Monday, December 21, 2009

and it begins!

Christmas break officially starts for the boys and me in about 15 minutes! We are going to pick Chad up for practice and then Aiden, Kian and I are spending the night at my parents. Chad will come tomorrow night after his basketball game. Our Christmas will be the morning of the 23rd at my parents. We will leave for Rochester, NY on the 24th and spend time up there until the 30th! I am so excited about this holiday season! I am determined have a wonderful time focusing on our families and on Jesus Christ and am determined to make lots of memories. Aiden especially is so excited and his new favorite thing is playing in the snow (which we now have about 5 inches of). However, he is getting gloves for Christmas, so he doesn't have any right now which limits his time outside.
We hope all of you (the 2 or 3 that read this blog :) ) have a wonderful merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

morning madness

This morning we were all eating breakfast. Aiden finished and went to take a bath. Kian was still eating his scrambled eggs. As Aiden was in the bath and Kian was in his booster, I took advantage of the few minutes and starting unloading the dishwasher. Literally I had turned my back for maybe 30 seconds and turned back around to see DISASTER. Kian had taken his scrambled eggs and thrown them all across the room. Let me tell you this kid has an arm! There was scrambled eggs in the carpet! Of course I had to take pictures of it!

A close up of the damage!

I put the boys in the tub and started cleaning up, a couple of seconds later I heard lots of splashing (never a good sign). Kian had dumped buckets of water onto the floor. Yikes. At least I have a decent sense of humor. After cleaning the bathroom floor and washing the boys, I took to the kitchen and cleaned it up. I am finally done and am able to sit down for a couple of minutes. Kian is such a little stinker! Life is never dull with these two!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

update

All is well here in Auburn! We have had a great Christmas season (so far). It has been very neat to see Aiden really get into the Christmas spirit. This is the first year he has really enjoyed it and has asked so many questions regarding Christmas. He seems to be growing up so darn fast and I just want it all to slow down! Yesterday after he woke up from his nap, he asked me if we could just sit on the couch and share a blanket. It was so sweet! It is hard to believe that he is almost 4 years old. He is still a daddy's boy though. He is in love with his daddy. I could not be happier with that! Chad is a fantastic father and truely loves being with his boys.
The boys love going to Chad's basketball games. It's a bit stressful though. Watching 2 very active boys and at the same time trying to watch a basketball game can be a little difficult. Chad's team is quite young and has been hammered by injuries. All is all they are doing great, but there have been lots of challenges!
This last week I had the volleyball team over and we decorated sugar cookies and then made plates of various cookies for shut-ins and other various people. We had a great time delivering cookies and it was a very humbling time for me. These elderly women were gems. Not only were they godly woman, they had a way about them that made me want to stay and talk to them, as if I'd known them for years. I wanted to hear their stories of their lives and listen to their advice. They encouraged ME, even though we were trying to encourage them. They were leaving such a godly heritage. I was once again aware what a great family I have. I am so thankful for the legacy my parents have left for me and my children. I always want my kids to know ALL their grandparents and see them often and see how they live.
It's been a little hard for me not seeing all of my family this year. I miss all of the laughs and special memories of us all being together. Part of me is afraid that the relationships won't grow and we'll become distant. But then I realize that God has placed us all at different places and as much as I would like us to all live nearby, that isn't going to happen (at least not right now). It takes effort to keep relationships going; however, its an effort I want to give! Now that we have moved, it's hard to continually keep in touch with people...even though I want to. Life just sorta happens.
I have been in a very contemplative mood recently. I feel as though I am constantly evaluating myself. I have learned quite a bit and am working through lots of stuff. I am so thankful for a God who hears me when I'm feeling irritated and irrational and is patiently molding me into a better wife, mother, and child of God. I am definitely a slow learner and that really frustrates me! I want to "get it" quickly.
I am still struggling a little with not having much of a network of friends here. At times it's hard being a stay at home mom and not having women to get together with or someone to watch the boys if I want a haircut or have an appointment. Still we have much to be thankful and that's what I must choose to focus on.
Our Christmas will be quite busy. Tuesday after Chad's game we are going to my parents for Christmas and then Christmas Eve are leaving for Rochester, NY to spend Christmas with his family. We'll come back the 30th and then he has a basketball tournament on the 2nd and then we'll celebrate Chad and Aiden's birthday on the 3rd! We hope you all have a very merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

