Eenie Meenie Minie Moe

I love the things kids say to brighten our days! As you can see from my last post, I was highly distracted yesterday, trying to figure out which house is right, etc. Lillian is the type of child who can tell when you aren't giving her undivided attention when you talk to her (hmmm- just like her mother), and was getting mad at me. I apologized to her and said- "sorry honey- I am just thinking about what house we should move into when we move!"

She then said "Mom, just do Eenie Meenie Minie Moe! I'll help you!"

Made me smile and realize I was stressing way too much. I love the simple life of a child.


In the end we DID decide- actually it was the same decision we had already pretty much made- to forget about the short sale house and go for the one around the corner on the cul de sac. Jon found a nice photo tour online with even more pictures to remind me what a great house it is, and after thinking about it all day I came more to terms with giving up on the other house, and had the good feeling that this REALLY is the right course of action. So- today we will be putting in a new offer and I am anxious and excited! I hope all goes well and we will have a place to move into come February 21!

Should we go for a different house?

I feel so distracted today! My mind is filled with worry and doubt, as I hope we make the right choices!

We found out yesterday that the house we put an offer on just got another offer that is better than ours. We also found out because of outsourcing and more by the bank, it will be at least two more weeks before we could hear back. We are really taking a gamble that we will be able to move in on time with that house. It is a short sale kind of headache. So, should we just move on to another house? Our "second choice" that I mentioned in my last post is no longer avaiable- it must not have been meant to be.

There is another just around the corner that we had originally decided against, but as we were looking through all of our notes and listings for the houses we looked at while we were in Spokane, we decided to think about this one again. It is about the same size and WAY nicer, but less bedrooms and a smaller feeling backyard. The first house (the short sale one) is the same square footage and the lot size is also the same. The second one is on a cul de sac (which we like better), but it makes the yard a wedge shape instead of a square, which makes it FEEL smaller. It is actually EXACTLY the same shape and size as our lot was in Yakima, but this time the house takes up a little more room. The yard on the first house wasn't THAT much better or bigger, just a better shape.

In the long run, we could easily egress a couple of rooms in the second house- giving it more bedrooms-- it just doesn't have them to start off. As I said, the second house is WAY nicer looking on the inside, with a much better kitchen, a shop in the basement, a better garage, and wouldn't need all the TLC (and who knows what else because the short sale house has been vacant for a long time). We went for that house because the potential was GREAT and the price low- - I am not sure if it is worth fighting for, since it would now be the same price as the second which was actually better. Originally it wasn't enough better than the one around the corner for the higher price. Now they have come down in price, and we would have to UP the price on the first-making them pretty much the same.

Since we have been thinking of and getting excited about the neighborhood- it would be great to just be around the corner in a nice cul de sac, still being blocks from the school, church and a nice park.

I can't say we have found the "perfect house" -or one we are willing to really fight for, since there are other good options in our price range. It is just what is the right thing? I really don't want to move twice, or put our stuff in storage, so timing is becoming more important to me and the short sale just doesn't seem to be working for us (especially since there are other offers coming in which forces us to up ours). To stay above the other bid, we are already higher than we wanted for that house with the upgrades we would need to do in the long run.

Pictures of the "second house"




Or should we go for another one of our original favorites in a different neighborhood (still good but not as convenient- it is farther to drive to everything, including Jon to work). It is beautiful and on a 3/4 acre lot, but slightly smaller (we would loose a lot of basement space because it is a four level split), and costs $30-$40 thousand more.

A few pictures of this one:







As we were discussing the house last night, Jon reminded me that the only problems we had originally with the "second house around the corner from the first" was the funny shaped backyard and the way it was landscaped, that we would have to egress a bedroom, and that it looked "too nice" for our family - - and mostly that there was a house around the corner that was the same size with more bedrooms and a square backyard (although needing some TLC and more, and the kitchen wasn't as good), but was $20,000 less because of the short sale. He feels really good about that second nicer house, and I guess I do to, but for some reason I still feel worried about it-maybe just because we had originally decided against it. Anyway- I want to do what is right- and feel so distracted about it today! We need to decide in the next day or so what we are going to do.

