Frustration With a Good Ending

Here is a quick run down of my stressful last three months!

As you know we put our house on the market to sell in May. We got an offer a few short weeks later and we were more than excited. They asked for a close date of July 31st which was about 50 days away (Most closings are 30 days away) but we were okay with this.

At some point we were told we were going to close early on the 26th and to get packed and ready to move. We were packed and ready by the 21st so we could rent a Uhaul and get things into place. Well that date came and went with no word from our buyers. The only furniture we had was Levi's crib and My king sized mattress on the floor in the master bedroom.

As July 31st was closely approaching, we received a notice asking for an extension on the contract. We weren't thrilled, but signed it anyway (also asking the buyers of our new house for an extension. They too, were not thrilled but followed suite.)

So August 15th was our new date. In the mean time, we are still living out of packed boxes and a mattress on the floor with Cori in between us. I'm almost positive we now have a permanent third member in our bed. I can't foresee getting her out any time soon. Great.

Last Thursday I get a call saying that our buyers could not get financed -- WHAT?? 65 days wasted. Our house was off the market for 65 days!! Two other houses in our neighborhood sold in that time and I know they would have chosen our house if it was available! 65 days down the drain.

We immediately called our Realtor, who is enjoying herself on vacation in Hawaii and told her to get our house back on the market as fast as she could!! She was super helpful and took the time to do this for us. By Thursday afternoon we had 4 scheduled showings.....

This could turn out okay!

Here's the thing - not to brag, but we have nice furniture and nice decor in our house. It makes the house look so much better to have it looking homey and warm instead of a cold vacant house. Right? James and I stayed up really late Thursday night putting our entire house back together to be ready to show it again on Friday. The whole time James and I were mumbling not so nice things under our breath out of frustration as we put beds back together, moved dressers, and hung things on the wall. We really didn't speak to each other very much because we were both so angry and even though we weren't angry at each other it would have turned into a huge fight between us b/c we didn't have anyone else to vent to. I might have cried a few tears over this.

At this point we were sure we were going to lose out on our new house that we have just fallen in love with. I cried about that too. The down payment we needed to put on the new house is tied up in the sale of this current house.

Rickey Bobby to the rescue! My parents offered to "gift" us the amount we would make from our house to go towards the money we have saved for down payment so we could move forward with the new house. (we will pay him back as soon as our house sells) James and I did the math and figured we could carry two mortgages for a couple of months if necessary. Definitely not ideal, but we could make it work. After a few hours of back and forth scenarios we said "Screw it, lets go for it". We both agreed we would be upset to lose out on the house and get an offer on ours very soon. We should close on our new house tomorrow or Thursday. VERY EXCITED.

To keep the excitement going - by Saturday evening we had TWO NEW OFFERS ON OUR HOUSE!!

BETTER OFFERS than we originally agreed to! We are going to come out better in the end!

This is great news! We even have time to move in a calm and organized manor because we will have our house for a month after we close on the new one. No Uhauls, storage facilities, or extra money spent. We can use our vehicles and trailers and move as slow or as fast as we want!

Even though the last three months have been probably the most stressful time I've ever lived through, it has all worked out in the end and we are beyond excited and relieved. I just hope everything goes smoothly. The new buyers we accepted are a way better fit for our neighborhood and neighbors too. They are older and more established, they are better all around. I don't foresee anymore crazy hick-ups like before.

I can't wait to get into my new house and start going crazy on Pinterest ideas!!

50 Shades of Casey

I really really wanted to get a post up today, because, let's face it, it's about time.  

I'm copying another blog I came across - answering 50 random questions about myself - enjoy.

(If you want to complete the same questions on your blog, let me know and I'll link to your post!) 

1. What is your best friend's Mom's name? Darla

2. Where is the weirdest place you have a mole?  I have a few - but they may just be big freckles. The one I think is the weirdest is under my arm. Like, in my arm pit. I'm always afraid I'm gonna get it one day with the razor....

3. Who was the hottest teacher you ever had?  I can honestly say I never ever had a crush on any of my teachers.


4. Have you ever made out in a movie theater? Yeah, my first kiss with James was in the movies. 

5. What body part do you wash first?  Head and shoulders, knees and toes (knees and toes), Head and shoulders, knees and toes (knees and toes), eyes and ears and a mouth and a nose, head and shoulders, knees and toes (knees and toes).  That's all the parts right?

6. Do you hover over the toilet in public bathrooms? Depends.  I would like to hover all the time, but I have really really bad balance and falling on the floor or into the toilet in a public restroom seems way worse than the alternative.

7. What's the strangest talent you have?  Hm, I don't consider myself very talented - I can't think of anything strange either. 

