Outside Temp: 51 F (very windy today, but beautiful! Apparently, a storm is on it's way in...)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Fries and Onion Rings: I ended up going with burgers. I'm tired and I didn't want to cook. Oh well.
Update:
Busy day!
I headed off to the school early to talk with our superintendent, and ended up staying the day to substitute for another teacher. I really wished that I slept better last night, as I was exhausted by the end of the day.
We have someone else coming by to look at our house tomorrow, which is sending me into a mild panic. I can't imagine that someone might actually buy this place, or that they could get a loan on it, or that they might have the cash and would actually buy it, but it's still nerve racking. Apparently, the people who looked at it the other day were interested, which doesn't mean they can buy it, but they would be interested.
Which puts us in an interesting position. This house, flawed as it may be, has grown on me. It fits the family (each of the kids has their own room) and I really, really don't want to move. Given that, I have no idea where we might move to, if we had to leave. There isn't exactly a bustling rental market in the area, and I'm not really interested in buying something.
So, I'm going to attempt to relax, and see how things go. We knew going into this, that the house was for sale, and that the owner wanted to sell it. We were just glad the owner let us rent it. And, we probably should have been making contingency plans all along. But, we got complacent and comfortable. Perhaps, if these people decide not to buy it, we will have time to make other plans now, before it's an emergency.
Showing posts with label House Update. Show all posts
Showing posts with label House Update. Show all posts
Monday, November 5, 2012
Friday, November 2, 2012
November 2, 2012
Outside Temp: 34 F (beautiful day today! I actually opened the windows and let some fresh air in.. it was a little chilly, but crisp and clean.)
What I cooked today:
Frozen Pizza: I really, really didn't want to cook today, so I subjected the kids to frozen pizza. I think Katie ended up with a PB&J.
Update:
We got a call yesterday from the Realtor who is trying to sell our house, letting us know that she would be by today to show the house to someone. Which means that this morning, I was scrambling around the house, trying to clean up.
I had a pile of laundry in the TV room, sitting on the couch. That ended up piled up in a closet. I really hope they didn't open the closet doors.
I had it in my head that I could clean until 2pm, when I need to leave for my web design class. As I was in the car around 2:15, I realized that today is Friday. On Fridays, we have an early out at 2:30, which means that my class started at 1:45. I got to school at 2:30, to find that no one was there, class was over.
I have NEVER done that before! I feel so bad! It turned out that 2 of my 3 students weren't there anyway. The third had some trouble, for which I feel even worse. Hopefully, he can turn in his assignment on Monday.
After school (which was about 2 minutes after I got there), Katie and I headed into Stanford, where she finally opened her savings account with her $50 check she got for her writing contest in February... Yes, I have been holding on to this check for 9 months. But, now her account is all set up and she can put money in there at any time!
After Stanford, Katie and I headed into Hobson to watch Allen's basketball game. They played against Tri Cities, which is the only team they have lost against. And they won! It was a hard fought win, but a win! Allen only got to play the last 30 seconds, but he almost made a basket!
Patrick and I have been talking about me getting a teaching credential. As many of you know, I LOVE history. I love teaching. And, I love teaching history. That being said, I have a BA in Computer Science, not history. I'm not sure what the options are, or what to do next. But, I'm thinking about talking to our Superintendent to see if he has any thoughts. It may turn into nothing, but since it keeps coming up in conversation, perhaps it's time to do something about it.
What I cooked today:
Frozen Pizza: I really, really didn't want to cook today, so I subjected the kids to frozen pizza. I think Katie ended up with a PB&J.
Update:
We got a call yesterday from the Realtor who is trying to sell our house, letting us know that she would be by today to show the house to someone. Which means that this morning, I was scrambling around the house, trying to clean up.
I had a pile of laundry in the TV room, sitting on the couch. That ended up piled up in a closet. I really hope they didn't open the closet doors.
I had it in my head that I could clean until 2pm, when I need to leave for my web design class. As I was in the car around 2:15, I realized that today is Friday. On Fridays, we have an early out at 2:30, which means that my class started at 1:45. I got to school at 2:30, to find that no one was there, class was over.
I have NEVER done that before! I feel so bad! It turned out that 2 of my 3 students weren't there anyway. The third had some trouble, for which I feel even worse. Hopefully, he can turn in his assignment on Monday.
After school (which was about 2 minutes after I got there), Katie and I headed into Stanford, where she finally opened her savings account with her $50 check she got for her writing contest in February... Yes, I have been holding on to this check for 9 months. But, now her account is all set up and she can put money in there at any time!
After Stanford, Katie and I headed into Hobson to watch Allen's basketball game. They played against Tri Cities, which is the only team they have lost against. And they won! It was a hard fought win, but a win! Allen only got to play the last 30 seconds, but he almost made a basket!
Patrick and I have been talking about me getting a teaching credential. As many of you know, I LOVE history. I love teaching. And, I love teaching history. That being said, I have a BA in Computer Science, not history. I'm not sure what the options are, or what to do next. But, I'm thinking about talking to our Superintendent to see if he has any thoughts. It may turn into nothing, but since it keeps coming up in conversation, perhaps it's time to do something about it.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
March 8, 2012
Outside Temp: 43 F (it was a little cloudy today, which makes seeing the 'northern lights' a little difficult)
What I cooked today:
Chili and Cornbread: Even though it was warm today, I was in the mood for something warm for dinner... Chili hit the spot!