We put in an offer . . .

Success!! Our trip to Spokane was a whirlwind of activity - - certainly not romantic by any means, even though we were there without kids, but wonderful all the same. As we flew in late Thursday night (Dec 1st) I had an overwhelming feeling of coming HOME. We recognized all that we were seeing from the air and celebrated in the beauty of our home town. Besides being able to visit with our parents and a few family members while there (and of course my side trip to CA), we looked at around 25 houses in Deer Park and North Spokane, and settled on a house in Brentwood Forest in North Spokane. Jon will still only have to commute 15-20 minutes up to Deer Park (on a nice highway through beautiful scenery) and yet it put us much closer to our family, shopping, church, etc. In fact the house we chose is only blocks from the North Spokane Stake Center, Brentwood elementary school, Northwood Park and Mead High School. I love the pine tree forested neighborhood which has newer parts and older parts, but yet feels so family friendly and nice.




The biggest hitch on the house we chose is that it is a "short sale", which means the whole process of buying and closing takes longer. I pray it will be ready in time- - we have 2 1/2 months until we need to move in- - I hope it is enough time!! It wasn't the most gorgeous house we saw (we saw some really BEAUTIFUL houses that we almost too fancy for a family like ours), but is VERY livable and nice as it is. With 6 bedrooms, 3652 square feet, and good amounts of storage- it was the house that seemed to fit us best, and at a great price. It seriously is $70,000 less than our second choice, saving us hundreds on a house payment. We decided that the amount we would save is worth the little bit of TLC it needs (it has been vacant for awhile). It still looks fine, but there are just enough little projects for Jon to do to keep him happy (since he likes that kind of thing). It just feels so right- so we are going to try for it- - we are fervently praying that all goes well! We do have several other houses we really liked (at a higher price, but still within our price range) that are not a short sale that we could go for if this doesn't work out. I really hope that it does, though! I am trying to not stress over it- again I go back to the feelings the Lord has given me throughout this whole process. Whenever I feel a little doubt or worry, I feel strongly that everything will work out, and that I should not stress. I almost get chastized when I start to feel stressed- - like the Lord is saying "I ALREADY told you that things will work out the way they need to- - quit worrying!!" So, however it happens, even if it isn't in the time frame we want- it WILL be fine.

You know how certain songs seem to apply at different times in our lives? The one that keeps running through my head is "It's gonna be a good life, it's gonna be a good life, a good, good life . . . ". Maybe it is because this song is played on the current Disneyworld ommercial and we are heading there soon, but I think it does apply. We have sacrificed soooo much for Jon's career. We have had some truly difficult trial over the years with his path to becoming a Doctor. Financially, of course it has been hard, but truly our hardships were not related to money. As Jon visited with the clinic in Deer Park, I see this amazing light of excitement in his eyes as he will get to finally do what has has been trained to do, and in the setting he chooses. For our family, we have moved across the country and back, and then accross the country again, uprooting our family each time and the repercussions that came with those moves were difficult. We have lived surrounded by poverty and in places too small for our family. We have managed apartments, pulled out more loans, shopped at the thrift store, carted laundry across parking lots, scrimped and pinched to make it. Truly through all these times, we were a happy family, and we have had many wonderful memories together as a family. I think since we knew that we were working toward a better life, and with a Gospel Perspective we truly didn't feel impoverished or deprived. Our hardest trials had more to do with the emotional well being of certain family members. At the same time, I can't say I never cursed our tiny kitchens, lack of washer and dryer or junker cars over the years. . but I am only human, right?? To see the end of all of that so near- it truly feels like it is going to be a "good, good life". I will NEVER take for granted a good income, and I will also never take for granted my family! Like I said, we truly did have wonderful times as a family working towards this goal, and I am so grateful to finally be there. I know that there are probably are other trials we will have to face ahead, for money isn't everything, but I know that we can handle them with the Lords help. We have been through so much to this point- I have no doubt the Lord has been with us through it all, and I am so grateful for how much HE has watched out for us. For truly, I feel we have been taken care of and watched over. I attribute our success and our upcoming (and past) "good life" to Him!

