Friday, May 15, 2015

Update (again)

 Well, Simeon's stents lasted 3 days.  He rubbed them out. 
The doctor said if he rubs them out, there'd be no way to get them back in.
(without surgery)
Surgery=total waste.
(We still have to pay over 1500 bucks though)
I guess he's meant to have watery eyes until he's old enough to know not to rub.
 In other news, we listed our home this past Monday
We had 2 showings the other night and have an open house tomorrow morning.
We are praying a St Joseph novena
(our last 2 homes sold on the 9th day of the novenas)
 It's been cool and rainy here in MN.
 
 I'm going to give you a tour of our home!
I love it.
We need to move because the SUN is what is best for our family.
If you do not know already, we are moving to Arizona as soon as our home sells.
Gilbert to be exact.
God told me, that's why Gilbert
(that's another blog post though)
 OH, how I love my porch
I love everything about this home.
Except, I guess, that it's in Minnesota.
(newly stained porch)
 I got all my planting done.
In another month, this will be blooming like crazy!


 Our entry way...remember I used to have a diaper changing dresser here?
 
By packing most of our things,
and decluttering a ton
(8 van loads donated, including maternity clothes for every season,
10 or 12 bins of baby and girl clothes given away to a friend, plus many baby items,
 baby boy clothes given to a pregnant teen)
 
It doesn't look like 8 people live here!



 At least 1/2 of our toys are packed away.
See our new carpet?
New paint?


 
 School room major downsized to look more like a place to...color???
Best we could do to give the impression of a formal dining room and yet still live here.
 
 Kitchen all new Stainless Steel appliances, new countertops, new window
new lights, new hardware, some new cupboard doors and drawers, 
cupboard doors newly re-finished
and new paint!
 AND nothing on the counters.
Now that one is hard with 8 people living here!

 Basement bedroom
See the fuse box in the upper corner?
 Our handy Mr 12 lives at the Lake plus 1, Dan made this for us to cover it with!
He did everything! 
Totally remodeled basement
New paint, carpet, and new bathroom!


Our awesome storage room.
This is yet another thing I love about this home!

 Oh, and the upstairs book area!!
 Best view in the house....window seat!!
(which is too freezing cold to sit at in the winter)
But it sure is nice the rest of the year!
 Now both our mom's gasped when they walked into our Master bedroom!!
Extra mattress gone
Baby bed gone...extra shelves and blankets and bins...gone!
 
 
 New bedding, carpet...windows...hoping it gets a gasp from the potential buyers!
Master bath!
Shower re-caulked, lights spray painted to look new, new hardware and new window!
I've taken many baths with my littles in that big tub!

 Kid bathroom
We actually have 3 1/2 bathrooms, but I'm only showing you 2.
 Boys room
 Girls room
 Our backyard, view from the top of the hill behind our home.

Awesome play set, also fixed up by Dan
The kids spend a TON of time out here.
I'm so sad just typing this....
 Getting ready for the open house tomorrow morning
I have fresh lilacs, cut from our backyard, on the table...
 fresh flowers in the window....
we'll bake brownies right before it starts to give it that
"homey-I-want-to-live-here-and-bake-here" feeling
 I put together a book of the yard and home in different seasons...
Spring flowering trees have already bloomed and are done til next year....lilacs will be done this week, Hydrangeas won't bloom til August, fall colors...things like that.
 
 And the beautiful sunset that can be seen from the upstairs window.
I'm hoping to get back into blogging and reading my favorite blogs again.
Life has been so busy, I'm looking forward to just slowing down.
 
Here's a picture of pure love and joy to end this boring post!
Happy weekend everyone! 
 
 
 



24 comments:

  1. Such a pretty house! It's so funny how everyone is so different! My BIL, as well as some aunts and uncles, live in AZ and it's not somewhere I could live, I love MN! But that's what makes everyone so different, such different preferences! I love your area for books, I wish I had something like that!

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    1. I love MN in the spring and summer! I used to love it in the fall, but now it seems to be too close to winter, which I don't care for!

      I love our book area too...I'm really going to miss it!

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  2. I love MN and I love the seasons. For that reason, I can't imagine living anywhere with the same weather all year long. However, I hate the winters here! I am very done with winter in MN. I can see me and Dennis moving out to somewhere with an ocean view when we retire. (After we win the lottery, of course!) So exciting and sad to move but I'm excited for you guys! Excited to hear about your new house too; I hear that they do pretty much all stone out there to keep cool! Like Allison said, so many differences, but that's what keeps it all interesting! I'm not big on identical things, I like different! :-)

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    1. I don't think Arizona has the same weather all year long, do they? I think in the summer it's really really hot...and in the winter/spring it's perfect 70 weather.

      Tom doesn't like the beach....but I'd LOVE to retire to the beach!
      What's identical? The houses? I'm hoping to find something a little "different" We'll see...like I said, I'm kind of sad. I'd probably be less sad if it were almost winter! :)

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  3. I hope your house sells quickly so you can move on to this new phase of life. I don't much like winter, but I think it's more the lack of sun than the cold most days. Though, I think I could be a snowbird and go between the north and south. :)

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    1. Thank you Nicole! I feel the same way about winter. And the sun.

      I think it's the cold for me, because we didn't have a ton of sun down in Texas this past winter, but the warmer temps made it bearable. Lately, here we've had a ton of cloudy rainy days with a little sun once in a while...totally doable!

