Tuesday, March 30, 2010

GIVEAWAY TIME

yes folks, it's that time!!

My very first GIVEAWAY!!

Before I tell you what I am giving to one awesome reader, I am going to tell you what you have to do.

Since I am still new to blogging I want some feedback. I want some advice. I want some constructive criticism (please don't be mean, I just might cry). I feel like my blog is not where I want it to be. It's difficult because I am all over the place. I blog about kids, family, job, personal struggles, weight...etc, I think you get the picture.

So just leave a comment with some sort of advice, feedback or constructive criticism and you could be the one lucky winner of a $25 gift card to........................

ANYWHERE YOU FREAKIN WANT!!

And since I live in Ohio, make sure you pick a place that I could actually get a gift certificate to like: Target, Starbucks, Bath N Body, Old Navy, Gap, McDonald's, Red Robin, Olive Garden, Best Buy, Staples, Toys R Us, Gap, Auntie Ann's, Lens Crafters...I think you get the picture. Any where you want (as long as I can actually get it)

So comment away - contest ends Sunday April 11th!!!

(remember don't be too harsh)

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Time is FLYING

I cannot believe how quick things go. Emma is going to be 8 in a few weeks...the boys are 3 1/2 and 4 1/2....they will both be going to preschool next year and Emma will be in 3rd grade.

Just seems so crazy how fast time is going.

We have started moving into our new house and so far things are going good. We have some work to do, lots of wallpaper removal but we are up to the challenge.

We finally got done telling most everyone. Everyone else who we didn't personally tell is going to get an email next time they check with our new address. So I assume my phone will be ringing with a ton of questions. And we are ready. We probably won't get into to much detail but I am ready.

Matt and I really prayed long and hard about what to do and moving is the right choice for us. We had the option of staying and we had the money to make up all the back mortgage but moving was the right, responsible choice for us.

I know people are going to talk about us. About how we are immature and can't manage money but oh well. Let them talk. Everyone has problems and we ALL know that. I guess I am a little different. I don't hide my problems. Matt and I are very open about our life. That offends some friends and family, but oh well. I just have nothing to hide.

I spent years and years of my childhood hiding things and I found that it is best for me that I don't do that anymore. I need to talk, I need my closest friends and family to know what's going on and I don't care if that make them uncomfortable. I also would prefer that people talk to me if they want to know something. If you have questions or concerns, please talk to me, don't talk behind my back. I hate that with a passion. A few of my friends are really good about coming to me but there are 2 that LOVE to talk behind my back, but you know what....oh well.

That is my attitude - OH WELL. It happens. And I have to put on my big girl panties and deal with it.

Our losing our house has stirred up alot of talk and that's ok. It really is. Like I said, Matt and I have talked and prayed and we are ok with this decision. The decision did not come lightly or quickly. It took lots of uncomfortable conversations and lots of 3am phone calls.

We are good. Life is good. Sometimes you have to close the book rather then turn the page.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Giveaway Coming Soon!!

I will be having my very first giveaway very very soon!! Watch for it!


Until then, I leave you with this picture!

This lovely jewel was found in Chase's ear 3 weeks ago. I took the boys in to the regular doc because they were both really sick and when the doc checked Chase's ear he suggested we go to the ENT because he had a "foreign object" stuck way down in his ear.

So we made the appt. at the ENT. The ENT gets his fancy goggle things and looks in his ear and sure enough there was something in there. The ENT even let me see!! It took awhile to get it out and I was getting kinda nervous because at one point the ENT said that he wasn't sure if he could get it and we might have to book an OR. I instantly got a nervous tummy! The jewel was located right on top of his ear drum and the ENT said it was blocking 100% of his hearing.

My poor baby!! The ENT was able to get it out but not without MAJOR screaming from Chase. We had to take him back in one week for a hearing test. The ENT was concerned because it was sitting right on top of the ear drum.

On the way home from getting the jewel removed, I was casually talking to Chase and he goes "Mommy, I can hear you now" - It made my heart break. I wish I had known that he shoved something in his ear. I could of helped him.

Later that night he said the same thing to Daddy, "Daddy, I can hear you now" It was awesome.

We took him for his hearing test last Tuesday and thankfully everything came out good. ENT dude said he has the normal allergy/sinus hearing loss but nothing significant. YEAH!!

So stayed tuned for the GIVEAWAY coming soon!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Untitled

So we signed a lease on a new house!!



the house is amazing. It's so much bigger then our current house! It has a family room, living room, sun room, dining room, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a very nice unfinished basement. The front yard and back yard are a nice size. It's in a kick ass neighborhood and has EXCELLENT schools!



Matt and I are super excited to be starting a new adventure! We have some work to do at the house (lots of lovely wallpaper) but we have the month of April to get the work done and we are going to move as much as we can before the big moving day May 1st. I figure we can get a lot done in a month. I took off April 5, 6, and 7 and we are going to bust out the wallpaper and hopefully the painting as well. Then we are going to start moving car load by car load, so hopefully come May 1st all we have is the stuff that couldn't fit in a car and then misc. items.



That's the plan anyways. Hopefully it all works out!



