A Day In the Life

Friday, July 19, 2013

Pool Side

For the last couple months, Justin and I have been discussing getting a water toy of some sort for the kids. We had been looking off and on for a water table, but couldn't find something we liked for a price we were willing to pay. Those things are expensive!

Because I am usually home by myself with the kids, whatever we bought had to be able to keep Zack's attention away from the creek that runs through our yard. It also had to be able to entertain Tabi, who is only 10 months.

As I was walking through Target this morning, I saw the kiddy pools. I found one that wasn't too deep, had a slide and toys, and was reasonably priced. I called Justin right away, and we decided to get it.

Justin helped me set the pool up before he left for work, and the kids and I played in it after nap time. It's fantastic! Zack had so much fun on the slide, and Tabi splashed and pulled herself up on everything. It was so wonderful to be outside, relaxed and happy. That doesn't happen often when you are alone with two young kids.

We played for about an hour and a half before Tabi was ready to go in. I had to convince Zack that it was time to go inside, but (thankfully) didn't have to resort to discipline. After promises of playing in it tomorrow, he came in almost willingly. I am so proud of him!

I am so happy to have two babies that love the water, and blessed to be able to afford fun things for them. Tonight I am going to bed with my heart full, and hopes high for a good weekend with Daddy.

Zack slid down on his belly and his face went under the water. Our conversation went like this:

Me: Are you ok?

Zack: Ok.

Me: Was that fun?

Zack: Yah!

Me: Are you going to do it again?

Zack: No.

He makes me laugh so much!

Peek-a-boo!

This girl.... LOL

I'm imagining her saying "Did you see that?! That was awesome!"

Even Sammy got in on the fun and sneaked in a few kisses.

Our Sammy Girl

July 4th

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. We never do much, but I think that's what I enjoy most about it.

When we lived in Longview, we spent our day walking to and from the festival at the lake. They have a little fair of sorts, minus the rides, and it's nice to wander through the booths looking at things. There's an assortment of food carts as well, and of course, fireworks in the evening.

This year was our first 4th away from Longview, but we decided to go anyway. We don't like the crowds of the big city events, and we wanted to go to see my family in Yelm afterwards.

Our day was easy and fun, filled with walking, shopping and food. We spent a couple hours playing on our blanket, Tabi took a couple little naps, and we spent some time with friends.

Sleeping on Mama

This is a really awful picture of me, but I loved these snuggles with my baby girl!

Napping in the stroller

They love each other.

Just as the sun started going down, our plans slowly started falling apart. Tabi's nose had been dripping slightly throughout the day, and Justin and I assumed it was allergies (she has been diagnosed with them by our doctor). As the evening wore on, her nose began running continuously and her eyes were watering as well. About that same time, Zack fell asleep. He does not like loud noises, and we decided it would be best to leave rather than have him woken up by the fireworks.

We headed to my mom and dad's, and by the time we got there it was apparent that Tabitha was sick with a cold. Zack was getting it too.

Tabi has had problems breathing through her colds, and Justin and I hadn't thought to bring her inhaler with us. We were concerned, but decided to try to make it through the night. It went easily, and our Friday was spent with my family at Northwest Trek. The cool morning air always helps Tabi's breathing, and by the time we left we had almost forgotten she was sick.

We all had so much fun at NW Trek. The tram ride was especially great, and we saw so many animals. Even Zack had fun after he settled down from his initial terror of having to actually get on the tram.

Papa and Grayson are ready to roll!

Justin and my brother Jeremiah picking huckleberries for the kids

Tram ride terror

You can see how runny Tia's eyes and nose were

Alaina and Tabitha. These two crack me up!

When we got back to the house, my dad barbequed some burgers, the kids napped, and the grown ups relaxed in front of the TV.

About this time, Tabi's breathing became very labored. Because we've been through it a couple of times, we know what to watch for and when to go to the emergency room. Justin and I took turns sitting up with her, counting her breaths. At 3 am, we decided the situation was bad enough to take the 3 hour drive home to get her inhaler.

I was beyond disappointed to leave my family 2 days earlier than planned. I don't get to see them often, and it really broke my heart. We didn't even consider going to a doctor up there. The inhaler and medicine together cost nearly $100, and our insurance doesn't cover any of it.

Our trip home went smoothly, and with only one quick stop, we were home by 5:45. The inhaler worked well, and we all got a few hours of sleep.

We did go to the doctor and both kids ended up on antibiotics for ear infections. We spent Saturday and Sunday exhausted and with two grumpy kids.

