Box of Chocolates

I can't get over my "little" boy.  Other than needing a hair cut, HOW CUTE IS HE?  Yesterday a the Big Bug exhibit at the local botanical garden Nathan says to me "Can I have that?" (a map) and then says "stop guys I don't know where we are."  Look at his face!  He was intently studying the map and then said "where are we?"  I pointed to where we were and then he started to say things like, "hum?", "let me see."  He is too darn cute.  Mark and I tried not to laugh but is was funny.   At the end he admitted he didn't know which way to go.  Which we just giggled and moved along.  

This past weekend was a whirlwind.   My parents came in Friday night.  It was nice to have someone else you really know in town.  We went to the Alabama Jubilee (annual hot air balloon festival) and the US Space and Rocket Muesum and of course did the tour of Huntsville. They left yesterday after breakfast and are home safe.   Saturday morning we were able to go into our house under contract with my parents.  My realtor is so sweet and I am so happy she is so gracious.  It is nice to show someone you know your diamond in the ruff.  After our morning tour of Huntsville we went to lunch at a local restaurant that serves wings, ribs and burgers called Beauregard's.  (Mike you have to have these ribs!)  It is by far the best ribs I have had in a while.   It rained most of Saturday.  We didn't let it stop us going to the Jubilee.  It did start to rain just as they got the balloons going so they never took off.  We had fun just looking at them and having a fun picnic dinner.   Sunday...

I am going to do a slide show with other pictures.  Hoping the inspection goes well on Wednesday.  Mark and I are really excited and get more excited everyday.  Drove by tonight on date night to stalk the neighborhood.  Silence is golden.    

We made an offer (low), the owners countered (expected) and they countered exactly what I thought they would. So, unless the inspector says the house should be demolished we will be the owners of a 1965, full brick, colonial style, bi-level house the second week of July or earlier. It is on a golf course, 6th fairway. It has a pool, fireplace, an original 60's kitchen (redo), hardwood floors, two car garage and much more. We know the process is long when buying a house in this condition. It's not in deplorable shape, livable in need of some updates. It is 44 years old and has not had major updates. This house is 10 years newer than our last house. It has character and southern charm. Not perfect, but perfect for us. Photos on the web are copyrighted. Not sure If I can post them here. I will try and do a link instead......

I am usually better on the blog, but things have been busy.  We have looked at so many houses and have lived in the car for days.  Driving around different neighborhoods and even cities.  It is amazing how we are all so different and what some think is beautiful is hideous to others.  I have gotten the attitude, I am not paying for that _____. Fill in the blank.  Kitchen, bath, floor plan, steep drive way, etc.    Nathan was officially done looking yesterday.  He was so naughty. We drove to about eight different houses yesterday and it was mutiny. We even put in a movie to watch and he just didn't want to be in the van and wanted things that I couldn't give him (his blanket aka Bubba). He was incorrigible.  I have to admit I wasn't well prepared. We went out for lunch and thought that would be enough and didn't need snacks.  Snacks keep the kids quiet and should have known better.   We decided after weeks that are quickly turning into months of looking that we are going...

You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away and know when to run.....  This is the one line that Mark sent to me in email yesterday. He is very funny to me. Is it just me that finds humor in Mark? I think the man is so witty and he makes tuff situations comical. Even if he doesn't like it he makes a joke.    Moving on to the house news, we agreed to sell our house on Cinco de Mayo.  A little irony to sweeten the deal. (If you know my neighbors you know why it is ironic.) Again something Mark pointed out. Nothing could really sweeten the deal because the market STINKS!  At least now we can buy a house here in loverly N Alabama.   I am hoping over time we can get over selling our house in a buyers market.  At least we weren't upside down and have money to walk away with.  I understand this is not the case in many sales that are going on right now. I feel blessed to have a buyer in a buyers market and feel like once we are settled in our ...

Well, H1N1 did keep us in the house for long.  I had promised the girls a couple of weeks ago we would go up to the local Hallmark to the Webkinz Day Extravaganza.  I had no idea how generous our local Hallmark was going to be and I today still can't get over how much fun we had.   I told them I wasn't going to buy anything that we were going to go for the fun.  I knew before we left that the girls (as if they need them) wanted a Webkinz sea-horse and a blue jay.  If they had them I was going to buy them, but I didn't know the cost and really hate to commit to buying something and it end up costing an arm and leg. Well, they had them both and a billion others. After everything they gave us I had no problem spending $7.99 each for a little kinz and if you spent $15 you got a special Extravaganza webkinz for a $1. So, I bought a horse too.   They had a few games and a Wheel of Wow and the girls each got a pack of trading cards (Madison got a free online pet in her deck) and e...

Where did the week go?  Just last Thursday we where picking up Karen at the airport and now it is the following Saturday.   So much has happen over the last week.  Nathan turned three, Karen came up for her first visit, our area is in panic swine flu mode and all schools are closed in the entire county,  It started to rain Wednesday night and hasn't really stopped, trapped in the house for the second day in a row.   Last Friday was Nathan's third birthday.  Three, can that be?  I think this is my favorite birthday picture because it shows what Nathan is all about right now.  Guns and swords.  He now has his own personal arsenal.   Not sure what he is shooting, but he sure looks serious.   Friday night we dared to go out to a real restaurant with all three kids.  I'm not sure if you all know the Rainforest Cafe story, but about two years ago Mark swore we would never take the kids to a restaurant that didn't have a drive thru.  We have eased up on that in recent months, ...