Our First Step...well, it feels more like a leap

I guess it's time to update this blog because we have some news. We've gone and done it! We've joined the ranks of home owners and honestly it's still hard for me to grasp. About a week or two before we found this house/duplex I had a conversation with my father-in-law about how old he was when he bought his first house and he said he they didn't purchase his first home until he was well into his 30's. When I heard that I was immediately releaved, thinking "thank goodness! I still have some time!!" Not much, but enough ;) Then we had a amazing opportunity open up to purchase half a duplex that was a model home, meaning fully furnished and fully upgraded. With only about a day or two to think about it we decided to jump on the opportunity.

So, now we have a beautiful new house that we aren't moving into. I know you're probably saying "what?" right now, but let me explain. Out plans for this place is to rent out the top two floors and suite out the basement. We will live in the basement and rent the top out for a little bit more then our mortgage payment. I seriously can't believe how much people will pay for rent up here. Noy only that, but houses are soooo expensive up here! If it weren't for our little plan to rent our the top I doubt that I would be writing about buying a house right now. But we are so excited and we have renters moving in on Wednesday. We just got possession on Friday and now it's time to start construction on the basement! We're really just discovering what a task we've taken upon us with building walls, and picking our cabinets, and blinds, etc! YIKES!!! And I'm sorry to say that I really don't have a knack for it. Nathan is way better at design. Maybe it's the impatience in me but I really have to stop myself from just wanting to buy the first thing I see. It's definitely an adventure though!!

He are some pictures of our new place! Although we don't have an pics of the basement because right now it's just cement, wires, and pink ichy installation. So these pics are of the place for rent.






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William Tell Overture Mom

This is so funny!!!

Oct 2007 NM & UT Trip

We had a great time on our trip to see my family. However, just a warning about the photos: they are only from the end of our trip because I always forget that I have the camera in the first place. Both my little brothers, Jacob and Phillip, had soccer games that we went to but I only have pics of Phillips cause that's when I remembered the camera. My brother's are getting so big! One is a freshman in HS and the other in 6th grade and they are totally in the gameboy playing phase (or for guys is that really a phase?)because every picture I tried to take they were playing with their gameboy systems (I don't think that's what they're called, it's something like DSD or DS???). And if anyone needs some cabinets hung, just let me and nate know cause we are Pros now (for a price of course :) ). Just in case you're thinking that they look at little weird that's because they don't have the doors on yet.

We also stopped off in American Fork, UT at my oldest brother's house where we woke up to a chilly surprise...snow!! It wasn't there for long but there was enough of it that we got to make a snowman with my little nephew Jarrin. He loved it but he was consistently running over to his mom to blow on his hands cause he refused to wear gloves! It was so funny! Jarrin is like a little replica of my brother Jacob. Sometimes watching Jarrin reminds me of when Jacob was little. Oh, and how about those giant pumpkins on their porch! Crazy huge!!

All in all, we had a wonderful trip and it was so good to see my family! Thanks to all of you that let us stay with you esp. my aunt Kalee who is always a wonderful host!

Tagged

I've been tagged. The rules are that you list 6 facts/habits about yourself then at the end of the post name 6 people that you are going to tag. Then you go into their comments and tell them that they have been tagged.

1. The one thing that I absolutely love is a good book. It's probably one of my most favorite things to do and when I find a good one I get a little obsessed about it. I have a really hard time putting down a book I love and most books I can finish within a day or two. I'm trying to remind myself to take my time with new books so I can enjoy them for a lot longer. Once I've finished a book I feel very connected to it and I think about it constantly and usually carry it around with me for a day or two in case I want to read a little exerb at some random time. I'm definitely one of those people that cries and laughs outloud while reading.

2. To go along with my first fact/habit, I want to write a book someday. It will probably be fiction and along the lines of fantasy. I started two books this past summer and every now and then write a little more but I put a lot of pressure on myself to think up an orginal idea and when things start to sound to cliche I stop, hoping that with time my mind will clear and I will be able to once again write something uniquely me.

3. Working hard. I thrive on challenging myself to work hard in everything I start or do. My job, school, and just life in general. Sometimes it could be learning something new (which I love) or just putting myself in a situation that's unfamilar or uncomfortable, but something that I want to do, and then just doing it. When I was younger I missed out on some opportunities because I didn't work hard enough or was too scared and I am determined to not let that happen again.