      I am always cold though, so I love warm....

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  4. Selling a home can be so stressful. Waiting and waiting for just the right family to walk through. We played this game for 5 years and are now (finally!) semi-settled in our (hopefully) forever home right here in MN. We're a day's drive from both our parents - that is nice. I love the seasons, although the winter can get dreary, cold and long.

    Keep us posted - hoping it goes quickly! :-)

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    1. I can't believe you waited that long!! I thought this was going to be our forever home...God has other plans. It will be hard to have the "forever home" feeling with another home, that's for sure! I think there are seasons wherever you go, just maybe not as drastic?/!!! Although, I think it's drastic the other way, the over 100 degrees part for months!

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  5. Everything looks so beautiful! You've done well. I hope that the right buyer comes along to love your house as much as you do.
    So, do you have another house already picked out in AZ? And, I can't wait to hear the story on how you knew God was directing you to a specific city. :)

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    1. Thanks Sarah!

      We have a "favorite" picked out, but you know, it could sell anytime...so trying to remember that God knows already where we'll be and He'll lead us! I actually have 14 homes marked as potentials!

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  6. I did that same thing when we sold our previous two homes, and I love looking back on photos of my house perfectly clean and ready to show. It IS hard to keep it in that shape with kids. I used to sweep myself right out the door. One time the realtor came early and caught me mopping the front hall! And then there were many who didn't show at all. It's a tough transition. I hope it goes quickly for you.

    I'm sorry Simeon's stents didn't stay in. I have to admit -- I don't think I'd be too happy with them in my eyes either.

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  7. I do like to walk through, once it's cleaned (and the kids are in the van) and just look. I imagine that's what it will look like when the kids are gone, empty and kind of lonely....BUT CLEAN! :)

    I will be drenched in sweat getting ready up to the time we need to leave! It's so hard not knowing what people are thinking after they've seen it too!

    No, those stents could not have been very comfortable. I don't know how they expected a 3 year old to leave those in!!

    Thanks Barbara, love you!

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  8. I've been wondering where you've been, Jamie...
    And now I know!!!!!
    The place looks amazing!!!!
    I've been praying for you since I opened my eyes this morning.
    Prayers for a quick sell to a family that will love this home as much as you did!
    And prayers that you may all be on your way to a new life and new memories made.
    I have a dear blog friend that lives in Arizona...Deb from A Day In The Life...
    She loves it there and everything looks so lovely around her home.
    Love you!!!!'m

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    1. I know your dear friend! I read her blog too! She is so very sweet! I hope to meet her when we move!

      Thank you so very much for your prayers!!
      Love and miss you Billie Jo!
      I'll try to stop and catch up with you very soon!!

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  9. Wow - your home looks so great! I'm sure it will sell quickly. Good luck with your move. Will look forward to seeing you out in AZ in a few months!

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    1. We are hoping it sells quickly! I, of course think our home is perfect...but it takes the right family.

      Looking so forward to meeting you Deb!

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  10. Oh my gosh, Jamie Jo!!! THIS is why we haven't heard from you for a bit. I don't know how on earth you have juggled it all without losing your mind! Seriously. Between hospital visits, schooling, and prepping your home??? This how WILL sell! It is beautiful. Just beautiful!

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    1. I don't know either! Ha! Actually, Mother's day (we listed the next day) I felt like a crappy mother, because the past 2 months, all I"ve done is clean clean clean....I haven't done anything fun with the kiddos at all.

      I think the home is beautiful. But it takes the right family to come along and love it like we do! :)

      Thanks so much Patty!

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  11. WOW..so much work!! The carpet looks great and everything else! Praying for you guys. Hope it sells fast. Cannot imagine keeping a house clean for showings. Glad to have you back blogging. Missed you! Sad about Sims. Must of really really bugged him to have those in.

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    1. I'm finding that because the house is so clean, cleaning for each showing is not that hard. We used to wait and clean weekly, not every other day! Ha!

      Thanks for your prayers Christine!

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  12. Anthony was looking over my shoulder as I read through this post and he asked, "What's that?" I told him that it was pictures of your house--"The lady that gave you Goldfish crackers, remember?" and his face lit up. "Oh, I remember HER!"

    "They're moving..." I said, and his face fell.

    "I knew you were going to say that."

    That's kind of how *I* feel about losing you! Excited for you and yet, sad too. Your house looks great, Jamie!! I can't even IMAGINE all the hard work you guys put in.

    Love you. I'm at the same no-time-for-computers place as you these days and yet, how I miss my online friends. ♥

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    1. Oh, yes, that's how I'm feeling, missing my online friends. My online blogging friends! Yet, I'm thinking how did I have time before?

      Oh, Anthony is so sweet!! Doesn't take much to make him happy! (Goldfish in a cup) Just the thought of him makes me smile! Give him a hug from me OK?

      I'm feeling excited and sad too. A little more sad and maybe a little nervous about such a big step. I really thought this was going to be our forever home.

      Love you Mags!!

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  13. WE LIVE IN GILBERT!!!! It's really nice here, but lots of farms, so it smells all the time.

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    1. WHAT??? When did you move??? And CONGRATULATIONS!!! On that sweet baby girl you have!! Oh, my goodness, I have not heard from you in SO long...I would love to meet you if we ever get out there...house has not sold yet!

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