6 Months

I can't believe that 6 months ago today, we closed on our new home! Wow, how time flies when you're having fun.....or should I say, doing repairs, painting, gardening, replacing fixtures, etc., etc., etc. The never-ending joys of home ownership! But every single day, I am thankful for owning this home......every single day! We looked for MONTHS until we found the perfect home for us.....and luckily, we had an amazing realtor that never gave up on us! She was there for us all the way & we've now become close friends. The above picture was taken the day we looked at the home & put our offer in on it. Notice where the for sale sign is.....we have since planted a Magnolia tree in it's place as a way to 'mark' where our sign was :)

And here is what our home sweet home looks like now (after a rainstorm). We've taken out the two bushes along the garage near the front sidewalk as well as the little pine bush, currently working on bringing the grass back to life (we've been told that the previous owners never watered it last year), added a bunch of angel figurines, hanging baskets, some rose bushes, fixed the fountain, installed a storm door, replaced 3 light fixtures (front porch & by the garage), resurfaced the blacktop driveway & put our rocking chairs on the front porch.....and that's just what we've done to the outside! The inside is a whole nother story (see previous post about all the painting we've been doing)! And in case you're wondering, yes, Jim & I do use the rocking chairs quite often in the evening, sitting out there relaxing, listening to the birds, frogs & crickets & just enjoying our new home :) I can honestly say that with the 3 homes we've owned in the last 20 years, this one is by far my favorite of the three! We both absolutely love our home & our neighborhood & realize just how blessed we are to be here! It truly is our Home Sweet Home! And I told Jim that he's going to have to bury me in the backyard cause I'm NOT moving again :)

Truly feeling blessed,
Benita

Buh-Bye Boring White Walls!

After living in our new home for the past 5 months, we finally added some color to it! I just couldn't take the white walls any longer.....the kitchen was white, the family room was white, the entryway was white.....everywhere you looked, white, white, WHITE! I felt like I was living in an apartment! But I gotta say, I am glad that the bank had the walls painted before we bought the house because from what we've heard, it was almost all blue.....navy blue! They also replaced all of the carpeting, which was also blue & there was wallpaper in the kitchen (see first before picture), which they removed, thank goodness! We had the kitchen painted first & here is what it looked like before (pictures were taken before we purchased the house):

And what it looks like now.....color is called Hazy Sage & I really like it, although now, we need new countertops cause the greyish/blue now looks too blue, but that's gonna be a while until we replace them:

Next was the 2 story entryway which took 2 days to get it all done along with the hallway upstairs & the entry area to the garage & laundry room. Here is the before of the entryway:

And the after.....this color is called Mushroom Bisque & I absolutely LOVE IT! Sometimes I just stand in the entryway & stare at it :) It matches really good with the carpet & my 2 Thomas Kinkade pictures:

You can see the hallway that leads out to the garage in this picture which I had painted the same color.

I was so scared when Woody (our friend that did all the painting for us & at a VERY reasonable price, I might add) did the part around the steps. He had a 2X12 board going from the steps to a ladder then an extension ladder on the board. Rose, his wife, and I had to leave & went garage sale shopping so we wouldn't have to watch! Luckily, Jim was here to help him out that day.

And lastly (for now), the family room. Here is the before (picture taken before we purchased the house):

And the after.....this color is called Fortune Cookie.....cute name, huh? :)

Woody just did this room yesterday & I truly love it! Before, the fireplace got almost lost in the white walls....now, it just pops out! And the color is almost an exact match to my curtains. Last night, Jim, Shawn & I went to the Tigers game, so we had to leave the room completely torn apart to let the paint dry, but when we got home, Shawn & I put everything back in order because I just couldn't go to bed until it was done. I have been looking all over for this ceiling fan as Rose & Woody have one exactly like it & I've always loved it, so one day, I was searching craigslist & stumbled upon it for.....$50.00! This fan retails for $250, so I'm very happy with that price :)

Next up.....the master bedroom, hopefully next week. This gives you a hint of what the color(s) will be :)

Until then, have a fabulous Memorial Day weekend & stay safe! Jim & I are heading up north for a one-night getaway.....he deserves it after all the hard work & long hours he's been working!

