Stop The Presses!

I probably have other things to blog about, but I have to stop everything and report that we sold our house today! 

On Monday, I received a call from a real estate agent saying that he wanted to take someone through our house that evening (good call posting our home on MLS with a flat-fee company!)  So the kids and I spent our home evening having a picnic at the park.  It was a beautiful, summery day so we were glad to be there.  Then we got an ice cream.  On our way home, the agent called my cell phone and said that they were running behind schedule and that they were barely getting to our house.  So the kids and I drove the long way home, then we had to drive around the block a couple of times.  Finally, we saw that they were leaving, so we parked down the road and waited.  I thought it was a good sign that they lingered so long, but the kids were going CRAZY! They were also upset that a little boy was throwing rocks in the air.  How dare he throw THEIR rocks!!!

Anyway, the following morning, we had an offer.  A stinky offer.  We counter offered on Wednesday and they counter offered back today.  We accepted that offer, so it's done!   We're making about $9,000 less than we hoped for and about $11,000 more than we would have settled for.  HURRAH!!! I feel divine intervention in all levels of this move, including the way our house sale has gone.  It's PERFECT timing - the kids can finish school here in our home and we'll have one week to move before the new owners move in. 

Now for the house hunt in Utah.....Dun Dun Dun.....

Shiver Me Timbers! What A Deal!

Last Tuesday, I caught wind of a special pirate party going on at our local Applebee's restaurant.  With Dave gone, our dinners have become a bit more...um...relaxed, so I jumped at the chance to go out to eat.  The kids all got their best pirate gear on...

And we headed over to Applebee's.  The man at the door was in full pirate costume (and character, I might add).  He and Josh exchanged very loud "Arrrgh!"s all throughout the evening.

 Tuesday is $.99 kid meal day at Applebee's.  For each adult meal ordered, you can get up to 4 kids meals for $.99.  SWEET!!!  The five of us ate for under $14 (pre-tip, but still!)  Nicki looks tired or angry, but I assure you - she's just in pirate character.  See the green balloon sword she's brandishing!

 Pirate Josh had the most fun of any of us.  In fact, I think he was a little TOO excited.  He wielded his sword and "Arrgh"ed a lot.  But he had a blast.  Anyway, I'm not the one who decided to throw a pirate party.  Applebee's did, so they just had to deal with the consequences of their choice.

 Bronson ate a ton of food and charmed us all with his manly open collar and anchor tattoo (eyeliner) on his arm (the one hidden in this picture, but you can see it in the first picture of him at the top of this post).  For dressing up so well, each of the kids got a ticket for a free milkshake next time we come in, a full-sized candy bar, a balloon sword, which I've already mentioned, and the girls even got their faces painted. 

Boy!  I tell you, Applebee's really knows how to throw a pirate party!

Wow! My Blinds Were Whilte All This Time!

I guess it never occurred to me that I should clean the blinds above my kitchen window before.  I mean, I'd dust them, but I never actually cleaned them one at at time.  Eeewwww!  What else am I missing?  I'm afraid to find out!

It not very easy to post this embarrassing photo on my blog, but I'm just being real.  I think everyone has a "blind spot" or two (maybe more for some of us).  One of my "blinds spots" happens to be actual blinds....

Open House

First of all, I need to report that David's job is going well.  It's always stressful to learn a new system and new computer programs, etc.  But Dave is a good therapist and he already knows the area so I'm sure he'll be in the groove very soon.  In a lot of ways it's a good thing that we're separated during his learning curve because he doesn't feel any pressure to be home at a certain time or anything.

Last weekend, we held an open house.  David stayed and answered the door for visitors while I took the kids on an outing.  We had three actual lookers, a guy from the ward, and David's dad drop in.  That's it. Kind of underwhelming.  Oh well, at least we had some cookies and punch left over for us. 

Fresh flowers, homemade cookies, cool water punch in an awesome dispenser!  Who wouldn't love this open house?!?!?

