As many of you know, Kevin and I have been looking to "upgrade" our housing situation. We live in a cozy 2 bedroom/2bath condo/townhouse that I bought 5 years ago this month. Happy anniversay. :-) But anyways. It is quite comfortable for Kevin, Calla and I, and we love our neighbors so we don't ever want to leave. However, we are accumulating more things as time moves on and eventually we will have to move out. Not to mention Kevin wants a place to use tools and land where he can mow a lawn, etc. We love this neighborhood, but we can afford what we are in. (This area is REALLY expensive) When we do move out, we will actually keep the place we are in and rent it out. Of course we would not be able to do that if we weren't getting some financial assistance from my Dad. He is giving us a down payment on our future place, so we can con't to build equity (we have 200,000 equity now), and even make money off the rental until the market is great to sell. What a relief that is.
Well, what many of you don't know is that kevin and I put an offer on a house last Friday. It was about 3600 sq. ft. victorian built in 99 with all the upgrades (granite, new paint, carpets, hardwoods, recessed lighting, etc.). It was in a town called Vienna, which is about 20 minutes from our current place, and it sat on a 1 acre lot. P-E-R-F-E-C-T. Well, not perfect for us. We got word from our real estate agent last night that there were 4 contracts on the place, and they did not take ours. I was quite bummed out when we got the call. Partially because of the deja-vu. In September we put a contract on a 5 bedroom brick colonial with an in-ground pool. There were 4 contracts, and they didn't take ours. Get this....on both of the houses we were the number 2 person. On the first house, someone put a cash offer down, so they took that, and on this one, someone outbid us. F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-I-N-G!!!! I hope the saying of "Third times a charm" is correct.
It is just hard when you get your hopes up so high. I started to think of where what furniture would go where, and how I would go to work, and what we needed to buy. You get really excited and then you feel dumb for all the premature thoughts. I truely believe that everything happens for a reason, so I know we weren't meant to have that house (either one for that matter), but since it happened twice, well, it kinda sucks! I KNOW there is a house out there for us, and it won't be long before we find it. In the meantime, we will just spend time with the neighbors that we love. :-)
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Jodi Picoult
In the past few weeks, I have been entirely addicted to Jodi Picoult novels. She writes amazing stories, and captures you right from the start. I have recently read her latest novels from about 2002 and on. These include Nineteen Minutes which is about a school shooting in a small town, Vanishing Acts which has to do with kidnapping, the Tenth Circle which is about a rape case, and My Sisters Keeper which is about a girl genetically conceived to be a donor for her older sister who is sick with cancer. My favorite of these books is My Sisters Keeper, which is currently being filmed and is due out in 2009. The actors playing in it are Cameron Diaz, Alec Baldwin, and Abagail Breslin. Also, if anyone is interested in the tenth circle, it is airing on Lifetime on June 28th. You can check out the authors website (www.jodipicoult.com) for more information, pictures, etc. If anyone out there is interested in some great reads, this author comes highly recommended!!!!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Already missed!
As you know, we just had the Bradley clan here for a week visit. We had so much fun while they were here and I hate to see them gone. We are a bunch of sad puppies without them around. I am not sure Calla will know what to do tomorrow morning when Jakey isn't around to feed her his breakfast.
The last time we saw them was in November...before Jakey was even walking and before Caleb was using the potty. Time sure does change them, and I wish we could see them more often. I just have to brag about how incredibly sweet Caleb is at 4 years old. He uses please and thank you, and after we do anything he says things like "Aunt MoMo, I had so much fun, thanks for taking me to the airplanes". Also, when I walk in the door from work and he runs up to me and gives me a hug. He enjoys being around me now and i hope he doesn't "outgrow" this stage in life....or at least not for awhile. Also, he is so well behaved and smart. I even got to teach him how to write his name. Little jakey could just melt your heart by showing you his little grin and his adorable laugh is contagious. I love this stage he is in because he gets into everything. It may not be so "cute" to his parents, but he is just such an inquisitive boy. I also think he will be the sports star...he loves playing with any ball and he definitely likes to throw things. :-)
It was also nice to visit with Ronnie and Carmen. We got to reminisce and laugh about things that have happened in the past, watch movies, catch up on things happening in the past 6 months, and discuss future plans. Of course this was mostly all done during naps or after bedtime for Caleb and Jakey. As they know, they are more than welcome to come up any time. They can also drop the kids off for a weekend and get away by themselves if they want. The best option would be for them to move up here and live close, but I think we all know the chances of that are slim. Thanks for a great trip up here guys. We already miss you!!!
