dreams do come true.

It happened- it really did happen today. We got word about 10am that our cabinet doors were all in place and things were ready for the final walk through (again). This time the walk through only took about 10 minutes and then we were out the door on our way to Title. We had plenty of time until our 2pm appointment. The stack of papers really was at least 2 inches thick- but we were done within an hour and the house was finally ours! After all the craziness Countrywide and KB pulled off a minor miracle by having our loan funded before 5pm today. Unfortunately we were too far away to grab the keys tonight but the simple fact that our loan was funded in less than an hour amazes me.

The emotions that go along with home buying go without saying but we are finally able to be excited. We are picking up the keys tomorrow! We can start to make this house a home.

The day came...and went ARG!

Well, as I should have known, we did NOT get to sign yesterday. When we went to the scheduled walk through and the wall still had not been power washed to get rid of concrete that was all over AND the cabinet guy wasn't even there yet! When the cabinet guy got there he had brought the wrong stinkin' door so instead of getting things fixed they became worse!

Long story short...very frustrating, kinda bummed, but we get to try again today. I can hardly contain my excitement at the thought of finding a sitter for Tyler again for HOURS, driving all the way across the valley (since gas is so cheap), giving away my money, waiting for people to do their job, and hopefully signing papers for an hour!

We are looking forward to a more productive and more positive experience today!

The Day has Come.

Well, after a tumultuous day yesterday, the dust settled back down and we get to do both our walk-through and sign at title! We have to leave our sweet little boy for a long time today- about 2 until 7 or so...but we are going to buy his house TODAY! We'll update after all the fun and we'll try to have some pictures with it.

100th POST!

Well, here it goes. Post #100. How exciting. I have no idea how to make it special, so instead I'll keep it simple and just give you what you want- the house update.

Monday, being yesterday, we had our first walk through on the new home. I was nervous, excited, scared, and tired! I didn't sleep well the night before and I don't know why. Could it be the large debt hovering on the horizon? Was it because I don't like to criticize people's work and I knew I was going to be picky? Was it because I had to leave Tyler for almost 4 hours? Who knows... but it went away pretty quick as I was handed yellow KB tape to stick on everything I saw wrong.

You hand Ryan and I tape and we have a blast. We must have used 10 yards of that stuff! (not really) Thankfully almost everything that needed fixed was just paint touch-up type work. There were a few cabinets that need replaced due to warping and some intelligent person took sand paper to one. One step needs re-carpeted because the staples were sticking out. One outlet needs reversed so it works with the light switch. I think that was about it though. We are tentatively scheduled to do our FINAL walk through tomorrow and we might even have our Title appointment tomorrow as well. Crazy! If we can get both of those in then we might even have the keys tomorrow- but it looks like the latest we'll get the keys will be Thursday!

The only thing that I have noticed that I think is LAME is that this builder thinks it's okay to paint over perfectly good, new hinges. Talk about trashy. I even brought this up on the walk through and the guy just said, "that's the way it is"...I'm still working on that though. I think a new house should have new hinges- clean, shiny, metal hinges not trashy, paint-chipping off already, white hinges. That is my only venting point really (other than working with countrywide for the home loan...do not get me started!)

Well, that is all that went on yesterday really. It was fun and yet I still don't believe that we're buying a house or moving. Even though we're not really moving (haha) I'd better go pack some more boxes!

finishing touches.

We stopped by the house once more on Saturday just to say hi. The extra sink and linen cupboard were finally in and so were the appliances. There was a ton of blue tape all over to show where there were flaws in the paint or defects in doors etc. There are some little things to be finished/touched up but we have our walk through tomorrow, Monday, at 9am. The beginning of the official stuff has begun!

I am trying to get things together in my mind about what will go where. I am trying to not stress about the things I can't control.

We are hoping to close early so keep your fingers crossed that things will go well tomorrow. We'll keep you all updated.

lasts.

It finally happened, I think I realized that we are actually moving. I started thinking of all my "lasts" after my friend Jessica told me Friday morning that it would probably be the last time that we walked together because she was leaving town next week.

