11.14.2008

Walking... Finally!! :)



He's finally doing it! Our Jakey is walking! He been preferencing Marissa lately (that's usually the person he wants to walk to.) I think he just likes tackling her once he gets to her! :) Marissa loves it and is so excited that he is getting bigger. I think he walks more and more each day...once he decides he's going to go for something - there's no stopping him. :D

11.05.2008

25 Days and Counting


It's the day after one of the most historic elections our nation has seen, and everywhere I turn I hear people talking about "change". Well, nothing says "change" like moving into a new house! Alan and I are experiencing change on so many levels right now! Yep, 2008 has been the "year of change" for us!

Just to give everyone an update on our house-buying process: we had our whole-house inspection on Monday and it went very well! The inspector only came up with a couple issues, nothing major and nothing we need to worry about as buyers. We are so very thankful!

Which brings me to other thoughts that have been swimming around in my mind lately.... all of the little quirks and perks of living at our apartment in Springfield. Sure, there are many things that I definitely will NOT miss - the drive to work and back, the lack of space, etc. But there are so many things that I WILL miss, and some of them may surprise you. Living at our apartment the past year and a half has taught me to not take things for granted and that positives can be found in any situation. Here's the list:

- Probably the biggest thing I will miss about our apartment is the breathtaking view I get to see every night on my way home from work. Once we round the curve that begins the steep slope down the hill to the mall, the kids automatically know we are close to home (even Jake has this memorized now.) The way the late-afternoon light hits the trees, the church steeples peeking out over the hills in downtown is so pretty. Sometimes, when we take walks to the playground with the kids I'll stop at the end of the drive to take another look. Yep, the view is definitely what I will miss the most.
- We were blessed to have been assigned a unit with a small backyard that opened into a large wooded area. (The picture on this post is from our backyard, this past Winter.) Marissa and Alan have had many adventures in our woods! We've also had lots of visitors come up to (and inside) our apartment because of them too. :)
- We had the convenience of a community pool and playground at our disposal. Even though we probably didn't use either as much as we should have (because of how busy we always are!) we still enjoyed taking a few dips in the pool and heading to the playground. Jake especially liked going to the pool this past summer. He never wanted to leave!
- There were some things I didn't like about our location - but overall it really wasn't that bad. We have had a mall literally in our backyard in case we ever just want to go "window" shopping to have something to do with the kids on a Saturday or Sunday. We've also had a lot of restaurants and stores nearby in case we ever needed to make a food run! I cannot tell you how easy it is to have a Speedway 10 seconds away! (Those who aren't from rural areas take this for granted). Plus we've become regulars at Collier's. I think we're the only couple under 65 that eats there on a regular basis :) Jake always seems to get a lot of attention when we're there - probably because he's the only baby in the restaurant!

So that is my list so far. I'm sure I'll think of other things once we move into the new house. Things that I still take for granted and do not realize yet. When you become a family in ANY type of living space I think you will always have some kind of attachment to it. When we finally told Marissa that we would be moving soon she said - "But Mommy I love our house! I don't want to move!" It was hard hearing her say that, but I assured her that we are moving for the right reasons. The kids will be enrolled in an excellent school system, Alan and I will be building equity instead of feeling as though we're wasting our money every month (hopefully), and we will have much more room for our family to grow (and to store things!)

Even though I will miss certain things about our apartment, Alan and I can see ourselves raising our family and growing old in the new house. I'm sure I will be able to find many more positives about our new place too. I usually do..... :)

Ah..... Brown's Fans

So he finally did it... Alan was able to drag me to a Brown's game... in Brown's gear. :P I only did this 1) Because I love him - alot and 2) Because it was his birthday present! Drew and Heather came along with us. We all had fun - it was a little chilly but nothing compared to Cleveland in February (long story). Since we didn't have any evidence of Alan attending the game picture-wise I thought I would include this professionally-shot video (by none other than Alan himself). Only those who watch South Park WAYYYY too often will get this one.... sorry. Typical Alan. :)





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