Arizona Bound

Well, Matt is back on a plane and Arizona bound...along with almost all of my clothes, my coffee maker, grinder, cutting board, and enough silverware to get us through until the house is packed up and entirely moved. His first piece of checked luggage weighed 42 pounds and the second weighed 35. Matt says we need to work better next time to get the second closer to 50. I was very proud of how well we packed. Mind you, he carried on a pretty heavy duffel bag that included my coffee maker.

Funny story tonight - Matt had difficulty getting through security tonight with his carry-on. They had entirely searched his belongings when it occurred to him that it may be the coffee pot. I guess there is a metal strip that runs through it. Well, after it had been completely sniffed, they were able to confidently say that he was not going to hurt anyone on the plane with a coffee pot. However, he did give the security guards a good laugh. I guess they don't see anyone try to get through security with a small four-cupper in their carry-on very often :-) However, this is also the man that got stopped in security, Michigan bound, two years ago with a huge wrench in his laptop bag. Seems during his hot weather trip he placed it in there while typing up test results not thinking he would forget it was there and then try to go through Phoenix security...silly boy.

I left myself with enough clothes to get through the next 7 days of work, and one last weekend. I will be able to pack a pretty good size piece of luggage on Wednesday with my stuff and the dog's too. Today we went and bought Baxter's kennel and "plane kit" which includes bowls that attach to the door, stickers to be placed on the kennel that read "LIVE ANIMAL" and then a pouch for his medical records. I also bought him another bone today so that he would have something to occupy his time while in cargo. I can't even imagine what that must be like...poor baby. Everything else is pretty much done. They are not shipping my car, so I had to order a new one (oh darn) on Friday. Company Vehicles said that it would be delivered quite close to my arrival date. I am glad that I was able to order something and get it that quickly. That is costumer service!

All in all it was a wonderful weekend. I am so glad that we didn't really have a lot to do on the house, so the kids were able to spend some good time with Daddy...and Melissa got her stir fry! The count down to see the kids this next time is longer than it has been (and I won't be around either), so I am slightly concerned that it will be a little harder on the kids. I am really glad that the web cams are now positioned at everyone's houses and the kids have been told that they can talk to us whenever their mom permits them. The time difference makes things difficult (but not impossible), so I am hoping we can establish something that works for everyone. I guess we shall see how things go.

Let's hope and pray that we have another busy week with showings. Last week was GREAT! Now, I just want to see some interest...I know, I must be patient and rely on Him.

Good night for now!

Gas? Nope

So, it has been a really great last weekend with the kids....it seems so weird to say that. Honestly, it has not sunk in that this is my last weekend in MI with the kids.

Matt flew in Friday night, but did not land until 5:00 am Saturday morning. We did our normal Saturday routine when Daddy is in town...pick-up, breakfast at Ram's Horn in Rochester and then back to the house to relax. Only this Saturday was different...we had two showings at 10 o'clock. So we did go back to the house for about an hour, but then headed over to the cinema at Mound and M59 to pick up our tickets for Monsters vs. Aliens. I had read online that they too had an IMAX theater. I was able to get tickets for the 1:00 showing. The kids were pretty excited. We then ran over to Meijer to pick up dinner for Sunday. It was Melissa's turn to pick and she wants Daddy's stir-fry. It is soooo good :-) We had to do a few "drive-bys" passed the house after shopping because the potential buyers were still in the house. We were able to go back home around 11:15. We had a little lunch and then headed back over to the cinema around 12:30. The movie was excellent. There were lots of parts that were funny that even Matt and I chuckled. Last night, Matt was actually able to bowl on the league which was really nice. Everyone was really happy to see him.

So, onto the subject title. Friday night we had a really great showing. They were here 30 minutes longer than they were supposed to just standing outside in the driveway looking up at the house. We all sat in our cars (Kristin with her three and me with my two) until they left. I don't know much about selling homes, but Kristin said that was a really good sign. Well, later that night I get a call from Diane. She says that she was concerned because the agent thought he smelled gas in the laundry/furnace room. To make a long story short, Matt and I called Consumer's Energy and there is nothing to be concerned about. We just have an old furnace and old pipes. We did find a slight seapage in one of the connections of the piping, but was easily fixed that night. What a relief!

