We have to be out of the apartment by tomorrow morning, so I am in charge of getting it cleared out today.  No time to blog, but wanted to check in with everyone and let you know that THE HOUSE IS BEAUTIFUL!!!!  :)

 

More later, with PICTURES!!!  Well, as soon as I can find the camera again!  LOL

 

HUGS, Jen 

Just a quick update to say that we did close on our new house this afternoon.  After all the problems that we encountered along the way, the closing itself was quick and easy. 

 

I still don't 100% believe that we get to live in that amazing house, but it is starting to sink in.  It felt different when we pulled into the driveway after the closing.  As we walked through each of the rooms, it really did feel different, like it was ours and like we are going to make some wonderful memories there.

 

I'll post pics once we get our things moved in and unpacked.  It is going to take me a few years to give each of the rooms the attention they deserve, but I won't let that stop me from posting pictures of it in the near future.

 

HAPPY DAY!!!

 

Hugs, Jen 

I don't know if I should feel excited or relieved yet, but I heard from the bank this morning and we are clear to close our mortgage loan on time this Friday.

 

I don't believe it, not yet.  I keep waiting for them to call and ask for more information, or for another problem to crop up.

 

Shawn and I promised eachother that we wouldn't go back to the house between our Home Owner Orientation meeting last Friday and our Final Walkthrough this Thursday, but temptation proved too great yesterday.  I'm not sure if I have wrote this before, but we were really worried about the placement of the air conditioning units (too near a steep slope that was already showng errosion issues).  Bob surprised us with a retaining wall and we had to check it out.  It looks great!  The retaining wall was way above the call of duty and just an amazing thing for him to do for us.  I wish I had brought the camera when we went, but there will be time enough for pictures after we move in on FRIDAY!

 

I'm not sure it is prudent to uncross my fingers yet, so I will continue to sit on pins and needles... until our signatures are on the line and the keys are in our hands!

 

My parents are coming down from Ohio tomorrow to help us out and we are all looking forward to it.  I can't wait to see them again!  :)

 

OK better get back to work, I have to clean and pack up this apartment today and it's going to take awhile because of all the HAPPY DANCING I am going to be doing!  :P

 

Love, Jen 

 

3:30pm Update: Just heard from the closing attorney's office, they have received the loan package from the bank, they are working on the HUD Settlement statement and we will have it tomorrow (the HUD Settlement statement has a lot of info on it, the most important to us is how much money we have to bring to the closing table).  So... barring natural disaster, war, or acts of God, we are getting the keys to our new home on Friday!!!

 

If I'm dreaming, please don't wake me up!  :)

I am uploading my favorites from Colleen's 4th Birthday portrait session into a photo album now. 

 

Doesn't she look every inch the Little Lady? 

 

All of the people at the studio couldn't get over how much she loves to have her picture taken and how she just naturally poses.  One of the girls asked her name so that she could say she knew her before she was famous!  :)

 

Hugs, Jen 

Today has been a day of finishing things up...

 

Finished the last Harry Potter.  Loving JK Rowling right now.  Kudos to her on her amazing accomplishment.

 

After visiting several stores in a whirlwind tour with two rambunctous kids in tow, we finally decided to purchase the couch that we liked during the last Tour De Furnishings.  The store did not have a matching chair, but they did have a chair from another collection that complimented the couch nicely and will tie into our light/dark theme that we have going on in the house.  I'm just a little nervous, I am seriously lacking in home decorating skills, but all is not lost: If it ends up looking horrible, we have 3 days to return or exchange it and we are only out the delivery fee.

 

I just went to the web site and saved a few pictures.  They are not saving in the order that I want them to (DARN IT!!!) 

Our sofa is the picture that is split in two, the top set up as a sectional (which is how we will use it) and the bottom as a separate couch and love seat.  Our sofa is dark brown on bottom and light brown on top.

There was no good clear picture of the chair in the color we got.  We chose the brown color, but the chair in that collection is at the very left of the photo.   The rest of pictures are better representations of the chair. 

 

I guess the best way to see it is once it is all in the house, but who has the patience to wait for that???  (Rhetorical question: we all know I am the only one lacking in patience!)

 

HUGS!  -Jen

I'm feeling better today than I was yesterday at this time!

 

Reason #1: Shawn went out last night, well actually early this morning, and bought me the last Harry Potter.

 

Reason #2: Today Coco and I are going to get her 4th Birthday photos taken.  

