Homeowner!!

Here's the story of how we came to buy a house, feel free to skip ahead to the photos!

We've been thinking about purchasing a home for a while and and had talked about starting to look this summer. I thought we'd look for a long time before we found something we liked or could afford. Then one day, out of the blue, John's good friend, Hadley sent him a link to a house and told him it was for sale but not officially on the market and we should check it out. Their mutual friend, Terry, was the realtor and so we made an appointment to go look at it. John fell head over heels for the gorgeously maintained and large backyard and liked the house, too. I liked it, too, but I wasn't sold yet!

We made an appointment to look at other houses closer to where we live now with our other friend who is a realtor and we ended up looking at 12 houses in one afternoon! There were a few we were considering and we prayed about them all, strategized, budgeted, talked to the neighbors on the street, called the bishops of the wards we'd be in and one by one, we let the others slip by. We just kept coming back to the first house we had seen in Holladay.

We made another appointment to go look at that house, this time taking John's parents, brother and a contracter to look at some of our areas of concern (the rickety staircase and unfinished shelf basement, primarily). While we were there, the owner showed us his vintage trucks he had meticulously restored. As we left, the contracter texted me, "Sometimes I worry when people have remodeled their homes that they haven't done it the right way, but after seeing those trucks, I think we can trust this guy!"

We decided to make an offer on the home, which was counter offered and we accepted. The appraisal and inspection both went incredibly well, too. My parents arrived in town just in time to tour the home with us and give their stamp of approval. Finally, last Thursday, we wired the down payment money and then signed papers on the home!

signing papers

It's kind of a surreal experience to buy a home and at first, I was really reluctant to tell people we were buying a house because it is never a sure thing until the end. It just felt awkward to talk about until it was finalized. And now it is!!

our first home- this is a shot I took from the street on a rainy day before we made an offer- we were checking it out with our entourage (in this photo- John, Terry (our realtor/bishop), Breea, and Dave)

Grumpy TV viewer

I get so annoyed when I go out on a limb and start watching a new TV show in its first season and then it gets cancelled! Argh! Does this happen to anyone else? Even worse I'll even get invested and start caring about the characters for a season or two and then it gets canceled with no wrap up or conclusion! I assume that TV executives get antsy about low ratings for a season and cancel shows but it's a vicious cycle- the viewers are reluctant to get invested in a new show until it's been around for a few seasons!! Argh.


The most recent victim, The Event, reminded me of the other shows that I started watching in their first seasons that met untimely deaths.





This one broke my heart most of all: RIP, Veronica Mars.

What are the shows you miss most?

Our cute Charlie lately

I introduced you to the movie Cars and you ask for it daily. You laugh at the funny parts and tell me what's happening during the other parts. You even try to say "Ka-chow!", which is Lightning McQueen's catch phrase. I'm excited that you like this movie since the sequel is coming out in a few weeks- I think it will be your first movie in a theatre!

You love all things with wheels- the drive to take Dad to work is filled with your commentary of everything you see, including cranes, diggers, trucks, trains, buses and culminating at the water feature outside Dad's work, "Water!"

You are becoming more and more boyish every day and less of my baby.

If I tell you something is hot, like the shower, or the slide at the park, you stand there and try to blow on it to cool it down.

You love to toast drinks, which I'm trying to teach you is called "Cheers!" but you just call it "Boom!"

You know all your colors now and use them to describe the things you see. Up until recently when I asked you what color something was, you always answered "Blue!" Somehow in your mind, that was the only answer to that question. But now you've figured it out. As we drive around town, you love to tell me the things you see. Now you've started describing them, too. "That's a big bus!" or "Big white crane!" Sometimes you just shorten it to "big white". It's pretty cute.

Here you are watching Dino Dan so intently. The Zoo has a dinosaur exhibit right now and there's banners all over town advertising it. Whenever you see one you yell out, "four!" (which is how you say dinosaur, of course.)

Cuddled up with dad before church

So busy in the backyard.

We love this little fella!

Father's Day!

How is it possible that this was two years ago? Today is the third Father's Day that John has had and I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I'm so grateful to have married a man who is such a devoted father.



He's was the official baby bouncer-to-sleep and used to walk the house with Charlie every night.



Now he's Charlie's favorite buddy and we're lucky to have him. Happy 3rd Father's Day, Johnny boy!



I'm also grateful to a wonderful father-in-law who taught so much by example and my own wonderful dad (who is in town!!) who showed me what to look for in a husband. They are both patient, kind, gentle, and hard working and I love them!

Chelsea's baby shower

We had a baby shower for Chelsea and her daughter at my house. Chelsea's darling friends did all the food and I was so grateful for that! Cleaning the house was more than enough for this pregnant lady. Luckily, Charlie took a four hour nap that day (!) and John worked himself to death and we got it all done. I even had a little extra time to decorate (which I seldom do for showers because I'm usually frantically trying to finish cleaning or cooking!)

