Interest rates have gone higher in the last 3 weeks than they've gone in about 18 months. So we're kind of up in the air about what to do now. We're weighing our options. We really want to move, but our current interest rate is 5.325%, which is very good. The rates when we first talked to our lender about moving were about 5.8%, not that much higher than we currently have. Well, today, they jumped to about 6.625%, almost a full percentage point in less than 3 weeks!
By the time we have the house cleaned up, painted, etc, they may be over 7%. I realize that 7% isn't that bad when you compare over the last 20 years (in the 80s and 90s rates were double digits, and even when we bought this house, we had a rate of 6.75%...we refinanced to 5.325 about 2 yrs later.) but we're not sure we want to go up 2 or more %age points when we have such a nice low one now. I guess we'll just have to decide what's more important. Hopefully things will stabilize and by August or September they will start going down.
We're still fixing up the house. We worked on cleaning and getting rid of stuff all weekend. Matt cleaned out half of the unfinished part of the basement and I went through boxes of stuff and put a lot on craigslist to sell. The basement looks so nice and clean. This weekend, we're going to finish cleaning the other side. Matt took off the first week in July to start painting and installing flooring in the foyer and hall bath. We'll probably hold off on installing new carpet in the living room/hallway/steps until we decide if we want to sell or stay here. What kind of carpet we put in will depend on if we are staying here or not.
So at least we are still moving forward with the plan of moving, but if we get stuck here b/c of interest rates at least we'll be happy with the outcome of the house. It will be nice to have it looking the way we want it to.
So that's the latest....
6/14/2007
6/11/2007
Vacation Bible School
Today was Ally's first day at Vacation Bible School at Messiah. She had a GREAT time! She was scared at first and asked me not to leave, but she didn't cry. She just had a very quiet, sad voice when she was saying, "but mommy, i don't want you to leave." I felt bad for her, but I really wanted her to stay and enjoy herself without me hovering. She really needs that, especially with starting preschool this fall. It was the first time i've left her anywhere w/o me, Matt, or her grandparents. She kept telling me she wanted to sit on my lap, so I told her that maybe Miss Lauren would let her sit next to her. I think that made her feel better because once I sat her down next to Miss Lauren, she seemed a little bit better. I gave her a kiss and told her I'd be back to pick her up. And if she needed me, she could ask them to call me.
Today was also the first time that Tommy and I have spent a significant amount of time together w/o Ally around. We've spent a half hour or so together when Matt has taken Ally w/ him to the hardware store or whatever, but this was 3 hours of free time for me and Tom. It was kind of nice. It was nice to see what kinds of things he would think to play with without the influence of his sister.
After we left VBS, Tommy and I went to meet a lady who was buying some stuff I had on craigslist. After that, we went to McDonald's and got a Cinnamon Melt. We came home and ate that together. And he said, "jus mommy an e?" So I told him that we are having a mommy & me day! He was happy, but he did ask about Ally several times. I don't know if he knew what to do w/ himself. lol After our treat, we went downstairs to play. We played downstairs for about a half hour and then I decided I had to run to Target for something, so we ran up there for a while. Then it was time to pick Ally up. When we got there, she was up singing and doing the little dance! I could tell she was having fun! And i could see a little craft that she made. When it was over, she seemed very excited to tell me that they made a spyglass and had snack outside. She wasn't able to tell me much about what she learned that was church-related, but i'm sure she was overwhelmed and didn't really get the message they were trying to send just yet. lol I'm going to talk to her about it later on tonight and see what she thought she was there for and see if she picked up on anything.
Today was also the first time that Tommy and I have spent a significant amount of time together w/o Ally around. We've spent a half hour or so together when Matt has taken Ally w/ him to the hardware store or whatever, but this was 3 hours of free time for me and Tom. It was kind of nice. It was nice to see what kinds of things he would think to play with without the influence of his sister.
After we left VBS, Tommy and I went to meet a lady who was buying some stuff I had on craigslist. After that, we went to McDonald's and got a Cinnamon Melt. We came home and ate that together. And he said, "jus mommy an e?" So I told him that we are having a mommy & me day! He was happy, but he did ask about Ally several times. I don't know if he knew what to do w/ himself. lol After our treat, we went downstairs to play. We played downstairs for about a half hour and then I decided I had to run to Target for something, so we ran up there for a while. Then it was time to pick Ally up. When we got there, she was up singing and doing the little dance! I could tell she was having fun! And i could see a little craft that she made. When it was over, she seemed very excited to tell me that they made a spyglass and had snack outside. She wasn't able to tell me much about what she learned that was church-related, but i'm sure she was overwhelmed and didn't really get the message they were trying to send just yet. lol I'm going to talk to her about it later on tonight and see what she thought she was there for and see if she picked up on anything.