Update:
So, I forgot to mention that on our ski trip yesterday, Patrick managed to fall. No, I'm not sure you can call it just 'falling'. He really fell. Badly. He probably bruised his rib, if he managed not to crack it. And while I have never bruised or cracked a rib, I've heard it's quite painful. Needless to say, he's been a little uncomfortable all day. Big baby. It's better tonight than it was last night, so I figure it's just a lot of heat and rest and aspirin.
Allen was a little sick today. I'm not sure if it was over-exertion from skiing too hard yesterday, or if he was just coming down with a flu, but he spent most of the day in bed. When he did get up and try to play with Ryan, it only lasted a few minutes before he had to sit back down and rest. Hopefully, he'll feel better tomorrow.
When I went into school with Ryan, I was approached by our Superintendent, who asked me to get fingerprinted and TB tested, so I could help out with substitute teaching! I am so excited! And, while I don't have an education degree or anything that formal, I did home school my own kids for 5 years, so I guess that's a little bit of experience. And I love that I can do something to help out the school. (and there's that other little thing about getting paid for working, which I haven't done in years!)
I also talked with someone at the school about teaching an Adult Education class on Microsoft Office, especially Access and Excel. I think they are great tools and since everyone around here does 2-3 different jobs, I'm sure there are cases in which a database or spreadsheet might make their lives a little easier!
Patrick and I are discussing our housing situation and we've decided to look into actually purchasing the place we are renting. I can hear the groans from my mother from here. But I think we know what works and what doesn't in this place. And it is a roof over our heads. And the price is really good. Now, we just need to figure out how to make the financing part of it work. Most importantly, I think we really feel good being here, and I think we're ready to make that a little more permanent.
What I cooked today:
Chili and Cornbread: Even though it was warm today, I was in the mood for something warm for dinner... Chili hit the spot!
Update:
So, I forgot to mention that on our ski trip yesterday, Patrick managed to fall. No, I'm not sure you can call it just 'falling'. He really fell. Badly. He probably bruised his rib, if he managed not to crack it. And while I have never bruised or cracked a rib, I've heard it's quite painful. Needless to say, he's been a little uncomfortable all day. Big baby. It's better tonight than it was last night, so I figure it's just a lot of heat and rest and aspirin.
Allen was a little sick today. I'm not sure if it was over-exertion from skiing too hard yesterday, or if he was just coming down with a flu, but he spent most of the day in bed. When he did get up and try to play with Ryan, it only lasted a few minutes before he had to sit back down and rest. Hopefully, he'll feel better tomorrow.
When I went into school with Ryan, I was approached by our Superintendent, who asked me to get fingerprinted and TB tested, so I could help out with substitute teaching! I am so excited! And, while I don't have an education degree or anything that formal, I did home school my own kids for 5 years, so I guess that's a little bit of experience. And I love that I can do something to help out the school. (and there's that other little thing about getting paid for working, which I haven't done in years!)
I also talked with someone at the school about teaching an Adult Education class on Microsoft Office, especially Access and Excel. I think they are great tools and since everyone around here does 2-3 different jobs, I'm sure there are cases in which a database or spreadsheet might make their lives a little easier!
Patrick and I are discussing our housing situation and we've decided to look into actually purchasing the place we are renting. I can hear the groans from my mother from here. But I think we know what works and what doesn't in this place. And it is a roof over our heads. And the price is really good. Now, we just need to figure out how to make the financing part of it work. Most importantly, I think we really feel good being here, and I think we're ready to make that a little more permanent.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
February 7, 2012
Outside Temp: 13 F (A little more snow today, not much... So pretty!)
What I cooked today:
Chili and Cornbread: Of course, I only had one little can of kidney beans, so we had mostly ground beef and tomatoes, with a few kidney beans. Oh well, it still got all eaten up. And we have some leftover cornbread to munch on tomorrow!
Update:
So, we have officially been accepted into the community. Apparently, there is a rumor around town about us. I had to laugh at the comment: "Everybody is talking about it." Must be a slow day around here. Oh well, I guess this is what you get in small towns. The good part is that I'm sure there will be another rumor next week about someone else.
We are still looking for a new place to live. We found a place we were pretty happy with, but it was a little small (3 bedrooms, so all 3 boys would have to bunk together). Then we found out today that we might be able to rent a place with 5 bedrooms, but it won't be available for a few months. Now, we have to decide what to do.
We talked with our current landlord today, and he seems pretty happy to have us stay a while longer (at least through the winter, as we're paying the heating bills), assuming no one wants to buy the place. We're asking some questions, trying to determine if the larger place will work for us, while still keeping the smaller place in our minds. I'm trying to be positive that everything will work out for us eventually.
What I cooked today:
Chili and Cornbread: Of course, I only had one little can of kidney beans, so we had mostly ground beef and tomatoes, with a few kidney beans. Oh well, it still got all eaten up. And we have some leftover cornbread to munch on tomorrow!
Update:
So, we have officially been accepted into the community. Apparently, there is a rumor around town about us. I had to laugh at the comment: "Everybody is talking about it." Must be a slow day around here. Oh well, I guess this is what you get in small towns. The good part is that I'm sure there will be another rumor next week about someone else.
