House Pics!

Here are some pictures of our house! I hope you like it as much as we do! I'm so happy that I was able to upload some pictures! Yay!!!

The front of the house...
Mr. Man and I... at our front door (boy, that feels good to write!)
Our lovely co-habitants. LOL
We love our stairs layout but we'll be changing the rails soon enough...
The top landing, right off the foyer...

Here's the master bathroom
My side of the bathroom.
My closet- it's pretty spacious!
L's walk-in closet
J's closet
I's closet...
I and Mr. Man are planning what to do in his new room after they get rid of the ugly valance and the ceiling fan.


And here's the picture of our new fridge!!! I've wanted this style since they first came out! We all love it and can't wait to fill it!


Glad, joyful and excitement hasn't fully hit us yet, so more adventures to follow!

Soon... the backyard!

We have the Key!

Today, along with two of my neighbor/great friends' birthdays, we drove ourselves down to a title company TO CLOSE ON OUR HOUSE!!! Yeah!!! We picked up the key this afternoon and finally told and showed our children. Whew!

We found it January. Saw and toured it in February. Bought it in March. This beautiful 2-story, brick facade, double column elevation built in 1989. The inspection revealed that the original owners/sellers took great care of this house. We lucked out.

All throughout, NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE, but a few people whose help we needed, knew. Not even our children. It was quite stressful keeping it from them and my side of the family, but we just didn't want any of our hopes dashed. Mr. Man and I fell in love with this house. I knew this was our house the moment I saw the pictures on our realtor's site. So we got sneaky and did it on our own.

Onto the surprising our children... We pretended to have our realtor lend us a key to see this newly "emptied" house that's on the market. Immediately, they loved it! That's just from the front lawn! Once inside, we told them that we have to be careful, stay together and tour the house, one story at a time. We started with the downstairs (Foyer, LR, FR, DR, K, G, Storage, Laundry), then we went upstairs to all the 4 Bedrooms and 2 Bathrooms.

(1 hour before we took the kids, we went back into the house to put up the signs with their names on it in each of their future rooms. Mr. Man hung it up on the window blinds since we didn't have any tape with us)

We steered the kids into the Master first. They loved the separate walk-in closets and the hidden commode (we love that, too). They loved the raised ceiling and the bay and big windows. They loved all the storage in both bathrooms and the separate sinks in the Master Bath. Then L-Infinity happen to open the first closed door... in it was her sign-"L's ROOM" and she was shocked! Then J-Pony opened the one across- it had her sign then I-Dude opened his and saw his sign. L whispered, "Wait, does this mean, we want this house?" "Or... Did we already get this house?" Mr. Man nodded. They raved about their own walk-in closets. And that's when the noise factor rose and the kids simultaneously offered their design ideas and cell phone batteries were quickly spent. It was a great sight to behold...

It was the best day of our lives! Finally having a home we can call our own... Our move-in date will be delayed about a week as they refinish the ceiling and rid it of the awful "popcorn" texture on all the ceilings!

Even better... We managed to keep the kids in the same school district and the same church ward! The kids will still be close to their friends in the neighborhood. Why? It's 2 minutes away from our current apartment! That means we save money on movers!!! What a great blessing indeed! My heart is full and honestly it hasn't really sunk in yet. Give me until late May...

Again, I apologize for no pictures... our systems are still being polished. But I promise, very soon!!!

'Til next post!

Packing, Packing and more Packing!

I can hear you saying... "As if she doesn't know any other word lately." But that is the ugly truth right now- we are packing every little thing we can think of and organizing while reducing at the same time.

To keep us sane, we also look for opportunities to serve, spend time together and hope (while quietly chanting the Spring dance) for the sun to stick around longer than a few days.

IT IS MADDENING!!! All the packing, chaos and errands to close up gaps in our move. I'm both having cabin fever and wanderlust boredom. I don't like being out but I also can't stand being indoors when I hear happy voices soaking up the beautiful day. Oh well... I've endured many a Spring time packing, but how I wish that this would be our last- for a long while...

Ok... So who's with me? One, two, three! Cross your fingers!

HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE!!!

See ya!

3 Families, 1 Dinner, >$13

You read right... I made dinner for three families: Mine, Next door and a Mother&Son. A total of 12 mouths.

I made Spaghetti with Homemade Sausage & Parmesan Spaghetti sauce and Texas toast.

Real Food Real People dot com

Here's my total:

Barilla Pasta- 4 boxes- 99 cents each = $3.96
Tomato Paste- 1 can- 35 cents
Tomato Sauce- 75 cents (big can)
Tomato Diced- 75 cents
Parmesan, Herbs, Spices- FREE (already had it)
Texas Toast- 1.5 boxes- $1.97 each = $2.96
HF Beef Smoked Sausage Links- 1.5 pkgs.- $2.50 each = $3.75

$3.96 + .35 + .75 + .75 + $2.96 + $3.75 = $12.52 Total

Why did I do it? Well, it was back on Sunday night the 7th, before I-Dude's birthday, so the spaghetti is a traditional dinner to wish him a long life ahead. For our next door neighbor, it is to help their daughter who comes to YW, get some of her Personal Progress checked off and because my friend Annette has started working again. For my friend Heather and her son, it was because her MS turned for the worst and she needed some dinner help while the steroids did their thing to help her legs.

See? Service and Frugality can be totally complimentary. (I actually already had the pasta from last month, February, so technically they're already FREE, according to my budget.) No need to go to the store for the whole meal if you just stock up on few necessities...

