Our New Home!

(Off the subject, but I haven't posted anything in such a long time, because our computer is on the fritz and won't let me upload pictures to blogger! I need to take it to Best Buy for repairs, but have been avoiding the trip. An errand like that with two little ones sounds oh so awful and if it needs major repairs they ship it to California for up to two weeks. In this day in age that seems somewhat unbearable. Two weeks without a computer?! Pure craziness!!!)

Anyway, I wanted to share our super exciting news! We officially know where we are moving. It's going to be a big step for us... Right across the street. Yep, that's right. Our house number is changing from 1616 to 1617!

Almost five years ago, when we bought our house, we made friends with the couple across the street. They were planning a wedding for July 1st and we were planning our wedding for July 22nd. And they are both educators, just like me. And just four months before Mollie was born, they welcomed their first child into their family- a little girl. Their daughter was one of Mollie's first friends! Needless to say, right from the start, we had a lot in common. All this led to a wonderful friendship and we are so thankful to have them in our lives.

Right as we were getting serious with our thoughts of moving, they announced that they had bought a new house. We were pretty upset to be losing such amazing neighbors and to see our friends move away. However, they were thinking about renting out their old house. They asked us right away if we'd like to rent from them, but we had to make sure the timing of their move would work out for our move. We put the idea on the back burner and just kept praying for "the right house at the right time".

God is good and works all things for His purpose. He aligned our time lines and has allowed us to rent our friends' house, stay in our neighborhood, and get a truly amazing deal on rent. This will allow us a couple of years to follow Dave Ramsey's plan for financial freedom and to prepare to repurchase the right home at the right time. We are so very, very blessed. We couldn't possibly have imagined a better scenario. Again, God is good!!!

By the way, check out Dave Ramsey's book, The Total Money Makeover. It will change your life. The concepts are for everyone- those who need a little help in the finanical department (like most people out there), those who feel comfortable with where they are, and even for those who make mega money. The principles apply to us all!!!

And So It Begins...

We officially have an offer on our house! It was on the market for about a week and a half. We had two showings over the weekend and Sunday night we got a call from our agent telling us that we have an offer. It was from our very first showing!!!! We know that this deal to very well could fall through, as do many first offers in this market, but it a super important step in the right direction. I continue to feel so very excited for our future. We have plans and goals to help us purchase the right home for us somewhere in the future. God's plan is perfect and I am continuing to work on trusting that plan. Although I never thought we'd be in this place, I'm am becoming so very thankful for it. God uses all things for His purpose and according to His plan. I can't wait (but am having patience) for the unveiling of that plan!

Four Months

Gabs is four months old today. As everyone always says, time sure is flying by. I do have to admit, though that I'm excited she's getting bigger and more developed. She has so much more personality today than she did when she was in the "cute, cuddly newborn stage". I actually really look forward to the days of her being a 1 year old. When I look back on pictures of Mollie at that age I remember how cute and snugly she was, but also how fun she was to be around.

Gabbie had her four month check-up today and the first thing the doctor said when he saw her thighs was, "whoa, she's a beefy one!" Jeremie calls her a beast. Definitely not the petite little thing Mollie was, but her chubs are sweet and snugly. I LOVE it!

These days we're finding that her personality is quite the "oxymoron". I say that because she's a super easy-going, happy baby IF she's being held. She never wants to be put down. And unfortunately, the same is true for night time. She's not managing to sleep much of the night in her own bed. This morning, while I was complaining to Jeremie, he put things into perspective for me. He told me how amazingly peaceful her little face is while snuggling up to me. She couldn't possibly look happier. I know this stage will pass, so I'm not going to stress it. I know I'll miss it when she's a big 2-year-old like her sister!

Welcome Baby Taylor!

At 5pm on September 30, 2010, Taylor Horan entered the world. She was born to my sister-in-law, Stephanie, and her husband, Phillip. Taylor has a very adoring big sister named Peyton. Our family loves babies and the excitement of adding another never gets old!