Did you check out my new blog design??? It's perfect. It's so pretty and fits me well. A big thank you to 2 Bird Designs. If you are looking to redesign your blog, she is definitely the one. It was so quick and painless and I am totally in love!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Cha Cha Cha Changes.....

Things are changing....

Things are scary....

Things are going to get better....

After lots of talking, lots of lists, lots of tears, my husband and I have decided to let the bank take our house.

My husband filed bankruptcy in January and the house was included. We had the option to keep making monthly payments and keep it or stop making payments and forfeit the house. We decided to give it up.

There are many many reasons, too many to list here, but I will share a few. We are not financially stable right now. If something were to break or whatever, we would not have the funds to fix it. We cannot borrow the money from anybody so that is not an option. And I am talking about like if the kids were playing basketball and the ball went through a window...we would not have the $250 for a new window (and yes that's how much the very cheapest window is, the kids just broke 2 windows last July and it cost $510. Those were the $179 windows but with all the lovely add ins, it came to be $255 per window)

And what if the furnace goes (which it is getting ready), there are a lot of updates that need done and we are just not ready.

For those of you who know me, know that I have never wanted to own my own house. I was very content renting. Renting is awesome. Something breaks or something goes wrong, you just call the landlord. NOTHING out of pocket. Rent is like car insurance, if something goes wrong, the rent you have been paying for months and months comes in handy - the landlord takes care of almost anything that goes wrong or breaks.

My husband on the other hand wanted to own his own house by the age of 21. We pretty much picked the first house we saw. I was not happy from day one. I didn't like the layout, the flooring, the crappy work that the previous owners did, the back yard was the size of my hand and the lovely wood paneling EVERYWHERE. The fact that our mortgage payments started out at $925 and now they are $1161 - we just couldn't do it. After I got laid off last year and then came back, but I came back to .70 less per hour. My husband has a base wage and he makes commission, well commission has been waaaaaaayy down from what is has been. The cost of ALL our utilities has went up. We are paying almost $500 in gas to heat our home and part of that is because we have CRAPPY windows and a large bay window that you can feel the icy air come in (and yes, I have shopped around), the cost of gas for our cars and the cost of groceries. I am having a heck of a time trying to feel my family of 5 on $50 a week, and that includes toiletries. I dread when we are out of toilet paper or soap or shampoo because that comes out of the food money.

I can't say that I am not upset because I am. I feel like a failure and a loser. My husband probably feels worse because he knows he is the one who pressured me into this.

We are not telling our friends or family until we have signed a lease and out money down on a rental house. We plan on moving the first weekend in May.

We believe this is the best for our family right now. Matt and I believe that we deserve something better. We deserve to give our kids better. And if that means letting the bank take a house that we have paid over $30000 on in the past 3 years and our balance is more then the original loan because of late fees - then so be it.

We are going to be ok. My husband and I am going to be happy. Our kids are going to be happy.

(and if for some reason you know me in real life and you read this, please do not say anything to anybody until we annouce it first)

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Be on the lookout....

I am getting new blog design by Beth at 2 Bird Designs!! And I could not be more excited.

It took me a long time to decide if I wanted to invest the money into it but I thought long and hard and I am thinking I really want to keep blogging.

I love to write (even though I am not that good) It gives me a huge outlet. I can go on and on about whatever I want and no one is there to tell me to shut up.

It gives me a place to write down whatever crazy things that are keeping me up at night.

I have really fallen for blogging!

So be on the lookout for the new blog coming soon! And along with a new design, I am going to be doing my very first giveaway!! I want to show appreciation to my followers and maybe get a few more.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Puppies, Sunshine and Rainbows

I thought the title might get your attention.

It seems I have been posting some pretty deep stuff lately and I maybe my few but awesome readers need a much deserved break.

So today is all about random things.

  • while sitting in bed with my husband the other day, the kids were playing in the living room and I heard Landon (my 4 year old) call Emma (almost 8) a "doo doo butt shit". It was the funniest thing I had heard all day. Emma of course told Landon he wasn't allowed to say that. Then she came in and told on him. So we called him in there and literally yelled at him from under the blankets because we were laughing and smiling. I know, I am such a mature parent.
  • Landon and Chase got haircuts - picture to come tomorrow in my Tuesday Random Cell Phone Picture post
  • Emma starts cheerleading again. She has practice for a whole week in March 530p-730p, then tryouts are Saturday March 20th. I know she will do great.
  • And it happens hubby Matt is working a car show that day so that's going to be interesting trying to do tryouts with all 3 kids. Last year was LONG. Her tryouts were at 2 and I didn't get home until almost 7pm - oh well.
  • Our vacation is officially booked - Virginia Beach here we come (well, in like 5 months)
  • For Emma's birthday I decided I am taking her and 2 friends to a paint your pottery place, I think they will really enjoy that.
  • I am going to my grandma's house tomorrow and I am buying her pizza

And that about wraps it up. I am sure I can spew more mindless words but I am tired and have a ton of stuff to do - see ya'll tomorrow

5 year TIME JUMP!

What!!?? A 5 year time jump? Crazy. I'm just want to pretend that I've been blogging for years and everyone is caught up. I know...