Loving Memory Lane

Warning: Tons of old pics!

This morning the girls and I were sitting in front of the computer looking at old pictures. I am sooooo glad that I am addicted to taking pictures! So many wonderful memories! Anyways, I though I'd share a few of my favorite!

Our 1st house! Year - 2000.

2002...I love this picture!

2003 - The day after arriving in Ocho Rios to be married! It was a long journey to get here. We got stuck in Miami for nearly 2 days and missed our 1st wedding date! Missed several planes due to the weather. We met some great people along the way.

John's mom and dad went with us to Jamaica. We had a great time! I wished though my parents couldn't have been there as well. That's the only thing I would have changed about my wedding!

We climbed the falls. That was fun!

Drank coconut milk

Swam and snorkeled alot! I even got socked in the face by this huge guy that was scared of the water. He was probably about 250 pounds screaming in the water like a big baby. Anyways, he elbowed me in the face and tried to use me to get out of the water! What an idiot!

We ate ALOT! The food was sooooo good! I think we gained about 10 pounds the week we were there!

We got a couples massage on the beach. It wasn't as romantic as it sounded either. I mean it was nice being out there with the sound of the water coming in, but the sand hurt my skin soooo bad! It was like I was being bathed in sand and oil for an hour! And our massage people were chatting the entire time!

Wedding dinner! Steak and Lobster!

Back home...here's my 1st loves. My Beauties!

Lucky and Spot!

I miss them so much!

Feb 2004 - This is John and I after his dad's funeral. I was also pregnant in this picture and we just didn't know it yet. I wished we were able to tell John's dad he was going to be a grandpa again.

2007 - I was about 7 months pregnant when this pic was taken of John and his friend Jaimie. I was a designated driver for these two drunkards! The were hysterical. We were at a wedding and the stole a picture of beer from the reception and went out to the parking lot to finish getting their drink on!

Nov 24, 2004 - Finally! Presley is here!

She so serious! Still is a very serious child!

That's were John slept for the entire week we were at the hospital. We were there for about 5 days...so it became our home for about a week.

We went to visit Presley in the nursery the next morning. We weren't allowed to hold her for 24 hours. She was pretty sick and they wouldn't allow her to leave the nursery. They didn't want me to even hold her or nurse her. When I saw her for the 1st time, I cried and cried and cried over her and wouldn't stop. The nursery nurses were all like "what's wrong?". I told them they were mean people because they wouldn't tell me what was wrong with her and they wouldn't let me hold her and they wouldn't let me nurse her and all I wanted to do was hold my baby and when Presley would cry right in front of me, they wouldn't let me comfort her. How is a mother suppose to stand there and watch her new born baby cry and not try to comfort her? If I remember correctly, I think they told me that I was the one making the baby cry. Well, Eventually, they broke down and I got to hold her in the nursery and feed nurse her. But I was clueless! I had no idea what I was doing and they were no help!

Our 1st family pic in the nursery! I think she was in there for 2 days before she could come to my room.

Typical new parent picture trying to figure things out!

I love this picture of John and Nate!

Dec 2004 - John with his mom, grandmother Viola, and grandpa Robert

Grandma Ragan and Uncle Sky with Presley

Christmas at my house....2004....I wasn't ready to take the baby out.

The grandkids with Grandma and Grandpa Ragan

Aunt Deb and Presley

Uncle John and Presley. I remember him telling me that he was surprised we came. I think Uncle John knew how paranoid I was about taking Presley around people.

2 months old

4 months old

6 months old. I use to work nights, so when I'd leave, those two would settle into the evening by playing video games.

6 mths old - Taste of Addison. I love this pic!!!

7 mths old

10 months old - one of her favorite past times....always pulling down the diapers

11 mths old. She is such a daddy's girl!

She fell asleep trick or treating!

11 1/2 months old, I think we were at Karen's baby shower

11 1/2 mths old, one of our favorite thngs to do with Presley. We'd go to every park around us and feed the ducks! She'd eat some and share some. Love it!

1 YEAR OLD! I cannot believe how much she has changed from the very 1st day that we met her!

There are more pics to come from mine and the girls walk down memroy lane...but that'll have to be another day. I am beat!

Back Seat Driver

Today, I took the girls out and when ran a bunch of errands. I needed to go to Lowes to get some stuff for the house and the girls wanted to look at Halloween stuff at Walmart, Party City, and Target.

Well, was driving out of neighborhood and Presley asked where we were going first. I told her that we were going to Lowes then to eat then we'll go Halloween shopping.

She said, "No, I want to go to Target first."
I said, "No, I am driving so we are going to Lowes first."
Then she threw her arms up and said," Well, I am back seat driving, so we are going to Target first! Go west!" (she reads the compass on the rear view mirror)

OOOOOHHH those bossy back seat drivers!

I told her that she's going to get premature wrinkles since she keeps crinkling her brows at me!

The Destroyer and the Mermaids

Maggie Belle is a destroyer of all cute and cuddly things! She goes through toys like they are going out of style! I thought dogs liked to cuddle stuffed toys. Not Maggie! She likes to get in there and pull all the stuffing out!

