We Bought a House!

A HOUSE is made of bricks and beams.  A HOME is made of hopes and dreams.

Here's to hopes and dreams and making our house more like a home!  We've been talking about buying a house for a while, but I am very stubborn with my criteria, the biggest obstacles being, I wanted a specific school district, I didn't want KK to leave the school district he attends and the other obstacle being our price range.  So we searched and looked online at houses.  I was totally fine with that and would have been for a while because I like to move slowly with big things like this, I like to take my time and make sure we're making the right decision because I tend to freak out with big purchases.  When I say freak out, I mean, I nearly had a panic attack when I bought a phone for $200+.  But Mr H. is NOT the type to just sit and wait for me to be ready, because I'm usually never ready.

So we looked at some houses and the search began.  It was hard to find houses that met MY criteria and I KNOW that it frustrated Mr H. but this is how I felt about it.  We would find a house that looked perfect only to find out that it had sold right before we could see it.  Some had A LOT of fixing up, I don't mind fixing a bit, but not gutting the whole house.  Finally we found one that could potentially be what we were looking for.  It was in the same school district, within our price range, AND about a half mile from my parents.  I know, most people try to move far away from their parents, but not us...

We toured the house and saw things that needed to be fixed, little things though...east to do.  We felt good about the house and started preparation with the inspection, there were some things that needed to be changed, fixed, and/or modified to the house.  Everything that we wanted was pretty much done or worked with us on.

On St. Patrick's day, a lucky day it was, we signed all of the papers to make this house our home.  On Tuesday, since Mr H. didn't have night classes and I wasn't working, we decided to go and take a look at the house and just take it all in.  When we walked inside, we saw some cookies and a card on the counter.  They were from the previous owner, the card was addressed to "New Homeowners" and in it was a hand written letter which read:

New Homeowners

A little history on this home.

My dear Aunt Alice lived here for about 50 years.  She was the most caring and loving person I have ever know.  I miss her so much.  While in this house (even though she had no kids of her own) she spent most of those years helping to raise her nieces and great niece.  We loved going to her house.  She made us feel so welcome.  Just though you'd like to know.  I believe she'd always watch out for kids here.

My daughter and her husband stayed here while she was pregnant and then for almost a year after "Lauren Alice" was born.  My daughter named her child after Alice because she was always such an inspiration in her life.

I'll always remember this house as one of really good memories in my life.  Lots of happy times and lots of love.

Good Luck in your new home.

Becky Borgerding

I was very sweet and very kind of her to write that note and let us know of the love that was spread inside of this home and I hope that it will continue.  I'm excited to call this MY OWN and not have to worry about anyone telling us what we can and cannot do, we can have a garage sale whenever we want, we have a huge yard for the kids to play around in.

It's been an emotional roller coaster for me, just ask Mr H.  I have been having a hard time with all of these major life changing events happening that I feel that I need time to just breathe.  Am I excited about this house, yes...do I show it, no...there's just too much on my plate right now and I think that I will slowly start to feel more excited as we adjust to our new home.  But if you ask those same questions to Mr. H, it would be yes to both.  He is super excited about the house and he shows it!

Woodland Lights

Another tradition we have as a family during the winter is to go to Woodland lights.  One awesome thing is that it's literally in our backyard!  We can see our lights from our garage!  It's so pretty.  So we decided to walk to the Rec Center and KK rode his new razor scooter.  Here are some pictures:

There is a train that the kids can ride...it will be a sad day when KK is too big to ride in that thing

ET is just hanging out looking at all of the lights and watching his big brother on the train.  It was really cold, but we bundled him up really good!

After the ride

There are other rides that KK was able to ride on, this one went around on a circle.  There was another that you took a hay sack up to a tall slide and slide with the sacks.  KK went with Mr. H first and KK won cause he cheated...before Mr. H was even sitting down KK took off!  What a turd, so guess what happened when Mom went with KK down the slide!?  Yup, a little taste of his own medicine!  lol

Another ride, this one was kind of like a Ferris Wheel, but a lot smaller! 

This was the last ride and after the ride KK told us that he liked the rides at Disney World better!  lol.  

While KK was riding the rides ET got a little bored and fell asleep.  So he missed all of the bright lights while walking around!