We are still looking for a new place to live. We found a place we were pretty happy with, but it was a little small (3 bedrooms, so all 3 boys would have to bunk together). Then we found out today that we might be able to rent a place with 5 bedrooms, but it won't be available for a few months. Now, we have to decide what to do.
We talked with our current landlord today, and he seems pretty happy to have us stay a while longer (at least through the winter, as we're paying the heating bills), assuming no one wants to buy the place. We're asking some questions, trying to determine if the larger place will work for us, while still keeping the smaller place in our minds. I'm trying to be positive that everything will work out for us eventually.
Friday, February 3, 2012
February 3, 2012
Outside Temp: 19 F (a little chilly outside, but it's been nice and warm all day, in the 40s.)
What I cooked today:
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup: A total classic. Is there anything better? Of course, at least one child had only the soup and one child had only the sandwich, but Patrick and I ate enough to make up for it! Yummmy.
Chicken Soup with Stars: I think my husband was the biggest kid at the table. "ooooo, stars! They're soo cool!". He was so excited about the silly stars. Of course, he really liked the soup and only added a few pinches of salt. He is always, always adding salt to food. I've come to realize I can never salt it enough, so I just salt it enough for me, and let him add all the salt he wants.
More Chicken Stock: I was almost depressed when I saw that whole fryer chickens were on sale for $0.88 / lb at Albertsons this week. But I picked up two chickens anyway, and waited until today to make my stock. I'm getting better at it. I'm really getting better at cutting up the silly chicken. Legs and Thighs come off in one nice slice, and they go right into a FoodSaver bag and into the freezer for BBQ chicken, someday. Then I slice off the wings and throw them in the pot (that is already simmering with onions, celery and carrots, and about 8 cups of water). Then I carefully slice off the breasts. This is the kind of tricky part, since I like to have them cut off perfectly. I'm getting pretty good. Then, of course, the rest of the carcass goes into the pot. Add some salt and pepper and the lid and just babysit all day, adding extra water as necessary. I pulled out about 4-5 cups of stock to make my soup, and just added extra water back into the pot. Since I had another 2-3 hours before I started pressure canning the stock, I knew the water would absorb all that nice flavor.
I also realized that I only have to pressure can the stock for about 25 minutes, not the 90 minutes I did last time. Which is good, since I have 2 batches to can. The first batch is already done, just de-pressurizing.
Update:
Thank goodness, today was a better day than yesterday.
We were able to finish off some our apologies today (one will have to wait until tomorrow), which prompted my child to say:
"You know, mom, saying sorry does actually make you feel better."
Then came the day of forced manual labor. My child had to scrub some really nasty windows, inside and out. Then clean the bedroom. Then Ryan's room, vacuuming both. Then the laundry. Then the dishes. Then the floor. Then homework could finally be started. After dinner consisted of cleaning the family room, which is kind of a mess (all Ryan's fault, I'm sure).
No computer, no TV. Not even watching siblings play.
Oh boy, did the day suck for my child. But I hope that lessons were learned. We may continue his forced labor through the weekend, I haven't decided yet.
We also got a call from a Realtor in Great Falls, saying they wanted to show the house to someone on Sunday. Now, we're not total slobs, but we have a lot of stuff that really has no place. Since we knew our stay here was not permanent, a lot of things are still in boxes and such.
So, today and tomorrow have had us going around the house, closing up boxes and putting them in the garage. We really want the place to look nice for whomever is coming by. We have been here since September, and this is the first time someone wanted to see the house. I know the owner really, really wants to sell it, but with all the issues, I can imagine it's going to be pretty hard to sell the place. If we can make the place look nice, maybe the person coming by will buy it. And since we're looking for somewhere else to live anyway, there's no hard feelings.
So, in a "making the best of a bad situation", I'm getting a little extra help cleaning up the house, and my child is getting the chance to make justified reparations. Talk about killing 2 birds with one stone... which is pretty hard to do, I can imagine. Not that I've ever tried to kill a bird with a stone... Or tried to kill a bird, period. Hmmm, I'll have to try that sometime, just to see if it's really that hard!
What I cooked today:
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup: A total classic. Is there anything better? Of course, at least one child had only the soup and one child had only the sandwich, but Patrick and I ate enough to make up for it! Yummmy.
Chicken Soup with Stars: I think my husband was the biggest kid at the table. "ooooo, stars! They're soo cool!". He was so excited about the silly stars. Of course, he really liked the soup and only added a few pinches of salt. He is always, always adding salt to food. I've come to realize I can never salt it enough, so I just salt it enough for me, and let him add all the salt he wants.
More Chicken Stock: I was almost depressed when I saw that whole fryer chickens were on sale for $0.88 / lb at Albertsons this week. But I picked up two chickens anyway, and waited until today to make my stock. I'm getting better at it. I'm really getting better at cutting up the silly chicken. Legs and Thighs come off in one nice slice, and they go right into a FoodSaver bag and into the freezer for BBQ chicken, someday. Then I slice off the wings and throw them in the pot (that is already simmering with onions, celery and carrots, and about 8 cups of water). Then I carefully slice off the breasts. This is the kind of tricky part, since I like to have them cut off perfectly. I'm getting pretty good. Then, of course, the rest of the carcass goes into the pot. Add some salt and pepper and the lid and just babysit all day, adding extra water as necessary. I pulled out about 4-5 cups of stock to make my soup, and just added extra water back into the pot. Since I had another 2-3 hours before I started pressure canning the stock, I knew the water would absorb all that nice flavor.
