Whew, what a day and it is only 3:15!

 

First thing this morning I got up, got the kids and the house ready, then took Shawn to work.

 

Then it was off to the "car doctor" to fix a tire that had a nail in it.  Quick job - 1 hour.  Go ahead and throw in an oil change!  Except... the tire couldn't be repaired, the nail was too close to the side wall.  And another tire had a big chunk missing, most likely from where I hit a pot hole or curb (hard to tell when, I do it so often).  So that is two new tires, a rotation and balancing, and an oil change.  Cha-Ching!

That took from 10am till 1pm.  The kids weren't thrilled, but did very good right till the end.

 

Then it was home for naps.

 

Had a phone call with the realtor, still no offers but there is a possibility out there.  We'll see what comes of it.

 

I painted the front door (it had a few scuffs and paint chips at the bottom where feet hit it and it was driving me crazy) and I edged the back yard along the fence and the house.  My arms are all jiggley and tingley feeling from the vibrations of the edger.  I like it alot though, it is a cordless electric black and decker model.  I am comfortable with it.  It is not heavy at all and it does a good job.  My dad helped me pick it out when he was in town.

 

We have a showing this afternoon, sometime between 4:30 and 6:30, so we will leave here at 4, head down to the house to verify that the electrician made the rest of the changes, and to see if they have insulated the garage yet.  It is not a typical request, and we had to pay extra for it.  We are afraid they are going to forget to do it, especially since they did the rest of the house and didn't do it yet.  I feel bad for buyers who aren't able to stay on the builder like I do.  The volume that they are building these houses in is too much for them to keep accurate tabs on everyone's different options and selections.  The specifics seem to be getting lost in the shuffle.  My squeaky wheel is getting the oil, I wonder if there is oil left for the ones that aren't squeaking.

 

After the trip to the new house we are going grocery shopping and then picking Shawn up from work.  Then it is back home to eat dinner, play with the kids, get baths, get the kids to bed, restore the house to "perfect" showing condition, then off to bed for me.

 

I believe Shawn can take the car tomorrow, I'll stay home.  Then Wednesday and Thursday I have the car.  Hopefully Friday Shawn can take it.  I hate taking the car because the day seems so much longer that way.  Plus all the gas used up.  :(

 

Holy Camel, I can't WAIT for this part to be over.  Once we have a firm offer on the house and can stop showing it I think I will be able to calm down some.  I am really looking forward to that magical day when we are all moved into the new house and I can take a day or two to myself and not do anything.  I'm ready for that day!

 

Who wants to start a poll on what day we will:

1. Get a good, firm offer on this house

2. Be all moved into the new house so I can sit on my kiester for 2 days straight and not do anything

 

HUGS!   -Jen

 

I was having problems uploading photos but was finally able to today.  Check out the two new albums: Highland Games and Easter Photos. 

 

Easter photos are from the CD that the studio gave us, they are the uncropped, un-retouched photos and you can see where the backdrop ends on either side in most of the pictures.  Don't worry, you can't see that stuff in the actual printed pictures.  :)

 

I also updated New House Progress.  I added just a few new pictures at the end.  It is hard to know what you are looking at, so I didn't post pictures of all the rooms, just stuff that was fairly easy to identify.

 

Now I must run, we have two showings scheduled for this afternoon, one of them in just an hour.  So I've got to gather up the kids and get out of here!  :)

 

Wish me luck today on these showings.  I have a good feeling... hoping HOPING that we get an offer today.  :)

 

HUGS  -Jen

I just happened to notice that little yellow star by Shawn's name on instant messenger and clicked on it.  Could it be... a new post on his blog?!?!  YEPPERS, a full year after his last post!  And it was to wish me happy anniversary.  How sweet! 

 

Yesterday was our 8 year wedding anniversary.  It was a day much like every other day, but it was a nice milestone.  8 years.  And in October we will have been dating for 10 years.  A whole decade.  Wow.  I do feel a little old when I think of all that time, but mostly I feel like the luckiest person in the whole world.

 

 

After getting married, buying a house, having pets, two kids, good jobs, cars, etc, etc.. it took buying original art to make me feel as though I have finally reached adulthood.

 

This weekend was the Loch Norman Highland Games and there was an artist selling her work there.  Her name is CL Stephens and her work can be seen at http://www.clstephens.biz/.

 

We purchased one of her unframed celtic crosses, similar to this; and a framed diamond knot, her web site gallery picture seems to be the exact one we choose.

 

Pictures do not do the work justice, they are handmade papers, painted with acrylics with metallic accents.  They are quite large.

 

I am very happy to have purchased actual, real, not-a-print-but-honestly-made-and-signed-by-an-artist art!  The best part is that Shawn and I both stopped and said we loved the same piece (the diamond knot).  That was pretty cool.

 

Our new art will look wonderful in our new home!  :)

 

Hurrah!

 

Colleen loved the highland dancing and we are lucky to have a teacher in the Charlotte region.  From what we were told today, the next closest teacher is in Atlanta!  I met the teacher today and she gave me her information.  I will contact her for an audition soon.  My comfort level is with ballet, that is what I know, but if Colleen wants to be a highland dancer, then we will try to enable that dream.  Probably going to be an expensive dream... lessons, costumes, shoes, travel to competitions... ballet has these expenses too, but ballet is about 1000 times more commonplace.  You can't just go to the corner store and purchase a dancing kilt.  We'll see what comes of it.

 

No showings on the house today (dissappointing, given the 1-2 showings a day we had until today).  Still no offers, but it's only the 5th day.  Patience, grasshopper.  :)

 

Talk to everyone later!

