Birthday Money Paying Off

Yesterday was like an early Christmas for me. When I got home from work, I rifled through the mail, as I usually do. What a great day—the mailman must love me. Not only did my first official issue of “People” magazine arrive, but the Crate and Barel catalog was there, too!!!!

Then, John and I went to Lowe’s to look for grills and we found a really nice one that my birthday gift cards will cover quite nicely.

Then, we took a trip to Target. I’ve been on the lookout for picture frames for a while. Not just any picture frames—shadowbox frames to hold magazines. You see, I’ve been saving all the Sports Illustrated magazines with Oklahoma on the cover since our dance back into glory in 2000. 7 years I’ve toted those things around, looking for the perfect (affordable) frames to display those happy, happy times in my life. Dorm to apartment to house to house to house—Quentin Griffin, Tommie Harris, Josh Heupel and crew have survived the move and remained in perfect condition.

Target loved me this weekend, too. Because I found the absolute perfect frames, with crimson matting included. And the best part—they were on clearance! We also finally got a frame for the aerial view poster of Owen Field. Our office is looking better and better. John did a great job of putting them on the wall. Enjoy the photos.

After trips to THREE Targets to get all the frames I needed, we headed over to Brooke and Derek’s. And I got to hold baby Van most of the evening. Like I said—it was an early Christmas for me yesterday!

Also, thanks to my dad for his trip to IKEA in Minnesota—we now have dining room curtains. All we need now is a table to sit at…

When Parents Become Human

So, like any American that is overwhelmed and emotionally drained from the 24-hour news coverage of the Virginia Tech tragedy, I was relieved to hear some new news. Something that takes the edge off the massacre, something other than psychopaths and Supreme Court rulings on abortion that Anderson Cooper can cover. I mean, this is groundbreaking, important information. Did you all catch it?

Of course, I'm talking about Alec Baldwin's voicemail message to his daughter.

Yes, I'm a celebrity stalker. I think I've admitted that several times on this site. I buy US Weekly. And the best birthday present I got this year was a FULL year's subscription to "People" from my aunt Linda. That's one magazine every single week for 52 glorious weeks. Every week, people. Weekly. There will not be a Shiloh Jolie-Pitt photo that I will miss for 52 weeks.

So, of course my interest peaked while watching Anderson Cooper last night (the Va Tech thing has consumed me. I've even given up Stephen Colbert this week in favor of falling into the constant media coverage trap). And in between discussing the shooter's background, and the background of the people he killed, Anderson took the time to talk about an enraged father's voicemail to his daughter.

Now, I have listened to the message (I guarantee you have, too). And I will admit it's sad, it's disturbing, there's no excuse for talking to your daughter that way. But I also know that all the celebrity news magazines say Alec and Kim Basinger have a bit of a strained relationship. Basically, I think they are both crazy and their poor daughter is in the middle of two people trying to prove a point and get revenge.

However...I'm inclined to think that Alec is a human. That he is a parent. That he was frustrated. That he was upset. Not making excuses....but that guy has fought for his daughter for a long time. And I imagine he was not getting upset at her, but really getting angry at her mother. I don't know...I just doubt he berates her like that very often. And I doubt he thought his crazy ex-wife would leak it to the public. Because if it wasn't for people like me, there would be no one to "leak" it to. I'm inclined to think this was a very personal issue...and not anybody else's business.

So I'll continue to provide my perspective.

I don't know, it just seems very sad to me. It seems sad that her mother doesn't encourage a relationship with the girl's father. How many girls are out there who don't even have that option? And it's sad that her father can get so upset and say such hurtful things. That all his hard work to fight for her is probably blown over a moment of frustration. Because he wanted to talk to her. He's probably said much worse before, and surely he's said much worse about her mother. But again, I don't imagine he thought his rant would end up in my e-mail inbox.

I just think it's terribly sad when parents split up. I think it's terribly sad when they can't get along, when they say hateful things about each other. When they fight over the children, for the children and leave a mess of resentment in the dusty memories. I think it's terribly sad that this little girl has to bear the burden of her parent's anger. And I think it's sad that she will probably never be able to see past all the garbage, and see that it's all happening because they love her.

