I CAN SEE!

i got contacts for the first time, i was afraid i would have a hard time getting use to them but Whola! they are amazing! i still need to replace my frames so i'll have a back up but i cant for the life of me remember why i waited so long!
tata
moving moving along..

I'm almost afraid to say it outloud!

WE ARE CLOSING THURSDAY!!!
so amazingly i have called all of the utilities and got them all set for friday (except cable which won't be done until wednesday but we'll survive!)
i still have a small pit in my stomach that something is going to go wrong but i am also excited so i'm hoping that is all!
wish us luck and keep us in your prayers for a smooth move!
tata

Oh yea one other thing.. internet won't work until the 13th so i'll be MIA for a little while and to top it off we being the smartest beings on the planet decided now would be a good time to upgrade our cell phones so we'll be without cell's for a couple of days too... but phone in the new house should be up and going on Friday.. so sometime between now and friday i may not be able to be reached.. WE'll survive!
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President Gordon B. Hinkley has passed away

I don't know if i would feel comfortable saying "he's my favorite" (i almost think each should be our favorite while they are serving..) but he's certainly one that has been prominent for most of my adult life.. he was called a little before Brad was born, he's the only prophet all of my children have known..

He was a remarkable Man, Husband and servant.. He will be greatly missed and although i do have twinges of sadness i am so happy for him that he now gets to be reunited with his great wife.. and that this is another lesson for my children on how the Gospel goes on, it's not about the person it's about the TRUTH of the Restored Gospel!..

He will be missed!

I've gotta stop thinking I know what i'm doing

So, for the last 2 weeks we thought we would close on the house the beginning of the following week.. I've got to stop assuming ANYTHING EVER!!! so we've purchased our homeowners policy and it goes into effect Friday but we are still waiting on Title (not entirely sure what that means but whatever!) so we are REALLY hoping it will be Monday so we will have at least the rest of next week to move and we won't have to pay another month's rent here... OK even if it's later we could probably work something out with our landlord.. he is our Realtor but he's not all together happy about loosing good tenants even though he's getting the commission etc.. it's a long story sheesh!
So i sit here not getting much sleep worrying over every little thing.. and to think i didn't think i was a worrier.. NOT!
So who knows when we'll close sometime this or next month.. that's all i know!
tata

Susical the Musical Jr.

Hunter has worked for the last several months on Susical the Musical Jr. a play the 4th and 5th grade drama club has been working on.. Thursday and Friday were there performances (4 in total) and i was really impressed.. it's taken me this long to post because i was a back stage mom and well i don't know about the kids but I WAS EXHAUSTED! i think I've finally recovered and no worse for ware and even looking forward to next years play.. Brad was in it last year when only 5th graders were invited to participate and it was a musical review (made up by the teacher) this year they actually spent some money and got the rights to a REAL play.. it was SOOOO worth it!!!

here are some pic's and if i can get blogger to work a little video of their closing music number..

Hunter was a "who" as in Who from Whoo'sville

all the "who's"

the whole Cast..

"Green Eggs and Ham"

i have a better video of the best part of the show but it was too big to post..

ta ta...

Isn't technology GREAT!

I just LOVE what we can do now.. electronically get w2's then electronically file taxes and whola! you get your refund in less than 2 weeks electronically put in your bank account! all before we will receive the actual copies sent in the mail!
I'm hoping we will set a closing date today.. we are hoping by mid week next week but it will depend on the title company and all the planets aligning!
wish us luck!
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Am I really a "Pollyanna"?
OK so here's a good rant for you!!! once again in my life i have been called a "Pollyanna".. in the 2 instances i have been called this i assumed it meant; Naive, or overly positive, or in essence "not negative enough".. the first instance was at Ben's Grandpa's funeral (actually a day or so before when some relatives i met for the FIRST time were acting badly!) and the 2nd was at Winter activities last week...
so here's the rant! AM I A POLLYANNA? do i ignore the negative?? Do i just assume people are good in nature and ignore negative trates??
I don't think i am but after typing this is that such a bad thing?? I feel like i have a healthy since of skepticism and i am not easily manipulated.. I have seen my fair share of bad stuff (but i know i have been extremely blessed so i know there are some who have seen MUCH worse!)... But i also think I'm a fairly positive person.. don't get me wrong I've had my dark days (OK weeks!) but i think it takes WAY too much energy to stay angry or negative towards anything or anyone!
OK so there you have it.. are you a Pollyanna??
We have a snow day today.. my bi-polar relationship with snow has hit another level.. it is so pretty and white.. all the yucky dirty old snow is covered in a lovely layer.. I've got to get out today and take some pic's of these snow covered trees! I've said it with every snow storm and just haven't done it but it is only Jan we are bound to get more snow! still no word on the appraisal they are trying to get some more info hopefully that's a good sign.. I'm done trying to guess!
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Pinewood Derby and "Ben's the Man!"