I am really hoping that our home sells quicker than normal. I have everything lined up with the house while I am gone...how friends come through...and feel confident that everything will be okay after I move. Matt is taking two suitcases back with him today, so that all of my clothes will be there when I get there. That is really the only thing I need. Well, and my coffee pot! That is going also. :-) I just can not wait to get down south with Matt. It is so hard to be away from him.

No calls today, thus far, for showings on the home. I know that I shouldn't wish for a quiet afternoon/evening, but I would really like one. I would love us to be able to stay around here and just play and visit. We shall see how it goes.

I will post more later...

It's Official - I Have a Move Date

So, it has been confirmed today that I will be transferring to Nissan's Arizona Proving Ground and will begin work on April 14th. I will be supporting Arizona Operations. Wow, what a relief!!!! Thank the Lord that he has taken care of just one more thing. He is awesome, isn't he? Now, I pray that he takes care of our home. I know he will...in his time.

Baxter and I will be traveling on Wednesday, April 8th. Our non-stop flight departs at 12:10 pm. We touch down at 1:45. I will need to go in the next week to buy his special traveling kennel and fill out all the paperwork that goes along with shipping a live animal. He also has a vet appointment to prove he is up to date on all of his shots Tuesday, April 7th. Can you believe my ticket was half the price of his? Amazing how expensive it is, but he will be with me and then we will be with Matt. Matt says, "Any price is worth it!" :-)

I am so thankful for such a loving and merciful God. He has gotten me through every step of this journey.

We have our 9th showing tonight at 7:30. Please God hear my prayer on the sale of this home.

Webcams Are Here!

The webcams came yesterday and Kristin was nice enough to help me set mine up last night during commercials of LOST. Mine works really good. We have internet being connected in the apartment tomorrow, which is great. The apartment wireless has been coming in and out, and will definitely not be compatible with Skype. Also, Matt is having some problems with his service pack 2, but is very determined to get it working very soon. I am confident it will be up and running very quickly; Matt really wants to "see" the kids.

I did confirm that the couple that came to see the house last night was a new couple. I was a little bummed that it was not a second showing, but I keep telling myself that this will happen on God's watch, not mine. I just hope a really nice family with a couple of children end up here...just like us. This home has brought us such joy these past couple years. I am proud to call this our home. We would not be moving if it was not for Matt's job. We had planned on retiring here. I hope that another woman walks into this house and feels the same warmth that I feel...the warmth of a home, not just a house with four walls.

Only 8 more days until I get to see Matt. I am very excited. I have been keeping myself busy at the gym, and I am finally starting to see a change. I think Matt and I have this little unspoken competition going on (like everything)...we will see who looks better in 8 days :-)

First Weekday Evening Showing

I am very excited that we have our first weekday evening showing. With all of the new under cabinet lighting and recessed lighting above the fireplace, the home is just absolutely beautiful at night. I am hoping that this is a second showing, but I have not been able to confirm. I have placed a call with Diane, and I am awaiting her call back.

The count down continues for Matt to be home. Only 9 more days! I miss him so much.

Continue with your prayers. I know they are helping. Diane said that she feels VERY optimistic about how much we have shown our home thus far. She said that is a really good sign.

More to come...

Matthew 19:26

Yes, with God, all things are possible! That was our children’s memory verse for the week that I taught them yesterday. I find it so comforting how He finds ways to talk to me and reassure me that things will be okay every day!

I had a really amazing talk with Sue, our Assistant Director of Children’s Ministry, and she informed me that my children will be taken care of when I leave…that she has already lined up a full time small group leader!!!! I can’t believe it. What a blessing J We have had such hardships this year with volunteers. The fact that she has already found someone is outstanding. She said to me that I need not worry about anything. She feels that God will set everything in motion shortly with my job and the house. She is right. He has been so awesome in making everything work smoothly thus far, what are a few more minor details?! He provided Matt with a job, and that was the most important.

