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.