18 month checkup

Kian had his 18 month checkup today (yes he is 19 months though). The kid's head is huge! He is 93% in head circumference! He is 33 in. tall which is 60% and 25 and 1/2 lbs which is 39%. He hates the doctor. I mean HATES the doctor. He basically screams from the time the nurse comes in at the beginning until after the nurse gives him his shots at the end. He just doesn't like new people very much. I think it freaks him out. The doctor said this is normal for his age, but this "stage" has been going on for about a year! Kian also has meluscum (Aiden had it too). It is a viral infection that manifests itself on the skin. It can last for years and is very hard to get rid of. Aiden went through a long process to get rid of his and he still has some. Kian also has eczema and might have croup. All in all he is quite healthy. I think both of my boys just have sensitive skin.
Needless to say, with Kian crying a lot and Aiden not obeying well, it was a long appt! I am glad we are finished with it, but am very thankful for healthy kids!

Monday, December 7, 2009

oh man, I'm in trouble.

Kian is now 19 months old. Crazy how time flies. He is quickly flying into terrible two! We are realizing the child has quite a temper. He is my little mischevious little booger! Yesterday Chad was sleeping on the couch and I was on the other couch. Chad had set down his soda can on the floor. Well, Kian picked it up and poured it all over Chad. Obviously, Chad woke up with quite a start and flung the blanket and jumped up. Soda was everywhere, on the computer, blanket, couch, carpet, Chad...everywhere!! We have about a 8-10 in. stain in the carpet. I have tried to scrub it with Resolve, but it is still bad. Any ideas of how to get it out? It was really very funny, but I would prefer no lasting damage!
Today I went to Walmart to print out Christmas cards. Both of the boys were struggling a little bit so I gave Kian my tinted lip gloss to hold on to, not thinking he would be able to unscrew it. I was wrong! I turned around after hearing Aiden say, "mom, Kian is red!" Kian had unscrewed it and literally painted his face with it. If I wasn't using the camera for the Christmas cards, I would of taken a picture. People in Walmart just stopped and stared. I told them, "it's lipstick." Then they proceeded to laugh. Yup, that's my Kian! This is a whole new ballgame for us! Aiden never did any of this! At least I will have lots of stories and memories!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

I love Christmas!


When decorating for Christmas, my sister gave me the idea of hanging ornaments from the boys room to get them excited about it too. I love it! This is Kian's room.

This is Aid's room.
Dining room table centerpiece. That's our new clock and light fixture too.


Our tree!

Seriously, it's my favorite holiday! Each year I can't wait to put up the Christmas decorations and listen to Christmas music. I love trying to find gifts my family would love and it's such a great time to focus on what Christ did for us. It's just....ahhh...delightful. Not to skip Thanksgiving... that's important too!

We had a great Thanksgiving! Chad's mom was visiting from NY and we spent the day at my Aunt Anne's. There were probably around 25 of us gathering around the food! It was quite relaxing and just nice to catch up with everyone. Chad and I have so much to be thankful for! Even though every year we have so much to be thankful for, this year seems even more so. At a time where the country is in a recession, our family was been blessed! We were able to purchase our first house, pay off Chad's braces, Chad took a new position at a new school, we have been very healthy, and so on. God has been so gracious to us!
The day after Thanksgiving, I decided to venture out on Black Friday to shop. I had a blast! Some places like Target I literally walked in, saw the lines, and walked out. However, the mall traffic wasn't too terrible and neither were the lines. I got some fantastic deals and am pretty much done with my shopping! The best thing about the whole thing was that I was able to do it by myself! I am usually with the boys when I am shopping and hence can't focus or spend time doing what I want. It was actually a relaxing day for me!
The boys are doing great! Aiden continues to grow like a weed. He has been wearing his size 4 levis for about 4 months now and they are almost too short for him now. Hard to imagine he's now almost in size 5! He just is getting huge! I can't believe that he will be 4 in January! I think he is quite ready to go to preschool. I know he will love it! Kian still won't say mommy. He says momma (but doesn't call me that). Any time I ask him to say mommy, he says daddy. Oh well, someday I will probably wish that he didn't know how to say mommy! He loves to get into everything (including the christmas tree) and is getting very good at playing by himself. Aiden did not accomplish this feat until about 6 months ago! Kian is still my lash out/temper child. Oh boy, he has a doosey! However, he also is such a cuddler and a joy. He is definitely all boy! Everyday they bring so much life to our family.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