I received feedback on the two couples that came through and looked at the house on Saturday. They are really looking for a home with a master bath. In Raintree? Are they kidding? Well, at least the negative feedback thus far has not been terrible feedback.

I will continue to pray and put faith in Him.

Saturday Adventures

Today is the first Saturday that the house has been on the market. I am slightly nervous about what I do all day long. However, I made sure I have a pretty tightly packed day, so that should help me somewhat. The first showing is at 12:00 noon. I have completely vacuumed the house (I am surprised that the carpeting hasn't started to unravel), washed all the dishes and packed myself a bag for the day. I have a hair appointment at 12:00, then I will go and work out, and then I have bowling.

I worry about Baxter. We played all morning, he went outside a few times, he had breakfast, and is now lying on the couch. I feel bad that I will be gone all day, but maybe I can convince him that it is a weekday and Momma is just going to work...maybe :-) probably not.

I haven't got any more calls regarding showings, but since I will be gone all day it doesn't really matter. Nothing planned for tomorrow, and I really hope that changes.

Additional Tickers on Side

I have created tickers on the side to track our progress...I hope that the numbers continue to grow.

I want to thank everyone for their heartfelt prayers and kind words. I know that you may not comment here, but you continue to send emails, phone calls, and comments to FaceBook. Every one of them gets me closer to being with Matt again.

I love all of you dearly.

Officially On The Market

We were place on Realtor.com today!! MLS ID #29034501:

BEAUTIFUL COL. IN POP. "RAINTREE". HOME HAS OPEN FLOOR PLAN W/GORGEOUS UPDATED KITCHEN OPENING TO HUGE FAMILY ROOM W/FIREPLACE. ALL BATHS UPDATED, NEWER NEUTRAL CARPETING. FABULOUS FINISHED BASEMENT. W/BATH IS EXCEPTIONAL. LOT IS VERY PRIVATE & BACKS TO PROTECTED AREA. TASTEFULLY DECORATED, PRICED TO SELL. AND NO BANKS ARE INVOLVED. DON'T MISS THIS ONE. NEW BAKER MIDDLE SCHOOL(IB PROGRAM) & NEW INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY.

Don't you want to live there? :-)

Quiet Evening

I am finally getting a chance to enjoy a quiet evening. Everything is pretty much done in the house with the exception of a few drawers that need to be cleaned out and hanging that darn towel ring. I also have to fold one load (a week's worth) of laundry...sure different from when everyone was here.

Wilson is coming over tonight to do the beam on the front porch. I am slightly nervous about what I do once he is done. I mean, it is not warm enough to paint, so what do I do until it is warm enough? What will people think when they come up to the house????? Okay. I need to stop worrying. Everything else has been taken care of - God willing - I will trust in him that this too will be taken care of.

I think I could get used to these quiet evenings. There are so many things that I have wanted to do for myself for a long time. I think I will pull out "my list" and finally get to a few of them. I bought and started reading Living on Live Food, a book by Alissa Cohen about eating a raw and living food diet, but had gotten to busy to really get into it...I think I will this time. I have always wanted to do yoga in the morning and evening...I think I will start. I can at least say that I have kept my promise to myself about the gym - three times a week - and I have done it!

Today, Nissan announced 5 mandatory days that we are required to take through the 2009 calendar year. I was actually happy about them because they will help with the traveling back and forth to/from AZ. In fact, I booked my flight for Easter today; April 8th through the 13th. I am very excited to spend the holiday in our new state and with Matt. I am hoping that he can scope out a few Lutheran churches in the area and have a favorite, so that we can attend church there on Sunday. I am also hoping we can plan a day hike or white water rafting trip at the Grand Canyon during the weekend. I have wanted to do that since 2007.

Unfortunately, I do not have any updates to a possible job lead. I did have a nice discussion with my Director today, and he said that he is still trying to find me a job. I am optimistic that a job will be found; however, realistic too. I guess we shall see.

One last note, Matt finally got my laptop working last night! See, you can accomplish anything when you have nothing but time on your hands and some determination. He is now shopping for web cams for the kids and I. We should have something REALLY soon! That will be so nice when the kids can actually see Daddy. That will make a world of difference.

