Happy March

St. Patrick's Day is only one day, but it seems that my boys wear a lot of green the whole month of March!

AZ

What a week! Shaun, the boys, and I just got back from AZ. Usually when we go, we lay around and relax... Not this time. We were non stop. I had a 10 year reunion and ended up seeing high school friends three days in a row. Shaun went down south to my uncle's ranch, Isaac and Ailee played everyday, and we even fit in a trip to the zoo! The drive back was a lot more pleasant than the drive there. Parker was the one I was worried about but he pretty much slept both ways. Isaac, on the other hand, was the one that needed constant entertainment. It's about a five hour drive (minus the halfway stop that is usually an hour) and Isaac slept maybe an hour on the way home. We had a great time but it's always nice to be home!

Some high school friends. I didn't get tons of pictures 'cause I was too busy talking. We had a photographer there so I figured I would let him do all the work!

Ummm, yeah... Not my doing. Apparently my camera was sitting out so my dad decided that he would be funny and teach Isaac bad table manners. Thanks dad!

Isaac and Ailee. Poor Ailee was sooooo tired. She was thrilled when Isaac would go down for naps so she could get a break.

Our zoo trip. I'm not at all happy with our pictures. The best ones got erased from our camera. We had three AMAZING family pictures... The first pictures of myself that I've actually been ok with since Parker was born. I guess we'll just have to do it again. We had a wonderful day. Parker was content the ENTIRE time. He was also awake the ENTIRE time. It was a quiet drive home (back to my parents) with both boys sound to sleep!

Four generations (oh Isaac! You think you're so funny)!

G.G. Mom and her 17th great grandchild, Parker!

My little secret... REVEALED!!!

About a month ago I mentioned that I had a secret that hoped to be sharing with the blogging world soon... Well, "soon" has finally come! We bought a house... AGAIN! Sorry to disappoint all of you who thought I was pregnant but give me a break... Parker isn't even four months old! This has been a long, bumpy road for us but it is amazing to see how God perfectly planned it all! There are so many details from beginning to end in this house hunt process, but I'll see if I can give you a small glimpse of what took place...

Shaun and I bought a house (town house/condo) in June of '06 (that is now up for rent if anyone is interested). Our goal was to stay two years and then sell it for a profit. HA! We've now been here almost four years and are so upside down we don't know if we'll ever be able to sell it. California market... Not so good! Well, Isaac was born and we were still fine on space but knew more kids would be coming and knew we needed a yard. A year and a half ago Shaun and I started praying about the possibilities a new house. In our minds there was no way it was going to happen due to the economy and not being able to get out of our current place. At the time we were doing a study on Moses and how God met with them in a place called, "Tent of Meetings." Shaun and I knew that this was WAY bigger than us and that we truly needed to give this all up to God. So, we met EVERY night in our own tent of meetings... the closet. There were nights we would crawl into bed, get all warm and cozy, and then remember we forgot to pray. Up we would go to the cold, stinky closet. Other than the lack of organization of Shaun's shoes, it was the perfect place to focus. No tv. No internet. No phones. It took about a year before we started seeing some answers.

All the beginning stages (that we thought were brutal) seemed like nothing once we got the ok to start house hunting. Those that are looking for a house know what I mean. EVERYTHING is a short sale, which really means LONG sale! It's a competitive market and investors are definitely enjoying themselves! Frustration of ever finding a place was setting in hard. I felt like all Shaun and I ever talked about was house and money. We put in so many offers I can't even count them all. In December Shaun decided to share with our Bible Study class what we were going through and to ask for prayer in patience and contentment. After church a new couple in our class, Carlos and Veola, asked us if we would go to lunch with them. Our afternoon plans had fallen through so our schedule was wide open. I'm usually strict about Isaac's naps but was for some reason at peace about having a cranky boy! Over lunch Carlos began to tell us about this house that his dad owns but doesn't want anymore. He had bought it brand new in '02 but moved back to where he was from (Spain) a few years ago. He said that he could talk to him and see if he was willing to work with us. Turns out that this house was EXACTLY where we wanted to live and almost identical to other houses that we had been looking at!

A week later (which seemed like years later), Carlos called us and said it was a go. We were excited but still concerned because we hadn't even seen the house (other than a drive by). It was a process and a lot of paper work because the owner is out of the country. There were little set backs here and there but by January we were able to start escrow... Still without seeing the house. I know, crazy! There were renters in the house so they had to first be informed of what was going on and that we wanted to schedule a time to see the place.

When we finally got to see the house we wanted it to be a clear "WOW, this is it!" Or "HECK NO!" It wasn't like that at all. We were a little disappointed because we walked away still wondering if this was the place. The back yard wasn't as big as we wanted and I wasn't a fan of the carpet in all three bathrooms. Why couldn't the answer just be plastered on a bill board!? Shaun and I decided to pray separately about it and then see what answers we got. A few days later, we realized we were both being told the same thing... this was THE house for us (I'm telling you, so many emotions)!

To make this long, long story only long, we finally closed escrow on February 22nd. Thousands of questions, phone calls, and paper signings later... It's ours! The journey was long, but totally worth it. To be able to work the system and get a house that was never even on the market... For our afternoon plans to be suddenly canceled and instead go to lunch with new friends... To be offered a house that is exactly where we want to be... To have the US Ambassador in Spain sign papers so that things could be official and move along faster... I'd say God was with us the whole time!

As you can see we have some planting and painting to do! But SHAUN is thrilled to do it!!! ;)

Oh yeah, small downer. We don't get to move 'til this summer. Because Shaun and I are such nice, caring people, we are letting the renter stay until her contract is up in August. She's a single mom with two kids and it just isn't right to kick her out. In the meantime, I will have the whole house mapped out with colors and decor. Even though I would love to be in the house now, I can admit that it is better this way. It gives us more time to find renters for our place, save a little more money, collect rent, and wait for Shaun's July raise! God has given us a house but he's going to make me crave it a little longer! :)

Just because he's so cute!

You'll notice he's smiling in the football pjs but NOT in the rock n roll pjs. Wonder why? Well, as his hands would flail out of excitement, they would hit the guitar and make it play songs. The music then only enhanced his craziness, which for some reason always puts a serious look on his face!

Thanks Burdetts for the oh so cute pjs!

Nothing has changed...

... Our house is still all about Buzz and Woody!!!

So this was an impromptu photo session right before bath time. Isaac is "to infinity and BEYOND" obsessed with Toy Story. He went through a Nemo, Thomas the Train, and Lightning McQueen phase, but nothing close to the kind of love he feels for this space ranger and law enforcer. While I'm still not so sure about Toy Story 1, Isaac is allowed to watch Toy Story 2 because they don't have as many bad "toddler" words. The one time that Woody says "stupid" Isaac chews him out... EVERY TIME!!! I don't think he even hears the word anymore 'cause he knows it's coming and he's too busy yelling! He knows it's a bad word and gets very mad at his buddy, Woody! He can quote so many lines in the movie too.

Buzz and Woody go to the store with us, the park, and even church. One week Isaac left Baby Buzz at church and was crushed. Even though he still had Big Buzz, Little Buzz, and Cool Buzz at home, it wasn't good enough. My mom even took it to the next level and rushed to Toys R Us and got him another one the same size. He was thrilled and it never left his hand, BUT he didn't forget and still asked non stop to go to church and get Baby Buzz back. Thankfully his teachers took care of him all week and returned him safe and sound. He has quite the collection so I'm wondering why I bought another Buzz and Woody for his Easter basket!?!

(P.S. Parker only got his picture with one Buzz because Isaac started freaking out and taking them away when Parker started eating them)!