Can we build it?! YES WE CAN!!!

I literally just got off the phone from NWHD and we have been approved to start building!! WOWZA!! Crazy summer here we come! We start pre-construction classes the first week in June and when were done with those, we start building!! This time next year we will be moving into our very own house!! So much to think about!! So much to do! Colors, Decor, themes, building time...the list goes on and on!!

Anxiety

As you know Greg and I are waiting to be approved to build our home (check out House?! Post if you're unaware). The anxiety of the whole thing is killing us. We got the letter last Friday or Saturday that said our loan papers had been accepted to be processed (which i thought was funny). So now we're just waiting on the process to be...well...processed. Greg compares it to finding out the gender of a child, or the having the plans to ask me to marry him and just waiting for the day to arrive. We get tummy flutters every time we think about it. We just can't stand it any longer! We just want to know. So much is riding on this decision. We had plans for summer vacations that we won't be able to go on if we get approved (which we're ok with). We'll need to go buy tools (which is Greg's fav. part). Greg has plans for who knows what, but he's always planning something so he must! (right dear ;) LoL ) We're waiting on other people to make a decision so that we can do something ... which is something we don't do well, wait for other people's decisions that is. Greg has been keeping in touch with our NWHD rep and she's confident that we will be approved for the loan, but things happen and you never know. She estimated that we would find out in the next couple days so let's all keep our fingers crossed that she's right. We'll hear in the next couple days, and that we'll be approved!

My life IS Glamorous!

I spent the last weekend at my moms house with no kids! It was so nice to have a break from the everyday tantrums, whining, dishes, laundry, cooking, cleaning (which on Thursday, as far as I was concerned, that is what my life consisted of) Greg offered to stay home with the boys so I could have a break and spend time with my mom and dad. I left Friday afternoon and just got home today (Monday) about 230.

I always go to the branch with my mom (My dad serves as the ward clerk) when I go. The branch pres. loves the boys when I bring them so with or with out the boys, I go to the singles branch. S

We get to church and one of my HS friends walks in and sits in the back with her new hubby. I was Glad to see her but, lets face it, we weren't BEST friends so it's not like it was jumping up and down screaming to see that she was there. After sacrament as people flocked around her, I got up and went to Sunday school. My mom asked if I wanted to go say hi, and after looking and noticing that i would have to stand in line to do so, decided that it wasn't THAT important. Selfish? Maybe. We went to Sunday school, awesome lesson, and then relief society, awesome lesson, and then left for home. On they way home, after discussing it with my mother, I came to a realization.

I sat in sacrament meeting and listened to this old friend talk about her travels and her "glamorous" life with her hubby and couldn't help but feel insecure and think to my self "She's so lucky!! Once again she gets the fabulous life where she gets to travel the world and go places that I would love to see but most likely never will. I'm just a stay at home mom that wipes poopey butts, cleans up puke, gets drenched trying to get my 2 splashy kids clean at night, dishes, laundry, dishes, poopey butts, pukey floors, more laundry...and so on!" I sat there feeling insignificant and extremely insecure! Then my inner "You Rockness" kicked me in the butt and I was overwhelmed with this feeling of, WHO CARES!!!! Who cares if she travels the world. Who cares what she's doing. My life is glamorous! It's glamorous in a totally different way. While shes out going who knows where, I'm at home, with my kids. My 2 wonderful boys witnessing tiny miracles. Watching 2 little people learn and discover who they are, what they like, what they dislike, how to play with one another, learning and growing. I get to remind tiny spirits of who they are and where they come from. My Isaac, at 2, can count to 10 without assistance, he recently learned w.x.y.z of the alphabet. Our Gary just learned to crawl with his tummy off the floor, and now has 3 teeth with 1 more coming through. He pulls him self up and is getting braver about learning to walk. I have the privilege of comforting a crying baby simply by picking him up. I get to care for, love, and spend all day with children who love me and are perfectly happy spending all day at home playing with their mom and/or dad! It's not that her life isn't glamorous, or my life isn't glamorous! They are glamorous in totally different ways! So I've been trying to remember, my life is not one to compare to others. My life is just that, MINE!! It's only as glamorous as I make it. There's no getting away from poopy butts, spit up, dishes and laundry. I try to focus on the good in life, the teaching, the growing, the mini miracles.
I think we need to stop comparing our lives to that of others. So what if your house isn't as big as theirs. So what if you're not even in a house but so desperately want to be (me). If you have a roof, food, clothes and love, you've got it made!

Trip to Cali!

