Home Sweet Home

Well, after a 6 month process of putting an offer on a townhome, getting outbid on the offer, outbidding that offer, waiting for the bank to approve the offer, and then waiting for the bank and escrow company to close the deal, we are FINALLY homeowners. It has been a long wait and has really tested our patience, but we are very excited to finally be working on our own home and getting ready to move in soon. The picture above is what our current place that we are renting looks like on the outside, but that is pretty much what the new place looks like as well. It was dark so I couldn't take exterior pics this evening.

So, the details on our new place are that it is in the same townhome complex that we currently live in, so we get to continue to use our wonderful facilities including pool, tennis courts, basketball courts, fitness center, indoor racquetball court, etc, etc. It is a 1300 sq foot one-level townhome with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a 2 car garage.

This is a picture of the entry way, living room, and off to the right is the 3rd bedroom/den.Here is the dining room/kitchen and sliding doors that go out to our patio.


More living room/dining room.This is a picture of Mariah's/Guest bathroom.

Master Bedroom pics.
Master bathroom.

Mariah has a bedroom too, but it was too difficult to take a picture of it. I will take pics once her furniture is in there and post those.

Also, wanted to post this pic of Mariah hanging out on the couch at our old house watching Mickey Mouse club and eating a snack. She looks so grown up in this pic, I can't hardly believe it.

Milestones

So, I just wanted to update everyone that Mariah is finally walking!!! Matt and I were getting a little concerned as we expect her to be above average :) She started taking a couple of steps on Tuesday when I picked her up from our neighbor's after work and now she is taking 10 steps or so back and forth between us. Now when people say, "Is she walking yet?" as that seems to be the common question lately, we can finally say that she is.

She is so cute when she does it too as she is all smiles. It is very exciting, but a little sad at the same time. I see all these little babies out and about and I realize that she was like that just a short time ago, but now she is in the toddler stage. Everyone says time flies when you have a child, but you don't realize it until you watch your 5 pound little baby who is so dependent on you change into a little girl overnight. Tear :(

We will post some video soon, so that you can all enjoy her walking as well.

We are still waiting on closing on the house and keys, which is getting kind of annoying, but I guess we are learning patience through this whole ordeal.

Changes

So, we are hoping to close on our condo/townhome on Tuesday. This has been quite the process for us since we have had an offer on the place since July. It was a "short sale," which is apparently defined as a really long sale. We are very excited, but the thought of all the work that will be coming up in the next few weeks with painting, moving, working full time, and taking care of a 14 month old just makes me exhausted thinking about it. We are buying a place in the same complex that we live in right now, so the move is essentially down the street, but it is still a lot of work. We will post pictures as soon as we get our keys :)

Also, we felt another earthquake tonight. It was centered about an hour and a half from here, but we could feel it nonetheless. The California sunshine and beaches really entice you to move here, but when you feel the ground shake beneath your feet, it kind of makes you want to move back to blizzard-country :) However, Matt thinks earthquakes are exciting. Nala and I disagree, but I am not sure what Mariah thinks about them as she really doesn't seem to notice. This is the 4th earthquake that I have felt since moving to San Diego in June of 2007. When we lived in L.A. for 2 years, I didn't feel a single earthquake. All in all, earthquakes are not my favorite thing and instantly raise my blood pressure.

Many Reasons to Give Thanks

Our family has so many reasons to be thankful. We have a wonderful family, live in a gorgeous city, and have friends and family who care about us. Kelli and I love the Holidays for many reasons, but being able to reflect on the many positives in our lives at any given time has to top the list. We recently found out that our bid for a townhouse we've been looking at for over 5 months was finally accepted. If all goes according to plan, we should close just after the first of the year! It's going to be a crazy holiday season, but we're very thankful for the many blessings bestowed upon us and are excited for the next adventure.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, we were fortunate enough to have my Uncle's family visit for 2 days. Even though it took them twice as long to get here (LA traffic, always unpredictable) we enjoyed their company immensely and had a great time eating lots of food, playing games, going bowling, and catching up on things. Their visit just made us even more excited to see our family in ND in just a few weeks! Until then, take care-

The Rest of the Pictures...

If you want to check out the rest of our family pictures and Mariah's pictures, you can go to www.amandaprince.com, then click on the main site, then client lounge, and Mariah is the password. Amanda did an amazing job!!! We are meeting with her tomorrow to order and we have no idea how to choose.

Hope you enjoy!!!

Obsessions

I've been dealing with Kelli and Mariah's obsessions lately.

Kelli checks her email every 5 minutes to see if our pictures are ready yet, and has been doing this since last week Tuesday. Hopefully they'll be done soon because I already have to buy a new mouse as she's worn out our current one. (The truth is Mariah dropped it, but saying Kelli wore it out sounds better)

Mariah, on the other hand, is obsessed with making bath time as difficult as possible for me. The past 3 times I've given her a bath, she's dirtied the water. The other night, she went 4 times in one night. That's 4 times I had to fill the tub, drain and disinfect the tub and toys, and start the process over again. Luckily Kelli has been able to help out, but this process is getting old really fast. I think she has something against the way I give baths. It's funny what unconditional love makes you do...over and over again. Take care -

Small Shaker

Kelli and I awoke last night to what sounded like a train in the near distance and then a small rolling earthquake. It was nothing big, but still not something we're used to.

On Friday and Saturday, we were able to welcome the SigEp Regional Director into our home. I helped him and some other local volunteers with a membership review at a San Diego chapter. His visit brought back many memories of my time on the road, the challenges I faced, and the experience I gained during that year. I wish him the best of luck during the rest of his adventure and can't wait to share even more "stories from the road" in the future.

On a sad note, our thoughts and prayers are with those in LA who have lost their homes or had to be evacuated. The fires in SoCal are the most ominous natural disaster I have ever witnessed. The power of mother nature and the feeling of helplessness are overwhelming. There must be a reason for it all, but it's really hard to find a positive to attach to fires that burn and melt everything in sight. I think it's the uncertainty of the direction and pace of the fires that is so disturbing.

Take care -