The weekend wasn't a complete loss, but did end with disappointment. I guess we'll just have to try again next year.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Mother's Day

When Justin asked me if there was something in particular I would like for Mother's Day this year, I didn't hesitate. I wanted to hike Multnomah Falls.

This hike has long been a favorite of ours. It's steep, with many switch backs, but it's only about a mile long. Quick and rewarding, with breathtaking views from the top. It had been nearly two years since we've been.

I quickly realized that we didn't have an easy way to go with the kids, so I asked if we could get a couple of hiking packs. After a lot of research and many questions to friends, we decided on the Deuter II, and we love them!

Our day started off rough, with us leaving later than we had hoped for. The weather didn't help anything either, so we decided to have lunch at the car and see if the rain let up. I'm happy to say it did, and we had a fantastic hike.

At the top, before you get to the falls, there is a beautiful, crystal clear stream that runs along the trail. We always stop there to catch our breath and dip our feet in the water. And, of course, Justin and Zack took some time to throw rocks in the water.

Overall, it was a great day. My first Mother's Day as a mommy of two, and I'm so happy we didn't let our morning dictate the rest of our trip. We will definitely be going back soon!

(I will apologize in advance for the picture overload. I couldn't pick my favorites.)

I found a heart shaped rock on Mother's Day. It doesn't get any better than that!

Enjoying some post hike ice cream. And yelling at me every time I took it away.

Sharing

Rental Project

As many of you know, Justin and I recently made the decision to turn our Longview home into a rental property.

Justin had bought this house in October of 2005, and I moved in in September of 2007. We began our married life there in 2008, brought a son home in 2011, and a daughter in 2012.

Selling the house had been in our plans in the beginning, but when the housing market crashed, we decided that we should plan on staying indefinitely.

We made several improvements to the place throughout our years there, including a cosmetic make over of the main bath room, installing a sprinkler system in the yard, and a complete remodel of our kitchen.

We dreamed of some day turning the house into a rental and finding our forever home in the Vancouver area. Justin's family lives in Washougal, and we hated being so far from them.

In January, our mortgage company called and offered us a refinance. We had done this less than a year before, and were surprised to find out they wanted to do it again. When all of the negotiations were finished, our interest rate was slightly lower and our payments considerably lower. I made a joke about renting actually being profitable at this point, and Justin laughed. Little did I know that I had planted a seed in his mind.

A few days later, he came to me and asked how I would feel about renting. We took a couple weeks to figure out the details and ended with this: We would move into Justin's folks' house, remodel our house, and get it rented out. We would then finish building the apartment above his parents' separate garage, and live there for a few years rent free while we payed off our debt and saved our money. When we felt we had a sufficient amount, we would begin the search for our forever home. Thankfully, the plan sounded good to Rick and Hazel as well, and we moved the following week.

I can't tell you how this story ends, but I can fill you in on the details to date.

We thought our renovations would take 6 weeks to complete. They took 12. As is common with old houses, we ran into complications at almost every turn, and it wasn't long before we were completely frustrated. We were pretty sure this project would never end, and Justin kept saying "This house just won't let me go."

Being away from Justin during the week was difficult for me as well as for the kids. Every weekend, I would leave Zack with Hazel and head up to Longview to help Justin. Zack began to have separation anxiety and behavioral issues, and because we were busy for the couple days a week that we were up there, Tabi barely knew who Justin was.

As we began remodeling, we tried to get the word out that we were looking for renters. We knew that we wanted to use public advertising as a last resort, so we started with our friends and family. We had two prospective renters, but both fell through. By our third time, we were hopeful, but not expectant. We showed the house to a young couple expecting their first baby. They loved it and we set a move in date.

By this point the house was safe enough for us to bring Zack with us, and the kids and I spent a lot of time there with Justin. We wanted the house to be everything we had dreamed of when we were living there, and we worked our butts off to finish by our deadline.

As we wrapped up our last day there, Justin helped me get the kids in the car, and I saw his shoulders slump when he walked back up on the porch. I asked him if he was OK, and even though he nodded yes, I knew something was up. I made it halfway up the walkway before I saw the look in his eyes. He didn't even have to tell me what he was thinking, and I started crying. We stood on the porch wrapped in each others arms, and took one last look at what had been our home for so long.

Realizing dreams is always so bitter sweet. We were happy in that house, but we look forward to everything God has planned for our future. Only He knows how it will all work out.