I used my mom and grandma's antique dolls and my mom's Bessie Pease Gutmann darling little girl prints to decorate the mantel.

Charlie woke up from his nap and saw the pink pennant banner and said, "Surprise!" I appreciated that he noticed. :)

I staged the piano for the gifts with my antique baby scale, which I pretty much only use as a baby shower decoration.

Some of the lovely co-hostesses and attendees: Alana, Holly, Kate and Sue.

L-R: Sam, Shelley, Carolyn, Chelsea and Lizzie

Opening presents! Oh, it was so fun to see all the darling baby girl things that Chelsea got!

The whole group (two versions so that both Annie and I could be in the picture).

We had so much fun celebrating and I know that Chelsea loved getting a chance to see everyone before she and her family move to Boise later this summer (sob!)

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!

It's this little girl's first birthday! I love Skyping with her and her parents. Last night as we were Skyping, I would ask her "How old are you?" and she'd ever so coyly raise one little finger. Precious. I can't wait to see her in July!! Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!

Feeling Lucky?

Could I ever be lucky enough to win this giveaway from Oh Happy Day? A trip for two to Paris!! I will have my fingers crossed until she announces the winner!

Contest!

My blog friend, Kate, from My Next Life, is having an amazing contest on her blog. She's giving away an original painting valued at $800 for free! All you have to do is a leave a comment on her blog. Make sure to mention that I sent you (then I get another entry, sneaky sneaky!) Since I own hardly any furniture of my own, I would use the painting (if I win) as inspiration to start acquiring some furniture! Check it out!

Red Butte Garden

We had a break in the (unpleasant, wet, rainy, cloudy, cold) weather and enjoyed a GORGEOUS day at Red Butte Garden. Man, that place is so beautiful! Charlie loved all the water features, shrubbery tunnels, giant sand pit and the lizard sculptures. I loved having John there to chase Charlie around.

Family history stories

My grandparents on their wedding day with their parents

My grandparents, Harold and Beverly, with their siblings as attendants

The other night I attended the viewing of my great Aunt Ruby. She was my father's aunt, my maternal grandmother's sister. My brother, Steve, and I went to represent my parents who live out of the country and by extension, my grandparents who have passed away. While we were there, we saw our Aunt Pat, another one of Grandma's sisters and she told us some great family stories! We loved listening to her and seeing her vibrant personality and sparkling blue eyes. She looks so much like Grandma!

Aunt Pat told us that she was close with all of her sisters growing up, but had an especially close bond with Beverly (my grandmother). They looked alike and lived close by each other (one on Hubbard Ave. and one on Wilson Ave.) They shopped at the same grocery store and the cashiers would get confused and ask, "What did you forget?" not realizing that the person they had seen earlier was a different sister! They often would wear similar outfits to events without coordinating it- they once showed up to a wedding in identical clothes! They both drove gigantic Packard cars. They even had the same watch! One time when Aunt Pat and Uncle Dee were serving a mission in Canada, my grandparents went to visit them. Aunt Pat's watch was in the bathroom and Grandma put it on, not realizing it wasn't hers.

On that same trip to Canada, my grandpa was wearing a pair of Dockers pants, which were a new casual khaki style. Uncle Dee (who only had dress clothes with him on his mission) kept commenting on how great the pants were, asking, "What are those called again? They sure are great pants!" When Grandma and Grandpa left to go home, Grandpa left his Dockers for Uncle Dee.

My one of my favorite stories about my Grandma came from Aunt Pat at Grandma's funeral in 1999. She said when they were growing up, they'd play with baby dolls and Grandma's babies were always girls. Aunt Pat asked what she would do if she had a boy one day? Grandma replied, "I'll throw him in the "banure" pile!" And of course, my grandparents ended up having five sons and no daughters!

Aunt Pat and Grandma were expecting babies around the same time and ended up delivering within days of each other at the same hospital. In those days, women and newborns stayed for five days. Aunt Pat said she remembers sneaking into each others' rooms to visit. Aunt Pat had a girl and my grandma had her fourth boy (my Uncle Matt). My grandpa kept teasing, "You got OUR girl!" and apparently mentioned it a lot throughout his life!

Aunt Pat told us that my grandma dressed her five boys so immaculately. They always looked so nice. But she and her mother (Lily Watkins Searle) noticed that there was always a pleat or ruffle somewhere on their dress shirts. Aunt Pat thought Grandma just had to sneak something girlie in there! Grandma Lily wasn't as positive- she thought that they would turn out to be "sissies".