During the open house, the kids and I ate lunch and went to the Idaho Falls Museum to see Sue the T-Rex (a replica I assume since the real one's in Chicago - I've seen her).  We had a great time.  There's a lot of hands-on exhibits and a great play room for the kids.

I'm getting used to the idea of never selling this house.  Perhaps we can make it a lovely vacation home (our real home will be a van down by the river).

Fun, Fun, And More Fun!

Early Friday morning, the day after Nicole's birthday, our family headed down to Utah for what would turn out to be one seriously fun weekend.  It seemed like we went from one fun activity to another.  David had to drive his car separately from ours since he wouldn't be returning.  Still, he called me a couple of times while we drove down and the kids were perfectly well behaved (or should I say entranced by the DVD players) so the drive went very quickly.

When we arrived in Utah, David drove straight to SLC to get a copy of his PT license.  The kids and I stopped to visit my sister, Katie and her family.  Katie is still recovering from shoulder surgery (from catching her 7 year old autistic son mid-air as he tried to jump off the kitchen table and over the stair rail to the basement - YIKES!!!)  My mom was there too because the kids were on spring break and Katie needs help changing Adam's diaper, or catching him again, or driving a car, or getting dressed, etc.  Katie's daughter Megan was recovering from a tonsillectomy, but she was doing amazingly well!  Megan, Nicole and I had a great time playing "Just Dance" on the Wii.  That was my first time playing, but I'm already hooked!  I think I can foresee epic "Just Dance" battles between Katie and I once she heals.

Around lunch time, the kids and I headed for Grandma Smith's house, where we met David.  Grandpa Smith took half a day off work and took us to In And Out Burger for lunch.  I'd never been there before.  It was PACKED!!!!  I wonder if it's always like that.  There was no sitting room at all, so while your order was being prepared, you just hovered over other people until they stood up, then you swooped in on their spot before someone else boxed you out.  It was insane!  Nicki and Josh ate together on a bar by the window, Ali and Grandpa found a two-person table, Bronson and I perched in a corner with one stool and a highchair and David ate by himself on a bar in the middle of the restaurant.  It sounds crazy, but I think it was pretty adventurous!

That afternoon, Grandpa stayed home with our kids (the boys were napping) while David and I went to the bank to open new accounts.  It took a while, but it was fun to be alone with Dave in a quiet setting.  After the bank, we went to the store and bought food for dinner that night.  Then, we went home and cooked dinner for Grandma.  She stayed at Katie's house until Scot got home so she got home just in time for dinner.  Kris and Bri stopped by on their way home from a family vacation in southern Utah.  We had fun hearing about their trip and playing with Beau (their dog).  Every night while we were there, we'd put the kids to bed, then David and I would leave Grandma and Grandpa home with them while we ran errands (like grocery shopping for Dave's week or Easter shopping or even house hunting).  It was very kind of my parents to do that for us.  We really enjoyed our little "dates."

On Saturday morning, our kids got to participate in Grandma and Grandpa's neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt.  It's an annual tradition in their neighborhood, but only the second time we've been there to join in.  It's so fun!  Many of the houses in the neighborhood participate by leaving eggs or other goodies on their front lawns.  The kids had a great time, got tons of goodies, and most importantly got to play with their cousins for the second day in a row. 

Mom, the girls and I hit the mall for a little while.  We bought new jeans and a couple of cute shirts for me (my mom has MUCH better taste than me - she's a super-shopper!)  Then we bought each girl a pair of fake glasses as an Easter present.  The girls had eye exams a week or two ago and they were so bummed that they had 20/20 vision.  They wanted glasses so bad!  Dave, who has to wear glasses, thinks they're insane.  After the mall, my mom drove us through a couple of neighborhoods she thought we might like to live in.  While we were driving, we saw a sign for an open house, so we went in.  The girls had a blast, trying to imagine who would get which room, etc.  It was fun, but not the right house for us.  Thank heaven for that because we're not ready to buy yet anyway.

