HomeOwners!

Mr. Wonderful & I have been married for 5.5 years and I have wanted a house for 5.5 years. Instead we have rented 6 different rentals. Yes 6! We have had to move due to jobs, needing more space, mold, and owners going into foreclosure.

In the past 5.5 years we have worked with 4 different realtors and been approved that many times too. Offers were never accepted and my husband was not completely sure about becoming a homeowner. We have laid the house owning business down time after time. I have cried to Mr. Wonderful and to God, about my desire of wanting to own a house. A house that we could make into a home. A house that would allow us to grow our family. A house that we could serve and bless others. A house devoted to honoring God. A house that we could FINALLY & COMPLETELY settle into.

I did not know why it was taking so long, but now I understand.

God was preparing our hearts, our life, and our location, and our house! If we would of bought with the previous attempts we would of been in the wrong city, wrong house, with wrong hearts, and wrong timing.

This time around we started looking on August 19th 2012. We had found a great realtor who was referred to us by our awesome mortgage loan agent. My husband states that the realtor and I had kindred hearts. We were both determined to find a house ASAP and would make a way out of no way to go see a house as soon as it caught our eyes on the Internet. We placed our 1st offer on a house that we were very interested in on Aug 29th and another offer beat ours. It took us a couple of days to get over it, but we did.

We looked at a total of 9 houses when it was all said & done. Which was great because had a lot of comparisons to go by. We got to see different layouts, backyard spaces, neighbors, how much work & money we would have to put into the houses, and proximity from major destinations(freeways,parks,grocery stores, and family). On September 6th we found the next house we wanted to put an offer on. It came on the market on a Monday and we placed an offer on a Thursday morning. The offer was countered & we accepted on Friday the 7th. Escrow took 60 days( the longest 60 days in my life). We got the keys in our hands last week,November 6th 2012!!!!!!

We own a house today in which we BOTH love and wanted a 100%!!! A house that is right in between both of our families(about 15 miles each way). A house that we can afford. A house with some of our hearts desires: on a court, updated, spacious, a huge backyard, and around the corner from a park.

I have had to lay the house dream down so many times in the past and wait on my husband & God. I am so glad that I completely laid it down. Now it feels so perfect to be in Gods timing and on one accord with Mr. Wonderful!

While waiting I meditated on these scriptures:
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Picture Perfect Plates

I am a little obsessed with pictures! I wanted to hang some of my favorite photos in my kitchen. I did not want framed pictures. A light bulb came on for my desire. I came up with the idea of picture plates! The idea turned into reality last week!

What I used: Modge Podge

Scissors

Paint Brush

4 Glass Plates(from Dollar General)

4 Pictures printed from computer printer & on regular printer paper

1. I cleaned & dried plates

2. I uniformly cut all pictures to fit somewhat in the same area of all the plates

3. I applied 1 layer of Modge Podge on top of each picture(as they lay on plates)

4. I let them sit and dry for a hour.

5. I placed one more single layer of Modge Podge on pictures and again let them dry again for a hour.

I love the end products.

I plan on hanging them on the kitchen wall fairly close to my You Are My Sunshine sign.

I am trying to decide if I should just stick them to the wall or place them in plate hangers!?

I will keep you updated with my Picture Perfect Plates!!!

Our 1st Trick or Treating

Yes my Son is 3 and we have never been Trick or Treating! His last 3 Halloweens have been spent at Harvest Festivals and Halloween parties!

We did not do door to door Trick or Treating . Our gym held a Trick or Treating event the day before Halloween.

All the kids were encouraged to wear their costume from 5pm to 6pm to the gym!

It was just so precious as I watched the Ladybug and Tiger walk through the parking lot with their Dollar spot mini candy buckets.

They turned so many heads and people even stopped to tell them how cute they were!

After their 1st candy stop they got the hang of it!

It was just beyond adorable to hear the words " Trick or Treat!" come out of their mouths as they approached every stop in the gym!

This event was so simple but simply sweet!

I love the care that my kids get from the workers while I workout at this gym. This event that they took the time to throw for kids just impressed me even more!

After the Gym we headed to the Great Aunt's house, to show her their costumes and get their special treats from her.

She is definitely a great Aunt that is more like a 2nd Grandma.

The kids got a real candy bucket(for next year), a flash light, a pencil(once a teacher always a teacher), and 2 pumpkin suckers each!

They both were so thrilled to eat their 1st Halloween sucker!

The stick to the sucker glowed in the dark!

They had a ball sucking away , so we clicked away with pictures!

A simple Halloween that will forever be cherished in my heart!

WIWW: World Champions

I would be lying if I started this post by saying that I have always been a S.F. Giants fan! I am currently living and was born and raised in the Bay Area. I have always known about the Giants because my Grandfather was a big fan when he was alive. My husband  has also always been a S.F. Giant fan. Since the Giants games are always on in my house I have gotten to know the team a bit, or ALOT. I went to my first Giants game on this post. I am now an official fan! My husband stated that he loves that I am now an official fan. He feels that our common interest brings us even closer!
With all this being said, it was a big weekend for our household. We have been glued to our T.V., the gyms T.V's, and car radio(when not at home). This last Sunday was the Biggest Game and it was also church day. We went to church in the morning and then watch the game later that afternoon. My whole family wore S.F Giants gear to church...yes to church! It was so fun and our fellow church members thought so too, as we wore our Orange,Grey, Black, and White proud. 

What I Wore:

Hat: New York & Company Shirt &Skirt: Target

Earrings: Target Purse&Watch: Coach(Birthday Gifts!!!)

Team Spirit: In Our Hearts

The Family : From God

Time at the Patch

When I think about Seasons I love I think of Fall!

When I think of Fall I think of pumpkins!

When I think of pumpkins I think of pumpkin patches.

When I think of pumpkin patches I think of family fun!

We took our family trip to the patch last week.

It was in the middle of the week and in the morning!

This meant we almost had the whole patch to ourselves!

The kids loved looking at all the pumpkins.

It took them both a little time to warm up, but when they did they loved running and climbing over the pumpkins.

I loved seeing their eyes as they looked at all the beautiful orange pumpkins.

I also loved their reactions once they seen the patch had rides too!

We ALL had fun riding the rides!

The kids could of stayed there all day.

Maybe we could of too!?

It was time for lunch so we said goodbye to the pumpkins!

Another great family memory in the book and now on the blog!