Draft

I really meant to get back to this but never did so I'm gonna post it as is:

So we are finally moved upstairs. We have been for I guess a week and a half or two weeks. I am so happy. We still need lots of furniture but I guess it doesn't really matter that we have empty rooms for now. Ellie is getting much better with her puppy pad. She is finally using it every time she pees as long as none of the rooms with carpet are open. Poop is another story. Not sure what happened there. We are working on it. I know I have to post some pictures. I don't really have an excuse for why I haven't.

We had our first round of tornado warnings on Monday night in the new house and I have never been SO thankful. I tell you what it is nice to not have to run for cover in the middle of the night or spend the night away from home because it might get stormy. Also on my list of things to be thankful for....A DISHWASHER!!! Oh my gosh. How did I live without one before? My kitchen is so clean!

We are having some friends over for the game this weekend and I can't wait for everyone to see the house. Nobody has really seen it.

Work is soooo slow today. I'm going crazy!

The house

Ok, so obviously I haven't blogged in a while. I have been very busy. My office computer is totally jacked up and it won't let me read the blogs I follow and I haven't had internet for a week at home which now I do so I can get back to my blogging. Anyways we are in the new house :) Sort of. We are living in the basement for now. SOMEONE got the bright idea that scraping popcorn ceilings off would be no big deal. Cough Cough. Obviously the person in question has never done it before and now she is living in a basement instead of the house she just bought. We finally finished the ceilings at around 1am on sunday. It took us a whole week. Yesterday was mostly clean up but we still have a lot of cleaning to do. I finally got the kitchen cleaned up and found a pan and a spatula in the boxes we are living out of and made a Bertolli pasta meal for dinner last night. Our first sort of cooked meal in the house. Since we are staying in the basement we havent turned the heat on yet. We are just using the gas heater downstairs. It was hilarious carrying the huge TV up the stairs and hooking it up in the living room floor and sitting in game day chairs with huge sweatshirts on to watch Dexter last night. We couldn't miss our show even if we did have to freeze our booties off to watch it.
Maynard is too smart for his own good. If he decides he doesn't want to be in the fenced in back yard he just gets out. We aren't sure how he is managing it but he stays at home. We will walk by the door and see him on the porch, or pull up in the driveway and he will greet us at the car. Trouble. Ellie is a ra-tard and is having trouble with the stairs. She has also disregarded her puppy pad so I guess we are starting all over with the house training. Ugh.
Now after we get everything clean we have to paint. THEN we can move in for real :) I am SO happy right now. It has been a lot of work but it is so great to finally have a house.
Oh BTW I realized this weekend that my basement is not underground. BAHAHAHA Oh the irony. That's right people. You may wonder how I missed that before and all I can say is I'm not sure. When you look at the house from straight on you can't see the basement so that wall I guess is technically underground, but the other 3 walls are not. Alot of flippin good that is gonna do me. I actually think it's funny. The girl who is terrified of storms and HAD to buy a house with a basement bought one that isn't even underground. I still feel safe in my basement and I'm sure I will be better off there than in a trailer or a house that doesn't have one at all. I know this blog is jumping around a lot so thanks for staying with me if you've made it this far. I just had to catch up on everything. I have a TON of catching up on my blog reading to do. I don't know why this computer will let me sign in to mine but not view anyone elses. Stupid. Well I can't wait to post more pics. I will do before and afters. I guess that is all for now :)

It's official!! (almost)

So yesterday we found out that our appra isal was good and then it went back to underwriting for an appraisal review. Usually that takes about 3-4 days but we were blessed and ours came back the same day!!! Yay everything is approved and we are ready to close. We were supposed to close at the first of November because we wanted to make sure we were ready financially and because the owners were having to find somewhere to go. At first they were having a hard time because they are renting and they have pets inside. They called us Tuesday and said they have found a place and are ready to close! They said they can probably be out by the 15th! As for the financial situation God has totally provided for us and we are ahead of schedule! I got extra money at work from my unused personal days and Josh sold his 4-wheeler. We have also found someone to buy our trailer and so we don't have to worry about that payment anymore!! It's like the pieces all just came together. I know God had his hand in it. I am SO excited. I have wanted a house for soooo long and it just doesn't seem real. I couldn't be happier!!I guess I could post a pic now that I know it's going to be mine. So here is a sneak peak!

I know the bushes could use some trimming! LOL There is a fenced in back yard behind the poolhouse for Maynard too! I will post more pics later. I will do before and afters as I fix up each room!! I feel so blessed and so happy! It's like all of my dreams have come true! It may sound cheesy but I wanted this sooo bad!

On a totally un-house related note I have been working on my relationship with God. I have been a slacker for quite a while now. I have been praying for the desire to be closer to him because for a while it wasn't on my list of priorities. I am just being honest. I am also trying to take a little time each night to read the bible. I have never read the whole thing before and I think it would do me some good to get some of my facts straight. It is amazing the things that God has put in my path and opened my eyes to. Even the smallest things increase my desire everyday to be closer to him. Jenny if you read this your bible studies and your videos on your blog are wonderful! Sometimes you just don't know what might really touch someone else! So anyways I would just like to ask everyone to say a little prayer for me. I am trying but I know I will have days when I struggle. Everyone does. I want to be a better example for my friends and my husband.

