Woo Hoo!!!!

Good news! We finally sold our home!! (No that's not it in the photo above.) What's next? We wait now for the closing and continue to pack up all our belongings. Now when we pack up more boxes, it will feel a bit more real.

Here are a few prayer requests:

• Pray that the sale will go through, and on time
• Pray that the sellers will be 100% approved for their mortgage
• Pray that we will also be 100% approved for our mortgage
• Keep the kids in prayer as this will be a difficult move for them - all their memories of their childhood and of their time with PaPa are in this home. It's going to be hard for them (us too I'm sure) to walk away from the home, even with the memories tucked away in their hearts.
• Pray that we will feel 'at home' and 'at peace' in our new home.
• Pray for financial stability for us - which was our main reason for moving. We are definitely downsizing and taking a step in the direction of where God wants us to be.
  

We are looking forward to this new chapter of our lives. We are still hopeful that we will end up in Colorado sometime within the next few years...our ultimate goal, but for now we are at total peace with staying close by a bit longer. God has a purpose! He has been faithful through this whole 'ordeal', despite our impatience and doubts. He is absolutely getting ALL the glory for selling this home...it's nothing we did, our Realtors did, or anyone else. In this difficult market, He alone was able to sell it for us.

Time to Pray...Time to Act!

These are scary times for parents! If passed, UN convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) can and will impact the way we are 'allowed' to parent our children. This MUST be stopped! It's not just going to affect us homeschoolers, it will affect us all!

From the Parental Rights website:

"Currently, the government can intervene in this fashion only by going to court and proving that parents have been abusive or have neglected their children.

But the wording of the CRC dictates that whenever the government believes that your parental choices are not the best, the government would have the power to override your choices and protect your child from you. If this treaty becomes binding, all parents would have the same legal status as parents who have been tried and convicted of child abuse—only without the trial. The government would have the right to override every parental decision if it deemed the parent's choice contrary to what it considers to be the child's best interest."

To most people, reading this may sound perfectly normal...it seems that they are only out to 'protect' children from abusive parents (which is a great thing) yet that's not their main focus! Check out this list of things that would affect us all...

Ten things you need to know about the substance of the CRC.

• 1. Parents would no longer be able to administer reasonable spankings to their children.

• 2. A murderer aged 17 years, 11 months and 29 days at the time of his crime could no longer be sentenced to life in prison.

• 3. Children would have the ability to choose their own religion while parents would only have the authority to give their children advice about religion.

• 4. The best interest of the child principle would give the government the ability to override every decision made by every parent if a government worker disagreed with the parent’s decision.

• 5. A child’s “right to be heard” would allow him (or her) to seek governmental review of every parental decision with which the child disagreed.

• 6. According to existing interpretation, it would be illegal for a nation to spend more on national defense than it does on children’s welfare.

• 7. Children would acquire a legally enforceable right to leisure.

• 8. Teaching children about Christianity in schools has been held to be out of compliance with the CRC.

• 9. Allowing parents to opt their children out of sex education has been held to be out of compliance with the CRC.

• 10. Children would have the right to reproductive health information and services, including abortions, without parental knowledge or consent.

This world is a pretty scary place to be right now...we need to step up to the plate if we want to truly protect our children! It's so sad how this country has gone from being Christ-centered and a place to live where we can be free to worship our heavenly Father, to a place that says everyone has the freedom to be what they want, worship who they want, and pretty much act like they want. Tolerance has taught to be the norm. My children are being taught just the opposite! We love the sinner but we despise and hate the sin - we do NOT tolerate sin in any way, shape or form. The things society says we must tolerate are just that...sin!

So...if you have the time, please pop in on the Parental Rights website and sign their petition, support them and pray that they will be able to stop this CRC from happening!!!

Rude People

Want an update on the house situation?? Here's one for ya!

First of all, let me step back up on my soap box for this one!!

OK...last you heard the potential buyers put in an offer with a contingency...that they sell their condo within 3 months. We could still sell the house in the mean time, only they'd have 48 hours by then to pay up or lose it. We haven't sold it to anyone else (bummer), but people are still showing interest as we've had several come look.