8. Do you have an innie or an outtie? I have an innie of a completely normal depth. 

9. What's your favorite flavored Pringles? I like BBQ and Sour Cream and Onion

10. Have you ever been tied up? Not that I can think of. I used to tie the kids I babysat up though. Don't freak out, they totally loved it. Especially when I put them in the closet! I'm serious, they loved it. 

11. What was the last thing you ever got grounded for? telling my parents I was staying with a friend and really I was with James. I think this was before they ever met him too. Bad, I know. I think I was 16

 12. Do you parallel park or drive around the block? I don't ever go anywhere that requires parallel parking. 

13. Have you ever had two dates in one night?   No, but that sounds like fun

14. How many times have you been cussed out?   Maybe a few times in my days.

15. Which shoe do you put on first?  I really didn't know the answer to this (though I assume the right one) so I took off my shoes and tried to put them back on to figure it out, but then I was thinking too much about the whole thing, so I couldn't really trust that what was happening was natural.  So I took off my shoes again and walked a little down the hallway, so I could approach my shoes in a more normal fashion - I think right first....but I could be wrong.

17. Have you ever been to a gay bar?  Once, after prom in Galveston. It was the most fun I've ever had at a bar - and margaritas completely paid for by someone else was cool too! Btw, I was only 17. This could have been another story about being grounded, but the parents never found out. 

18. Girls  This is not a question.  Just want to have fun. 

19. Is there one thing all of your love interests have had in common? Seeing as I have been dating James since I was 15, I really have no other love interests to compare to. 

20. Did you French kiss before you were 16? Yeah, I kissed a boy in the 6th grade

21. Have you ever been cow-tipping or snipe-hunting?  No.  Cow-tipping is mean.  How would you like if if you were just sleeping in your own bed and then suddenly you woke up on the floor with a couple of drunk cows hovering over you, mooing in amusement.   You would feel scared right?

22. Who is the last person you usually think about before you fall asleep? Maybe my kids. I always check the baby monitor right before I fall asleep to make sure they are still in their beds. 

23. Have you ever had a poem or a song written about you? Nah, not cool enough for that.

24. If you had to choose to not ever wash your bed sheets again or not wash your bath towel ever again, which would you rather not wash?  Ew. Neither.

25. Have you ever found anything in your parents' bedroom that was questionable? Oh God, I don't even want to talk about this!

26. What was your childhood nickname? Sissy  or Casey Jay

27. When is the last time you played the air guitar?    Totally played the air guitar Friday night at the Astros game. The cute little girl a few seats over got on the big screen, but not me. 

28. Have you ever peeked in the opposite sexes locker room? Not on purpose. 

29. What's the weirdest thing you have done while driving?   Change clothes while driving down the freeway. Or, if I'm having a bad day, I get in the car and scream at the top of my  lungs as hard and as loud as I can. When I open my eyes I see stars. Then I laugh hysterically at the thought of me doing this and what if someone saw me, I must look like an idiot. Seriously, it makes me feel so much better! I laugh for at least 5 minutes.

30. Have you ever bitten your toenails? No, can't say that I have.

31. How do you eat your cookie? Weird question award....um I bite it.

32. When working out at the gym, do you wear a belt? No, nothing I do at the gym is that hardcore that I need a belt. 

33. Name something you do when you're alone that you wouldn't do in front of others. I turn on music and pretend like I'm filming music videos, choreographed dance moves and all.

36. How many drinks does it take before you get drunk? I'm a drinker. Probably 6 beers and I start getting extra funny! (or at least I think I'm funny Ha!)

37. Have you ever sniffed an animal's butt? Not on purpose if I have. 

38. How often do you clean out your ears? Every single morning when I get out of the shower. Wet ears are weird to me. I can't concentrate with wet ears.

39. Do you scrunch or fold your toilet paper? Depends if the roll is on the holder like its supposed to be or not. If it is on the holder, it usually gets scrunched up. If it's sitting on the top of the holder I kind of roll it onto and over my fingers....that sounds weird, right? 

40. About how many times a day do you pick a wedgie?   My wedgies are usually non pickable if you know what I mean. 

41. Do you have any strange phobias? I'm actually like terrified of clowns or masks or creepy makeup on a person's face. I like people to look normal. 

42. Have you ever stuck a foreign object up your nose? Yeah, I had to go to the ER once to have some rock pebbles removed. I won the "How many rocks can you put in you nose contest" though. SCORE!