Benita

Happy Easter

Hope you have a wonderful & happy Easter!

Benita

I'm Still Here.....

.....are you? Although it's been over 3 months since I last blogged (where DOES time go???), I am still here & I am still reading all of my favorite blogs. The question is.....are any of my blog readers still here? I have been debating just deleting my blog since I don't tend to update it that much anymore. But then where would I write about what's going on in my life? Where would I go to vent (besides facebook)? Where would I share my thoughts, my dreams, my passions, my mistakes, etc., etc., etc. So here I am, blogging again. But are you still here reading?

I'll admit, I really have no excuses as to why I haven't blogged in so long......okay, well maybe one excuse.....I've been busy setting up my home.....still! We've been in the house almost 4 months now & I'm still not done doing everything I want to do. But then again, are we ever done??? I haven't even taken very many pictures of the inside yet because all of the walls are still white! Can you believe it.....me.....living with all white walls??? I can't! And now that I look around the house after hanging up all the pictures, curtains, valances, blinds, etc., I realize I have to take all that stuff back down to paint! ARGH! Anyone wanna help? Maybe I'll start with something small.....like the trim around the side garage door, or the front door.....something to put me in the mood to paint. Yeah, right.....it's not often I get moods like that :)

Anyway, here are a few pictures that I've taken recently of the exterior:

My first flowers of Spring :) It's exciting seeing what flowers I have coming up as I have no clue what the previous owners planted, so it's all going to be a surprise to me.

My front flower bed. The other day, Shawn & I redid all of the stones going around the bed & now we need to mulch it. Unfortunately, I found out that none of my outdoor lights are working so I'm either going to replace all of the batteries in them or just buy new lights. The problem is, replacing rechargeable solar batteries are almost as expensive as replacing the lights!

Another view of the flower bed. Today I picked up a pump & some hose to get the fountain working only to find out that it leaks around the bottom :( I'm hoping I can find something to repair it with. Plus there's a few pieces of stone that are broken off of it that I need to try to fix......or I may just have to replace the whole thing, but I love it. Not sure if you can tell, but it's an angel fountain & goes perfectly with my yard angels (most of which are currently on my porch until I figure out how I want to put them in the yard). And yes, the grass currently looks like crap! We're going to fertilize it & hope to try to revive it....wish us luck!

The one thing that is taking some getting used to is listening to all the crickets, frogs & other bugs at night. Right off to the side of our house is a pond/swamp area (not really sure what you would call it) & ever since Sunday, when the temps got into the 80's, they've been chirping away every night. I feel like I'm living in the country. It sounds really cool, except for when you're trying to sleep with the windows open. Like I said, I need to get used to it, I guess. I remember loving that sound when I was a teenager & used to sleep outside.....those where the days!

That's all I have for now.....hopefully I'll take some inside pictures soon & post them, white walls & all :) So stay tuned.....that is, if you're still with me.

Benita

Happy New Year 2011!

It's official......it's ours, ours, ours, ours, OURS!! Okay, we'll it's ours & the banks for the next 30 years ;) We closed on the house December 23rd & have been going NON STOP ever since! We rented a Uhaul truck for 5 days to move all the big stuff & it's slowly starting to become our home. It will probably take months until we have everything unpacked, but I don't care! We finally have a home, sweet home again :)

We have hit a few snags along the way.....it seems that after our inspection, they re-winterized the house, but we don't think it was done properly as we've had some problems with some water lines, etc. Right now, we have a leak in the master shower that we hope is just coming from the caulking. The house is only 9 years old & when we had it inspected, the inspector said it was in excellent shape. When we found out about the plumbing problems the day of our walk through (also our closing day), we almost didn't close! It was either close on the house, or be out our deposit, inspection & appraisal costs. Since the house was a foreclosure, we were buying it 'as is'. I just pray that we didn't buy the Money Pit (like the movie!).

