At the risk of sounding UN-patriotic, I have to say I am glad the Olympics is over. It was 17 days of staying up until 11:30p.m.-1:00a.m. and I just can't handle that anymore! Don't get me wrong, I love the Olympics. It is so wonderful to see all those athletes come together in one place to compete, and to see so many amazing feats performed. And I do love to hear the sentimental stories about so many of the participants. I equally love my sleep/rest, and I am so happy not to have to obsess about who's performing and what I might miss if I go to bed! :) Now, we can record our 'regular' shows and watch them at our leisure, because there will be no fear of hearing or seeing what happened on T.V. or radio the next day. Yeah!
Right now, we are in the middle of 'school'. We all just finished lunch, and Logan is heading back to complete his Math and Health assignments. Then we'll be able to finish with our Science and History readings. Later, we will head to the library to pick up our story time book. We're learning about Christopher Columbus in History, and the book Pedro's Journal is our assigned story time reading. It is apparently a journal written by someone who traveled/explored with Columbus. Anyway, it will be fun to read and will increase our knowledge of what the explorer actually endured. In Science we're learning about the ocean and beach and it's animals. I so wish we were near the ocean right now so we could actually go there as a field trip to explore some of the things we're reading about. The good thing is we've all been before, so we are personally familiar with crabs, shells, the feel of the sand (I miss that tight sunburned/sea-salt feeling you get at the beach!), the sound of the waves, and of course the breath-taking sight of the vast ocean waters. As far as locations go, that's probably the thing I have missed the most since we've moved...going to the beach on a Saturday morning with a picnic basket/cooler in hand. I can't wait to get back there to visit again!
Today is a beautiful day...it's cool and breezy, but sunny. I can see our neighbor cutting his grass and hear the sound of the mower. Something I identify with summer, and have always loved, is the scent of freshly mowed grass and how nice the yards look just afterwards. Not to mention (oh, I already mentioned it!) the beach and wonderful smells there. Even though it's still officially summer, I can tell fall is on the way. A very few of the leaves have begun to change. This won't begin in earnest for several more weeks, but it's still nice to see. Our summer has been too short, but we will enjoy our fall and winter. We'll be going apple-picking, out to the Grape Festival in Naples, to Chase Farms for sweet corn and raspberry (or peach)shortcake and whatever other good produce they have, as well as to feed the goats. We look forward to Halloween and the fun of trick-or-treating. And of course we move into our house at the end of October. So it seems we'll have plenty to do in the next weeks. Co-op also starts, so we'll be learning new things there. I am still very tired, but I'm sure my energy will return since I'll be getting enough sleep now (no Olympics) and I'll be into the 2ND trimester in a couple of weeks anyway.
We finally found out that our house is fine. The renters said the water came to about the middle of our back yard, so no flooding there. The road apparently only had about 3 inches covering it, but he did say the ditches are full. I imagine they will be for a while. I'm just glad that our home and their 'stuff' in the house got through the storm with no damage. There are many that were not so fortunate.
Well, I don't have much else to write about at the moment. I'll be on again later in the week, I'm sure. Take care!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Dr's Appointment
I had my first Dr's appointment on Thursday. She said everything looks good, and I'm definitely pregnant. The 'official' due date is March 23, 2009. However, those of you who know me are aware that I have yet to reach any of my due dates! I expect this baby to be born near the beginning of March myself. My due date with Corbin was July 4, but I always maintained that he would be born mid-June...his birthday is June 17. So, we'll see if I'm right again with this one.
I have already gained a few pounds..uuugghh!..I tried so hard to lose weight this spring! Oh well, that's the nature of pregnancy. :) My clothes no longer fit. Karl gave me some money to go buy some 'in-between' clothes to wear until I can fit into maternity clothes. I have a feeling it won't be long. These 'in-between' clothes are more snug already! I think in a few more weeks it will be maternity all the way. It's been earlier with each pregnancy...my body just remembers, I guess.
