Tiny Bunny and Tubby Bunny

Yesterday I made Sunny a little tiny bunny out of an old hoodie. Drew helped me and we put on buttons for eyes and the nose, plus one on his chest... Sunny liked it so much that Drew asked if I could make one for him 'someday'.

I just completed 'Tubby Bunny'. It's far from perfect, the head is too small for a huge chunky body-- but he's cute, I made him-- and Drew LOVES him. He says that Tubby Bunny ONLY talks to him-- he's currently building him 'furniture' out of his blocks.

It's so nice to see a simple, homemade toy, being so appreciated by the child who has everything.

I'll take pics as soon as I get my camera fixed :)

Gluten

So, after five months completely gluten free I decided to (prayerfully) slowly reintroduce gluten into my diet.

(It was actually an agonizing process. I was overwhelmed, and in tears, because of the realization of how limited my life and the things I truly love to do have been because of my allergies. I spent some precious time on my knees, bawling my eyes out...)

So, I feel that it has been an answer to my prayers that I have been slowly adding gluten to my diet for the last two weeks and I have not had a flare up with my joints. I did have a reaction to the tomato sauce on my homemade wheat pizza the other day, but that was just a little itchy eczema under my jawline, and I pretty much am used to that (I never cut out tomato).

I feel very blessed with this. I have learned a lot about health and my body by having to be gluten free for these past five months. I used to obsess constantly about my weight, and now I don't. It's just not important. I don't need to be skinny. I need to be healthy. I may be the chunky one among my sisters, but it's more important to have the energy and proper diet to cope with life.

I have fallen in love with good foods-- this summer I am essentially living off of apples (granny smith, the only kind I like) and avocado... these foods give me energy and keep me cool in the extreme heat, so I find them very enjoyable.

I've learned to listen to my body-- If I am craving something sweet I usually have the craving until I eat an apple... if my legs are aching I need more potassium and I need more calcium... if I don't crave dairy products, it's because my body doesn't need them.

I would still love to grow the majority of what we eat, but I know I have to do things step by step. Once we have a house of our own I can really get into my gardens... and I have my chicks for eggs (they're so pretty!) I wonder if I can sneak a mini-goat into our backyard if we have no HOA? LOL!

I'm so grateful for the learning experience this has all been for me...It's been life changing in so many ways...

I said NO TV

I said no TV.

Sunny pitched a fit.

I said it was broken.

Drew said he could fix it.

I said no Wiggles.

Drew said he could fix it...

Sunny is watching Wiggles.

*Sigh* I'm such a pushover.

Why Communication is Important...

Finally the Realtor for the house got back to our Realtor-- and-- guess what? They had already accepted an offer! Wonderful-- why couldn't he have told us last Thursday when we started calling him ten times a day????

Back to Square One... we'll have to keep looking. We're doing a pre-approval with a different bank, so hopefully that will have better numbers and we'll be able to get into something.

Sigh.

Offer's In...

Well, we did all the paperwork last night and our offer went in this morning. Keep your prayers sounding for us-- we really want this to work out for us! We're separating the 'needs' from the 'luxuries' as far as fixing up goes.

If all goes well we'll be closing Aug. 1st...

Foremost on the Forecast full of Forethought

"Fore!"

Ok, couldn't resist that one...

I'm thinking a lot today, because this evening our Realtor is coming over and we're working out what we're going to offer on this fixer-upper we've been looking at. We have a pre-approval (lower than we expected, but works for us for this house). The house is in a great neighborhood, has good square footage, a beautiful backyard... even a separate playroom area (a added-on enclosed porch off of the dining area.)

But it needs work-- aka-- there is a BIG hole in the floor in the master bath, it needs a/c put it, it needs all new floors, it has no appliances, it needs a new shower/tub and toilet in the master bathroom, oh, and it has no doors or windows right now-- just boards... We're going to offer low (its bank owned) and hope that the offer we can do will be accepted. It would close in and around August 15th (?) and we've budgeted in paying double rent while we repair that and we still have our lease here.

Parts of it are really exciting-- having a home of our OWN-- that's the biggie. But looking at all that paperwork makes me jittery. It's a good time to buy here right now-- NOT to sell, and it IS a fixer-upper, which is the only way we can afford it. It would put us in the ward we were in before this house, so with my MIL, and that's no bad thing... I have a lot of fun with her, and she'd be someone to go to RS now that my only friend here has moved away to Penn.

I've been doing all my homework-- comparing flooring companies-- figuring that we'll probably put in laminate wood everywhere but in the bedrooms... and then throw down rugs. If we had a bigger budget I'd do Bamboo floors, but it runs, at best, at about $5 a square foot and is usually about twice that, so flooring this almost 1700 sq ft house would be a challenge.