Not in a great mood.

Today I am starting the day off on the wrong foot. I went to bed ill and I woke up that way. MEN!! Ugh! That is all I will say about that.....maybe. Anyways, this whole house thing has my face looking like I just hit puberty! Oh my gosh! Everything is going ok so far, but we still haven't gotten the appraisal. Inspection was fine. They agreed to fix the few little things that we asked them to. Yesterday our file came back from underwriting and it was approved so we are good on the financial end. Now all we need is the stinkin appraisal and I am NOT a patient person. It really has me stressed. I just want to get it over with. I hate not knowing if we are gonna get it. I think once I know we are it won't be so hard to wait for the closing date. We've had 2 people look at our trailer so far and we haven't even advertised it's for sale. They were just friends of friends. Hopefully we won't have too hard of a time getting rid of it. Anyways I am pretty much writing out of boredom. Its gonna be a slow day at work today. Yuck. I'm kinda glad but kinda not. I wish I could sleep. I'm exhausted.
This thursday I'm going to stay with my buddy Cass and I get to spend time with her and her baby Jackson! I haven't seen him since the hospital and he is getting soooo big. I am excited about seeing them both. It will be nice to get away from home and get my mind off of things too. (if that's possible)
Next week is my birthday!!! I am such a kid when it comes to my birthday usually. I get super excited, but this time I'm gonna be 26. Which is closer to 30 than it is to 20. That upsets me. I just want to have my birthday but not get any older. The other day I bought a bottle of wine at Walmart and the lady asked me how old I was and I said "24" before I even thought about it. What the heck was that? Word vomit? I mean I haven't been 24 for almost 2 years now. It's like I'm stuck on that number! Ugh. My birthday is gonna stink too because I don't get a present. Maybe we will find out we are getting the house that day! That would be great! Otherwise we can't spend money on birthdays if we are buying a house next month! Josh didn't get a present for his last month either for the same reason, but I did throw him a party which was fun. Well, now that I'm tired, ill, stressed, and depressed I think I will get off of here. LOL It's better to quit while you're ahead.

Inspection went pretty good. There are two things we are gonna ask them to fix. 1. Weak steps and loose hand rails on the deck and 2. some vent or something in the attic that came unattached. Surely they will fix those? We will see. We are gonna ask them today. Anyways so far so good. Appraisal will be ordered this week so maybe by next week we will know when they are gonna do it. I tried really hard not to get too excited and attached to this house, but the truth is I already am. I will admit that I have already picked out paint colors. Ugh. I hope everything works out. I am just trusting that however it works out, it is for the best!

stress

Today is inspection day! Actually the inspector should have been there for about an hour now. I am supposed to meet him in another hour and a half. Hopefully all is going well. I am surprisingly calm for the inspection. My concern is now focused on the appraisal. We got prequalified for an FHA loan and if the house doesn't appraise for at least the purchase amount the deal is off. I wasn't worried until Josh's aunt told us that sometimes a pool throws a wrench in the appraisal because if it is based off of comparables that have sold in the area that don't have a pool they won't add any value to the house for the pool. Does that make sense? I'm still a little confused by it. Anyways another reason I am concerned is that when the owners bought it 4 years ago it appraised for about 20,000 LESS!!!!! AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!! Normally a house will only gain equity but the market is so bad right now I am REALLY worried that it won't appraise for enough. The appraisal probably won't be for another 2 weeks. 2 Weeks of stress. We totally made a first timers mistake too! We had just enough for the down payment but we didn't really have closing costs so we gave a little more on the purchase price and got the sellers to pay closing. That was probably TMI for the point I'm about to make. Anyways, 2,000 dollars of our down payment was in a fire proof safe at home. The rest was in our savings account. So we didn't realize that the bank would question where we got the 2000 dollars cash and we went ahead and deposited it in the bank. Then we were told we should have waited and gotten a letter and a check from a family member saying that they "gifted" us the 2000 dollars. That way we don't have to explain how we saved it and why it wasn't in the bank???? Who knew? Josh's aunt says they frown upon "matress money." Hopefully that will be a hurdle that won't be too difficult to overcome but I'm worried that the bank is gonna look at our account and be like ummmm.......I don't think so. It's not like we have an abundance of money. Pretty much JUST enough to make the down payment. Ha ha. We will just have to wait and see. Maybe they won't laugh us out of the bank!

house update

Ok so we put a verbal offer in on the house on Friday. They called us back with a counter on Sunday and said it was their bottom dollar. They weren't willing to budge much on their price. We countered their counter on Sunday night and said we would walk if they didn't take it (it was only 1000 less than their "bottom dollar" and now we have a verbal agreement on price. Josh is meeting my sister today to write up a contract!! I am terrified. This is such a huge commitment and we just keep asking ourselves if we can afford this house. We think we can but you know how life is. One curve ball could put us out of the game and that is SCARY!! I really am super excited though. I will keep you updated!