Til next post!

(Still can't upload pictures)

Happy 8th Birthday, I-DUDE!

I can't believe that I'm a mother of three, much less a mother to my youngest who just turned 8 today! Our son, I-Dude will now face baptism, scouting and much more fun times ahead! I can't wait!

No pictures to be uploaded because we just installed Windows 7 and Office is not quite installed yet, much less Picasa. So... I'll have to redo a post-birthday post about his birthday this year!

We started to celebrate yesterday, I made him brownies and gooey cupcakes and spaghetti with sausage and texas toast. Things he loves to eat! Today, we didn't get to do much since Mr. Man had to work so we just had ice cream and a song. I also made him one of his favorites, fried rice!

They call this his GOLDEN YEAR. I would have to agree.

In Between...

... slowly packing for our pending move (hoping to find one nearby by next school year), our children's school/church activities and commitments, and our current "Windows 7, extra external hard drive and jumpy keyboard dilemmas", blogging for me may be hampered quite soon and for a few or several months. I'll try to squeeze in a few here and there, but no promises...

See you when I can...

Unnhhhh.... Ohhhh... :(

I feel yucky when I stand up, sit down or lie down... No fever no real pain, just gut-based yuck. My system is currently noise, light and crowd sensitive. I hope I feel better soon; my "tribesmen" needs me, I need me. :-(

L-Infinity and her AC/DEC (Academic Decathlon) are again in Houston, competing in the State AC/DEC Competition.

Multicultural night tonight and the kiddos are performing but we couldn't go because Mr. Man had to work and has a flight @ 7:30PM while me, well... I feel yuck! Finding someone to take the two little ones wasn't hard, it's having someone watch them while there, is what almost made me start a mutiny of tears, screaming and outright stomping. Thank goodness for good neighbors and friends, one dropped them off, one will pick them up. As I've put it to my hubby why I couldn't afford to go, "I don't want to end up being one of the exhibits from actual puking."

The moving plans are underway, but getting much done, not so much... My poor children, their Spring Break will be spent packing and sorting toys and clothes (sounds familiar from 3 years ago)...

Snow again? Where?

We had a forecast of snow showers last night until this afternoon. But aside from "specks-of -snow-are-visible-while-squinting-both-eyes-or-standing-still-long-enough-to-follow-air-movement" for about 15 minutes, the snow shower never really happened. But the cold lingered. brrr!

Oh well... it's still winter until March 21st.

Til' next post!

Academic Family

Sometimes, good luck strikes you once, sometimes, twice. But in our case, good luck hit three times:

Our children, L-Infinity(17), J-Pony(10) and I-Dude(7) all came in differing circumstances by the time they were born though all were C-section babies and breastfed for two years minimum. All walked within 12 months. Only two managed cow's milk, while one couldn't handle dairy at all without breaking out in hives with other food allergies and respiratory episodes. But the glaring things they all have in common are their individual and similar academic prowess.

ALL THREE:
-Started reading at or just after each turned 2 years old
-Strong ROTE learners, but adaptive to 7 intelligences practice
-Have multiple artistic outlets (singing, drawing, origami, dancing, dimensional art)
-Are avid readers and share the love of the same titles
-Are strong Spellers and have high aptitude for Math
-Qualified and are enrolled in GATE or LEAP (TX) programs
-Are actively involved in school activities (Multi-Cultural Night, Choir, STUCO, Safety Patrol, NHS, AC/DEC)
-Received multiple A Honor Rolls and consistently within the Top 10% of their Grades
-Represented their schools or class (Spelling Bee, Geography Bowl, AC/DEC, UIL)
-Had been hand-picked for advanced programs in school
-Tutored classmates and peers over various subjects
-Helped peers learn how to read or read better

Mr. Man and I, very early on in our marriage established a house of learning and a house of faith. Our tactics were simple: supplement and challenge; redirect and expect focus; talk, listen and learn along with them. That means we work together in giving them the best advantage and push them to their potential while avoiding the damage of over-parenting.

Our parenting style is as typical as most LDS households- strict, traditional, family and cultural-oriented but always fair...

I don't brag about my children academically (though I share them) because good grades and high accomplishments are part of their lives. But if I am to brag about anything about them, is that they also share a love for the simple life that we live and do not get caught up (too much) in what others have that they don't.

To my children, I will always be grateful. Their presence in my life are continuous proof that THERE IS A LIVING, LOVING AND INTELLIGENT GOD.

I couldn't ask for anything more...

Packed 2010!

Dewberryscraftywave Blog

Literally! Both in the contextual definition of "full" and "put away in a box". 2010 is shaping up to be one packed year!

This year, our children all are going in separate but momentous occasions- college, middle school and 3rd grade. One, two or all will end up in different schools or district. As well as a baptism and a blessing for our new nephew. We will be visited and visit family and friends. We are definitely moving, to where not solid yet.

Our projects to reign in all these wonderful changes, is a bit dizzying to me, but they have to be done, one day at a time, until we are ready to hand the last furniture to the movers.

We will be traveling more; to visit our newest nephew in Utah, to a college campus, to rent a violin and to visit a new school. We'll be searching houses for sale and hopefully landing one.

We will be dealing with shedding the awful past, cherishing the good, and welcoming the future. We will continue beloved traditions, but in a new setting once again.

But most of all, we look forward to what this year awaits us...

I may not be around to blog much this year, but be assured that you're all gonna be in the front seat of our new set of adventures! So stay tuned!