43. What is the stupidest thing you've ever done at a bar? When I'm drinking and at a bar, I forget that other people can see me as I think I'm Brittany Spears dancing away on the dance floor. These are not my proudest moments, but boy do I have fun. This video below is hilarious. I hope I'm this cool if I ever get pulled over for drinking and driving. 

44. Have you ever been dared to do something you totally regretted?  I usually always chose Truth 

45. Have you ever called your love interest by an ex's name? Definitely not.

46. Have you caught a guy/girl farting while on a date? I'm married, so, you know, yes.  He can't blame it on the dogs while we are on dates.  

47. Have you ever played naked Twister? Definitely not.  That sounds like a horrible idea!

48. Have you ever been drunk at work? Yes, once I had a terrible cough and apparently I was driving my boss nuts! He called me into his office, poured me something brown out of his cabinet and told me "drink this shit and shut the hell up!!!" I swear, I didn't cough one more time that day....but I could barely see my computer screen clearly. It was a good day. Everyone should have a boss like mine!! (It sounds harsh, but he loves me.)

49. Have you ever found your date's/lover's brother or sister attractive? My husband and his brother are practically twins so yeah, I think Jason is attractive. 

50. Do you want to bring sexy back? um, I'll pass.

Wow, so that ended up being a really long post.  I'm really impressed if you've made it this far.  I apologize for boring you to tears.

Lone Star Yogi Bear Park

We had such a great time on our Vacation at Yogi Bear Park! If you live in Texas and have never been, you should make plans to go while your kids are still little! 


My mom rented us a cabin that slept 8 and it was a neat place. Much better than sleeping in a tent. My aunt and uncle, cousins and their kids rented a cabin too so we had lots of family there to share our time with!

Fact: This was my first time to "camp" and this was luxury camping if I do say so myself! 

Levi was a little young and needy and someone always had to hang out at the cabin while he napped (sometimes twice a day) but we all still had a blast!! 

These pictures I took came from my phone, sorry about the quality, but with the water park and the bazillion water guns around the park, my good camera never left the bag. **These are all repeats from instagram, if you follow me there** (Oh well)

 They had an outdoor theater and every night showed a movie - the kids LOVED it!

 The water park was amazing! We spent most of our time here! Cori rode the big slide by her self at least 20 times. She was so brave! 

 This little guy woke up every morning at 7am so we spent our mornings on the porch playing until everyone else woke up. Notice the rash around his mouth? I had to call and argue with a nurse at his pedi office. She kept saying that there was nothing they could do for him and to put neosporin on it. It was definitely infected in a few spots from being irritated. I finally told her to have the Dr. on call call me and what do you know, he prescribed an antibiotic and I was able to pick it up at the local CVS. (he told me NOT to put neosporin on it) I was disappointed in his nurse and I let him know. I have never had issues before this. They are usually so nice when you call. It was a Saturday, but still, I expected more. His face was pretty clear by the next day after starting the antibiotic.

The grown ups had fun in the pool too!! I can't wait for next summer when we can go back. I think Levi will be better next time. 

Speaking of Levi, he will be ONE tomorrow. Ah!! 

SOLD

So last night James and I signed a contract on our current home! After a few back and forth's with the buyer we finally came to an agreement. This is our first time selling a home and to be honest I am way more stressed then I ever thought I would be. I am not usually one to stress out or become overwhelmed. I am usually the calm and cool one telling James to "relax, it will all work out, or it won't". Did you know that when you sell your house you are supposed to leave curtains, or anything attached to the wall?? (like mounted TV's) - I didn't. I had to add in exclusions just to be able to keep the curtains that match Levi's bedding....why in the world would someone want curtains that don't match anything they have?

see his matching curtains? Why would she want those?

Somehow I ended up giving up my drapes in the livingroom, master bedroom and bathroom. I fought for Levi's curtains, though. We are being required to paint a few rooms (one we JUST finished not too long ago. I am bummed about painting it back now), get the carpet cleaned (no big deal), and leave the pool (no big deal either, new house has a pool!!) The main thing we went back and forth on was the buyers wanting to keep Cori's playground.

So cool. I wish I had one when I was young!

We originally thought we could leave it but when it came down to it I knew we had to keep it and take it with us for a few reasons. Cori was very upset when we asked if it was okay to leave it. I knew that once we got in the new house that James would never buy and assemble another one after the trouble (and lots of curse words) he experienced putting the first one together. She plays on it all the time and I couldn't imagine breaking her little heart.

The other things the buyers asked to keep was the TV, stereo and speakers on the patio. James was okay with this because when we purchased these things we didn't spend a lot of money. We knew that they would stay outside all the time and we didn't want to spend a lot in case the {horrid} humidity in Houston ruined them. So far so good - and he's kinda relieved that he doesn't have to climb on a 15' ladder to take them down anyway. They buyers were happy! We are happy.

