Inspection

Today was inspection day on the house and yay...it passed. All is good. A little weather stripping needed here. A little bit of sealing down a paver or two there. Nothing huge at all. AND the termite inspection guy gave us a go.

So now we are awaiting appraisal and the loan...we might actually move this time.

Good news!

Hours after I wrote the previous post they finally answered and its a go! Our offer was officially accepted by the bank...now to secure the loan, get through inspection and appraisal and find insurance. First hurdle - cleared - for that I am thankful and excited!!!!!

Just a waitin'...

This week...

...We celebrated the homecoming of my friend Elizabeth's daughter - Leah Rose! Adam and Elizabeth began the adoption process a looooooooooong time ago and recently returned from China with the cutest little social butterfly. All concerns of adjustment have flown right out the window as she has taken to life as an American immediately. Wednesday night a couple of us from work threw her a "Gotcha" shower at a local mexican cantina - the food, the company, the reason for celebration - fabulous. And little Leah was there, charming all of us. But her favorite part - definitely the balloons!!

...we got Tori's FCAT scores back. She got a 5 out of 6 on her writing, scored in the level 5 range in reading and, drum roll please, got a perfect score on the math! Yay Tori! These scores count for virtually nothing on a personal level at this grade level but we were proud anyway.

...we switched to scrubs at work. Now my job is sometimes wonderful but its sometimes stressful, sometimes gross, and sometimes downright depressing. But all of that is better when you are dressed in virtual pajamas and wearing sneakers. Loving it!

...we continued to wait on an answer from the bank in regards to a house. We put an offer in early on this month but its a short sale. And despite the "fast track" program that was supposed to provide an answer within ten days, we are still waiting. I think today is business day number fifteen. Hopefully we will know yet this week and go from there. Patience, not my greatest virtue.

Cousins

Growing up I have these amazing memories of hanging out with my cousins. On the one side we spent summers at my grandparent's lake house. We raced skateboards down the long windy sidewalk. We "camped" in the little bunk house on the property. We rode on the ski bob behind the boat. We got shooed off the porch where my grandfather always sat with his drink telling fishing stories and out of the kitchen where my grandmother made gourmet meals none of us actually appreciated!

On the other side we spent many a weekend on the farm. Planting flowers, digging up potatoes, and riding bike to the old mill where they had ice cream sandwiches grandpa always let us get. We would play school with my grandma's old primers and the chalk board that has hung in the kitchen as long as I can remember. We would get in the way during hay baling season and scare of the deer during hunting season with the cocoa we brought to our stands.

Times are different even in the past thirty years and cousins get spread out over the miles and few people have lake houses or farms for large amounts of people to migrate towards for family events but the idea remains the same. Cousins are the playmates you were born with.

This weekend some family from North Carolina were in town, well Orlando, which was close enough. So off we went to meet them...local cousins + far away cousins + Disney...well of course it was magical! Todd and I were helping out one of his brothers and his wife while they went to a conference in a too seldom opportunity to get the kids together. Later in the day another brother who lives here in Florida drove up to hang out as well.

Our first stop: Downtown Disney. We were on an important mission to find Ian a blue light sabre, an easy task when the World of Disney store carries every Disney item ever known to man. We then went to the Lego Imagination Center where the kids had a blast...making cars, thingamabobs and playing on the Lego playground.

We ate lunch out there too before heading back to the resort for an afternoon at the pool.

Some kiddos got a little worn out and since the hotel room was FOREVER away this seemed easier...

By the time Bryan and Laurie joined us and we ate dinner, all 13 of us, it was time for the little ones to go to bed. So our family and Brett and his family headed out to play some Fantasia mini golf.

Day 2: Back to the pool for most of us though Todd and Gavin took a quick morning nap in the room before checkout...then it was off to the playground for some sand throwing, dragon sliding, checker playing fun. Of course the best part was actually the misting fan!

And then it was time to load up the vans and we were off...back home to routine while Bryan and Laurie began the ten hour drive back to NC. But not without one last picture of all...

In a funk...

Having one of those days. Long tough day at work, bad financial news, pissed off at Todd. Had fun plans tonight but had to cancel because he's working late. And everywhere I look is more work - floors that need to be dusted/mopped, laundry that needs doing, sewing projects not completed...

Anyone got any fast remedy to a crappy day? I tried a nap and and music and am trying not to resort to junk food because I am trying to lose weight darn it! And don't say yoga...because I hate it.

Summer Vacation

Living in Florida means that one of the giants in US tourism is just hours away. This summer with an offer pending on a house and orthodontist expenses looming and our recent trip to California we decided to stay close to home. So we took a couple days off work and headed to Orlando to go to Aquatica and Sea World (thanks Jonathan & Taylor for the tickets!). We had a really nice time. The kids were the perfect age for the water park and Sea World was good this one time...we will not be going back. But it was good once.

Interestingly since the accident that took a trainer's life this past winter the Shamu show has very few tricks with the trainer in the water. The days of the trainers riding/surfing on Shamu's back are gone. They did stand in the water on a ledge type area where the whales come up to them but no longer swim beside them. They also had evening specials that include a parody of the Shamu show done by sea lions who in the finale pulled a sign reading:

Of course there was the actual Shamu show too.

Aquatica is great if your kids can swim, which ours thankfully can. If not it might be less fun. I was reminded how much "boot camp" is kicking my butt as you climb ALOT of stairs. A family favorite was the Roa Rapids, this lazy river style waterway that had a current and slippery ground. You could basically "ski" across the bottom and the kids could float with life vests.

The last day we spent the morning at Downtown Disney before heading home. We went in the new T-Rex restaurant/store/experience and the kids got geodes to break open!

Preparations

July! It's already July!!! I have no idea where time is going and how summer is slipping by so fast but the holiday weekend is upon us and the kids and I have been busily preparing. We made homemade ice cream...rocky road. Baked cookies in the shape of stars, flags and the USA. Even decorated them with red, white and blue frosting. And they made t-shirts to wear out to the fireworks tomorrow night - finished product to be revealed then.

The Joy FM/Lisa Video

Josh Wilson & Joy FM with Bryon and Mikaeli

If you decide to watch, listen to the words. It's a pretty powerful message.