and to top it off, we still don't even have a solid offer on our current place. I think it will sell faster once we are out and it looks more spacious without what 6 people need to survive comfortable but it's yet another stress at this point.
Thursday, September 06, 2012
It's Official!!!
Ok, I've been meaning to update for ages first with pictures and a diary of our trip and then just general stuff but the last few months have been crazy trying to get ready for the school year (which started Aug 13 and I still have yet to actually take First Day of School pictures) and trying to keep up with our house trying to get it sold and researching and looking at houses for sale trying to find one we liked and could actually get into.
Well, it's been crazy but I can announce that we just signed the last of the paperwork to buy our new house! No, this one hasn't sold yet but hopefully it will soon since there isn't much in the area and I do think it might sell faster when we aren't living here. I keep cleaning but unfortunately, there are these children who keep messing.
But back to the whole new house thing. It's amazing. 5 bedrooms! Oldest two plan on sharing which is great since we need one for an office but the younger two can be separated which will do wonders for everyone's sanity. 3 bathrooms! Maybe now we can eliminate the potty lines! A HUGE yard! Seriously, it's amazingly huge and so wonderful for Nick to have running room! We'll be able to really take a stab at growing our own fruits and vegetables. Jon is really keen to have an apple tree so that's a definite. There's room for chickens too which is another thing the kids have been wanting and I can finally have a big dog like I've been wanting!
So now the countdown is officially on. This is Day 0 and on Day 60 we get the keys to our new home!
(Oh yeah, and because we're crazy, Mark starts his new job on the 17th. He's been miserable so it's a good thing but this new job also requires monthly travel to NY or China...Good times!)
Well, it's been crazy but I can announce that we just signed the last of the paperwork to buy our new house! No, this one hasn't sold yet but hopefully it will soon since there isn't much in the area and I do think it might sell faster when we aren't living here. I keep cleaning but unfortunately, there are these children who keep messing.
But back to the whole new house thing. It's amazing. 5 bedrooms! Oldest two plan on sharing which is great since we need one for an office but the younger two can be separated which will do wonders for everyone's sanity. 3 bathrooms! Maybe now we can eliminate the potty lines! A HUGE yard! Seriously, it's amazingly huge and so wonderful for Nick to have running room! We'll be able to really take a stab at growing our own fruits and vegetables. Jon is really keen to have an apple tree so that's a definite. There's room for chickens too which is another thing the kids have been wanting and I can finally have a big dog like I've been wanting!
So now the countdown is officially on. This is Day 0 and on Day 60 we get the keys to our new home!
(Oh yeah, and because we're crazy, Mark starts his new job on the 17th. He's been miserable so it's a good thing but this new job also requires monthly travel to NY or China...Good times!)
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Crazy Storage Locker Happenings
Ok, I was going to start doing posts about our vacation but last night's craziness was just too much not to get down for all time. It started innocently enough, as these things usually do, at around 8p. I had just served dinner when my friend called to say she was on her way over to grab our extra food processor after she grabbed a bite and I told her to just come over as I had plenty leftover. As I went to sit down I figured, hey, why not head over to the storage locker and grab the food processor so we don't have to do that when she's here. Save some time, right?
Or not.
I got there and now I admit, I can never remember if we are unit 5 or 6 so I usually look at the locks. Well, huh, neither one looks right. The one on 6 is the big round one they sell here which I didn't buy and the one on 5 is covered in black rubber and I'm pretty sure that ours was just straight metal. Well, I'll go try the key on 5 since maybe I'm just misremembering. Nope, doesn't work. I try a few more times. Still doesn't work. I call Mark to check with him and get told that yep, it's unit 5 and no our lock is not covered in black rubber.
WTF?!?!?! Someone has broken our lock off and replaced it! This is not the lock the storage company uses when you are in default, nor the way they put it on, plus we are totally current in our payments and the only letter I've had from them in ages is telling me that the rent goes up next month.
Ok, I'm totally freaking out at this point. Since we are in the process of showing our house the vast majority of our possessions are in that locker including baby clothes and blankets knit by my late grandmother, baby pictures, all our artwork, my books. None of it is really worth much to anyone else but it's our world and someone else has access to it and I don't!
I called the storage locker company and got the answering machine as I expected. I called my friend and begged her to pick up another lock so I could double-lock it at least so the other people couldn't easily get back in. She was almost to my house but like a true friend turned around and headed back into town to grab one for me and her only question was "combo or key". She was here with me when the Sheriff arrived. He listened to my incoherent story and confirmed that I had the legal right to cut that lock off since I pay the rent for the locker and the storage facility didn't put the lock on it. He offered to be there when we cut it off if we could find a pair of bolt cutters.
Then began the search for bolt cutters. My friend's parents had some so we went there first and searched the garage but to no avail. Then it was time for me, her, and her parents to start calling people we knew who might possibly have such a thing. It took some time but finally my friend remembered one friend who was close enough that might have access to a pair and we hit paydirt. In the meantime, another friend with a hacksaw had stopped by the house, grabbed Matt, and was waiting at the storage locker for us as well.
