the shaw ultimatum

As you all know we are in the midst of purchasing a house ... some of you may NOT know that the secondary market 'crashed' this week making it exceptionally difficult for us to close our loan. Especially due to the fact that the company that 'purchased' our loan closed it's doors on Tuesday - leaving all of the people that were trying to close loans thru them high and dry. One might think that this is a sign that we are NOT supposed to buy this house. In addition, we are having ZERO luck selling our townhouse, we've had TONS of people looking but not one offer!

I guess my question is - when do you chalk it up to bad timing/market mayhem and when do you say to yourself "someone's trying to tell me something!!" ?!?

a frog and a seahorse and a penguin ...

aka: Ammon and Elyssa and Abi! We started 2 weeks of daily swim lessons today! Ammon's a little short on one end for his class ... but he's doing great! Elyssa wasn't so sure she wanted to get in the water ... but took to it like the good little seahorse that she is!! Abi almost forgot to get her clothes off before jumping in! We have friends in Elyssa and Abi's classes -- hooray someone for mom to talk to!! Easton was a little squirmy ... but that's just cuz he wants to get in the water too. It's gonna be a great 2 weeks - pray for sunshine!

Ammon loves the water

Elyssa practising torpedo hands

Abi loves swim lessons!

Shaw's Super Summer Sabbatical

(there's so many words that begin with 'S' that alliteration is a cinch)

Saturday afternoon July 14th we made our way out of town ... as per usual we were behind schedule and it was too late to swim by the time we arrived in Couer d'Alene to spend the night in the horrible room reserved for us in hell; aka: Motel6. 1 queen size bed and not nearly enough room for the 6 of us! Needless to say we will not be staying in Motel6 ever again!

We arrived in Blackfoot before the sun went down on Jacob's birthday and were so excited to celebrate with him!

Monday thru Thursday were VERY relaxing and enjoyable days playing in the sunshine on the Bonzai water slide (the one that we picked up at Wal*mart in Smelterville, ID for the Cook's to replace the one that was chewed by the neighbor's dog!); working on the playhouse build project; swinging, slides and football at Jensen's Grove; trips to Wal*mart after the kids went to bed and we even went on a double date - left the babies asleep and kids with a babysitter! Don't even worry, there were 5 kids under 7 years old and 2 babies!!

Friday was spent at Bear Lake, we drove into Utah - barely. The sand was nice and the water was BEAUTIFUL!

Saturday was the much anticipated horseback riding day! We packed our stuff to head out of town and then drove up to Archer to Garth's house! They had planned a dinner and everything! We rode for a good hour or so in the side yard - enclosed for safety! Andy had the ride of his life ... He nearly found out why they named that horse Buck!

It was GREAT fun! We love the Cooks and look forward to seeing them more!

(by the way - we stayed in Ontario, OR at the SleepInn there and will TOTALLY do that again! 2 queen size beds AND a crib, with a swimming pool to boot!)

we love blackfoot, idaho!!

We spent our summer vacation in Blackfoot, ID with our great friends/family the Cooks! JennyCook took good care of us and we had SO much fun! (Here are some pics - more details to follow)

are you freaking kidding me?!

So ... as you know we have our house on the market and we are also in contract to purchase another home - which is NOT contingent on selling our current home. While we've been out of town our house has been in prestine show quality with a few visitors but still no offers. This is a little disstressing to me and to make matters worse our next door neighbors home is also on the market ... they listed 5 days after us ... at a MUCH lower price because it's 200 sqft smaller and in 'needs fixing' condition.

BUT this is what we came home to ...

it's sitting RIGHT across the street in front of our house!!


Mind you ... it's previous home was inside our neighbor's garage ... the ones that are now STI (which means they have an offer Subject To Inspection) - ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!?!?

did you get the biggest bang for your buck?

