13 Hours of Rain

It's a done deal. We purchased House #4 (see previous blog post). Our condominium officially sold on July 16, 2010. Praise God! We were able to use the equity from the sale to finalize our next purchase. I am terrified. And excited. Terrified of all the things that could go wrong with a house. Excited about all the things we can accomplish with a house. Condo living had its perks. No yard work. No snow shovelling. No exterior maintenance. But our little family has been aching to enjoy the outdoors on a more consistent basis. Thus we have purchased a house, with a spectacular yard! I am hoping that the pristine condition of our grounds will motivate us to keep it that way. While I am already dreaming of how to renovate our outdated kitchen on a limited budget (the kitchen is my least favorite feature of House #4), I am looking forward to enjoying a fresh cup of coffee on our deck. I might even buy some french vanilla creamer to celebrate! Thank you for all your prayers.

Last Friday was one exhausting and productive day! Here is a recap of the events. Warning: This is lengthy. But it is worth the read if you empathize with house hunting. 9 A.M. My husband, infant son, and I left my in-laws to drive approximately three hours to our future home. En route we made two stops: one to fill our car with fuel; another to feed the baby. Our quest was to find a suitable house for our family conditional on the sale of our condominium. We enjoyed viewing the changing prairie landscape along the way, including a trek through the scenic river valley. Furthermore, in accordance with local tradition and superstition, we honked at the “lone tree” outside of the city. 12:30 P.M. After arriving at our destination, we grabbed a quick bite to eat at McDonalds. We rushed off to meet our realtor downtown. Now the house viewings began (along with breaks to feed our son). Our goal was to find a 3 + 1 bedroom home, fully developed, with two bathrooms, roomy kitchen, garage, and...

The following six blog posts are short reflections on various topics in the author’s mind. Reader discretion is advised. Virtual Good Byes. After informing family and my husband’s circle of friends, I announced our move on this blog followed by an e-mail to my personal contacts. Admittedly, I was a bit disappointed by the couple of comments after my blog entry. Apparently our move isn’t a big deal. However, on further reflection, I realize that most of the people who read my blog also receive my e-mails. Thus, I did receive many messages expressing congratulations and sadness over our departure. Interestingly enough, the responses have been virtual except for a few phone calls from family and friends. I must say, I miss the “here-and-now” responses. But I guess it goes both ways. I didn’t phone everyone. So what else should I expect? Post Partum Body. It has been a blessing to receive a beautiful baby boy after nine months of pregnancy. But it is discouraging to step on the scale and...

We : first-person, plural personal pronoun. First time, as an adult, I am moving due to someone else's career (i.e. my husband). And it is not just I. It is we . My husband, my two beautiful children, and I. 're contraction version of the word are . Are : first person plural present indicative of be . This IS happening and it is NOT a joke. And we need to do this as fast as possible this summer (Thus, we don't have time for the "a" in "are"). God willing, I'll be blogging from our NEW imaginary house (with a yard!) in a NEW urban center (albeit smaller) come August. Moving : relating to or involved in a transfer of furnishings from one location to another . We need to pack up our little condo and transform it into a viable property for someone to purchase. It is my hope and prayer that the future occupants of our current home will live such beautiful memories as I have in this place. While my heart is filled with sadness as I say goodbye to many ...

As a mathematics teacher, it bothers me when I encounter professionals who make blatant calculation errors, errors that should be avoided as part of the job. Last week, I took my son for a routine physical exam. The nurse at the clinic weighed him and told me he was 4.71 kg. All good. Then she punched some numbers into her calculator and reported, "He is 10 pounds, 3 ounces. Well, almost 4 ounces." I nodded while thinking, "You converted wrong, again ." So here is a mathematical contest for all my readers. Answer the following questions in the comment section of this blog post. If your response is correct and thorough as well as unique , I will seek you out and award you a prize! You have ONE week to respond. What did the nurse do on her calculator to convert 4.71 kg to 10 lbs 4 oz? What was the nurse's conversion error? What is the nurse assuming to be true which resulted in the error? What is my son's correct weight in pounds and ounces? Explain how to ...

I should be sleeping, right now. Both children are napping. A rare moment. Should've... I find I say that a lot. Often, the words echo in my mind after reflecting on some decision I have made. Take my son's birth announcement, for example. The morning of the picture shoot was rushed. We made it to the studio on time to discover that the family before us was running late. My husband and daughter are not the biggest fans of professional photography (According to my husband, the situation is highly fake. Though, he appreciates the results in the end. My daughter is two. Enough said.). I, on the other hand, enjoy posing for a photographer. My son is indifferent. :) The session began, finally. We worked with our daughter to "kiss" our son. The photographer tried to capture the moment. After obtaining a few precious pictures, my husband scooted off with our daughter so that I could finish the session with our son. Once done, I rapidly picked the birth announcement and other...

She has started to sing. Her sounds are not very melodious, yet. But she is hilarious! Often, our daughter will interject random words into the lyrics of known songs. And she receives the response she desires: giggles from her parents. Yesterday, as we serenaded each other with "Jesus Loves Me", she emphatically sounded, "Yes! Jesus loves my sockies!" I cracked up laughing! Now I am trying to keep a straight face so she doesn't botch the timeless words of a childhood classic forever. He has started to gurgle. It is so adorable, especially when he tries to "talk" to the beaming faces in his world. Plus he possesses a smile that can melt a person's heart. When I gave birth to my daughter, I wondered if I could love a baby boy as much as I loved my little princess. Now I know: I can. Sweet beautiful sounds fill my world. I am thankful.