We met the boys at Golden Corral in Ogden where we had a huge family reunion lunch.  My Aunt Sue had all of her children there, minus one.  One cousin was there from Pennsylvania and one was there from England - both with their families, of course.  Grandma and Grandpa Church was there, as were Kris, Katie and I.  Golden Corral is a buffet restaurant, so it was low key and easy to mingle.  The kids went CRAZY over the all-you-can-eat cotton candy and chocolate fountain.  I limited them and made sure they also ate lots of healthy food, but they sure packed in the sugar!  We let them play at Kristin and Brian's house for a little while after lunch, then we went on a long drive through the West Point/Syracuse area looking at houses for sale.  It was really fun. 

On Sunday morning, the Easter Bunny left a few treats, but with all the fun going on around us, it wasn't really very exciting.  We went to church at Grandma and Grandpa's ward.  Their choir put on a lovely Easter program.  I was very emotional throughout the whole thing.  Dave took the boys home after sacrament. It didn't seem like a good idea to introduce either of them to new classes - they can barely make it through their own.  The girls and I stayed through the whole block.    Afterwards, we took a nice stroll around a beautiful pond with the grandparents.  It was so warm and beautiful! 

Kris, Katie, and I (and our families of course) were all at Mom and Dad's house for Easter dinner.  Everything was extra delicious.  I seriously DIED over the potatoes!  And the salad.  It seemed like a pretty laid back day with conversations and games going on in every room and also in the back yard.  I hope Mom thought it was laid back - she did all the work.  We ate Popsicles and Creamies for dessert.  It felt so summery!

David started work on Monday morning.  We all stayed to wish him well, then we hit the road ourselves.  We were home by lunch time.  What a fun trip!  I'm so glad we had those last few fun days before we separated.

Nicki got a hold of the camera while we were driving home.  I love her photos.

Nicki's Birthday

Nicole turned seven on April 5th - the first day of Spring Break.  She brought her birthday treats to her class the day before, so she got to celebrate twice! She brought licorice ropes for her class treat and she was treated like a super star!!!  I guess kids really like licorice ropes.

Her birthday was fun.  She woke up and opened presents.  She got a scooter, some new cowgirl boots, a La La Loopsy thingy, an umbrella and three packs of gum!! I can't remember what else - clothes, etc.  She ordered her birthday breakfast a few days in advance - Lucky Charms and apple juice.  What a treat!  Literally - pure sugar for breakfast.

She was pretty much this excited about every present she opened.
 

The kids spent the morning playing with Nicki's new stuff and watching a movie I rented for her birthday while David and I tried to accomplish as much as we could in preparation for his move to Utah.  For lunch, we all drove to Idaho Falls and ate at the Olive Garden.  I have to say, I didn't order very well, but the kids loved their food and certainly ate their money's worth of bread sticks.  She enjoyed having the workers come sing to her.  While we were at lunch, we got a call from someone wanting to see our house that evening.    That kind of re-arranged our schedule a bit.

All decked out in her new outfit and cowgirl boots.

Lovin' the Olive Garden!
 

Since we needed to show our house to an interested buyer, the kids got to spend a couple of hours at Grandma and Grandpa Gee's house in the evening.  That's always a blast!  Grandpa took them for rides on his four wheeler and Grandma fed them left-over Olive Garden food and treats.  They played in the backyard and had a great time.  At one point, Bronson tripped and landed on his face.  Josh tripped on top of him and smashed Bronson's face again.  Poor Bron was pretty banged up.  His face made you cringe for a few days, but I was amazed at how quickly it healed.  I think he has super powers!

Ouch!
 

Once the people were done looking at our house, Dave and I drove over to Grandma and Grandpa's house.  We brought Nicki's cake with us.  Nicole said she wanted a vanilla and caramel cake.  I decided to make a "Pretty Darned Good Cake" with a French Vanilla cake mix instead of chocolate.  It was a little too sweet for me, but I think the birthday girl thought it was pretty fantastic and that's all that mattered. 