TV on the wall, and stereo on the little shelf will stay.

One last thing the buyers asked for - which I thought was kind of weird was a piece of rot iron I had on the wall of my entry way. Quick Story: I bought it with my Memaw in Ft. Worth about 4 years ago. We went into a store that was closing down and it had a price tag of $180 - I kept coming back to it over and over telling myself there is no way I could spend almost two hundred dollars on it, James would kill me. Finally we were about to leave and I said "screw it, I'm getting it" when I went to the counter to purchase it rang up for FOUR DOLLARS....yes, $4. I think I almost peed on myself! My little cancer ridden Memaw, who wasn't getting around very well basically did a cart wheel. We were both so excited. We were laughing and so giddy over it b/c we both originally thought I was crazy buying it. We somehow managed to get this huge piece of iron into the backseat of my little Altima, squeezed poor memaw in, and load up her wheel chair. We laughed and giggled all the way back to her house. It sat in my house for about 2 months before I could figure out what to do with it. I painted a huge rectangle on the wall and hung it up. James wasn't thrilled with it, but I loved it. Mostly because of the story & memory. My Memaw died in January of 2011. When I saw on the contract that she wanted that piece to stay, tears flooded my eyes. James knew why I was upset, but poor Jackie (our Realtor) had no idea. James was so sweet, he just told Jackie that I wasn't giving that up. She didn't ask any questions....just scratched it out. I know the stupid piece of iron isn't that spectacular, but something told me to buy it, even thought it was way too expensive and the memory of me and my little Memaw laughing and being so excited wasn't something I was willing to give up.

The best picture I could find (iPhone ick)

Anyway, the house is "sold" although I hate saying that because we have a month for something to fall through. My biggest fear is that we'll waste time if they back out. Pray that this all goes through, please. They did offer what we were asking  and their Realtor told us that the couple is in love with our house - so, so far, so good. Fingers (and toes) crossed!!

Father's Day

I have the greatest daddy anyone could ask for! He is over protective, over opinionated, and beyond crazy!! He would give anything he had to someone in need, but he'd rather teach you how to get it yourself. He can sell socks to a man with no feet. Everyone loves him. He knows everyone....and when I say everyone, I mean it. He will run into someone he knows everywhere we go - even in other cities & states. He is definitely a good person to know too. He's sneaky and sometimes we wonder if he thinks he is the neighborhood police officer. If I ever find myself in trouble, I know who to call first - even though he has said it a million times "If you get in trouble b/c your too stupid to what's right, don't call me" He doesn't say I love you or show much affection, but we all know he loves us very much. He will say what is on his mind and he doesn't care who he offends. Sometimes it's embarrassing, but most of the time he says what we are all thinking, but too afraid to say it out loud. He love his grandbabies more than anything else I can think of, even my brother and me. We got the back burner when I had Cori. They are lucky to have him too.

We don't have many pictures of my dad smiling....something was obviously funny!
Me, Dad & Brother, Stewart

Always ready for a good time...yes, that is a T-shirt under his jacket...
He lost a bet & had to wear this to my cousin's wedding!

Mowing the yard!

He can not wait for Levi to grow up a little and go  hunting and fishing!
He calls Levi his little side kick! 

Filla Filla Rides!

 I love you Daddy-O, Happy Father's Day!! 

Orgnaization

I typed in the word "Organization" into Pinterest and let me tell you, I am having SO much fun looking around. I visited my friend Ashley when she lived in FL and she was OCD organized, but ever since, I have been inspired to stay more organized and I am actually good and it and really enjoy it. You already know that we are buying a new house and, oh my, my mind is going 100 mph thinking of all the possibilities of decorating, organizing, and creating a new home for us. I have about 253 projects listed out on the notepad of my iPhone and most of them go along with pins from Pinterest. Oh Pinterest you are so dangerous but so cool. I try to get James to look at my boards but he is very uninterested - typical guy, I suppose. He says we will broke, old and tired if I complete all the things I have in mind. I'm trying my best to convince him that each and every one is necessary - even the chandelier in the master closet....so cute {okay, maybe he's right, maybe I am crazy} There are TWO closets in the master bedroom and I have some big plans for mine! The kids each have built in desks and shelves in their rooms and those are gonna be cute too.....is painting in their closets silly? I don't think so. I have BIG plans for the kitchen, but that will be a big spender. It needs some major upgrades and renovation. I don't consider that one of my projects. I'll let James handle that one. How do pick a place to start in the new house? I guess I should take it one step at a time and the first step will actually be moving into the house....until then I will keep pinning, dreaming, and annoying my husband with all my ramble. I can't wait. I'm beyond excited.

