So, The To Do List is getting shorter...
Well, hopefully, the last of the mortgage documents are in. The FHA appraisal is complete... Just waiting on underwriting to let us close. With any luck, it won't take the full 2 weeks they estimated.
Also, we've got pre-op done for Bryan's shoulder surgery so we're ready to go next week! Also got a good check on Bryan's back so looks like things are moving in the right direction!
May is going to be a busy month!
5/4: Dad's Birthday
5/5: Gary (Bryan's step-dad) has open-heart surgery
5/6: Left Shoulder Surgery, Alice arrives for her Graduation
5/7: Austin arrives for Alice's Graduation, Alice's Graduation Ceremony
5/9: Lindsey's Birthday
5/14: Appt for a check-up on Bryan's back & planning for Physical Therapy
5/21-23: Mini Vacation to Little Gasparilla Island with Lindsey & Patrick!! (CAN'T WAIT!)
5/24: Bryan's first day back to work
& somewhere in there... we'll be closing & moving into our new house!
OH & I've got all my measurements done for my solo dress & got the photos uploaded for the dress people that show how we took the measurements. I'm excited! I figured out how I want my dress to look & the design team seems to be on the same page... Now just 4-6 weeks & I'll have a new solo dress!! In case you don't know what I'm talking about... Here's some info to help make it make sense.
Here's a link to the company that makes the dress:
http://www.elevationdesign.ie/collection.html
My dress will look mostly like number 3076 under style 3 only the colors will be black, green & white. It will likely be a combination of kelly green & lime green. However, the bodice will look more like 2117 under style 2.
Can't wait!!!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Sleepy...
I'm so tired right this second. I hit bottom around 3 PM & one of my co-workers, Sam, was kind enough to pass on a dose of "No Doze" which has lasted until now, amazingly enough. Needless to say, this will likely be a short update.
The best news of today is that I was able to fit a pair of jeans, a size smaller than I've been wearing!! I also see proof in the numbers which is nice.
About a year ago, when I was resuming Irish Dance and motivated enough to have the desire to return to competitive Irish Dance, I was in need of a new competition costume, aka a solo dress. I pursued this solo dress & began the process of ordering a tailor made costume from Ireland (note, these suckers cost about a zillion pounds... which makes for a zillion and a half dollars after the conversion rate). After several months of shin splints, followed by a few months of no money, then with the bombshell hitting January 9th, I had given up on my solo dress & asked for a return on my investment.
With all the hoops we've been jumping through and the round the clock juggling of doctors visits, medicine routines, emergency hospital visits via ambulance, day-to-day work and bill paying... it had slipped my mind that I never actually got that return on my investment. It turns out, after the design team for my custom solo dress met with the directors of the solo dress making factory, that I wasn't going to get all my money back after all.
They offered me a return of everything but 150 pounds... which is way more than I was willing to throw away on something I still actually want! So... long story short, I'm going to get my solo dress anyway, even though I'm not currently dancing Irish competitively. I'm actually really excited because this really gave me the opportunity to go through with it!!
Anyway, had to go through re-doing my measurements since it's been so long since I took them before and guess what? I lost inches!!! So, I'm finally starting to see proof that running & ballet are paying off... since I really can't tell in the mirror!
I wish it would pay off a bit sooner, to be honest. Or at least now that the ball is rolling, that it'd start rolling faster & the inches would fall off a lot faster. Especially since I'm supposed to be going to the beach in a couple weeks & I've got to invest in a new bathing suit one of these days. It's just so hard to get motivated to go bathing suit shopping. Let alone, when I'm planning on going to the beach with friends that are in much better shape!! Oh well, I really need the vacation & break from the stress I'm juggling now and if that means, squeezing into a bathing suit that shows off a little more of me than I'd like... I'm willing to do it!
Oh & by the way, still more waiting on the home front. This officially SUCKS. I jumped through all the hoops to get all the papers for our "Loan Approval But..." as I've started to call it. We have our approval that we're able to close with no problems when Bryan is working normally. If we want to close while he is on Short Term Disability we have an Approval... BUT we need to provide more paperwork. I went to obtain all of these papers & after doing so, discovered that it'll still be another COUPLE of weeks before we can close. This is completely frustrating because he'll be back to work in a few weeks as it is so at the rate we're going we may not close until he's back to work. Oh well, in a few years, these weeks of annoyance will fade away & it won't matter. But right now, I'm sure as hell annoyed that we're still stuck renting for the month of May! What a big royal pain in the butt!!!