This past Saturday morning we were kicked out of told to leave the house so these potential buyers could get the house inspected. First of all, inspections generally take place AFTER you have a signed contract - not before! These contingent ones are meaningless really. They jumped the gun on that one. They were supposed to call our Realtor after the inspection to let us know they were done and we could return home. They refused to call! Rude Act #1. We heard nothing about the inspection until today - 4 days later!! In the mean time, while we were waiting, our Realtor's office called and said someone wants to stop by our home for these potential buyers....a plumber. We asked why and they weren't sure so they said they'd call back.

We finally got a call from our Realtor and she said that they wanted to have this plumber check about a bathroom addition in the basement. It would be their Realtor and the plumber, that's all. OK, we agreed that they can come, yet we still didn't understand why. Well...when they got here today, guess who shows up at the door with the Realtor and 'plumber'!?! The potential buyers! Rude Act #2! Notice 'plumbers' in quotes - he was actually a contractor!!

Not only did we feel awkward and uncomfortable, but put out! The wife (and her baby) walked around the house telling the contractor the different things they wanted to change. They were measuring doors, walking all over our home and were discussing things about our home right in front of us! Rude Act #3! This should have taken place AFTER they owned the home and we were gone, not before. Had we known what was going to happen, we would never have agreed to let them in.

To top it off, today was the deadline for them to get their inspection results to us. So....their Realtor told our Realtor that she'd have the list by early afternoon. She didn't. Rude Act #4! What did happen, was that they waited to talk with the guy today and we believe added a few things to their 'to do' list for us, contingent on them buying our home. They asked for 4 things. One we will agree to take care of - no big deal. The other 3 things we will not do for them! One includes changing the master bathroom mirror for them. Hello people, that's a cosmetic thing!!! Rude Act #5! We are just so sick and tired of their games. We wish we could just walk and tell them to forget it, but frankly we're ready to move and our new home is waiting for us! They do not know it yet though.

One major thing that did ask for was to fix a beam in the basement (which has nothing wrong with it!) When we had our addition put on the house, we had a major multi-million dollar company do the work...they weren't no-name guys off the street, they were a reputable company who used permits etc. The potential buyers are telling us that we need to reinforce a beam in the basement which will be difficult to do since there are many wires and pipes near it. It's a MAJOR job. Mind you, there is nothing wrong with the beam, nothing done incorrectly...and all was inspected by our town at the end of their job. The good part is that we have a 10 year guarantee with the builders we worked with, so if it does need to be changed then they'd cover it and do the work. If not, then these people will not be happy. Too bad! We believe that the contractor today was the one who mentioned the beam, not the inspector on Saturday. Is this fair? Absolutely not! Rude Act #6! We have not seen the inspection results from the guy on Saturday, so we don't know if he even mentioned it then. If not, then these people not telling the truth. Our Realtor hasn't seen the original inspection results either. I find this strange, but there's not much I can do.

So, what's next? We will tell them that we will do NOTHING until they give us a deposit on the house with a signed contract. Only then will we consider their list and will get back to them with what we will take care of.

Now we wait some more and see if they pull through. I'm just so sick of this and want it all to go away!!!! Life was easier when I was young, sometimes being a grown up is very hard. We've been through quite a lot the past few years, so we are looking forward to this change, but not at the expense of a truck load of stress that's being dumped on us. We will continue to pray and trust that God is in total control. There's nothing more we can do anyhow.

Well, I'll get down off my soap box yet again, but mind you, I'll be back if the need arises!! 'Til then, have a great evening and thanks for listening reading!!

'Fun-Guy'

Biology is a trip. That's right, you read it correctly...it's a trip. At least it is with Lionel! I thought I'd dread doing high school science, but you know what? It's so much fun!! We are taking it slowly this year due to the craziness in our lives, but we're thoroughly enjoying what we've been able to learn so far. This week we are studying 'Kingdom Fungi'.

I'm not sure reading the book out loud with Lionel is a good thing though. Every time I get to the word 'fungi' we both crack up due to Lionel's wisecracks. It's a riot. Here's a few examples of why I can't seem to read it without laughing:

Mommy (reading the book): "One reason fungi are so plentiful is that they have multiple means of reproduction at their disposal."
Lionel: "Yes, but they also need a 'fun-gal' if it's going to work."

Mommy: "Sometimes you can find mushrooms that grow in an almost perfect circle...these rings are often called fairy rings..."
Lionel: "That's 'cause everyone loves hanging around the fun-guy!"