New House??? Yes Please!

For anyone who is thinking "Here we go again" just hold on a minute. Bear with me here. This is not just another rambling blog about how I want one. So the deal is that me and Josh have found a house that we both LOVE. Josh normally just goes along with me on my house hunting and viewing escapades because he probably just doesn't want to argue. He has not liked a single house we have looked at and we have seen quite a few. This house is for sale by owner and the couple who own it now are super nice. We went to see it for the first time on thursday evening. We both left grinning from ear to ear. We did not even make it to the car before Josh said 'I really like it.' When we sat down in the car he said 'When are we going to the bank?' EEEEEKKKK! Ok calm down Becca. Contain your excitement. The scary thing is that we really had not planned on buying a house. Of course the plan was to build one. About 3 months ago we removed several thousand dollars from our savings to pay off a few things which was definitely a good move, but it made our savings at this point pretty minimal. We weren't even sure we had enough for a down payment, much less closing costs and inspections and the first year's insurance. Then you also have the whole problem of figuring out if you can even afford the payment!! Ugh. So we felt pretty nervous when we went to the bank the next day to prequalify for a loan. We thought they might laugh at us when we told them how much money we had saved. Surprisingly things went really well for us. We had no problem prequalifying. Our estimated payment squeaked in within our comfort zone, and our mortgage guy told us how we could work out a way for the seller to pay closing! Slow this train down just a little bit!!! I can't describe the constant butterflies that have been in my stomach since Thursday!!! Next step.... BEFORE we put in an offer. We are going back on Monday or Tuesday with Josh's dad. I am WAY more nervous about this than ANYTHING! My reality check is going to come in a package I like to call Nicky Wayne Piper. He will without a doubt be as critical as possible. Not in a bad way. Just for our benefit. To make sure we know what we are getting into. I know I need to be as informed as possible, but what is that saying?............................Ignorance is BLISS! :) Ha Ha! Now to tell you a little about the house....It has a basement!! (of course) The basement is finished with a famiy room, bedroom, and bathroom with a huge walk in closet. It has a 1 car garage in the basement for my car and then a small stall that Josh could park his motorcycle and the lawn mower. There is a carport off the back where he can park his truck and then a seperate 2 car garage that he can have just for a shop!! This makes him happy which makes me very happy! The basement and shop were on our must list which is why it has been hard to find something we both like. Now for the kicker......It has an inground pool!!!!!! It also has a nice sized fenced in yard for Maynard! Sounds too good to be true huh? Yeah I know. Don't rain on my parade. LOL I will keep you updated. I almost didn't want to blog about this because I am afraid I will be disappointed, but blogging is to document my life as it happens so if I am disappointed you can all experience it with me!

I want a baby

There. I said it. I'ts true. (Most days) I don't know why I felt the need to write a blog about it other than the fact that writing things down seems to make them more concrete. Maybe it is so on the days when I think thats insane I will see how wishy washy I am? I don't know.

Does Josh want one? I think so. I just think he feels like its bad timing. I agree. We need to build a house first. The crazy thing is that I'm starting not to care. LOL Just wait till tornado season and Iwill care. House first. Babies second. I just needed to say it. I WANT A BABY. Thanks for listening.

Girls trip

This past weekend was our 2nd annual WCO (walker co. outlaws) girls beach trip! I had soooo much fun it is ridiculous. The highlights of our trip:

1. Getting a flat tire on the way and not calling our husbands for help. We did lie and say we plugged the tire ourselves to impress them but eventually the truth had to come out that a very nice man at a gas station did it for us.
2. The absolute WORST sleeper sofa matress EVER. Words can't describe the discomfort. Imagine you are laying on springs with a thin layer of fabric stretched over them and then a huge hump in your back. Oh and no blanket. Apparently a sheet is enough? Needless to say we froze!
3. As if the sleeper sofa didn't injur us enough we were practically begging for pain when we decided to ride the bananna boat. 5 girls being pulled on a huge bannana by 1 guy with a cruel sense of humor = extreme water sports at its finest. I think I swallowed half of the ocean. May I also say that Sarah and I got our tops blasted off by the force of us hitting the water. Cayman our seadoo driver didn't seem to mind. He also didn't tell us. Realizing you top is hanging to your side after you've been pulled back up on a bananna by a total stranger.....Priceless. Thank goodness for the lifejackets we were wearing.
4. Placing the couch cushions on top of the sofa matress thinking that it had to be better than sleeping on the matress alone because it couldn't possibly get any worse right?......Lets not talk about it.
5. Returning to the scene of the crime determined to not fall off of the bananna boat again.....Silly girls. Maybe we should have asked for a different driver. I am not ashamed to say that Cayman our bananna boat driver was much more determined to make us fall off MULTIPLE times and unfortunately he won the challenge. We did however get a discount after we shared our drinks with them and reminded them that they saw our boobies. LOL
6. Eating at Hunts oyster bar where shortly afterward we all decided to call it HURTS due to the CODE BROWN that suddenly struck us while shopping. I am happy to say we did make it back to the condo.
7. Schooner's. LOL I will not mention the details of this night so as not to incriminate any and all parties involved. I will say that I saw a "sweet old couple" dancing and I thought it was adorable until the "sweet old man" suddenly began groping his wife on the dance floor. No worries. She seemed to be enjoying herself.
8. Waking up 3 hours after we drug ourselves into bed, to check out.
9. Almost getting into a fist fight with some folks at the Waffle House before we headed home. We were in no mood to deal with line jumpers. Party of 11? You can't have 4 people show up and reserve a table for 11 at Waffle House. There is no table for 11. It's first come first serve, and by golly we were FIRST!
10. "Mandy" Our cracked out GPS voice who obviously didn't know where she was going. Just say no Mandy.