The 4th of July was a blast (pun intended)!!
Seattle is having it's best 4th of July week in a century!!
For us the holiday started at the 27th Annual Everett 4th Ward 4th of July Pancake and Egg Breakfast, then to Kayak Point with the Farrar Family and friends. On this sizzling hot 80-ish degree day we lathered our fair-skinned crew with sunscreen and headed to the water. Andy took each of the kids on a kayak ride and then took a ride by himself. We ate, chatted, dug in the sand and played all day!! The tide was out and there were a ton of teeny-tiny crab all over! Abi was having such fun digging and finding baby crab that she didn't notice that the shells in the sand were ripping her fingertips to shreds - until one cut on her middle finger got deep enough to bleed and the salt water hit it! Ouch!
We headed home about 5:30. We stopped by Alfy's for a pizza for dinner, but everybody fell asleep in the air conditioned car on the way home! (I took full advantage of the opportunity to have a shower!!)
The heat woke them before I was finished and they all came trooping in the house with their sandy feet and bodies needing to be hosed off in the shower. After everyone was cleaned up we ate our now not-so-hot half-cheese-half-pepperoni pizza and then piled back into the van to go get some LastMinuteHalfPricedDiscounted Fireworks. We arrived at the tent and the guy told Andy that the prices marked were not true ... everything was $1 - we could have packages that were marked $5 and $10 for a buck ... and then he gave us a box and said "Go ahead and fill it up, and I'll give it to you for $20. I don't care if stuff is hanging out the top ... "

As luck would have it ... we had decided that $20 was our limit ... we started loading up on what ever we could get our hands on. We went to the register checked out and vowed to be loyal cutomers and return next year! We figure we got over $300 worth of every kind of exploding, noise-making, spark spraying, bomb throwing firework there was!
We came home and lit fireworks off out in the street for almost 3 solid hours ... we decided to spare our ears and not light anymore 'whistling petes' and we got bored of the confetti poppers ... so we have a bunch for the New Year! Our neighbor down the road brought us a box with fire crackers and about 18 bombs (you know the ones that shoot up in the air and the explode in a beautiful array of color and sometimes crackle - those are my faves).

We finished up at about 11pm and it took us about 20 minutes to do a quick clean up with a broom, dustpan and many hands! All in all it was a great time had by all! Although Andy confessed later that he was starting to get bored of lighting them! I like to go to firework shows but was out-voted!! We hope the kids got their fill of lighting fireworks - when we get into our new house we will be inside the city limits and not allowed to light them in our yard! Maybe I'll get to see a show set to music next year!!

a blessing and a curse

our house is on the market ... it has been for a full week now ... we have had people come, an open house, and several flyers removed from the box attached to the sign out front. no offers yet but we are not losing hope. come on - it's only been a week. but - the pressure IS on ... we NEED to sell in order to buy and things need to come together just right, so say a little prayer for us!

just in case those of you who have SEEN my house don't believe (and for those of you who have not ... i refer you to my previous post entitled 'where am i going to find a trash bag big enough') these pictures may shock your socks off ...

it's a good thing you're all sitting at your computers ... i don't want to cause any bodily injury to viewers from fainting and/or astonishment!

the reason it's a blessing and a curse you ask!? it blesses my life to have a clean house for my husband to come home to, it blesses my life to not have the clutter and the disaster area that my house formerly was, it blesses my life because i am growing accustom to it -- which also curses my life ... i have a feeling that the boxes that now fill my garage with WhoKnowsWhatAll in them will be opened cautiously and with a large garbage can and DI box close at hand. again say a little prayer for me.

life as we know it has changed forever

Time to break out the baby gates!! Easton climbed the stairs all the way to the top. Yesterday after naps the 3 biggest were up in the girl's room playing and Easton and I were down in the living room - I was surfing and reading my favorite blogs and he was milling around among the toys, tables, and television. He could hear the kids upstairs and it must have been impossible to resist. Suddenly it was too quiet behind me, I turned around to see where all the silence was coming from ... it was the lack of Easton in the room! I peered into the kitchen, not there; powder bath, nope; hm ... I looked up the stairs and saw this ...