visitors

The last couple of day Chad's sister Courtney was here for a visit. It's been nice to have her here. She's the first one to stay overnight in our house with us. Aiden, we've been putting to bed, in our room and then moving him into the walk-in closet when we are ready to go to bed. It's gone pretty well. I generally haven't been sleeping well, but that's nothing new. I did convince Courtney and Chad to run with me and one other person (we hope it will be Courtney's friend Kiersten) in a Marathon relay in Buffalo May 30, NY. I am so excited. We would all run a 10k except the anchor who would run a 12K. It will give me motivation to run and what a cool thing to accomplish together!
Today we were in Picture People taking Kian's 18 month pictures. Santa was there taking pictures and stuff with other customers. Santa eventually came over and sat next to me and Aiden. I looked at Aiden all excited and said, "Aiden, who is that??" Aiden looked at me questioningly and said, "Christmas boy?" I laughed so hard! I looked at him and said, "actually he is a man." Santa I think was wondering what type of mom doesn't teach her son about Santa. I wish I would of said, "we teach him about Christ, not Santa." However, I do think that Santa will always now be "Christmas boy" to me.
The boys have been difficult recently. Kian is going through a serious "no" stage. He has no problem looking right at me and saying, "no." It's as if he is thinking, "there is no way you can make me do that." What has been difficult is that he doesn't say yes yet. Everything is no. So it's hard to discipline. Today though I am realizing certain times that I know he means "no". Like I told him to come to me tonight and he looked at me and said "No" and ran away. He wasn't too happy with the result of his comment. He also is screaming a lot. Just to scream. No real reason. He just likes screaming. Aiden is really struggling with obeying the first time. Everything is a bit of attitude and he loves to annoy his brother, (and vise versa). Patience is coveted right now! Today was difficult with me to have that. Tomorrow I'm even more nervous about. We have to drive Courtney back to Indy which is over a 2 and a half hour drive one way. Please pray for patience and good behavior (for all of us).

Friday, November 13, 2009

exercise

I've been trying to get back on the exercise bandwagon. I have started doing Jillian Michaels DVD and it is killing me! It's a little difficult exercising with Kian trying to wrap himself around my legs as I am trying to kick them in the air! He is starting to get used to it and playing as I workout. Today he did decide to sit on my stomach as I was trying to do sit-ups...not the easiest. I am trying to decide if I should commit to a half marathon in May in Indy. I know it's a big decision. I absolutely hate running, but I love how I feel after I run. Still 13 miles is a long time to run! One of the friends from Elkhart wants me to do it with her, so we'll see! Tomorrow I am playing in a volleyball tournament in Fort Wayne. I am very excited! It's been a long time since I have played for real with other adults! Hopefully I won't do terrible! Chad has officially started basketball and it is going very well. The week however has gone a little slower now that he is gone more often. I am looking forward to games starting and being able to take the boys. I love going to Chad's games!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

where is hell??

yeah, I know, I'm a terrible blogger. We've been so busy doing stuff on the house and basketball just started. It's a bad excuse I know. I can't believe that it's already November! Not just that, it's November 11! Where does time go? Kian is 18 months old! Wow..that's amazing. There was a time I didn't know if he would even make it to 18 months with how much he cried and now what a complete joy he is to our family. He has so much charisma that draws people to him. I am so blessed that God gave me such wonderful children!