That, phrase, "LAST" got me thinking- and got me sad (thanks a lot Jess) Although we haven't been in this house even a year we have had a lot of good times. My favorites involve; watching Tyler learn and grow, hosting family dinners (which almost always included more than just family), our BIG Christmas tree, decorating for Halloween, "childproofing", having enough rooms to have guests anytime, washing cars as a family, and living close to my sister. That list could go on and on. As much as we may have belly-ached about how bad the area is (which it isn't really that bad) and how strange the people are (kinda true) I am going to miss my routine. I love waking up, getting breakfast, seeing Ryan off to work, going to the air conditioned Rec Center to walk for about an hour, coming home to lay Tyler down for a nap, getting ready, doing something with Heather or Jess or both between naps, coming home for another nap, making dinner, cleaning house, sitting down to dinner with Ryan (or Heather's family), going to bed and starting it all over again.

I will miss Cinnamon Ridge park, Seguaro park, Haley Hendrix park, the public pools, Wal Mart and Food 4 Less (yes, I am white trash- but the food is so much cheaper!), McD's play place, Taco Bell down the street, walking to my sister's house (only .6 mi away), running errands with Heather or Jess, having friends over for dinners spontaneously, having cousins and friends so close for Tyler... I'm sure there are other things too.

I am excited about the FIRSTS as well. I just get so attached to friends and change is hard for everyone but here are a few things that I am excited about; our first home together, decorating (kinda nervous about that one too), making a beginning for our family, being in a safer part of town, synthetic grass in our back yard, new carpet, being closer to Ryan's work, walking to our community pool, walking to our park (whenever it's done), going for jogs outside on the paseos, making new friends, meeting our neighbors, staying in one place for longer than 10 months, and being with my two favorite people- Ryan and Tyler. I know everything will be okay. I am excited to go and sad to leave...and I have SO MUCH TO DO before we close early next week. Wish me luck!

my contribution.

I don't know about the rest of you, but being a stay at home mom there are times I feel bad for just spending money. I keep trying to think of some way to make money while I'm at home. The tricky part is that I don't want it to take away any time from Tyler.

The solution is here!...kinda. I feel all computer savvy since I'm now selling our stuff online. I know this is so five years ago for most people- but it is new to me. I found some text books of Ryan's when I was packing, so I listed them on half.com and voila! paycheck. Next I thought, "hey, I should try to sell my jogging stroller that I never use on craigslist"...that's right, I'm working two online deals.

I am all excited about having numerous responses to my stroller and it looks like it'll sell tonight! I know that I won't have to report my earnings to the IRS or anything but it feels good to make enough money for a couple bills or a date or a moving truck and some packing supplies ;)

Thank you to all the purchasers who are making my little dream come true.

(feel free to laugh at me all you want- I can't hear you)

my little chef.

Tyler really has blossomed in his talents already. He is loving cooking for some crazy reason. Tonight was so exception. Tyler wanted to help make the pizza for dinner so I sat him in his high chair, gave him some flour, some spoons, and a ball of pizza dough. He thought it was the coolest thing ever. After getting the crust done Tyler also wanted to wash his hands and help put the cheese on. He had watched me so while sitting on my side he started to grab little handfuls and drop them on the pizza too. He might really have found his passion already. Now if only I can harness his abilities and get him to make millions for his mom and dad!

The House

We stopped by the house this morning and there was some wonderful progress!

The flooring was in- standard carpet and vinyl. Exciting, I know!

Almost all of the sinks and plumbing fixtures were in. The faucets are all fancy and stuff...what a treat.

The thermostat was even in- and working at 73 degrees. Glad I'm not paying for that yet!

Pretty much exciting times. Now all we have to do is wait and hope that all the little things are fixed up before we see it again. Wahoo!

BBQ. 4 Generations of Crooks. Flying home.

Here are the promised pictures. We enjoyed our steak pig-out. We had all sorts of sides; baked beans, potato salad, fruit salad, rolls, corn, and yummy desert! Granny pulled out all the stops and it was a raving success. The men enjoyed the time grilling and they even showed Tyler the ropes a bit.

It was so much fun to overlap our vacation with Popa for a few days. Tyler is so lucky to get to have grandparents and great-grandparents. Popa had a chance to see some of Tyler's new tricks and Tyler got to play games and get to know his Popa a little better.

