Another Housing Update!

The house in Velma's will be our new home! YAY! We sign the contract tomorrow! We are so relieved and thankful that we have a home to go to when our Nooksack house sells. We truly believe that God's favor was shown up on us! The owner of the house, said that he has received so many calls on the house. That there was a gentleman that had looked at it the day before we did. He called the day after we made an offer, to make an offer himself. The owner told him he already had a deal. Then many people have told him that he is selling it way too cheap. He has a friend that builds metal buildings and said he couldn't replace the house and shop for 20k-30k over what we are paying for the house. That isn't including the land, septic, and other things that you need to do. So we were really thrilled to hear that. The couple are still totally happy with the situation.

The Nooksack house has been showing like crazy. Let me be totally honest here, I am very frustrated! I just don't understand what is taking so long. I really thought this house would be the easiest house we have ever had to sell! We had another couple look at it for a 3rd time yesterday. To me its either you like the house or you don't. Don't get me wrong buying a house is a huge decision, but if you like one it shouldn't take you that long to make a decision. Maybe I am totally wrong on that. I do know that God is using this time to grow my faith and trust in Him. I am thankful for the seasons in our lives, b/c it just teaches us to be solely dependent on the Lord. This is totally showing me that no matter what God is my #1 and through it all I will always give Him the praise and glory. Its in God's timing not our timing that things happen! So I am pressing onward! I know that there is a buyer for our home. That God has that in store for us! So we will continue to serve God and praise Him for everything in our lives! We know that each day we are just a day closer to the sale of our house in Nooksack!

Finally a home for our family!

Well, pretty close to I guess is the better way of stating it! As you all know, the area we are in isn't overloaded with housing options. We have gone every direction possible in finding a home of our own! The rental that I had mentioned in some past blogs, did go to the niece. We had found a house and did a contingency offer on it, but we couldn't agree to a price. For a time we thought well if that house is still available when the Nooksack house sells, then we will try again. Over the weekend, my dad saw that there was a for sale by owner around the Velma area. Byron and I drove up there yesterday and talked with the guy and looked at the place. We loved it! The house is about 10 yrs. old. Its on 2 1/2 acres of land. It has a huge shop building that goes with it as well. Its owned by a couple in their late 40's and they have taken great care of it. The yard is wonderful with big trees everywhere. The house is 1650 sqft. It has 1 and 3/4 baths. It has an open floor plan. Its an unique house and its very efficient. It has the metal roof and the exterior is also metal! Its very nice! The owner is a perfectionist and the house is done very well. In the future, we will probably add on a little more and then rock or brick about 3 ft. up. Probably one of the best things about it, is my best friend from high school, Tracy Crook's parents live right across the street! We will have wonderful neighbors all around us. The people we are buying it from are building about 1/2 mile north of us.

The best part is we are in no rush of getting into it. They are perfectly fine for waiting on our house to sell. When it does then we can close before their house is done. They have a 5th wheel trailer they will stay in. We told them they could use the shop building for storing all of their things til the house was completed. Which they were thrilled to hear that! So it looks like things are going to work out. They will call us tomorrow with all the final details and we will then sign a contract!

We have had a lot of activity on our Nooksack house. Our realtor has some friends that looked last week. They are moving back to that area. The woman had an interview last week in Bellingham. She is going to take the job. So we should be hearing very soon on what their plans will be. The woman loved our house and the husband liked another one. I do feel like they will go with our house! We will see! So please pray for favor over that! So we can potentially have an offer this week and possibly be in our new home in a month. Just in time for Jackson's 1st birthday! Yippee! We are so excited! We are so thankful for our Heavenly Father and for His direction! He closed doors that needed to be closed and has opened doors that needed to be opened! We give Him all the praise and glory!

Oh, What a wonderful weekend!

