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.

Crunch Time

One week from today we will start up that moving truck and say goodbye to Colorado. I am, both figuratively and literally, not ready.

I haven't gotten much done in the way of packing this week. My back decided to seize up on me yesterday and render me almost completely immobile. Am hoping my chiropractor can get me in today and make me "right".

I spent yesterday in the salon getting "blonded" again. I think I might have overdone it as it is REALLY REALLY blonde. Maybe I just need to get used to it?

My mother-in-law left last Saturday. I think she was ready to go. Declan can be a handful and I'm not sure she knows how to handle all his energy. To say he is a spirited child would be an understatement. Nevertheless, we appreciated all her help. My mother is here now and I feel much more comfortable having her in charge of Declan. If he has one of his "days", I get less stressed about it.

Yesterday we got pre-qualified for a mortgage. This has lifted a huge weight off of our shoulders as well as presented a whole bunch of new things to worry about. I wasn't seeing much in the way of rentals. It's difficult to find a place that will accept two large dogs plus a cat that is in a nice neighborhood and a place we would actually want to call home. One place I found wanted $6600 up front just to move in. Knowing we can buy opens up a lot more options to us. Unfortunately, it means shacking up at my parents for a few months to scrape together a downpayment and get a few more things in order. Oh well, at least we won't be homeless. Thomas will be gone for most of the month of June anyway so it won't be so bad.

Eva is not sleeping through the night still. She has been up once to twice a night for the past week and I am seriously sleep deprived. In addition to that I have been eating like crap, drinking too much wine (because what else is there to do after a long day of packing and cleaning?) and not exercising. I can't wait to be settled again and get back on the wagon.

So, that's what's up with me.

TGIF

Tonight marks the last evening we are together, alone, as a family. Tomorrow morning my mother-in-law comes to town and my mother flies in the day she leaves, which is a week from tomorrow. Then.....we leave for MN and move in with my mom, dad, sister and their 3 cats and dog. It's going to be a full house.

Right now our mortgage broker is working on finding a lender that is willing to lend money to someone who already has a mortgage. It's not looking good. So far we've been offered approximately enough money to qualify for a studio apartment in the 'hood. Looks like we might need a year of rental income before we can actually count that as "income". Is that the worst thing in the world? No. But it really sucks. There are so many good deals out there right now and such low interest rates that we hate to wait too long.

I will repeat my "Moving to MN Mantra".......this will work itself out.

Anywhoooo......

This week is filled with "To Do's". We have a list of projects that need to get done around the house. Projects that we have been putting off because we just never planned on leaving so soon. It actually just so happens that we planned on being here a few more years. The deck needs to be stained, as does the fence. Walls need to be repainted, baseboards fixed, tiles need to be replaced on the roof, etc, etc. I also need to get serious about packing. You don't realize how much crap you've accumulated until you have to put it all in a moving truck. Which, by the way, has been rented. Yay!

Today I spent the afternoon shopping. I have no summer clothes as it's been over 2 years since I've really shopped. Last year I was pregnant, and the year before that I was still fitting into my fat clothes. How come it's so difficult to find things when you need them and so easy when you don't (and have no money?)??? Thank god for cheap Old Navy bermudas and tanks. My summer staple.