There IS such thing as having too much fun. I am definitely paying for it this week. Good times, good friends and good memories! I can't wait until next year!!

Wedding

So my sister's wedding was 2 weekends ago in Destin and me and Josh and my friend Kristi and her sister Kim all went together and we had a great time. Me and Josh decided to buy a new camera so we could take some good pictures at the wedding. We got a Nikon cool pix and we were super excited. Josh took lots of pictures. The next day we took the camera down on the beach and it started to rain so Josh decided to take the camera inside. Somewhere along the way he set it down to spray off and guess what??? That's right, it wasn't anywhere to be found that night. We tore the condo apart looking for it and we asked the security guy if anyone had turned it in and no such luck. We were sure someone had found it and taken it. We had to come back home the next morning, but before we left Josh went downstairs to ask them one more time if anyone had turned it in and hallelujah one of the guys that worked the gate at the pool had found it and put it up!! We were so happy! We also saw a beautiful lightning storm over the ocean. Unfortunately it was the night we didn't have the camera. We could have gotten some awesome pictures. Anyways I gotta get off here and get to work!

Just because

I haven't blogged in a while, but I don't even really want to now. I better, or I might quit forever. I have been reading these books my friend Kristi practically forced me to read, but it turns out that I like them. They are the books that the HBO series True Blood is based on. I didn't want to get too into the vampire thing. Twilight was as far as I wanted to get into it, but she convinced me and now I can't put them down. I am on book #9 right now. There are only 10 so far so I'm almost done until the next one comes out next year. Anyways, this weekend was lots of fun. We did our second anual family canoeing trip in Arkansas with our friends. We had a blast. I am still trying to recover from sleeping on the air matress. Not this coming weekend but the next weekend is my sister's wedding at the beach. I am excited about that. I need a better tan. I know I am just being random, but Maynard is getting neutered tomorrow. He has been running off to the neighbors house to visit his girlfriend and we have to put a stop to it. I kinda feel a little bad for him. So the last random thing and then I'm done. I kinda had a momentary lapse in my financial judgement and I visited Buckle with Josh. He was needing some better fitting jeans, and of course Buckle is like the best/most expensive place, but you might as well spend a little extra money on a GOOD pair of jeans that will last you forever right?????? Ugh, anyways he found a pair, but that wasn't really the problem. The problem is that I also found a super cute pair of trouser jeans which I did not look at the price before I fell in love. I will not tell on myself completely, but it was a pair of Seven jeans and I went way overboad. Let me just say that. I had to order them because I needed longer than what they had in the store. Now they are too long, but they do free alterations so I brough my highest high heels and I am going today to have them altered so I can still wear my heels with them. I also got some perfume samples of True Religion while I was there. (that is what I wear anyways) So everytime I think of my shopping extravaganza I start singing The black eyed peas song "My Humps". You know the line where she says "Seven jeans, True Religion, I say no,but they keep givin. So I keep on takin.....etc." LOL I can't help myself. Anyways, that is all of the excitement in my life right at the moment!

50 things you may or may not know about me.