I also realized that I only have to pressure can the stock for about 25 minutes, not the 90 minutes I did last time. Which is good, since I have 2 batches to can. The first batch is already done, just de-pressurizing.
Update:
Thank goodness, today was a better day than yesterday.
We were able to finish off some our apologies today (one will have to wait until tomorrow), which prompted my child to say:
"You know, mom, saying sorry does actually make you feel better."
Then came the day of forced manual labor. My child had to scrub some really nasty windows, inside and out. Then clean the bedroom. Then Ryan's room, vacuuming both. Then the laundry. Then the dishes. Then the floor. Then homework could finally be started. After dinner consisted of cleaning the family room, which is kind of a mess (all Ryan's fault, I'm sure).
No computer, no TV. Not even watching siblings play.
Oh boy, did the day suck for my child. But I hope that lessons were learned. We may continue his forced labor through the weekend, I haven't decided yet.
We also got a call from a Realtor in Great Falls, saying they wanted to show the house to someone on Sunday. Now, we're not total slobs, but we have a lot of stuff that really has no place. Since we knew our stay here was not permanent, a lot of things are still in boxes and such.
So, today and tomorrow have had us going around the house, closing up boxes and putting them in the garage. We really want the place to look nice for whomever is coming by. We have been here since September, and this is the first time someone wanted to see the house. I know the owner really, really wants to sell it, but with all the issues, I can imagine it's going to be pretty hard to sell the place. If we can make the place look nice, maybe the person coming by will buy it. And since we're looking for somewhere else to live anyway, there's no hard feelings.
So, in a "making the best of a bad situation", I'm getting a little extra help cleaning up the house, and my child is getting the chance to make justified reparations. Talk about killing 2 birds with one stone... which is pretty hard to do, I can imagine. Not that I've ever tried to kill a bird with a stone... Or tried to kill a bird, period. Hmmm, I'll have to try that sometime, just to see if it's really that hard!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
February 1, 2012
Outside Temp: 41 F (it was supposed to snow tonight... I don't really see that happening unless it drops another 10 degrees, and starts raining... maybe tomorrow... )
What I cooked today:
Orange Chicken: Katie had to do the dishes tonight, so I thought if I made something she liked, she might not complain as much. Although she was not happy, she did the dishes without complaint. Woo Hoo!
Update:
We saw a house that we might be renting today. Although it needs some work, mostly just a little love and a little elbow grease, we have a few things we need to check on first. Most important would be if the location can get DSL. I'm not sure Patrick could survive with dial up. :)
Allen got to go to a Health Care Career Day in Great Falls today. He really enjoyed himself (I think because he got to miss half of the school day)! Of course, he's only 13 and in 7th grade, so he has a while before he really has to think about long term careers. But it was great to get him thinking about stuff like this early. He kept asking if I thought it would be a good idea for him to be a surgeon. I laughed. Uhhh, sure. Why not?
Most important, I finally got my garbage dumped! Patrick and his dad took the garbage to the dump this afternoon, which was so totally awesome. Who knew, a little thing like removal of garbage could feel so awesome.
I'm also working on a new project. I haven't programmed in a while (I was kind of busy with homeschooling and stuff like that), but I find myself with some free time lately. So, I decided to work on a web site application that can keep track of my recipes and my meal planning. If I do it right, I can select recipes, drag and drop them on the calendar, then print out both the meal plan and the shopping list. Since I have to plan my meals in advance, since I can't run to the store to pick up green onions or sugar anymore, it would make things easier if I had a program to help me keep track of it.
I sometimes forget how much I LOVE to write computer programs. Patrick and I first met in a computer lab (yes, I know, totally geeky), and our first couple of weeks consisted of him helping me through my first computer classes. That feeling I get when I make something work, is just awesome. I know, most people might think it's lame, but that's me.
I'll update when the program gets a little further along. If it's something that something thinks they can use, I can design it to have multiple users. And if it's just me, that's okay too!
What I cooked today:
Orange Chicken: Katie had to do the dishes tonight, so I thought if I made something she liked, she might not complain as much. Although she was not happy, she did the dishes without complaint. Woo Hoo!
Update:
We saw a house that we might be renting today. Although it needs some work, mostly just a little love and a little elbow grease, we have a few things we need to check on first. Most important would be if the location can get DSL. I'm not sure Patrick could survive with dial up. :)
Allen got to go to a Health Care Career Day in Great Falls today. He really enjoyed himself (I think because he got to miss half of the school day)! Of course, he's only 13 and in 7th grade, so he has a while before he really has to think about long term careers. But it was great to get him thinking about stuff like this early. He kept asking if I thought it would be a good idea for him to be a surgeon. I laughed. Uhhh, sure. Why not?
Most important, I finally got my garbage dumped! Patrick and his dad took the garbage to the dump this afternoon, which was so totally awesome. Who knew, a little thing like removal of garbage could feel so awesome.