On December 27th, Jim, Shawn & I took a much-needed break from moving & went to see Jeff Dunham in Saginaw. O-M-G!!! He was so hilarious! We laughed non-stop! It was exactly what the doctor ordered! If you ever have the chance to see him, I HIGHLY recommend it! You will NOT be disappointed! Trust me!

Last night, for New Year's Eve, we went to a friend's house & played cards, ate, drank, ate, played more cards & ate lots & lots of jello shots that I made. We had a blast & we were already told that next year, the party is at our house. I can't wait!

Once I get the house more organized, I'll be sure to take & post lots of pics of the inside.....stay tuned :)

I hope you have a fabulous 2011! So far, ours is off to a pretty good start.....let's just hope it stays that way!

Benita

S*T*R*E*S*S!!!

That word doesn't even begin to describe what I'm going through right now! We are supposed to close on the house this Thursday......Thursday, the 23rd of December! But right now, nothing is even 100% guaranteed yet! We're supposed to get the final approval sometime today & then we just have to pray that nothing else comes up between now & Thursday. I have the reservation for the moving truck to be picked up Thursday afternoon, I've been packing as much as I possibly can to be able to still continue to live, but I haven't even begun to wrap any Christmas presents yet. Then to top it all off, I went down into the basement at the house we're renting to do some laundry today & saw that the water heater is leaking! JUST FREAKIN' GREAT!!! What the heck else can go wrong??? DON'T answer that! Cause at this point, I don't wanna know! All I want right now is some time to relax.....to be able to enjoy the holiday season.....to take a nice, LONG bath! Which is exactly what I plan on doing just as soon as we are settled in this:
:)

If I don't get a chance to post again for a few weeks, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas & a wonderful & safe New Year!

Love to all,
Benita

Hard To Believe...

....that it was a year ago today that I lost my Mom! How could that be??? Where did this past year go? One year already?? I don't get it! It still hasn't even completely sunk in that she's gone! And now she's been gone a year? Maybe I still don't want to accept it. Maybe I don't want to believe it. Maybe I'm still in shock. It's been a very difficult year for me, I know that. Right after she passed away, I ended up with the swine flu (or H1N1 as they now call it), so it was like the whole month of December just flashed before my eyes last year! And now here I am, a year later, and still not dealing with losing my Mom.

It really hit me last night, as I was attempting to decorate our Christmas tree. I found this Mother ornament that I purchased last year & that's all it took for the tears to start flowing! When does it get better? People say it takes time.....sometimes I think they're wrong!

When I went to Pennsylvania this past August, I found these angel statues called The Reunion Heart. I purchased a large one for in my garden & then a smaller version that sits on my desk. I just love the poem & wanted to share it:

The Reunion Heart

Since Heaven has become your home
I sometimes feel I'm so alone;
and though we now are far apart
you hold a big piece of my heart.

I never knew how much I'd grieve
when it was time for you to leave,
or just how much my heart would ache
from that one fragment you would take.

God lets this tender hole remain
reminding me we'll meet again,
and one day all the pain will cease
when He restores the missing piece.

For Jesus heals each tiny part
that holds your memory in my heart.
This tearful heart reminds me of
when He'll unite us in His love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And with that beautiful poem, I will end this post here.

Benita

Happy Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving.....a day to be thankful. And this year, I have a LOT to be thankful for! I have a wonderful husband who is not only kind, loving, considerate & compassionate (except for when he gives me his cold!), but also a pretty good cook as he is doing almost all of the cooking today :) I'm thankful for my 2 great kids & even though they drive me up a wall sometimes, I'm glad that they're mine! I'm thankful for my family back in Pennsylvania & although I can't be home with them today, I know we are all thinking about each other & we love each other! I'm thankful for my Lord Jesus! And lastly, I'm thankful for having a wonderful realtor who has been there for us as we searched & searched & SEARCHED for a home until we finally found this one:
It is everything we've been looking for & more! 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, HUGE eat-in kitchen & even bigger pantry (okay, so I'm exaggerating a little, but the pantry is BIG!), fireplace in the family room, 2 car garage, a partially started finished walkout basement, hardwood floors in the kitchen & entryway PLUS brand new carpeting throughout the whole house! It does need some things (all appliances since it's a foreclosure & they took them all out including the garbage disposal!), a deck, garage door opener & the landscaping could use some work next Spring, but we are so happy to have finally found a home! If all goes as planned, we should be closing right before Christmas :) And now the fun begins.....packing!!! ARGH! Any volunteers to help? :)