I will miss you Grandma Monson

(Grandma reading to me and my sister Shauna- 1980 ish)


(Grandma and Grandpa Monson with me and my sisters Shauna and baby Laura- 1982)


(My siblings and I with Grandma in 1991)


My wonderful Granmother, Geraldine Kirkham Monson passed away on November 19th, 2011 at the age of 89. During my trip to Spokane to house hunt, I also got on a plane with my parents and few to California for her funeral on December 3rd. What a wonderful and emotional occasion! We of course miss her dearly, but she is now with my grandpa and it was her time. The funeral was BEAUTIFUL as we remembered her amazing life. It was especially wonderful to see all of my aunts and uncles and cousins. All of the cousins are adults and it is amazing to feel the connection we have, even if we haven't seen each other for a long time. The depth of familial love and understanding, even when it comes to our life's challenges (such as with raising children) was wonderful to share. We share in the legacy my grandparents set forth and I realize how much I am a product of my Dad's upbringing, mixed with my Mom's legacy. I am so grateful for that legacy and what I am able to pass onto my own children. My favorite part of the service was singing "How Great Thou Art" with all my cousins. WOW- most are amazing singers and we filled that chapel with the most amazing sounds of love for our passed grandmother. The wonderful thing about funerals with a Gospel Perspective is that I feel like I can glimpse eternity, and I certainly felt the glory of it. It was also so wonderful to spend time with my parents and siblings, just the seven of us.

My grandmother was an amazing lady!

Her obituary:
Geraldine Kirkham Monson
July 4, 1922-Nov, 19, 2011
Resident of Hayward
Geraldine Kirkham Monson, a long time resident of Hayward, passed away peacefully at her home on November 19, 2011. She is survived by her 5 children: Keyne Bradley Monson (Sharon) of Orem, UT, Susan Monson Lyon (Michael) of Pleasanton, CA, Robert Craig Monson (Karen) of Salt Lake City, UT, Dr. Douglas Kirkham Monson (Marilyn) of Spokane, WA, David Brent Monson (Marla) of Fremont, CA, 23 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren. Her husband, Keyne Parkinson Monson, preceded her in death on November 20, 2008.
Geraldine (known as 'Gerry' to her friends and family) was born in Oakland, California on July 4, 1922, as the youngest of 7 children to Francis Washington Kirkham and Martha Alzina Robison Kirkham. She spent her childhood in Berkeley, New York City, and Salt Lake City, graduating from East High School in Salt Lake and attending the University of Utah.
In 1941 Gerry moved to Washington D.C. There she met Keyne Monson and they quickly fell in love. They were married on September 12, 1942 in the Salt Lake LDS temple.
During the 1940's, Keyne and Gerry lived in New York City #172;while he attended medical school and completed his training in Ear, Nose, and Throat medicine. Their first two children were born there. A highlight of Gerry's time in New York City was singing with the New York Oratorio Society at Carnegie Hall.
In 1950 Keyne and Gerry moved their young family to the Bay Area and eventually settled in Hayward where he opened his medical practice. Gerry was Keyne's office manager while he established his practice, but with the addition of three more children, Gerry stayed home to rear their busy family.
Gerry was an active member of the community. She sang in the La Golindrina community choir, and was active in Questers (an organization that raises money to preserve and restore buildings of historic interest), Cal State Hayward Affiliates and Eden Medical Auxiliary, among others. She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, attending the Hayward 1st Ward for over 50 years where she held many volunteer church positions. She was a member of two book clubs and was a life-long learner.
Gerry's was a life of service to her family and friends, and she looked for the goodness and beauty in life and in others. Her many virtues and her love and appreciation of art, music, and literature were a guiding force in her life, which she passed on to her children.
Her family expresses its deepest thanks to the network of angels who helped care for Gerry in her last years and months, especially Martha Grover and the Garcia family and Araceli Loza, whose loving care made all the difference, and the dedicated team at Odyssey Hospice for their service.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 3, 2011, at 11:00 am at the LDS Hayward 1st Ward chapel, 2000 Highland Blvd, Hayward, CA 94542.

Spokane, here we come!