I'm also working on a new project. I haven't programmed in a while (I was kind of busy with homeschooling and stuff like that), but I find myself with some free time lately. So, I decided to work on a web site application that can keep track of my recipes and my meal planning. If I do it right, I can select recipes, drag and drop them on the calendar, then print out both the meal plan and the shopping list. Since I have to plan my meals in advance, since I can't run to the store to pick up green onions or sugar anymore, it would make things easier if I had a program to help me keep track of it.
I sometimes forget how much I LOVE to write computer programs. Patrick and I first met in a computer lab (yes, I know, totally geeky), and our first couple of weeks consisted of him helping me through my first computer classes. That feeling I get when I make something work, is just awesome. I know, most people might think it's lame, but that's me.
I'll update when the program gets a little further along. If it's something that something thinks they can use, I can design it to have multiple users. And if it's just me, that's okay too!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
January 14, 2012
Outside Temp: 37 F (and dropping... it's supposed to be in the 20's tonight and into the single digits by tomorrow night... we'll see... )
What I cooked today:
Pancakes: I'm getting pretty good and making these... It's Alton Brown's recipe, and you make your own 'pancake mix', similar to Bisquick. Then you add the butter, buttermilk and eggs to the mix when you're ready to use it. It's really thick, but makes really great pancakes. And I think it's cheaper than Bisquick, since it's just flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
Walnut Chicken: We got home late from town, but everyone still wanted to eat. Spoiled children. Fortunately, I had left the chicken out to defrost, so it was pretty easy. I even made up Fried Rice to go with it. We finally had dinner on the table around 10pm!
Update:
We went to church and then Patrick and I ran into town. But first, we went for a little drive up to the house that might be for sale. On the way, I saw a new friend, pictured below. He was kind enough to pose for me! I've been wanting to get this picture for a few months, ever since I saw him the first time. Okay, so it's probably not the same guy, but he's a close relative!
What I cooked today:
Pancakes: I'm getting pretty good and making these... It's Alton Brown's recipe, and you make your own 'pancake mix', similar to Bisquick. Then you add the butter, buttermilk and eggs to the mix when you're ready to use it. It's really thick, but makes really great pancakes. And I think it's cheaper than Bisquick, since it's just flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
Walnut Chicken: We got home late from town, but everyone still wanted to eat. Spoiled children. Fortunately, I had left the chicken out to defrost, so it was pretty easy. I even made up Fried Rice to go with it. We finally had dinner on the table around 10pm!
Update:
We went to church and then Patrick and I ran into town. But first, we went for a little drive up to the house that might be for sale. On the way, I saw a new friend, pictured below. He was kind enough to pose for me! I've been wanting to get this picture for a few months, ever since I saw him the first time. Okay, so it's probably not the same guy, but he's a close relative!
 |  |
 |
| The view from the road up to a house we are looking at. Just beautiful. |
 |
| The Missouri River... iced over... I took this from the passenger side, while we were driving... I'll get a better picture next time. |
Thursday, January 12, 2012
January 12, 2012
Outside Temp: 39 F (ugh, it's summer again... goodbye snow...)
What I cooked today:
Nothing... Dinner at the parents.
Update:
Allen WON the National Geographic Geography Bee today! Now the real test begins! He has to take a 70 question test next week, along with every other school winner in the state. The top 100 students compete in Billings in March. So, now we get to really start studying!
We went into Stanford today to talk to our lawyer about our business. We are officially a Montana business, complete with our new business bank account. Our California business is dissolved and now we just have to close out our old business checking account.
We went up to the parent's place for dinner to celebrate Grandpa's birthday. Grandma made awesome pork chops and we even got to have carrot cake for dessert! Afterwards, we played Clue with Katie, and it was so hard to play with 5 people. I think that everyone got confused at one point or another. Patrick won, but it was really close.
We talked with a lady in the school today about her house, that will be coming up for sale in a few weeks. It sounds almost too perfect, so I'm trying to stay grounded. They have a previous agreement with a company that has first right of refusal when they sell, and if they refuse, we might be interested. We're trying to just be patient and let things happen. We put the word out that we were looking for a place and she heard and wanted to let us know about her place. There are times that gossip is a good thing!
What I cooked today:
Nothing... Dinner at the parents.
Update:
Happy Birthday to Patrick's Dad!
Allen WON the National Geographic Geography Bee today! Now the real test begins! He has to take a 70 question test next week, along with every other school winner in the state. The top 100 students compete in Billings in March. So, now we get to really start studying!
We went into Stanford today to talk to our lawyer about our business. We are officially a Montana business, complete with our new business bank account. Our California business is dissolved and now we just have to close out our old business checking account.
We went up to the parent's place for dinner to celebrate Grandpa's birthday. Grandma made awesome pork chops and we even got to have carrot cake for dessert! Afterwards, we played Clue with Katie, and it was so hard to play with 5 people. I think that everyone got confused at one point or another. Patrick won, but it was really close.
We talked with a lady in the school today about her house, that will be coming up for sale in a few weeks. It sounds almost too perfect, so I'm trying to stay grounded. They have a previous agreement with a company that has first right of refusal when they sell, and if they refuse, we might be interested. We're trying to just be patient and let things happen. We put the word out that we were looking for a place and she heard and wanted to let us know about her place. There are times that gossip is a good thing!
Monday, January 9, 2012
January 9, 2012
Outside Temp: 48 F (it's not cold enough for snow, although the weatherman has promised me snow tomorrow... we'll have to see...)