 

Reason #3: We had our walk through of the house yesterday with Bob the Builder, we are ALMOST done.  So close....

 

Reason #4: I was so crazed yesterday because our processor from the lender was telling us that they weren't going to close the loan on time.  After a stern talking to from Shawn, and a discussion with her manager, the story changed.  We were given MORE conditions to meet, but thankfully my Control Freak Compulsive nature saved the day and I had everything in place to meet the conditions before the deadline.  The last outstanding thing is the appraisal, and it turns out that THEY OWN the appraisal company.  So our processor LIED to me about it being an indenpendent 3rd party that they couldn't control.  Her manager knew someone in our local office of the appraisal "company" (read: business unit of the lender!) and was going to pull strings to get the appraisal done in time.  Only fair, considering that it would have been done already if they had only ordered it on Monday like I was told they were going to.  As long as the appraisal is in by Wednesday, and as long as the house house comes it at or above the price we are paying, the loan will close on time.  I'm not really worried about the value of the house becaue of the value of the home determined by the existing appraisal.  There's wiggle room.

 

WHEW!  OK I've got to get going to get Coco to the portrait studio on time.

 

THANK YOU FOR GOOD LUCK VIBES - THEY WORKED!  :)

 

HUGS, Jen

 

I'm NEVER MOVING AGAIN.  They are going to have to pry my cold dead hands off of the house when the time comes.  Cuz I a NEVER DOING THIS AGAIN.

 

Progress is being made towards us moving in and finally getting settled for the first time in 2007, but with every inch of progress, we are met with a half inch of set backs.

 

Example: Yesterday

Independent home inspector we hired evaluates home.  Finds a few minor things, agreed with us about the errosion in the back and put it in his report.  Over all, house is wonderful.  WHEW!

 

On my second daily call to the mortgage processor I learn that the appraisal was not ordered on Monday like I was told.  Oops!  And despite my daily (sometimes several times daily) phone calls, pestering to see if they needed anything from me in order to close on time, both the appraisal an several items of paperwork are needed BY NOON TODAY in order to close on time.  Since the appraisal wasn't ordered until close of business yesterday, chances are not good at this point for us to close on time.  There is still a slight chance it could happen, I have all the paperwork needed and will be faxing it shortly, but if the appraiser can't get out there today and get his report in on a same day turnaround, then... we are delayed.

 

Delay in the closing of the sale of the house means:

Move all appointments with utilities servicemen, vendors, delivery of storage unit with all our stuff in it

Delay my parents coming down to help us, Dad already has vacation time scheduled

Reschedule Shawn's vacation time.  HARD to do at this point due to stuff going on at his work

We are obligated to pay the builder a fee for every day late we are after they are ready to close because it is our lender holding us up

Possibly my biggest stress: The corporate apartment we are in is rented out again on August 2nd.  We HAVE to be out of here on July 31st.

 

I couldn't sleep last night.  I never have problems sleeping.  Wes woke up at 5:30am and I was right there with him, wide awake.  He went back to sleep after drinking a bellyfull of milk.  I wasn't so lucky.

 

This has been the most stressful, frustrating, emotionally draining thing.  The house is beautiful, and I am excited about it, but I don't ever want to do this again.  Shawn and I have kept our marriage in good condition, thankfully we have been able to direct our anger and frustration towards the companies and vendors instead of each other, but the constant high stress level and continual set backs hasn't been good for either us as individuals.

 

I am trying to keep my perspective, and hopefully I will feel better by the end of today.  Today is make or break day as far as being able to close the mortgage on time.  CROSS YOUR FINGERS!  PLEASE let the appraiser come out today and get their report in today as well.  The bitch of this is that we have an appraisal on the house already!  But the bank will not use it because they are required to use their own appraiser.  That part of the industry has been wrought with fraud since the whole real estate mortgage / refinance boom and banks get funny about only trusting an appraiser that they know is looking out for their investment.  It just really sucks because I have what they need to close today, but they can't / won't use it.  ARRRGGGGG.

 

OK I am just working myself up again.  Deep breaths.  OK I had better get back to writing out my list of things for the builder to fix before closing.  That is a fun project, the list is several pages long!  It's all cosmetic stuff, but the builder will not fix cosmetic items after we close, so if we want it done, today's meeting is our last chance to get it.

 

Wish us luck!  Send us all the good luck vibes you can, ok?

