Pictures

Eva loves having her picture taken!
Eva's first 2 teeth!
Eva and her namesake, Great Grandma Eva!
This is Declan's very angry face. Grrrr!
My fearless climber at Chutes & Ladders.

The New Joint

Has it really been nearly a month since I last blogged? Lately life just seems to be speeding by and I haven't had much time to make a record of all the changes that have been happening. Between house hunting and Thomas's new job it's been a very busy month. So much is happening I really need to take the time to record all of it. I just saw a website (and of course have already forgotten) where they will take your online blog and turn it into a book. How cool is that? I would love to share this with my kids someday, especially since I don't do baby books. I will have to figure out what the name of the site is!

So, we've bought ourselves a house. Of course, that isn't news at all. We have been going back and forth with the seller since mid-May and trying to come to an agreement which has been the biggest PITA ever. FINALLY, we came to a place that made everyone somewhat happy. Or, so we thought. This last week has been another nightmare of the seller trying to break the contracted agreement. We called him on his bluff, threatened to walk and now he's doing what he originally promised which is have the entire electrical system brought up to code. I meet with the electrician on Friday to go over the bid. If everything goes as scheduled we should close on July 5th. Of course, it will be a couple weeks before we can actually move in as we've got more work to do. All of the trim, doors and windows need to be repainted and we may have the walls and ceilings retextured as the current owner did an absolutely awful job of it. And of course the yard has been neglected for at least a year. We really are crazy for taking on this kind of home in this market. Thomas can't wait to have a weekend project (or two, or three or four or....) And yes, we fully intend to move the washer/dryer out of the living room. Someday...when we strike it rich.

I am looking forward to making it ours and getting unpacked. Right now, life just feels a bit like we are in limbo. But all in all, I am enjoying being back in MN. With the exception of the weather. Will it ever stop raining?

Anyhow, here are some pics. I welcome any and all decorating advice!

Eva turned 10 months this Sunday. I can't believe how fast she is growing. I just want to freeze time and keep her this age forever! However I wouldn't mind at all if she would start sleeping through the night and going to bed at a decent hour. That would be nice.

She is at that age now where everyday she shows us something new. She loves to clap on cue for us. we say "Clap! Clap! Clap!" and she turns on her biggest grin and claps her hands. I need to get the Flip out and start recording it! She's also starting to walk! Declan walked at 9 1/2 months so I guess #2 will be an early walker too. I don't know if I'm ready for that. Can't she stay a baby a little while longer?

Declan is the typical 3 year old boy. Too much energy and sass for his own good. We are really struggling with the toilet training, but I have confidence we'll get there eventually. I mean, it's not like he's going to go to high school with diapers on right? We've been spending almost every afternoon in the pool and he is getting very confident in the water. Grandpa brought home a pair of ice skates for him and he gets to wear them in the house when Eva goes down for a nap. He's also been making lots of new friends here in MN, but still talks about his friend Gabriel from the old hood. I know he misses him so much!

So, off to bed. I've got my fingers crossed that Eva has the same plans.

Home Sweet Home

Does it get any better than wine at sunset? And here's a Loon. It's the MN state bird!
Mommy, go faster!
Faster!



I could spend every day drinking Summit and riding on a pontoon.
Moving wears a girl out.
Declan and his BFF, Gabe, playing in the moving truck.


So we've been in MN for a couple weeks now. Time has flown by as we have been super busy getting settled into our new lives. Leaving Colorado was emotional and it was tough to say good bye to friends, close up the house that was our home and drive away in the big Penske.

The drive itself was, for the most part, uneventful. Both kids managed to keep it together (mostly) and no one lost their noodle (well, except for that one time). With the help, of course, of lots of movies and junk food.

No sooner had we arrived and got all the boxes unpacked and we were on the hunt for our new home. After looking at several, several homes we decided on one right here in Bloomington. We had initially thought we'd wait until fall to buy but we found a great deal that just couldn't be passed up. The inspection is scheduled for tomorrow so fingers crossed that everything goes well. The home is a "flip" and has been completely renovated so we don't have to do any updating. Although I've got some plans of my own that I hope to do "someday". That "day" far off into the future when we find the pot of gold. We'll have a few small projects to take care of once we move in (fingers crossed) as the investor has run out of money and won't finish the job but it's nothing a little hard work can't take care of. At least I won't have to live with a kitchen from the 80s like I thought I was going to have too.

But, (there's always a but) one big change that needs to be made straight away is moving the laundry room as it currently sits in a corner of the living room. Yes, you read that right. This is why women should run home renovations and not men. In hopes of creating space in the basement so he could sell the house as a 4 BR he moved the washer/dryer upstairs. I don't know if he was trying to have future owners avoid that treacherous climb down a flight of stairs with laundry or what but the whole idea was just.......moronic. So, that will be the first thing we do on move in day. And I've got to convince my husband that a stackable unit just won't do.

In the meantime, I've got to figure out where we are gonna come up with the money to furnish the house that is twice the size of our last (seriously, we have one couch) and where the money is going to come from to buy the area rugs needed to cover hardwood floors.

And as it turns out, hunting for a house really sucks. Trying to find a home that meets all of your needs and most of your wants, all while weighing the pros and cons of a newer house and long commute with an older home and a short drive, and trying to find middle ground with a husband who wants nothing less than 10 acres and a pole shed is challenging to say the least. This house worked for both of us and met all of our major wants. Location, layout and lot. And we got it at a really great price so everyone is happy. Now lets just hope the inspection turns nothing up and we have our own home again!

Am including some pics over the past couple of weeks. We spent last weekend at the family cabin in Brainerd for the fishing opener. For you non-Minnesotans, it's a really big deal here. Kind of like opening weekend at Loveland or A-Basin. Except we've got fishing poles in the ski rack instead of skis. Is my husband crafty or what?

Nothing beats a weekend on a lake in Minnesota. Except for maybe a spring day on Vail mountain of course.