My parents split up when I was 13. And I am so grateful that I never had to deal with hearing either of them say hateful things about each other. Sure, there was a lot of pain and a lot of hurt and a lot of anger involved. On everyone's part. And that's the way it should be--divorce should never be easy or pain-free. Especially when there are kids involved. It's a life-changing experience, it should be taken very seriously. But I can't imagine my mom or dad saying anything to me like what Alec was saying to his daughter. How painful...it's really just painful to hear and I don't even know them (you know, other than from the "Stars: They're just like us" photo spread in US Weekly).

I also believe in key learnings, and taking something away from the experience. And though it's been a long, hard road for all of us in my family--at least I can learn from my parent's mistakes. And I know, first-hand, how painful divorce can be. And how that will make me fight that much harder for my marriage. For the rest of my life.

And I'll do my best not to leave ranting voicemails on anyone's phone. I wouldn't want them to end up on someone's blog!

**Just a note--this has nothing to do with my parents. I love them both, and they love me. And they know I'm not saying anything bad about them. I'm just feeling for Alec Baldwin's daughter today. It would be so hard to be a part of all the fights, all the time. Love you, Mom and Dad!**

Cool Down

Wait, I know what will make me feel better. A little ice cream. Did you know this exists?

It will cool me down, too....

Stark Raving Mad

Wow. I am fired up.

I will admit....I get angry. I get pouty. I get whiny. Just like everyone else.

But only on special occasions does my blood literally begin to boil. My face is Cardinal red, I'm sweating bullets, my mind and speech are racing a thousand miles a minute. People in my office can hardly understand my rant because I am so fired up.

Not even John can get me this angry. No....this reaction is reserved for very special people. Media sales reps, to be exact.

I am FIRED UP. You DO NOT come in and threaten me and try to ooze sweetness while you do it. You DO NOT call me with FOUR managers in the room and let your boss do your dirty work. And you DO NOT try and describe to me the hours and energy YOU put into MY program. Preaching to the choir, people. It's my blood, sweat and tears you're trying to compare to.

I am SO ANGRY.

Ok...a little better now.

Happy Birthday to Me

People have got to stop going crazy and killing people in mass in April. Ok, they really need to completely stop killing anyone at any time, because it's just terrible. But there is something about April that apparently appeals to crazy mass murderers.

Let's take a look:
April 16th--crazy student murders 32 people at Va Tech, which turns out to be the worst mass shooting in American history
April 19th--The tragedy at Waco, you know with the whole cult/David Koresh thing, takes place killing 74 people in 1993. THEN, in 1995 Oklahoma City is rocked by a bomb killing 168 people by crazy militia men.
April 20th--The Columbine High School shooting takes place in 1999, killing 12 students

April 17th--Jessica Anderson is born in 1981

These crazy people are getting closer and closer to my birthday, and I just don't want that responsibility. Apparently this is a bad time to be born. In my defense, everything happened long after I was born. Looooong after.

Because apparently I am old. John has asked me no less than 42 times "what does it feel like to be so close to 30"? So I promptly reply "I don't know, why don't you tell me since you're a mere 5 months away from the magic number"?

I told him last night that I don't FEEL 26. I feel 19. It's not a bad thing, and I can't really explain why I feel like that. But I do. I feel like I'm 19. Older than high school, but still not old enough to be responsible for anything. Sometimes I look at my life and I can't believe I'm here. I can't believe I have my own house, my own car, my own awesome job, my own HUSBAND. My own cat, my own furniture, my own "old" friends, my own degree. I even have my very own faith and belief and relationship with God.

I'd say that, for 26 years old, I have a lot. And I'm lovin' every minute of it! But it doesn't make me feel OLD....because I keep thinking it's not my real life. I'm just watching someone else. Kind of exciting to think it's really all mine.

Wow....started with mass murderers and now I'm bragging about my life. As you can see, when you start getting old your mind wanders.