The last time we saw them was in November...before Jakey was even walking and before Caleb was using the potty. Time sure does change them, and I wish we could see them more often. I just have to brag about how incredibly sweet Caleb is at 4 years old. He uses please and thank you, and after we do anything he says things like "Aunt MoMo, I had so much fun, thanks for taking me to the airplanes". Also, when I walk in the door from work and he runs up to me and gives me a hug. He enjoys being around me now and i hope he doesn't "outgrow" this stage in life....or at least not for awhile. Also, he is so well behaved and smart. I even got to teach him how to write his name. Little jakey could just melt your heart by showing you his little grin and his adorable laugh is contagious. I love this stage he is in because he gets into everything. It may not be so "cute" to his parents, but he is just such an inquisitive boy. I also think he will be the sports star...he loves playing with any ball and he definitely likes to throw things. :-)
It was also nice to visit with Ronnie and Carmen. We got to reminisce and laugh about things that have happened in the past, watch movies, catch up on things happening in the past 6 months, and discuss future plans. Of course this was mostly all done during naps or after bedtime for Caleb and Jakey. As they know, they are more than welcome to come up any time. They can also drop the kids off for a weekend and get away by themselves if they want. The best option would be for them to move up here and live close, but I think we all know the chances of that are slim. Thanks for a great trip up here guys. We already miss you!!!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Lists...
So, I have been cleaning my house for the past 2 days for a few reasons. First of all, I had a baby shower here yesterday (success!!!), secondly, it needed to be done, and third of all, we have RCCJ coming next weekend (yea!!!!). I just happened to find lists everywhere that i had written. To do lists, grocery lists, lists of houses, lists of CEU's to take, wish lists and so on. Now, I know I like to write things down, and it feels good to cross things off lists, but I didn't realize I made EVERYTHING into a list. So, I decided to talk about vacations in this blog:
Vacations to go on (now this is the condensed version because it could be forever long)
1. Paris
2. South African safari
3. Italy
4. Ireland
5. Costa Rica
6. Peru
7. Disney World ( I have been here a million times, but it never gets old for me)
8. Alaska
9. Australia
10. Greece
I am hoping to take at least one of these a year. These are in no particular order....just at some point in my life I would like to see them. Kevin and I both love to travel and many of these can be done in a weeks time. Some of them like Australia and South Africa would need to be longer, so it may be awhile before I get to take those. (I only get 2 weeks paid vacation/year and my boss doesn't allow you to take unpaid). I always feel like I need a vacation from my vacation though. You have been rushing around seeing everything, and don't really have much time to relax. Plus, when you get home you have unpack, do laundry, get used to the time zone again (not fun after China/Japan) and get back to work.
Kevin and I have decided to take turns planning our anniversaries each year, so as number 2 is approaching, it is now my turn. Do I take a short trip to one of these places? I was going to go to the greenbriar in West Virginia. Now, if you have no idea what place I am talking about, I will give you a rundown on it. It is a huge resort with golf, tennis, a spa etc. We used to go every year as a family and (there is a hospital in the basement) my dad would get his physical for work there. As a child there, I had to take an etiquette class to eat in the dining area, and everyone had to be dressed up after 5 in certain areas. So, I checked out the prices, and it was ridiculous....$500/night. Now, I love my hubby, but I don't need to sleep in some different bed for $500! So, the search for an anniversary idea is still on! Who knows, maybe we can check one of the above places off our list after Aug.5th!
Vacations to go on (now this is the condensed version because it could be forever long)
1. Paris
2. South African safari
3. Italy
4. Ireland
5. Costa Rica
6. Peru
7. Disney World ( I have been here a million times, but it never gets old for me)
8. Alaska
9. Australia
10. Greece
I am hoping to take at least one of these a year. These are in no particular order....just at some point in my life I would like to see them. Kevin and I both love to travel and many of these can be done in a weeks time. Some of them like Australia and South Africa would need to be longer, so it may be awhile before I get to take those. (I only get 2 weeks paid vacation/year and my boss doesn't allow you to take unpaid). I always feel like I need a vacation from my vacation though. You have been rushing around seeing everything, and don't really have much time to relax. Plus, when you get home you have unpack, do laundry, get used to the time zone again (not fun after China/Japan) and get back to work.