Of course I was concerned for his safety ... but I couldn't pass up the chance for some pictures! (I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I was forming the title and text of this blog all the while it was happening ... )

Up he goes ... following the noise ...

Victory!

The gang turned out for the victory party at the top of the stairs!

Had any exciting victories in your neck of the woods lately!?

and the winner of the june youth dance competition is...

Andy Shaw!!! Somewhere in the vicinity of 14-16 years ago ... circa 1992-ish ... Andy Shaw was all the rage at Everett Stake Youth Dances. He was not confined to the Everett Stake though, he danced the night away most weekends at the surrounding stake's dances as well. Back in the day, he was quite the dancing machine! Everything from near BreakDance moves to Splits and everything in between! He took the prize at so many of these youth dances that he was a LegendInHisOwnTime.
Fast forward to June 2007 Tri-Stake Youth Dance hosted by Everett Stake, last night. We voluteered to chaperone. Strategically stationed around the building to ensure safety, security, and measure of decorum. You remember the chaperones ... dressed in Sunday attire, watching our every move, we couldn't get away with anything! (not that we were TRYING to get away with something ... ) Yes, that was us ... but cooler. As part of the rotation we started in the north foyer, moved into the dance floor then out to the south foyer and counter clockwise around the building rotating every half hour, all the while watching for deviant behavior.
Then ... while positioned on the dance floor Rhett Brown caught a glimpse of Andy and had a flashback. He said he did a double-take, "Andy Shaw at a Stake Youth Dance, it takes me back a few years!" Toward the end of the dance the competition was about to begin and Rhett came to ask Andy if he'd enter himself as a contestant ...
"It's time for the Dance Competition, can we clear the floor?? We have a special treat this evening, about 12 - no maybe 14 years ago there was one young man who consistantly won these competitions and he's here again tonight! Andy Shaw!!" Judges were chosen and the music started "Rhythm is a dancer, it's a souls companion, you can feel it everywhere ... " After 20 seconds and at least one SpinAroundDropDownUpAndDoTheSplits move later eliminations started. 20 more seconds and it was down to a foursome (including 2 girls from our ward) and none other than Mr. Famous. [The other chaperones (all from our ward) had gathered to watch and some were taking bets as to whether he'd be able to walk into church the next day.] The winner would be chosen by audience applause ... 20 more seconds and his 3rd Split - this time with a loud smack to the ground, the audience gave it up for the GrandChampion.
It was SO much fun to watch him! He admitted that he was out of practice and Hurtin'FerCertain (his torn meniscus throbbing a bit) but we would chaperone again in a heartbeat!
Besides, how many girls can say that they went home with the StakeYouthDanceChamp!! I asked him if he'd ever recover from his performance and all he said was, "I had to show off for my girlfriend! (got any Advil??)"

these are a few of my favorite things ...

1) new growth in the spring - the light green tips on the dark green branches.

2) little purple pansies touched with yellow gold - voluteering where ever they see fit

3) walking with friends - it's always better to walk and talk ... makes the time pass quickly and not feel like exercise!

4) the song that plays when the clowns come tumbling out of their car at the circus - it's the same tune i 'dootdadoodle' when trying to 'herd cats' ... i mean get my children in the car.

5) motherhood quotes that are right on - like "I figure if the kids are alive at the end of the day, I've done my job!" and "All mothers are working mothers." and especially "Motherhood is not for sissies!"

6) the smell of babies - just bathed, lotioned and powdered (deep inhale then fast exhale with a satisfied and happy 'aaaaahhh!')

7) blue moons - they really aren't any different than a normal full moon except they happen so rarely that when you get to see one you want to call everybody and tell them to hurry outside to see it ...

8) giraffes

9) daisies on the side of the road - Andy calls them weeds ... but he stops to cut some for me every once in a while.

10) reading blogs and comments from my friends in the blogoshere!!

What are your favorite things today?