Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Pictures of the new house

So, the wait is over and we can get into the house and start tearing it up! My first remodel and I think it will be fun. (Famous last words, right?)
Here's a link to my web album, including a short video. BTW, I didn't edit it, I actually thought I was recording from the beginning.
Link
https://picasaweb.google.com/kshipley3/20110928?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMW-oe3glPWXSQ&feat=directlink


I just want to mention that it does have a spare room. :)

Friday, September 2, 2011

It's been a while. All I can remember between now and my last post in June is that Andy and Quinn got married! Since most of you were there, I don't need to tell you we enjoyed the heck out of that week.
In some ways I've used this blog as a way to keep you all up to date on Jack's news, good and bad. I wanted to share each step of the journey personally with you. Now Jack is just Jack and he has a cold right now, like any other sibling of a pre-schooler! We continue to look for a diagnosis, but with a little perspective, I hope, I try. One tidbit is that we are weaning the ketogenic diet. Now we are on a slightly less severe ratio, still formula, and the acid reflux is 100% better. So I know he's gotta be happy about that. I sure am. It was out of control (and gross and so stinky). We are waiting to get an EEG before we go any lower, just to make sure the Infantile Spasms doesn't come back. The diet was our miracle cure, but I'll be so excited when he can sink his new molars into a teething biscuit! Oh yeah, by the way, he's getting those back teeth in and not enjoying it. I expect he'll be off the diet completely in a month.
In other news, we are buying a house! We've been in a nice rental in our neighborhood since we sold the house. I may have mentioned that we decided against building a house. I didn't love the lot we were going to build on. It would have been noisy and not likely to appreciate to the cost of building, so theoretically starting out underwater didn't seem like a brilliant plan. We really really want to live here in Civano. It's so unique, we just can't see living anywhere else. So we were waiting for the perfect house to come up. I wrote a friendly note to four of the best houses in Civano asking if they might consider selling to us. This was Mom's idea, by the way. The very next day, the owner of the best of the four, calls me and want's me to see her place. Three days later, I do, and she already has a "hold" on a house she wants to buy! That's Friday. Tuesday, Nick sees it for the first time, signs the purchase agreement, and we have the inspector through. Crazy fast. Now we are just waiting on the loan to process. Closing is set for September 22. All because of a little initiative! While we wait I am getting really excited about the remodeling. The house has a lot going for it already. What we're budgeting for right away includes paint, floors, trim and the smaller bathroom. Our bathroom needs work too, but it will take some pondering. There's a lot we want to do over time; little things like nicer doors and ceiling fans, etc. The yard is a huge blank canvas. And that's one thing that makes this house so special is the large lot size. Also it has a three car garage and a long driveway; Nick is very excited about that! So, modest house - great outside! Our lease is up Dec 31, so we'll move in right before Christmas, probably as soon as I get back from Monroe. Throw that in there too - The kids and I are driving to Monroe Nov 7 and coming home Dec 7. Nick will fly out for Thanksgiving weekend. Extra long because we are taking the drive over three days, and Nick will go camping with friends one of his weekends alone, and he will get a lot more done on the house with us gone!
I need to go to bed, but I promise pictures will be posted as soon as we can get in the house!