Tomorrow, we have post-op appointments for Bryan's back and pre-op appointments for Bryan's left shoulder surgery so it should be a fun-filled day of doctor's offices & waiting rooms... At least, I get to sleep in a little bit since our first appointment is not BRIGHT and early... just early! I also have ballet to look forward to tomorrow night!
So much for a short update... now to take Max out before bed & to pass out next to my husband who went to bed an hour ago! Gosh, I feel old. In bed before 11... when did that happen?
The best news of today is that I was able to fit a pair of jeans, a size smaller than I've been wearing!! I also see proof in the numbers which is nice.
About a year ago, when I was resuming Irish Dance and motivated enough to have the desire to return to competitive Irish Dance, I was in need of a new competition costume, aka a solo dress. I pursued this solo dress & began the process of ordering a tailor made costume from Ireland (note, these suckers cost about a zillion pounds... which makes for a zillion and a half dollars after the conversion rate). After several months of shin splints, followed by a few months of no money, then with the bombshell hitting January 9th, I had given up on my solo dress & asked for a return on my investment.
With all the hoops we've been jumping through and the round the clock juggling of doctors visits, medicine routines, emergency hospital visits via ambulance, day-to-day work and bill paying... it had slipped my mind that I never actually got that return on my investment. It turns out, after the design team for my custom solo dress met with the directors of the solo dress making factory, that I wasn't going to get all my money back after all.
They offered me a return of everything but 150 pounds... which is way more than I was willing to throw away on something I still actually want! So... long story short, I'm going to get my solo dress anyway, even though I'm not currently dancing Irish competitively. I'm actually really excited because this really gave me the opportunity to go through with it!!
Anyway, had to go through re-doing my measurements since it's been so long since I took them before and guess what? I lost inches!!! So, I'm finally starting to see proof that running & ballet are paying off... since I really can't tell in the mirror!
I wish it would pay off a bit sooner, to be honest. Or at least now that the ball is rolling, that it'd start rolling faster & the inches would fall off a lot faster. Especially since I'm supposed to be going to the beach in a couple weeks & I've got to invest in a new bathing suit one of these days. It's just so hard to get motivated to go bathing suit shopping. Let alone, when I'm planning on going to the beach with friends that are in much better shape!! Oh well, I really need the vacation & break from the stress I'm juggling now and if that means, squeezing into a bathing suit that shows off a little more of me than I'd like... I'm willing to do it!
Oh & by the way, still more waiting on the home front. This officially SUCKS. I jumped through all the hoops to get all the papers for our "Loan Approval But..." as I've started to call it. We have our approval that we're able to close with no problems when Bryan is working normally. If we want to close while he is on Short Term Disability we have an Approval... BUT we need to provide more paperwork. I went to obtain all of these papers & after doing so, discovered that it'll still be another COUPLE of weeks before we can close. This is completely frustrating because he'll be back to work in a few weeks as it is so at the rate we're going we may not close until he's back to work. Oh well, in a few years, these weeks of annoyance will fade away & it won't matter. But right now, I'm sure as hell annoyed that we're still stuck renting for the month of May! What a big royal pain in the butt!!!
Tomorrow, we have post-op appointments for Bryan's back and pre-op appointments for Bryan's left shoulder surgery so it should be a fun-filled day of doctor's offices & waiting rooms... At least, I get to sleep in a little bit since our first appointment is not BRIGHT and early... just early! I also have ballet to look forward to tomorrow night!
So much for a short update... now to take Max out before bed & to pass out next to my husband who went to bed an hour ago! Gosh, I feel old. In bed before 11... when did that happen?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Waiting Game...
Buying a house sucks. It's exciting, don't get me wrong. But goodness is it frustrating. All this hurry up & wait is quite a pain. Our loan is currently sitting on underwriting's desk as it has been since Monday.