Kevin and I have decided to take turns planning our anniversaries each year, so as number 2 is approaching, it is now my turn. Do I take a short trip to one of these places? I was going to go to the greenbriar in West Virginia. Now, if you have no idea what place I am talking about, I will give you a rundown on it. It is a huge resort with golf, tennis, a spa etc. We used to go every year as a family and (there is a hospital in the basement) my dad would get his physical for work there. As a child there, I had to take an etiquette class to eat in the dining area, and everyone had to be dressed up after 5 in certain areas. So, I checked out the prices, and it was ridiculous....$500/night. Now, I love my hubby, but I don't need to sleep in some different bed for $500! So, the search for an anniversary idea is still on! Who knows, maybe we can check one of the above places off our list after Aug.5th!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
a few pics....
I decided to upload a few pics of trips/activities in the past month or so. I went on an easter egg hunt with my best friends daughter, went to see the cherry blossums in DC, went to visit my dad in Florida (played golf, went fishing and relaxed) and I added some of China as well. Enjoy!!!(Sorry about having to turn your head to the side....I don't have enough time to upload and change the orientation, so I just took them right from the memory card....you get the idea anyway.) 
updates...
Well, as usual, thing have been pretty busy around here, where I haven't been on this in a while. But, I'm back! One of the things we have been busy with is dealing with Kevin's brother Chris. Chris came to visit us, had a great time, and got to do a lot of things. He went to 2 NCAA final games, went to Mount Vernon, went out to eat, went shopping and so on. Well, Kevin and I paid for his round trip bus ticket and didn't make him pay us back. We straightened out his finances, set up payment schedules for him to pay off all his bills in 5 months time. After he got home we found out he burned us. He was back to his lying, got fired from his job etc. Kevin and I talked, and talked to Kev's mom and we were all in agreement that he was to pay us back for his bus ticket. So, Kevin called his 1 on 1 and she got him to send us a check. All of a sudden after that we weren't getting our daily phone calls from Chris. He was pretty pissed at us, but he knows that he won't get away with crap like that. On a side note, he called (and is back to calling daily) and apologized and said he was glad we made him send us the money.
Another thing is trying to plan out trips/vacations. Now, as most people can decide rather last minute to do a trip, that is not an option for me. My patient schedule is booked a month in advance and I only get 2 weeks paid vacation a year. With all the people we try to go and see, or rather we want to try to go and see that just doesnt seem to be enough time (especially when Kevin gets 5 weeks/year). Not to mention that I work every other Saturday morning for an hour in a half which cuts down my weekends of going away. This weekend we managed to get away...we are going camping! Yes!!!!
Another thing is trying to plan out trips/vacations. Now, as most people can decide rather last minute to do a trip, that is not an option for me. My patient schedule is booked a month in advance and I only get 2 weeks paid vacation a year. With all the people we try to go and see, or rather we want to try to go and see that just doesnt seem to be enough time (especially when Kevin gets 5 weeks/year). Not to mention that I work every other Saturday morning for an hour in a half which cuts down my weekends of going away. This weekend we managed to get away...we are going camping! Yes!!!!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Things you may not have known.....
So, those that read this I am sure know a lot about me, but I am guessing some of this stuff is unknown. So here are some "different" facts about me....
1. I am growing my hair out to donate it to make wigs for chidren who unfortuantely have lost theirs due to sicknesses. I thought about doing this back in November when I saw a story of how a little girl just wanted hair for her Christmas picture with her family. It really touched me, so I did some research about different companies that participate. It doesn't cost me a thing, and I am hoping to make a child happy one day.
2. I struggle with endometriosis and don't wish it on my worst enemy. I am the lucky one that gets to throw up, can't sit up straight (because of pressure on my ovaries), and have cramps about 20 out of the 30 days of the month. Yes, not fun. I have already had 1 surgery for it, and may need another in the future.
3. I am too picky. I am a picky eater, picky about the houses we are looking at, picky about clothes, and I don't seem to move away from my comfort zone.
4. I love to read. Kevin and I tend to borrow books (4 or 5 at a time) from the library at least 3 times/month. I hate to buy books unless if I love them so much that I could read them over and over again.
5. I cry during sad movies, tv shows, and books. I get so into stories or story lines even when I know they aren't true stories. I can't help it, but my husband tends to laugh when I do this.
6. I hate to buy things unless if they are on sale. Even if it is only 2% off, I still think that I am getting a deal. I just hate paying full price knowing that soon it will go on sale.