Feedback on First Showing

So, feedback from Diane was pretty good. Matt and I were really concerned that there would be a lot of concerns since we have never done this sort of thing before....well, I guess that isn't exactly all that true...I did have the other two houses with my previous marriage, but for some reason this feels different, and I guess it is since Matt and I have never done this together. I will say, though, that this just seemed like so much more work! LOL

The only negative comment was the windows, and that was expected. The wife absolutely fell in love with the interior. She said that it was only one of two that she saw that felt like a real home when you walked in. It makes me happy that someone else can walk into my home and feel at home. She wants to bring the husband back to see it. I can only pray that something comes from this. However, this is the first day...who am I trying to kid!

Thanks again to all who are praying for us. Every single one of them helps.

Bathroom Done / House on Market / First Showing Tomorrow

As has been the case for the past three weeks, I am once again running around like a chicken with my head cut off at 11:30 at night. However, major updates that I wanted to give everyone tonight.

Bathroom is Done
Yep, "the wall" is finally completed. I have not gotten up the towel ring, but I may do that tonight if I get a chance. Also, the bedroom was primed and painted this evening. The crack has been fixed and the holes that Matt and I created are gone!

the wall

Before the mirror framing and faucets

After the mirror framing and faucets

House is on the Market
Diane came over today to review Matt's signatures and ensure I had signed my share. The sign went on the front lawn at 6:00 p.m.

First Showing
Diane then informed me right after the sign was up that she is bringing a buyer through the house tomorrow at noon. I am so excited!!!!! She informed me that this buyer will only buy in Barnard school area...for those of you that are thinking it, yes I did mention to her that the bus picks up in our driveway :-)

Okay, I must go now because I need to do a little clean-up (did you see the finger smudges on the mirror?) The rest of the house is good besides the floors.

Prayers everyone please!!!!!

Matt's First Visit

Friday, at noon, the garage door guys came to put in our new garage door (Don and Nathan from Garagedoors.com, I believe). They did an excellent job. For how much we paid, the attention to detail far surpassed my expectations. They were there for 5 ½ hours! So now that the garage door is up and it looks so nice, I really want to get the exterior painted. I know that there is nothing we can do about the windows; we are not attempting to replace, but it would be nice if the house was painted. Gutters scraped and a fresh coat of paint on the siding is what I really think the house needs. Wilson was asked and is coming over on Wednesday to replace the front porch pillar, thank goodness, what a God-send! (Thanks Jen!!!) I am going to make some phone calls beginning of this week and get a quote on how much it would cost to get someone to paint. However, if the weather stays in the 40s, which it is forecasted for this week, I may just do it myself. I really don’t think it would be all that difficult. I have a ladder big enough.

Matt replaced the faucets in the upstairs bathroom on Saturday and also helped with the drywall where the medicine cabinet used to be. I am happy to report that he didn’t have to assist much; he was very happy with what had been done. That gave him more time to work on framing in the mirror. I must say that I was very against fixing that because I just did not think that you would see that big of a difference, but you can. It is not completely done yet; however, I hole fill-in and a quick second coat should do the trick. I am hoping to have that done by Wednesday.

There was a nice crack in the wall of the master bedroom next to the east window. After chipping away at the raised paint, I mudded it. It will need a second coat today, and maybe a third on Tuesday. It was not a bad blemish to replace; I just want to ensure it is fixed properly. It is on a highly visible wall. Matt and I also attempted to feed the cable wire down the wall on Sunday unsuccessfully. I now have another hole to fix. I have already placed the wood backing on the hole and screwed that in with drywall screws and the first coat of mud has already been applied. I think that will mend without any notice. So much for cable in my bedroom!

Diane visited us on Saturday to bring over all the paperwork. Matt reviewed it last night on the way to the airport and signed everything. I want to put off listing now until these few things listed above are complete; however, it will matter on Diane’s advice. If she feels it will not hurt us, then I guess we can list at any time now.

It was very difficult seeing Matt off last night. I am not dealing with this long distance thing very well. I know that things will get better…it is just difficult when you don’t know when you will be together again…time continues to march on.

