Merry Christmas to all

I haven't been blogging much lately--you know the old saying, "If you can't say something nice..."
No, its not that bad, it's just that I don't want to sound whiny about our life.

Here are the highlights {insert cute emoticon here}

Emily is throwing up again (yes, again. She stayed home last Monday because she was vomiting so I didn't believe her when we were at the store yesterday when she kept insisting that she was stirsty and was going to strow up.) On the plus side when your child strows up in a store you don't have to clean it up.

We're shopping today, Christmas Eve, because we haven't had time or energy to do it. We move on Monday.

Photo tour of our new home

Front view
Side view
Two of the barns
Dining room
The cool sink in the downstairs half-bath


Well, it's official. We are homeowners. Again. I have been through the gamut of emotions this week, but I'm finally back to excited! After the closing today I felt better than ever that we are making the right choice. 2600 square feet, four bedrooms, a music room, an enclosed front porch, and almost six acres including a small orchard of fruit trees (apple, pear, and persimmon) and a walnut grove.

I wish it were getting easier

One of the great things about the kids' school is the IRP (Independent Research Project) done twice per year. The students spend a lot of time at school and home working on their project and then there is one night when parents walk through view their work and give positive comments. Tonight was the night. Mary interviewed a nurse (her grandma Susan) and Elijah's project was about the Shawnee tribe. He made fry bread to taste and it was a big hit!

It isn't making it any easier to say goodbye. Last week it was their big music and art performance. I really liked it! Their last day at NCS will be Friday. They will start going to the elementary school that is connected to Brian's school after that. We were planning on them finishing the year where they are, but for me the commute plus dropping everyone off was seeming a little long--especially to start in the dead of winter. So, this is it for them. I know it will be fine. It will probably be even better in lots of ways, but change is so hard! There are lots of things that we have really loved about this school.

It's a little hard to prepare for Christmas with so many other BIG things happening this week. Last night we met with the realtor who will sell our Lafayette home. It will go on the market in January. Any of you Lafayette readers who know someone who might love our house--let us know! Tomorrow is our closing day on our new house. We are feeling a bit like each day has some major activity to check off the list. Tomorrow I will have more pictures to share. Some people have seen the interior house photos on Brian's facebook page, but I will get some different shots and post them here.

Well, it isn't done yet

But we're getting there. At least we have water in the sink and the toilet is functional again today.

This is what I came home to today...

I will spare the details, but Mary got really sick with vomiting yesterday. That is a whole 'nother post...Brian stayed home with her today (of course she didn't throw up at all!!) and he started getting antsy. We are going to put our house on the market soon, and he felt like the bathroom is really the weak link in trying to spiff it up. So, he started ripping up flooring and pulled the sink out. O-kayyy. We are going to close on our new house maybe next week?? The 15th is our date, but the loan officer called and said we could do it sooner if possible.

Yay for snow on the first day of December. It has been a beautiful all day sprinkling. Not much accumulation, but a nice dusting. This reminded me about something I will be so thankful for in our new house: a mud room at the back entrance. Right now, at our current home, there is nowhere to drop wet shoes or boots that are out of the way of the door. So, either you walk into the house and leave wet footprints (and end up with wet socks soon after) or drop your boots right at the door in a big pile so the door barely closes (and trip over them soon after).