Anyway, yes, today is my birthday. So, how much do I love my job? A lot. I have received more phone calls, e-cards, e-mails, and text messages from colleagues across the country than I could ever imagine! I love the people I work with--I couldn't dream up a better place to spend a majority of my time!

I love being 26. I love where I am right now. And I hope we NEVER have any more mass killings, and certainly not around my birthday. And I will certainly hug those I love a little closer (especially my college-aged sister) and just continue to pray for those in Virginia.

Tonight, it's Eischen's, cake, and giant cookies. I'm not sure it gets any better than that.

**NOTE: I just found out that apparently the Titanic sunk on April 13th. Just so you know. All you young couples out there--don't get too crazy in June/July--you shouldn't have kids in April!**

The Grand Tour

What everyone's been waiting for...the grand tour of the house.

There are still several projects to complete (um, like, a dining room table and chairs that haven't arrived yet!), but I figured I'd share with everyone. We love it here--it's home.

Enjoy!

Front of House

Yes--one of the first things we did was put our OU flag up. We want the neighbors to know what kind of smart, fun people we are.

Backyard

Living Room

John is so handy--the TV looks like a frame on the wall!

Kitchen

Giant Pantry

This pic is great, because it makes it look like we cook a lot.

Entryway

Master Bedroom

It's pretty plain in here....but it's HUGE! Lots of room for a fun project someday!

Master Bathroom

The Master Closet--A Walk-in, Wrap-Around Dream

The Office

Still some work to be done in here. We have lots of framing to do to make it have more of a "Sooner" feel.

And I really need to figure out how to get this camera focused....sorry so blurry!

Guest Room/Faith's Room

As you can see on the bed, Faith has made herself at home. Under the covers....

Guest Bathroom

Extra Room

For now, it's just an extra room. Despite the treadmill, nothing happens in this room!!

Laundry Room

Believe it or not, I love this room. I actually kind of enjoy doing laundry, and this kind of room is a dream!

Friday the 13th

I had a totally weird, awkward experience today. One of our former interns asked me to come speak to her Principles of PR class at UCO. Like an idiot, I agreed (because I can't say no, even to an intern). So I've spent the past few nights putting together a presentation about PR, my company's PR, my job, how I got there, etc. And I've been not looking forward to it all week long.

It was at 11:00 this morning, so I drug myself across campus in the freezing, pouring rain to arrive at the classroom 30 minutes ahead of time. I waited and waited outside the room, and I started to get worried about 10 minutes before class and there were no students and no teacher. Finally, the intern came and grabbed me--they'd switched rooms and she'd forgotten to pass the word on. By the time I arrived, class had already started and they were basically sitting and waiting on me. So, my brilliant plan to hook up my computer to the projector and have a little time to consult with the professor about what he was looking for failed. I had to start talking the minute I walked in--with no presentation.

I kept getting flustered and felt completely unprofessional as I tried to communicate my notes without the visuals I had painstakingly put together. I'm sure the students were looking at me like "she's a PR professional? Maybe I need to change my major".

The question and answer session was MUCH better, and I began to gain my confidence back. But, by the time I left (with a parting gift no less!) I was pretty sure the whole experience had failed. Sigh...I do great in front of the clients, honestly! I don't know why a bunch of 20-year-olds can get me all flustered.
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Friday the 13th turned out to be a pretty exciting day--Baby Adcox finally arrived! Donovan "Van" Michael Adcox arrived this evening. I can't wait to head to the hospital to see him. Congrats, Brooke and Derek!
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And speaking of babies, this week was also a terribly sad week. I know many of you have been following the story of Harper Hawley. Her amazing parents, Zach and Haley, have been through so much since Harper got sick several months ago. Lots of time in the hospital, scary nights at home, so many different doctors. Harper passed away on Saturday.

If you get a chance....visit Harper's blog sometime. Read her Dad's beautiful posts about her battle, and see how God can work even in the most desperate situations. Read the amazing comments from people across the country, who have been praying for the Hawley's for so long. I know her parents are incredibly sad, but at the same time joyous--she's not in pain anymore. And they already have someone waiting for them in Heaven.

How can one week be so full of joy, and so full of sorrow?

