IT'S HAPPENING!

HERE WE GO!!!

WE ARE MOVING THIS WEEKEND!!!

MY BOXES ARE ALMOST ALL PACKED UP WITH BITS AND PIECES OF OUR LIFE AND WE ARE MOVING THEM TO A NEW LOCATION.

I'M EXCITED, NERVOUS, SOOOO, SOOOOO VERY HAPPY TO BE MOVING INTO OUR NEW HOUSE.

EVEN IF IT IS ON A WEEKEND WHERE THERE IS A BLIZZARD HITTING US HERE IN BUFFALO, NY 

SMILES :)

SEE YOU AFTER THE MOVE!

BLESSINGS AND THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR WONDERFUL ENCOURAGING COMMENTS.

Frustration and a little self-talk

So,

Are you sooooooooo weary of hearing about our new house???!!

Honestly, I am!!!

The rundown goes a little like this.

(feel free to check out now if your as over this as I am)

*We are in the process of buying a house

*Our bank loan expires on February 28th

*New York State is an anal retentive, highly regulated state that requires lawyers to be involved in the sale or purchase of a home. 

These attorneys don't make much off the work they are required to do so (I'm kind of guessing) they don't consider it a priority in their lives so they don't give two shakes about the fact that our bank loan expires in 11 days and we may have to pay extra fees to renew everything if we want to continue on, which of course we do.

*We were told by our realtor that was told by the sellers realtor that we could get an early move in date for this coming weekend (which of course has to have a whole seperate contract drawn up by the unmotivated attorneys)

 BUT, we learned yesterday (2 days before the said early move in) that the sellers have NOT moved out of the house. 

Which is fine!  Why were we told they did?

 

I'm mean, it's their house still so they can stay as long as they want, but the realtor miscommunication has been frustrating.

 

*Our lease on our apartment also expires on the 28th and we have to be OUT!

*So, now we are looking at the last weekend of the month because the sellers are moving (according to the new news we received yesterday) this weekend.

OK, OK, I can hear you out there (or maybe it's a still, small voice) saying...

 

STOP!, STOP complaining

I hear you, whoever you are.

I'm listening

I sound like a princess and I'm really not princess-like.

Well, not entirely princess-like :)

I know, in my heart, that all this will work out and probably just in time...

just in the perfect nick of time and in a few weeks all this frustration, hold up, and fear of the unknown will be a memory that will make us even more grateful to be inhabiting our new space.

I'll be back into decorating, creating, and living again and sharing those wonderful things with you instead of the embarrassing venting about things I have no control over anyway.

(therapy, self-talk)

So, I'll think on good things.  I have soooooo many good things in my life and Hubby and I are sooooo excited to begin our lives in this home we've wanted for soooo long.

If my husband was here hearing this right now, he'd be saying that I'm allowing this to steal my joy and this day from me.

He, as usual, is right.

So, I made myself a Spring decorating inspiration collage to get me from here to there.

Sometimes, that's all it takes for me to get a perspective change.

***

I am excited to get moved, spend moments this summer sitting near the water's edge of lake ontario (which is just a few miles from our new abode) with my Hubby.

Oh, there's a peace that comes over me watching those sail boats

I'm also looking forward to having a paintbrush in my hands again

I miss painting and I'll have plenty of space to be creative when we get moved and settled.

I'm having little homemaker dreams right now.

I think I'll camp here for a little while.

Happy to be ending this post better than where I began.

Thanks for reading

(if you finished this post, you deserve a prize)

Valentine Birthday Wishes

So, these are the men in my life.

My son, Zachary, My Hubby, Ted, and our Grandson, Adan.

This photo was taken just after Adan was born this past October.

23 years ago, I was preparing to go to the hospital and receive the best Valentines day gift I ever recieved.

Happy Birthday to my wonderful Son.

2/15/88

Love you Zachary, 

Mamma

Island Dreams

So, I'm doing a little dreaming today.  I can't seem to get this kitchen in our new house (that we haven't moved into yet) off my mind.

Specifically, the long island.

We are kind of thinking that we are going to leave the oak cabnetry for now.

but, the island could be really dressed up with new counter top and some moulding and a brand new finish.

so, I began doing some research for some options of how we might transform this and make it a really cool focal point.

I like the idea of making it look like a piece of furniture.

A little bead board....

some molding...a little paint, new hardware, and this could be awesome!!

I'm dreaming,

Dream with me and let me know if you've done this or have any ideas or inspiration for this project.