Man!  We love our girl!  She keeps us hoppin' but we wouldn't want it any other way.

Dave's Week Off

David's last day at Rexburg Nursing and Rehab was March 30th.  He didn't start working at South Davis Home Health until April 9th.  That gave him a full week to relax a bit (yeah right) and get ready for his big move.  I can't speak for him, but I thought it was a fabulous week.

Of course, it started off with General Conference weekend.  That's always great.  He spent the first three days of the week getting several projects done around the house, setting up a new cell phone account, getting his car tuned up, and packing.  He also got to spend some time playing cars with Josh, rocking Bronson when ever he got hurt, seeing the girls off to school, and chatting with me.  It was a very busy, but happy time.  I wish we were independently wealthy so that I could have Dave around all the time. 

School was out for Spring break on Thursday and Friday and those days were taken up doing other stuff (which I'll write about soon) so his week off flew by WAY too fast, but it was fun while it lasted.

Conference Weekend

We enjoyed a wonderful general conference (a.k.a. "candy conference") weekend.  What powerful and inspiring talks!  I've got a few changes to make in my life, but I'm looking forward to making them and hopefully being a better person for it.  The kids did a great job (considering the fact that they're kids.)  They love playing the word game during the Sunday morning session and making Fruit Loop necklaces during the Sunday afternoon session.  On Sunday evening, at Grandma Gee's house, we lit candles in seven donut holes and sang Happy Birthday to Nicole.  She blew out the candles when we were barely one line into the song and giggled at herself the rest of the way through.  What a knucklehead! 

Listening for certain words that will earn them a treat from one of the bowls.

Stopping for a quick pose.
 

I think candy conference got to Nicole - or else maybe she was sick.  She gave a lot of her treats away to Alison.  On Monday morning, she said she felt sick.  It was class picture day, so I tried to encourage her to get ready and maybe she would feel better.   However, when I found her vomiting into our kitchen sink, I decided she could stay home after all.  She was the only person who got sick in our family and it was only that one time, so I think it was candy related.  On the good side, she doesn't really like chocolate anymore.

That evening, we held a special Family Home Evening.  We discussed the changes that were going to be taking place in our family - how Dad would be living in Utah and we'd only see him on the weekends for a while.  We talked about how each child could make specific contributions to our family to help us get through it.  Then, David gave each person a priesthood blessing.  It was a beautiful night.  So far, I think we're all doing very well.  In fact, Nicki is a little disappointed that I'm not crying more.  She thinks I must not miss Dad very much because I'm not walking around in tears all the time.  I'll have to work on that. 

Trust me, Nicki - I'm crying on the inside.  I'm just too busy trying to keep the house clean, get ready for an open house, sell our goats, buy a new van, keep up with my Primary calling and PTO duties, keep Bronson alive, keep Josh happy, do homework with girls, bathe, feed, teach, and love everyone to cry on the outside.  I had great hopes of losing tons of weight while Dave's gone so that he'd be surprised every time he saw me.  So far, that's not really working out.  Let me rephrase - I'm not really working out.  But it's still early - it could happen!!!

My two adorable little mess makers in a rare sitting moment.

Home for Rent

The latest installment in our home saga is quite a doozy!  Our home is being used in an internet fraud scheme.  Yep...lucky us.

We wouldn't have known anything about it if a daughter of one our neighbors wasn't being targeted.  She e-mailed me directly to say she was very interested in renting our home for $500 a month.  I e-mailed back and told her that there must be some sort of mistake - our house was for sale, not for rent.  Meanwhile, she received an email from "Sergeant James David Gee" who said he was an ex-military-Catholic-missionary-philanthropist living in Africa who just wanted to rent his home out for a few years while living overseas.   Here's a copy of the letter:

Hello,

It's my great pleasure that you are interested in our lovely 3BR/2BA Single Family home for rent. I am Sgt James David Gee the owner of this home former US Marine Sgt. served in the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment that Patrols the Anbar province, Iraq.Before now we resided in this home and presently we have Moved out due to my transfer as a matter of my profession,where I work as a volunteer with Catholic Revival programmed at the Ermita de San Antonio (St. Anthony Hermitage)here in (AFRICA)And my wife who is a missionary's dealing with Bible Translation and literacy worldwide.

