REALLY Homeowners!

I have the keys!
We are proud owners of a new (to us - really born in 1974) 2600 sq. foot, 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom home on a 0.2 of an acre, and I don't know how many pounds it weighs. It's white with a black roof (see prior pictures) It's in the greatest neighborhood in Logan on a tree lined street with the best park a 3 minute walk away.
We are SO excited, and feeling SO blessed that we were able to get into this house for just the right price. We knew that location was the most important thing (you can change a house, but not where it is!) But we thought that getting into our ideal location meant we were going to have to buy a junk house. Thanks to Butch we found this winner. It definitely needs some love - nothing on the inside is 'done' - but it's all livable, sort-of. That is, if you aren't married to Art. But how can I complain when he's going to make me a new kitchen!!! Since we are fortunate enough to have Butch and Sharon's house to live in we are going to use this opportunity to gut the kitchen and do an upgrade. We'll probably do a lot of painting and maybe new floors.
So yes, I have a new house - but i'm not moving in yet... but I'm still SO excited!
It's good to no longer be homeless...

Nearly Homeowners

So, it's looking like it might really happen - we're going to buy a house. When we started looking I thought we would never find something Art would find suitable. He's rather picky. But we finally found a few to look through so he came up and we spent a Saturday looking, and found the one! Although, I can't take the credit. It was Butch and Sharon (well, Butch is taking a majority of the credit because he encouraged the turn down the street) who found the house. It was a For Sale by Owner, just on the market - and although I walk the neighborhood every day I hadn't seen it yet. Anyhow, we put in an offer - did some negotiating - got it for what we wanted and now we're through the final phases of hoop jumping.
This weekend we finally got to go in it again and I got to take pictures! (FSBO = no online browsing) Now, it's not final, yet. So don't send the housewarming gifts, yet. We don't close until the end of the month, and when we finally have keys in our hands then Art will believe that it's ours. When I saw them loading U-haul today I got pretty convinced.
A few photos, more details when it's really OURS....

Withdrawal

I have been quite blessed during my homeless phase of life. I have had two lovely homes to bounce between - homeless AND vagrant. Each has provided us with closets and beds and warm sheets. I even got a personal chef for a while! (Living with Sharon is awesome, you come home to delicious dinner on the table, afterwards she refuses to let you help with dishes - I tried EVERY night - and then she passes out See's Dark Chocolates.) While life has been pending - it's been okay.
However, as many of you family members know, fall is birthday season around here. Starting in August (not technically fall, but close) we've had Kassie, Shelby, Roxy, Eliza, Joshua, Eli, September Birthdays (this includes the 10+ cousins that have fall birthdays); and Erik, Kyle, and Branden are coming up before the end of the month - and I'm sure more that I've forgotten. I love this season, and all the celebrations, and all the cakes - and guess how many I've made - ZERO!!!! It's killing me. I think it may be the hardest part about being in Logan. I feel as though I am neglecting my responsibility to the family, and I'm missing out on one of my favorite things. The worst part, is I totally know what I want to make... Kassie and Shelby need a funky chocolate french mint cake... Roxy and Lizzie need a triple chocolate craft cake.... Josh and Kyle need a chocolate PB cake... Eli  needs a tricked out boy cake - not sure on the flavor... There are still a few to come, but it's just not possible to get it done now.  Here's the issue, I just got a kitchen this week that is my own (B&S went back to Phoenix) - but I don't have a mixer or pans. I could cook when I'm at Grandma's on the weekend but have you seen her fridge - hardly room to fit layers of cake and bowls of frosting. Hard to make a cake without those things. So I'm suffering withdrawals, and it makes me sad. And when I get my new house, and appliances, and a functional kitchen - I am going to bake SO MANY CAKES! and then rent some sort of refrigerated truck to get them all to Salt Lake, and Iowa - hmm, could be tricky.

I am indeed old...

I am not one of those people who freak out by age. I'm 31. It's ok. And when I turned 30, that was ok too. I don't care what number it says I am, the more important thing is how I feel. To me, age is a feeling. It's true I have some definite 'old' parts to my body. Stiff knees, knobby fingers, achy hip - but for the most part I've always felt pretty young. I knew what was "hip", I was up on the latest technology, I dressed relatively mainstream. I could pull off young. Well, things have changed in my life's new adventures. You see, every morning I walk from my car by several dorms to my school near the center of campus. In my journey I cross students headed to their first classes, or back from a morning 'at the gym'. I cross the football players returning from early morning practices and work outs. In the afternoon I meander back to my car by soccer games, girls headed out for an afternoon activity, and a bevy of students rushing to more classes. It is here, in their midst, that I finally realized that I was old. I don't have on the right goofy keds, I'm not wearing a fedora or big white sunglasses, I don't have an iPhone attached to one ear. I'm old. They do not look at me and say "oh, I wonder what dorm that college student lives in" or "was she in my math class?" Clearly I am working from the other end of the spectrum on campus. And you know what, I'm ok with it. I don't mind being old. Maybe they'll think I'm wiser. Maybe they'll show some respect and get out of the way when I walk by. I guess it's not so bad being old.