We're getting very excited about the purchase of our new house. We can hardly wait until the closing...it seems so far away! I'm hoping the weeks will pass quickly and it will be here before we know it. I can't wait to have all the space in the kitchen. I love to cook and bake, and growing up our kitchen was always a gathering place to cook, eat, and talk. Our (Karl and I) kitchens have always been so small that we've told the kids to go out because there wasn't enough room. We have let them help some, but now there will be more than enough room for ALL of them to be in there if they want to. I'm especially happy with the island in the middle of the kitchen. It seems like the perfect spot for kneading bread dough...yes, I've begun making my own bread...rolling out cookies and pie shells, pizza crusts, etc. I've managed to do this in our previous kitchens, but I believe it will be so much better and I'll have plenty of 'elbow room'. We are also thrilled with the prospect of a finished basement. I overheard Hailey telling a friend recently (we were visiting their home and they have a finished basement) that we don't have a finished basement and it's all spiderweb-by. I had to laugh...it is, and no one really likes to spend much time down there! We go down to do laundry and that's it. Now, we will have our school books in the basement, as well as most toys. We''ll head down there each day during school time. We may even put some furniture down there if we decide to buy new. What we have is about 9.5 years old. It could last us a while, and might, but we may also just move it downstairs and get something new for the upstairs. We still have to decide on that. We may eventually have a T.V. down there and our video game equipment, but right now we only have one T.V. so that will be upstairs in the family room. We are talking about having the cats stay in the basement, as well. We will be down there every day for a lengthy amount of time, so they should still get lots of attention. That way, any cat hair (Simone sheds terribly) will only be down there and easier to vacuum up, and the cat box can be down there and out of sight/smell! There's a separate room where we could place the litter box and their food. We're so happy we were blessed with this opportunity..and it seems like such a great fit.
Karl took Logan and Hailey out bike riding on the canal path today...around 11:30 I think. I took Corbin with me to the grocery store and to pick up a b'day gift for a party they have to attend tomorrow. We came back, ate lunch, and they are still not back. He was planning to stop and have lunch with them in Fairport, then head home. Karl just called and they are now in Bushnell's Basin, which is about 5 miles away by car. They're just now heading home, and it's 3:04. I think I know some kids who will sleep hard tonight! But I know they have had a great time with their dad, and that's definitely worth it.:)
We have not heard anything about our Florida home...we're praying that means there was no damage from Fay. We plan to call the renters this weekend just to check on the house. If any of you can give me any information about how the Ripley Terrace area is doing in NE Palm Bay, that would be great. Just send a quick email. Thanks!
Well, I don't have any more news. I really am gonna try to post more often...I should be getting a bit more energy back soon. Maybe once the Olympics are over, I'll only be tired from being pregnant and not from that combined with too many late nights! Ya'll have a great weekend. :)
I have already gained a few pounds..uuugghh!..I tried so hard to lose weight this spring! Oh well, that's the nature of pregnancy. :) My clothes no longer fit. Karl gave me some money to go buy some 'in-between' clothes to wear until I can fit into maternity clothes. I have a feeling it won't be long. These 'in-between' clothes are more snug already! I think in a few more weeks it will be maternity all the way. It's been earlier with each pregnancy...my body just remembers, I guess.
We're getting very excited about the purchase of our new house. We can hardly wait until the closing...it seems so far away! I'm hoping the weeks will pass quickly and it will be here before we know it. I can't wait to have all the space in the kitchen. I love to cook and bake, and growing up our kitchen was always a gathering place to cook, eat, and talk. Our (Karl and I) kitchens have always been so small that we've told the kids to go out because there wasn't enough room. We have let them help some, but now there will be more than enough room for ALL of them to be in there if they want to. I'm especially happy with the island in the middle of the kitchen. It seems like the perfect spot for kneading bread dough...yes, I've begun making my own bread...rolling out cookies and pie shells, pizza crusts, etc. I've managed to do this in our previous kitchens, but I believe it will be so much better and I'll have plenty of 'elbow room'. We are also thrilled with the prospect of a finished basement. I overheard Hailey telling a friend recently (we were visiting their home and they have a finished basement) that we don't have a finished basement and it's all spiderweb-by. I had to laugh...it is, and no one really likes to spend much time down there! We go down to do laundry and that's it. Now, we will have our school books in the basement, as well as most toys. We''ll head down there each day during school time. We may even put some furniture down there if we decide to buy new. What we have is about 9.5 years old. It could last us a while, and might, but we may also just move it downstairs and get something new for the upstairs. We still have to decide on that. We may eventually have a T.V. down there and our video game equipment, but right now we only have one T.V. so that will be upstairs in the family room. We are talking about having the cats stay in the basement, as well. We will be down there every day for a lengthy amount of time, so they should still get lots of attention. That way, any cat hair (Simone sheds terribly) will only be down there and easier to vacuum up, and the cat box can be down there and out of sight/smell! There's a separate room where we could place the litter box and their food. We're so happy we were blessed with this opportunity..and it seems like such a great fit.