Ok Jenny, I'm stealing your post. That is, if I can think of 50 random things about myself...
1. I love to read a good book.
2. I am terrified of storms. (shocker I know) lol
3. I never had a dog until I was married. I thought I was a cat person until I got Ellie.
4. I wanted to be an elementary school teacher my whole life up until my second year of college.
5. I don't really like other peoples kids. lol I'm sure I will like my own! Good thing I changed careers.
6. One of my greatest fears is Josh dying. I think this spawns from my dad never being around and my mom's boyfriend who was like a dad to me dying when I was 11. I think I have a male abandonment complex.
7. Aside from a few horrible first dates that never led to a second Josh is the only guy I've ever really dated.
8. I was a waitress for 3 years and I absolutely HATED it.
9. I am a sucker for reality television. I love it.
10. I wanted to marry Taylor Hanson when I was in Jr. High. I went to see them in concert 2 years ago. lol
11. I slept with my baby pillow until I was in college. "Pilly" He is in 90% of all photos of me as a child. Even at the fair. I always thought of Pilly as a male. Hmmm...I wonder if this goes back to my abandonment issues lol!
12. I have the most wonderful, selfless mother anyone could ask for. I hope to be 1/2 the mother she is.
13. I wish I was more organized.
14. My clothes would never get folded or hung up if Josh didn't do it. (He does laundry I do dishes)
15. I absolutely LOVE high heels but I can hardly walk in them.
16. I had never eaten at Red Lobster until I dated Josh. He introduced me to a lot of different food.
17. I am scared of heights.
18. Making mud pies was one of my favorite things to do when I was a kid.
19. I LOVE any kind of bedding: sheets, pillows, comforters, you name it. I love it.
20. I wish I knew more about the bible. I guess that would be up to me huh?
21. College was one of the best and hardest times of my life.
22. I HATED highschool.
23. I played volleyball in the 9th grade but I sucked so I didn't try out the next year.
24. I want to see the world before I die. I would love to travel.
25. I used to love scary movies, but now I can hardly watch them.
26. I like my feet. They are the only part of my body I wouldn't change.
27. I HATE anyone elses feet. They are ok, as long as they don't touch me. Josh can't stand that I hate his feet.
28. I like to scrapbook, but i haven't taken the time to do it in a while.
29. I get really grumpy when I am hungry.
30. I love to hear the crickets and look at the stars, my mother used to lay blankets in the yard and we would lay out there for what seemed like forever and just listen.
31. I raised 2 tadpoles from a pond until they were frogs. I fed them shrimp pellets & fish food. Then I set them free.
32. I hate spiders, I got bit by a brown recluse in Jr. High.
33. I have a nose like a bloodhound with a particularly strong scent for alcohol. If you've been drinking, I will know it.
34. Sometimes I type what people are saying in my head. I know it's crazy but I started doing it when I was in typing class and I have done it ever since.
35. My favorite color is purple.
36. I salt almost everything before I taste it.
37. I am the exact opposite of reckless.
38. I am terrible at math, but I had an A in Calculus.
39. I have very little patience.
40. I can be very paranoid.
41. I am HORRIBLE with names. When people introduce themselves I'm not sure that I even listen to their name. Is that terrible?
42. I am also terrible with directions. I could get lost in my own yard probably.
43. I love food, I love it all so much that I can't name a favorite some of the top are: pasta, cheeseburgers, hotdogs, mexican, and pizza. Pretty much junk.
44. I have to drink at least 1/2 a cup of coffee before I go to work. I don't always drink it on the weekends.
45. I am sooo not a morning person.
46. I don't like to floss. Don't tell my patients.
47. I break out in a heat rash on my chest everytime I take a shower.
48. I wish I could dance.
49. I can't carry a tune in a bucket.
50. As much as I complain on my blog, I really do love my life! I am very blessed.

Reunited!! :)

Ok, I am gonna make this post short and sweet. It is basically just an update. I know I change my mind daily when it comes to houses: Buy or build? This house or this house? I just want everyone to know that me and the Northwyke are back together. I know we broke up for a while, but I have dated other house plans, and sometimes you just don't know what you have until it's gone. I thought I would get over it, but I haven't. I spoke with the hubby today, and the three of us are gonna try to make this thing work. I am in love with the Northwyke. Is it perfect? No, but it is perfect for me. I am gonna call the builder and see where we can cut cost.
Has anyone seen that elmers glue commercial where the dad is glueing everything in the house and he is singing: "Reunited and it feels so good!" and the kids walk in an catch him? Umm well that's how I feel about the Northwyke. I have been singing that song in my head all day today! :)

down in the dumps

I am feeling a little crummy today. This weekend is over. Josh will have to work next weekend. I went and looked at a house today. I want to buy it. Josh doesn't. Thursay I stuck myself with a dirty needle while cleaning up a treatment room. Supposedly my patient doesn't have anything, but I went to the doctor friday morning to get checked out just in case. They did some baseline tests and I will have to go back in a month and have a HIV and HEP C test. Sounds like fun huh? Yeah, you like how nonchalant I am about getting an HIV test right? I don't even have the energy to go into detail about it. Hopefully he isn't lying on his medical history, and if he is the chances of me contracting something are very small. Still sux though. This whole weekend just went down the crapper before it even got started. Our grass has not been cut yet so it is getting pretty tall, the only problem is that we don't have a lawn mower that works. We have POS that was given to us that doesn't run, so Josh thinks we need to buy a new riding lawn mower. We just bought a storage building that costed 2600 dollars so by all means lets find something else to spend our savings on that ISNT a HOUSE!!!! I have absolutely NO patience. Instant gratification is the name of my game. We need to get a new estimate with our new house plan, and our lower standards as far as flooring and cabinets, but I don't want our builder to feel like we are wasting his time. I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm running on a treadmill. Getting NOWHERE!!!! Save money, spend money, save money, spend money. Am I gonna die here in this crappy trailer? A little dramatic? Probably. Good news: I have lost 5 lbs. Bad news: I tend to eat more when I'm depressed so I could probally gain it back pretty fast at this rate. I could keep going, but this post is depressing enough.