Tyler had fun taking a bath in the big tub. He didn't know what to do with himself. At first he was unsure if the big tub was a good idea- but then he loved it!

It's a rare occasion to have the 4 generations together so we took the opportunity to snap a pic of the handsome men. We are missing daddy already. It was perfect to get to be together as a family for 10 whole days. This was the first time that we have had Ryan and Dad Crooks around. We loved our time in Sacramento and terribly regret the decision to come back to reality.

It really was fun to take a break from "life" and all the craziness going on right now. Although it was rough to come back, we got to visit our home and see how it's doing! We're only about 10 days away from owning our home.

The Adventures of Tyler...the walker

Here we are, loving the high 90's of Roseville weather. It really is beautiful! (not to brag to those of you still stuck in Nevada..we'll be back shortly). We are enjoying our time as a family no matter what it is we are doing, but here are a few fun adventures as of late.

Tyler got to go on his first Carousel ride at the Roseville Galleria mall. Total rip off as far as the price goes, $3 for one rider! Totally worth it when we saw his little face go from complete horror as the zebra began to move higher to thrill and excitement as we waved each time he went around. It was a fun first together and Tyler wanted to get right back on after it stopped. He is our little thrill seeker.An unfortunate occurrence as been a nasty case of diaper rash. Our poor boy just got over a fairly bad rash just before we came to visit. The rash is back in full force which means nothing better than naked time for Tyler. He really isn't enjoying sitting in water or even having his bum wiped- but playing with the hose definitely seemed to lift his spirits.

Our traditional night out at Round Table pizza was fun. Tyler decided he was old enough to try the hot wings this time. After one bite he realized you should be at least 2 before trying that again.

One of the cutest things since being here is watching Tyler copy the people around him. Ryan used to detail cars so when he does a car clean-up on Saturdays it can be quite the event. Tyler has been watching his daddy for just over a year now and thought it was time to help. Tyler jumped right in to helping wash Grandpa's car. He started with sudsing up the water, scrubbing the wheels, drying with the microfiber towels, and he even did a little quality control at the end. It was so cute- the pictures really don't do it justice. In case you were wondering, it was past Tyler's bed time and the car washing was done to help him cheer up from more sore bum...hence the crack shot diaper-free. No plumbers in our family...but maybe a family detail business someday.

This morning started at 7am- what a blessing. We enjoyed some family time with Granny and Grandpa before Grandpa went to work and Granny and dad ran off to pick up Popa from the airport. Tyler sure does love his grandparents. The picture isn't posed- they really do play with him on the ground. Tyler also has become quite the social eater. Even if he has just finished breakfast, if someone else sits down for their meal Tyler will gladly join them in his high chair and mooch some of their food too.

I don't think I've mentioned yet how much Tyler loves to cook. I really think he will be my sous chef by the time he is 2. I can't cook anything without him wanting to be a part of the action. He really enjoys stirring, tasting, boiling, mixing, and smooshing :) The experience at Granny's has been no exception. He saw Granny making brownies for tonight and had to get in on the action!

Lastly for now, just another cute shot of the little guy playing in Granny and Grandpa's little stream. He loves the water- and throwing the rocks!

Time to go enjoy a delicious steak BBQ with 4 generations :) I'm sure we'll get some good pictures of that one to post!

for your viewing pleasure.

The Cabin. Arnold, CA.

After a fun morning Saturday we packed up and headed out for Arnold, California where Ryan's family owns a cabin.

We made the traditional stops along the way, Taco Bell for lunch and Thrifty's ice cream (from Rite-Aid since Thrifty's is no longer around). Ryan went for the usual triple scoop. Tyler and I shared a double. An hour and a half later- we had made it to the cabin.

One of our first stops was White Pines lake. There was a cute little swing set to play on and a beautiful lake to look at...not to swim in. Ryan used to come to this lake when he was really little with his Popa and go fishing. As the story goes, they would wake up before the sun, get donuts and chocolate milk, and set up camp on the shore. Ryan was remembering how long the walk used to seem (it is only about 5 minutes) as a little boy. Sounds like he and Popa had fishing down to a science. It really is a shame that the reeds are taking over so you can hardly fish from the shore anymore.

