It's been a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week" Well, not exactly or completely and that's the point of this post. Because truthfully- there have been some terrible, horrible no good, parts to this week- and it's been draining and frustrating. But I'm trying to look for the good in it all and not get too discouraged. So here are some of the good things of the week:
1. Family fun- an afternoon spent bowling with Richard and the kids. Jayna even did one game without bumpers and did quite well.
2. Church friends to chat with for a bit today. I was only there for the first hour, but it was long enough to be with some very sweet people.
3. After being away since Sunday, Richard returned Friday night.
4. Richard was home to make a certain house repair ( part of the terrible, horrible)
5. I finished up what I needed to for one of my jobs- although I felt kind of melancholy about it I'm glad it's done and I can focus on other things that need my attention.
6. Since Richard was home I got some better sleep.
7. Richard seems to be really enjoying his new job.
8. The dog came right back after she escaped out the front door, while I was trying to carry her dog bed out to the car for a showing.
9. Dinner with my kids at Tullys.
So there- some good things of my week- and we'll leave it at that.
And so it goes....
Sue
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Adventure?
So we are in the midst of plans to move and I really want it to feel like an ADVENTURE! But sadly I must say that more than anything (especially tonight) it is feeling more like STRESS.
Selling our house- We've had several people come and look, and people that we were told that were interested in it- yet we wait for an offer. It's draining- we have tried to do all that we can do- put in new carpet, got a storage unit for clutter, keeping it clean and ready to show, and more. It gets discouraging to have showings then wait to here something back. We've dropped the price once, hoping that it would encourage some of those that had "shown interest" to make a commitment. Nothing yet. I'm trying to believe that if I've done all I can, God will magnify our effort. And I know we are not in an unusual position- our house has been on the market for just about a month, which is normal. It's just being on a timeline has me stressed out.
Richard leaves on Sunday to start his job. He is subletting a room for awhile. It sounds pretty dumpy, but we needed something pretty fast, and this is rather inexpensive. He'll be sharing a place with a college student. I'm not looking forward to him being gone. There are days I feel my share of "Girl Power", but I'm just not feeling it this time around.
The move- a lot depends on selling our house here. We have considered buying a home as we wait to sell this one- but I'm nervous about multiple payments if this one doesn't sell soon. We have looked for places to rent but haven't had much luck finding a 4 bedroom that will also allow a dog. There is one possibility, but it would be much more expensive than paying a house payment. If we don't find a home soon though- we won't be able to get the kids started at school for the beginning of the year- and as I hard as it is to move them - I think that would make it so much worse.
Like I said - stress, plus Richard and I are busy trying to finish up the end of our jobs here. Sorry this all sounds so down- blech- not what I like, but I was hoping this would be a good way to vent or share or something. Things will all be okay- I just don't know how or when. On another note- more negative things have come up with the company Richard has been working for- just more confirmation that it was good for him to get out when he did.
Just read: "How to Break a Terrorist"- yep you should read it. It opens your mind and gives background on Iraq war, and talks about using "brains" not force to interrogate. It's really good
Reading now: "have a little faith" by Mitch Albom
Ok- and so it goes... ( I know this is all just life and we have to have these times- so here's to ADVENTURING on)
Selling our house- We've had several people come and look, and people that we were told that were interested in it- yet we wait for an offer. It's draining- we have tried to do all that we can do- put in new carpet, got a storage unit for clutter, keeping it clean and ready to show, and more. It gets discouraging to have showings then wait to here something back. We've dropped the price once, hoping that it would encourage some of those that had "shown interest" to make a commitment. Nothing yet. I'm trying to believe that if I've done all I can, God will magnify our effort. And I know we are not in an unusual position- our house has been on the market for just about a month, which is normal. It's just being on a timeline has me stressed out.
Richard leaves on Sunday to start his job. He is subletting a room for awhile. It sounds pretty dumpy, but we needed something pretty fast, and this is rather inexpensive. He'll be sharing a place with a college student. I'm not looking forward to him being gone. There are days I feel my share of "Girl Power", but I'm just not feeling it this time around.