After Aunt Pat brought up Grandma Lily (my great-grandmother), Steve mentioned that he has a daughter named Lily, who has quite the vivacious personality. Aunt Pat said that's just how her mother Lily was! Her family would be laughing at the dinner table about something and her father (Keros Searle) would say, "Now, hasn't this joke gone on long enough?" and Lily would look at him like he was crazy! She was the spunky one and he was the reserved one.

Lily was the 32nd child of John Watkins, a Mormon pioneer (he traveled in the Martin handcart company across the plains) and a polygamist. Lily was his youngest child. He had a dream before she was born of a beautiful baby's face nestled in a calla lily. When he awoke, he said the expected child is a girl and her name will be Lily.

Aunt Pat has a granddaughter and a great-granddaughter named Lily. We chatted with Uncle Dick, Aunt Ruby's husband and he said he also has several progeny named after Grandma Lily. Aunt Pat told us she has 57 great-grandchildren! Uncle Dick and Aunt Ruby have 140 grandchildren and great-grandchildren combined! What a wonderful legacy! My grandmother didn't live to see any of her great-grandchildren, although my Grandpa was alive to meet his first great-grandchild, Kate. Now my grandparents have 36 great-grandchildren (including those expected this year).

It was such a wonderful opportunity to be there and talk to my relatives that I never get to see and hear such wonderful stories! I'm so glad I had that chance!

In the "wee" hours of the morning

I woke up at about 2 am to Charlie crying and crying. I waited to see if he would go back to sleep on his own but he kept crying. So I got him a little drink of milk and headed into the dark nursery to give it to him. He normally just reaches for the milk and stops crying but he was really upset. I reached down to check to see if he'd wet through his diaper and jammies and my hand came into contact with skin! He was totally naked! I turned on the light and saw his fleece jammies totally unzipped, one leg completely out and his diaper off. Poor thing was soaking wet! I got him up and changed his clothes and of course, by then he was more awake and wanted to read some books. Toddlers are so funny.

Happy Birthday, Sissy!

I just love this lady! It's been so fun to see her become a mom this year- she's really grown into this new role and is totally rockin' it out every day. I really respect her and how hard she works to make life for her family a lovely one. Happy birthday, Catherine! I wish I could be there to celebrate with you!

At our weddings:



From our childhood:

Easter 2011

We dyed Easter eggs this year with Sam and Lily. I didn't want them to get their clothes dirty, so I had them put on some of John's old t-shirts- they were so cute in those giant shirts and they reminded me of when I was a little girl and wore my dad's shirts as nightgowns. I had a plan to keep Charlie occupied but also out of the dye and luckily it worked! I put him in his high chair with his own eggs (plastic) and bowls (empty) and he was so happy! He felt just like one of the big kids. I had Sam and Lily decorate their eggs with stickers to keep them out of the dye and we got some interesting results!








We planned to have our Easter egg hunt on Saturday. As we were waiting for Charlie to wake up from his nap, I went outside to check to see if the Easter bunny had visited yet. As I was "checking" in the backyard, I heard a loud rustling under the porch. It freaked me out so I went in and had John and Steve go out to investigate. Sure enough, my fears were realized and they found a huge, injured raccoon under the porch. Yuck. We obviously couldn't have our egg hunt outside with a possibly dangerous and/or rabid raccoon wandering around so I talked to the Easter bunny and he agreed to move all the carefully hidden eggs inside to the living room. Meanwhile, we called everyone we could think of to help us get rid of our guest. Let me enlighten you all- animal control, the division of wildlife, the fire department, and the police department, and Terminix will all NOT be willing to help you and will keep re-routing you to the other agencies. Without going into details (to protect the parties involved), we ended up taking matters into our own hands and the poor creature wasn't a problem any more.

The kids didn't care about being inside anyway and we had a great time watching them hunt for eggs. Charlie was a little bit sad and frustrated having to compete for the eggs but he got over it once we opened a few candy-filled eggs for him.






On Easter Sunday, we went to church and enjoyed the great lessons, hymns, and talks that focused on the Savior. After church we met up with John's family for a yummy dinner and money hunt. All John's siblings are grown (and some have kids of their own) but his parents still hide money all over the house for them to search for. It's so much fun and everyone is really into it. They best part is that the money is mostly in coins and it isn't hidden in eggs- picture quarters balanced on door frames and hidden between books. John and I didn't rake in the cash this year because we were hunting with Charlie but it gave us both so much joy to teach him the game and then watch him search the house for the coins.

It's been fun to start traditions of our own with Charlie and incorporate some of the ones of our childhood. From my childhood, I remember Easter baskets and candy but I mostly remember getting new Easter dresses and my whole family going over to my grandparents house to show them our outfits. My grandma took a picture of our whole family together each year and I love those photos now!

Here's a one of our Easter portraits

We had a nice celebration, what are some of your Easter traditions?