The framing has begun...

It was so exciting tonight to see all the work that has been done on the house in 2 days. The ground was leveled off (which allowed us to go down in the basement), floor joists were installed, and the garage floor has been poured. It is so neat seeing it all come to life. The kids are equally excited about it all. They love going to see the house, love climbing the dirt and rock piles, and pick up wood scraps. We also couldn't be more pleased with the neighborhood. Everyone is so nice and friendly. The only thing missing is the T family. My main mission after we get settled is to find Cory a job here. I know it is the last piece of God's plan in this relocation.....or at least I am hoping it is.

Welcome to Indiana!!

So, on our first trip to the "hub" (aka Wal-Mart), we walked in with a slightly heavy man wearing purple knit pants, a purple tank top, and suspenders. It was quite a fashion statement. On our second trip to the "hub", we spied this little beauty in the parking lot. Not sure if this is just small town living or living in Indiana? What do you think? Who wants to be our first guest and see for themselves?? :)

SOLD!!!!

After 24 showings and 5 weeks later, our house finally sold. We got $8,000 less than asking price but in this economy we will take it....not too bad either considering we were going to lower the price $5,000 on Monday. We have so clearly seen God's hand at work with this move and this opportunity and feel confident that great things are in store for us in Indiana. Thank you for all your prayers and support.

Life Lived Minimally

So, we are pretty much moved into our condo in Indiana. Brian loaded up the truck Sunday with a couch and coffee table (thank you Julian), a bed for Will, and anything else I could cram in Big Jul's truck. From air mattresses, a pack-n-play, towels, food, TV, TV stand, toys for the kids.....and everything else in between....we are almost settled other than the list of things I need to get at Wal-Mart. We are just going to try and live as minimally and simply as possible until our new home is finished being built. Our plan for now is to spend the weekends in Kentucky until the house sells and most of the week here in the town home in Indiana while Brian is here working. It just got too hard with the kids and all the showings. We missed Brian too much and I was growing so weary of cleaning, recleaning, and cleaning again. Though some aspects of life will be easier, I already miss my T family so much. Everytime I think about them, my eyes start to water but I know this transition is inevitable. It just makes me so sad.

PS...Huge thank you to Maw-Maw and D-D for all the help with the kids as Brian and I are picking out all the stuff for the new house. Thank you for also bringing all the extras that we needed...coffee pot, vacuum cleaner, air bed, dog cage, etc. As Brian said, Maw-Maw and D-D come to the rescue again. Brian and I are so blessed with parents that want to not only be a part of our lives but make our lives easier.

Vacation Bible School

Last week, Will and Abby (along with our dear Eli) had the privilege of attending vacation bible school. I was also able to attend as a volunteer Tuesday-Friday and what an incredible experience it was for all of us. The people, the thought, and the time that went into the week were unbelievable. Hundreds of volunteers working countless hours just to try and teach these kids about Jesus and what an amazing job they did. We walked away with a whole repertoire of new songs, crafts, and great memories. Hats off to WRBS!!!! Will and Abby before the final performance Friday night. Will sang up on stage with all the other preschoolers and did such a great job. Ney, Brian, Abby, and myself all went to watch him and Eli sing their little hearts out.
Will and Eli being silly one day before VBS.


BFF

Not sure what this was but they were having a great time.

A typical picture taking session...

Ok....Say Cheese!! Smile for the camera.

Sissy....you have to smile. Cheeese.

Will sit up big and tall. Cheeeese.

Ok....one more time......big and tall...look right here...cheese....

Good enough for me.

Sounds of Tears...

Around 10:00 last night we hear crying coming from Will's room. Brian goes in there and the rest of the story goes something like this...
Brian: What's wrong buddy? Why are you crying?
Will: I'm gonna miss you dad.
Brian: Oh buddy, I will be back tomorrow this time. I'm coming home for your t-ball game.
Will: I want to go to Indiana with you.
Brian: I know and you will be coming with me very soon. We are going to all be there very soon.
Will: I'm gonna make you a love card daddy.
Brian: Tears...

Will misses Brian so much when he is gone. We all miss him. I can't wait for us to all be together. It is how we function best. I am so grateful for Brian's love and loyalty to our little family. He adores his family. I adore him. And I bet you a 100 bucks that the first thing Will does when he wakes up is make his daddy a "love card".

Our week in Indiana....

When we got there, we met Daddy for lunch and then checked out the river walk bridge and trail. Super neat.
The kids loved the bridge.