Good Friday

Today really was a good friday! I didn't accomplish much, but it was a good day none the less. I slept late. Then I drank coffee and watched TV. I finally got a shower, and Josh got up around 2. (night shift) Then I went by the bank to put 100 dollars that my boss gave me as a bonus yesterday in my savings! Yay I love my boss. He really is great. It's nice to know you are appreciated. I told him that he was gonna build me a house he just didn't know it yet. lol. On the way home from the bank we got cherry limeades from sonic. Yum. Oh and I had some cheese sticks and Josh got popcorn chicken. Then we came home and he took a nap and I watched HGTV. After he left for work I went to the tanning bed and went to the gym. Then I came home and took a long bath, and then I decided to go through some pictures so I could take some to work and put in my operatory and on my desk. I had so much fun looking at old pictures. I basically just mentally relived my life from highschool to now, and I have to say that I have had a pretty fantastic life! I have wonderful friends, and I have had some pretty crazy times. I love all of my friends from hygiene school. Wow, reliving that was crazy. Looking back through my hygiene planner was something else. I had my work schedule written in it and it was nuts. I would go to Dr. Katies office and leave there and go to Belk and then I would have an exam at school the next morning! How did I do it? I have such good memories from that time though. I have some hilarious pics of me and my BFFs Cass and Nicole winding down before our graduation and it is pretty fantastic! Cass you know what I'm talking about. lol Anyways, my life and my friends, and my family are all pretty fantastic, and I have so much more to look forward to!

Spring!! and some of the same old stuff.

I am sooo loving this weather today! I wish I was outside soaking up the sun instead of sitting at my desk. At least I am getting paid! So I know everyone is probably sick and tired of hearing about my house building, but me and Josh picked out a new house plan! LOL I really thought I would be building the house I posted. We have been set on building that house for a long time now. Then when we got our estimate we thought that maybe we should reconsider and look for a house that would be a little cheaper to build. The funny thing is that I'm sure this house will cost just as much. It is the same size. This house is layed out perfectly though. With the other one there were a few things that we wanted to change, and a few things that we couldn't change. If I could transplant the floorplan of the new one inside the outside of the one I posted that would be my dream house!! I kinda feel like I just broke up with someone that I love, because I knew they weren't quite right for me. ha ha. I will forever love that house! "The Northwyke" It's name makes me have a little sad spot in my heart now. I guess I can post the name now that I'm not gonna build it. I felt protective of it before. lol Our new house doesn't have a name :( Just a number, so we decided that we will call it "The Piperwyke."
Me and Josh talked about babies again last night. Briefly. He said that we can start trying when we start building!! It makes me smile just thinking about it! I don't know how that will all play out, but I think I would be willing to just go for it and see how the chips fall. My brain says that a new house and a baby at the same time would be a disaster, and it probably would, but my brain also says that the chances of me getting pregnant right away are slim to none, so my heart says......"SHUT UP BRAIN, YOU THINK TOO MUCH!!" bahahaha no pun intended...or was it?

I found a before pic of the wallpaper!

HAHAHAHA! Sarah would kill me if she knew I posted this on my blog! Not the best pic of her, but you can see the hideous wallpaper!! Which is worse? Puke green or the wallpaper? Feel free to be brutally honest!

pictures

A few blogs ago I talked about my puke green kitchen and promised to post pictures. I have been putting it off for various reasons...dishes weren't washed, dishes were washed, but not put up, etc. If I don't do it now I will forget, so here they are! Here is the chairs I recovered too! I would post a pic of the whole table but it is messy and I have only done two chairs because I ran out of fabric! Please note that they match my awesome hand stitched curtains! lol You will also notice that my dishes are still not put away. Typical.


BEFORE AFTER

I guess it doesn't look so bad in the pictures? Or maybe I have gotten used to it. I wish I had before pictures on the kitchen, but I got too excited and started painting before I took any. If you look closely you will notice that there are only two eye covers on the stove. This is because I ALWAYS turn on the wrong eye and accidentally burn them up. Ha ha. I also did this to my buddy Nicole's eye cover on her stove in her apartment when we were in college. You'd think I would learn!!