That hole in the floor worries me-- do I need a permit to fix it? I don't want to hire a contractor if we can do it ourselves-- after all MIL built the house my Hunny grew up in... so, really...

And then, there is a LIBRARY in the house-- not kidding! It's off of the dining room, a very small office-like room that is perfect for our books! YAY! (We have so many books, it's a real problem for us, actually.)

I hate unknowns-- I want to know right NOW if we're getting this house or not-- and then I have to wait until closing to start working on it-- makes me rather restless and edgy.

But I can see it in my head-- what I want to do with the house... and the counters are exactly like the orange ones in the house I grew up in, and the cabinets are the same too-- and I felt like I was coming home...

Any advice, oh mighty house owners? Anyone want to help us fix it up? :)

<br><b><a href="http://www.greatestjournal.com/quiz.bml?Q=16354"><font size=+1>You Are Pocahantas!</font></a></b><br><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/newbandi/Pocahantas.jpg" alt="Image hosted by Photobucket.com"><p><b>Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.</b></center><br><b><a href="http://www.greatestjournal.com/quiz.bml?Q=16354">Which Disney Princess Are You?</a></b>

Another one...

5 Things You Can Find Inside My Bag:

I don't have a bag. Seriously.

5 Favorite Things Inside The Room I'm In:

1. Two half-naked boys creating chaos
2. My beautiful cherry-wood hope chest
3. Computer
4. Work chart on the walls
5. The cushions hubby and I recovered together.

5 Things I've Always Wanted To Do:

1. Publish a book.
2. Paint a HUGE oil painting.
3. Keep my house at a state of reasonable cleanliness permanently.
4. Sing on my own CD.
5. Ride horses in Ireland (and bring them home :))

5 Things I'm Currently Into:

1. heritage farming
2. quilting
3. working on 'into the deep'
4. Finding a house to live in
5. THE BOYS-- all three of them!

4 people I Plan To Tag:

Jenn
Manda
Mom
Dad
Hubby

Haha-- those last three would NEVER! :)

Meme-- from Martie

45 Things About Me


Do you like blue cheese? It depends what it's with. I like it crumbled in a good salad-- or in mashed potatoes-- but not alone.

Do you own a gun? nope

What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? I've never had a Sonic drink...

Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? I hate all Dr. appointments. I get nervous just thinking about being with any DR. Honestly.

What do you think of hot dogs? Only when I'm desperate.

Favorite Christmas movie? Holiday Inn? I like the Muppet Christmas Carol :).

What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Water. I pretty much only ever drink water.

Can you do push ups? Um... maybe one? I'm not great with them-- good with crunches, though.

What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? My wedding band-- which is too big for me to wear, unless I'm pregnant :).

Favorite hobby? Do you have a month? Reading, drawing, weaving, quilting, needle-felting, snuggling babies...

Do you have A.D.D.? What were you asking? Probably, but not diagnosed.

What’s one trait you hate about yourself? I'm obsessive and bipolar-- I also get sick all the time.

Middle name? My mum's maiden name.

Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: Of course the day that Hubby forgets his phone is the day I really need him. I wish I could nap. I wonder if I can take my tonsils out myself... with a shish-kabob skewer, maybe? (yes, I'm that strange, sorry!)

Name 3 things you bought yesterday? Nothing, but I wanted to buy a puppy.

Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Water.

Current worry? Surviving today.

Current hate right now? um... being sick? I don't tend to hate on anything but myself, and I don't allow that, currently.

Favorite place to be? Cool, damp, water, trees, preferably ocean nearby-- surrounded by gardens and fruit trees-- ahhh! Paradise!

How did you bring in the New Year? Telling Hubby I wanted to go home and go to bed.

Where would you like to go? Ireland.

Do you own slippers? Not really-- I have an old set (maybe half of it?) from years ago, but I don't like things touching my feet, so... no...

What song makes you happy? 'You have Stolen my heart' Taylor Swift's 'Invisible' ... um... and sad songs make me happy-- honestly... I like 'Apologize' and 'Should have said 'No'' and lots of Carrie Underwood-- anything U2 will make my day.


What year would you go back in time to? Unless I had something to give to that time, I'd leave things alone.

Can you whistle? Yes

Favorite color? Dark greens and Blues and grays...

Would
you be a pirate? Kill people and never bathe and get scurvy and lose my teeth just for worthless pieces of metal? Um... NO.

What songs do you sing in the shower? None lately. I mostly get to shower at about 3am and the baby sleeps in our room. Plus... I just don't sing much anymore.

Favorite girl’s name. Ruth, Miriam, Hannah, Chiara...

Favorite boy’s name? Kayson, Keith, Landon... I dunno...

What’s in your pocket right now? PJ pants don't have pockets.

Last
thing that made you laugh? Sunny running really fast with naked buns.

Last thing that made you cry? A nightmare I had.