6/10/2007
Tuck - 9 weeks
We've had Tuck for 1 week already! And he's now 9 weeks old. He's such a good little puppy. He's very affectionate and loves to play. He does have sharp little teeth, though! He doesn't bi
te to be mean, just play-biting, but we're trying to break him of that habit. That...and chewing on shoes! lol Luckily he is listening pretty well so far. We got him a small chewy ball and a small chewy pork chop shaped toy to play with. Distraction from the shoes is pretty easy with these new toys.
te to be mean, just play-biting, but we're trying to break him of that habit. That...and chewing on shoes! lol Luckily he is listening pretty well so far. We got him a small chewy ball and a small chewy pork chop shaped toy to play with. Distraction from the shoes is pretty easy with these new toys.He does so well with house training. He's only gone in the house twice. Both times, he went on flooring that we will be replacing when we are ready to put our house up for sale (and we'll put in new carpet prior to showing) so that was great. Every time we take him outside, he goes within minutes of being put down. So he's doing great.
Another thing that amazes me is that he sleeps at night! He doesn't get up whining at all! Not once! I can't believe it! lol He's very content in his crate and doesn't make a peep!
I had him at the vet on Tuesday b/c in order to get the 1 yr guarantee from the breeder, we had to have him looked at w/in one week. He is doing great. No parasites or mites or anything that they look for when dogs are in close quarters (as they are with breeders or pet stores). He's very healthy. The vet did give him some medicine b/c his stool isn't 'normal' right now. He said it's probably from the transition from well water (where the breeder lives) and city water. And could also be nervousness and new environment as well. He is 2.2 pounds. A TINY little thing!! lol
We had him outside today while the kids were playing the pool, so I decided to take a couple pictures.
Fun in the Sun!
Today was a beautiful day. The kids and I played outside for a long time this morning while Matt went to a golf tournament with his dad. He had a great time and really enjoyed that. We, here at home, also enjoyed our day! The kids were having so much fun playing in the water table and swinging. We had lunch outside and just enjoyed the beautiful day!
The kids were sleeping when Matt got home from golfing. He decided to fill up their pool for them to play in after dinner. They were both so excited when they woke up and found out they would get to swim! Tommy asked over and over, "are we go-ing wim-ming?...am i go-ing wim-ming?... is eye-e (ally) go-ing wim-ming?" He was just so excited he couldn't think of anything else!
It was such a nice day out, we couldn't pass up such a nice opportunity to get outside! They had so much fun together and got along great!
The kids were sleeping when Matt got home from golfing. He decided to fill up their pool for them to play in after dinner. They were both so excited when they woke up and found out they would get to swim! Tommy asked over and over, "are we go-ing wim-ming?...am i go-ing wim-ming?... is eye-e (ally) go-ing wim-ming?" He was just so excited he couldn't think of anything else!
It was such a nice day out, we couldn't pass up such a nice opportunity to get outside! They had so much fun together and got along great!
Poor Tommy got cold and decided that it was
time to get out. Ally stayed in for about 30 more minutes. She just couldn't get enough!
6/07/2007
Doc visit
So today I went to a new doctor b/c i've been having difficulty swallowing. Not something a 29 year old usually has. It's strange, I have no problems swallowing at the back of my throat, but it's lower, like in the esophagus. The worst foods are dense foods like bagels and tortillas, but I have trouble w/ chicken, beef, etc. Anything that doesn't mush or crumble.
So anyway, the doctor is having me do an upper GI. This will show any minor problems. And it will also give the doctor a roadmap for when they do the Endoscopy, which I will be doing soon also. The Endoscopy is a little camera that they will put down my throat after sedating me. This will show if I have strictures (rings that form in the esophagus) or any other problems, lesions, etc. If I have strictures, they will have to dilate the esophagus, which is not a risk-free procedure, so i'm hoping that everything is fine. Maybe it will just be from reflux or some common/minor problem and they can give me medication for that. So we'll see what he says...
So anyway, the doctor is having me do an upper GI. This will show any minor problems. And it will also give the doctor a roadmap for when they do the Endoscopy, which I will be doing soon also. The Endoscopy is a little camera that they will put down my throat after sedating me. This will show if I have strictures (rings that form in the esophagus) or any other problems, lesions, etc. If I have strictures, they will have to dilate the esophagus, which is not a risk-free procedure, so i'm hoping that everything is fine. Maybe it will just be from reflux or some common/minor problem and they can give me medication for that. So we'll see what he says...
6/02/2007
New surprise from Matt!!
Today, Matt told me that there was a fair out in Moscow Mills and we should go see what they have there. Well, we jumped in the car and off we went. On the way out it was raining like crazy so I kept telling him that I don't think it's going to be stopping any time soon. Well, he just kept on driving. So he pulls into this driveway and i'm thinking maybe he got lost or needed to turn around. He pulls around the back of the house and I was like, "what are we don't here?... who's house is this?"
Turns out, he had a BIG surprise planned for us! Is was a puppy breeder's house! I have been wanting a puppy for a while now. We looked at all the different dogs he had and we all fell in love with a Cock-a-poo. He is 8 weeks old and SO cute! :) He is estimated to be 10 pounds full grown.