There was a little cabin that people could come in and worm up by the fire.  KK loved sitting in here

There was also animals on display, such as foxes, turkey, reindeer, and wolves.  

Precious is still sleeping!

The boys likes looking at the animals

Looking over the pond, the boardwalk is closed off because of the ice and they don't want anyone to slip and fall into the pond but 4 years ago Mr. H wanted to take me across the caution ropes and propose to me on that little platform.  I wish he would have!

Hanging out with my KK

An airplane light display!

K's crazy hat hair and him getting a gingerbread man painted on his face

There were gingerbread houses that were displayed and KK liked this one, it was a Ninjago themed house and I think a family in our church ward created it.

Huge Clydesdale horses that pull a carriage.  This year we did not go on the carriage because we didn't know where to park our wagon with the carseat without someone taking it.  I'm sure it would have been fine...but I'm a little worried about things like that

KK wanted me to get a picture of the face painting before he went to bed.  The frog's name is Ribbert and he loves sleeping with it.  I got it for him for Christmas.  

Merry Christmas

Last year on Christmas we shared the news with everyone that we were pregnant...it was very exciting and now we have our little bundle of excitement to share Christmas with.  KK spent the night on Christmas Eve with his biological father and we picked him up around noon on Christmas Day then we headed to my parents house.  At my parents house there was some drama from one of my siblings and that postponed opening gifts...but no one wants to hear about the drama.  Opening gifts was awesome, this year we decided to do homemade gifts, which I loved that idea.  My youngest sister made me this awesome shadow box for ET, with his footprints, and pictures, and even the badge from the hospital!  I love it.  

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She also painted me this picture that looks like 'Starry Night' but it's the Hogwarts Castle!  I think everyone knows by now how much I LOVE the Harry Potter Series.  So this picture is perfect!  She's so talented.  

By the time we were done opening gifts and we had eaten we needed to go home to open our gifts.  But first I wanted to get a few pictures in front of the tree.  I love them so super much!  I am one lucky mother!

This was the best photo that was taken with ET and I, KK was behind the camera and most of the other ones were blurry or he had his finger on the lens.

Look how little he is with his stocking...although he's bigger than KK was for his first Christmas!  KK was only 10 days old...ET was almost 17 weeks old.

Very excited to see what was in his stocking!  He is so special and very handsome!

After opening gifts I was ready to go to bed.  It was a long and exhausting day.  But I loved seeing happy and excited faces when gifts were being opened.  I loved spending time together as a family.  I loved how happy we were at the end of the day.

Happy 7th Birthday KK!

First of all, I cannot believe that MY FIRSTBORN is 7 years old!  I remember the day he was born, I remember when he was little and getting into trouble, I remember most everything...time really does fly when you're having fun.  And I digress, KK wanted a Winter Party for his birthday.  Since we were doing it at our home to save money he could invite a limited number of people.  10 boys attended and it was crazy!  I forgot to take pictures of the activities, but when they first got here they decorated cookies to take home.  Next, they played Winter Bingo.  Then they played "Pin the nose on the Snowman".  KK opened gifts and received a bunch of fun boy stuff.  And lastly, I handed out their gift bags but since everyone had something different and I didn't want anyone to be upset I read a story about Frosty the Snowman where they had to move the bags to the left or the right.  The story goes like this:

As I read this story, whenever you hear the word RIGHT, continuously pass the gifts to the RIGHT until you hear the word LEFT, then switch direction and continuously pass the gifts to the LEFT.  Are you ready?  Here we go…

Frosty the LEFT-handed Snowman was a RIGHT jolly happy soul with a corncob pipe and a button to the LEFT of his nose and two eye LEFT and RIGHT, made of coal.

Frosty the LEFT-handed Snowman is a fairytale they say he was made of bRIGHT white snow, but the children know he came RIGHT to life one day.

There must have been some magic LEFT in that old silk hat they found for RIGHT when they placed it RIGHT on his head, he began to dance RIGHT around.

Oh, Frosty the LEFT-handed Snowman was alive and LEFT-handed too and the children say he could laugh, wRITE.  and play just the same as you and me

Thumpety thump, LEFT, thumpety thump, LEFT, look at Frosty go, Thumpety thump Left, thumpety thump LEFT, RIGHT over the hills of bRIGHT white snow

Frosty the LEFT-handed Snowman knew the sun was bRIGHT and hot that day so he said, “Let’s run, we’ve LEFT time for some fun now, before I melt RIGHT away.”