Coming to my senses

Ok, so I have started to realize that I am being unrealistic about my house...Not the house itsself, but how fabulously decorated I think it should be! I want the most expensive floors, cabinets, and countertops and I am just being ridiculous! I have been looking at houses for sale lately because I want to be in a house soooo bad. I don't want to wait for 2 more years! I have been looking for a house that is within our budget, in Jasper (preferably not far from corridor x), has a basement, and a shop/workspace for Josh. Oh and it can't be outdated. Did I mention that I don't want neighbors that are right on top of me, and I need a big yard for Maynard (preferably fenced). While searching for this house I realized a few things: 1.) The only house that meets my standards is under contract. 2.) The only other house is slightly over our budget and doesn't have a fenced yard for Maynard. 3.) I LOVE where we live now and I don't want to move off of our land. 4.) If I am willing to "settle" with BUYING a house that may not have cherry wood cabinets and granite counter tops, (just because I want it sooner rather than later), then why would I not just build the house I want, on the land that I love, and maybe just be a little more reasonable with the cabinets and floors and countertops and still be able to be in it sooner rather than later! I have my whole life to decorate my house and make it what I want it to be. I don't need to have a house that is the talk of the town, I just want a basement, and to be happy with my wonderful husband. Sometimes I get ahead of myself. I think getting an estimate on the house really put some things into perspective for me. I know we can afford a nice house. We can afford the house I want. We can definitely afford it within two years. We can NOT however afford the house I want+granite countertops, cherry cabinets, and wood floors with a FINISHED basement in 2 years. It just isn't realistic. Just 2 more years of being terrified of tornadoes and I will be in my house. It will be worth waiting for. As for children, Josh just isn't ready yet, and I totally respect that. I want us both to be ready and want them. I don't even know if I am really ready. I just know that I am excited to meet the beautiful, sweet little babies that we will have someday. When the time is right.

could I be more indecisive?

Ok so I have been DEAD SET on building my dream house for as long as I can remember. We of course still look at houses for sale, just because it is fun to see what is out there. So, I found this house that I haven't even looked at in person yet, but in my head I am rationalizing why it would be a good idea to buy it. Am I kidding????!!! Just one blog ago I was determined to never settle! I think I get frustrated with the whole process. I am ready to be in a house and move on with my life. I feel stuck. I have had baby fever lately too! (Thanks Cass) It's not just like a "oh, babies are cute-one day I want one" baby fever either. It is a urge. That is the only way I know to describe it. Some days it is stronger than others. Some days I think...Ok Becca, you are so not ready for a baby! My thought process is that if I wait AT LEAST 2 years to build a house, and then we are hugely in debt, AND I'm 27 when we start trying to have a baby which could take a few years who knows! How old am I gonna be when I finally have one? Maybe I should just get in a good home, and instead of building a house, build a family! With little baby Pipers! How cute! I think I am also scared that I may not be able to have children! I know every woman has that fear, but I feel like my fears are somewhat legitimate. What if I wait until I'm 27 they wont even do anything until you have tried for 2 years, then I will be 29 and just starting fertility! OMG!!!! I am soooo overthinking this! I guess I just need to trust that God's perfect will for my life is what will happen no matter when we start trying. If I am meant to build my dream home that is what will happen, and if God wants me to have children (I hope he does) then I will have them. No matter how much you try to plan your life, it never turns out that way! Well, I guess thanks for listening. I just need to vent sometimes. There isn't always a good answer.
On a lighter note, I finally have straight teeth! Yay! I am sooo happy about them.

Work, House, Taxes, Dog, Paint...Not in that order.

I am sitting here at work, trying to find the motivation I need to actually do something.....I think I will blog instead. I am here by myself today. I come in on Tuesdays now just to answer phones, post payments, and get caught up on office stuff. The Doc. is working at another office on Tuesdays. (I may have stated this in a previous blog.) So heres the scoop:


We finally got our taxes done. BOO! We aren't getting near as much back as we have in previous years. Thank you OBAMA! Apparently we got more throughout the year than usual. I didn't seem to notice.

We got the quote on our house. BOO! Looks like we are gonna be saving for a while! I refuse to build a smaller house or with cheaper materials so if I have to save for the next 10 years then by golly that's what I will do. I want my dreamhouse!!!!

My little varmint is at the vet. BOO! She has had tummy trouble all weekend and Josh took her yesterday because she was really bad sick. I've been worried about her, but the vet doesn't tell me much other than she hasn't been sick since she has been there. That is probably because she hasn't eaten since she has been there! Find out what is wrong with my BABY!!!

My boss is great and he has given me two bonuses lately for the work I've been doing, BUT now he keeps telling me...If you can get such and such done by today then there will be a bonus in it for you. Most of you are probably thinking ok....so what is the problem... Well, really it isn't a problem, it just is getting on my nerves a little because it makes me feel like I am getting treats for doing "tricks" Like I give my dogs treats to sit and roll over. He pays me to do a job. Which I do. And I feel like I do a good job. The things he is asking me to do are things I am going to do anyways. I just do them the way I think they should be done. I don't think you should call a patient 3 times in one day because they haven't immediately returned your call. When someone says i will call you back when I know my schedule, I usually like to give them few days before I call back. Not a few hours! I don't like harassing people and he knows this. So to get me to do it anyways he is offering me bonuses. Which are great, but I would prefer to get them for the awesome job I am doing already, not as a bribe to do more!! Am I being stupid? Please tell me the truth.

