Friday, February 26, 2010

Quick Takes Friday

1-
We are settling into the new house and farm life a little bit more now. I have to admit that the transition to being an actual farm wife has been pretty difficult for me. It wasn't quite the same amount of pressure while living with the in-laws, so it was a bit of a shock when I had to do everything on my own. Particularly with the unpacking.

2-
My Bible Study group is currently going through the second in a series on Proverbs 31 by Kimberly Hahn called "Graced and Gifted". We were supposed to meet last night, but the woman who was hosting is 8 months pregnant and overdid it dealing with her 2 year old who has been throwing up for two days straight. In the end, we cancelled...but I did finally get around to reading what we were supposed to discuss last night (we'll discuss it in two weeks at my house) and I found a section that made me feel a little better about our current situation. Kimberly Hahn talks about a move right after her husband started his first job as a college professor. He was not able to really help with the unpacking process because he was so overwhelmed with work, and she had a 4 year old, 3 year old and 5 week old. She unpacked one room (in which she liked the previous owner's decorating) and would shield her eyes and just look at the room as a mental boost. I still haven't found that room (the girl's room is getting closer!) Anyway, she said it took about 6 weeks, unpacking at least one box a night to get unpacked and get the house livable. And I realized that although I don't have as young or as many children, I do have to make our house a home on my own (and I want to do a whole bunch of redecorating!) So, I can't expect our house to be perfect any time soon.

3-
Eva really wants to start school again, so my priority today will be to get the school stuff under control so that we can start again on Monday. Still trying to figure out how I'm going to work in painting the kitchen while doing school...maybe school in the morning, and then paint as much as I can during naptime?

4-
This weekend I get a little break from reality. Hubby was listening to the radio in his feed truck last week when the radio show was doing a movie review thing, where if you call in and review a movie, they will give you free tickets. I guess it is usually tickets to one of two movie theatres in the Denver area, but on this particular day they were giving away tickets to the Symphony. So, because we have free tickets (assuming there are still some available when we get to the box office...I don't think the symphony sells out that often...I really hope it doesn't tomorrow!) I got a hotel room on Priceline. Grandma gets the girls, and we'll get to leave at lunch time tomorrow, and then not come back to the farm until lunch time on Sunday. (Hey, it's away from the farm and to something cultural!)

5-
I got my hair cut this week...and I am resolving to put more effort into my appearance (given that my general amount of time is zero, it shouldn't be too hard to increase my amount of effort!) Both girls also got haircuts, and they look adorable...but older. What is it about haircuts that make your kids grow up overnight??? Serendipitiously, our haircuts (which I scheduled two weeks ago) fell on the same day as our family portrait for MIL's church photo directory. We really don't attend the church that often, other than special days (we did Ash Wednesday there, and will do Holy week there, too, probably.) I tried to avoid being in the directory (our parish just did one two years ago) but got suckered in...then we got suckered out of $125 for two 8x10s with one frame (and one 8x10 was allegedly free...) Oh well, the girls look cute in the picture!

6-
We are in desperate need of some tables for our living room. Our old house was so tiny, that when we wanted something to put a cup of coffee on (okay, today it is my morning tea) we would just drag over the kids little table. Well, their table isn't within dragging distance in our new living room...and we have no end or coffee tables. Currently, I have a two tiered step stool postioned between the couch and the recliner to function as a table. I looked at four thrift stores this week, and will probably drag hubby to more this weekend...I also think that we may go shopping at hubby's great-uncle's house to see if he has some spare furniture (okay we know he has plenty of spare stuff, as an antique junkie) that we could buy from him. He's been a little strapped for cash recently, so it would help us and help him if we can find some stuff there...now I just have to get that all set up!

7-
Hubby's little brother and his wife got moved into their farm house this week. The move did not go particularly well...it's kinda fun to watch newlyweds fight while moving! While they were loading up the rental house in town, a pig wandered through their yard, causing a minor distraction. Hubby posted pictures on facebook of the pig, SIL petting the pig, and then the police getting the pig back home. BIL did not find any of this amusing, and complained to his mom (and anyone else that would listen) that the pig made it so that loading up took an extra hour. Hubby reports it was more like a 20 minute distraction/delay. I don't know how the unpacking is going, but they have a lot of stuff for newlyweds!

More quick takes at Conversion Diary! (and I hope Jen's family feels better soon!)

Friday, February 12, 2010

Quick Takes Friday

1-
We have a house! We moved in partially on Sunday night, and then actually were able to sleep there on Monday night. We still have no Internet access (it'll be set up on Monday) so I'll have to keep this short...(well, short for me, anyway!)

