For rent: ONE BEAUTIFUL HOME WITH MEMORIES GALORE

We listed our home for rent.

I listed it on Craigslist for rent on Thursday and within ONE minute we started getting inquiring phone calls. HELLO........I was kinda thinking it would take a week or so before anyone would call.

Apparently, the market for rentals is HUGE! So we have showed our home to at least 6 potential families and now we have to pick one of them.....but the calls keep rolling in. It is SUNDAY evening and we have to make a decision soon.......who do we pick? O Man! This is alot of anxiety! We are still waiting to hear if the bank will accept our offer....we're moving in with Josh's parents next weekend (if not sooner) OMYGOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So we are still packing and I have absolutely nothing left in my kitchen...I think we are eating hotdogs for dinner tonight.....so very unlike me to serve my family HOTDOGS!

I think I am trying in my own way to displace myself from the home that Josh and I love and where we brought our babies home to for the first time and where we spent amazing Christmas times. I am tring to get ready for new ADVENTURES.

Is it working?........I'm not sure yet..........But I think I'm starting to get there with the help of my pharmaceuticals.

I am not good with goodbyes.

brick and stucco...it's what dreams are made of

So, this is the house that we put an offer on......... (the side view anyway)

WE stopped by yesterday to take a look at the house and show it to the boys and there were two white notices on the door. They were informing the current owners that the house was going to AUCTION the beginning of October! THIS SENT ME INTO A FRENZY!!!!

What? How can this be? We have an offer out on this house.....half of our belongings are packed up and sitting in a trailer out front our house....we have PLANS to move..........

WHAT THE HECK????????????

I was sick to my stomach! Josh and I both felt like we had been run over by a SEMI!

Come on now! We finally got the courage to tell the kids the day before and now this! OMGOSH!!! I did not sleep. Josh did not sleep. We worried. ALOT. We really like this house despite all the remodeling it needs. We can picture our family spilling into this house and loving it and making it our home. But we trust that God has his hand in this situation and if we are meant to live here in this cute brick and stucco house.......well, then God will place us here. If God has other plans for us......we will soon find out. OK God..........let us know....we are freaking out here!

Well..................................this morning our realator finally called us back.............(after what seemed like an eternity) and told us that this sort of this happens all of the time. It's very common for a house that has been sitting for so long to get ready for auction. He said he put a call in to the selling agent and he was hopefull to hear something back soon. He told us NOT TO WORRY. He said it can be overcome and that it was in our favor actually to have those white notices on the door......it distracts other potential buyers from placing an offer.

I'm trusting our agent...what choice do I have at this point?

I should not be in love with this house. But I am. And now I am hopeful again....I guess that means I better get off my behind and start packing more of our precious belongings.

I feel like I am on a very topsy turvy roller coaster ride and I'm about ready to throw up!

But like I said.....we are trusting in God. That's all we can do. Trust.

Crossroads

FAITH LESSONS...........
Rocky
Clear skies
Loving
Dusty
Soft
Growth
Unfamiliar
Hard
Approachable
Habitual
Secure
Fascinating
Horrid............Callous.............Resounding...........Queit
<<<<>>>>
{I started a new bible study today}

The book we are working out of is called "On the Promised Land. Crossroads of the World."
Actually this title has many meanings in my life right now. Right now I am on a journey of innumerable roads....sometimes I think they are all joined and yet the area between them is vast and unforgiving.
Josh and I put in an offer on a "short sale" house in Escalon. Our plan is move out of our current house in Riverbank and remodel the house in Escalon (assuming that the bank accepts out offer)
For this all to work.....we must rent our current house out and TEMPORARILY move in with Josh's parents.
Are we crazy??
We are trying to be out of our current house in 2 weeks and have it rented soon after...
Are we crazy??
*****??????????????????????????????????????????????*****

In the meantime, we have two boys in H.S. and one in 8th grade plus a 5th grader and two babies....one who is just learning to use the potty and one still in diapers.

Every Wednesday all the boys go to Escalon Covenant Church where they attend Youth Group and this year Andrew started Cubbies (AWANAS). The boys are making friends and having fun at the same time....it's really good for them.
Andrew LOVES Cubbies and has one memory verse each week to memorize.....he's so smart that this week it only took him 3 days to memorize it!
All of this while trying to maintain the home front is getting exhausting...not to mention the fact that neither Josh or I can sleep. If by chance we do fall asleep...it's only for a short while. Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno and Infomercials have become a favorite pastime during thru our sleeplessness. GGGRRRRRR!!!!!!

Now do you think we are CRAZY??

P.S.
I DO NOT (I repeat DO NOT!) recommend a "short sale" if you are in your right mind....{more to come on that matter}

Potty Training Stepping Stones

The dreaded training begins........

So, Andrew is now 3, can you believe its August 8, 2005...oh that heavenly day that Mr. Roo made his way into our arms. We have faced many challenges with the little stinker bug and I was sure that POTTY TRAINING would be no different.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had been toying with the idea of potty training for months. (Josh seems to place me among those who procrastinate) I would often ask Andrew if he needed to use the potty.... even going as far as purchasing a "special" potty chair that plays MUSIC when he goes "pee-pee' or "poo-poo" ~~~~~~~he continuously proclaimed "NO!"

So, I put it off (hence the procrastination)

Until one day (like most others)...I was on the Internet and and I saw an advertisement for an all dreaded potty training book. So without hesitation (no procrastinating this time) I purchased the e~book and frantically started to read it. The next day, (Tuesday) Josh and I took Andrew on a special shopping trip where he picked out a watch and 4 packs of "BIG BOY UNDERWEAR"

We told Andrew that on Wednesday he was going to start using his potty chair and that he was going to be able to wear his new underwear. He was so excited the he wanted to start right THEN!

Ummmmmmm.......well OK!

To make a long story less long..........ANDREW is............

pOttY tRaiNed!

So....here are some KEY steps that worked for us:

1.No More Diapers! A pull-up is still a diaper. ONLYuse a diaper at naps and at bedtime if needed.

2. A special shopping trip for BIG BOY/GIRL undies

3. A timer (we used a watch with a self timer) or microwave timer......set timer to 20 minutes, when timer goes off, it's time to sit on the potty. Even if they don't go, they are still getting in the habbit of sitting on the potty. Don't make them stay past 3 minutes if they can't go.(They will eventually go....yeah!) And then you can start increasing the amount of time in between "Potty Trips" (20 min. 40 min. 60 min.) You have to remind them consistantly.

4. Books- Josh and I spent ALOT of time in the bathroom reading books to Andrew while he sat on the potty.

5. Use specific words for "pee-pee" and "poo-poo" (whatever those words are is up to you) don't just say "potty"

6. PATIENCE!

guess what......even Noah (1 1/2) is sitting on the potty now....he hasn't gone yet....but it's a start!

======SWEET SUCCESS!=======