Ashley, I wish you lived closer! I bet you'd LOVE to come help me organize. I'm sure I still have a ton to learn from you. One day when your girls are in school, I hope you become a professional organizer. I bet a lot of people would appreciate your OCD when it comes to that!! I miss you and can't wait to see you next week!!!!

Our House

I love seeing houses. New houses, old houses, model houses....you name it! If you invite me into your home for a tour I will never say no!! So, with that said, I'll show you some picture of my house, that we are now selling. It would be easy to just post the online listing of our house, but that would be putting my address out there and I'm not cool with that. This is our very first home. We purchased it a month after our wedding (almost 5 years ago!!) Enjoy the pictures!

Welcome to our home!

Entry way. Cori & Levi's rooms, and bathroom are to the right, the dining/office to the left

 Living Room, the French Doors go out to the back yard.

the open squares look into the kitchen

Dining room that we use as an office for James. Wait until you see his office at the new house!! 

It's AWESOME!

Master Bed Room

My crazy red & zebra bathroom. I think this was one of those bad pregnant decisions. Even though I still like it, what in the world was I thinking painting RED on the walls? My Realtor says she likes it too, so we didn't paint over it before we listed our house. 

My sweet Levi's room. 

Cori's Room

The kid's bathroom

Our grand patio! Jackie says this will sell our house!

We have loved having this pool, but the pool at the new house is much better! 

We sure are going to miss this place but the new house has more to offer and a lot more property!! I can't wait to post about that!!

Before & After

So as you know our house is on the market to be sold. We already have a contract on our new house & we are supposed to close July 31st (giving us some time to sell ours. Pray, pray hard that it sells soon!). We've had 5 showings in 2 weeks & over 650 online views. Jackie, our realtor says that's great & she is hopeful that it will sell quickly! Anyway, Jackie was able to pull the original online listing of our home & send me pictures. I forgot how plane & dirty our house was when we bought it. It was a foreclosure & it looked like the previous owners trashed the place before they left. I made a few collages to show before & after. I did all of this from my phone so excuse the horrible quality!

James built a HUGE 26x26 covered patio on the back of our house, all wired with speakers, fans and recessed lights. I was so proud of him for thinking and creating this!! We have spent MANY hours outside here and a few birthday parties. I'm going to miss our outdoor space, seriously!! 

We upgraded all the fixtures, put hard wood floors in & painted. 

Masterbath and Breakfast room

I'm going to miss my baby's first bedrooms. This is so emotional!! 

Memorial Day (early)

We did our Memorial Day family time yesterday. My brother grilled hotdogs, we hung out, played & just had fun!

Mixed emotions!!

So we put our very first home on the market to sell. I'm excited & sad at the same time!! This has been an emotional roller coaster for me! This was the first house James & I bought a month after we got married. I brought both of Babies home to this house. So many memories have been made over the last 5 years here! My parents (built in sitters) live 3 houses down too. (where I grew up since 2nd grade) I can stand on the sidewalk in front of my house and my mom can stand in front of her house and Cori can run between houses. It's been SO nice to live so close. My mom is very upset about the sign in our yard and is trying very hard to keep her cool with me. She knows that we are not moving because of her. Our neighborhood is wonderful, and cozy and everyone knows everyone. Unfortunately, after an ISD rezone, we got stuck in some not so great schools within the ISD. I can't even begin to think of Cori attending the schools, and I almost fainted when I started calling for prices on private schools. We knew when we bought this house that it wasn't going to be forever, but five years sure did come quicker than we expected. We still have 2 years before Cori starts school but we have no idea how long it will take to sell our house. Wish us luck - we are hopefully headed to a better school district.

Mother's Day

My Mother's day was plane and simple, just the way I like it!! Cori woke me up at the butt crack of dawn remembering that it was Mother's Day! She ran to her back pack to get the cards she and Levi made for me at school. 

Miss Janie Loves my kids, she got them together to take these pictures and spent her own money to create this card and have it printed. I was so happy & I love it. This one is now at work with me! 

My first squishy hand print from Levi James! 

Cori colored, cut & glued this (with help) just for me!! 

I get this SAME piece of paper every year from Cori - I can't decide if I like it b/c I can compare the hand prints each year, or if it annoys me b/c they can't photo copy another saying for Mother's Day each year.

(okay, I'll quit complaining!) I love it. 

The rest of the day was spent hanging around the house, mostly outside in the pool. It was a perfect day and I am so blessed to have my babies!! Here is a awkward picture of us on Mother's Day!