We've named him Tucker (the kids call him Tuck).
Turns out, he had a BIG surprise planned for us! Is was a puppy breeder's house! I have been wanting a puppy for a while now. We looked at all the different dogs he had and we all fell in love with a Cock-a-poo. He is 8 weeks old and SO cute! :) He is estimated to be 10 pounds full grown.
We've named him Tucker (the kids call him Tuck).
6/01/2007
First entry
This is my first entry. I have a myspace page, but I had a bunch of weirdos trying to access it. So I decided to start a blog instead.
Today is June 1, 2007. Things have been really crazy around here the last few weeks. We've decided to move, so we'll be putting our house up for sale in a month or two. We have quite a bit of work to do to it, so it will take some time to get that taken care of. We have to paint, install carpet in the living room, steps, and hallway. We'll have to re-do the hall bathroom. It needs paint, flooring, and new fixtures. Matt has to fix the chimney b/c it has a leak. It's not as big of a project as it sounds, so that shouldn't be a big deal. But he does have to fix a leaky seal around a pipe that comes in from outside into the basement. He'll have to dig down about 6 feet on the side of the house and replace that seal. That won't be easy. I think he is hoping his dad and uncle can help with that, though.
We'll start on all the above projects once we are done throwing away a ton of stuff. The unfinished part of our basement has so much junk in it. I don't know why we kept it all. We have a ton of baby stuff that we'll want to keep in case we ever have another child, but other than that, there's not much down there that we absolutely have to have. So we'll do a lot of that over the next few weeks.
We started some spring cleaning over Memorial Day weekend, so that helps a ton.
I'm going to have to start boxing up stuff that we don't need b/c it will help reduce the amount we'll have to do later, not to mention it will look much better without the clutter. I have a friend who is starting a new home-staging business. It's where they give you tips on how to make your house more marketable just by rearranging furniture or replacing a vase here or lamp there, etc. She's going to help me for free because she said she needs the experience, so that will be great! She knows I don't want to spend money buying accessories and stuff, so she's going to try and give me ideas with furniture and decor that I already have. The main part will be de-cluttering and de-personalizing the house. She said one of the best things you can do is take down family portraits because she said that you want buyers to invision themselves in the house, not us in the house. I thought that was a very smart tip. I may keep out one 5x7 pic of the kids on the tv or something b/c i would hate to take down all my pictures. But I see what she's saying, our fireplace mantle has like 7 pictures on it. I should probably remove all of them and just put a candle on each side. Something pretty, yet simple. Of course, i'm a long way from even doing any of that. Right now, we need to start by throwing away all the stuff we don't need. I've already put a bunch on craigslist and donated a bunch of clothes and misc. items. So i'm pretty motivated.
Today is June 1, 2007. Things have been really crazy around here the last few weeks. We've decided to move, so we'll be putting our house up for sale in a month or two. We have quite a bit of work to do to it, so it will take some time to get that taken care of. We have to paint, install carpet in the living room, steps, and hallway. We'll have to re-do the hall bathroom. It needs paint, flooring, and new fixtures. Matt has to fix the chimney b/c it has a leak. It's not as big of a project as it sounds, so that shouldn't be a big deal. But he does have to fix a leaky seal around a pipe that comes in from outside into the basement. He'll have to dig down about 6 feet on the side of the house and replace that seal. That won't be easy. I think he is hoping his dad and uncle can help with that, though.
We'll start on all the above projects once we are done throwing away a ton of stuff. The unfinished part of our basement has so much junk in it. I don't know why we kept it all. We have a ton of baby stuff that we'll want to keep in case we ever have another child, but other than that, there's not much down there that we absolutely have to have. So we'll do a lot of that over the next few weeks.
We started some spring cleaning over Memorial Day weekend, so that helps a ton.
I'm going to have to start boxing up stuff that we don't need b/c it will help reduce the amount we'll have to do later, not to mention it will look much better without the clutter. I have a friend who is starting a new home-staging business. It's where they give you tips on how to make your house more marketable just by rearranging furniture or replacing a vase here or lamp there, etc. She's going to help me for free because she said she needs the experience, so that will be great! She knows I don't want to spend money buying accessories and stuff, so she's going to try and give me ideas with furniture and decor that I already have. The main part will be de-cluttering and de-personalizing the house. She said one of the best things you can do is take down family portraits because she said that you want buyers to invision themselves in the house, not us in the house. I thought that was a very smart tip. I may keep out one 5x7 pic of the kids on the tv or something b/c i would hate to take down all my pictures. But I see what she's saying, our fireplace mantle has like 7 pictures on it. I should probably remove all of them and just put a candle on each side. Something pretty, yet simple. Of course, i'm a long way from even doing any of that. Right now, we need to start by throwing away all the stuff we don't need. I've already put a bunch on craigslist and donated a bunch of clothes and misc. items. So i'm pretty motivated.
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