Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Baby and House Update

We had our 14 week "tummy check" yesterday.  Despite many unsettled nerves leading up to this appointment, we heard a healthy heartbeat and lots of wiggling from our little miracle.  In one month from today we will get to find out if baby Irvin is a boy or girl.  I can hardly wait! 

We watched Brave last night with my sister and her husband.  IT WAS FANTASTIC!  Daniel and I loved it and chuckled often.  We will be buying this one the second it hits the shelves. 

Our weekend consisted of lots of construction.  Daniel started demo-ing the crappy old fence, then the 105 degree temperatures broke his spirit and he called the fence contractor.  We got rid of the remains of a previous demo project (a truckload of broken ceramic tile) and all of our quarter round has been installed.  We have a few small projects left to do: touching up paint, repairing the trim on the back door, and some cleaning.  By Friday, we will have a sign in the yard!

Tonight, we meet with the lender to see what we can qualify for.  I'm hoping it's enough to purchase/build a house I've fallen in love with in the perfect area.  We'll also likely be moving in with my parents during the transition.  This wouldn't normally bother me, except that I'm only getting more pregnant, and don't love the idea of a newborn in a multi-family living situation.  It will provide us with the means to save up a LOT of money while we wait to settle in to the new house.  Keep us in your prayers!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

On to New Adventures

Well, after 3 years of living in our first house, we're ready to sell.  It's been the perfect home for us, but we are ready for a change.

We currently live a minimum of 20 miles from our church, our friends, our family, and our jobs.  We don't even buy gas or groceries here, because the prices are so inflated.  We're spending $400/month in gas, and I'm estimating that when we move back to Arlington (our social sphere) we'll be saving $250/month on gas alone.  The best part of all: since we bought this house for such a steal, we'll be making quite a profit.  Enough to pay off all of our existing debt and have a tiny down payment on our new house.  How's that for fiscally responsible?!  I'm truly the most excited about this part.  I  L-O-V-E budgeting and finding wiggle room in the budget.  I estimate, that with the money we won't be spending on gas and monthly payments, we'll be saving close to $800/month, which is what my little part time job brings in each month.  Can I get a hallelujah?!  Not to mention the major cut-backs we'll be able to make in eating out, since we'll live in town and will be able to just drive home and grab lunch.

I plan to have the new home paid off in 10 years.  We'll also be in great shape for providing for our little squirt.  AND, we can finally afford to actually decorate our home with grown-up, non-hand-me-down furniture!  The plan is to stay in this house until it's paid off, so I'm going to be landscaping the crap out of our new house.  I've gone 5 years without a pretty yard, it's time.

I will post a "tour" or our current house when it's whipped back into shape and ready for the for sale sign.  Pray for guidance and provision during this time.  It feels like madness doing this with only 6 months (wahoo!) until the baby comes; during the holidays no less.  My hope is to be in the new home in early December.  We are trusting God to make it work for us, haha!

Saturday, June 9, 2012

An Introduction....

We are expecting a miraculous Christmas this year!  I would like everyone to meet our 12 week old baby!  



This precious photo was taken at 10 weeks and 4 days.  The baby was about  2 1/2 inches long at the time, and I believe s/he is going on 3 inches now.  This is the longest I have carried with any of our babies, and I am due on Christmas Eve!  Daniel and I are obviously thrilled and taking it one day at a time.  God has been incredibly faithful to sustain the baby so far.  He has also been faithful to walk with me through this emotional hurricane.  I never expected to get pregnant so quickly after our 3rd miscarriage, especially since it took us 3 years to conceive that angel.  I must say, it was a complete shock, and I was more fearful than excited at first, but God is using this baby already to draw me closer to him.  So, ooh and aww over my cutie, and keep us in your prayers!