Friday afternoon we packed our bags, our kids, and our dogs and headed South. We went to stay with my sister and her girls! We have been with my parents for a month now. We thought we all needed a little break! We are all doing well, but I know everyone just needs some "alone" time and a change of scenery! Mom and Dad missed us lots! Mom said they didn't sleep very well b/c they didn't have all the noise! (I guess we are loud even when we sleep) We arrived Friday evening at my sis's in Ft. Worth, TX. We had pizza waiting for us . That night we just hung around the house and the kids played. Jaycee loved it! She had so many barbies and littlest pet shop stuff to play with she didn't know what to do with herself. The dogs loved it as well. At my parents, they are on 30ft. leashes, b/c the fencing around my parents isn't made for dogs! The dogs had freedom to go anywhere they pleased in the backyard. Saturday morning, I woke up to happy babies and a latte from Starbucks! Yummy! We ran a few errands and just spent time with Amy and the girls. We had to go dinner from On the Border that night and our dessert was from the Cheesecake Factory! Oh my goodness, was that delicious! That is a must if you live close to or are ever in a city that has one! This morning we woke up and helped Amy and the girls get ready for church. Yes, I guess you can call us heathens since we didn't attend church today. With our kids being so young, and so many changes, we didn't feel comfortable going to a new church and a new nursery. So instead, Byron got on Craigslist for the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Guess what, we got a wii! YAY! We are so happy! We have been searching for one for a while. Byron has made several trips early to places to get one but no one ever seems to have one! There were several who had posted some so so deals, but Byron emailed a guy that had just posted his wii. His add said that his wife was making him sell it b/c he actually played his xbox360 more. So he listed everything that he had. It had everything that we wanted. He had even downloaded some games onto it. So he had spent over $500 for it all, and was asking $300! So Byron sent him several emails. While we were eating lunch, the guy called. Byron told him where we were at Chili's and the guy actually lived just a few blocks away! So Byron met him at the corner convenient store and bought it! We are so excited! The guy told Byron that we were the first email he received so he was giving us first chance! So we have it set up now at my parents and we are having lots of fun! We haven't got mom and dad on it yet, but I am sure they will be addicted before long!(Well maybe not addicted, but I think they will have a little fun with it!)

Okay, one more thing! Jaycee keeps us laughing. Tonight, Jaycee was sitting on the couch with me. Byron came over and was right in her face. She says "You got grass in your nose." I was like what and she said it again. We burst into laughter when we realized she thought Byron's nose hair was grass! Too funny!

My little girl, Jaycee!

So each day Jaycee is changing into quite the little girl, with a wonderful personality. She talks non-stop and repeats pretty much anything you say. ( So you MUST watch what you say). We are down to having the pacifier at nap time and bedtime. We were at that point a few months ago, but with all of the chaos in our lives during that time, we gave in. So we are back to that point and I am happy with that for now. Her and Jackson sleep in the same room, so for the sanity of everyone in the house we will allow her to have it during those times. I always tell her she doesn't need that stinkin' paci. So now she goes around and if Jackson has his paci, she pulls it out and says "bubby, you don't need your stinkin' paci. So we all get a big kick out of that! Yesterday, when she got up from her nap she walked into the kitchen with her pacifier in hand and laid it up on the counter without us saying anything! YAY!

Last night we went down to visit for a while at my grandparents. For many you know my grandparents and parents live very close. They live on the same little road. Well, I don't know if its a road, just a long driveway. Anyways, so the kids don't ride in the car seats when we drive down there. So on the short trip there, Jaycee wanted to "drive". So Byron let her. She almost had us in the fences 3 times! She thought she did great! While, we were visiting, Jaycee told Ma and Pa that she was going to go visit KiKi and Kee this weekend. (my nieces) She was saying oh how she was going to play with ALL of their toys. Then she stopped for a moment and said, "I don't know how to get there!" I reassured her mom and dad did and that we would get her there safely. Then on our way home, she wanted to sit on the "bump" in the middle. Which is the console in the pick-up. So Byron put her there and then decided to be a little silly. He would rev up the engine. Jaycee was like " Daddy you drive so crazy!" While she says this she moves her head all around. We were almost to the top of my parents hill to their driveway, and Jaycee covers her eyes and says "I can't look!" So funny! I think she picked that up from one of the characters in Toy Story 2. Which has become a new favorite of hers.

She was so thrilled yesterday when she received a little gift in the mail from her Nana. She was like Wow what is it? It was some new sticker books and a water painting book. She immediately painted the one picture that Nana sent so we could send it back to hang on her fridge. Then we used every Hello Kitty sticker in like 5 minutes. She loved it! So thank you Nana for the wonderful surprise!

News from the Home Front!