I'd love it!

Thanks Much,

Tina

A Bargain Hunter Post for ya

This a blog I recently wrote that was published on The Bargain Hunter online

***************************************************************

A few posts ago, I talked about how my husband and I have spent the past several years hoping, dreaming, praying, and searching to buy a home of our own.



We've moved a couple of times from one little apartment to another and, after lots of looking, saving, and a few disappointments along the way, the time has come!


We, now, get to be like those people on the HGTV show, House Hunters, who say…."and the house we choose is…"


Yes, that's right, an offer was made and accepted, the deal is almost done, and we should close and move within the next few weeks!

We received an e-mail from our realtor last night, who is amazed at how quickly and smoothly this purchase has gone, and he wanted to inform us that the original date for closing on the house could be moved up. All the paperwork and requirements are gathered.


Most people I've met here in Western New York stand with their mouths open wondering how what is normally a long and difficult process colored with red tape has been so easy for us.


I was thinking of that and analyzing that with the hubby and there are a few things that pop into our minds.


First of all, we acknowledge the grace of a good God, who has seen fit to bless us, and whose timing is perfect.


The next thing is that we heeded the advice that the decisions we make today, affect the outcomes of tomorrow.


Four years ago, we decided to begin making very specific decisions that were sacrifices at the time. As we look back now, we can see how those decisions, put into action, have helped us today.


When we sold our home in Ohio and moved for my husband's job to West Virginia, we made a bit of a profit from that sale. It was enough for a good down payment on a new home. We really could have jumped right in and bought quite a nice house. The only problem was that we also had a good bit of debt.


I remember now that we were listening to messages at church about delayed gratification, giving up what is good for what is great, and about personal responsibility. We also were studying money concepts by Dave Ramsey called, Financial Peace.


I didn't really want to live in a tiny apartment after living in a three bedroom house for 12 years, but wisdom prevailed over our wants and we made the conscience, and uncomfortable, decision to pay off as many of our bills as we could with the profit from the house. We vowed to never have credit cards again, and to begin a plan of chipping away at our debt with our ultimate goal of living debt free, except for a mortgage. This seemed wild and out of the realm of possibility at the time, but we did do it.


Because of not having credit cards in our lives, our credit scores were great. The bank approved our mortgage with a good rate right in front of us because there wasn't really anything outstanding on our file to check out.


Now, as I re-read what I've said in this post, I realize it can sound a little boastful. Many are struggling and times are tough, but please understand… I am grateful. I want to tell you that there is hope.


Yes, those decisions, made a few short years ago, have allowed a wonderful thing to happen in our lives, but the best thing of all is the peace that has come from not being a slave to credit card debt.


We've been there. We've been upside down, underwater, and over our heads. We've had that feeling of drowning in debt and having no way out. I suck in a deep breath as I remember those days. Honestly, remembering those chains makes us never want to be there again, if we can help it.

Today, what I want to tell you is, there is peace that comes from good money practices and if you don't know where to start, start where we did. It will be the beginning of your exhale.


Contact any place that provides Financial Peace University classes. I know that Newpointe Community Church in Dover, which is where I got my materials, gives regular classes.


Have a discussion in your home about debt, make a plan to tackle it, and most of all, make a plan to begin today to make positive decisions that will bring good results for your tomorrow.


We haven't arrived by any stretch, but our goal today is to make good choices and, based on the results we've seen, we are getting excited about our tomorrows.


Let's live, give, and get free.


Blessings,


Tina



Snow

Sorry, I've been gone for a while.

I'm here, I've just been so preoccupied with life.

Let's face it, we all are, right?

Outside this little apartment, the snow rages on.  It's not out of the ordinary for Bufffalo, NY to have a lot of snow and snow that piles on and doesn't melt.

This is the view outside my bedroom window.  A lovely view of the snow pile

and outside our living room patio door.

Bless that mail man's little heart on this day.

We will be moving in the next few weeks into our new home and I'm looking forward to spending time on day's like this near our fireplace. 

We've been kept warm lately by our talks with our Grand Girl on Skype

I love skype.  It the best.

I get to see her, hear her, and laugh with her.

She's fascinated by this and gives us a close up now and then during the convo

The most beautiful eyes ever .  

And

one of the funniest people I know.

Well, it's snowin' and blowin' here.

I'm off to stir my chili, check out a few of your blogs,  and pack another box

Blessings to you all