Fashion Police

So Rachel served as my What Not to Wear coach. My clothes have really started to frustrate me with not knowing what to wear and thinking everything looks dumb. So, we went through every piece of clothing I had and put over half of what I wear in the Goodwill pile. Now I guess I just need to go shopping!

Happy Birthday Hez!

His birthday started rough with Uriah being sick, had french toast for breakfast, house hunting, ENT appointment with Uriah, grilled chicken for dinner, went for a second look at a house and now making an offer. Sounds like an eventful birthday to me!

Sick kiddo

Uriah was up all night last night throwing up and so Hez didn't have a very good night. He stayed home from school today. Hez and Rachel went house hunting and then took Uriah to an ENT appointment.

Making an offer

I am sitting on the couch right now as Hez and Rachel are working up an offer with their realtor. I went over tonight with them to see the house along with Rachel's dad. It is really cute. Lots of neat molding and it is a nice size space. I think it would be a good house for them. The big deal is that it is being sold for 169 and they want to offer a lot less. Don't know if they are going to come to a meeting place or not. Hope so!

Double Rainbow!

Yesterday we had two separate occasions to see a double rainbow out our front window. It was really neat and the kids loved it... especially Uriah. Hoping that was the last rain for a couple days. Here is a photo of one of them: http://yfrog.com/gz44muopj.

A Light Day for Me

Today I had an OB appointment and a meeting with Cathy so Rachel watched the boys for me for a while today. That was nice to have some alone and free time. I am going to do that for her tomorrow. Hopefully she can get some recharge time because I know that the late nights and the home search has taken a lot out of her.

No go on the offer

The houses from yesterday are a no go. They decided they were too much work for the cost. The house is at the top of their budget and there was like $20,000 in renovations to be done so I think it was a good choice. I know this process is stressful on Rachel and I just hope that they find something soon for their sake and their nerves!

Tonight Rachel and I talked about any annoyances or frustrations we had with each other so far in living together. The only thing I shared was that I asked if she could verbally express thanks more often, like when I make lunches or dinner or watch the kids. I totally love to do that for them and serve them but the appreciation expressed really encourages me to keep it up. I felt way needy even saying that but I am glad it is out there because if I didn't it might have turned into resentment. After I told her she put up a really nice post on facebook:

"feeling so appreciative of Jenny Hunter for all she & her family are sacrificing for us. So blessed to have this opportunity to deepen our friendship. Hopefully, our actions will speak louder than this, but THANK YOU!"

An Offer in the Works?

So Hez and Rachel have 2 houses they like right now. One is nice but by an apartment, the other is in a better location but not as updated. They are going to have Rachel's dad come down tomorrow to take a look through for his opinion. I know they are excited and it is in a close location so I like that! :)

Coliving

So I am weird and several months ago I shared with Daryl how I thought coliving or communal living would be really neat. The idea of sharing responsibilities of housework, meal prep, childcare, etc. just sounded so nice to me. I also just like to be with other people and forming community and intimate friendships. It is so interesting how we are now in that reality. So neat to experience it firsthand. I don't know about the Barnes but I am really enjoying it. It will be interesting to see how the rest of our time together goes. I hope it does form a tight bond between our families.

Happy Easter

Had a good Easter today. Went to church this morning. Usually we end up with family on Easter but all the parents were out of town so we had a relaxing day at home. We didn't really do any sort of celebration or special meal or anything. But, it reminds me of when we were in seminary and got to spend holidays with the Lathams. There is something nice about holidays with friends... low stress and good company.

One Week Down

So it has been one week since our new living arrangement started. I think things are going well so far. We are still talking and working together well. I really enjoy having them here and getting to go out with Rachel and get to know her kids better. Hope things continue to go well.

How Does She Do It?

My respect goes out to parents of kids that are handicapped or have special needs. Rachel has to deal with this every day and I don't know how she does it. I mean I would be so overwhelmed and depressed if I had a kid with autism and the possibility of another. But she and Hez have SO much patience with U and J. It is inspiring.

One Last Visit

Rachel and Hez went out this evening to make one last trip to the house. I know it was kind of hard to leave which is totally understandable. That is where they formed so many memories and the only house that Judah knows. If we ever end up moving, it will be really hard for me as well.

Meal Prep

So we have gotten into a routine of meal prep and clean up. Rachel and I switch off, one making the meal and the other entertaining the kids. This week we have on the menu:

Taco Salad
Jambalaya
Grilled Chicken Tenders
Spaghetti
Fried Rice

It seems to be working pretty well so far.

Making food for 4 adults and 7 kids is quite interesting. We are using disposable plates for most meals and that helps a lot on the cleanup.

Decisions, Decisions

Rachel and I and a few kids went out this morning to drive by a few houses on their list. Most were in the Lyndon area but a couple were in J-town. She is so torn to know whether to live in J-town, Middletown or Lyndon. It is a tough choice since J-town is cheaper but her heart is in Middletown. Obviously I would LOVE to have them live in Lyndon. It is going to be interesting to see how it is all going to shake out.

