It's gonna be a while

We had the walk through for the house. It looks fantastic!! It's so exciting. We then travelled home for Thaksgiving and had a BLAST!!! I was finally allowed to go Black Friday shopping with my Mom and Aunt. I am officially now part of the Ya Ya sisterhood!!! The trip home was heart wrenching as usual. We are now back home and steady packing, cleaning, preparing, you name it, we're doing it. There's so much to do now. I've got pics to post but it's gonna be a while until we're settled enough for me to actually sit down and download. I pray you all have a blessed holiday!!! I'll be back soon!!!

Aggravating but not Devastating.....

Jason and I spent a wonderful Saturday and Sunday with his brother and his wife. Matt and Claudia graced us with wonderful company and delicious food. We spent all day visiting War Memorial hospital, where Matt works, and gallivanting around downtown Springfield MD. We walked all around the outside mall there. Went to a REALLY crowded grocery store and learned how the "city people" do it. Today we went to a really awesome park about 2 minutes away from their apartment complex. It had the coolest park equipment. AJ really loved kicking around in the leaves with his Aunt Claudia or "Audia" as he says it. (I SO wish I had taken the camera!!!) AJ didn't even want "da da" to catch him when he went down the slide, he kept yelling for "Matt, Matt" Only Matt could catch him. Matt played the guitar for AJ so he could boogie down, and Audia played endless hours of "ball" with her new found admirer. AJ was very gracious with his hugs for those two. AJ had a really good time, as did Jason and I. We really appreciate Matt and Claudia opening up their home so we could visit. How great to be able to spend time with family.

THEN, Jason decided that before we went home, he would drive by the new house. OK, no problem. We drove by the front of it and it looks like they've put top-soil on the yard. Looks like they've cleaned up a bit. Still need to stain the brick on the outside and do the landscaping. Then we drove by the side of the house. As we proceeded to drive by something caught my eye. Looked like a splash of something on the side of the house that dripped all the way to the ground. Jason and I were praying it was mud but......it wasn't. It is stain or paint of some kind. Whom ever splashed it, splashed it about 1/3 of the way up the side of the house and it dripped all the way to the ground. Jason got out of the van to check it out and yes, it is permanent. Jason drove up to where our Realtor Tyler works and I went in to speak to him. He has been so wonderful to us. I went in smiling and asked him if he'd seen the house. He said yeah, wasn't it exciting. I responded with a yes, except for the large splash of paint running down the side of the house. Apparently this happened last night or today because he wasn't aware of it yet. He assured me that they are going to take care of it. He was adamant for me to "not freak out" they would fix it, whether that means a little paint thinner to get it off, or replacing the siding" As the header states, it's aggravating but not devastating. To be honest, I did not and am not freaking out about it. I know Tyler will get it fixed and that's that. We have our final walk through in 2 days and we're going to closing in 9. Can you believe it??? This house is just about packed up. I'm going to tackle the bathrooms for the next couple of days and then we're on to the Holiday's!!! I can not believe Nov. is almost gone already. When we have our walk through I'll be sure to take some pics and post em so you guys can see.

Almost Time!!!

My best friend Kisha was up for the weekend for our annual Christmas shopping trip to Hagerstown, MD. On our way home I figured I'd swing by the new house to see if any progress had been made. I went up to the windows on the porch and guess what!!!!! The house was lit up like a Christmas tree!!!! All of the light fixtures are in. The outside ones as well as the inside ones!! The carpet is in. The stairway is in. I even could see the toilet and the sink in the downstairs bathroom. (Yes, Kisha has already informed me that we need to buy GOOD window shades for that particular room) It is so pretty. I can't believe we have our final walk-through in 9 days. Nov. 21. I just can't believe it's really coming to an end.
Seriously though, the closer it gets, the more weirded out I get. It's so exciting in one way and so sad in another. The house we're in now is the house I made a home for my family. We worked so hard to get this place into what we wanted it to be. So much time, effort, money. It's the first house we owned as a married couple. It's the first house I brought my first child into. It's the house that AJ rolled over for the first time, smiled for the first time, took his first steps. It's a house full of memories. I am the person that could stay in the same house for 50 years and feel perfectly fulfilled. I am the big Oak tree that grows strong firm roots. Jason comes from a band of gypsies. They build and sell houses for a hobby. I know that as a wife of a Christian husband, I have to have faith that God is leading Jason to do what is best for our family. It's so hard to let go of that control though. I pray that a life of packing up and leaving is not what we're in for. I absolutely despise packing and moving everything. Jason has always used that phrase that I like to "sit on my egg" Well, I guess I do. I just have so many emotions right now. I can be laughing one minute and crying the next. I dunno, guess I'm weird like that. It's so neat to be able to drive by the new house, but after we look at it, we come home. If I could ask that you all keep us in your prayers. Especially me, that I listen to what God is saying and see what He is doing for our family. Pray that I keep finding the joy instead of the sadness that seems overwhelming at times. I'm still very homesick for VA so I know that doesn't help things. Anyway, I rambled more than I intended to. It helps to talk it out I guess. Thanks guys.