 

Hugs, Jen

 

PS - Harry Potter comes out tonight at midnight... I am seriously considering going out and getting it that late.  Then I would just stay up and read it till I was finished with it.  I don't know though... one of my favorite characters dying could send me over the emotional edge right now!

From the search engine Baidu I often get linked to weird stuff.  Today was no exception... There were two hits from suspected child pornography seekers and... my personal favorite: my first sex teacher my friend hot mom

 

Wow.

 

Y'all are some PERVERTED peeps!

The pace is picking up again as our new house nears completion.  We are due to close with the builder next Friday, NINE days from now!  I've been working on making sure the three big boxes of junk mail, miscellaneous papers, and other junk from the old house don't make it into the new house.  I have two boxes empty and after I finish this entry I will tackle the third.  I'll admit that my motives aren't entirely based on starting in our new home clutter-free.  The fact is, I can't find the check book and we need to start writing checks to various venders and service providers tomorrow.  If I can't find the check book by the time the kids wake up from their naps I am going to have to go get money orders or cashier's checks for several things and that could get expensive.

 

OK, Since the title of this post is Coco's Birthday, Part 2, I'd better move along and talk about it!  :)

 

Her party was nice.  I was way too high-strung before and during.  I couldn't relax.  I felt all manic and hyper and like I couldn't stay still.  I wish I had better control of myself and felt more centered and calm.  It was a small party, just Shawn, Wes, and I; as well as Colleen's best friend, Megan, aka Meggy-Peg, came with her mom (my friend, Lori!) and her big sister (and one of my favorite babysitters!), Paige.

 

The cake was a monstrosity.  We got lots of compliments on it as it sat on the table, and it was definately a unique cake.  The craftsmanship was shoddy - it was lopsided!  And the icing decorations looked rushed and careless.  The Barbie was not seated in the cake well, especially on the lopsided side, the cake wasn't a very convincing "skirt".  And the colors... oh the intense neon colors... That cake probably glowed in the dark!!!  It tasted good though, and most imporantly, Colleen loved it.  That is all that matters.

 

Coco got lots of presents: Barbies, Barbie Clothes, Dress up clothes, regular dresses and a casual outfit, and two coloring books.  Her favorite seems to be her new dress up "Marry dress".  She will not call it a wedding dress.  That is just crazy to her, because, Duh Mom, you wear it To Get MARRIED.  She wears her "Marry dress" all the time.

 

Here are a few photos from Colleen's 4th Birthday Party.  Megan and Coco look a lot a like, Megan has the pink hair bows and Colleen has white and blue.

 

HUGS!  -Jen

Colleen is 4!  Colleen is 4!

 

She is the most beee-you-teee-ful princess in all the land!  She loves to dance like a "baller-INK-ga" on her tip toes.  She is very graceful in a coltish, untrained way.  She is warm and loving and lives to make other people happy.

 

I am stealing time away from getting ready for her little party, but I just have to shout it to the world:

 

My little Coco's birthday is today!  Hurray!

 

She's got tons more presents that she doesn't know about (some of which she thinks she picked out for her cousin Emma - boy is she going to be surprised!).  This morning I couldn't wait and I gave her two dresses and a Barbie Fairytopia costume.  I'm pretty sure she thinks this is the sum total of her gifts and she couldn't be more thrilled.  She loves her pretty new dresses and her costume.  She's already worn the costume and one of the dresses!  I love that those three simple things made her so happy and that even though I usually go overboard and shower her with gifts, she still doesn't expect them and is always overjoyed to receive whatever it is that she is given.

 

Of course, I love her because she is my daughter, but I respect and cherish her because of the wonderful person she is.

 

*sniffle*

 

Gotta go!  These presents aren't going to load themselves into the car and we are due at Chuck E Cheese's in less than 2 hours!

 

HUGS, Jen

They are at the very end of the New House Progress photo album.  If you look to the upper right of the screen beside the picture, I have written comments that tell you what room you are looking at or whatever else I wanted to say about that picture.

 

Isn't it pretty?  We are very excited!

 

HUGS, Jen

Shawn has this tag line on his instant message that says "2 Weeks to go!" and when I first read it I was like, Hmmm? I wonder what he is talking about? 

 

Then it hit me.  Our closing date.  Is two weeks away.  From today.  HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL.

 

It has been one heck of a roller coaster ride.  I am not going to believe that we actually get to live there until after we get the keys.  And even then I will most likely be paranoid that they are going to take the keys away from us and tell us it was all some mistake.