The boys loved trick or treating. Aiden went as Zorro and Kian was a lion. Aiden especially had a blast!
Auburn had it's trick or treating on the 30th. After that we went to Elkhart and the next morning mom and I went to Chicago to buy a few things for the house. Our check came from the government for our house which in itself is huge! Our realtor told me that not one of her clients has received it yet. They amended their taxes in June and still have yet to get their check. We amended ours the end of September and received it 4 weeks later! I was praying that we would get it before I left for Chicago with mom so I had more freedom to purchase some things... it came 4 days before. I had so much fun! We went to Ikea, Lowes, Home Goods, and several other places. I was able to get art, pillows, other decor, a bookcase, faucet, light fixtures, etc. The light fixtures still aren't up, but everything else is! It's been so much fun getting the house the way I want it. Seriously, so much fun!

The boys and I drove past a cemetary yesterday and Aiden commented on how dead people were there. I started talking to him how it was just their bodies that were in the cemetary. Humans have souls and either go to heaven or hell when they die. We talked for a while about what each were and how to go to heaven. It was basically left there. Before bedtime, Aiden asked me, "Mommy, where's hell?" Chad and I talked to him a little more about it. I don't think he understands much yet about it, however, I am glad that the conversations are starting about God. My prayer is some day in the near future he will understand that being a Christian is not about religion, but about a relationship. I don't want him to not to want to go to hell because there is fire and burning. I want him to want to be where God is for all of eternity. Last night was a good reminder to me of how much I need to be praying for my boys salvation. It really is the only thing that matters for them. Who cares if they are good athletes or love music or can say their ABC's. Nothing matters but Christ!

Friday, October 23, 2009

pictures of the new house

pictures of the inside of the house. this is aiden's room.
Kian's room-- part of it.

The main bath.


part of the living room



our bedroom. I love the vaulted ceilings!


the living room. I love how it opens up to part of the backyard.

the eat in kitchen. I am still looking for wall decorations for this wall and for my bedroom!
rest of the kitchen. Eventually we want to get matching microwave and dishwasher, but that's the future.

the rest of Aiden's room. I love his room.

This house is great!

injuries!

At our volleyball game last night, Aiden had a bit of an accident and fell on the bleachers. He bit through his lip with 4 teeth, one of which bit all the way through. He's a bit of a mess, but he's doing okay! Today he is acting a lot more like himself and is starting to eat. I am so thankful it is not more serious!

Monday, October 19, 2009

we are well! Finally!

It looks as though the sickness bug if finally leaving our house! This weekend was miserable for me. The boys finally seemed to be feeling better and then it hit me. Today I am better than yesterday. I am hopeful that it will not hit Chad. He seems to be invincible to sickness somehow.
The boys are doing great. Aiden has been in the habit of saying, "I really think I'm right." to everything he thinks is right. For example, at lunch he told me that he didn't like his sandwich and I replied that his sandwich was good and he needed to eat it. He replied, "I really think I'm right." Let's just say that didn't fly with mommy. I'm realizing we are reaching a different stage with Aiden. It's no longer an obeying issue as much, it's more a manipulating, attitude problem. It weird to think that he is almost 4 years old! I am amazed that he will be in school next year! Kian's big thing right now is saying "no" to everything. Even if he actually means yes, it doesn't matter. He is communicating better, but without words. He points and grunts to what he wants. Hopefully soon he will talk!
Sectionals for volleyball is this Thursday. I'm a little nervous! Our new window for the house is getting installed today. I am very happy about that! I can finally open and shut my bedroom window!
Shan and Everson are coming today from Spokane! I am very excited to spend some time with them! Overall, life is good!
We have so much to be thankful for!

Monday, October 12, 2009

sickness

We have been battling sickness in our house the last couple of days. Both boys are still struglling. Aiden I think is getting better. Both still have bad coughs, but no fever. I am keeping them inside for the next couple of days.
We were at my parents for the weekend. The boys stayed with them while Chad and I went away for the night. We had a great time and actually got a great night's sleep! Woo hoo!
My sister comes to visit in a week. I get to officially meet Everson! I am so excited to see them! I am hoping that Chad's sister Courtney is coming this weekend too. What a fun week! (as long as the boys feel better)

Thursday, October 8, 2009

I love fall!