Well, time does bring good news! Although we still aren't 100 percent if we should buy or rent- things are looking really good for buying (which is what we really WANT to do, if it is right). We found a bank in Deer Park (the one that does the financing for the clinic Jon will be working at) that was willing to seriously bend over backwards for us. They are doing an in-house non-conforming loan which means all the rules go out the window- they can do whatever they want with it, so it will work for our situation. It is at a great interest rate, and we won't even have to pay the PMI. And since having the down payment up front is hard for us, they are going to do an unsecured loan on a one year note. If we were going to rent, we would have been saving for a few months to get the down payment- so this works really well for us and ends up being better overall.

I appreciate everyone's input on this! I know that there are many benefits to renting first, but since we know the area really well already we feel comfortable buying right away. The stability of not having to move again, including possibly moving schools, wards, etc is huge for us. Even if the job for some reason doesn't work out in the end (which feels unlikely)- we would be staying in the Spokane area anyway. Not only is the job such a great offer, and has everything he was looking for in a career, but is just feels so right and the people there seemed great to work with. Of course, you never know what will happen, but I think unless something really crazy happens, Jon will do whatever he can to make it work there.

We are leaving tomorrow for our big trip (without kids!!) back to Spokane to look at houses- there are so many great houses in our price range it will be hard to narrow it down! Exciting times for us. We will be doing a lot of praying that we will choose what will be best for our family, and of course to make sure it is the right time to buy a house. I want to buy sooo badly, sometimes I worry that my own desires will get the way of any Spritual promptings. Jon and I both feel really good about buying right away, so I figure at least one of us would get some kind of prompting or bad feeling if it wasn't right. Even back when I wrote the last post and wasn't sure if it would even be possible to buy, when we would pray about it I just felt calm, and that I shouldn't worry so much about the whole situation. I didn't get a feeling one way or another about which option is right- just that I shouldn't stress over it. So, I figure that I am trying really hard to truly listen-so I hope we are directed to what is right!

One completely un-related bit of news- my Grandma Monson (my last surviving Grandparent) passed away on Saturday, November 19th. Although I will truly miss her and love her so much, it was her time and it was expected. She is now with my Grandpa (who passed away three years ago). She was an incredible lady, and a wonderful Grandma. Her funeral just happened to get scheduled on the same weekend we will be in Spokane- - so I will be getting on another plane with my parents and flying to California for her funeral on Saturday. We will be able to look at houses together on Friday (until we leave in the evening), and Monday, but Jon will have to do some looking on Saturday without me. I am very much looking forward to this little side trip, though, to celebrate my Grandma and see all my extended family, and be together with my parents and siblings.

Today's Lillian-ism

As Lillian climbed into the cold van this morning:

Lillian:
"Daddy- can you turn on the hot air coditioner?"

Jon:
"You mean the heater?"

Lillian:
"Ya- not the COLDER."

To buy or not to buy? That IS the question . . .

I interrupt my chronological account of of our family's comings and goings for a current update. It seems like all my posts from the last year have included something about being so far behind- - but I guess that is my busy life! I don't think it will ever change- at least not for awhile.

Anyway, our most recent update about our move to WA has to do with whether or not we should buy a house. Up until last week, we were still waiting on Jon's medical license to FINALLY be issued in the state of Washington so we would know his job is 100 percent a go- that was the final piece. It took about 11 weeks to finally get approved (a whole other story involving the state of WA loosing his paperwork and CWFM taking over two months to turn in their portion of the paperwork)- a long time to wait, but it did finally go through! Yippeeeeeee- that was a happy day.

As soon as that license was issued, we started the process of contacting a realtor, banks and trying to figure out the best way to going about buying a house. Within the first few phone calls, I was severely disappointed and realized that banks don't really like new doctors out of residency, and that we may not BE ABLE to buy at this time. I had always planned on using the Bank of America's Doctor loan (which we were pre-approved for in 2008 when we were buying then- - but then ended up going with an FHA loan because the house is a "manufactured" home and didn't qualify for the doctor loan). Up until just last year, it was a zero down payment loan, with no PMI and competetive rates. Best of all, we could actually qualify for it even though Jon's income isn't good YET, and he hasn't started his position yet. The loan is designed for doctor's unique situations, whether out of residencey or not. Well, Bank of America was my first phone call, and yes, we would qualify, but we need a 5% down payment. My heart sank as I heard this- we really are close to being able to do this (with Jon's signing bonus), BUT it would uncomfortably make things pretty tight. With all of our other immediate financial concerns (some credit card debt, needing to buy a car for Jon after we move, 6 weeks of no pay during the interim, etc), we just can't do 5% down right now.