Dreams and Fried Chicken

A quick post before our office heads out for Eischen's!! I'm so pumped. Fried chicken and okra....can't beat it. We're celebrating 3 birthdays (not including mine, which is next week) so we're having an office fun day. I opted to follow-up next week with cake. Or cookie. Or both, I'm not picky.
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I had the most horrible dream last night, and I woke up in a cold sweat. I don't remember everything about the dream, but I remember I was in the scene of a horror movie...in a submarine. For some reason I was touring a submarine (which I would NEVER do, ever in real life) with a couple of the restaurant owners I work with. Then while we were inside this old, leaky submarine this killer/monster figure jumped in, closed it up and made it sink to the bottom of the sea. And it kept creaking and dripping water and I could just tell it was going to flood and I was going to drown, not to mention all the claustrophobia issues that were making my skin crawl.

Nothing happened, but I still woke up breathing hard, in a cold sweat, and panicking like crazy. Maybe I've been watching too much "Lost", I don't know. Crazy....my heart races just thinking about the dream!
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Speaking of dreams, check out this story about a guy who dreamed a phone number, text messaged it, and then ended up falling in love and marrying the girl!
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Weekend at IKEA

Yes, here are the purchases from IKEA. All the way to Frisco: about $60 in gas, 7 1/2 hours total trip (after a few missed turns) and we purchased tupperware and a lamp shade that did not fit my lamp once I got it home.

Sigh.

However, we did stop by Galleria furniture on the way home, and ended up finding a dining set we love for a better price than we could have found even at IKEA. And much better quality.

But, it's always fun taking road trips with John!

I have officially unpacked every box in the house. All done...and it's a huge relief. I feel so much more at peace. Plus, I did something yesterday that I don't like to do. I purged.

No, I didn't make myself throw up. I purged all my junk, all the things I've collected over the years, all the sentimental items that don't mean anything to anyone but me. I threw away countless boxes and picture frames, and old notes, and silly figurines, and candles, and candle holders. I put rugs and blankets in boxes for giveaways. I went through and made sure I was storing nothing but essential day-to-day items, and photos. So when you walk through my house, you won't find piles of things anymore, or open decorative boxes to find lots of little junk.

I read an article in "Real Simple" magazine over the weekend, about clearing your mind of clutter. It starts with clearing your house of clutter. And she suggested throwing 50 things away (or giving away). And, magazines/catalogs only count as one thing. Then you're supposed to write it all down, so you can feel light and free when you look at the list. I didn't write every little thing down, but I did write several things and I'm up to 35 things--that I recorded. So, I'm thinking it totals 50. I feel lighter already!

Anyone seen "Blades of Glory" yet? Oh my gosh....John and I went on Friday. We laughed so hard we cried. We thought it was better than "Talladega Nights", though some disagree. So hilarious.

Pictures to come....

a very, very, very fine house

Nothing like the sound of "Dawson's Creek" and the smell of paint fumes in the morning to make you appreciate a lazy Good Friday off of work. But a dark, quiet house all to myself--this I haven't had in a long time. And not at all since we moved in.

I haven't updated in a while, I know. I mentioned before that this was the most inopportune time to move--work has been CRAZY. I've been to Tulsa three times since last Saturday. Meetings are falling out of the sky. It's been fun to have different people stop by every night to see the progress we've made in unpacking, and fun to eat a few meals in the new kitchen.

This house is perfect. Even more perfect after last night when John (and me!) stayed up and painted the guest room. There was a horrible shade of yellow on ONE wall and I knew I couldn't stand it for much longer. I hesitate to say it was a "problem" with the house because this house is perfect. The owners took wonderful care of it, it was spotless when we moved in, it's beautiful.

Did I mention it took 5 days to close on the house? Did I mention we moved everything in HOPING sales would go through and papers would be signed? Did I mention I will be closing my Bank of America checking and savings accounts I've had since I was 17 because of the incompetency of their mortgage department? Did I mention I'll be writing numerous letters with our realtor to the Oklahoma Realtors Association and Bank of America, and maybe some others I can think of because of the inexperience, incompetency, and and utter lack of responsibility certain people showed when representing the poor woman that bought our house?