The move- a lot depends on selling our house here. We have considered buying a home as we wait to sell this one- but I'm nervous about multiple payments if this one doesn't sell soon. We have looked for places to rent but haven't had much luck finding a 4 bedroom that will also allow a dog. There is one possibility, but it would be much more expensive than paying a house payment. If we don't find a home soon though- we won't be able to get the kids started at school for the beginning of the year- and as I hard as it is to move them - I think that would make it so much worse.
Like I said - stress, plus Richard and I are busy trying to finish up the end of our jobs here. Sorry this all sounds so down- blech- not what I like, but I was hoping this would be a good way to vent or share or something. Things will all be okay- I just don't know how or when. On another note- more negative things have come up with the company Richard has been working for- just more confirmation that it was good for him to get out when he did.
Just read: "How to Break a Terrorist"- yep you should read it. It opens your mind and gives background on Iraq war, and talks about using "brains" not force to interrogate. It's really good
Reading now: "have a little faith" by Mitch Albom
Ok- and so it goes... ( I know this is all just life and we have to have these times- so here's to ADVENTURING on)
Sunday, June 5, 2011
How do you choose a neighborhood?
Well, among all the crazy and busy things that have been going on, the thing that is on my mind is how hard it is to chose a neighborhood without being familiar with the area. We have tried to rank things like: schools, cost, neighborhood characteristics,and distance from Richard's job. It is so hard to rank and then find a neighborhood that matches what we hope for.
Schools- we use the "great schools" website as a starting point which ranks how well schools perform on standardized tests. The ratings go up to 10. However, I know that thats not the only important thing. I want to at least have a 5 or above, and Whitney would really like to have a school that has field hockey- which there aren't that many in the area.
Cost- after moving to where we are now we have thought that we would have done better to choose a less highly rated school and live in a cheaper area so we didn't always feel like we had to penny pinch. Once again the areas with the best rated schools are more expensive to live in ( but also much closer to Richad's job)
Neighborhood Characteristics- This can be tricky- after living in suburbia for years- Richard and I would just like a little more space and privacy- plus many of the areas with more space, are actually less expensive to live in- But we also have 3 kids and the catch is that they would like things close around. Whitney is use to riding her bike all around.
Distance- We are looking at areas very close to Richard's work- but then areas 40 minutes away. We are already preparing for the change of Richard having to work a regular 9-5 job. Right now he often works from home and has a lot of flexibility in scheduling- so he is often home when the kids get home from school or what not. That's going to be a change- and do we want to add another 40 minutes to the day he's gone ( or 80 )- or do we pay more and live in suburbia, with the best schools??
It seems like if we focus on one of the above four topics, the others lose out and I'm having a hard time figuring out what is best. For our whole family. So, how do you choose a neighborhood? ( Much harder with 3 kids!)
And so it goes...
Schools- we use the "great schools" website as a starting point which ranks how well schools perform on standardized tests. The ratings go up to 10. However, I know that thats not the only important thing. I want to at least have a 5 or above, and Whitney would really like to have a school that has field hockey- which there aren't that many in the area.
Cost- after moving to where we are now we have thought that we would have done better to choose a less highly rated school and live in a cheaper area so we didn't always feel like we had to penny pinch. Once again the areas with the best rated schools are more expensive to live in ( but also much closer to Richad's job)
Neighborhood Characteristics- This can be tricky- after living in suburbia for years- Richard and I would just like a little more space and privacy- plus many of the areas with more space, are actually less expensive to live in- But we also have 3 kids and the catch is that they would like things close around. Whitney is use to riding her bike all around.
Distance- We are looking at areas very close to Richard's work- but then areas 40 minutes away. We are already preparing for the change of Richard having to work a regular 9-5 job. Right now he often works from home and has a lot of flexibility in scheduling- so he is often home when the kids get home from school or what not. That's going to be a change- and do we want to add another 40 minutes to the day he's gone ( or 80 )- or do we pay more and live in suburbia, with the best schools??
It seems like if we focus on one of the above four topics, the others lose out and I'm having a hard time figuring out what is best. For our whole family. So, how do you choose a neighborhood? ( Much harder with 3 kids!)
And so it goes...
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