Bruise of many colors

This update is for my mother. She asks me everyday how my bruise is looking and let me tell ya, this thing is the bruise of many colors. It's nasty lookin. There is still a lump under the skin. Even AJ looks at it and says "ouch" It was so funny the first time he did it. I don't ever recall pointing at one of AJ's many boo-boos and declaring it an official "ouchie". This thing just looks so bad he deemed it an ouchie all by himself. He pointed at it, looked at me and said "ouch". He'll even "kiss it and make it better" (I heart him)
I'm scared to death to run in the house any more. When I run around the bed I have flashbacks that make me sweat! Pee-wee football is not for the faint of heart!!!!! I'm tougher than a tonka truck though, so I guess it will be OK eventually.

Multiple Updates

The house is almost done!!! We went through it about a week ago and they had all the appliances in, cabinets, counters, sinks, floors (except for the carpet). All of it's in. They only thing they didn't have in was the carpet and the stair rails. We peaked in the window last Sunday and the stair rails are in too. They still have to put the gutters up. I can't believe we close in less than 4 weeks. It seemed like forever ago we bought the land. Here's the pic of the house on the outside. I didn't get to take any pics of the inside Sunday because they have locked the doors and our realtor didn't have keys to it yet. Oh well, maybe this weekend. I L.O.V.E. the front porch. Can't you just see the garland with Christmas lights covering the railing??? I'm getting so excited!!!


These pics are mainly for my mother. I called her yesterday in tears because a friendly game of football with my 17mo old ended in this HUGE hematoma on my leg. AJ loves to sit on my bed and throw the football while mama chases the ball yelling "Go go go!! Run Run Run!!!" Well, my dorky, clumsy self ran straight into the chest I have at the end of the bed. It's only been there for 4 years, but I managed to forget about it yesterday and run straight into it. I did a flip over it and landed on my knees. I have never wanted to curse so bad in my life, but something about a toddler in your face saying "mama, mama, mama" tends to keep you from spouting pure filth out of your mouth. It was one of those "just rock back and forth" moments. Just a few hours later, the lump on my leg was so big, you could feel it through my pants. This morning, it hurts to walk. Here are the beautiful pics of my pee-wee football battle scar.(roll eyes)



On a happier note, my 17mo old pooped in the potty Sunday night. He has been looking at me and hitting his diaper saying "poo-poo" for a while now. Sunday he did it but he hadn't actually gone yet. I picked him up, ran to the bathroom with Jason in tow and we sat in the bathroom for about 20minutes trying to get AJ to poop. He was running around the bathroom diaperless. Jason demonstrated twice how to sit on the baby potty and finally AJ followed suite. Unfortunately the first log hit the floor. He was standing on the leg of the walker and before I knew it....plop. I real quick scooped him up and put him on the potty and he proceeded to poop another log.. IN THE POTTY!!!!! We did dances, we high fived, we called G.G., Oma and Opa. Twice since then he has said "Poo-Poo" and in my Olympic style sprint to get my son to the bathroom so we can rip off his pants, undo snaps, and finally take of the diaper, AJ will sit on the pot, gave me a high five and get back up. (roll eyes). Yesterday, he said "poo poo" and went before we could actually get to the bathroom. He hasn't gone today but I've been on Poo alert. We did have one of those false alarms today. Makes for fun stories though. His newest thing you ask?? Froggy has to pee and poo in the potty. Jason taught him these wonderful sound effects and now froggy gets to be privy to them.Here's a pic of froggy tonight in all his glory.

Happy Halloween!!!

Well, we took AJ Trick or Treating for the first time this year. He had a BLAST! I bought his scarecrow costume from "One Step Ahead" and it came in about two weeks ago. I tried the costume on and was so happy he liked it. Because AJ has to wear a hat like daddy, he didn't mind the "costume hat" at all.

The day before Halloween, AJ and I pulled the pumpkins inside and we carved one of them. Too much work with a toddler but I HAD to have at least one carved pumpkin. Anyway, AJ was my big helper and helped me to gut the big one as well as draw on his baby pumpkin with magic marker and highlighter. The child doesn't want crayons. No, that's too silly. Too childish for my kid. He wants the big guns. He did, however, wait until I was looking down, carving my pumpkin before he took the highlighter to the inside of his beloved kitchen cabinet. I almost had a stroke. 409 is my hero! It is my all time favorite cleaner. Thankfully, the skillful art came right up. (whew, breath a sigh of relief!)







GG came up to be with us for his first "Trick or Treat" outing and we all had so much fun. AJ HAS to be with his G.G......ALL THE TIME. He would only come to me or Jason when we were at the door getting ready to ring the doorbell. After he got his candy, he would reach for GG again. I'm tellin you, that child is getting lead in his behind. He's a heavy little thing anymore.






We went trick-or-treating in the new neighborhood this year because I thought it would be a good oportunity to meet our neighbors. They were all so WONDERFUL!! Everyone we met was so nice and I've actually already met another mother who has a 17mo old little girl. We have already discussed play dates and everything else. I can't wait! I'm going to take pics of the new house soon. We're down to the count down! Only 4 more weeks until we close!!!!