Weekend ReCap

Wow! What a blessed weekend :-) Today was such a great ending to three wonderful uninterrupted days with my kids. I truly feel like Jacob did in Gen 33 when he answered Esau when asked about the children with him and he said that they were the ones the Lord had been so kind enough to give him. Isn't that the truth!

Today the kids and I got up early, had a good breakfast and headed off to church. Being that I am a Sunday school teacher for 1st and 2nd graders, I get to instruct them while they are there (well, as long as they pick my small group...which they always do!) We got to sing together, pray together and read the bible together in a setting of 12 other boys and girls. It was such an encouragement. I was a little anxious about how much they would participate since they had not been there in a few weeks (and we had a pretty in depth lesson plan today), but there was no shyness at all! Melissa even helped one of my "every-weekers" find the excerpt that we were reading...go Melissa!

After church, we headed home, got changed and then went to Melissa's riding lesson. She is doing so well and really developing her riding skills. Her and I talked about what she might want to do once she comes out to Arizona and visits. She said that she would still like to keep her riding going, so I told her that we would start to look around. I really don't want her to give up something that you can just tell she truly loves just because she is coming out to stay with us for a while. We can figure something out, I am sure.

After a little running around, the three of us came home and relaxed. We played Life, the board game, Melissa and I baked a cake, and and then got ready to finish out the weekend...dinner and baths/showers. We at dinner and ended it with yummy chocolate on chocolate cake. Yumm-0!

I love my kids! Only 5 more days and Daddy will be home for the weekend!

Realtor Visit

I was going to post Friday night, but by the time Diane left, and I fed the kids and got stories read and tucked them in, it was really late. Friday was such a great night getting good news and then finishing off the night with my kids. I really miss them now that I don't get to see them as much as I used to...but life is about change, right?

So, Diane came at 7:00 and did a walk through. She just loved the interior. She said that I had done a marvelous job staging the house. That made me feel SO GOOD! All of my hard work had paid off. She just could not believe how great Matt's finished basement is. Now, the reality is, well, the reality is what it is...the economy has gone in the swisher, and with that, so has the housing market. She said that in the 20 years that she has been doing this, she has never seen it THIS bad. She really feels unsure of how our house will do in the market, but she said that she would like to price it at $189,000 and see what happens. It makes me ill to think that we are going to give our house away, but what in the heck do you do?!?! She provided a market analysis of the area and where our house stands in comparison, and it just makes your stomach turn. I must admit, I am quite nervous about this whole thing. However, she did admit that a lot of houses are being leased out in the area, so we could go that route...but that would just stink. Who in the world wants to manage a property that is 2,000 miles away...surely not me. I mean, we could pay a company to do it, but that just seems like A LOT of work. It would be just such a blessing if we could unload it. Matt will be home this coming week, and Diane will be here on Saturday to have Matt sign the paperwork and place a sign on the house. It just seems all so odd; our house on the market. We are moving...

The kids have been an absolute joy to have this weekend. I have missed them so much. Friday we went to Pizza Hut for dinner after Diane left. Yesterday we were busy with the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum, a trip to Toys R Us, them accompanying me to bowling, and then we came home and watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factor and had popcorn. We have had so much fun.Today is church, riding lesson for Melissa, and then relaxing (homemade dinner and showers/baths before bed). We are all so looking forward to next week when we will all be together with Daddy!

The last remaining touches need to be down to the house: "the wall" in the bathroom still needs to be painted and the ring towel hanger needs to go up, faucets need to be changed out, mirror framed, and then a vertical in the living room and a horizontal on the front window. Diane said that with those changes we are good to go for the 9th. The garage door is coming either tomorrow or Tuesday and then we will make some decisions on exterior paint. Not a lot more, I believe.

Well, it is off to church and to start our Sunday. I teach today and the kids are excited to be in my small group :-)

Our Virtual Tour!

I thought that it would be easier to show Matt video than pictures of the house. Here you go...




Basement



First Floor




Second Floor.

Sorry for the commentary, but I just didn't feel right about walking around the entire house and not saying anything.

