Weekend at the Barn

Last weekend was spent at the barn with a few friends. It was a nice low key trip that start with Keith working for his dad a couple days to earn a little extra cash to get us through this month.

It was nice to have some friends up there that had never been before though I wish we could have had more time to relax and play.

These crazy cats, Sasha & Marcy

Skye was great on the 4 wheelers too and we had fun getting muddy while the men babysat.
The Harmon's are regulars with us cause they so dang cool!
Keith looks good all dirty - yum
The tower is still under works and looking good. this is an older picture but we were able to go up to the top and what a crazy view!
tree house
barn
barn & boathouse
We also enjoyed having the Darden's & Ritzman's with us too. They are good people to have around if you love good food :)


daddy time...
I was just a little too late to catch a shot of the boys jusmping into the freezing lake! oh good times...
They even surprised me with belated birthday candels. So sweet
Brrr, James all wet & muddy
driving fast through the woods...

Mission accompished .

We did it! We bought our first home.

(and look, it even has one white pillar!)

It was the last one we saw. It was in foreclosure so we scored a good deal at 150k for a 4bedroom, 3bath, den, partially finished basement for entertainment room, 10 minutes from keith's hospitals and nice neighborhood. It definately need some updating inside and i have some issues with the layout but for our means this is truely a treasure.

(too bad it's in Michigan) uh hem, anyway

This was the weather for our 2 weeks there. Im so glad it is finally over. looking for a house that you can barely afford (forget about furnishing), with a crying baby en tow, is not very fun nor healthy for a marriage. Especially when the two are looking for very different things in a home and freezing their tushes.

In the end I think we found the best compromise at the top of our budget.

Meanwhile I had a miserable 30th birthday that was made up for this weekend at the Barn. (that post will come next...) I do enjoy my two gifts that have already been put to much use.

My new sneaks (someone was embarrased of my old ones)

And a new winter coat that is a must have in my new artic home

And of course how could I leave out little Dakota Jack. He was such a good sport concidering all we put him through.

oh he was pooped too. But it isnt over yet. Just a few more trips to go before the Big Move...

The windy city

Here I am. An offer is in on a house and we are waiting to here the result. This is my new nearest city. GrandRapids is smaller than I expected. and colder. It snowed everyday of our trip. In April. House hunting is definately not my new favorite thing to do. Im anxious to get back home and into my own bed. Before my 5years of exile begins.

Here comes Peter Cotton-Tail

These pictures are the product of three separate and painfully difficult photoshoots with my poor broken little camera (it's held together with magnetic tape) and one fussy little baby. Keith asked me if I will take these kinds of pictures of the next kids we have. Not likely. so, sorry kids, but someday you'll understand..... Happy Easter

Champaign taste on a Beer budget

Oh we have been busy busy with figuring out our move logistics. Let me just say this will not be easy at all. Not with a baby and a cat in a car for several days and lots of hard work ahead. The three of us are soon leaving for michigan to go house hunting which is very exciting for someone who has shuffled from one lousy apartment to the next for the last 12 years! Oh I've been imagining such a beautiful home with white collums, big beautiful gardens, crown molding, extra bedrooms for all sorts of things, a spa like bathroom and of course that glorious gormet kitchen!
I can just see it now ~~~~(fading into dream like vision)~~~~~~
Ah hem, er uh well okay, I guess the reality of our future home will be more of a fixer upper.

but at least it will be ours and a real home. And after all, it's only for half a decade right! We already have about 30 homes lined up ready to look at with our agent. and aparently it will be snowing there the whole time. Lovely. We also are preparing ourselves with "Home buying for Dummies" So now we surely can't go wrong

I didnt realise how close we would be to Chicago! We decided it was cheaper for us to fly there instead and drive 2 hours to grand rapids. Anything to save a buck or two right? I'm not complaining, just anxious. My mantra is: Think of this as an adventure, just think of this as an adventure....

Anyway, wish us luck as we seek out our home sweet home.

Incoming Barf !!!!!

Hah Ha Ha Ha! I just rolled over in laughter...

Check out the cheaky look on son's face.....

It's just like feeding a baby bird he says

Workin' Man

Yesterday was Dakota's first job! Starting salary $20 per hour (2 hour total)

He is now a profesional practice baby patient for OHSU students.

He was such a good sport; all giggles & goos with the girls.

Not so much with the guys....

Yup, he's a Neaman boy

Our 2nd Anniversary Breakfast

We recently celebrated out 2nd year of holy matwimony with a family breakfast out.
A yummy tredy little place in Northwest where we enjoyed splurging for our "free day" (We are on a health program btw)

Keith had his favorite; big belgian waffel, cristy on the outside fluffy on the inside with fresh strawberries and ice cream.
I went crazy with an amazing apple fritter french toast & apple pork sausage. Its going to take a lot of miles to make up for that one!



Dakota didn't last long before he had had enough himself.

Oh but it's lovely being a family....

Shananagans

(in an Irish accent)

Aye, top-a the mornin' to ya

We be wishin' ya a glorious St Patrick's day

May the luck of the Irish be with you that

you might find your own pot of gold at the end of a rainbow!

1st choice

!!!!!!!!!! Grand Rapids, MICHIGAN !!!!!!!!!!!

It's been crazy here today! I woke up a 4am this morning from a dream that conviced me we were going to Texas. So I was all emotionally prepared for that. Yikes! Michigan is COLD! What a strange experience to find out this way and in front of everyone. We were lucky enough to match directly into an integrated plastics program at all let alone our first choice (well, Keith's first choice based on program - I just gave in to be nice - now look what I got myself into). It's Okay, because I was determined to have a good attitude no matter where we ended up. I commited to that. It was true, some people cheered for joy and others left in tears. I live amongst a very strange and intense sub-culture. Not just the med students but specifically the plastics applicants. It is such a small and tight little community. As soon as we left, the calls and text messages from other entering residents accross country came flooding in. Everything else is a whirl-wind of excitement and business. Flights, loans, mortgages, real estate, new car shopping, old car selling, packing up....

Oh boy, here we go.....

We Matched!

Can you guess where?

Its a smaller city with a population of under 200,000....













There are four seasons...






Beaches....






Light houses....


And Lots and lots and lots of snow.....

Partly cloudy high of 52

Dakota Jack is 4 months old today and growing at warp speed!

We are going to make a second attempt at our St.Patrick's day photo today. This time outside in the park. We've had a hard time with this one so wish us luck.

On other news

We are 24 hours away from the moment of truth. The big day is tomorow! We meet at the school for a breakfast at 915 am. Family & friends gather around and each student picks up their mystery envelope.

Some might be in the corners crying, some will cheer for joy. Its a horrible way to go about it reallly, but you cant fight tradition...

Life will take another big turn after tomorow. Finding a home, moving accross country, starting a new life somewhere strange. Oh what lays in store for us?

The suspense is killin' me!

(How do you spell the snoring sound?)

New Crib

We finally bought a new crib for little Jack. I guess we figured that it was time concidering his head kept bumping the end of the bassinet. This kid is going to be a tower!
Its also been nice have daddy at home early this week. Even though sometimes we can't stand each other... I love my guys.

Holi shmoli!

My favorite Hindu holiday is just around the corner.

I can't wait to see how emily potter experiences it.

Someday baby, when i get my turn in India, I'm all over it .