Fall used to be my least favorite season. Everything dies! However, the older I get the more I love fall. I love the colors changing, I love the lack of humidity and love that it's finally sweatshirt weather! This last Sunday, pastor spoke about fall and the dying leaves and how it shows him that death can be beautiful. Simply because death is not the end! God did not create the leaves to immediately wither, turn brown, and die. He created beautiful colors as the leaves begin to die. It's a great reminder that death is not the end, really it's the beginning!
Volleyball is going well still. It will be a very busy next couple of weeks. Sectionals start in 2 weeks! Both boys are sick right now. Kian woke up with a fever and Aiden has been battling a nasty cough the last couple of days. He can barely speak, he's so hoarse.
I am officially 30. Wow, where has the time gone! I am really looking forward to my 30's. Life changed so much in my 20's, I am hoping for some stability and settling in the 30's! Chad is taking me away for the weekend. I cannot communicate how excited I am! We are actually only going to Mishawaka. We found an excellent deal on Priceline and we are just going to hang out, watch a couple of movies and relax! It sounds wonderful!

I took these pics of the boys yesterday. They are growing so fast!
The boys hanging out on the couch together. This does not happen that often!
Oh the tackling that occurs in this family! Aiden better get his shots now, I have a feeling Kian will be able to take Aiden when he's older!
Yes, Aiden is that much taller than Kian right now!
Such a cute smile!
He has become such a great kid! I just love him to pieces.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

oh the joys of homeownership!

I love my house...seriously it is the coolest feeling to know that this house is ours (well, and the banks). However, we are starting to realize that when things break, there is no landlord to fix them! Our lawnmower just died this last week...half-way through mowing. Also our laptop just died too so that's why I can't write many blogs... no internet for now! Last night we realized that we had no hot water. Thankfully the pilot light was just out, but it can be a little scary owning a home too!
Today Kian had his 15 month check-up (little late I know seeing that he is almost 17 months). He hasn't gained much weight or grown too much recently. He is now in the 45th percentile for weight and 50th for height. Down right average huh. However, his head is in the 90th! That child has a noggin on him!
I am waiting for one of the boys to get injured enough to have to go to the ER. They can hit each other man! Even though they get disciplined, it doesn't matter. Kian especially! Yesterday he hit Aiden as hard as he could with a metal dustpan on Aid's back. It left a nice scratch. 2 days before, Kian hit Aiden with a lego square in the nose. Aid still is bruised from that one. Aiden yesterday in the car threw a full sippy cup square in Kian's face. Kian now has scratches on his nose. What is it with boys?? Seriously, girls just tease each other, we don't physically fight! (unless you have Travis as a brother and then sometimes you are forced to fight :0) We are trying to teach them, but I don't know if they are getting it! They also now know what buttons to push to get the other one upset. The boys are so different that it doesn't take much! Still, they are great boys with each one having a ton of personality! Aiden told me the other day, "mommy, I think we need another baby." Yikes. Don't really need that right now! He seriously would love us to have another 10 babies. He is a great big brother! Kian on the other hand...

Friday, September 25, 2009

It's official!



Everson LaShay is now officially going to be a Davis! I am so excited to meet this little blessing!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

everson

Shan and Russ are in North Carolina trying to adopt a little girl. She was born yesterday. Her name is Everson. Shan was in the room during the c-section. Everson was 7 lbs 11oz and 19 and 3/4 in long. Please pray for them! We are very ready to welcome our new neice to the family! Shan and Russ will know Friday if she is theirs.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

moving day!

This has to be short because I still have a lot to do! Life has been a blur for the last couple of days! We are officially homeowners!! Woo hoo! I absolutely love this house! God has blessed us over abundantly! Today we are moving in! Chad was up until 4:30 painting last night to prepare. Mom came yesterday and helped the whole day with painting, cleaning, packing, etc. It has been so appreciated! Our administrator came and mowed our lawn and brought us dinner last night. Our friend Don stayed until 2 helping paint and shampooing the carpets! God has blessed us with so many wonderful people! I can't wait to get into our new house! I have to go finish packing and cleaning our apartment now! More to come!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

a house at last!

This is our new house! Praise God! The closing is on Friday and we move in on Sunday. I only gave exterior pictures because the owner was in the process of moving out and it was a pigsty! We are so excited to move in and have a place of our own! Everything should be in order and I just need to make sure that the title company puts something on the hud form. I will make sure to post pictures of the inside of the house once we move in.