Here's her latest collection of torn up toys!

This poor bear is only 1 day old. Now it's head has been ripped from it's poor body.

This poor squirrel is missing the stuffing in it's tail. And it's little ears have been nibbled off.

Caught in the act!

The girls wonder why I tell them to keep their toys off the floor.

And today, I took the girls "window shopping" for a Halloween costume.

We LOVE Halloween. I think it has to be one of my favorite days of the year.

Anyways, they both want to be Arial too. Which might not be so bad since their costumes will be a little different due to their sizes. So we'll see. You never know, they may change their mind when the time comes to actually buy them.

I usually make their costumes, but this year I have to much going on! No time. But the ones they want are cute. I am so glad the girls share John's and my love for Halloween costumes!

What A Beautiful Day!

Yesterday was an absolute GORGEOUS day here!

Perfect weather! So we took advantage of it and the girls spent a little over 3 hours outside playing. I sat in the chair catching up on some articles in my Parenting magazines while they collected fairy grass, played with sidewalk chalk, kicked balls, blew bubbles, played with Maggie, and drew at their picnic table.

Maggie played her barking & yelping game with with Ivan's dog. That lasted forever! She looks like she is giving me her famous "stink eye". She's such a beauty!

We also made some Chocolate Chip Banana Bread earlier in the day. We had some of the perfect banana bread bananas. The only thing that wasn't right was that I had packed away all the loaf pans and I had to bake it in a cake pan. It cooked just fine in a shorter amount of time. And it was DELICIOUS!

I love days like this! Presley practiced cracking eggs and making a big egg white mess, Juliet practiced measuring sugar and tasting it. They helped to pour the vanilla and milk. And when they went outside, I heard giggles,giggles, and more giggles. Love it! Can't wait for more beautiful fall days!

After 26 Houses, Still No Luck!

We have seen a total of 26 houses in Trophy Club, Plano, Carrollton, and Grapevine. We still haven't found the "ONE". We have looked at nice ones that don't need much work and we have looked at ones that need a ton of work! One common thing I have seen in most is that the kitchens are so out dated! Most need all new things. I look at my house now. We are selling our house with a dishwasher with a stainless steel tub and a glass top stove with a convection oven. The appliances are less than 2 years old. I have yet to find anything like that. I hate having to leave my stuff behind with the house. I think I mostly hate having to buy it all again just with in a couple of years of each other. I also REALLY dislike how much these people are asking for their homes......when clearly, they are no way worth it. Most of the homes, even though "updated" (to their standards, not ours), need an additional $15,000 - $30,000 worth of work after moving in.

I really wished we could wait until after November to buy. I wonder if when the $8,000 1st buyers thing goes away if that will make a big difference in what is available. Or at least how quickly they are taken off the market. There have been about 10 homes that we have been on our way to see and they call to say we can't see them any more...someone got to them first. That's super frustrating! It may have been the "ONE".

I dunno! We have an apartment set up already. But it's so far from John's work. I LOVE the complex. They have a dog park, a kid's park, theater, pools, etc. Our apartment comes with a yard and a garage. BUT it's so far! It would cost John over $300 a month in tolls and gas. Then we have found some apartment in west Plano (much closer to John's work & right around Willowbend Mall) but they don't have the good stuff. And then John's boss remembered that they have an apartment that is so close to his work that they use for their corporate housing. Anyways, it's month to month. So If we just need an apartment for 3 months, we could rent that one. I haven't seen it, but it's so super freakin' cheap! Kim is going to take John to look at it next week for our back up.

So again, I don't know...we are just taking this house hunt one day at a time and really trying hard not to become overwhelmed, depressed, and a crabby patty (as the girls would say).

Here are some homes we saw over the last 2 days. And one we went to see 2 times.

Early Morn Drive House, Plano
Sq. Ft.: 2,324 Lot Size: 7,841 Sq. Ft.
4 bedroom, 2.5 bathrooms, 2 living area...detached garage
Okay, I loved this house. Having the 4 of us in it made us realize that we need a house this size! The stairs kinda scared me. Some things were off, but nothing that couldn't be fixed over time. That we know of anyways. There were some concerning foundation questions. The floor in the kitchen felt like it had a dip in it. There were some cracks in the walls and outside brick.
But I loved this house. We saw it two different days. I love it, but did not allow myself to get attached to it. Yet....

Foyer

Dining

family room, dining through that door. This room had no over head lighting. We'd have to go in a wire that.

Kitchen...needed to be gutted and redone.


Formal living

Wet bar, laundry is to the left through that door and kitchen straight ahead.

detached garage. not a big fan of that. needs a lot of work. Looks like the ceiling was going to fall in!


Master bath...the vanity was in the master bedroom. the bathroom already had a vanity and shower and toilet. Something would have to be done about that!

All the bedrooms were upstairs. That was nice, but stairs scare me. Especially since the girls still get up in the middle of the night.


OK, I have to go get some stuff done. I still have 4 houses to post.


To be continued.....