But, it all worked out! Not perfectly, but as we soak in the 3-foot deep tub, or cook mac and cheese on the gas stove, or feel the bedroom ceiling fan blow cool air, or stare at our beautiful fireplace it makes it all worth it.

Today, as I mentioned, I'm off work for the holiday. My plan was to paint, but I guess that's done (and it looks great!). Now I guess I'll HAVE to catch up on DVR. And I suppose I'll need to unpack the office. And prepare for my trek to IKEA tomorrow!

Ok, ok...I might try taking some pictures of the house to post. I was trying to wait until it was perfect, but that may be a while! Moving has been incredibly stressful and incredibly exciting all at the same time...I promise those of you who are packing boxes, house hunting, keeping the toothbrushes out of sight for potential buyers--it's all worth it. And once you're in your new house--take a moment to breathe it all in, paint fumes and all.

Disaster Areas

The Pod arrived on Monday, and it is pretty much packed. Aside from a refrigerator, a mattress, a dresser, a few odds and ends boxes, and some end tables we're good to go. As you can see, Faith has been about as big a help packing as John is.

John worked with a few guys last night to load things up--how do people move without family and friends, really? My only complaint is that they took the couches--and I really wanted to watch the new episode of "House" on the DVR. Sigh....guess I'll either sit on the floor to watch it, or just wait until this weekend. But it's the first new episode in weeks, so it's hard to wait!

The last picture was taken on our way home from Ada last night. The most beautiful rainbow I've ever seen--it was a full arch (so big I couldn't get it in one picture) and bright and colorful. There were even two other faint rainbows on either side of it. I thought I looked like a dork with the window rolled down taking pictures, but there were several others doing it as well! Beautiful.

Over the Hill

Last night John and I went out to dinner to celebrate my friend Tara's new job. We were all sitting around Bahama Breeze, chatting into the wee hours of the early evening.

Some of the topics we discussed:
-third trimester pregnancy woes
-college savings plans
-investing in oil companies
-30th birthday parties
-health plan benefits
-prescription medication
-diets

These are my college friends, so we have seen each other through things like midterms, 4 a.m. pizza, roadtrips, wedding planning, study groups, and ordering water at restaurants to save money rather than because it's healthier.

Next stop: nursing home.

Bad Photography

Ok...I just got the camera yesterday. I will work on learning how to make the pictures brighter and more focused. Give me a bit....sorry they're such bad pictures!

TGIF...A Day in the Life at the Office

Welcome to my office--come on in! As you can see, we are an office of colorful, creative people...let me introduce you.

Christopher and Katie are usually the first people you'll see when you arrive. They work with movie studios and sometimes movie stars and are often doing very important things. We only get to see them at birthday celebrations, because everyone comes out for cake.

The next office you'll see is Jana. She's been here almost as long as I have. We're tenured, because we've been here more than 3 years! Jana just had a birthday yesterday, and she's struggling with the number. But it's not as old as John will be in September!!!

Also--Jana will soon be my new neighbor, as she lives in the same neighborhood we're moving into.

Next you'll run across Jeanna. Jeanna is taking a half day vacation today, which is why she can smile so brightly. The rest of us are not speaking to her.

Keli is the newest addition to the team, and I am SO thankful she's here. She wouldn't smile for the camera because she said her hair looks like crap. But it doesn't....

And here's my little corner of the world. It's a mess, but the view of downtown is nice today.

So....there you go. Here's where I spend most of my time during the week, and the people I spend it with. Lisa, Cherri, and Michelle are all gone today, otherwise I'd have their smiling faces as well!

Oh yeah....thanks, Dad, for the camera! I can now post more pictures to the blog!

All the Australian Yummies...Throw another shrimp on the barbie

Well, I think Julia liked her present. Oh well if she didn't because I liked it. I bought tickets to the Keith Urban concert this summer. Just me and Julia and delicious Keith.

Which led to a really strange discussion with John last night about the list of guys I think are "delicious"....but that's a whole other subject.