Mommy: "Often referred to as the 'club fungi,' members of phylum Basidiomycota form spores on club-shaped cells known as basidia.
Lionel: "I wonder if they'd let me join since I'm such a fun-guy?"

Do you see what I have to put up with, with this kid!?!?! I bet as soon as he heard the words 'club fungi' he tuned right out!! He comes up with these funny remarks right in the middle of our lesson about fungus and mushrooms. Don't even get him started on the 'puffballs', 'shelf fungi' or the 'slime molds'. ha ha

(By the way, all these passages were taken from his Apologia Biology book. Good stuff!)

All kidding aside, we are slowly catching up in some areas of school that we've been behind in. Lionel finished his Spanish already, so now I've got to order the next year. He loves loves the program we're using for foreign language, and he's anxious to get started on the next level already.

Sweet-Pea is still all about horses! She drew me another horse today to add to my collection. She's getting better - horses are NOT easy to draw, especially when you're only 7. We have been reading Black Beauty...great book. As soon as we finish reading for the day, she usually runs up to her bedroom, pulls out her Breyers Horses and starts to play. She is also doing much better in her reading. It's taken her a lot longer to learn to read than Lionel did. I don't have the time with her that I did with him. Fortunately she has learned to read anyhow, despite the difficult couple of years we've had as a family.

God is good, He is faithful and I know He has given both of my children wisdom and knowledge that many children don't get from going through hard times. Taking care of my Dad taught them things a text book could never even come close to! Now that we've passed that phase of our life, they are picking up the pieces of education they missed out on....without problems! I'm so proud of both Lionel and Sweet-Pea. They truly are gifts from the Lord and I am honored to be not only their Mom but their teacher.

Now...let me see if I can get through the rest of 'Kingdom Fungi' without laughing.

Cheese Video

OK, I knew someone would pull through for me and put a video up about the cheese wheel scene from the Amazing Race. So here you go....



Since this is not my video, I couldn't dub out a couple choice words that were said near the end. Why people feel the need to speak like that is beyond me - it's not only unChrist-like, it's also unladylike!!! Shame on the girl with the potty-mouth....it's ironic though that she was the one eliminated first! Anyhow, I apologize in advance and do not mean to offend anyone. You can watch it without sound though if you wish, but I have to admit, it is funnier with the music dubbed in near the beginning.

Enjoy and watch out for the flying cheese wheels!!!!! =)

Cupcakes & Cheese??

Cupcakes:

To say that Sweet-Pea enjoys baking is an understatement! She absolutely LOVES being in the kitchen. She'll help cook dinner, bake desserts and even prepare various beverages (iced tea, lemonade etc.) Every Mom should have a helper as wonderful as she is.

A few weeks ago she decided she wanted to make cupcakes she saw in one of her American Girl books...decorated like puppies. So, she and Daddy went to the store and purchased all the necessary ingredients. When they got back home, she got busy right away decorating (the cupcakes were made earlier)! Here she is creating her masterpieces:





She made 3 different puppies...

This cute little guy with speckled ears:


This little white fluffy guy (either a poodle or Bichon):


And my absolute favorite - the adorable one with peanut butter cookie ears:


I think she did a fantastic job, don't you??

Cheese:

OK, I just HAD to comment on the Amazing Race. The 14th season premiered tonight, and I have to say that this was the first episode in all the years it's been on that I laughed until I cried! Edward and I were watching it together and we laughed so hard, the kids came down to see what all the commotion was in the living room!! Did any of you see it???

The funny part was when the contestants had to walk up a steep slippery hill in Switzerland, pick up a 50 lb cheese wheel, and transport it on their backs down the hill. They had to deliver a total of 200 lbs of cheese (4 wheels). It sounds easy enough, but the wooden contraptions that were supposed to be on their backs to transport them kept falling apart, and the cheese wheels kept rolling down the hill! That was funny enough, but then many of the contestants started scooting down the hill on their backsides with a cheese wheel on their lap. It was just the funniest thing!!! I'm hoping that someone will put it up on YouTube so I can post it here. It's worth the giggle.

I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!! It felt good to just sit and be entertained like that. Kudos to the Amazing Race for a funny episode. Let's hope the rest of the season brings us more comedy like they did in this first episode!