7. I excel at starting a project and then never getting to finish it. This is not exactly a good quality and definately another pet peeve of my husbands. I get so side tracked or bored with a project, that it just ends up sitting aroun the house and driving my husband nuts.
8. I miss the days of softball terribly. I started playing when I was 8 in a house league, and started playing travel ball when I was 12. For 10 years I got to travel around the world competing at a sport that I loved. I met some of my closest (and my best) friends through the sport. It helped pay for my college tuition, and got me interested in what is now my career. If it weren't for softball, I may not have met my husband, and it taught me a lot of dicipline, leadership and time management skills. I hope that one day future children will get to experience the same.
9. One of my goals in life is to participate in a marathon. Now, knowing what I know in the field of work I am in, I can't see how this would possibly be good for my body. On the other hand, I was to run it to finish, not for any spectacular finish time. It is something that I don't see possible for me, and to accomplish something that is rather challenging seems amazing to me. Right now, the 2-2.5 miles I run each day seems like enough....24 more than that seems insane.
10. I am 20 months into my marriage to a wonderful husband, and I still at times accidently use my maiden name. For example, most people don't ask your initials, and the other day at the store I was asked, and automatically I said ""MMF", and then had to change it to "MMB". I always sign the right name, but I get tripped up at times when asked. You think 20 months of this, and introducing myself how many times each day to new patients and signing how many charts, that I would get it right. I guess if you look at it in time, I used MMF for 26 years, so still messing up at times after 20 months isn't bad.
Okay, so you may have known a bit of these, but I thought that I would mention them anyway. I hope at least a couple of them are newly acquired bits of information.
1. I am growing my hair out to donate it to make wigs for chidren who unfortuantely have lost theirs due to sicknesses. I thought about doing this back in November when I saw a story of how a little girl just wanted hair for her Christmas picture with her family. It really touched me, so I did some research about different companies that participate. It doesn't cost me a thing, and I am hoping to make a child happy one day.
2. I struggle with endometriosis and don't wish it on my worst enemy. I am the lucky one that gets to throw up, can't sit up straight (because of pressure on my ovaries), and have cramps about 20 out of the 30 days of the month. Yes, not fun. I have already had 1 surgery for it, and may need another in the future.
3. I am too picky. I am a picky eater, picky about the houses we are looking at, picky about clothes, and I don't seem to move away from my comfort zone.
4. I love to read. Kevin and I tend to borrow books (4 or 5 at a time) from the library at least 3 times/month. I hate to buy books unless if I love them so much that I could read them over and over again.
5. I cry during sad movies, tv shows, and books. I get so into stories or story lines even when I know they aren't true stories. I can't help it, but my husband tends to laugh when I do this.
6. I hate to buy things unless if they are on sale. Even if it is only 2% off, I still think that I am getting a deal. I just hate paying full price knowing that soon it will go on sale.
7. I excel at starting a project and then never getting to finish it. This is not exactly a good quality and definately another pet peeve of my husbands. I get so side tracked or bored with a project, that it just ends up sitting aroun the house and driving my husband nuts.
8. I miss the days of softball terribly. I started playing when I was 8 in a house league, and started playing travel ball when I was 12. For 10 years I got to travel around the world competing at a sport that I loved. I met some of my closest (and my best) friends through the sport. It helped pay for my college tuition, and got me interested in what is now my career. If it weren't for softball, I may not have met my husband, and it taught me a lot of dicipline, leadership and time management skills. I hope that one day future children will get to experience the same.
9. One of my goals in life is to participate in a marathon. Now, knowing what I know in the field of work I am in, I can't see how this would possibly be good for my body. On the other hand, I was to run it to finish, not for any spectacular finish time. It is something that I don't see possible for me, and to accomplish something that is rather challenging seems amazing to me. Right now, the 2-2.5 miles I run each day seems like enough....24 more than that seems insane.
10. I am 20 months into my marriage to a wonderful husband, and I still at times accidently use my maiden name. For example, most people don't ask your initials, and the other day at the store I was asked, and automatically I said ""MMF", and then had to change it to "MMB". I always sign the right name, but I get tripped up at times when asked. You think 20 months of this, and introducing myself how many times each day to new patients and signing how many charts, that I would get it right. I guess if you look at it in time, I used MMF for 26 years, so still messing up at times after 20 months isn't bad.
Okay, so you may have known a bit of these, but I thought that I would mention them anyway. I hope at least a couple of them are newly acquired bits of information.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