What I cooked today:
Burgers: I know, old standby. We had a church study group tonight, so I wanted something quick on the table. And I was too tired to actually make an effort.
Update:
We were invited over to a neighbor's house for the church study group tonight. We watched a great movie, the first of 10 parts, and stopped every 10-15 minutes to discuss. Sometimes I think the best part of study groups like this is the discussions between the participants. You get to throw out your ideas and other people respond. Everyone is coming from a different place, and you all have different experiences. So, it's really nice to have a great group of people who are willing to share with you.
So, on the house front, we talked to someone today about the house we were looking at. It is intact and would be a great place to rent, if only it had a septic system. Apparently, when the current owner's mother in law lived there, in the early 90's, they drained their septic directly into the creek. Ewwwww! We're going to talk to her tomorrow to see if she has any plans to put a septic in. After all, Patrick is at home all day playing video games (okay, not really), so he has the time to help.
We also found out about a few other places. There's a house for sale in Geyser (where the kids go to school, about 15 minutes from Raynesford) on a great lot with a barn and a place for a garden. I don't know if the owner would be willing to rent, but it's an option. There's also a trailer, owned by the school, that the superintendent said we could use in a pinch. It also turns out that there are two other places here in Raynesford that are empty and might work. I got a phone number for one of them, and I'll check on the other tomorrow. By the end of the day today, I think almost everyone in Geyser and Raynesford knows that we're looking and if anything comes up, I'm sure we'll hear about it.
I have to say, everyone in this place is so darn nice. They have just accepted us as we are, and are so willing to help.
We have snow scheduled for tomorrow, so we'll have to see how that goes. Since it's almost 50 F right now, I'm not really expecting much. But, you never know around here... the weather can change on a dime.
What I cooked today:
Burgers: I know, old standby. We had a church study group tonight, so I wanted something quick on the table. And I was too tired to actually make an effort.
Update:
We were invited over to a neighbor's house for the church study group tonight. We watched a great movie, the first of 10 parts, and stopped every 10-15 minutes to discuss. Sometimes I think the best part of study groups like this is the discussions between the participants. You get to throw out your ideas and other people respond. Everyone is coming from a different place, and you all have different experiences. So, it's really nice to have a great group of people who are willing to share with you.
So, on the house front, we talked to someone today about the house we were looking at. It is intact and would be a great place to rent, if only it had a septic system. Apparently, when the current owner's mother in law lived there, in the early 90's, they drained their septic directly into the creek. Ewwwww! We're going to talk to her tomorrow to see if she has any plans to put a septic in. After all, Patrick is at home all day playing video games (okay, not really), so he has the time to help.
We also found out about a few other places. There's a house for sale in Geyser (where the kids go to school, about 15 minutes from Raynesford) on a great lot with a barn and a place for a garden. I don't know if the owner would be willing to rent, but it's an option. There's also a trailer, owned by the school, that the superintendent said we could use in a pinch. It also turns out that there are two other places here in Raynesford that are empty and might work. I got a phone number for one of them, and I'll check on the other tomorrow. By the end of the day today, I think almost everyone in Geyser and Raynesford knows that we're looking and if anything comes up, I'm sure we'll hear about it.
I have to say, everyone in this place is so darn nice. They have just accepted us as we are, and are so willing to help.
We have snow scheduled for tomorrow, so we'll have to see how that goes. Since it's almost 50 F right now, I'm not really expecting much. But, you never know around here... the weather can change on a dime.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
January 7, 2012
Outside Temp: 27 F (not too chilly, but worth having a jacket and maybe the knit gloves. )
What I cooked today:
Steak: We had 6 steaks still in the fridge, so we had 3 tonight and we'll probably have the other 3 early next week. The steak is still awesome and Patrick could cut it with his fork. I'm getting better at cooking the steaks in my sporadic oven and of the 3, the first came out perfect, and the second 2 I had to toss back in for a few extra minutes. All 3 ended up perfectly medium rare, although Connor wanted more blood.
Update:
Today we had church at 1pm and then I went into town for my weekly shopping. There were a few deals that made the trip feel awesome. Old Spice deodorant was on sale at Smiths for $0.99, and I had a coupon for $1.00 off 2. So, I picked up 4 for $1.98, which is good since I have so many boys in my house.
I'm still feeling a little nervous about the whole house situation. Patrick and I are trying to lean towards the 'God is teaching us humility' stance. We'll talk with someone early next week about a house in town. It's old and hasn't been lived in for years, but it might be an adventure. And even though the owner of this place may not be asking us to leave, since the situation is up in the air and he could kick us out at any time, we would feel more comfortable with some place different... A little more permanent.
Tomorrow, we should be heading back up the mountain for a few more hours of skiing. I love that it's so easy to head up there. Patrick's kind of whining about his foot hurting (he busted his toe a few weeks ago, and it's still bugging him, especially in ski boots), so we may both be staying down with Ryan, while Allen, Connor, Katie and Grandpa head up the mountain. That might mean I can get some good pictures of Ryan.
What I cooked today:
Steak: We had 6 steaks still in the fridge, so we had 3 tonight and we'll probably have the other 3 early next week. The steak is still awesome and Patrick could cut it with his fork. I'm getting better at cooking the steaks in my sporadic oven and of the 3, the first came out perfect, and the second 2 I had to toss back in for a few extra minutes. All 3 ended up perfectly medium rare, although Connor wanted more blood.