Today is also a bittersweet Thanksgiving for me since 1 year ago today was the last time I spoke to my Mom on the phone before she passed away :( I remember our conversation like it was just yesterday! She was in a good mood & glad to hear my voice. When she told me that she loved me, I cried because I wish I would have gone home to spend Thanksgiving with her! And if I would have known that it would have been her last Thanksgiving, I would have been there! But you just never know! So hug your parents, spouses, children & family members tight and be thankful for each & every day you spend with them!

Hope you & your family have a safe & blessed Thanksgiving!
Benita

OOPS!

So much for another challenge! Seems I suck at doing challenges & never stick with them! Ah well.....I do have a LOT to be grateful for this month, even though I forgot to post about them all. Guess one of my New Year's Resolutions will be to not do any challenges, lol. I have been taking pictures of things I'm grateful for, just not everyday. So here are a few more:

I'm grateful for my right to vote, which I did on November 2nd :)

I'm grateful for my job.....which is one of the reasons why I haven't been able to keep up with this challenge! Right after Halloween, I was super busy doing the changeover to take down Halloween cards & put up Thanksgiving & Christmas cards. Having to do 5 stores has it's own challenges sometimes, but I do like my job.

I'm grateful for Facebook & all the friends I have found from my past & present :) I've connected with some old friends from high school & friends from when we lived in Virginia.
I'm grateful for this cute smiley mug. I sent this mug with some flowers in it to my Mom a few years ago & when she passed away, I got the mug back. It now sits on top of my computer & I look at it every single day & smile back at it, knowing that my Mom is smiling down on me :)
I'm grateful for Chocolate Chip Cookies! LOL This was actually a new recipe that I tried adding pudding to the dough.......they were YUMMY!!!
I'm grateful for my pets.....this is one of our mutts, Reeses.
I'll be grateful when Jim makes Pumpkin Pies out of this Pumpkin for Thanksgiving :)
Speaking of Jim, I'm grateful for having such an awesome man that knows how to Bar-B-Q! Yes, he even does it in the dark!
I'm grateful for my new Pink Ribbon Sketchers Shape-Ups Shoes. Yes, I realize they may be ugly, but they are the most comfortable shoes to wear when I'm standing on my feet at work!

As Thanksgiving approaches this week, I'm sure I'll have a LOT more to be grateful for! What are some things you're grateful for in your life?

Until next time,
Benita (the one that sucks at doing challenges!)

30 Days Of Gratitude

I was catching up on some blog reading tonight & found this challenge on Evelyn's blog called the 30 Days of Gratitude. I guess each day we are supposed to take a picture based on different things that we are grateful for. The prompt for today is Home.
Jim & I have been looking for a home for, hmmm.....longer than I care to remember! We thought we found the perfect home a few weeks ago.....we put in an offer, they counter-offered, we counter-offered their counter-offer, they accepted, we had an inspection & found out that the roof needed to be replaced badly, so we counter-offered again, but they then decided to take the home off the market :( So not only are we out $370 for the home inspection, but now we're back to the drawing board.....yet AGAIN! But hopefully, that will all change this week as we just put an offer in on another house this past weekend. Only problem.....they have multiple offers, so we are praying that ours is the best!
These pictures are of just a few of the houses we've looked at over the last several months.
We looked at private-owned homes, short sales, foreclosures.....you name it, we looked at it!
3 bedrooms, 4 bedrooms, unfinished basements, finished basements, 2 car garage, 3 car garage....the list goes on & on!
One of my favorite ones was this one pictured above, but come to find out, we couldn't finance it due to it having an in-ground pool because of the type of financing we're doing.

But my absolute favorite one will be the one we end up buying.....whenever & wherever that one is! We WILL find it! And when we do, it'll be perfect......for us :)