We spent three of our days at the Stanislaus river. It is in Calavaras Big Trees State Park. The scenery is beautiful...the drive is a bit too twisty for my tummy, but the trees and the river are a beautfiul sight for Nevada eyes! The shades of green, the clearness of the water, the sound of the rapids (little rapids), it really was relaxing. Tyler surprised us all and LOVED the water, eventhough it was pretty cold. Ryan took him down to put in his feet and he went right in up to his neck! Tyler has surprised us all and has become quite fond of water in every form.

River days usually lasted long enough that our little guy would need a nap down there. He did pretty well. I would hold him until he fell asleep and then we'd stick him in a little one-man boat so he could relax. Unfortunately we usually had company right after I put Tyler down so he'd wake right back up!

Another adventure we had was walking through the Grove. The grove is a walkway that takes you through a bunch of the "big trees". There are a few noteable spots; the stump that is so big it used to have a dance hall on it, and our traditional picture in the hole in the tree shot. Tyler loved looking up through the trees to the blue sky. There were also a fair number of furry friends around that made Tyler giggle. The squirrles were quite friendly and didn't seem to mind humans at all. Our nights were spent watching movies and playing UNO as a family. Tyler did great adjusting and loved being outside- especially in the 5am hour! It was so nice to be somewhere so quiet and beautiful and just enjoy being together as a family.

The trip home was quick and painless. We had fun stopping at a park in Murphy's and having an early lunch at COSTCO. Tyler seems to be back on schedule and enjoying his vacation thouroughly! The past few days at the cabin Tyler has still been working on his walking and is getting good enough to grab a hand and demand to go somewhere. He is getting pretty good at saying "go" and "one" as in "one, two, three..weee!" (Granny and I will swing him as we walk)
We are looking forward to a lot more fun until we have to leave this Sunday. Stay tuned!

We're Alive!!

Yup- we're still here. Just got back from the cabin in Arnold. Be excited pictures and video will follow shortly :)

Walking

The House

Update as of 7/10/08...still on schedule to close on the 31st!

New excitement includes...the granite is in the kitchen, the walkway and driveway are done, the tile in the entryway is done, and the front yard is landscaped! Enjoy the pics.

We'll be out of commission for a few days. We are off to enjoy the beautiful scenery in Arnold, CA at the family cabin!

Our Adventures...Lately

We started off this week with an extreme heat warning- which, for those of you not familiar with crazy hotness, means that it is over 111 for some number of hours. To avoid the heat we headed to the mall with the kiddies to play and walk around. Tyler and the kids had a blast playing around this slide/tunnel thing.

Our big adventure started Friday afternoon. We picked up Ry from work and headed to the airport. We were expecting to eat dinner together and head off to Sacramento...but the flight was delayed. So, what do you do when you have THREE HOURS in an airport with a little boy???? Teach him to walk, of course!!(So I'm on the cell phone in this video and it isn't the right one...but you get the idea. I'll post the better one later)

After a delicious $20 Burger King experience we went to go relax our little feet- and then he was off! Ty has taken some steps here and there but this was amazing! He walked about 25 feet over to this water fountain and loved his independence and new found freedom.

Thank goodness for a happy (and tired) kiddo. He entertained himself the entire time we were waiting for the plane. He also got to do some shoe shining, play some slots, and watch the planes land and take off.

We made it to Sacramento safely...at about 10:30pm. Tyler spent a good night sleeping and got spoiled rotten with tons of belated birthday gifts this morning. The cutest moment by far was when he let us put on his new back pack and walked around with it on!

Fun with Family

My cousin Heidi and her kids came to visit on their way through town. They were headed from Wyoming to California. We had so much fun getting to see our family. Heidi has two (and a half) kids and it was so much fun to have some more energy in the house. Tyler really enjoyed having other kids around to play with.Today we showed Heidi and Heather the new house for the first time and then we took all 8 of us...in one car... to the water park at Mountain's Edge. Brittny and her two girls were able to meet us too. The water park is really just a splash pad thing but it was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. The kids love to sit on the fountains, try to guess which one will turn on next, and almost always get sprayed right in the face when they are wrong! Tyler loves the water and is starting to take multiple steps more often...finally.There wasn't much new at the house other than the driveway being totally done and the walkway to the front door being leveled and started.