The kids and I then went back to the hotel to swim and put Sissy down for a nap. When Brian got off work, we went out to see our new home for the first time. Pretty exciting!!! You can see where we added 2 egress windows in the basement. Not just for safety, but for the extra light.

The kids got super dirty playing in all the rock and dirt piles. Sometimes I think we are missing the boat with all the trampolines, swing sets, and toys. Just give them some land, dirt, and rocks and they are happy as larks.

We then checked out another home with our same floor plan and I snapped this picture. We are doing hardwood through out (no tile) and probably going with painted cabinets (off white/cream) with a different color island.

The next day the and kids and I checked out Will's new preschool. He really liked it so that was a big relief. I liked it too. When then went to daddy's work for another lunch date.

After lunch, we took a look at the condo we will be living in until our house is finished. It is going to work out just fine but it is what you would excpect from a rental. It defintely needs a good cleaning. I am sending Brian with a carpet cleaner before we come.

Picture of the living room area.

That evening we went to see what progress was made on our house that day. They had poured the basement floors, brought out the cement blocks, and started on the garage foundation. It was crazy to see how much was completed in one day. It also gave me a little anxiety about selling our house in Kentucky. With 14 showings under our belt, we really need an offer. It is the last piece to the puzzle.

The kids loved the bulldozer.

And one last picture of my two sweet babies and that's it. We had a great time in Indiana and it left me feeling very optimisitc and excited for the next chapter in our lives.

Sooo cute...

So, I have been oooing and awwwing over Persnickety's fall preview release. It (of course) is a children's clothing line and it is so stinkin' adorable. I love it all and would probably buy most of it if I could. However, I am going to limit myself to 2-3 things. Here are some of my favorites. Do you think it is as cute as I do??.

Neighborhood yard sales...

So, this past weekend and next weekend are two of my favorite weekends of the summer. Our neighborhood (the north part and I guess we would be the south???) puts on a massive yard sale and oh what fun it is. There is always sooo much good stuff for cheap and I look forward to going every year. It was at the north yard sale where I found my super sweet friend Ashley who passes down all of her Gymboree stuff to me once her daughter has outgrown it. She has clothes my daughter for 2 years now. I also find lots of great toys for the kids too. So many people participate so you can just park your car and walk around.

Saturday, we all went as a family (during one the showings) and I found Sissy a bunch of Littlest Pet Shop sets and what a hit they are!!!! BOTH the kids love them. They have played and played with all the little creatures and houses. I got probably $60 worth of stuff for $15!!! Total score.

Inspection Dread...

For any home seller, the home inspection part is the pitts. It gives me such anxiety seeing a man walk around my house finding things wrong with it and trust me...they do. That is what they are paid to do.

As part of the relocation package, the relo company paid to have an inspection done on the house and the results came back last week. Lucky for us, that all the fixes did NOT have to be done by licensed and/or insured contractor so I called the best handyman I know...my Pop. He waisted not a single moment getting here and stayed with us for two nights while he fixed everything he could on the list and more. We were so grateful for his help and his company....not to mention his service charge....one lunch at Chick-Fil-A and time with his grand babies. Does it get any sweeter? And poor thing...this is pretty much the image I saw for a day and a half. He worked his tail off.

Is there such a thing as too many showings?

I mean showings are good (1o in 2 1/2 weeks)...I am grateful for all the activity.... but how many times can I clean this housse? I have never ran the vacuum so much in all my life. It has been so crazy. I can't even describe it. Trying to get the house ready for a showing by myself with two young kids. It is like the greatest juggling event of all time. My goal is to keep the kids stationary for at least 45 minutes so I can sweep, vacuum, mop, and straighten up.....and no doubt...they are loosing brain cells because of it. For Will, I give him his DS or turn on cartoons. For Sissy, I pull up itunes on the computer and let her watch a few episodes of Bubble Guppies. Somehow, the cleaning always gets done and the showings always take place. I just hope that they don't remember this time of their life with momma running around like a crazy woman and them being stuck in front of a TV, computer, or gaming system. Not my finest moments as a mother.

Me and Running don't mix when....

1. When it is trash day. Since I like to run outside, the smells that come from the trash can make my run so unpleasant.
2. When people are mowing the grass and it is hot outside. Something about the smell of cut grass and heat takes my breath away.
3. After I eat a #1 combo meal at Chick-Fil-A. I felt like a 200 lb. cow...chicken rather...the entire time.
So, there you have it. My best runs are always in the morning before breakfast or soon after if I wake up really hungry.