well hello there

Wow. Well this is weird. I feel like I've run into an old friend...like we have so much history but it's a bit weird because I have no idea where to start.

So err, hi. 

Here I am, awkwardly blogging again. Can I promise myself to commit to this blog? HA...no. But I feel the need to be around.

Lots has gone on since I last blogged so here is a quick update on us :)

Tony...my adoring husband is busy busy (as always) teaching high school physics and science full time. He loves teaching, specifically physics...it is after all what he loves most after God and his family ;) I joke...(kind of) ...When not being the 'cool new science teacher' he is planning, grading, researching, thinking thinking thinking..and balancing his little family quite beautifully these days. He's got oh so much on his plate, but I can assuredly say that he is blessed and that sharing his passion for math and science is most definitely where God wants Tony to be.

Desmond...my little man. Suddenly my ringlet-haired angel baby boy is like a full on preschooler (minus the going to preschool part, that starts in September) and it breaks my heart yet makes me giddy all at the same time! He says the funniest things and has the wildest imagination...not to mention the wildest little spirit. He is all boy with his bug catching, dirt digging, fire fighting, police patroling, constant climbing, spider obsessed little personality...it is incredibly out of my realm of childhood, mothering and experiences (having grown up with only girl sisters and cousins) but I'm learning to let go and let him be the little person that God has designed him to be! And really, it's quite fun once I get passed the worms and what not. ...Oh, but all that is for another post on another day :) We are so thankful to say that Desmond has not had one seizure since being hospitalized last June. He is still on a small daily dose of seizure medication and his neurologist is nearly positive that his epilepsy is one he will grow out of very soon. That is the best outcome we could have ever prayed for. SO THANKFUL. 

And then there is me...Between coaching and being a mom I've stayed pretty much constantly busy but in only the best ways possible. I just wrapped up a packed cheer season at my alma mater and I absolutely loved my first season coaching here. I could go on and on but truly, I've found my niche and I am so excited for the coming season and every single one there after. Motherhood has been a whirlwind but when is it not? Or maybe I'm the only one flying by the seat of my pants ;) Three years old hasn't been easy, much harder than two some days (cough-most days-cough) ...I fully understand the meaning of 'threenager' and I've found that an earlier bedtime is key when it comes to keeping mine and Tony's sanity :) I'm always learning more about myself and my son as I venture through this whole parenting thing...it's scary, terrifying and the biggest gift of my LIFE! .....and that's why we've decided to have another one. Ya know, a baby. You all know since the only people who read this blog are family and FB friends..but that's right, we are growing another human and it's so awesome. I mean, the first trimester was awesome and miserable..second trimester has been awesome and STARVING-all-the-time. I enjoy pregnancy (so far..knock on wood!) and I am absolutely fascinated with this little person and who he or she is! EEEK!

So that is it. Us in the quickest recap before bed I could come up with. I've got a lot on my heart lately and I find typing it all out therapeutic in a way...it's strictly selfish you see :) I have ideas of blogging about mothering a son, cloth diapering, summer plans, home buying/renting, pregnancy and so on...so run away now  and never turn back before you get too bored! ha. 

Thanks for reading friends. Be posting again soon! 

buying a home

Dont get too excited by that title...we definitely arent there yet, but we have taken the first step! A few days ago my mom sent me a listing for a cute little 2 bedroom house that was for sale. Based on it's cost plus taxes the monthly mortgage would be very close to what we are paying in rent for our 1 bedroom apartment. This is our thought, why in the heck pay rent for an apartment and throw money away when you could pay the same monthly cost and have a home? Not only that but a home is an investment plus there are tax benefits. So we gave it quite a bit of thought and decided to meet with an agent today. At first I thought this agent was the one representing the house, but after some clarification..she's wasnt...if you cant tell already, Im pretty stupid when it comes to all this stuff! I told her to explain everything to me like I was a seven year old! lol...anywho, we ended meeting with her this evening and speaking with a lender while we were there. Unfortunately we found out that the cute little home my mom had shown me was no longer available...BUT I very strongly feel the Lord used that to open us up to some ideas for the future. Just a few days ago the thought of buying a house was a far off dream...but after today, I think it could be something we may look into with in the next year or so. Tony and I learned SO much today. Our agent broke everything down for us, she was very honest...as was the lender. We found out that we are able to receive a loan if we were to go through with finding a home, the only thing that doesnt make it possible this very moment is the monthly payment part. We would only be able to keep a monthly amount similar to what we are paying now, and based on our income (which is not much when you are working and going to college full time!) to debt ratio (not a huge amount but a fair amount of debt mainly from Tony's school) ..it just wouldnt add up. BUT depending on how much of our credit card we pay off- we would be able to increase our home loan by nearly 50% of what we were eligible for today! It was also exciting to be told that WE ARE financially responsible and that we do have good credit. Mine isnt too much to speak for because I havent had much credit yet, but Tony's is great. It was all very informative and reassuring. Our experience today definitely set us on a path and gave us some direction for the future...and what I loved most, our agent was such an awesome person! For one, she didnt make us sign any contracts or anything...our connection with her is just based on integrity and I like that. And two, she loves the Lord! She is a Christian and goes to our old church! Her son also goes to the private Christian school I graduated from...it's a small world for sure! She didnt bring any of that information up either like she was trying to get us to like her or something...I asked about her kids, she showed me a picture and I noticed that her son was wearing a sweatshirt with my old high school logo on it...at that point I asked her where he went to school and from there we got into church, Christianity and ended up having a real heart to heart conversation...it was awesome. She prayed for us at the end and I absolutely love that. It was completely genuine...

At this point we are just glad to know the situation we are in so we can plan for the future, and since the market for buying right now is so good...why not have your ducks in a row? Why not know where you stand financially? ...it just feels right to be prepared in case something comparable to our monthly rent comes up! And like I said...to have a direction for home buying in the next year or two.

So yeah..Im excited! :) Tony and I were so happy after our visit with the agent and lender. I havent felt this sure of something being a 'God thing' in a long time...and by a 'God thing' I mean God really making way for us, opening up a door so to speak.

In order to pay down our debt we plan to move into the upstairs of my parent's house for a little bit. They have pretty big home and the upstairs is almost like it's own little apartment...first of all, we are over there all the time so we will feel totally comfortable living with them...Desmond will be Heaven being with his grandparents all the time and obviously it will help us decrease our debt by a good $700 a month! And it is by no means because we cant afford to rent, we do struggle sometimes but we do okay...it would be solely for the purpose of paying down our debt so we could eventually get a larger home loan and save for a down payment. The prospects of all this is very exhilarating for us...it's stressful and overwhelming for sure, but to know that owning a home sooner than 6, 8, 10 years (like I was thinking before)may be a possibility is truly amazing! :)

Yep well anyways...Im gonna try and clean up this mess of an apartment. I will blog more later!