Anyway, July 2nd will be a great day for me (and Julia). I bet he puts on a great concert. I hope he won't be in another stay at rehab during that time...

Hate/Love Relationship

Things I hate:
1) The girl on the Quiznos commercial who says "and that's what real women need" and then gives that horrible screeching laugh
2) The sounds of people drinking. It's that gulp sound that send shivers down my spine
3) Wasted time on conference calls

Things I love:
1) Driving to Walgreens with "Oops...I did it Again" on the radio (ok, my CD) to pick up a pint of Ben and Jerry's
2) Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream (thanks, Honey, for discovering that for me!)
3) Eating half the Ben and Jerry's pint in one sitting while watching the series finale of "Sex and the City"....the one where Carrie gets Big

Hey--I deserve a little ice cream and a guilty-pleasure TV shows after ALL THE PACKING.
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Also, Happy 21st Birthday to my little sister, Julia. It was yesterday. Man, I got her a GREAT present. A present that benefits more than just her. I'll tell you all about it after I give it to her tonight!

Passed Inspection

So, inspections went great! Only one thing to fix on our house, only one thing on the new house and both were under $10 to fix. Now...all we have to do is sign the papers and get the keys.

It was so great to meet the people that are moving out of our new house. They talked our ear off, and are leaving us with a whole "packet" of info...warranties, paint colors, neighborhood names and phone numbers, pizza delivery numbers, alarm codes...she's thought of everything. Then, while we were there one of the neighbors came over and we met her and she is wonderful. Looks like we're going to have a great neighbors!

I took lots of pictures of the new house...but I'm not going to post anything until we get our stuff in there. Otherwise...it's just weird. But trust me...it's beautiful!

Packed and Ready

It has been a whirlwind of boxes and packing tape lately. I'm proud to say I have most of the house packed up. The usual culprits left to be packed (a few dishes, a few key pots, blankets, lamps, and of course the garage that John hasn't touched) but we're getting there!

Our home inspection is today. Pretty sure everything will go well, as our current house and the future house are both less than 5 years old! Makes moving much easier.

Anyway, things are looking up. Much easier than I imagined. I'm ready to head back to work, after having several days off. I was already scheduled to be off work, as originally we were supposed to be in Colorado.

Well, I guess I'll sign off for now. There's a really great early episode of "Full House" on TV right now, and it's almost time to head over for the inspection. And I promise...only 9 days until we move and then maybe I'll start talking about something else!

March Madness

By the way....last night I was TOTALLY in the lead for March Madness brackets. Thanks a lot, Duke and Notre Dame--my Sweet Sixteen is totally screwed.

March Madness, St. Patrick's Day, and Saturday--it's what DUI lawyers call the perfect storm!

Yeah, I stole that joke...

Playing Dress Up

I have really good news, everyone.

I am skinnier now than I was in high school.

It's true. Guess how I know? I still have my PROM dresses! I know, it's pathetic. But I still have them and tonight when I was packing (yes! packing! two rooms--DONE!) I came across them and I tried all three of them on. They were all very loose...which means I've actually lost weight since high school. How is that even possible?

Oh, wait, I know...I shifted the weight from my abdomen area to my BUTT and thighs. Ha!

Guess what else? I took my wedding dress out of the bag and tried it on, too. My best friend was over, and she missed my wedding so I felt like I needed to show her how beautiful it was. And, oh, it was beautiful. I asked, but John told me I couldn't sleep in it. I think I completely embarrassed him, but what's new? Too bad I had to put it up. It was loudly whispering "wear me, wear me, don't put me back in the bag".

Have you ever seen that episode of "Friends" where the girls wear wedding dresses around the house? They do the dishes, eat snacks, and visit with each other--all in white. Every once in a while, I think girls need to do that. Our friend Eric asked me how old I was, because he didn't think 25-year-olds played dress up. But...we do. Ok, I do. Stop laughing at me, you know you ALL wish you could wear your wedding dress again. I won't be 26 for another month and I haven't signed my giant mortgage yet so I feel that warrants a little juvenile behavior.