(Side Note: Peyton and Mollie were born 6 months apart. Gabbie and Taylor were born 3 months apart. These girls are blessed to have cousins the same age. Always a playmate around!)

Mollie

Here is a progression of Mollie and Jeremie in the petting zoo area of The Puyallup Fair since her first trip. So cute to see how much she's grown!

Our Home

It's official- Our home will be listed for sale within the next few days. It has been a LONG and HARD year dealing with our house related issues, but I'm finally coming to a place of peace about it. Although this is not the direction we were hoping to go, it is going to be the best in the long run. And I am super excited to see what is in store for us in the next year or so. It will be fun to look at new homes and see what our future holds in that respect!

I have been so attached to the idea of this house, because it has been our HOME. It is where we stayed the first night we were married, it is where we found out we were pregnant with both our babies, and it is where we brought them home. But through this year of much change, I have come to realize that our home is where we make it- it is not a building, it is the combination of us wherever we happen to reside.

As for the future, we think we will be here about 6 more months. After that we hope to rent for no more than a year, and then we will look to purchase a new house.

Again, I am super excited and relieved to get some answers. Good times are ahead- I can feel it! :)

Hello, Fall!

Tomorrow is the first official day of Fall, although it has felt like late Fall for several weeks now! I have very much missed the beautiful, crisp days of September we typically get in Western Washington, but we have still enjoyed all the Fall related activities we love each year. We did season passes to the Puyallup Fair again this year, and even with all the days of rain, we have gone about five times so far. Mollie and I also added a new tradition to the mix- The Princess Breakfast- put on by Puyallup Parks and Rec. Mollie loved getting dressed up like a princess, with tiara, wand, and sparkly shoes! It was a great time of mother-daughter bonding without the little one. We don't get much of that time these days, so it was greatly appreciated!

Three Months!

Gabbie is now three months old. She continues to be a sweet little one, but with more personality! She started regularly rolling over from tummy to back, which spells trouble for sleep!!! Every time I put her down she finds it more fun to roll over. Then she can't sleep- and neither can we! :( She's also getting very interested in toys. She's sitting up in the exersauser now and I even hear the jingling of toys when my back is turned! I thought I'd miss the sweet cuddly days of having a newborn, but the more Gabbie does, the more fun she gets!

My Prayer Answered

When I was pregnant with Gabbie I knew I needed a much easier baby than Mollie if I was going to be able to survive the first year. So I prayed and prayed for a peaceful and joyful baby. Gabbie has been such an amazing answer to that prayer. At just 12 weeks old, she already puts herself to sleep at night! And she takes a three hour nap every day at the exact same time as Mollie. And when she is awake she is a true delight. She smiles so big her little body wiggles all over. We picked up a saying for it from Jeremie's aunt- She gets the "all overs". So cute!

Annual Seaside Trip!

Last weekend we made our way down to the beach in Seaside, Or. We did the same thing last year with our friends, the Smiths, so we all decided to it again. This time the Smiths brought some additional family members and we added another baby to the mix, so our group grew from seven to twelve! Needless to say, it was less relaxing, but more fun!

We were intending to stay just two nights, but got surprised with three while driving down. In Centraila, I called the Smiths to see how close they were getting. They were shocked that we were on our way, because our reservations were from Saturday through Monday, not Friday through Sunday! (Just for the record, it wasn't my fault! :)) So instead of turning around, disappointing a super busy and excited two-year-old, and braving a three-hour car ride again with a two-month old, we kept going. We got a cheap room for the night and called Jeremie's boss to get Monday off from work. In the long run, it turned out for the best!

Mollie's favorite activity was playing in the sand. All she kept asking was, "can I dig?" And Gabbie had the time of her life, eating non-stop and sleeping in bed snugged up to Mommy. It was a great time of getting away from the day-to-day stuff of working, cleaning, cooking, etc. We love our little trip and can't wait to do it again next year!

