SteeleLife

I spent the day yesterday working at the house.  Sweet Kevin stayed here at my parents with the kids all day while I worked. We got Michael and Aiden's room painted Solaria.  It's a really bright yellow.  I waver between wishing I hadn't picked something quite so bright and saturated and loving it.  I choose one shade darker at the last minute because there wasn't much contrast between the trim color (lemon chiffon), and my original pick. It's fun and definitely will be great for the boys.  Our plan is to paint the trim, closet doors, and inside of their door a much lighter yellow from the same paint chip, and then eventually do a Lego mural on one of the walls, and I ordered a red vinyl quote saying…

We're going tomorrow morning at 10, we'll provide lunch, the plan is painting and yard work! If you want to come PLEASE come!  I'm offering a photo session in trade for help. We finally have water at the house!  Yay!  We can now wash our hands and the paint brushes!  Hehe!  We've got one room primed, but nothing else done!  This is a bigger project than I expected.  I had Aiden come along for my last real work trip, and well, that was a bust, I spent ALL my time there undoing his "help" including drizzled paint on the carpet...  I really wishes I would have just left the little TV over there...  Thankfully Dallin was there with me and finished the project that I went to do in the…

OK, not yet, but we did get the go ahead to spend some time at the house cleaning, gardening, and painting (only the rooms with current bizarre paint colors so far). Thursdays good news was getting things through the underwriting department, so now we're waiting on the appraisal, and Kevin's job to reply that he is indeed a real employee and making what he claims to make.  Also we need to get an estimate to see what his student loan payments are, so we can be sure to budget appropriately... Friday brought the bad news that the house is indeed in a flood plane (there's a canal running the length of the side of the property) which requires flood insurance, so we'll need to be acquiring that and paying it,…

I've read at least three different places recently people vent their disdain for this state, and it's surprised me.  It's not the normal "Utahans are closed mind/misunderstanding/unrighteous and need to know what real life is like outside of Mormonville" stuff either. I'll admit I haven't been thrilled about the weather every minute, or the drivers, though I'm getting used to them, and other than the infamous Utah road blocks (you know, when all lanes across the freeway are blocked with vehicles that seem oblivious to other traffic and happy to remain just below the speed limit while the road is wide open in front of them, and there's no way to pass), I'm used to the way traffic generally flows when I'm out and about and even appreciate it. But…

Kevin and I went to his new GI here in Utah for the first time (yes, it took 4 months to get in!) and his treatment plan is taking a 180.  It’s kinda surprising, but we’re hopeful it’ll really do something great for him. Also we got news that the sellers on the house we’re in contract for have agreed to split the cost of a new roof.  It’s really begining to shape up, and we’re thrilled!  We’re both still so reticent to really emotionally invest that it’ll all work out, after all, nothing has yet, that we’re having a hard time with beleive it’ll actually happen.

Also, Waterscape, Marshmallow, Eggwhite, Easy Green, and Ambitious Amber.  I'll mention Fireworks and Evening Sky, but in a different context.

Joesph Merlin is TWO!

We had a great Christmas, we are really blessed.  I'm all Christmas'd out, it was wonderful, but I'm OK with waiting another 11 months.  I'd say I'm ready for spring, but I'm not miserable in the snow yet, go figure. I keep dreaming about my house...  Maybe soon something will work out.  I can't wait to paint and finally really make a place my own. Kevin is doing well.  Two of his coworkers have left for other jobs, and so in his team of 4 there's only two, and he doesn't quite feel up to capacity yet, so he's extremely tired, so between that and the books he got for Christmas I don't get a ton of time with him, but I get to keep him!  I'm glad he's getting…

We're pulling out of the contract.  There were some big flaws with the house that we didn't think we could live with or put the effort in to fix at this point in our lives.  Bummer, that we're not going to be moving into a house as soon, but a relief to know we're not walking into a disaster.

Just words aren't enough.  We've really had a lot of fun going on. Here's the boys on Halloween.  Their Dad was in the hospital, so he missed seeing them in their costumes, but we had a good time, and I got to take the pictures straight to him that night. Michael's class held a Thanksgiving Program, and Michael did so well, it was SO fun to go to that, even Kevin got to go, but he was pretty tired. Joey's got a new obsession.  Shoes.  Or "Ewwsh!" if you ask him.  Doesn't matter who's and a lot of times, it doesn't even matter if they match, but he loves to throw on anybodies shoes and clomp around the house. Aiden had a great Birthday, he's 5 now!!!  We had cake…