I am going to share my house pics with you guys. Just don't steal it! lol I told Josh that my main goal in life other than happiness and children was a house. (with a basement of course) And it is! I said, if I die before we build a house I want him to mix my ashes in the concrete we will use to pour the basement, otherwise I may be caught between earth and heaven because I have unfinished business! I was kidding of course about being stuck between life and the afterlife, but I am pretty sure I am serious about the whole concrete thing. LOL Anyways, here it is:

This is a pic of one someone else build with that plan.

Mine of course will be decorated differently, but you get the idea...

Speaking of decorating, I painted my kitchen because I got tired of trailer wall paper. I just finished it last night. Ummm now I'm thinking I should have left it alone. Ha Ha. Josh won't let me buy more paint so it looks like I'm stuck with baby vomit green. It is really dark and really bad! I will post pics later. Check back for a good laugh! Did I mention that when I tried to peel off the painters tape the paint peeled off with it! BAHAHAHA. I should probably care,....but I don't. I haven't finished peeling off the tape. I decided it was obviously a bad idea.

whats been happening

So, some things that have been going on lately:

Josh and I took our house plan to our builder to get an estimate! Yay me!!...uh I mean us... We still won't be building for about two more years but we are making progress!

I totally sucked at couch to 10k. I have been jogging at the gym, but I'm not so great at sticking to the plan.

I read this book called The Shack. I don't know if any of you have heard of it, but it is a fictional book, with a spiritual message. It is about a man whose young daughter is abducted. It confronts a lot of the questions that I think most people have asked, even if they don't want to admit it. Such as: How could God who loves us so much allow such horrible unspeakable things to happen to innocent children? I know I myself have questioned this. I really learned a lot from this book. Please keep in mind it is fiction, and form your own opinions. I think that many parts in the book are not meant to be taken in a literal sense. I personally just gained a new perspective and a better understanding of God's love.

We still have not gotten our taxes done! I keep trying to get Josh to go, but he is in no hurry. I am hoping we get a decent amount back, but I'm nervous that we won't because I didn't get cut as much as I usually do. ugh.

I got an ipod today! I know I'm a little behind, but it was just never at the top of my list. I am pretty excited about it though.

That is all for now!

Random stuff

So last night me and a couple of friends of mine went to see Dear John. Once the movie started, I realized that I had already read the book. Why did I not know this before? I guess I forgot. Anyways, it was really good, and the ending in the movie is a little better than the book.

I am stalling because I don't really want to go to the gym. I am blogging in my workout clothes. Lazy! I skipped yesterday, so I have to go today.

I have decided I want to be a runner. Not like a marathon runner, I just want to be able to run without passing out, and possible actually enjoy it. It would be a great way to get in shape. I have always hated running. I have been trying to jog at the gym, and each time I go I add a few more minutes. I was discussing this with one of my patients at work because he had recently started running, and he told me about this couch to 10K that he had done to help him set goals. It tells you exactly what to do each week to eventually work your way up to a 10K. Now obviously I won't be doing quite that much but I thought it would be a good way to get the results I wanted. We will see how this goes!

So one of my new favorite things is this lash primer I got from clinique the other day. I don't know if it really makes a huge difference or not, but my mascara definitely goes on much easier after I put the primer on, and it doesn't seem to take as long to make them look good. Maybe it is all in my head, but I like it.

I guess I should get off my butt and get to the gym. I'm not burning many calories this way!

New Year, New Post

Well, I guess it is about time that I post again. Things are going good right now. I hope they stay that way. I have learned my new responsibilities at work, and I am doing quite well at it. The extra money is a huge help! Things are a lot slower this month at work, but it is ok for now.

I guess now that Josh got his present I can tell what it is. I got him a 50 in plasma with surround sound and a new entertainment center. It is pretty sweet! The crappy part is that stupid BestBuy sent me a bill less than 2 weeks after I bought it which happened to be the day before Josh opened it, and he is the one who checked the mail that day. Totally ruined the surprise! Oh well :(

Josh will be starting nights again next week. I hate it sooooo bad!! This time it will probably be for the whole year. Who knows when he will have the opportunity to get on days again. It may be years!

I have to say that things are really good with us right now. I LOVE HIM SOOOO MUCH! I feel like I love him more than I did when we got married! (which was alot) No matter how bad my day is, the second I see him come in the door I am happy. I can't wait to get home to our little family. My sweet husband, and my two sweet puppies! It makes me soo happy to think of them that my heart could just explode. I know I am being super mushy, but I may need to remember this in a few weeks when I am ready to choke them again! lol

I don't think that I have mentioned that my hubby looks like some homeless mountain man. He has some stupid bet going with his friends that he won't shave until the end of deer season. This has been going for over a month!!! It is way out of control. Even he is embarassed in public. lol Oh well! I love him anyways!

I don't really have any resolutions for the year. When Josh goes back to nights I plan on going back to the gym, but I wouldn't say it's a resolution, because if he stayed on days I wouldn't even bother trying to go back. I also hope to save lots of money this year to go toward our house, but I have been saying that for a while! We will see how that goes.

I guess that is an update on my life for now!