New Ride!

We got a new double stroller today and love it!!! It's an Urban Mountain Buggy. Very similar to the BOB. Here are the girls on the maiden voyage!

Happy 2 Month Birthday, Gabbie!

The little one is getting so big already! She's cooing, smiling, and laughing a lot these days. She continues to be such a wonderfully sweet, calm, and easy baby. So thankful for her!

Gabbie Girl

Gabbie will be seven weeks old tomorrow. She is such a joy. She now sleeps so well and is calm and quiet most of the time. When I was pregnant with her I had no idea what she would look like, but I was convinced that she would be a peaceful little sweetheart. And now that she is here, I'm convinced I was right. We love this girl so very much.

Sister Love

Her are the girls playing together. I LOVE seeing Mollie with Gabbie. She is such a sweet, adoring big sister. I pray everyday that they will love each other more and more and will grow to be best friends. They are so blessed to have each other!!!

Future Cheerleaders

We took the girls to dinner at the Ram on the Tacoma Waterfront and happened to be sitting next to a table full of cheerleaders. The were wearing purple and gold with Vikings logos. Naturally, I thought they were from Puyallup High School. But I started noticing that their attire was VERY nice, with Reebok and NFL symbols all over. So, I started thinking that PHS must have a ton of money...

Mollie, of course, got their attention and they fell in love with her. She even got one of the girls to take her shoe and sock off to show off her nail polish! Finally, I figured out (from their accents)that they were not from PHS, but from Minnesota and are NFL cheerleaders! Super fun! The girls were super sweet and very excited to take pictures with our girls. I think they fit right in and maybe a little cheerleading of their own is in the future! (Well, if they get daddy's rhythm and flexibility!)

Mariners vs Red Sox

Last weekend Jeremie and I got to spend a little one-on-one time together for our anniversary. Ok, it wasn't really just the two of us, but it felt like it since we only had Gabbie with us. The game was a little boring until the 8th inning, but then the Mariners pulled it together and won 4-2. It was tons of fun. So much so that we are now talking about how we can get away on a real vacation without any kids next summer. Anyone up for taking two kiddos?! :)

Mollie Goes to Camp!

Mollie and her best friend, Addison, went to camp for the first time this summer! It is called Lil Whipper Snappers and is put on by the YMCA. They got to go to camp for two days for a couple of hours. The theme was "under the sea", so they got to make glittery starfish and a beach scene in a shoe box. So fun!

Summertime Family Fun!

For my birthday, we headed to the Woodland Park Zoo! I have been wanting to go for the last three years, but for one reason or another, we just don't seem to make it there. We all had tons of fun and Gabbie was such a trooper. At just four weeks old, she managed to stay happy most of the day in 80 degree weather. Mollie, of course, had the most fun. She would have run from exhibit to exhibit if we had let her. And surprisingly, she requested going to see the cows and pigs (in the petting farm) the entire time. Forgetting all the cool, unusual animals like crocodiles, hippos, and giraffes, she just wanted to see animals we can see in our own backyard (not literally, but we do see horses nearly everyday!). Here are some pictures from our outing!

Molls and Gabs

(Mollie)

(Mollie)

(Gabbie)

(Gabbie)

Here are two pictures of each of the girls at one month. They obviously look different, but look so much like sisters! Can't wait to see what Gabbie looks like as she grows. Both girls are so beautiful and we love them so, so much! They are such a blessing to us!!!

Happy Fourth!

Here are some pictures of our family fun on the Fourth. We went to City Blast at the Puyallup Fair Grounds with family and friends. Mollie got to play on bounce house toys and we all got to see a fun show and fireworks display put on by Puyallup Foursquare Church. We also had a BBQ at our house. Mollie got to enjoy a smore. Notice how much ended up on her face. Good thing she was wearing a bib! :)