 

We walked through the house quickly this morning on our way to take Shawn to work.  It is thisclose to being finished.  There are several places where the walls need to be patched, the front door knob needs to be replaced (it is all dented and scratched and beat up), the carpet needs to be cleaned in several areas where someone walked on it with muddy boots (THE NERVE!  It is a creme colored carpet so light it could almost be called white!). The appliances still aren't in, but other than that... it is finished.  It is very beatiful.  The bamboo floors are stunning.  The kitchen is amazing and it doesn't even have the fridge or stove installed yet!  Our bathroom is a showpiece.  I wish the corian countertop was more luminous, but you know me... always wishing something was different.  I can't believe how beauitful the house is!  Oh, get this: On  lark I checked the mail box and we had mail!  Not junk mail, either!  That threw me for a loop since we have a forwarding order in with the post office for mail sent to our old house to be delivered here at the apartment.  Oh well!

 

Colleen's 4th birthday is on Sunday.  I don't feel old enough to be the mother of a 4 year old!!!  I can't wait to post pictures of her birthday.  We decided on something small and intimate - I don't have it in me to try and pull a party together right now.  We are going to Chuck E Cheese and the family of her little best friend from our old neighorhood is going to meet us there.  I took Colleen with me when I went to order the cake (all my pans are still in storage, I'll get back to making and decorating cakes once we are all unpacked, I'm looking forward to it!).  Naturally she choose the most expensive cake they had... it is a Barbie doll with a ball gown on and the skirt of the dress is made out of cake.  It is a neat cake.  I've always wanted to do one of those myself. 

 

Right now I should be:

#1. Cleaning

#2. Going through the 3 boxes of papers and junk mail and what nots and filing the important stuff and tossing the rest

#3. Wrapping the remainder of Colleen's birthday presents (I went WAY overboard again.  I don't know what it is with her, I can't seem to keep present-buying in check.  Everytime I go out I see something that she would love or that would be perfect for her!  Not good!  Must stop!)

 

Instead I think I will take a nice relaxing shower to clear my head. The shower is my thinking spot.  Come up with my best ideas in the shower!  OK that is TMI.  I had better get going, the quality of this post has rapidly gone downhill.

 

LOVES!  -Jen

 

 

ARRRGGGG!!!

 

Wesley is on a roll this morning.  He has peed on the floor TWICE, chewed open hot chocolate powder packets, emptied the silverware drawer onto the floor and doused my pillow with the water I had on the tall dresser next to my side of the bed (how he was able to reach it is a mystery.  I can barely reach it!)

 

Typical Boy, everyone says.  Well, forget that!  Try Typical TASMANIAN DEVIL!!!!

 

It is a good thing for him that he is so cute.  He turns those big blue eyes and impossibly chubby cheeks on me and my frustration vaporizes.

Now's the time to go do this, while all the stuff for college students is on sale.  Target and Wal-mart are great for this stuff.

 

Tired of having all sorts of beauty products, shaving cream, dental care items, etc. cluttering up your bathroom counter?

 

Purchase a Shower Basket from Target or Wal-mart (I got mine at Target for $5).  They are specially designed to hold all of that stuff.  I got a navy blue one for myself and a hot pink one for Shawn (Hi, honey!  Love ya!)

 

Now our counters are always clean and uncluttered, yet our products are easy to get to and put back away each morning.  If you find that your husband is not keen on this plan, I advise you to put his things in the bucket when he is not looking.  Men will usually not go through the trouble of taking them back out again (Seriously!).  You can also set his bucket out in the morning before he goes into the bathroom to get ready and put it back under the counter when he is finished.  If all else fails, buy some Transformers or Halo3 Stickers and decorate his bucket so that it feels more like his.  Between you and me: the Hot Pink color of Shawn's bucket offsets the holographic Master Chief sticker quite nicely.

 

Toodles!

Call me sentimental, or maybe just weird, but I went to our realtor's website a few minutes ago to see if he still had our house listed on it (he did!) and I saved the pictures that he took of our house for the MLS listing.  This is after all the work we did to get it ready to show, most of furniture is removed, many of the rooms are repainted, but it still gives you a general idea of our house.  This is mostly for Mrs. W, who asked nicely for several years for me to send her pictures of our house but I always thought it was too messy and never got around to it.

 

So here you go, pictures of our old house:

 

During Kitten Wars!

 

 

They've won 52% of their battles for cuteness!  Too bad they grew up into huge tom cats with bellies that hang to the floor!