For you...

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Keepin' it real..

Oh my goodness...what a weekend we had! I am stepping right up onto my soap box and I will not get off until I 'let it all out'!!!

As you obviously know, our house is on the market. Duh, that's all I talk about lately!!! We listed it back in November but never figured we'd get much traffic until after New Year's...we were right. Well, we've had plenty since, but none so stressful as the ones this past weekend. Goodness, where do I begin?!? Follow along closely or you'll get confused! =)

Saturday: There was a family interested in looking at our home on Saturday around 1pm, so we were excited to clean up and get the house ready for them. We were scheduled to have an Open House on Sunday, so we thought that they wanted to get a jump start on any potential buyers by coming a day early. Well, the good news was that they absolutely loved the house. They wanted to make an offer, but they had to bring their 80 year old grandmother by to see the in-law addition first since she'd be living with them.

Sunday: The couple who loved the house brought Granny by on Sunday to the Open House and she also liked it, so our Realtor was told that there was going to be an offer from them soon. We were thrilled about that, but on top of it, our Realtor was told that another family was going to make an offer sometime today. So...Sunday ended on a happy note...even with all the stresses of cleaning and leaving the house with hubby, the 2 kids and a dog who is absolutely sick of this whole thing! We felt that with 2 potential offers coming in, we could possibly sell this house before the week was up and get excited about our future.

Monday: I got a phone call around 9am that someone wanted to see the house at 11:00. Not a biggie, but I honestly needed a little more time so I asked if they could possibly come around 11:30 or even noon. They said 'no'. Can you believe it? 30 min. is not that much of a biggie, is it??? Anyhow, the kids and I rushed like mad to straighten up. After the Open House, we did laundry etc. and things were laying around that needed to be put away. We finally got out of the house by 10:50 and drove down to the dead end to hide out. (That's where we go when we only need to be out for an hour or less.) So...we sat there and sat there, and eventually the potential buyer's Realtor drives to the house around 11:00. We wait more and she waits in her car outside the house and at almost 11:15 a car whizzes around the corner and into our driveway. Oh my goodness! First of all, they're 15 min. late - time I could have used to clean up better! Second, when the driver gets out of the car, it's a young woman and she goes around to the other side of her car and pulls out an infant!!! Shame on her for being late and driving that way with a baby in the car!! So...they end up staying for over 30 min. - a good sign. They leave and we return home.

Tuesday: We wait for the phone to ring with those 2 offers our Realtor was told that were going to come in. We waited some more....and some more....and some more....getting the picture?!?!? Well, 2pm comes and our Realtor calls. One of the potential buyers wants to know how old the furnace is. We tell her and that that. We still waited....and waited....and waited....very impatiently mind you! I am already feeling sick to my stomach by now and can't function normally. This whole roller coaster ride is not fun. I am so tired by now of the running around, cleaning up, being forced out of my home for people not making offers etc.

I want my life back and I want it now!!!
(Please keep in mind, I'm still on my soap box here)

So, finally we called our Realtor after dinner. She said that she just got a call from the family with the 80 year old grandmother. Granny changed her mind. What?? Is Granny even coherent and 'with it' enough to make a decision like that??? Well, OK, we dealt with that and figure that there's still one offer possibly coming. The Realtor confirmed that the offer is still coming - tonight.

8:40 - the phone rings....right in the middle of the Biggest Loser - oh well....they made an offer alright. Their offer was a MAJOR insult!!!! Guess who it was? The speeding mommy with her baby in tow! They offered almost $40,000 lower than our asking price, and this is after we already lowered our price by $40,000. What are they thinking? To top if off, they want a Hubbard deal. If you don't know what a Hubbard is...it's when you make an offer on a house and they agree to sell it to you once you sell your own home. In other words, they want us to hold our home for them for 3 months while we wait for them to sell their home.

That's bad enough, but here's the clincher....they live only a mile from us in a dumpy run down old 1970's condominium!!! They most likely won't sell it at all. Their agent said it should sell quickly since they had 4 people look at it already. Yeah, only because they listed it just this past Friday!!!!! All new listings get lots of traffic up front. (I'm still fuming here about this new mother who sped into my driveway - that since she lived so close and was most likely a stay-at-home mom, could easily have come a little later. She probably didn't want junior to miss his nap! Sorry, I know I'm being sarcastic, but I can't help it right now!) Anyway...here's what we did...