Update:
Today we had church at 1pm and then I went into town for my weekly shopping. There were a few deals that made the trip feel awesome. Old Spice deodorant was on sale at Smiths for $0.99, and I had a coupon for $1.00 off 2. So, I picked up 4 for $1.98, which is good since I have so many boys in my house.
I'm still feeling a little nervous about the whole house situation. Patrick and I are trying to lean towards the 'God is teaching us humility' stance. We'll talk with someone early next week about a house in town. It's old and hasn't been lived in for years, but it might be an adventure. And even though the owner of this place may not be asking us to leave, since the situation is up in the air and he could kick us out at any time, we would feel more comfortable with some place different... A little more permanent.
Tomorrow, we should be heading back up the mountain for a few more hours of skiing. I love that it's so easy to head up there. Patrick's kind of whining about his foot hurting (he busted his toe a few weeks ago, and it's still bugging him, especially in ski boots), so we may both be staying down with Ryan, while Allen, Connor, Katie and Grandpa head up the mountain. That might mean I can get some good pictures of Ryan.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
January 5, 2012
Outside Temp: 33 F (It's getting colder. It was in the 50's this morning, and was getting colder most of the day... Perhaps Montana finally realized that it's January.)
What I cooked today:
Nothing: Totally bad parent. We had to rush into town to get Ryan's meds, so we had dinner in town. I brought the boys back burgers, which they thought was just awesome!
Update:
Thank you to everyone who commented on yesterday's post. I'm sure everything with the house will work out fine, but I wasn't really prepared (although I should have been). We still need to talk to some people in town about other places to live, and the owner of this place didn't say when or if he's going to kick us out. He might realize what a good deal he has going, and just let us stay. But we are going to prepare, just in case. He did say at least 3 months, so that gives us time to find something else. Of course, there aren't that many houses around here, so we are limited in our choices. I just want to find something close enough so the kids don't have to change schools. (Oh my gosh, did I just say that! From a former homeschooling mom, I'm basing decisions on my kids public school!)
We got a call today from the pharmacy, which was supposed to be mailing out Ryan's meds, saying they had them and were waiting for us to pick them up. Since they were supposed to be here yesterday (and they were supposed to be here last week, but they had to order them), we really needed them for tonight. So, we made the trek into town on a day when we had no groceries to purchase, and no reason other than the meds to make the 40 mile drive (80 if you count there and back). Katie and Ryan came with us, and we allowed the boys to stay home. We stopped at a restaurant in town and had 1/2 of a family dinner. And then headed back. It would have been a wasted trip, but it gave Patrick and I a chance to talk about our plans for the housing situation. I'm staying positive. Not sure how, but I'm trying.
We looked over the place in town we wanted to talk to the owners about renting. Apparently, the family has been using the house as storage for furniture and other stuff. The place looks bad from the outside, but the roof looks intact and the windows aren't broken. A coat of paint on the outside, and some pruning of the bushes and plants would make a ton of difference. It's probably smaller than where we are now, but that's not really a problem. There should be a 1/2 basement, which we could use for the boys bedrooms, maybe. And I'm not sure how the electrical and plumbing are on the inside. We're going to try to talk to the owner this weekend, so we'll see how it goes. Patrick is looking at it like an episode of 'This Old House', just drooling over the idea of fixing up this house that is probably 80 years old. I just want a roof over our heads, and perhaps working indoor plumbing. Electricity would be great, which would give me a working stove and a washer and dryer. Oh, and maybe we might need some form of heat. But I'm not going to be greedy... :)
What I cooked today:
Nothing: Totally bad parent. We had to rush into town to get Ryan's meds, so we had dinner in town. I brought the boys back burgers, which they thought was just awesome!
Update:
Thank you to everyone who commented on yesterday's post. I'm sure everything with the house will work out fine, but I wasn't really prepared (although I should have been). We still need to talk to some people in town about other places to live, and the owner of this place didn't say when or if he's going to kick us out. He might realize what a good deal he has going, and just let us stay. But we are going to prepare, just in case. He did say at least 3 months, so that gives us time to find something else. Of course, there aren't that many houses around here, so we are limited in our choices. I just want to find something close enough so the kids don't have to change schools. (Oh my gosh, did I just say that! From a former homeschooling mom, I'm basing decisions on my kids public school!)
We got a call today from the pharmacy, which was supposed to be mailing out Ryan's meds, saying they had them and were waiting for us to pick them up. Since they were supposed to be here yesterday (and they were supposed to be here last week, but they had to order them), we really needed them for tonight. So, we made the trek into town on a day when we had no groceries to purchase, and no reason other than the meds to make the 40 mile drive (80 if you count there and back). Katie and Ryan came with us, and we allowed the boys to stay home. We stopped at a restaurant in town and had 1/2 of a family dinner. And then headed back. It would have been a wasted trip, but it gave Patrick and I a chance to talk about our plans for the housing situation. I'm staying positive. Not sure how, but I'm trying.
