Things I learned this weekend. . .

We spent Sunday and Monday down in Belle Fourche/Rapid City visiting some friends, touring, shopping, etc. I have some great pictures of Bear County and Reptile Gardens I will try to post later but these were a few of the key moments on our trip.

• Swimming pools, no matter the size, are always worth the money at a hotel. Paige was beyond delighted and was a good kid all because she got to swim.



• Mint Chip ice cream at Hardees has been voted the best ice cream. Not sure how the pregnancy cravings will handle ice cream that far away; but we'll deal. This stuff was far superior over any other kind. Cowboy even ate some.



• Baby bears that play and frolic in the sun are super cute and will sell thousands of teddy bears a day.



• Snakes and creepy crawlies at Reptile Gardens will entertain the girliest of little girls. She even touched a snake. Amazing.



• Pregnant girls cannot shop all day; not matter how hard they try. Naps are necessary.



• Its possible to spend hours in a home improvement store scrutinizing painting tools; how in the hell are we ever going to make a real decision--like the color?!

We close in two days and I now have stuff to put in the house!!! Got some paint, new light fixtures, etc. Now to find the energy to start the projects. . .

6 Days!

The countdown is on! 6 days and Cowboy and I can count ourselves as homeowners! Whoo hoo. I am sure my time of coming home and resting/playing on the computer is coming to an end as I have started the massive to do list and its not looking very short. We close on Wednesday afternoon. So if anyone wants a glimpse of the sexy orange woodburner or some nasty shag carpeting, stop on over.

In the meantime I am trying to pick out paint, countertops, etc. so I can get them ordered and we can get a ton of stuff done in the next few weeks so its done before we haul all of our stuff over. I think its going to be a blessing that we can stay in our current home for a month and work on the new one. I've been around sheetrock dust and paint fumes; and I'll pass on living in it if possible.

25 weeks photo

97% there

So the saga goes. . .



Find house. Check

Make offer. Check

Talk to bank. Check

Wait for appraisal. Check (took to damn long, but its done)

Re-negotiate price. Check

Get estimate from trencher. Waiting

Sewer man. The 28th

We get to move. Closing on the 2nd or 3rd.



So we are about 97% there and it ends up being more in our favor. Yay! Not going to shriek too much, I am sure there is still something to go wrong. But Cowboy says I can at least pack a box or two now :)

Turkeys

Not everyone enjoys the splendor a wild turkeys wandering through their yard every evening this time of year. The novelty has worn off for me and I think they are gross. However, Paige and I have fun 'gobbling' at them and making them gobble back. Small things in life keep us entertained.

Paige-isms

So today my daughter was full of all kinds of interesting comments. Starting at the grocery store. Our local meat man is a larger guy--sort of rotund if you will. We said hi as he was walking down the aisle, and thankfully he was out of earshot when I heard a little voice say, "Mom, that man was fat. He looks like he's going to have a baby!"



Oh dear. I really hope she doesn't think everyone without a washboard tummy is having a baby. We had a talk about hurting people's feelings after we were out of public ears.



A while later. "Mom, when I am a big kid--after the baby comes--am I still going to go to Kims?"



She's mentioned this more than once--apparently the defining characteristic of being a big kid is having a younger sibling. Who knew.



Lastly, if she keeps telling me "Mom, your tummy's getting bigger. . .and so's your butt!" I am going to have to send her to live with Gramma. She says it in a cute little impish voice and giggles--but a prego girl doesn't need any one telling her she's getting bigger--plus I don't think my butt is getting all that much bigger. So there Paige.

Anxiety

So I have decided that being anxious about something is one of the worst feelings in the world. I'd rather just be angry or happy--those are clear cut emotions. But the anxiety I have had the last few days has made me crabby--how fair is that? Not fair to the poor hubby who has to live with me. Throw in a few pregnancy hormones, and wow, not a happy wife. I also hate things that are completely beyond my control in any way--control freak? That is me. Those of you who know me and read this, you love me anyway :) Anyway, I am supposed to hear the answer tomorrow that will make my anxiety go away. I am not holding my breath, but we'll see. So just a little online venting. I am sure there will be a big post if things work out correctly. Mr. Appraiser better be kind. . .

A 1,000 pound addition

Meet Boston. The newest addition to our clan. Cowboy had some diappointment with finding a horse this spring; and then his amazing wife found this guy. Cowboy's always wanted a buckskin gelding; and now he has one. He arrived at Cowboy's work yesterday; so Paige and I went out after work to meet him. He is very gentle and I like him. I don't really like horses; so that is a high complement. Cowboy was going to move bulls with him today; so hopefully they had a good day together and meshed well. I haven't gotten any calls that an ambulance was needed yet so that must be a good sign.

Girls Weekend

I am blessed and get to have a girls weekend at least once a year with some amazing ladies I went to school with. Whats even better is that we stay in touch with each other and several of them I speak to on a very frequent basis. Its nice to not lose touch with wonderful people. My friend Sarah and I met up in Dickinson on Friday and began the quest to the flatland of Fargo to meet up with other gals. We ate out, visited, cuddled the newborn little Lucas and had a really nice time catching up with everyone. Thanks to all who journeyed from out of town to gather and thanks to those in town who made time to see us and opened up their homes.

On the flip side of that, it was a dreary rainy day to come home on. But Sarah and I are definetely western ND ladies, as once we were west of Bismarck and traffic thinned, we both felt a little closer to home and enjoyed the hills we have compared to the flatland. I had to smile after she dropped me off at my vehicle, as one of the first things I saw was a guy in a cowboy hat--no one I knew, but it made me feel better as I knew I was getting closer to home!