I called the Sheriff back and about 30min later he finally joined us and we all went in. He was asking if I was sure this was the right locker since, oh, boy would that be the biggest joke on us all if I was wrong. I assured him I was right and my friend cut the lock. I was terrified of what I might find but thankfully it opened up to all our stuff right there filled almost to the brim. I admit I haven't been there lately but it sure didn't look like it had been picked over. I was almost ready to collapse from relief at that point as I'd been a complete nervous wreck.
Oh, and the food processor was right there in the front where it should be and I was able to give it to my friend so all's well that ends well but tomorrow I'm going to the storage company and getting one of their big, uncuttable locks because I never want to go through that again.
Or not.
I got there and now I admit, I can never remember if we are unit 5 or 6 so I usually look at the locks. Well, huh, neither one looks right. The one on 6 is the big round one they sell here which I didn't buy and the one on 5 is covered in black rubber and I'm pretty sure that ours was just straight metal. Well, I'll go try the key on 5 since maybe I'm just misremembering. Nope, doesn't work. I try a few more times. Still doesn't work. I call Mark to check with him and get told that yep, it's unit 5 and no our lock is not covered in black rubber.
WTF?!?!?! Someone has broken our lock off and replaced it! This is not the lock the storage company uses when you are in default, nor the way they put it on, plus we are totally current in our payments and the only letter I've had from them in ages is telling me that the rent goes up next month.
Ok, I'm totally freaking out at this point. Since we are in the process of showing our house the vast majority of our possessions are in that locker including baby clothes and blankets knit by my late grandmother, baby pictures, all our artwork, my books. None of it is really worth much to anyone else but it's our world and someone else has access to it and I don't!
I called the storage locker company and got the answering machine as I expected. I called my friend and begged her to pick up another lock so I could double-lock it at least so the other people couldn't easily get back in. She was almost to my house but like a true friend turned around and headed back into town to grab one for me and her only question was "combo or key". She was here with me when the Sheriff arrived. He listened to my incoherent story and confirmed that I had the legal right to cut that lock off since I pay the rent for the locker and the storage facility didn't put the lock on it. He offered to be there when we cut it off if we could find a pair of bolt cutters.
Then began the search for bolt cutters. My friend's parents had some so we went there first and searched the garage but to no avail. Then it was time for me, her, and her parents to start calling people we knew who might possibly have such a thing. It took some time but finally my friend remembered one friend who was close enough that might have access to a pair and we hit paydirt. In the meantime, another friend with a hacksaw had stopped by the house, grabbed Matt, and was waiting at the storage locker for us as well.
I called the Sheriff back and about 30min later he finally joined us and we all went in. He was asking if I was sure this was the right locker since, oh, boy would that be the biggest joke on us all if I was wrong. I assured him I was right and my friend cut the lock. I was terrified of what I might find but thankfully it opened up to all our stuff right there filled almost to the brim. I admit I haven't been there lately but it sure didn't look like it had been picked over. I was almost ready to collapse from relief at that point as I'd been a complete nervous wreck.
Oh, and the food processor was right there in the front where it should be and I was able to give it to my friend so all's well that ends well but tomorrow I'm going to the storage company and getting one of their big, uncuttable locks because I never want to go through that again.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Ummmm...Whoops?!
Yeah, wow, um almost 7mos since I last posted. I kept meaning to and really, I have no good reason why not except I just didn't and I'm ending it now with a recap of what has happened since my last post:
- I managed an incredible sprain of my left ankle in the beginning of Dec which had me first in a roboboot (which we decorated for the holiday season) and eventually in a cast (my first ever and just in time for Easter). It's still not 100% healed and I'm still cranky about it (which may or may not have something to do with my long absence here).
- We finally put our house on the market. Things were slow at first but we had a couple of showings while we were on vacation a few weeks ago and another 2 last week right after we got back. Hoping that this means moving is in our future.
- Christopher graduated high school, Matt graduated 8th grade, Jon graduated 5th, and Nick graduated K! Hard to believe I now have one in college (full time), one in high school, one in junior high, one in elementary and no more babies!
- Mark got a promotion at work but so far all that has meant is more work and no raise, no one listening any better to him, and more frustration. We are both hoping that things start changing around soon.
- We went on an extreme vacation! A 7-day Disney Cruise through the Western Caribbean and then a week in Orlando. Lots of rain but lots of fun and I will be doing longer posts about that with some pictures in the coming days.
- Matthew was promoted to 1st Degree Black Belt in Kuk Sool Won back in February.
- I chopped off my hair and donated it to Locks of Love.
I think that's the main stuff that went down. It wasn't super busy, we were just going along living life and I forgot to write any of it down. I really want to have this record tho so I'm committing to posting here 3xs a week so if anyone is still reading this, you've been warned. LOL
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)