 

As soon as we settle down here I had a thought of selling the house so I have to look for an agent, after getting one, we got a deal but later my wife advised against that. I reasoned with her and accepted her advise. So I contacted the agent back and requested for my keys and documents. Later we decided to have the house rent out, we would have give the same agent this job also but the truth of the matter is that the agent would want to handle it professionally and the occupant may not be able to reason along with him later. If you notice, you will discover that the price we are offering is far below standard price, this is enough for you to know that we are not after the rental fee but the absolute care for the property.We will be serving for a long term and now our home is locked up now and presently we have found a new home here which we will be staying for a very long which might last 5 years in (AFRICA) and presently our lovely home is still available for rent for (500)as first month rent and the Security Deposit payment which is (500)including the utilities like washer,dryer,fireplace,internet access and garage.

 

More so,Now that we on Retreat program over here.Please I want you to note that all we will want is a very honest and neat person,so i will solicit for your absolute understanding and maintenance of this home and want you to treat it as your own,i am with the keys and documents here with me which will be sent to any responsible and interested tenant through FedEx further more you have to undergo some processes before i could be willing and convince to let my home to any tenant. The money is not the main problem but i want you to keep it tidy always. I also want you to let me have trust in you as i have always stand on my word.

****RENT APPLICATION DETAILS****

Please if you are ready now to occupy the house kindly provide the information below for record purpose

Then there's a lot of lines for filling out info.

       

Looking forward to hear from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file in case of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you.Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys to you,please we are giving you all this base on trust and sincerity so I won't like you to disappoint us.

 

NB: You can go check the neighborhood and get back to me for further discussion.I have recently remove my home from the market cause my wife advice me not to sell it any longer,the sign post will be removed once i get any responsible tenant cause my agent is not around now,so you ignore the sign post cause i have stop dealing and contacting the Realtor for too much fees i pay trying to ripe me off.It is available for a long term lease as we will be here for 5 years and also intend buying a new home on getting back to the states.

Address:3843 S 2000 W Rexburg, ID

Rent:500
Deposit:500

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2full, 1 partial

Property type: Single-Family Home

Size: 2,950 sqft

Pet ok

Utilities included in the rent

Best Regards

YOU CAN CONTACT US ON THIS NUMBER BELOW:

+2348129864462 OR 0118129864462

Sgt James David Gee and Family

Pretty frightening stuff, huh?  The guy obviously researched public records enough to know the name of the property's owner - even if his English could use some work.  We aren't really in any danger of losing money, but it sure makes you feel vulnerable to have your identity stolen like that.  We've contacted the police, but there's probably nothing they can do to catch him/them.  We've been contacted by another person who was being taken by this scheme - who knows how many other people they're scamming?  Yikes!

A Close Call for the Tooth Fairy

Last week, about 20 minutes after we put her to bed, Nicole came out of her room and informed us that she'd just pulled out another tooth.  That girl's tough, I tell you!  Anyway, the Tooth Fairy didn't come that night.  We figured Nicki's tooth came out too late in the day - after the Tooth Fairy already had her itinerary set.  So, we waited until the next day, but the darned Tooth Fairy didn't come that day either!  Nicki's little heart was pretty broken - she figured the Tooth Fairy didn't want her teeth.   So sad.  What's wrong with the darned Tooth Fairy?!?!?   Luckily, the Fairy came that night and she left a note explaining what had happened.  The note was wrapped around Nicki's money. It was written in such small print that the naked eye couldn't quite make it out.  Ali was able to read it on her own, but the rest of us needed a magifying glass. It read, "Sorry for being late.  I came last night, but your cat almost ate me!   T-Fairy."  Dumb Cat!!!