We have a privacy fence around part of the yard, put the property goes all the wall to the big trees in the back.
This was taken from the living room looking outside. We have a decent sized enclosed gated area wich will be nice for the boys (and me). The owner is an artist and lets just say that he had some interesting decorating choices! The fence is covered with things he has bolted to it including some of the following: skulls and crossbones, golf clubs, bats, pictures, frames, balls, and much more. It will be interesting if he leaves it all for us!

This last week we had Chad's dad, Lyle and stepmom, Maureen with us. We had a great time with them! It was great to have family in and it made the days go faster! They stayed in a hotel here and it had an indoor pool. You can only image the amount of fun the boys had in the pool! Aiden swam with just his floaties on for the first time. Thanks so much for coming guys!
I will be coming to Elkhart on Thursday to meet with La Casa for the last time. Hopefully everything will work out to get the federal IDA seeing that the money expires at the end of September! We had to just buy our first appliances. We thought it was in the contract for us to get the ones with the house, but apparently, it was accidently excluded. Boy, appliances can be very expensive! Thankfully, we found a great deal at like a mom and pop store in Fort Wayne and they will be delivered on Friday.
On this last Saturday, I noticed that Kian was getting all sorts of red bumps on his face, hands, feet, neck, etc. I thought it might have been chicken pox, so yesterday I took him to the doctor. Apparently, he has a virus internally that manifests itself by bullseye looking spots on the body. Thankfully it should go away without any treatment in a few weeks. The move couldn't come at a better time for us. Kian is still getting up every night and sleep has definitely been lacking! It will be nice to be able to let him cry. Thank you everyone for all of the prayers for us concerning the house and Kian sleeping! It is so appreciated!



The boys are getting so big! Kian especially seems to grow up more everyday!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

This too shall pass...right??

Generally I put the pictures at the end, but thought I would post the pictures first and then write about recent happenings in the Hibbard household.
He is so funny!


Aiden getting ready to put Kian's hood up.

My little cutie patootie!

I mentioned this picture a couple of blogs back, but never posted it. Aiden wanted to "give Kian a hand." Yes, I took this when I was driving. Don't worry, I was careful!


At Headwater's park in Fort Wayne. The boys have a blast there!



Kian's favorite thing to do right now is throw balls. Every time he sees Chad he actually shoots and makes a "swish" noise with his mouth. Now here's the update!

It was an interesting morning to say the least. Kian has been in a terrible mood recently and when he's in a terrible mood...everyone is affected! Aiden recently has been struggling with hitting Kian. I think sometimes he thinks its his responsibility to discipline Kian. Anyway, we have told him numerous times about it and well, Kian was crying (again) this morning and Aiden hit him in the stomach, not real hard, but that's not the point! I told Aiden to go to his room and he started crying as well. Any time that I was not holding Kian this morning, he would scream. I could not hold him and take care of the Aiden situation, so down went Kian. I went into Aid's room and talked to him and he proceeded to lie to me about 4 times about it. Well, Kian walked in screaming, I disciplined Aiden who was screaming. I actually thought our neighbors might call the police. It was sheer madness for about 10 minutes! I could not believe how loudly they were screaming! It was as if they were having a contest seeing who could scream louder. Today the winner was Aiden. After they calmed down (it's a little difficult to calm down 2 screaming boys at the same time!), we left (I had to get out of the house) and went to Walmart.
Both of the boys have caught a cold. It seems as though everyone is getting sick right now! The last two nights both boys slept through the night, but wow it was a tough stretch for a while! Kian was waking up about 3 times a night and not going right back to sleep (it would take a good half hour each time) Aiden was waking up twice a night (he would go right back to sleep though). Chad and I literally felt as though we had an infant again. We were so sleep deprived! Praise God that we have gotten decent sleep the last two nights! Hopefully the worst is behind us. I keep on thinking, "this won't last forever Laura, just be patient." I figure continuing to tell myself it might make me believe it!
We still don't know when the closing on the house is going to be. We were told last night that we might not know until TWO days before! That's not a while lot of time, but oh well... bring it on! Please continue to pray that all of the details get worked out! There are still MANY things that need to be accomplished before we buy the house.