2-
I have saved about $2000 since we moved in. The girl's bedroom was not big enough for both beds, and the third bedroom upstairs isn't really a bedroom because it has no window. So, hubby told me I could spend up to $1000 on bunk beds. I mentioned the idea of bunk beds to Eva, and she almost burst into tears...so instead, the girls agreed to share a bed (which they have been doing for almost 2 months, anyway...) Then, we figured out that our dishwasher is really tiny, and we have a bunch of things that won't fit in it. So hubby gave me permission to buy a dishwasher if it could be installed at the the same time our other appliances were coming. Turns out Sears can't have their delivery and installation people install dishwashers. So, saved another $500 there...then, when Sears finally delivered my appliances yesterday, the installer came in the door and said they could not install my stove because they can't convert natural gas to propane because their insurance won't let them...of course, the sales person told me it was no problem and that the delivery guys would do everything. So, rather than take the stove (it turns out the one left there was in better shape than I was led to believe) and have to find someone to install it, I just returned it. I'm figuring that it was the Holy Spirit giving me a lesson in contentment.

3-
We now have possibly the world's ugliest bathroom. I am really hoping that in a year we'll be able to save up enough to remodel it. We have a peachy pink tub (no shower), toilet (peachy pink with white seat), and a fabulous peachy pink sink with built in hair sprayer (so you can warsh your hair in the sink)...then it has the same peachy pink color and white sponge painting treatment all over the walls and ceiling, brown carpeting, and to top it off this really funky light fixture that is similar to one that a friend and her husband took out of their house a few years ago...her hubby called them testicle lights...I think that's a pretty good description, to be honest.

4-
I have all the paint for my living room, and I think some of the family will be coming over tomorrow to help me paint it. Of course, before we paint, I need to spackle all of the nail holes.

5-
Speaking of nail holes...I have taken a minimum of a dozen nails out of every room upstairs (over 30 in the living room...just over a dozen in the dining nook) I bought a huge can of spackle at the general store, and the woman there laughed at me.

6-
I also have hubby building me a pantry. Because of some weird remodeling, the coat closet is located in the kitchen. We are putting some adjustable shelving in there and making it a pantry. Eventually, I would like to put a coat closet in a little alcove next to the garage (it used to fit an upright freezer...our chest freezer is in the garage.) that way coats would be near the car or the mudroom.

7-
Hubby has the whole day off on Sunday (yeah!) to go to a Knights of Columbus meeting (note the romantic valentine's day we'll be having...) so while we are gone, I am hoping to get stuff to redo the girl's room. I have officially given in, and the room will be painted pink. We found a bedspread the girls will like, so I think I'll go get that, then go get paint for the room, maybe a few accessories, and turn their room into a super girly pink extravaganza.

That's all I have time for today, more quick takes at Conversion Diary!

Friday, February 05, 2010

Quick Takes Friday

1-
The countdown has officially begun. Hubby's aunt and uncle are moving out of the house on Saturday, and although I promised hubby not to make him do major moving on Superbowl Sunday, I do plan on going in and measuring, then mapping out where the furniture will be going in between the Superbowl commercials (I mean, who actually wants to watch the game?)

2-
I finished our Federal taxes last night...we had to go over to the house to get last year's taxes in order to e-file. Turns out that I finished up my taxes on February 3rd last year. I started our state taxes, but since we actually owe taxes to the state, I figured I'd wait a while to file. Have I mentioned recently how much I love turbo tax? I used the free edition again this year, but I fear that it is probably the last year I'll be able to use turbo tax, with the slightly more complicated tax situation we might be in next year.

3-
Today the bookkeeper will be by MILs house to do data entry stuff, so I need to go put up the girl's air mattress. MIL has to work at the bookstore in town this afternoon, so instead of just hanging out and making noise, the girls and I are going to go shopping. I don't have a huge list (yet...I'm sure I will once we actually move in!) but it should be fun to go look around. I'm not getting too ambitious...just heading up to the small city with WalMart and Home Depot in it...I had thought about REALLY going shopping, but as it will be the three of us, I think we'll stay a little closer to home.

4-
I'm pretty sure that lunch today will be at McDonald's...gotta buy off the girls somehow so they behave while I browse!

5-
I wonder how many of those little paint chips I can pick up at the store before I start getting harassed by the employees...I want to find just the right colors, but it's a little hard to judge what will work with my couches, the drapes and the carpet in the living room, then of course, I need to find a coordinating color for the kitchen that will go with the curtains I am planning on buying.

6-
Speaking of the kitchen curtains...in my normal fashion, I fell in love with a particular set of valances that are only available at Lowes...of course there isn't a Lowes for well over 100 miles...I couldn't fall in love with something available at Home Depot, of course. And, to top things off, the valances are not available online. So, I'll have to wait until MILs next infusion (2 1/2 more weeks) to buy them, of course, that assumes they are still available then...

7-
My new appliances will be delivered on the 11th, so even after we have the house, we'll have to spend much of the day at MIL's house anyway...or we can wear disposable clothes and eat only items that can be prepared in the microwave. We'll have to see what sounds better next week!

More quick takes at Conversion Diary!