Not-so-Warm Welcome

After a long trip to SD for Christmas, we are finally home and settled down.  Although, are home didn't welcome us so warmly.

We decided to head back a day early and enjoy the night and a day of rest before Justin had to head back to work, again.  Instead, we came home to a 54 degree house.  It was a touch frigid, to say the least.  After my mechanical hubby couldn't get the furnace to turn on, a few phone calls to Dad and calling coming to hate our new home warranty company...we found neighbors that could tell us that our gas is NOT through the city.  (Who knew?)  

Justin was home Thursday and Friday and he was toasty warm.  We came home Saturday and froze.  Sometime, while my hard working hubby was gone at work, someone visited our house and turned the gas off.  Apparently, they don't like it when you don't pay them.  Go figure.  Fortunately, I (as the bill payer) won't be blamed, this time.  Our realtor or the previous home owner was supposed to provide information that we don't have gas through the city we lived in.  If it wasn't for our neighbor, we probably would have spent $150 on a house call for a heating technician to come check our working furnace and tell us we are idiots because our gas is off.

Luckily, they did come on Sunday morning to turn it back on for us.  Although we weren't too thrilled that they could even do that in 20 degree, we were happy they made a special trip on a Sunday.  

That did mean we couldn't sleep in our own beds again that night.  Luckily, our bags were packed and we just found our old bunk house in St. Michael.

To top the weekend, we finally had to one of our kids to the clinic.  Five months, I am actually overly impressed we got to be here that long before somebody needed a doctor.  Jayse added his third ear infection to his med history.  Today he is much happier.  

Needless to say, our new year's eve will be a quiet night, grocery shopping.  (After being gone 10 days and no oven...our food options are limited here!)   And hopefully, when the clock strikes midnight, we will all be snug in our beds, sound asleep.

 Oh, to be married with kids.  I wouldn't change it for the world.

I Can't Believe I Did That

I said I never would.

I can't believe I did this.

It's not something I am proud of.

What was I thinking?

I just can't believe I did it....

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It's official....

I am a mini-van-mom. :) 

 

I feel so .... old! :)

I guess (for a mini-van) it is pretty cool.  It's kinda loaded.  Heated, leather seats, climate control, 7 passenger, stow and go, storage, DVD (with wireless headphones!), automatic dual power doors.  It will be nice....you know, for the KIDS! :)

So They Say

As it goes, people say; "If He brings you to it, He will bring you through it."

(sigh)

I agree.  Most days.  

Today, it is a another kind of day.  

I know God won't give me more than I can handle.  I just wish He wouldn't trust me so much. 

- Mother Teresa

Today, that is my motto.

So, I needed to take a moment to reflect, look back and see what life is all about.  And remind myself that the light is at the end of the tunnel and happiness is just right around the corner.  It has been a rough year.  And a really rough day.  (More on that, another time.)

In the unpack, I found my missing camera, it's battery and charger.  So, a little happiness from last summer:

 Pregnancy makes me tired...I sat a lot.

 And ate even more...

 But, not as much as her!  Chips from the back of her tricycle.

Whack!

 I sorry!

 Just like daddy.

 

And a few new ones:

 Enjoying the snow while daddy shovels.

 Our Christmas baby...10 days and he will be 1.  Where did the last year go?!

 Kamalee took this photo all by herself!  Not too bad...just a couple fingers in the way.

 BIG Boy...first piece of peanut butter toast and whole milk!  He loved it.

Will post more about the BIG Move soon.  YES...we have a HOUSE!!!!!!

Weeks going by

Last week, was a rough one.  And one I don't care to elaborate on, at this time.  Moving forward...this week, is a complicated one.

What we thought was our home-buying, moving week is now a land of limbo and unknown. I am a planner. I don't do well with the unknown. So I have spent much time praying and hoping and wishing.

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

Philippians 4:6 CSB

"Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

I have faith that we will be in our home by this weekend...but here is our situation. We have to be closed by 2:30 on Friday. We made this commitment with the seller's original services. It has been sent to a different servicer. They have agreed to honor the commitment, however, if we do not close by then, they require that they review the file. (A 30 day process, approximately). We are ready, the bank is ready, but we are still waiting on an RD commitment. Because of the lovely government shutdown, they are behind. They SHOULD process ours on Friday.  If they do and have it to our mortgage company by 2:30, the house is ours. If they do not, we wait 30 more days. Frustrating. So we could use a few extra prayers. We are scheduled to close Friday at noon and we just wait for the commitment to actually get the money.  Pray that the RD commitment comes in time!

Some images from this weekend, to brighten the day

'Jay'se Walking

Look who is a big boy!

http://youtu.be/rnl8MIJYQtQ

Oh Crap!

I was awakened by a little voice, "Amy, Amy, Amy".  

Kamalee is standing next to my bed.  I was so excited to have her finally call me "Mom".  Now it is "Amy".  Really?  :)

Downs clinic served to be somewhat useful.  I hope.  She gave us a bunch of info and material to read and a few new ideas.  I guess we will see how useful it all is in a few months, after we try apply it.  Wish us luck.

And her update from school yesterday:

What can I say?  I guess sometimes, everyone just needs to get a little crap out of the way to have a good day.

Happy Hump Day!

Almost forgot....

We got different good news over the weekend!  After 3 months of applications, forms, phone calls, etc....Kamalee was approved for TEFRA. Which, from what I understand, is Minnesota Medical Assitance (which we don't qualify for) for children's with disabilities. So, finally we have assistance based only on her disability. That took 4 years to get in South Dakota. I don't know all of the details yet and if covers like Medicaid did, but we are years ahead in the game here compared to SD.  PLUS, we may be eligible to have the cost of Kamalee's portion of insurance premiums to be paid, that we pay through Justin's employer, as well. That was never an option in the past. I hope this all pans out to be as good as it sounds. I am happy that we did the sleep study, now. And she will go to her first Down syndrome clinic, tomorrow, since she was 6 weeks old. Hoping to find someone who can give us some relief or at least some help with her behavioral issues.   Then we will see the sleep doctor again to implement a sleep behavior plan. Lots of doctors to come in our future. 

Growing Quick

10 Months and growing...already.  I don't know how the time passed so quickly.  Yesterday, he stood unassisted for 10+ seconds and took 1 step!  A step. This is so new to us.  He is going to be running soon.  Yikes. :)

Halloween Photos