Anyway, I did pack up the office and the guest room. Yes, I'm packing all the easy rooms first. Because I don't even want to think about the kitchen. We officially have 13 days until moving day. And 12 days until closing.

I'm not stressing out, I'm not stressing out, I'm not stressing out.

Welcome Home!

Well...if it all goes as planned, this will be our new house! We looked at it several weeks ago, and then visited it again on Monday night. And it is perfect. Even better than the house we "lost" over the weekend. Plus...it has a 3-car garage. So, John is giddy. That was on the wishlist, but not a sticking point.

The best part--the current owners are ready to head to Texas, so they agreed to close at the end of the month. So we will not be homeless or crashing any of your houses. We'll just move right on in to our new home!

I keep holding my breath and getting butterflies, because I really love this house and think this will be it. For a long time. 3 bedrooms and a study mean plenty of room for a growing family (someday, not now, don't worry, no announcement). It's got a big backyard, a spacious kitchen, and two sinks in the master bathroom. How can you ask for anything more than that?

I think we're going to feel at home here. There are so many families and kids running around the neighborhood. Very friendly. Everything just feels right...

So, I will begin my packing adventure this weekend. We could not have picked a more inopportune time to move, really. It's going to be a CRAZY couple of weeks with how busy work is for both of us. But, we'll get it figured out. I just may not get unpacked and set up until May!!

So....here's the house. Keep your fingers crossed and say a little prayer everything continues to fall into place.

Homeless

Well, it's official: we sold our house!!!

We are overwhelmed and so thankful. We were just commenting this weekend that TWO houses on our street went up for sale, making the total number of houses for sale in our neighborhood close to 30. We were not only competing with houses for sale by existing owners, but also with brand new houses sitting empty and waiting for new owners and houses being built. It's been a long road (we put it up for sale the week of Thanksgiving), but we just needed a little sunshine and warm weather. And a lot of luck...

Of course, we haven't closed so we still have inspections and appraisals and such to get through. So keep your fingers crossed that all works out. The house is only a year and a half old, so there shouldn't be any problems!

Oh wait....I forgot to mention that we have to be out of here by the end of March. YIKES! That's less than three weeks! We can totally pack and get out of here in that time (we have a lot of stuff but not THAT much) but we have to do this other little thing of finding a place to go. We were ready to make an offer on a house tonight that I've been keeping my eye on for 6 weeks...and, of course, it sold LAST NIGHT. I am really bummed...but we'll find something.

I'm just worried now about where we're going to go between the time we move out and the time we can find and close on another house. We've had a couple of people say "feel free to stay with us", but you know how that is. We'd rather just find a house!

It's a good problem to have, especially after three ice storms and four months on the market.

So, that is our weekend in a nutshell. I will try to keep everyone updated during our frenzied search....but forgive me if the blog doesn't stay too updated. I'll be too busy packing boxes!

Sorry--we've been busy saving money

Ah...your daily cell phone camera image to enjoy. Come on....it's been a long time since we've posted a picture of our baby!

Well, we got an awesome phone call yesterday from our insurance agent. I guess I should back up....Monday night's Financial Peace University class was about understanding insurance, and making sure you're getting the most out of your policies, saving money, etc. Not the most exciting topic....but lots of good information.

Well, John, being the insurance guy he is gave our insurance company a call the next day to go over everything and see if there were any discounts to be found or changes we could make to save a few extra bucks. I think after going over everything he found about $15 a month we could save. Hey--it's savings.

Well, then they called him back yesterday. Apparently, they reran some numbers, put in a few different scenarios, looked at our driving records, considered our long-standing patronage etc. And we now have a BETTER insurance policy with our same low deductibles, and they are saving us a CRAZY amount of money a month. Yes, insuring two new cars and with John's beautiful record from his early driving years we were spending a lot of money on insurance. But we are now going to be practically a car payment richer each month. Ok, more than half a car payment richer. It's that much we're saving

A lot contributed to it. Mostly I'd turned 25, neither of us have current tickets on our record, we are accident-free (knock on wood), we're long-standing customers. But we'd never questioned our payments before and never examined everything. We are now paying about 1/3 what we'd been paying all because of a phone call!