So I started contacting bank after bank and found that really our options are limited at this time. Another FHA loan would work (though each bank undestood the terms differently- one said Jon would have to have started working for at least 30 days, another said we just had to close within 60 days of him starting if he has a contract, and another said we couldn't do it because we already HAVE an FHA loan on another house, and the other said it was OK if the move was for relocation of jobs). An FHA loan is 3 1/2 % down- which is much more comfortable, but caps at right in our price range. We finally did find a bank that could possibly do some creative financing (including an unsecured loan) to help with their 5% down payment- though I didn't find that out until four or five days after starting all the phone calls, and I still am not sure if it is financially wise.

Jon and I spent most of the week talking about and trying to find the best course of action- - should we do an FHA loan with 3 1/2 percent down, or the creative financing, and possibly make things a bit financially challenging at first? Or do we wait and rent for a year and get our financial ducks in a row before buying? Because we have had to move so many times, and certain members of the family don't handle transition well, I was really hoping to find our modest dream home and stay put for the rest of our lives. No more changing schools, no more uprooting our family and the emotional things that go along with that . . this was my dream. At the same time, renting isn't such a bad thing- we would still be in the AREA at least- we could try out Deer Park and see if we even like living in a small town like that, and most of all, make sure JON likes his job at Deer Park and will be able to make a good career there. Sigh- what to do? Even if we buy- is it best to buy IN Deer Park so JOn has a very small commute, or do we buy in North Spokane where he would be commuting 15-25 minutes on a semi treacherous (in the winter)highway? Do we opt for the awesome Mead school disctrict- one of the best in the state- but also HUGE, and the North Spokane Stake? Or do we go for the small town life with a really small (but still good) school district of four schools-the high school having only 600-ish students, and a Stake that spans from the border of Spokane to Canada- the beautiful northern wilderness of Eastern Washington? We have been looking at listings online for all the different areas, and we have a lot of wonderful options of houses- it really is a buyer's market.

So many decisions to make! Jon and I have planned a trip to go check it all out the beginning of December, and I have to say that I am super excited. Which house will I walk into and know it is mine? Or will none feel right? Maybe we will find a house that we can rent first and THEN buy- so we don't even have to move? Even though this week my mind has been obsessed with these, my spirit feels calm, like everything is going to work out the way it should. I want so much to have and follow the quidance of the Holy Ghost in these life changing decisions, without my human emotions impeding our decisions- and that is what I am praying for. I don't want us to make a choice based on what SEEMS to be the best at the time, but what IS right for us in the long run. I pray that we will be led as to what is right. I have to remind myself that in the end, our life is going to take a wonderful turn for the better, and I am so grateful that we are finally there. What an amazing road (the bad AND the good) our family has been on.

Cynthia's Phineas and Ferb party

Happy 8th Birthday to Cynthia! Since she has a summer birthday, and the kids' favorite TV show for the summer was Phineas and Ferb- what better than to have a PHINEAS and FERB themed pool party.

Swimming fun:



Poster scavengar hunt- - Jon drew a cool Phineas and Ferb poster, which the kids had to find the pieces and "build" the birthday club house, and color in the poster.

(on the poster: Isabella: "Watcha Doin'?" Phineas: "Building a tree fort for Cynthia's birthday!" Ferb: "But we need all her friends to find the parts."


The "mummy" race (wrapping crepe paper around someone like a mummy then running)





Presents and cake!






A fun party for my super fun Cynthia!

Harry Potter Party 2011

Part 2 of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" - the very last Harry Potter movie definitely is a great reason to host a party! We had a blast as we threw together probably our last Harry Potter Pary.

Swimming in the "Black Lake"





We even had "Belatrix" and "Dobby" come . . .