This last weekend we took a trip to California to visit my grandparents who have been serving a mission in Nauvoo for the past 2 yrs. They left 2 weeks before Isaac was born and had only seen him for 10 mins between flights when they flew back for a funeral.
It was a very short trip leaving Friday morning putting us there about 4 Friday afternoon (it's a good 7-7.5 hr drive) We got there and just relaxed, had a super yummy pork roast dinner. Saturday we went up to Mt. Shasta to play in the snow! and then back to the house to hang out some more. Isaac played outside, all day, everyday while we were there! Their yard is totally fenced off so it was nice to just turn him loose! It was nice weather (and by nice i mean low to mid 60's) and all in all very relaxing. Grampa showed me the garden, orchard and green house. gave me tips for my future garden and watering needs. I wish I had pics but silly me forgot the camera and believe it or not, I can't get my pics off my phone because our computer has no slot for memory cards....that I can find (help Greg!). We left Sunday morning and got home around 3 or 4. We had a blast and Grama and Grampa had a blast with the boys! they were down on the floor playing with them the whole time! I have never heard my Grama laugh so much in my entire life!! It was fun for Gary to meet his namesake and learn how to crawl while we were there. Isaac loved playing outside with the swing set, bike, wagon, and all the room he had to just run and be a curious little boy!!

House?!

Some exciting news!! Greg and I have recently qualified for the Northwest Housing Development program. For those of you who aren't familiar with this program it is similar to habitat for humanity except we pay for our house. There will be a group of 6 families building in our neighborhood, and we will all build each others house. We build in stages so we do every ones foundation, every ones framing, siding and so on. This way the houses are done about the same time. There is a professional on site to supervise and help, they do multiple inspections throughout this process, and they teach us how to properly build each part of the house. In the end we build over 65% of the house. They contract out plumbing, electrical, and the cabinetry. We are awaiting our load acceptance which we should find out about with in the next week or 2. If we are accepted, which we think looks pretty good, we can start building in June. They say to expect 10-12 months to build depending on how well the group works together. We're hoping our move in date would be between April and June. We would be moving up to Graham Wa. which is only about an hour from where we are now. We can have friends and family help which is great since we are required at least 35 hrs a week of building time. So if you're in the area and can swing a hammer (or are willing to babysit while we swing our hammers)....come on down!! You're our next contestant on build that house!!!!

I need Jeans!!!

I decided that I want to do something fun, easy and crafty. I tried the whole scrapbook thing and realized that until my kids are old enough to play by themselves all day, scrapbooks are not for me. One of my favorite blogs, Little Birdie Secrets, has had a tutorial on how to make a jean picnic quit and I decided that it looked easy enough. I was thinking it would be fun to keep in the car for park days or spur of the moment picnics on a Saturday afternoon coming this summer! So...here is my request! If you have any jeans that you were planning on getting rid of, send them my way! I'll need about 12 pairs, doesn't matter the size, adult or kids. Decorations on the jeans is just fine (it will add character!). I'm excited about this and think it would be a great starter project to my desire to be a little more crafty and "homemaker"ish. Let me know what you got!!! If you like you can email me.

Take me out to the Ball Game!!

We went to the BEST mariners Game last night!! And by We I mean Greg, Isaac, Ben (Greg's brother in-law) and myself. we decided to let Gary spend his 9 month bday with Greg's mom.

We were in the 7th row!! This was our view!! It came with a warning! "Please stay alert to bats and balls leaving the field" Sadly we didn't catch anything, balls or bats. They came close but not close enough.

Isaac got to meet the moose! He liked him clear up until Greg took the picture! As we walked away Isaac yelled "Thank you Moose!"

That's right!! That's Griffey!!! We got there early enough to watch the players warm up!

"That's where I'm hitting my 400th HR as a Mariner!!"

I don't know if that's what he was saying but that's what he did and that's where it went!!

It was fun to see him joke around and laugh with the other players!

Welcome home!!

Everyone in major league wore the #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson who was the first African American to step foot onto a baseball field! Last night was the 62nd anniversary of that and it was incredible to see!
And who can forget the other main event!!
I-CHI-RO!

I-CHI-RO!!

I-CHI-RO!!!

Isaac loved the game! He had a blast dancing and yelling! Every time the crowd cheered he would yell "BE QUIET!!!"

Here's Griffey doing what he does best! He hits...He runs!!!!

It was an Incredible night! Back to back home runs! An amazing catch off the wall by Gutierrez!!! Ichiro's Grand slam and Griffey's 400th home run as a mariner!! 7 runs in the 7th inning!! A win against the Angles 11-3!!!

Baseball season truly is our favorite time of the year! We go as often as we can. At least 1 mariners game and at least 1 Raineers Game (they are our minor league team). And if we can't go we watch!!

It is time. It is spring. With spring comes baseball!!! My oh My!!