Well last night was "build Derby car night" A wonderful Man in our ward who happens to be in the Stake Presidency also each year lets us set up his table saw and sander and lets the boys and their dads cut out their cars.. it was a huge success each boy got their car cut out and is getting excited for the big race in 2 weeks..

The "Ben's the Man" portion of this post is that Ben earned "supervisor of the Quarter" for the last quarter of 2007 at his station.. this although i don't think Ben would admit it.. is a GREAT honor and one that he's never really gotten before as a supervisor.. it's voted on by the higher management of the station and along with this groovy plaque he gets an additional paid day off which will come in handy with us moving and all...

So thats whats going on today... we hopefully will hear today what the Appraisal came in at an then we need about another couple of days to get the money for the down and we should CLOSE! i'm getting excited but a little overwhelmed at all that i need to get done but it will happen regardless.. the good thing about if we close early is we'll have the rest of the month to get moved in so it's not so much pressure etc. etc..

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Ok so i usually just ignore when people "tag" me,
but since it's my Sister who "did the deed!" i guess I'll partake.. I'm suppose to tell 7 random things about me then tag i don't know how many people..
Frankly like Steph I'm not sure there are 7 things that people don't already know about me.. but we'll see...

1. I am a total control freak.. i think i was ever since i popped out but it certainly hasn't gotten any better.. my poor family but they love me and I'm probably populating the world with more type A control types..

2. I love, love, love to take pictures.. mostly of my kiddo's but of pretty much anything.. i wanted to do a calendar this year of unique/old looking Barns here in New England.. there are so many that are 100's of years old that are so pretty in their own unique run down kind of way.. maybe this year.. who knows.. it's an idea at least!

3. I Love to Sing and i read music because i was a Band geek but i am a Piano Lesson drop out!!! Betsy Baily when i was 7 or 8 lectured me so badly on how lucky i was to be taking piano lessons that i refused to practice and well in my 7/8 year old mind i just didn't like her.. which was too bad because i idolized her singing voice and wanted so desperately to take Voice instead of Piano but I'm not so sure i let my parents in on that one.. I do have perfect pitch (or at least i did in high school.. not to many people testing me these days!) but find it hard to volunteer to sing solo or duet... i feel like i should be asked. i know weird!

4. I have never interviewed for a Job that i didn't get.. i know it's kinda pathetic.. don't know if I'd have the same luck now though..

5. Growing up I didn't think i wanted kids.. i think i thought it was kinda gross (lets face it i WASNT wrong) hard to believe now but i wanted a career maybe even be a lawyer.. now i can't ever imagine being a Lawyer EVER even when this part of my life (being a stay at home mom) is through.. i WILL go back to school but I've got about 2 more years to decide what i want to be when i grow up.. and i DO know i DON'T want to be a Teacher! nothing against them and it would be a perfect Mom job but i truly believe (by some not so pleasant teachers i both had and that my kids have had..past tense) you have to feel CALLED to be a teacher and i DO NOT.. I think I'd love to be a Recreation Director for a town/city Rec Center.. get to plan fun stuff.. we'll see... I've got to pretty much start from scratch so I'm sure I'll have time to figure it all out..

this is getting hard!!! I don't know if I'll be able to think of all 7..

6: I have been a Cub scout leader of some kind for 5 years in 3 different wards.. This year will be my 5th year attending Cub Scout day camp; and it will HOPEFULLY be my last year as it will be Hunter's last year attending (but who knows i went the year before Brad was a cub scout so there's nothing to say i won't go after!)... I do LOVE Cub Scouts and i do enjoy being Cub Master now.. it's just the fun stuff not the weekly "hard" stuff.. i get to give the boys their awards and do fun skits etc... i think in the church if you get trained in scouts your probably stuck for life, it's so hard to get us members to go to Training! that once they get you well you get the point... and on top of Cub Master I'm also Advancement Chair for Boy Scouts (see Brad turned 11 so they had to get me in that program somehow ha ha!)

7: I am so Lucky! I was born into a Great Family that loved me that treated me well and raised me with great values and expectations.. I now have the family i NEVER dreamed of and couldn't be more happy about it!! I'm so glad i didn't listen to the 16 or 17 year old i was back then.. i can't say my life has been perfect by any means but it's all mine and i wouldn't change a thing.. NO NOT ANYTHING!...

OK just to show off; i thought of this as i was doing the last one: #8: I have one pointed ear and one that's normal.. we use to kid that i was half Elf! none of my kids inherited that little defect.. too bad it's always a great ice breaker at cub scout day camp first day get to know you things...

