New Happenings

Sorry, no pictures this time! This is mainly because I'm not exactly sure where the camera is, let alone the cord to download photos. It seems that is the story of our lives lately and will likely continue to be for the next few weeks.

This is the start of our big two weeks! Our first load of "stuff" was hauled off in the livestock trailer today to be stored in a shed until we close on our new house. I know... livestock trailer? Hey, 32 feet of free storage space is very, very much appreciated! Thanks, Nick! Everything else will be out of the house by Thursday. Wow!

Our last night in our current home before relocating for a week to grandma and papa's is Tuesday night. I took my final early morning run on my regular route today. Ben and I have been making frequent trips to the neighborhood park, knowing that one of them will be the last one, at least traveling there by stroller. Yes, I'm feeling a little nostalgic. A lot has happened in this home and there are things about this neighborhood that I will miss.

However, my excitement definitely overshadows my nostalgia. I'm so excited to have a bigger yard and more space in our home to spread out. As I filled box after box of kitchen items, I found myself excited knowing that I'd have plenty of places in our new kitchen to put everything. I can't wait to have a playroom for Ben! I've got big plans for making his play space more usable and to have a place that is just for him. I'm so looking forward to moving in just in time to watch the leaves change on the beautiful trees in our yard. I can't believe I'm even going to say this, but I'm looking forward to painting the walls in the new house. They are all white - it is like a blank canvas. There is nothing like a fresh coat of paint to make a place your own! Yes, there is a lot of work ahead of us and my organization-loving self will have to deal with the chaos, but there is so much to look forward to.

How could I end without a quick Ben update? My favorite thing he is saying lately is, "Don't cry, be happy." He loves climbing. He has been climbing all over the furniture and knows that in chairs, he should sit like a "big boy." And, he says "big boy" over and over again as he sits down. He has developed an affinity for Elmo. I have to say, as much as I try to limit the time with TV, popping in a favorite Elmo video and handing him some goldfish grahams (another favorite) can be very convenient right around supper time. He also loves to run. Lately, it seems like he never walks anywhere - he is always running. He oftens says, "Run, run, run," while taking off. I am constantly amazed by Ben's vocabulary. He can identify nearly everything in his environment and has been putting words together more and more. Ben is beginning to learn how to "dress up." He has figured out how to put on Brant's and my shoes and also loves to wear hats around the house. Finally, I love that Ben still loves to read with me. He even "reads" by himself and flip the pages and say words he knows from the pictures and pages. We'll often catch him doing this in his crib in the morning. It is wonderful! It just gets better and better!

Sold!

Yes, our house sold! Didn't know it was for sale? Feel out of the loop? Don't worry, you're not! Everything has happened very, very quickly. I'll share the brief version.

First of all, we weren't actively looking for a new house, but have known we'd need to do something in the next year or two. With Brant having his office out of our house, we've gotten a little cramped. Additionally, we've always dreamed about having a larger lot.

With that said, about two weeks ago, we drove by a house that was for sale by owner. It had a great yard, so we decided to go take a look, just out of curiousity. The following day, we took Ben with us and went to have our look. Brant and I both really liked it and ended up going back the following day without Ben to look again. We mulled over it for about a week. The following weekend we went back yet again, still loved it, and decided to take a shot and put an offer in. We then talked to a realtor about listing our house last Monday, found out our offer was accepted on the new house last Wednesday, our house went on the market on Friday afternoon, and it sold on Saturday! What a whirlwind! In between all of that, Brant and I were working to de-clutter some things from our house, cleaning furiously, and making a few small repairs in anticipation of showings. We questioned whether our house would even sell, considering there are several houses on our street that have been on the market for months. I feel the entire last two weeks has been a testament to perfect timing and to things happening for a reason. And, we are now considering going into real estate since this is our second home that has sold in 24 hours (our Wisconsin home sale was much the same). Just kidding!

With all that said, we will be moving out of our house by September 18 and into our new home on September 23. We'll be bunking with Brant's parents for a few days in between. We are pretty excited and really looking forward to spending autumn in the new house, which has a much more scenic yard. Although I'm really dreading packing everything up, we are only moving across town and I'm trying to look at it as a perfect opportunity to get everything organized in the new house, and perhaps weed through some unneeded things.

In the previous post, Ben had just gotten a new sandbox. No worries, the people buying our house specifically asked that the sandbox be removed. Brant is very excited about moving the sand yet again!

More to come, I'm sure...

Sandbox Adventures!

On Monday, the sandbox Brant built for Ben was finally filled with sand. Wow - it was quite a hit! Ben spent nearly an hour playing in the sand, sliding on his stomach through the sand, and enjoying me burying his feet and legs. When delivered, the sand was a bit damp, which resulted in one very dirty little boy. It absolutely called for a complete hose down, with clothes on first and then ending up in only a diaper. I think Ben must have been in toddler-heaven between the sand, hose, and the bubble bath that followed it all!

Our Trip to the Lake

I'm going to let the pictures do the talking...

Speaking of the Zoo...