Worst injury you’ve ever had? Concussion-- big old bruise on the back of my head from coming off a horse. I was loopy for weeks.

Do you love where you live? I don't want to live in this state in general, but I'm making allowances. I like this house, but I want one that I'm allowed to actually do something with-- so that's neither here nor there.

How many TVs do you have in your house? Two.

How many dogs do you have? None right now, darn it!

What is your favorite book(s)? Passage by Connie Willis, Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsoliver, I have a ton that I love, but I think those are probably the top two right now.

What
is your favorite candy? I don't like candy. I like chocolate-- at the right time and the right darkness for the moment. For the record WHITE CHOCOLATE IS NOT CHOCOLATE! :)

Favorite Sports Team(s)? Boston Red Sox-- I tend to like less 'team sports'-- equestrian (of course), track and field, gymnastics, skiing... I used to never watch sports, but I do now-- oh and BIG TIME we've been watching Nascar-- so kinda into that.

Your favorite meal? Anything I can't have! LOL-- I guess Pad Thai

What were you doing 12 AM last night? Just about asleep.

What
was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? That I love it when Drew creeps into my bed in the morning and that I have the most beautiful boys in the world and I wanted to kiss their fingers. Drew's fingers are so beautiful... I love waking up time with the boys. (BUT then they're AWAKE! LOL!)

Do you have any odd habits? I don't know-- what constitutes odd? I have an obsessive personality. I check pet ads on craigslist about 80 times a day... for an example...

How many siblings do you have? five

Ick... Sick... AGAIN (still?)

By last night I was REALLY sick and considering going to Urgent Care, but I *hate* the wait, and decided to just deal with it as much as I could. Today I'm regretting that decision and... guess who forgot his cell phone this morning? I have no way to reach my Hubby.

I don't know what's going on with me-- ear infection, very sore throat, every muscle in my body is just aching... and I've been very nauseous, which makes it really hard for me to try to force some food down. I'm doing what I can from home-- but Tylenol can only do so much (it seems completely ineffective at this point, actually).

Maybe I should just take the plunge at get my tonsils taken out? I've never been 'out out' in my life-- even my wisdom teeth being taken out was just a case of mild Novocaine. I'm terrified of anesthesia-- I'm so worried about losing control over what's happening to me, even for a moment in time.

However-- this is my second strep infection since November and I do have 20% of my hearing GONE permanently from a strep infection I had several years back... I'd rather not lose any more.

But being sick doesn't mean the boys are going to be nice to me-- quite the contrary. I made them pizza for breakfast (thinking-- breakfast and lunch). They acted all excited, then didn't want it. I made scrambled eggs at Sunny's request-- same story. And every time I lie down someone starts shouting 'WAKE UP, JEFF!'

(If you don't get the reference you have not been indoctrinated into the spider's web that is the Wiggles)

We're going tomorrow to look at another house-- wish us luck-- we can actually afford this one. It needs some work, but not huge amounts, so-- yeah-- pray for us! Anyone want to live in it from Sept through January for reasonable rent??? (1750 sq ft. three bed two bath with A/C...) Anyone? Anyone?

Monday Morning

I missed church yesterday, as Drew was home sick and I stayed with him and Sunny while Daddy went to sacrament meeting. Right before Daddy left, though, Drew had a real bang-up. He was jumping on the bed and managed to hit Daddy's knee squarely with his mouth. It was BAD-- three chipped teeth and one wiggly tooth. He was really stressed out about it (Drew is a worrier-- wonder where he got that?) This morning the tooth is still wiggly, and I have to keep telling Drew not to play with it with his tongue.

We went looking at possible houses to buy on Saturday, then got our 'pre-qualification' for our mortgage loan, which was not what we expected because of student loans. Now we're looking into a fixer-upper as our only possibility of getting into our own home in the next year and a half at least. That means, come February, we'll probably be homeless. Ick.

The fixer-upper has potential, so I'm not wigging-out yet for that.

I was sick all last week (still am) and the house just completely fell apart, so I've spent the last three hours working on the house straight (this is my first break), and I'm about to pass out-- seriously. I've been vomiting and my throat is killing me, but I couldn't take the mess anymore. (Every little thing that's out of place feels like a physical slap in my face and it was VERY messy.)

We've been weaning Sunny from his day feedings-- it's been really challenging, but has been working out great the last two days-- he'll nurse all night (he still sleeps with us) but isn't crawling all over me begging to nurse 24/7 now... which he was doing and was getting OLD.

So, Monday Monday... here we go.

Oh-- my MIL got the COOLEST dog ever-- he's a Great Pyrenees/St. Bernard-- named Bear-- he's HUGE and very sweet. Gimli dug a hole through our gate, so he had to move back to Mils. Naught old thing! Bear is easier on the other dogs than Bobo was, so Gimli is doing great-- gaining weight and looking younger all the time.

Um... I think that's everything :)