We looked over the place in town we wanted to talk to the owners about renting. Apparently, the family has been using the house as storage for furniture and other stuff. The place looks bad from the outside, but the roof looks intact and the windows aren't broken. A coat of paint on the outside, and some pruning of the bushes and plants would make a ton of difference. It's probably smaller than where we are now, but that's not really a problem. There should be a 1/2 basement, which we could use for the boys bedrooms, maybe. And I'm not sure how the electrical and plumbing are on the inside. We're going to try to talk to the owner this weekend, so we'll see how it goes. Patrick is looking at it like an episode of 'This Old House', just drooling over the idea of fixing up this house that is probably 80 years old. I just want a roof over our heads, and perhaps working indoor plumbing. Electricity would be great, which would give me a working stove and a washer and dryer. Oh, and maybe we might need some form of heat. But I'm not going to be greedy... :)
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
January 4, 2012
Outside Temp: 56 F (Are you kidding me? Are we in summer here? I wore a t-shirt today, and I wasn't cold! What the hell?)
What I cooked today:
STEAK! - mmm, red meat. beef. awesome. See yesterday's post to see the pics of the awesome meat I got in town yesterday. I love steak. :)
Update:
Tonight, we talked with the owner of the house we are renting. When we picked this place, it was for sale, and we were hoping to make enough on the house in CA to be able to buy it. It's priced really low. Then we got here, and found out that there are a few problems with it. Like, some electrical doesn't work and some plumbing needs to be fixed. Just a few little, minor problems. But problems that make you wonder if you really want to buy something that you know is already broken. How much would it cost us to fix the things that are wrong?
Then we sold the house in CA for a LOT less than we were hoping, and there goes the money we were hoping to use to buy the place. So, we couldn't buy it, even if we wanted to. But we are still paying rent, and we are obviously paying for utilities (which during the winter could be adding up). So, the guy is still getting a pretty good deal from us. The place is still for sale, but no one seems all that interested.
So, he calls tonight and we tell him that we can't buy it. He seemed a little irritated (which is fair), since he thought we were going to be buying as soon as the other place sold. We asked if he wanted us to leave, and he said no. But, he might be coming back in a few months, and if he does, then he'd like us to leave then.
Oh crap. I hate moving. No, I mean I really hate moving. We haven't unpacked about 1/2 of our stuff (like books and china and misc stuff), which is sitting in boxes in the garage. So, in all honesty, it won't be that big of a deal. And perhaps this is a good thing, since I know that we would sit in this house for years and not move forward, if we had the option. We can't really fix anything, because who wants to spend the money fixing something when it's not yours. And there's always that fear that you'll make it worse, which would be fine if it was your place, but you don't want to break someone else's house.
So, I'm going to start talking to the ladies around here. I know of one place that hasn't been lived in for at least 10 years. It may not be livable right now, but it might have potential. And someone else might know of some other place that might work. We're not really picky, and we aren't afraid of a little hard work. It's just a little rough since we are getting settled in and we really, really like the town and the people around here. I guess I'll start thinking about re-packing anything that didn't really need to get unpacked in the first place. And we were smart enough not to throw away all the boxes.
Wish me luck! I really, really don't want to have to go live in the Grandparents' basement. (and they really, really don't want us there, either!)
What I cooked today:
STEAK! - mmm, red meat. beef. awesome. See yesterday's post to see the pics of the awesome meat I got in town yesterday. I love steak. :)
Update:
Tonight, we talked with the owner of the house we are renting. When we picked this place, it was for sale, and we were hoping to make enough on the house in CA to be able to buy it. It's priced really low. Then we got here, and found out that there are a few problems with it. Like, some electrical doesn't work and some plumbing needs to be fixed. Just a few little, minor problems. But problems that make you wonder if you really want to buy something that you know is already broken. How much would it cost us to fix the things that are wrong?
Then we sold the house in CA for a LOT less than we were hoping, and there goes the money we were hoping to use to buy the place. So, we couldn't buy it, even if we wanted to. But we are still paying rent, and we are obviously paying for utilities (which during the winter could be adding up). So, the guy is still getting a pretty good deal from us. The place is still for sale, but no one seems all that interested.
So, he calls tonight and we tell him that we can't buy it. He seemed a little irritated (which is fair), since he thought we were going to be buying as soon as the other place sold. We asked if he wanted us to leave, and he said no. But, he might be coming back in a few months, and if he does, then he'd like us to leave then.
Oh crap. I hate moving. No, I mean I really hate moving. We haven't unpacked about 1/2 of our stuff (like books and china and misc stuff), which is sitting in boxes in the garage. So, in all honesty, it won't be that big of a deal. And perhaps this is a good thing, since I know that we would sit in this house for years and not move forward, if we had the option. We can't really fix anything, because who wants to spend the money fixing something when it's not yours. And there's always that fear that you'll make it worse, which would be fine if it was your place, but you don't want to break someone else's house.
So, I'm going to start talking to the ladies around here. I know of one place that hasn't been lived in for at least 10 years. It may not be livable right now, but it might have potential. And someone else might know of some other place that might work. We're not really picky, and we aren't afraid of a little hard work. It's just a little rough since we are getting settled in and we really, really like the town and the people around here. I guess I'll start thinking about re-packing anything that didn't really need to get unpacked in the first place. And we were smart enough not to throw away all the boxes.
Wish me luck! I really, really don't want to have to go live in the Grandparents' basement. (and they really, really don't want us there, either!)
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