We counter offered them a much higher price, yet cheaper than our home is listed at. We will accept a Hubbard, but we will not sign a Hubbard contract with them....this way if we get another potential buyer before the 3 months are up, we can sell it to the other buyer as long as it is more than the price settled with this family. We also won't throw in a few items we planned on leaving behind for the new buyers - our wooden swingset, our fridge, washer and dryer etc. None were originally included but we recently decided to let them go with the house if it would help sell it...not anymore!

Now we wait. They have until tomorrow to answer us on the counter offer. What really burns us up is that their 5 room condo is on the market for only $100,000 less than what they offered for our home. That was so insulting! Ours home is truly priced to sell already...plus we have 10 rooms and it's in absolute mint condition with all new bathrooms, roof, furnace, granite counters etc. We also have a pool, out-building and much more outside. Does this all sound fair to you? It sure doesn't to me.

I'm having a very difficult time with everything. I am a Born Again Christian who loves the Lord and totally relies on Him each day for every breath I breathe, and for everything that happens with me and with my family...yet I am finding it hard to understand why He is allowing us to go through this. We put 7 years of our life on hold for my parents and we are finally trying to get settled in a home we can afford now, but it's just not happening. We already lost the home we originally planned on purchasing since it's priced too high now compared to what we can possibly get for ours. The home we now decided on is sitting there but can be grabbed in an instant by someone else. Now we are wondering if we should just stay put here in this home for a few years then make the big leap out West like we originally intended. The only problem with that is my husband's job...plus we will no longer have any retirement money left since we'd need it to stay here. So...here we sit...waiting. It's all we seem to be doing lately.

As for the kids and homeschooling...we are behind and yet the kids are still learning every day. Fortunately they often do school when I can't function enough to sit with them because I'm busy cleaning the house for yet another potential buyer. "OK Lord, what do you want us to do? Where do You want us to live? What do we do if our home doesn't sell?" I just wish I saw the big picture - I'm really a visual person, so not knowing what's around the corner is really nerve wracking to me! I feel like the kids are suffering...their education, the fact that Mommy isn't that sweet 'ole mommy these days because of added stresses, and that they are being run around like crazy people for all these potential buyers. I know many people have had their house on the market - we aren't the first, yet this market is the absolute worst that I've ever experienced in my life!! The media and the government is making it much worse than it needs to be.

OK....I will quietly and gently step off my soap box for now. I can't promise I won't use it again in the near future. In the mean time...pray for me. Pray for my family....the kid's education, and the sale of our home. Pray that God will provide the perfect home for us as well. Pray for peace in our home and for us to feel total trust and contentment in Christ. Thank you!!!!!!

I'm off the soap box....now, back to our regularly scheduled blogging.

Here we go again!

Once again we're getting ready to leave home to let another potential buyer look at it. I have to say...the more people that walk through my home, the creepier it gets. When we get back home, it's so weird thinking that people were walking all over our home, looking in our cabinets, opening closet doors etc. etc. Those are the things I KNOW they do. I figure that when it's just a one on one (Realtor & client), they don't go snooping that much, but when we have an open house - like we're having tomorrow, who knows what they're looking at!?! I feel so violated. It's an awful feeling.

Anyhow...this morning as I was continuing to clean up...vacuum, dust, clean bathrooms etc. I smelled something all too familiar these days...something from our lovely dog. Yup - POOP! He decided to dump one right on the bottom stair which you see (and smell) right when you walk in the door. Lovely huh? He also left us a little present last night as we were getting ready to take him outside....this time it was the other end. I think he knows something's up. He knows that his world is turning upside down and he doesn't like it one bit. This is his home and he's not going to stand for this nonsense!!

I found out more information on the previous 'potential buyer' that came through our home 2 times. They had absolutely NO intentions of buying! That's right...they only wanted to look at our home 'just in case' they wanted to list theirs - to see their competition! Can you say UNBELIEVABLE?!?!? I was so mad at their Realtor for putting us through all that craziness. Today's Realtor is different, so we're hoping that these are serious buyers. Only time will tell.