OK now i have to tag: here ya go: CTR2002, Cynthia, Leslie, Shannon & Velia! that's all that Stephie didn't already get.. darn that girl!

Fine Print: OK so now I'm thinking i should have changed the names of the Innocent to protect their identity or at least their future piano students.. i have no clue where Betsy Baily is or lives but I'm sure she was a fine piano teacher but in my 8 year old memory she well we just didn't get along.. I'm sure she is perfectly capable and many students benefited from her brilliance..
ta ta

GO VOTE!
Ok so i know i'm the only one that that apply's to but YES Ben and i are both going to go vote! As soon as he gets home we'll take off so one can watch KayLea while the other is behind the curtain and visa versa.. I think this is the first time Ben and I will vote for different people.. for some reason this really frustrates me because he's voting for a 3rd teer candidate and i'm terrified a vote for his guy is a vote for the guy that we DEFFENATELY don't want.. he feels you shouldn't vote that way you should vote for who you like and agree with bla bla bla.. ok so he's probably right but his guy doesn't have a CHANCE! anyway i'm not giving up who we are voting for.. don't want to be that much of an influence (ok maybe i'm thinking too much of myself now haha)
i know most of our Family won't be voting in the Primary Until early Feb but all i have to say is GO VOTE!!!
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Cross your fingers and Toes!
So Tomorrow is our Appraisal, i REALLY don't have any REAL worries, i think we are going to be fine as far as where the appraisal results tell us (value of the home etc).. but some extra prayers and good thoughts certainly couldn't hurt!
after that it should be smooth sailing.. we got all the last little paperwork in to our Retirement fund where we are getting the money for the Down payment and so that should also be done! so by the end of the month we should be HOME OWNERS..
I think my nerves are on edge and i didn't even know it.. i was in tears Sunday for something that wasn't really that big of deal... My poor family!
Anyway that's all for now we'll keep you all informed as we find out!
ta ta

Ok it's offical i'm going NUTS!!!
the boys have been at each other throats all morning!!! not even a bribe to go to the Mall to go to Game Stop has curbed it.. given them a time limit.. get what they need done with out another peep or they stay home.. we'll see if that does the trick!
another good thing.. Apprasial on the house is set for Tuesday morning.. fingers crossed that everything will turn out as it is suppose to (i really have no fears on the apprasial but you never know)..
I chaperoned the Jr High activity night again.. they put me in the Library where they had a play station set up.. where Brad loves to hang out at these things.. he wasn't thrilled but it did make him go and try new stuff (he still did video games allot though) all in all he said it wasn't horrable and i didn't embaress him too much (high compliment)..
thats all for now
tata

things that make you go Hmmmmmm! about New Hampshire and Politics

• living here in probably the smallest tiniest little town i have seen more presidential candidates than i ever have living in city/states far bigger



• it really is amazing how seriously people take this primary here, and how much they feel "they" really "choose" the next president



• in many cases those die hards who feel they "choose" the next president are right! (kinda scary!



• i found out recently that my letter to the editor was printed.. guess goes to show you really should subscribe to the news paper you write a letter to the editor about.. just so you all know it was in response to another letter to the editor that was bashing the church, and referring readers to "learn the truth" form an anti website.. i kind of regretted writing it but over all i stand by it!



• i also found out more people read letters to the editor than i ever would have expected.. I'm not longer anonymous in my little town! (good and bad)

that's it for now tata

ITS -5 DEGREES OUTSIDE.. ENOUGH SAID!

One of the MANY reasons I LOVE my husband!!!

KayLea got a DVD version of "Candy Land" and pretty much since Christmas she has wanted to play with Daddy.. well he has had to work a bit but promised her on his next day off he'd play it with her.. well TODAY was the day. we thought for sure she'd forget (rather Daddy HOPED!) but he was such a good sport and even got into it and danced with her! He is an amazing Dad!!! Next BIG reason i love my husband.. he thought he was going to have to go to Albany NY for 2 weeks before we found out the house deal was going through.. after he found out we would be moving in 30 days he appealed to his fellow supervisors and said there was no way he could leave his wife to pack up the house and watch kids etc.. so he got someone else to take his place!!! see he's a Keeper!!!

We signed our copies of the contract, its pretty much a done deal but i'll believe it when i see THEIR signatures on the dotted line.. but it LOOKS good! we hope to be in the new house by the end of Jan.

ok so i just realized i shot this with my camera on it's side (to get the best angle) so you'll have to watch this with your head in an weird contortion but i hope you still get the idea.. sorry now i no better!

ta ta