House update

OK- quick update- we did find a bank that will process our home loan! Now it is just up to the underwriter to approve it. Apparantly (according to the bank), we do qualify for an FHA loan, because Jon has a signed contract for employment for a year- and it is the same profession that he has been working in (even though he was a student). The banker told us that she just went to training on these kinds of loans last week- and is pretty sure we qualify. So- everyone pray that the underwriter approves it! We won't know until next week. We still feel extremely good about this house - - so I have faith it will work out. If not- we were meant to go through the trial of it! I am feeling a lot better- but still cautious with my emotions- I don't want to get too excited and not have it work out again.

Emotional Roller Coaster

Up and then Down, Up and then Down- roller coasters are supposed to be fun . . . so why am I not having fun? I always knew buying a house was difficult and stressful . . . so- I want to get all the advice I can for any of you out there.

So- we found the perfect house for us! And our offer was accepted at a really great, affordable price- UP UP and away! It is a manufactured home in a really good part of town, with a great ward, great schools, it was even on a cul-de sac so my kids could ride their bikes outside . . . the house needed a lot of minor maintenance and a lot of work in the yard (which we could TOTALLY do, with Jon's past experience)- but it is the perfect size for our family . . . We were so excited that things were working out so wonderfully. We put down our earnest money then . . .

The realtor and the banker started communicating, and come to find out the kind of loan we were pre-approved for doesn't work for manufactured homes. We were going to get a special "doctor" loan which means we didn't have to pay a down payment, and they made allowances for the fact that Jon hasn't started his employment yet- but will. The only other type of loan this bank could do for a manufactured home was an "FHA" loan, which we don't qualify for because we currently have no income, and Jon hasn't started his employment yet. I did a search online, and no other banks (that I could find) could help us. We can do a 3% down payment, but that's all- which cuts out most banks who require more. And the fact that Jon hasn't started his employment . . . Down Down Down we go. It is amazing to go from a super high, and then a few hours later a super low. I feel like we have looked at so many houses- and we found the same thing over and over, houses in our price range and large enough for our family, and not needing MAJOR work to be livable were in really bad neighborhoods. I worry about fining anything else that will work so well for us.

Jon and I received such spiritual confirmation that we are supposed to buy a house, and we did feel so good about this one- I guess I just need to have faith that it will work out. If this house doesn't, it isn't meant to be, and we WILL find a house that will fit our needs (like not being in a SCARY neighborhood!) and will work with the "doctor" loan. So, why am I still stressed out? Please pray for us- and please let me know if anyone has any advice!

Marcus' "Super" Birthday

Happy 7th Birthday Marcus! We had a party at the park with his friends- it was really fun, except for the gale force cold wind!! We had a Super hero party. Some of the kids dressed up- it was so fun! Jon and I had fun making his super hero cake! Can you guess the layers?

The super-hero training course. Afterward, I handed out Super kid awards with a cape for them to take home!

The hulk vs. superman muscles. This was a really fun game that the kids loved- we had a bunch of small green balloons for one team and a bunch of small blue balloons for the other (muscles) which they stuffed into a large sweatshirt. The team that stuffed all the balloons first wins! Which do you think has more muscles- superman or the hulk? (see the picture below- blue is superman, green is the hulk).

The hall of justice and our spider marcus. The invitations said "Calling All Super Heroes! Please report to the Hall of Justice . . . "

House Hunting

Stressfull!!! Well- Jon and I have decided to try to buy a house in Yakima. We feel ready to take this step . . . I am really excited, but also really scared - it is such a huge decision. We spend all day yesterday in Yakima- looking at many houses. It is going to be difficult, I think, to get the size of house we need (our family isn't really small any more!) for the price we can pay- but there were a few that seemed good. So we will see. I am also really freaked out about having a mortgage- and all that goes on with buying a house for the first time. Does anyone have any advice????

Water Lilly

Our little "Water Lilly" . . . Lillian has always loved being in the water!This picture was taken last October at Grandma and Grandpa Monson's house- one of the biggest smiles she has ever given for the camera! Then today, while Cynthia was taking a bath- we heard Cynthia scream something about Lillian - so we ran to the bathroom and found this:

She wanted to get in the bath so much- she just hopped in, clothes and all!

Healthy!!

Another update on getting healthy- I have now lost 15 pounds over 6 ish weeks!! I feel so much better in all ways. I still need to loose another 25 pounds- one pound at a time! Just had to toot my little horn- I have been working REALLY hard on it- and trying to do it the right way.

Oh- and I just made the BEST very low fat (and low calorie) dessert- a yummy strawberry cream trifle. I put the recipe over on the right hand bar (right under the picture from Yosemite) as my recipe of the week. It didn't taste low fat at all- it tasted very creamy- mmmmm- I have been in the mood for strawberries. So check it out!

Phew we made it home!

10 days of vacationing- 2500 ish miles of driving . . . without a DVD player! Marcus did OK, Cynthia was GREAT and Lillian was horrible (though it is fun to watch her explore and learn)! Phew I am tired! It was an amazing week of seeing some incredible scenery and visiting family. I was even able to visit one of my friends from 5ish years ago in Spokane that now lives in Sacramento. Mary- it was great to visit! Marcus earned 3 Junior park ranger badges- from Yosemite NP, Redwoods NP, and Oregon Caves NM. On the way home we stopped at Oregon Caves National Monument- Marcus and Jon did the full 90 minute cave tour (Lillian and Cynthia were too little to go). Marcus was so excited about the cave- it was the first one he has ever been in. It was worth the stop- even though we didn't arrive home until after midnight!

It feels so good to be home!