Reason #3

Reason #3 it is awesome that the B family is living with us: When I go to Parents Day Out to pick up Jacob, I can leave Andrew at home! It is so nice to not have to tote him in and out. It seems like a little thing but it is nice.

Ah, I Can Breathe

Kids are in bed now and I am feeling better now. :) Love our time in the evenings with Hez and Rachel being able to talk and visit. It is a wonderful time of recharging. I mean, it is 11:40 and I should so be in bed, but this is definitely my favorite part of the day. So fun to get to know them better. Especially Hez since I really haven't had much of a chance to get to know him. He is fun. And, he makes a mean decaf latte!

A Wee Bit Overwhelmed

So I have been feeling a little overwhelmed the past hour or so. Andrew has been really fussy for some reason and Judah has been as well so between the two of them I have been holding one or the other and then there are a load of others running around to deal with. Then Daryl got home and was getting on me a little about where things were and such. Got me a little weapy. Maybe it is the pregnancy hormones. :) Is it bedtime yet?

First Day of School

Well, at the first day at the new school for U. I pray all goes well for him and that he loves his new school. He has about 1.5 months left to finish up kindergarten. I hope that there is no stress that come about because of the school situation for Hez and Rachel and that he transitions easily!

UPDATE: All went well today at school I think. The issue was with the bus. When he was dropped off the bus assistant yelled at the kids to SHUT UP RIGHT NOW! I mean, what is up with that? Obviously Rachel was a little unsettled about this. He did this in front of a parent. Hope that issue doesn't come up again. At least we know he is only on the bus about 10 minutes.

Late and Wild Night

So it is 1:18 and we are finally about to go to bed. There were severe storms go through the area just now with tornado warnings and sirens and the works. Rachel gets pretty worried in storms so it was an anxious evening. The actual storm was pretty mild when it went through though so that is good. Evenings like tonight are ones where having a basement would be pretty nice.

Reason #2

Reason #2 it is awesome that the B family is living with us: I get to go grocery shopping alone! I went this morning and Rachel watched the boys. It was great! I got done quickly and could focus on what I needed to get!

Special Friends

This will probably be a mushy post. So last night I had a dream about Rachel. In my dream we worked together at a desk job. She told me that she was changing jobs to working in food service and organizing and selling sandwiches and lunches. Kind of in a leadership role. Interesting. The second part of the dream she told me she couldn't have bread for two days because she was having a test female test run. It was this second part where she was really sad, worried and was crying.

It is weird how dreams like this can help you see how much you care about someone. It was real in the dream that she was scared and so was I. I have grown to love Rachel over the past 6 months or so. I only hope that living together will draw us closer and not put any strain on our relationship.

She is a great mom and such a caring person. She is so easy to talk to and I love how she has invested in knowing me. I have quite a few surface friends but having a friend you can confide in and know is so special. I am truly blessed.

So if you read this Rachel, know you are loved by me. As a friend, peer, sister, and I am so thankful for who you are in my life. You are such a beautiful person.

I look forward to the next few months and sharing our lives. I only hope that I can be the friend you need me to be and that through my actions and words I can show you how much you mean to me.

Much Progress

So they guys went over last night and got a lot done with packing. That is so great since it takes off a lot of stress from them about getting everything done in time. All they have left is taking a load over to storage and getting a few last, little items.

Reason #1

Reason #1 it is awesome that the B family is living with us: The boys playing together outside and wear themselves out! The weather has been great the past two days and they have played outside and played hard! Running and sliding and climbing and just being boys. It is great to see. Nathan is normally not like that when it is just he and Jacob. Andrew is loving the action as well. Although I have noticed that I will need to use lots more stain stick with the grass stains they are accumulating. :)

Sick kids

So we have the first kid is sick today. U woke up last night with a fever and had to miss his first day of school at Bowen today. :( Hope he gets well soon and no one else gets sick.

Rachel, my hero

Found a good reason that the B family moved in that I didn't know. A lizard got into our laundry room and Rachel caught and released it! What a woman! :)

Moving!

First full day. Sunday. We were out this morning for church and lunch. We came home and the dads were working on stuff (one packing and one putting down mulch). It was a little hectic with all the kids here and no dads to help. Worked out okay. At least the weather was nice and we were able to get them outside.

We had a cookout for dinner and then I went over to their house to help them pack up some more stuff. They have a few more days to get out. Still a lot more to do!

It has started!

So we have added 6 people to our 1220 square feet home. Our friends have sold their house and they are staying with us to save a little money for their downpayment. They have 4 kids: 6, 5, 5, and 1. That is added to our family of 5 (and a 1/2). Should be quite an adventure! Hopefully our relationship after this is as good or better than it is now! :) I look forward to the stories to come.