Baby Will

Bud and Kelli welcomed Baby Will on Thursday, a month early, but he's doing well. He weighed only 4 lbs. 10 ozs. but seems healthy and growing...and oh so cute!

Wahoo

I Tried to think of some clever, Jamie approved, title for this entry, but I could not. So, I will got with honest to goodness feelings....wahoo!!!!
Our lives have been blessed of late and I feel amazingly fortunate in all things. It would be wrong to not take a moment and recognize them (this is starting to sound like testimony meeting)
1. We have sold our house. We close on august 30th and will be moving out. (our stuff is going to storage in Logan, Art is going to stay at my parents until...sometime...., and I am in Logan at Butch and Sharons.)
2. I got to pack before I left. Yes, that is a good thing. I am anal retentive and need things organized and labeled. I did, however, leave Arts' shop for him to pack. That should be interesting.
3. I got to pack, move, and organize my classroom before all this house chaos.
4. My sister is kind enough to help tend my dogs during the long days before they move to grandpas.
5.I now work at the most incredible school, with opportunities that I never thought would be possible for me. I will have the opportunity to do things I love; make spreadsheets, organize data, create schedules for college students, play with books, design curriculum and assessments, work with talented and creative people, start new progrMs, direct a play, and most importantly help kids and teach them in "out-of-the-box" ways. I am truly so excited and feel so lucky... So blessed.
6. Today in our first faculty meeting our principal gave all the teachers a new iPad! Which means I am now laying on the couch typing and relaxing.joy....

There are more things. Of that I am sure.
But I just wanted to put it out there

And next week when I remember to bring my camera from salt lake I will add pictures of my new school and new classroom, because they are so beautiful- and I am grateful for that too...

Neglect....

Libbi emailed me today looking for an old video of Lucky Lilac's day. I didn't remember at all (old age starts young around here). So I looked through my blog history, and there in 2009 was the video. I watched it, it made me so happy. I giggled at little tottering Meg, and Grace not quite so grown up, and Ellie bossing around Josh - He was squirting people! As I flipped through my blog I saw so many memories, not that old but still important. I know that some of you faithful bloggers make books every year and are responsible. I am not. But the record is here and if I will apply a little bit of effort I can look back and remember these times, and hopefully smile, and maybe, if I'm lucky, giggle.

So here's a recap:
- Summer is not so bad - especially when it flies by at record speed.
- The last two weeks I've been doing 'Cake Class' for all the little girlies who are obsessed with baking. It's been.... messy - sticky - loud - dish-full (it's a word, you get it, right?) - exhausting - messy (did I say that already? it's worth mentioning twice) - slow - and fast - and yes, fun. My beautifully organized curriculum kind of got shot out the window when we got behind on day one and spent the entire first week trying to catch up. The girls were very excited but things just took longer than expected. We really needed a giant walk in blast chiller to speed up all the baking - cooling - filling - cooling - frosting - cooling - decorating - and more cooling. But we made do... and we somehow made a lot of cake and frosting.

Lizzie brought her camera and actually got some pictures taken so I hi-jacked these from her blog...





Note the mess: times this by 1000 and you'll know how things went on our last day of week one. And amid this mess Aunt Penny showed up to pick up Elisabeth. I thought surely she would go into shock from the chaos, I know I was headed that way. I will say after one solid hour of doing dishes, and another of cleaning I got the kitchen back to working order. And I do it EVERY day....

Roxy's finished cake...

Lizzie's finished cake....

This week has been fuller and slower. We've worked on doing things better instead of just rushed, but the girls have learned that not all baking is easy and it takes a lot of patience! Tomorrow is our final day, and though I'll miss the fun, I'll be glad to do the clean up one more time and haul all my crap back home.

In other news:
I leave for Logan in less than two weeks! Yikes!
AND.... we accepted an offer on our house!!!!
We are awaiting inspections and appraisals and then I'm packing up and taking off. We really like the couple that are buying it so we are SO hopeful that everything goes through (pray to the appraisal gods for us!!)
I am so excited about my new school and finally unpacking my classroom and putting it away. I will be headed up next week to do that  - I will try my hardest to take pictures. And then I will come back and blog about it because packing, moving, sorting, and organizing are always the memories that evoke smiles and giggling.