Tuesday, mom and I took the boys to the Play Place at McDonalds.  It was the second time ever, the first being over a year ago when Ry was too small to fully take advantage.

The boys loved it; they went nuts.  Climbing and sliding and interacting with other kids-it was great!

Wednesday morning they woke up sick.  BOO!  I’m positive they picked up something at the Play Place.  I’m so irked.  Last night my throat developed a tickle.  All in all, you know, you get sick and get over it, but I’m fully annoyed because we are leaving for NM in one week.  Last round of sickness lasted fully 2 weeks, and even if we get better before we go, it’s no fun feeling poorly during all of the preparations.

Prayers would be positively coveted!

In other news, it appears that we are under contract with the house.  :)  Closing date is May 14th…nothing is a done deal until the end, but we hope this pans out.  We are going through a First Time Home Buyers program (lower interest rate), but the state has incredibly strict standards when it comes to the house you can get into.  There might be a minor issue or two with this house that could stand in the way, but we hope not.  This picture is obviously not very good (when are realtor pictures ever very good?) but it gives you an idea.  While not my dream home (which is a craftsman style bungalow, on a lake, near the ocean) it’s not too shabby for a first place.  There is potential.

When Erick and I went to check it out the first couple of times, we hilariously disappeared up to our thighs in snow multiple times.  Great fun!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Quick Update:

We saw the latest house, and we loved it.  We’ll be filling out all of the paperwork and making an offer on Wednesday evening…

Prayers appreciated!  My stomach is doing excited/nervous flip flops!  Not that I’m dead set on this place; I fully realize it might not be for us, even though it would be great if it was.  But the whole process is just…new.

Time to get the boys to bed and then internet-window shop for appliances.  Dreaming is always fun!

That is very much an Erick phrase. He likes his “conclusions”. And so do I, honey.

Truly, another realization hit this week. (Haven’t you loved my realizations? Heh.) I’m pretty frugal, I like to budget…see it all “layed out”. Plan for the future and all that. Therefore, the house hunting thing has had me all in a dither. I’m over analyzing everything. Thinking up financial obstacles that might not even happen. Or might…in a few years.

I mentioned a house a blog or two back that seemed great, except for the fact that the driveway was a mile long, necessitating a plow truck (which we don’t have). I brought up that fact to a dear friend yesterday who instantly replied “Plow truck? We have one that has been sitting unused in our yard for years. Let me talk to my husband about it.”

Obviously, it could be a non-option for us. (The plow truck AND the house). But that One statement was such a tremendous faith boost for me. I have got to quit sweating the small stuff. God isn’t going to leave us hanging. He provides, and has provided, time and time again.

I’ll never forget; we were given a hand-me-down mattress when we were married. OH. MY. GOSH. We were grateful! But it was decades old. After a few months, we had to wedge ourselves in one particular position to avoid springs poking into our backs. AWFUL, people! It was awful! We were laughing about it with some church friends one evening, and it turns out they spread the word (without us knowing). A couple that we didn’t know at all ended up giving us their year old mattress and boxspring for FREE.

I can still picture our giddy selves sitting on that new mattress. We never wanted to leave. Just wanted to enjoy the bounciness of it all. What a provision! If God cares enough to give us a comfortable mattress (which is really a minor detail) then I think He’ll provide that house. Despite this little ol’ human me.

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I’ve finished some bottles! Just uploaded them to my store. Yay! I’m having so much fun! I tweaked my tree then went from there. It’s a delicious project.

All we do around here anymore is slip and slide. Ry was watching Erick walk from the front door to our car today and he exclaimed “Daddy, you are ice skating!” No joke, kiddo. Might as well invest in skates so we can get some exercise. I was putting Jack’s car seat in the car yesterday, and he was in the garage with me…or so I thought. I finished installing the silly thing and realized that he had actually wandered outside (!) but luckily the ice stopped him in his tracks. He was sprawled out in every which direction. Thank goodness, or I’m sure he would have headed for the hills.

We took a peak at a house today. Looks like potential! It’s an obvious foreclosure, because there is no way on this earth we could afford it were it selling for it’s value. There is, however, the tricky matter of the long driveway. Our relator is out of town until this Sunday night (boo) but I think we are going to request a viewing as soon as he returns. We’d be nuts not too. The driveway wasn’t plowed, and I laughed and guffawed and had tears in my eyeballs from watching Erick make the long trek and sink up to his knees multiple times (I stayed in the car with the boys). I was eager to look in the windows myself once he returned, though, so I went through the same ol’ rigamaroll. Talk about a cardio workout.

It’s almost frightening thinking about going through the house buying process-it’s been a dream for so long that the reality that it may happen is exciting and scary. This may pan out to be nothing, but we are ok with that. Been through enough in this life to know that we are always well taken care of.

It’s an hour past my bedtime! Shocker! The eclipse is tonight, though, so I might just hang around for 30 more minutes then take a peek outside.

Be safe, those of you in the ice-laden part of the country, and count your blessings, those of you who aren’t!

Things are coming together, ladies and gents! A few tweaks here and there, and I’ll be up and running. I just made an online order for supplies, and have a couple more to make come payday, but I foresee things coming together pronto. The new store will be called Bliss Home Goods, and I just have to share with you the wrapping paper that my mom put together for a gift of mine last Wednesday:

I thought it was too cute.

Anyway, hopefully I’ll only be a week behind in my target date for getting things up and running.

In house-hunting news, Erick ran across something that is thisclose to our price range. Hmmm. The address is listed, so we are going to do a drive-by tomorrow. The only big downside that we can see is that it would require a truck with a plow (monsterously long driveway). Heh. Which will probably blow the deal…but you never know.

G’night! Time to snuggle in.

First off, my grandmother has started a blog of her own. It’s lovely, and she is one funny lady! Yay for you, grandma! I love you.

Well, I’ve been painting a bit this weekend and sewing here and there. I’ve also been discovering different, wonderful sites, thanks to Sarah and her StumbleUpon suggestions. I haven’t signed up, but I’ve gleaned much from her faves and reviews. Thanks chic!

Ooh, some of my fabric pictures were included in this blog, which is actually really inspiring. Great for newbies to sewing, like myself.

I’ve also come to the realization that it is time for the Murray’s to find a nest of their own. (Well, I’ve known that awhile, but it’s been very apparent lately). It’s no secret to family or friends that we will have been with my parents for (gulp) *3 years* this May! That was not in the plan! (Haha, I know. Plan? When does a plan ever pan out like you want it to?) I’m not in a frantic rush to get out, because in reality, it’s been an amazing few years. I love my parents, and so does Erick, and the fact that Jack and Ryan are so close to their Papa and Nonnie is very, very cool. The space factor is a biggie though. We are just plain running out of room. Our bedroom is ghastly. A conglomeration of everything that would normally be spread out in an entire house. My parents have dreams of turning their currently-occupied guest bedrooms into work studios, and I would love for them to be able to get to it. My precious younguns’ are also making their mark on various furniture and flooring…you normally shouldn’t have to worry about things like that when your kids are grown and gone, right? Wrong! If your grandkids live with you, that is!

Anyhow, I’m ready to nest. It’s time to spread out, even if it is in a tiny house. Up until this current school year, Erick was only subbing, so moving out wasn’t an option. This year, though…with the full time paycheck and everything, it’s time to go. So far nothing do-able has come up, but hopefully this Next Big Adventure is right around the corner.

Well, Erick took the boys to his school this evening to watch the Super Bowl (we don’t have cable here), so I need to get myself busy and do things I normally can’t with 2 children underfoot! Yay for a little Me time!