It's No Daybreak... But I Guess It Will Do.

Guest Room/Sewing Room

Master Bedroom (unfinished)

Kate's Bedroom (partially finished)

Chloe's Room (Oh... the hours spent in here)

Kitchen with Eating Nook to the left.

Family Room

Front Room used to be a Formal Dining Room for previous owner.

Exterior including that sweet 'artificial' grass... No maintenance! Whoot! Whoot!

So we have been here for just over a month and it is beginning to feel a little more like home. I have been busy unpacking, organizing, painting, and discovering my OCD tendencies. I have had many moments of working on house projects, like painting my kids room, and wondering to myself... Hmmm... why is this so important to me? Why do I want things to be just right? Do I have a problem? (other than my addiction to Diet Coke... which is no secret.) Am I sacrificing something else in spending my time this way? When will I be "finished"? I have no answers to the above questions but I guess that awareness is the first step... Right?

Other than me staying busy with project after project... Colin has really enjoyed only being a few miles away from work. He is getting a little busier now the weather is starting to turn. Demo season is upon us and that means it is time for him to hit the road, but so far his travel schedule has been minimal in comparison to previous seasons. The shop set up is winding down and now it is time for the real business to begin. He enjoys running the show, and I'm happy he loves his job.

Chloe is getting settled at her new elementary and enjoys her teacher. Apparently, when your child goes to first grade you become one of the lesser important people in their lives because TEACHER knows it ALL. I was hoping that the age that my children stop idolizing me would at least be closer to... say... 15! Oh, Chloe... I love ya anyway.

Kate is a riot! She is persistent, stubborn and undeterred... she knows what she want and she will get it at all costs. I just hope that her persistence follows her through life and serves her well other than just getting fruit snacks out of mom before lunch... and dinner. Her vocabulary is blossoming daily and she is our little family parrot and will... repeat... anything... that is said. The other day out of the blue she told me to 'Shut up! Mom!' After I picked my jaw up off the floor and pulled myself together and promptly put her in time out, she quickly learned it is NOT okay to tell your mother to Shut Up!

So all in all we are doing well. I miss our friends and family in Utah more than words can express. I am still looking for the "reason" we were meant to be here, but for now we are here and doing what we can to make the best of it.

We are up and ready for visitors anytime! I promise to show you a good time and how could anyone pass up a FREE place to stay!

My Chloe is Growing Up!

Chloe has been looking forward to have a tooth fall out for YEARS! She had a little friend that lost a tooth a few years ago and ever since she has been sporadically running to me at full speed to tell me that her tooth IS loose, which unfortunately it wasn't. So as time passed her tooth finally decided it was time to wiggle... a little.

Then we started counting the 'sleeps' until her tooth would finally come out... I guessed 7 sleeps but how am I supposed to know? It was longer than 7 sleeps... I lost count. But after many days of wiggling and ultimately allowing her dad to clean pliers... that's right I said PLIERS... and try with them... which was barbaric and unsuccessful. Colin used floss and tied his triple whammy knot around her tooth and during an interrogation about her upcoming first day at school... He yanked and to her surprise... she finally lost her first tooth.

Now the chain reaction has started and the tooth fairy is eventually going to be broke. This tooth fairy isn't paying Jacksons 'round here! (I had a friend pay her son a $20 because that's all the ATM gave out! Um... note to self, go to ATM get cash then buy a diet coke or pack of gum! Then give the kid a buck or two...or 3!) So our tooth fairy dishes out 3 Washingtons but I thought that was pretty good considering I got maybe .25 cents. Inflation is a bee-otch!

So... Chloe was thrilled when her second tooth was getting looser and looser, but not to my surprise she wouldn't allow me or Colin to come within inches of her mouth to wiggle it or anything! Um... can we say traumatized from the first go 'round? So it wiggled and wiggled and got to the point that it was sooooo loose it was hanging on by a thread and would flap in a light breeze. So we convinced Chloe to give it a shot on her own. Here are the results! What a riot!