Tomorrow my team plays ECA in volleyball. I am looking forward to it, but am also quite nervous! It is at ECA at 6 (JV) and 7 (Varsity). Chad and I are just going to stay for Labor day weekend then. We would love to see any who could come to the game! (as long as you cheer for my team! J/K (That's "just kidding" for all of the non computer lingo people).

Friday, August 28, 2009

house!

We just found out that the closing on the house should be in 2-2 1/2 weeks! There are still so many details that need to be done, so this is just a rough estimate. I went to Elkhart yesterday to sit down with our Lacasa consultant and now I feel much better about it. It been a busy couple of weeks for sure! I'm sure this next week will be just as busy! Volleyball isn't quite as busy as what is has been which will be nice!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

oh the memories!

We came home from Walmart tonight and were getting ready to give the boys a bath. Chad took off Kian's diaper and literally like 4 sec. later, Kian poops all over the carpet. As I got the paper towels and carpet cleaner (and camera!), we cleaned Kian and put him in the bath. A minute later, Aiden yells out that there is poopy in the bath. Yup...Kian strikes again! Aiden stwas arted freaking out about it and then, yup...Kian struck a third time. We finally got Aiden settled down and drained the water. Kian was quite happy the whole time. He even tried to catch the "floaties"! It was quite funny (at least I thought so, Chad has another thought). Anyways, that was the drama of the night.
We had the inspection on the house yesterday. Everything is good except for a window that needs to be replaced because of rotting wood and smoke detectors need to be placed in the bedrooms. So, hopefully we should close in 2-3 weeks! YEAH! One huge prayer request though: I have been trying to understand what is needed on our end from Lacasa for the HUD 1 statement in order to get the $8,000 dollars. It has been very confusing and I feel as though our consultant has given different answers. I am going to call tomorrow to make an appt with him in Goshen to try to figure it all out. It is coming down to crunch time and we really don't want to lose the money based on a technicality. Please pray that I can get some answers and that I can get an appt quickly and that it will be okay to miss volleyball practice if needed. We haven't heard about the appraisal officially, but unofficially we have been told that everything is fine. I'll still feel better once I learn about the exact number.
Volleyball wise, my team beat Canterbury last night and that was pretty exciting. It's been a little difficult to stay focused right now with everything. My mind is a little focused on the house. I'll feel a lot better when this is all over!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

volleyball tourney


My volleyball team had a tournament yesterday in Elwood, IN. We WON! woo hoo! They wre so excited because they have never won a trophy before so it was a big deal to them. I was so proud of them! We played 4 matches and really the best 4 teams of the tourney (there were 8 teams total) and we beat them all! It was so great to see them win close games against teams that were probably better skilled all around than us! I think teams think it will be easy to beat us because we only have 6 girls on the team. I also think my girls like being the underdogs! All that to say I was very proud of them!

Friday, August 21, 2009

Headwater Park

This morning I took the boys to Fort Wayne to a new park that I looked up on the internet. Supposedly, there were fountains/sprinklers for them to play in. I had a basic idea of where I was going, but that was it. Well, I had to turn around in the downtown but found it rather quickly despite never finding the road I was supposed to turn on! It is a huge park! There are concerts there every week in the summer. It is right in the heart of Fort Wayne. We found the large fountains/sprinklers quickly and so we stayed there the entire time. Aiden and Kian LOVED it! The sprinklers came up and down from the ground. Aiden had a great time running through them. It was so nice to let them run and yell! We were the only ones there and they just had a blast! I forgot my camera in the car, so no pictures to post today! I can't wait to walk around the place and see if there is playground equipment and other stuff for the boys to do. After that I changed them and we went to the mall to grab a quick lunch. It was such a fun day! Aid and Kian are now napping and then I have volleyball practice.
We heard from our realtor today. The appraisal was done and we are waiting to hear the results from it. She is very hopeful based on the fact that the appraiser used the comps that the other realtor used to price the house. If that works out then on to the inspection! Please keep praying!
Tomorrow I have an all day volleyball tournament that is 2 hours away. Last night the girls played and fought very hard, but lost. I was very proud of them. The other team was much better than us, but we put ourselves in a position to win....baby steps right?? Hopefully by the end of the season, we will beat teams like that!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

update

Sooo, it's been a while huh?! Sorry. Life has been a little hectic for us recently! Volleyball has officially begun. This week alone my team had games Mon, Tues, practice tonight, game tomorrow, practice Fri, and tourney Sat. It's crazy! We won our first game on Monday and lost our game yesterday. It's been going very well so far!