Karl took Logan and Hailey out bike riding on the canal path today...around 11:30 I think. I took Corbin with me to the grocery store and to pick up a b'day gift for a party they have to attend tomorrow. We came back, ate lunch, and they are still not back. He was planning to stop and have lunch with them in Fairport, then head home. Karl just called and they are now in Bushnell's Basin, which is about 5 miles away by car. They're just now heading home, and it's 3:04. I think I know some kids who will sleep hard tonight! But I know they have had a great time with their dad, and that's definitely worth it.:)
We have not heard anything about our Florida home...we're praying that means there was no damage from Fay. We plan to call the renters this weekend just to check on the house. If any of you can give me any information about how the Ripley Terrace area is doing in NE Palm Bay, that would be great. Just send a quick email. Thanks!
Well, I don't have any more news. I really am gonna try to post more often...I should be getting a bit more energy back soon. Maybe once the Olympics are over, I'll only be tired from being pregnant and not from that combined with too many late nights! Ya'll have a great weekend. :)
Monday, August 18, 2008
Our New Home
Well, we are so fickle aren't we?! Our realtor called us Friday to say he had listed another home that he really thought we would like. I have to say I wasn't all that excited, because we've just had so many issues with finding a house here. However, when I looked at the photos on the site it looked very nice, so I told Karl we should go take a look. I did not expect it to fit our needs, simply because none of the others have.
We went to see the house yesterday, and it is absolutely beautiful! So we made an offer, and it was accepted by 6 p.m. Yeah! The closing is scheduled for October 29, 2008. It has a nice back yard, kind of hilly, so we think the kids will be able to sled. There's a finished walkout basement,
it has 4 bedrooms, and they're big enough. The kids rooms could stand to be a bit bigger, but they'll work fine. Logan and Corbin will share a room, and Hailey will still have a room to herself. The baby will be in a room near us. The good thing is that the basement has lots of cabinets and plenty of room for toys and school books, so the kids bedrooms shouldn't have to be too crowded. Plus, that means all the Legos, marbles, and tiny things a baby could choke on will stay downstairs...at least that's the goal! The kitchen is very large, so that's a definite bonus. 
We're very excited to have found this place; I think it will suit us perfectly.
We went to see the house yesterday, and it is absolutely beautiful! So we made an offer, and it was accepted by 6 p.m. Yeah! The closing is scheduled for October 29, 2008. It has a nice back yard, kind of hilly, so we think the kids will be able to sled. There's a finished walkout basement,
it has 4 bedrooms, and they're big enough. The kids rooms could stand to be a bit bigger, but they'll work fine. Logan and Corbin will share a room, and Hailey will still have a room to herself. The baby will be in a room near us. The good thing is that the basement has lots of cabinets and plenty of room for toys and school books, so the kids bedrooms shouldn't have to be too crowded. Plus, that means all the Legos, marbles, and tiny things a baby could choke on will stay downstairs...at least that's the goal! The kitchen is very large, so that's a definite bonus. We're very excited to have found this place; I think it will suit us perfectly.Monday, August 11, 2008
Exhaustion
I haven't been writing as much lately...I've been so very tired. I often lie around on the couch napping while the kids play nearby. They've been pretty good to let me rest. :) Karl's been great too about letting me take naps when I can't stay awake in the middle of the day. I guess that's the stage I'm in now; I'm looking forward to the next trimester when I'm supposed to get my energy back.
The weather here has been nice and cool lately. We've had a good bit of rain, and it hasn't been too hot. Karl and I actually wore sweatshirts with our shorts on Friday when we went out shopping. It was in the low 60's and, with the wind, kind of cold. We finally got Logan a new bike, and went ahead and got Corbin one too. We were going to let him have Hailey's old one and just add training wheels, but the one at Wal-mart fit him so well we decided to buy it. Karl also adjusted the seat on Hailey's bike and now she uses her 'girl' one again instead of Logan's old one. I think she's glad to have her pink bike with basket back in her possession! And Corbin's happy to have a 'cool' red bike to match Logan's. They've spent lots of time outside since Friday riding up and down the sidewalk.
Corbin has continued in his swim lessons (he has one this evening) and is doing very well. I'm hoping at the end of the session he'll finally be ready to move up to the next level, but we'll see. We may end up having Logan and Hailey take lessons again just so they have something ongoing that they do for regular exercise....we still have to decide that, too.