RIGHT down to the village with a broomstick in his LEFT hand running RIGHT here and there all around LEFT square saying, “Tag my RIGHT hand if you can.”

He led them RIGHT down the street of town RIGHT to the traffic cop and only paused a moment when he raised his RIGHT hand and hollered, “Stop!”

For Frosty the LEFT-handed snowman had to hurry RIGHT on his way.  But he waved goodbye and LEFT, saying “Don’t you cry, I’ll be RIGHT back again someday”

Now you know how his story went.  Which way did the gift go?  To the RIGHT and to the LEFT, stop the passing and open your gift!

After the party, I was ready to just pass out!  11 kids in a small house was very tiring, plus the decorating mess...I just wanted to stay home...until our good friends called us and asked if we wanted to go to Clifton Mill for the lights.  We've wanted to go (but I didn't want to THAT night) and I thought, "Might as well go now, cause we may not have the motivation to go another time this year!"  So we accepted their invite.  Once we got there, Mr H. and KK went to meet our friends while I stayed in the car to nurse ET, then I joined them.  It was very cold and I'm glad that I was able to bundle the kids warmly...although KK's boots aren't insulated enough and his toes were so frozen and hurt by the end of our time there...he started crying about it, so that's when we knew it was time to go home.

Once at home, KK wanted to cuddle and I was able to warm up his toes.  I'm glad they we went...I just hope that my kids can look back on their life and think of the happy childhood they had.  I hope they think we, as parents, did enough to create memories and happy times.  I love my family and have so much fun with them!

Pumpkin Patch

Every year I have taken KK to the Pumpkin Patch since he was a baby and the tradition continues...this was ET's first time at the pumpkin patch and on the hayride.  Every year a group of us get together and enjoy the hayride, this was the first time that we were able to join them.  It was a ton of fun.  ET loved bouncing on the ride and it even made him fall asleep, which was surprising to some, but not to us!

Family Photo waiting to board the tractor

So excited to start the hayride!

He fell asleep during the ride and even had a little bit of a grin

The tractor stops and allows the younger ones to pick out a pumpkin.

In the pumpkin patch

He picked out this nice plump one

We hopped back on and we're ready to go

Afterward everyone gets a cookie

The traditional measuring...KK sure has grown, he's my big boy!

ET is a bit too small to measure yet, but next year we'll have him stand there

This is another traditional photo, next to the pond...

Family Tradition

When I was at 6th grade camp my parents wrote me a letter each day telling me how much they loved me and how much they were thinking of me. They also wrapped little gifts such as rice krispie treats, a Mariah Carey CD, and a coupon for a date, just me and them (which was a treat, having grown up in a house with six kids). I loved those letters. I still have the "date" one saved because I was never able to go on that date [Side Note - I've been thinking of showing it to my parents and telling them I want to redeem it now! lol]. I had to be picked up early from camp because I had thrown up twice the night before we left. But I LOVED those letter, it made me feel that even though I wasn't at home that my family still missed me and loved me too. Those letters meant so much to me. It's a family tradition to write each other letters when they go on a trip. We leave the letter in their suitcase so when they open their suitcase, there is the letter!

When I went on my honeymoon I wrote KK letters to let him know that I was still thinking of him even though I couldn't call or talk to him. My honeymoon was the longest I had ever gone without talking or being with him. So these letters were for him to know that I still loved him even though I couldn't be with him. As I was cleaning our laundry room I came across the letters I wrote to KK on my honeymoon. I want to always remember them.

Monday:
I hope you had fun today. Did you play lots? And eat good food? Mom likes it when you eat good foods. Have you been playing with Gabe nicely? You BOTH need to mind your manners and try to be good for Mimi and Papa or there will be punishment. On a happier note, I miss you so much and can't wait to give you a BIG FAT hug and kiss when I see you next. If you feel sad because Mom is gone just read 3 Nephi 12:4. I love you very much. I can't wait to see you again!

Love Mom

P.S. I will be home in 3 days!