I want to give the warmest thanks to Emily, Tammie and Paul. Without the three of you, none of this would have been possible. I also want to let everyone know that I did get three hours of sleep last night...three more than Wednesday night. :-)

Diane will be here at 7:00 p.m. tonight. I am very excited. I am actually thinking about trying to get that wall painted before she gets here...we shall see.

Ceiling is Done

I have been busy today. I had the kids for a few hours today, and they were so good so that I could get done what I needed to get done. I promised them I would make it up to them this weekend.

The hole received another layer of mud and the ceiling is done!

Before
After
Before
After :-)

I never thought I could get the ceiling to look like that!
This is the little corner next to the tub that I had to recreate because it was completely worn down.

So tomorrow I will put up the lights like I wanted to do today, and I will also install the faucets. If I can get the mending done under the window and sanded, I may be able to paint all the walls with the exception of the wall the medicine cabinet was on. I believe that I have another day on that. If the walls can get painted, I can also go and get the towel and toilet paper hangers and get them up.

I believe that I will make my deadline!

Bathroom Update

The hole has been filled and the first layer of mud is up:

wood on bottom is still there; you will notice that the mirror has been moved over slightly so that we can work :-)

Wood is gone and extra drywall that the idiot homeowners before us is ripped out also. Reinforced wood on the left is up

We decided that cutting the drywall in the bathroom wasn't a good idea...we moved to the garage.

Drywall is in place

First coat of mud is on :-)

Great News!!!!!

I am so glad that I have some good news because I am not doing very well today…I miss Matt. It has officially been over a week since I have seen him and 14 days since he left.

Mark, our lawyer, has finally made all of the changes to the Amendment and it is ready to be signed. I will give to Erin tonight for her review and signature. That is a heavy load off of our shoulders. After both sides have signed, Mark will take to the courthouse for the judge to review and approve. He said that since both parties will have already signed there shouldn’t be any issues. I can only hope that he is right :-)

I have an appointment with the Realtor on Friday at 7:00 pm!!!! She called me today with some urgency that we get the house on the market as soon as possible. She informed me that there are two families that are awaiting a colonial in Raintree sub to be placed on the market. There is only a tri-level currently, and they are not interested in that floor plan. Both families are already pre-approved. I am so excited. However…BIG however…I now have to work double time to finish the bathroom. Emily is coming over tonight to help with the medicine cabinet (thank you, Em, so much). Matt is now on the phone to get the garage door replaced this week.

Can we do it????

Last Room Before the Sign

So, I decided that I wanted to try to take on the bathroom myself, so this passed week, I started to rip things off the walls and patch holes. I know that Matt will be back in less than two weeks, but I figure that the more work I can do, the less work he has to do. That way, he can spend time with us instead of working on the house. I am pretty proud of the work that I have done thus far...and I think that Matt would be also. (I guess I will know when he reads this and sees the pictures :-) )

So, here is my start:

I have taken down the towel rack and toilet paper dispenser under the window and have filled the holes. I have also patched the areas where the shower curtain was, so that is why it is on the tile right now.

Reworked the corner behind the toilet. As you can see, I haven't replaced the faucets yet, that will be last with the blinds.

You can see it better here.

I have taken out the light fixtures and medicine cabinet. I sanded down the ridges around the light fixtures and it is now ready for primer paint. I am having some friends help me with the hole from the medicine cabinet. I believe there will be a bigger hole tomorrow (according to how they advise me to patch the hole). I am excited to try to take this on. I think this will be the hardest thing I will take on. I am also moving the mirror over to the left a bit to frame it.

I am replacing the the mirrored door with a six panel like the rest of the house.

I will continue to take pictures of my progress. I am very excited to take this challenge on myself. I know that Matt is a bit worried, but I really want to try this myself. I really believe that I can do it.

I have spent a lot of time on the phone with Matt today. Finding an area that we like in Phoenix has been a little difficult. There are so many houses to choose from. We are not actually looking at houses yet, we just want to get an idea of area. Matt and I promised each other we would not get excited about a house yet, until there was activity on ours...which takes the house being on the market. The bathroom has to be finished first...good motivation, right? I believe so!

That is all for now :-)