So, call your insurance agent and see what you can do. It's worth it, I promise!

In other news we are cooking a lot at home. It's been so nice to not eat out. And since we were spending the evening at home last night cooking, I decided to clean out our closet. WOW....doesn't seem like I got rid of that much stuff, but the closet looks great, we have tons of new hangers, it's organized, all my shoes fit on the shoe shelf, and I got rid of a lot of purses. And since I was going to be giving those away, I went through and cleaned them out (removed trash and mints and chapstick, etc.). I ended up finding a $5 Wal-Mart card, a $20 Kohl's card, about $120 in spa gift certificates, and a $1 bill. Not to mention the new found organization my mind has gained. It was a productive evening.

We're spending the weekend resting up. I have to work A LOT next week in the evenings, and then Friday we're off to Colorado on our snowmobiling adventure!

Baby's First Book Club

I cannot wait to get a new digital camera. This camera phone isn't going to cut it for much longer!

Today I attended the baby shower of my friend Brooke. But it wasn't just any baby shower--it was a book shower. To fill the new baby's bookshelves with all the imagination and power and new worlds that books open up. From ABC's to "Where the Wild Things Are", Brooke got lots of great books for her new baby. Of course, it would be helpful to know what she's having and what the names are (so I know if I need to get Angelina Ballerina books or Ira Sleeps Over) but that is their secret for another 6 weeks....I can't wait to meet that baby!

It was all very appropriate, since Brooke is the one that started our book club. I kept telling her that today was baby's first book club...

I didn't get any pictures with Brooke, even though it was her shower. But I did get to see baby Riley and her mom, Laura. I love all these babies! Look at how beautiful she is...

TGIF

So, John and I are going snowmobiling in Colorado. Found a cheaper place. Robin will be joining us, too...should be quite an experience!

Anybody not skiing during spring break that might have some skit pants or boots I could borrow to stay warm? I'll take good care of them, I promise. Leave me a comment or e-mail me if you wouldn't mind!

It's been a weird week...on Wednesday I finally broke down and had some steroid injections in my knees. My joints have been more out of whack than normal lately, and these shots were directly into the joints and are supposed to relieve pain and stiffness for up to three months. I have to tell you....I feel worse than I did before. Apparently, removing pain from those joints have magnified pain in several others. I'm giving it through the weekend before I call back and say "help me!". In the meantime, forgive any snappy attitudes I might have. I'm tired and irritable and in pain!

I was late to bookclub last night. I felt so terrible. I could have sworn it was at 7:00, and I even remember thinking "7:00 is kind of late...they should have done it at 6:30". Sure enough, it was at 6:00. I was half an hour late, and I hope I didn't let Courtney down! But, I hadn't even read the book which is totally against my book club philosophy. But, the group convinced me it's a book I should read. And I HAVE to read the next one, since I'm picking it!

Red Robin tonight...yeah!!!

Are you supposed to stop, drop, and roll for an engine fire?

We got the best news last night in the mail. Turns out the love of my transportation life, my 2006 Nissan Altima has been recalled. Apparently is has a tendency to drain oil too fast and start engine fires. I can't tell you what a blessing this news was.

Huh? What? Why is that a blessing? Because to compensate for the danger I've been in for the last year, they are offering all sorts of perks! First, we take it in to be inspected on Monday. They will replace the part, and if the engine is damaged in a certain category, we get a brand new engine! And then, they will do an oil and fluid change for free.

And the best part: whether we keep this engine or get a new one--they have extended our warranty! We currently were on the standard 36 month, 30,000 mile warranty. But now we automatically have an 84 month, 100,000 mile warranty!!!

So, as you can see, I like to look at things from the bright side. And I'm not worried about the fires at this point. We're already scheduled to go in on Monday, and if it catches on fire this weekend we'll not only get a free new car but we could have a nice lawsuit on our hands. Just kidding....and, boy, are we glad we didn't purchase that extended warranty. Sometimes being frugal can pay off, who knew?