[RR and KK woke up early to go to SCC w/ Erin to get RR's transcripts! After that, we went home then RR go a call from her new job saying she had to get her fingerprints! Before we left, she bought me a cheeseburger happy meal w/ an Iron Man II toy! Everybody thought RR was my mommy and RR even played along because she bought McDonald's for G and AA :/ But that's okay. Then we went to WSU to turn in RR's transcripts! I was so tired but I was a very good boy for EVERYBODY :) She got me a Wendy's frosty. Then we went home and RR played songs on the guitar about Dora, and Wow Wow Wubzy, and about me! RR and I are also sleeping on the couches downstairs because I had a little accident in RR's bed :( But it's okay! I got to cuddle w/ RR all night on the couch even though she made me a place to sleep. I just love her so much! I also loved playing with her ipod and laptop. I got lots of compliments on my clothes today by people too! I love you mommy and I can't wait for you to be home!

Love, KK & RR

P.S. Erin took KK to the bathroom @ SCC and when he went out he said he had to go to the bathroom again because there was still a drop that had to come out! It made Erin's day. Now Tyler is over and we are going to go to bed!]

Tuesday:
Have you brushed your teeth today? You better not forget to do that, we don't want your teeth to fall off. Have you been able to go to that Activity Park yet? I can't wait to give you lots of kisses when I get back. And guess what? I will bring you back something special but only if you are really good. Have you been good? I really hope so. I miss you so much. I can't wait to see you.

Love, Mom

P.S. I will be home in 2 days

[KK had an awesome day today. We got up early to drive RR to Walker Toyota to see about working after we showed her where it was, KK and Papa went to McDonalds for breakfast. We are in the playground and there was a boy there KK did not like. The boy left with his grandma. We ate and played, then Shack gave KK cookies. KK found a paper on the ground and gave it to Shack. Shack was happy. We played with the remote control car and then with James' bicycle pump. We did not get to the water park, but watched TV off and on. KK watered plants in back. KK and Shel lmade pizza. Yummy. KK had some strawberry milk with his pizza. Tyler came over. Papa told a story of a family with small boys that were preparing for a summer of travel with their race car, KK brushed his teeth and they sparkled. Papa layed down on the couch as KK played with his cars and told Papa short story of kids that wanted to race, but their Mom said, "No" and they said please and so she said, "Yes". They raced and then had chocolate ice cream. A few minutes later KK fell right to sleep next to his Papa. I sure love him - He misses his Mom, but actually he is doing ok. We miss you

Love, KK and Dadums

*Shack is a WWII vet who works at McDonalds for bowling money because his wife wont's give him any! He's the coolest old guy ever!]


Wednesday:
What did you do today? Anything fun? I really hope you listen to your grandparents. I miss you tons - I wish that I could call you but I can't. But I will be home soon. I have a special surprise for you. And what if when we come home we'll go out to dinner or something. What do you think? Sound like a good idea? Maybe start thinking of a place we can go to eat, Okay!? I love you

Love, Mom

P.S. I will be home in 1 day

[Since RR is working, AA and G watched me today. I had lots of fun watching TV shows all by myself because I watched MY TV shows. Later in the day I helped Papa make JW a box so we can send him parts or his bike. I was playing with my scooter and G was riding his bike. When RR got home we had spaghetti, it was so yummy, I ate it all up! I had an accident again last night :/ Papa took me to the waterpark and we stayed till they shut the water off. It was nice and warm today. After the water park RR made me a bath. It was nice and warm too! Now we are getting ready for bed. I can't wait to see you and Mr H.! I love you guys!

Love, RR and KK]

Thursday:
guess what? Tomorrow I will be home. So go to sleep then when you wake up I will be home. So go nigh-night. I can't wait to hold and kiss and suddle with you. I have missed you tons. Have you thought about a place to eat? I have missed you tons but it is time for bed. In the morning we can open presents and hang out and I will give you lots of kisses.

Love, Mom

P.S. I'll be home tomorrow

[Hey KK noticed the TV was covered with a blanket for nite-nite. He said who covered the T.V. and I said the T.V. did cause it is tired. He said we have hands then said the T.V. doesn't have arms or hands and so who covered the T.V.?

Love, KK and Dadums]