It's been a struggle for me to get to the gym and workout; I've been so tired and haven't wanted to do anything. I've been about twice a week, which isn't enough, but at least it's something. I'll work out today since I'll be there anyway for Corbin's swim lesson. Karl has been going about twice a week too. It's been hard for him to get there with his longer summer hours. He has been diligent with his physical therapy exercises at home though, and I think he's improving in being able to move his shoulder more freely. It does still hurt him some, and he's still unable to do some things. That is completely normal, and it will be that way for a while.
Well, that's really all I have for now. I'll try to post more frequently, but they may be fewer for a while until I am feeling better...I'm not really feeling sick (maybe nauseous), just a lack of energy. :) Prayers are always coveted for renewed strength for all of us. Have a great week, everyone.
The weather here has been nice and cool lately. We've had a good bit of rain, and it hasn't been too hot. Karl and I actually wore sweatshirts with our shorts on Friday when we went out shopping. It was in the low 60's and, with the wind, kind of cold. We finally got Logan a new bike, and went ahead and got Corbin one too. We were going to let him have Hailey's old one and just add training wheels, but the one at Wal-mart fit him so well we decided to buy it. Karl also adjusted the seat on Hailey's bike and now she uses her 'girl' one again instead of Logan's old one. I think she's glad to have her pink bike with basket back in her possession! And Corbin's happy to have a 'cool' red bike to match Logan's. They've spent lots of time outside since Friday riding up and down the sidewalk.
Corbin has continued in his swim lessons (he has one this evening) and is doing very well. I'm hoping at the end of the session he'll finally be ready to move up to the next level, but we'll see. We may end up having Logan and Hailey take lessons again just so they have something ongoing that they do for regular exercise....we still have to decide that, too.
It's been a struggle for me to get to the gym and workout; I've been so tired and haven't wanted to do anything. I've been about twice a week, which isn't enough, but at least it's something. I'll work out today since I'll be there anyway for Corbin's swim lesson. Karl has been going about twice a week too. It's been hard for him to get there with his longer summer hours. He has been diligent with his physical therapy exercises at home though, and I think he's improving in being able to move his shoulder more freely. It does still hurt him some, and he's still unable to do some things. That is completely normal, and it will be that way for a while.
Well, that's really all I have for now. I'll try to post more frequently, but they may be fewer for a while until I am feeling better...I'm not really feeling sick (maybe nauseous), just a lack of energy. :) Prayers are always coveted for renewed strength for all of us. Have a great week, everyone.
Monday, August 4, 2008
This-n-that...
Saturday, we all went out to lunch at a new restaurant. Well, it's not new, but only Karl had been there. It's called P.F. Chang's, and it's a great Chinese restaurant. Instead of the usual buffet-style, you can order as many dishes as you like (or can afford) and they bring it to the table family-style; then you just get what you want from each dish. We had white and brown rice, Lo Mien, Pepper Steak, and Chang's Spicy Chicken, as well as some Spring Rolls. It was all very tasty, and there were no leftovers! The kids really enjoyed it too, which was nice.
Sunday, we went to look at several open houses. We found a house that we like, but again has the problem of our bedroom furniture being to large to fit in the master bedroom! We can't seem to find a home that we both love, that fits all of our criteria. We may have come to the conclusion that it would be best to wait a while before buying. With Karl's new job, him starting school, our having to start paying for housing ourselves, and expecting a new baby (and all the purchases that will entail) we may end up staying in our rental until 'after the thaw'. Then the baby will be here and I'll be able to help unpack and organize more. Karl will also have gotten into a pattern at work and with his courses, so it should be easier to think about purchasing a home. Unless some wonderful opportunity comes along, I think this is what we're planning to do.
Well, not much time for blogging right now. I'm heating up lunch and it's time to check on it. I hope you all have a super week!
Sunday, we went to look at several open houses. We found a house that we like, but again has the problem of our bedroom furniture being to large to fit in the master bedroom! We can't seem to find a home that we both love, that fits all of our criteria. We may have come to the conclusion that it would be best to wait a while before buying. With Karl's new job, him starting school, our having to start paying for housing ourselves, and expecting a new baby (and all the purchases that will entail) we may end up staying in our rental until 'after the thaw'. Then the baby will be here and I'll be able to help unpack and organize more. Karl will also have gotten into a pattern at work and with his courses, so it should be easier to think about purchasing a home. Unless some wonderful opportunity comes along, I think this is what we're planning to do.
Well, not much time for blogging right now. I'm heating up lunch and it's time to check on it. I hope you all have a super week!
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