The older kids especially loved our scavengar hunt. We set up places around the house and yard to represent something from each of the 7 books. They had to pick up a sticker label at each spot with the next clue.


1st Clue (Sorcerer's Stone): Devilishly clever plant- don’t let it snare you!


2nd Clue (Chamber of Secrets) This object, bewitched by Mr. Weasley, helped Ron and Harry get to Hogwarts in their second year.


3rd Clue (Prizoner of Azkaban) In their third year, Harry, Ron and Hermione found a secret passage way beneath this dangerous tree.


4th Clue (Goblet of Fire) To win the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Harry had to find this magical cup in a giant hedge maze.


5th Clue (Order of the Phoenix) This magical room appeared to fit the need of the student - - could be a secret room, or even a bathroom!


6th Clue (Half Blood Prince) Harry was the top of this class, with the help of a book owned by the Half Blood Prince . . .


7th Clue (Deathly Hallows) This object appeared out of the sorting hat to Harry in year two, and Neville in year seven.


At then end everyone got to pick a prize!


A few other themed things:
"House Elves only" into the kitchen:


Pencil wand craft


Can't have a party without food!

Come to the "burrow" to enjoy a nice bottle of "butterbear!"

The Monson Monsoon July 2011

My mom turned to me and said, "Don't you think it's funny- we all grew up on the West Coast and we are having our very first family reunion in the Midwest?" Well, that's how it goes when three of the five children in my family live in the midwest! This all came about sort of spontaneously when I realized all five kids were going to be in the same area. Shauna and her family from Utah were going to come for a visit and tour the three Monson siblings in the midwest (us, Laura in Ohio, and Steve in Chigago), and our newly returned missionary brother Brian was going to fly out and join them too. I thought this was an opportunity not to be missed and started talking about a reunion of all the siblings and our families. Although they were scheduled for a visit in the fall, we invited our parents and told them we completely understood if they couldn't come, but would be happy to have them if they wanted to be there. Within a day of finding out about this, my parents were looking for air-fare. Thanks Mom and Dad for the sacrifice!!

We held our reunion at the most compatible and inexpensive location- my sister's new house in Clayton, OH- - and truly- we had a BLAST!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my family and the fun time we have when we all get together. Below are a sampling of the pictures taken during our very first official planned family reunion- T-shirts and all! I apologize if this gets long and boring- but I want to document this for my own journal (my blog is my journal which I print out each year).

Our original seven family members:





Brian was one of the main reasons for this reunion- welcome home Brian! As a joke, we had T-shirts made that said "Uncle Brian is babysitting" . . . That's how it is to be the youngest and the only one not married and with kids. What a great uncle! (and no- we didn't make him babysit)






On to the next family group- Steve Natalie and their little ones Joshua and Kelsey:




Next Laura and Chris and their three children Ben, Rachel and Elizabeth:


Shauna, Patn and three kids Hannah, Adam and Nathan


And of course- me (the oldest) and my family!


The grandchildren- twelve under the age of 10, with 8 of them being under the age of 5. Hard to get a good picture with that many little ones!


Everyone!!




The older grandkids (the four over the age of 5)


Cousins are best friends!


Especially when they were born on the same day, in the same hospital, only minutes apart.


Our family's Huey Dewey and Louie- - the three boys born less than 5 months apart! It is fun to watch them as they grow up and interact with each other more. I can totally picture them shooting hoops or playing soccer or video games together at future reunions . . .





I LOVE my sisters!!


Our outing to a nice reservoir (I don't remember the name) for a beach and swimming day:









Aunt Natalie even let herself be buried by all the kids! What a fun aunt.






Our Talent Show! Definitely a family tradition for future reunions.






Enjoying sparklers the night before the fourth of July- and the neighbor's fireworks!



The Fourth of July- - Happy Birthday Shauna!!



Random fun and "hanging out" at Laura's house and yard










Going for a morning run:



The kids loved watching our two computer wiz kids- Marcus and Ben!


Laura lives in such a beautiful part of town- what a wonderful view from her back-yard. Ahhh- it was the perfect setting for our super fun weekend of Monson fun!