4. A lot of people don't know that I grew up helping my dad with a lot of different rental properties he owned. Since I was the only girl in the family I got to help right along with my brothers while we reshingled roofs, built fences, fixed toilets, painted, landscaped, etc. Pretty much anything you can think of that has to do with home repair I did. Plus, my dad designed and built (acutally built) our house so I helped with a lot of that too. :)

5. I love being outside. When I was single and lived in Salt Lake City, I used to take a blanket, a book or my journal, and sit on the grass at Liberty Park next to the pond a couple of times a week during the summer. Nature in general is just great!

6. Maybe someday in the distant future I would like to go back to school and go further into psychology, more specifically the homopathic side. Instead on prescribing things like ritalin for ADD, I would like to try more natural remedies. A lot of evidence is showing that in cancer, natual remedies are a lot better healthwise and show a lot better results then chemo. I think the same things can be applied to psychological illnesses. But this is all in the very distant future...maybe someday...

Tagged; Terra, Lupita, Brianne, Stacey, Brooke, Christi

Conference October 2007

Ever since I moved to Utah back in 2001, Conference has always held a special place in my heart. It always signalled the coming of Winter or the beginning of Spring to me, both favorite seasons. It's also a time when I can sit and re-evaluated where I am at in my life as I listen to new guidance and firm reminders from the prophet, apostles, and other leaders of the church.

Nate and I have been blessed almost ever conference to be able to attend at least one session, and this year it was hard not to be around as Utah seemed to tingle with the anticipation on new direction; however, as I listened from Canada I still felt the message of each speaker as if I was sitting right there in the Conference Center. It was a good reminder to me that the gospel and the spirit is the same no matter where you are.

I was particular touched by the talk given by Elder Bednar in the Sunday morning session. I'm not sure what it's titled because I wasn't actually writing notes but his talked struck me and I've been thinking about it ever sense. He talked about having 1. clean hands and 2. a pure heart. It's a topic we learn a lot about but what hit me was that he said it is possible to have clean hands and and impure heart. It automatically reminded me of Mosiah 4:30 when King Benjamin warns about watching our thoughts. It scared me to think that I could have clean hands and not a pure heart b/c those seem to go together. Elder Bednar also talked about how important the atonement is in have both clean hands and a pure heart. I made a resolution to make sure that my thoughts are as clean as I think my hands are and if I stray to use the atonement daily to repent of those things.

VW Fire

At the end of June, our new Passat (well new for us, 2003 VW Passat) that Nate and I had bought about six months before, spontaneously caught on fire in the engine area. I drove from our apt. in Miamisburg, Ohio about 30 miles south into Cincinatti to shop at Costco. Before I actually started shopping I sat down to eat one of those delicious costco hot dogs when I noticed a couple of people run by with fire extingishers. Not thinking too much of it (obviously it couldn't be my car, it was still new) I finished my lunch. Then for some reason I just felt like it would be the "responsible" thing to do just to make sure it wasn't my car, so I walked out and, wow, yeah there is was, my car, flames shooting out from under the hood (well, not really shooting) but definitely visable. Then the fire dept. drove up, jumped out, and preceeded to pry open the hood of my car with a crowbar. Yeah...not too fun to watch. The end of the story? Well, VW flew out a specalist to check out our car. They ended up paying it off and giving us a $3000 credit to use at VW or Audi, which we used to buy a new VW Passat, which we love! No fires so far.

Today I recieved a message from a friend (thanks Brandon) with a link to a news article talking about how the government is upgrading an investigation into VW after recieving dozens of reports of engine fires in Passats. Below are a couple of links to the article written regarding these fires. Same article just two different sources.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21102249/

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071002/UPDATE/710020444/1148/rss25

Here are some pics of our poor car! The engine area was totally melted but the body and inside the car was perfect! When I went to pick up my stuff from the car the rest of the car looked so perfect that it was like I could drive it out of the lot.

Stephenie Meyer

I just realized that I put Stephenie Meyer was an artist and she is in the sense that she writes books...but that can be art too, right?? :)

Links

I finally got the whole link think figured out so check out some of my links and favorite websites! The husband of one of my good friends is an amazing artist! Check out Justin's Paintings and Beach paintings to look at some of his work. Also, Stephenie Meyer has become a favorite artist of mine and I'm always checking out her site for new info. on her books and the Twilight movie. If you haven't read that book yet, READ IT!!!

Our New Blog, Welcome!

Well, blogging just seemed liked a good idea. Hopefully you all can find some kind of enjoyment in this new page that is dedicated to me and Nate and our family of two. :)