Chad started teaching today! He was so nervous. We were up until past midnight last night doing lesson plans and getting rules and procedures down etc. I know he will do a great job! The elementary principle up and took another job a week ago which SHOCKED everyone. She is staying for a month to help get the school year started. Because of this, the administrator has asked Chad to consider being in charge of all of the discipline for the elementary this year. Chad has decided to take it. He went back and forth about it, but thought he could be very good at it. Not to mention it looks good on a resume (not that we are looking). He will still be teaching all elementary PE, but during his free time will deal with any discipline issues.
The house is still in holding pattern. Please pray that we close before September 30! I will be just sick if we don't! I talked to our landlord today and he told me (quite nicely) that the people downstairs from us had complained about the pounding/jumping noises that the boys make. I felt so badly about it! It has been very difficult to keep the boys not active in the house! They are used to tackling each other (and daddy) and playing and running around. It's hard to keep them quiet! I have decided that I am going to spend a lot more time at parks! I want to be a good testimony to our neighbors and it seems as though everyone is a bit rude (basically we are just ignored). I don't know if they have told their friends that we are loud or whatever, but I feel guilty most of the time. Kian is struggling right now too. He is screaming quite a bit and is pretty clingy most of the time. How do I parent the way that we feel is best (letting him cry/scream) and still be a good neighbor? I feel as though Kian is getting his way more than I want him to, which helps no one in the end. I just keep praying that God helps me to be patient! We had the boys pictures taken at Picture People. Kian lasted about 3 pictures before the temper tantrums started. Then...it was just over! Aiden was an angel (like normal) However, we did get a couple of good pics of the boys. Here are a couple of them:


Yesterday we were all in the car going to my volleyball game and Kian was screaming because he did not like the sun in his face. Aiden said the following to him:

"It's okay Kian. Pretty soon we are going to be in the gym and there won't be any sun in the gym. God keeps the sun outside. So it's okay."

It was one of those moments that Chad and I just looked at each other and smiled. So precious! A couple of days ago Kian was crying in the car again and Aiden said, "It's okay Kian. Here, let me give you a hand." I looked in the backseat and Aid and Kian were holding hands. Kian was looking at Aiden and smiling. It was the cutest thing! I got my camera out and tried to take a picture of it.

We really are doing pretty well. We are going to visit a different church this Sunday. We have been going to Lakewood's church, but have decided to visit a couple of other ones. We miss all of our friends and family at Elkhart. We love you!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

laundry time!

Yesterday we went out to do our laundry. Oh how I miss my washer and dryer! However, it was so neat to see the boys play together! They truly love each other and enjoy being together! Yesterday my mom and grandma came up for a few hours. It was just delightful. I have such a great family! I told Aiden that Nana was coming and he said, "oh, I'm going to bring her a big, big hug!" It was quite cute!

Where we now do our laundry!
Kian sitting all by himself on the chair. Man he is growing up sooo fast!

I love that they love being together!

Chad doing push-ups with Aiden.
We are waiting for our clothes! Good times!

Today, Chad left the room real quick and came back to find Kian standing on top of our glass end table. Oh boy! Kian also can climb up on the couch, usually he pulls something over and steps on it to climb up, smart boy!

Kian stepped on Aiden's toy golf clubs to pull himself up on the couch. He is very proud of himself!

Kian and Aid playing on the couch together. They love each other!
Aiden is sitting on Kian's lap. Kian enjoyed it too!

Volleyball has started and it has gone quite well. I already really care for these girls and we are having a good time together. I only have 6 girls on varsity, but I actually prefer that I think! No one will complain about playing time! All 6 are good girls and I have high hopes for the season. Thanks for praying!

We are still waiting on the house. Hopefully the appraisal will be done somewhat soon! God has been very good to us here in Auburn and we have met some wonderful people already!