The delay is partly because Bryan's on Short Term Disability and the bank is trying to cover their bases & be sure that if something awful happened & he couldn't return to work that we'd be able to pay the mortgage... Even though we've already given them confirmation from his surgeons that he'll be able to return to work in 4-5 weeks. Actually we've got a return to work date of May 24... The biggest bummer is that if we had the luxury of waiting until then to buy this house, we'd be able to close right away with no delay. Such a pain!
The biggest problem with this delay is that we were supposed to close on or before April 30... The downfall to that is if closing runs any later, we'll have to pay rent for May also. Plus it leaves us very little time to move. The other main dilemma is that once we get final word that we're closing, it'll only be a week in advance so that leaves such little time to pack!!
Thank goodness for the wave of motivation that hit me last Saturday, otherwise known as Amanda! We knocked out packing the entire guest room & guest bath. Also completed is the hutch in the dining room. We managed to get all the china & glasses & crystal packed into the boxes they came in. I'm glad to have saved the boxes from all our wedding gifts so packing was a breeze. Can't wait to never have to move again!!!
The nice thing about moving though is that you get some really great tips! Here are a few I've followed:
1. Color Coding: I've bought storage tubs in 4 colors: green, navy blue, turquoise & purple. I've divided the house into the four colors so that when we move the different colors will go to the respective parts of the new house. i.e. green boxes are guest room & guest bath & office; navy blue boxes are kitchen; turquoise boxes are living/dining room; purple boxes are master bed & bathroom. This way I'll have 4 main piles of things to unpack & can tackle 1 pile at a time and it'll be easy to direct the movers where the different boxes go. Plus I feel more organized & will have a super colorful storage system in the garage! haha!
2. Saran Wrap: This is the best tip ever!! The tip is to leave all your clothes in the drawers of the dresser and when it comes time to move, pull out each drawer one by one & saran wrap all around the drawer to hold all the clothes in the drawer. Then move the bureau to the truck, replace all the drawers (still saran wrapped). Once you get to the new house, pull the drawers out & carry in, bring the bureau in & unwrap the drawers & replace in the bureau. This way, you don't have to pull all the clothes out, waste space in suitcases & then have to reorganize upon arriving at the new house!! Plus you can use your clothes like normal right up to the day of the move!!! How cool!
I'll try to post tips as I come across them... & of course, updates on our ridiculously slow moving loan!
The delay is partly because Bryan's on Short Term Disability and the bank is trying to cover their bases & be sure that if something awful happened & he couldn't return to work that we'd be able to pay the mortgage... Even though we've already given them confirmation from his surgeons that he'll be able to return to work in 4-5 weeks. Actually we've got a return to work date of May 24... The biggest bummer is that if we had the luxury of waiting until then to buy this house, we'd be able to close right away with no delay. Such a pain!
The biggest problem with this delay is that we were supposed to close on or before April 30... The downfall to that is if closing runs any later, we'll have to pay rent for May also. Plus it leaves us very little time to move. The other main dilemma is that once we get final word that we're closing, it'll only be a week in advance so that leaves such little time to pack!!
Thank goodness for the wave of motivation that hit me last Saturday, otherwise known as Amanda! We knocked out packing the entire guest room & guest bath. Also completed is the hutch in the dining room. We managed to get all the china & glasses & crystal packed into the boxes they came in. I'm glad to have saved the boxes from all our wedding gifts so packing was a breeze. Can't wait to never have to move again!!!
The nice thing about moving though is that you get some really great tips! Here are a few I've followed:
1. Color Coding: I've bought storage tubs in 4 colors: green, navy blue, turquoise & purple. I've divided the house into the four colors so that when we move the different colors will go to the respective parts of the new house. i.e. green boxes are guest room & guest bath & office; navy blue boxes are kitchen; turquoise boxes are living/dining room; purple boxes are master bed & bathroom. This way I'll have 4 main piles of things to unpack & can tackle 1 pile at a time and it'll be easy to direct the movers where the different boxes go. Plus I feel more organized & will have a super colorful storage system in the garage! haha!