 

HUGS  -Jen

 

 

We've had our second showing now.  The people gave us 15 minutes notice (not very professional!) and were in and out of the house in less than 5 minutes.  I signed in just a minute ago to see if the realtor left feedback on the appointment, she did.  I should have copied it directly, complete with spelling and grammatical errors, but essentially it said, "My client didn't like the house". 

 

To each his own, obviously, but good grief!  And... if you are going to leave negative feedback, could you at least be more specific about it?  Did he not like the floorplan?  Did he not like the location?  Did he not like that I haven't got all the windows sparkling clean yet?  Basically, was his dislike based on something I could change or something that I couldn't? 

 

Whew.  I'm too sensitive for this stuff, apparently.  I do not want to sell a house again ANYTIME soon.  Maybe 20-30 years from now would be good.  LOL

 

Wes has got an appointment with his physical therapist, Ms. Nikki, today.  He is excited, he just LOVES Ms. Nikki. 

 

Gotta run!

 

HUGS  -Jen

Oh my gosh how I laughed at Spice's comment about Holy Camel!  And I can't tell you how many times I have said it since I read it.  :)

 

We had our first showing this morning.  I had this nagging feeling that we were going to get a showing quickly.  The house was entered into the MLS this morning (the realtor waited to put it in until the pictures were ready) and we got a call at 10am to show it at 11am.  I ran around freaking out trying to make everything perfect in the hour before they came.  I think things looked pretty nice.  The kids and I went to the community playground during the showing.

 

I am excited, a bundle of nervous energy.

 

I am the type who has imagined how to spend the millions from the winning lottery ticket before I have even bought it, so naturally, I've already imagined my reaction to the offer we are surely going to hear about this afternoon.  Right.  I KNOW I can't get my hopes up, those sorts of things do not happen often.  But if perchance we do receive an offer today, I am going to dance around crazily and shout I TOLD YOU SO until I am hoarse.

 

Until then... good karma, good karma, good karma...

 

HUGS!  Jen

Holy cow, our house is officially on the market as of today.  Cross your fingers for a good offer and a smooth sale.  :)

 

Hugs, Jen

UPDATE: I can't seem to add the pictures right now - bummer!  I'll keep trying!

 

Sneaking in to blog for a second...

 

We had a family portrait session while my parents were in town, turned out cute!  Check out the pictures in my new album.

 

HUGS!  -Jen

Hi everyone.  I'm keeping this short, typing from my dad's laptop.  Shawn's computer is almost back up and running.  It wasn't pretty. 

 

Quick update on the house: I'm not getting the bigger porch.  Turns out it is the right size according to "the plan" but no one deemed it necessary to tell me that the porch sizes were different from one community to the next.  The builder is making it right for us in a different way and we are happy with the compromise, but if I told you what it was they would have to kill me.  LOL

 

Framing is complete, the roof is on, the windows and exterior doors are installed, rough plumbing, electrical, and HVAC are in and we should be having our pre-drywall meeting in the next week or so.  Things are moving FAST!

 

We signed the paperwork to put this house on the market today, we aren't officially "on the market" until Monday though.  Gives us time to get the little stuff finished up while my parents are still here without having to worry about showings.  I'm all fluttery and nervous over selling this house.  I am excited about the new house and looking forward to it, but it is going to be hard to leave this house.  Our first house, the house we brought both of our babies to.  It will be all good.  Just gotta get past this and keep looking to the future. :O)

 

OK I am off to read the wild amount of comments from my last rant...  errr  post. 

 

Hope everyone is doing well.  I hope to be around to check on everyone early next week.

 

HUGS!  Jen

Warning: This is me going off on something that I don't have any business going off on.  I won't name names, I just gotta get it off my chest.

 

I am a firm believer in the cliche "Once a cheater, always a cheater"

 

I also believe that there are exceptions to every rule.  My exception for cheating is if it is a one-off type of thing, highly unusual circumstances and totally out of character.  I believe relationships can recover from a one time indescretion, IF both people still want to be with each other and commit 100% to rebuilding the trust and respect necessary for a solid and loving relationship.

 

I am convinced that if you began your relationship with your significant other and cheating was involved then that relationship is likely going to end with cheating involved as well.  Call it karma, call it "what goes around comes around", or heck, even: "Once a cheater, always a cheater".

 

It never fails to amaze me that the person whole "stole away" their significant other is profoundly shocked to learn that they themselves are now being cheated on by the person that was so willing to cheat to be with them.  Duh, people.  Have you not learned a thing from Donald Trump and his parade of ever-younger gold diggers?

 

You'd think people would grow out of it: as they mature, as the stakes are raised by marriage, children, home ownership, etc.  Nope.  It's a shame, but circumstances don't seem to impact cheaters at all.

 

Here's my unsolicited (and likely to go unheeded advice): Don't start a relationship with someone who is already in one.  It will only end badly.  For those of you poor schmucks already in such a relationship, I don't have any advice.  My heart goes out to you, and I wish it were different.  Unfortunately, human nature is human nature and cheaters are the most predictable of all.

 

-Jen

 

PS For any nervous nellys out there: I'm not talking about Shawn and I.  :)

Hey everyone, I only have a minute or two before the PC overheats again...

 

Shawn ordered replacement water coolant and tubing and what not, so we should have the PC back up and running after it all arrives.

 

Still fighting the good fight when it comes to the porch.  We should have our pre-drywall meeting in a week and a half to two weeks.  This house is coming together FAST!

 

Hope everyone is well, will check on you all when the PC is good to go.

 

HUGS, Jen