Another week, and yes we are still with my parents. The kids are doing lots better. We know that it is only temporary. Not sure how long it will be, but we do know that its not forever. We haven't heard back about the rental, but we feel like the niece has claimed it. We also found a house that we really like. We had put a contingency offer on it. The couple accepted the fact that we need our house to sell, but we couldn't agree to a price. So we will see. Our house in Washington, we hope will sell very soon. We have had one couple look at the house 4 times. We really aren't sure what is holding them back from making an offer. We are lowering the price today. So we will see! I truly believe that this is just a season in our lives. That God is using this time to grow us in our faith in Him. So we are resting in the Lord and we know that He understands our situation. Not to say at times its not frustrating, but we know that God will provide for our every need!

JACKSON IS WALKING! YAY! Saturday night he took 8 steps. Yesterday, we went to church and then to Oklahoma City for some shopping. The kids did very well, but they were either in the stroller or their car seats. So when we got home last night, we walked in the door and Jackson began to go crazy. He played in every room. Do to all of the freedom he was enjoying, he decided to start walking. Obviously, if he wants to go somewhere fast he drops down and speed crawls. Well, that has changed into bear crawling. I think the tile floors at mom's house are too hard on his knees. He is really fast! Jackson is quite proud of himself. He claps after he does something that he thinks is great! (That's a little of my dad in him)

If you have any advice on breaking a little girl from her pacifier please share. I have been putting it off long enough. I came to the realization that there is always going to be something. I didn't break her by the time she was 2 b/c we had Jackson. Then I didn't break her b/c we were moving. I think it is more b/c it is convenient for me at times to just give her the pacifier and she goes on her way. I will admit that its nice and I will miss it. Jaycee talks 24/7. I do know that she doesn't need it anymore. So I am looking for any ideas that will be best for all of us. I have thought maybe the best way is just to go cold turkey. Just to throw them all away. That way the temptation is never there to give in. I have also thought about cutting all of them and giving them to her. She is really big on not wanting something if it is broke. So this might be a good way to go for her. Not sure! Someone also told us to go by the Farmer's Almanac. In it they gave a time of "weening". They did that with their little girl and she never had a fit or anything about her pacifier. So any ideas? It would be greatly appreciated!

Kids, what would we do without them?

Jaycee amazes me every day! She talks more and more! I guess she gets that from me! Some of the things she says are just too funny. Her new thing is, "I need something" and we ask "what do you need" she replies "I don't know but I need something". She is into wiping off kisses now and thinks its hilarious! Byron actually had her pinned on the bed last night and gave her kisses and she rolled her face to the side and was rubbing her face on the bed! This might be a little much but I just have to share it. The other night Byron patted Jaycee on her bottom. She said that's where I pee pee and poo poo. Then, she paused for a second and said laughing I toot too! So funny!

Jaycee and Jackson are so precious together. We were in the pick-up today and I looked back and they were holding hands! Then Jaycee told Jackson tonight that he was her best friend!

Jackson goes 100 miles an hour! He is such a live wire! He HATES getting his diaper change! He is so strong and it takes about everything in me to get him to lay still. He has taken 3 steps. He pulls up and walks along any and everything! He has a temper! He gets really mad if Jaycee takes something from him. He will yell at her! He likes to bite me! He thinks its pretty funny now! It hurts though! He says Dada and Momma. Tonight Byron was holding Jackson's pacifier and he went for it. When he grabbed it he said "got it". So we thought it was a fluke and tried it again. Yes, that is what he said! He can wave bye! He will give kisses as well. That is definitely when he is in mood. If he isn't you will get a stiff arm to the face!

Both of them are doing really well! They are adjusting! Oh, Jaycee talked to her Nana today (Marilee). Jaycee was so excited and said I want to come to your house Nana! It was so precious! Jaycee misses her Nana and Papa lots! We all do!

Enjoy!

There is hope of a rental!

Yay! We are really excited that we might have a rental coming available in about a week. Its a lady who my grandparents and parents know very well. She actually owns the land that the main oil leases of my family's business is on. She has moved to an assisted living in Duncan. She has a niece who has said for the last few months that she wants her house out here in Loco. The niece continues to put it off. So the lady, Marilee, told her niece she had 1 week to decide or she could no longer have the house. So we hope that she won't take it and we can rent it. It will be great for now. Then we will be able to stay there as long as we need, so we can decide what our next step will be! Crazy I know that we still have at least 2 more moves in our lives! We hope that will be it for quite some time. I am sure there are lots of doubters out there! At times I am included in that! We will keep you posted on the rental! It would be so wonderful!