2. Saran Wrap: This is the best tip ever!! The tip is to leave all your clothes in the drawers of the dresser and when it comes time to move, pull out each drawer one by one & saran wrap all around the drawer to hold all the clothes in the drawer. Then move the bureau to the truck, replace all the drawers (still saran wrapped). Once you get to the new house, pull the drawers out & carry in, bring the bureau in & unwrap the drawers & replace in the bureau. This way, you don't have to pull all the clothes out, waste space in suitcases & then have to reorganize upon arriving at the new house!! Plus you can use your clothes like normal right up to the day of the move!!! How cool!
I'll try to post tips as I come across them... & of course, updates on our ridiculously slow moving loan!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Where to start?
I'm excited to be starting something new! It's been a while since I've had an outlet for writing and I really do miss it. I'll warn you though, I can be a bit wordy!
2010 has not been the best year so far and I find that sad considering we are only 4 months in! However, if you look for the silver lining, there is a lot to be thankful for. While not easy to keep in mind, it does help me accept the cards I've been dealt.
My husband, of almost a year and a half, and I are in the process of purchasing our first home and are just waiting on a closing date... We married Dec 2008 and have been on a whirlwind path ever since. I apparently am a magnet for stress! I'm a firm believer that the manner in which you start something, is typically the way things are for the duration. For example, every year at New Year's, I go through a cleansing: cleaning my home and trying to de-clutter my life. This way, I feel I've given myself the best chance at having a year filled with a clean home that is stress- & clutter-free. Maybe getting married at the end of a stressful final semester in college at the end of finals week wasn't the best plan given my philosophy on life.
Either way, I did as I always do & cleaned my home at New Year's & started the year off right. My birthday conveniently falls one week after New Year's Day - January 8th. Had by far the best birthday party I've had in a long time and celebrated the day with my closest friends. The day after, everything changed and my husband got sick. We are now post 2 surgeries in as many months with one more to go in 2.5 weeks. That silver lining is that my husband will now be pain free & able to enjoy life without expecting a surgery every few years. These surgeries will be permanent & will make a priceless improvement to our marriage.
The best news is that we'll be back to "normal", even better than normal, in another 5 weeks! Can't wait! I feel like in some ways my life has been on hold since the day after my birthday (I still haven't even celebrated my birthday with my family - all the meat for my birthday dinner is still in the freezer!). I'm excited at the "better than normal" prospect though! We'll be in our new home (if we can ever get a flippin' closing date!), with our new puppy, with my husband's new lease on life. I'm thinking it doesn't get much better than that!
Let's see where this goes...
2010 has not been the best year so far and I find that sad considering we are only 4 months in! However, if you look for the silver lining, there is a lot to be thankful for. While not easy to keep in mind, it does help me accept the cards I've been dealt.
My husband, of almost a year and a half, and I are in the process of purchasing our first home and are just waiting on a closing date... We married Dec 2008 and have been on a whirlwind path ever since. I apparently am a magnet for stress! I'm a firm believer that the manner in which you start something, is typically the way things are for the duration. For example, every year at New Year's, I go through a cleansing: cleaning my home and trying to de-clutter my life. This way, I feel I've given myself the best chance at having a year filled with a clean home that is stress- & clutter-free. Maybe getting married at the end of a stressful final semester in college at the end of finals week wasn't the best plan given my philosophy on life.
Either way, I did as I always do & cleaned my home at New Year's & started the year off right. My birthday conveniently falls one week after New Year's Day - January 8th. Had by far the best birthday party I've had in a long time and celebrated the day with my closest friends. The day after, everything changed and my husband got sick. We are now post 2 surgeries in as many months with one more to go in 2.5 weeks. That silver lining is that my husband will now be pain free & able to enjoy life without expecting a surgery every few years. These surgeries will be permanent & will make a priceless improvement to our marriage.
The best news is that we'll be back to "normal", even better than normal, in another 5 weeks! Can't wait! I feel like in some ways my life has been on hold since the day after my birthday (I still haven't even celebrated my birthday with my family - all the meat for my birthday dinner is still in the freezer!). I'm excited at the "better than normal" prospect though! We'll be in our new home (if we can ever get a flippin' closing date!), with our new puppy, with my husband's new lease on life. I'm thinking it doesn't get much better than that!
Let's see where this goes...
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