I'm trying to laugh about all that's going on around us. Being stressful hasn't been working for me, so I decided that I'm going to laugh when something goes wrong. Knowing that God has us in the palm of His hand helps! He's probably laughing as well, especially when we stress over the little things.

So, today we're headed out for an hour or so. Who knows what will happen. I just hope that the poop smell is gone, and that the new buyers LIKE dogs - just in case it isn't! =)

Pardon my appearance

I'm trying to re-do my blog...if you pop in and it's looking a bit under the weather...come back in a day or two...hopefully it'll look much better!

A peaceful lesson at last!

A few weeks ago I blogged about Sweet-Pea's skating lesson, and how frustrating it was with all those young kids (a.k.a. ice mice) around. They were not only distracting, they were causing other more professional skaters to have to stop in mid-routine...something which could actually cause them to get hurt. Sweet-Pea's coach comes to this rink specifically to teach Sweet-Pea and another woman, so her time is valuable! Well, after talking about it last week, we were able to switch lessons to another day - yipee!!

Here they are...Sweet-Pea (in pink) working with her coach (center). The other woman (right) warming up for her lesson in the rink without any distractions!! They had the entire rink to themselves!!! Woo hoo!!



See how quiet it was? They got so much more accomplished and Sweet-Pea was able to practice more difficult moves. She is now learning to spin. I'm so proud of what she's accomplished already in just 6 months. I can't wait to see what's in store for the next 6! Let's just hope the ice mice don't find us!!! =)

Toot-Toot

Sweet-Pea has gotten a bit more serious about playing the flute lately, so I decided to start formally teaching her. I've played for many years myself and have taught lessons, so I was glad when she decided to pick the flute as her instrument. Lessons are FREE!

Here she is playing a little piece out of the book she's using. She's only 7, so take that into consideration as well...I didn't start until I was 9 or 10. Notice the way she's standing...we're going to have to work on that. She still is will always be a ballerina at heart! Such a cutie!

Uncertainty

Ever been full of uncertainty? Ever had doubts so severe that you feel you've been gut-punched and don't know how to deal with it? That's us right now.

We had a family look at our home twice within 3 days. They came last Thursday and then again yesterday afternoon. They asked us to leave one hour before kick-off for the Super Bowl which we did, just so they could look around and still not make an offer. It's a good thing we're not die-hard football fans!!!

Our agent called a few minutes ago. The family loves our home but they say they're not sure of the price. This is after we lowered it $40,000. They didn't even make an offer to try to get it cheaper! What gives?!? People want everything for nothing these days! Our home is practically brand new inside and out! Brand new kitchen with gorgeous granite counter tops, 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, brand new bathrooms - all of them! New roof, new furnace and oil tank, new siding, pool, wooden swing set, fence in yard. Goodness it comes with practically everything but our first-born child! (Although I may consider it since he's a teenager now. hee hee) As for the price...it's much lower than our competitors prices. More bang for the buck.

What next? Yet another open house this weekend. I am SO tired of this. I am done, finished...turn me over 'cause I'm beginning to burn! We will most likely lose the house we fell in love with now. Yes, I totally believe that God could hold that house for us, but if we don't get a decent price for ours, we can pretty much kiss that other house goodbye anyway. I'm just feelin' a bit low today. We were so excited yesterday that the people wanted to come back for another look. That's a great sign that they're interested. I can't even begin to tell you how much of our lives have been wasted on cleaning this house up and leaving to let people look at it. The hard part is that we have a dog, and can't leave him home so we're limited as to what we can do. It's freezing outside, so we are stuck waiting in our van most times. For Open Houses we venture to the in-laws, but that's an all afternoon event and it's tiring on them as well.

So, I'm asking everyone here in blogosphere to pray for us. Pray for our family - for patience mostly. Pray that we will learn to wait patiently on the Lord for His perfect timing. I have no doubts that His hand is in this whole thing, it's just the waiting and the refining on us that is hard. Pray that our home would sell soon. Pray that we would get the house we love and that the price of our home will be reflective of what we have to pay for the other one. Thanks so much. I'm off now to go sulk some more and drink a cup of coffee with lots of cream and sugar - what I usually do not do! To me that's equal to what most women do when they're upset...eat ice cream right out of the carton! =)

This is what I need to do before the Open House on Sunday!!


Have a most blessed day!!