A Guilt-Driven To-Do List and a Wee Bit of Random

Peel more wallpaper.. yes, yes maybe tomorrow.

Write some thank-you notes... I am HORRIBLE about thank-you notes. No really, ask my mother-in-law. Cringe.

Clean the bathrooms. Let me remind you, I am the only woman in a house with four males.

Go to the Post office to get stamps for said unwritten thank-you notes and to mail Chris Sharp's MP3 player back to him.

Mail a recommendation someone asked for me to complete.

Clean kitchen and vacuum. These things will get done tonight. They involve no thought and are instantly gratifying.

Some random thoughts:

I read somewhere that people who have blogs are narcissistic. Well, Matt D has called me narcissistic, I guess. He has a blog, too. This information has made me think about why I blog (since I constantly must defend myself). Maybe it's because I require constant affirmation and validity. Maybe because I find it therapuetic to see my thoughts. Maybe I just like it. Hmmm. Why do YOU blog? Are you narcissisitic (like me)?

I went to my Bible Study today with the ladies and enjoyed it. I took a Pecan Pie, ham sandwiches, tomatoes, juice boxes, and 2 pounds of strawberries. The girl who hosted the study looked at my food and said, "Why did you bring so much food? Did you bring lunch for everybody?" Um. Because? "I thought we were supposed to bring stuff for lunch." She smiled and said, "oh, well it looks good!" I think they usually bring food for their kids and a little something for a snack for the ladies. Ah. Now I know. I did feel a little silly. There was a lovely girl from England there and she said, "Oh, what a feast!" I felt like I looked a little desperate for people to love me. "Please love me; look I have PIE. And sandwiches. And strawberries. And juiceboxes." Sigh.

Today, Andrea, my new friend (how long do I have to call her my new friend?), asked me if I played soccer. I replied, "Well, my boys play soccer. They were on a league in Birmingham." I loathe soccer season but know it's good for them.
She shook her head and said, "No, do you play as a family?"
I do not know why she is asking me these absurd questions. "Um, well I WATCH them play." And gripe about the too cold or too hot weather. "But, no, I do not play." I do NOT play sports that have a ball flying around in the air. I am one of those people who get hit in the face. I like to run. And in highschool I did rowing. No flying balls aimed at my face. And then I looked at her. With incredulousness. "Do you?" On purpose?
She says, "Well, yeah! That was my sport in highschool and college. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that some families play behind the seminary on Friday nights at 6:00."
Oh. "Thanks. I'll tell Quinn." Quinn was interested, but had decided to mow the yard. Maybe next time. And I will sit on the bleachers, in mortal fear of being asked to join the game by another woman. Because then I will have to play. Until I get hit in the face. hmmmm...

Well, I am being entreated for a trip to the potty with Beex. Must be off now.

Will Work for Seminary Classes

Quinn got the job! His hours will be from 4 until 8AM. So it IS possible that he could have 6 to 8 hours of sleep, just not likely. I am trying to build up piano students to start when school starts in August. There is a need for piano teachers in the area we are living in and so I hope to have 20 (or so) students by late summer. Here's to wishin' and hopin' (and thinkin' and prayin')-go ahead sing it, I'm actually doing the choreography in my head.

Today we went and got tags for the vehicles which was SUPER fun. Remind me when I do that again that three little boys do NOT enjoy standing in line at a government office.

Along that same line, why do children see an aisle in the grocery store and think, "I must run as fast and as hard as I can. NOW!"? Not sure how many countless "conversations" I've had with my children about not doing this. Ugh. I have a headache. I think I'm just going to start being the crazy lady who people stare at in the grocery store who screams at her children relentlessly. I just need to get some pink sponge rollers and allow them to go with no shoes on. "BOY! How minny tiiimes do I haf to tell yew to stop yer running! Don't make me pull off da big belt. Ya know I'll do it, tew. Now, go get yer momma some uv dat der chocolate-brownie ice cream. Der ya go. Tank ye."

Today I also ventured to our neighborhood park, on foot, with the children. This was also not a good choice on my part. They were so exhausted and I was exhausted by screaming bike-riding instructions at them the whole time. Next time I'll drive. I did meet my other new friend, Melinda today at said park with her three little ones. The children played in the mud to their hearts' content while we chatted about seminary and stuff. It was good.

It is only 6pm now and I am ready for the kids to go to bed. I keep looking at the microwave clock waiting for the time to change to 7:30. Please.

Need to tidy up and think of something wonderful to make for the Bible study tomorrow...

Good night, dear blogger friends.

An Interview

Quinn has an interview at 3AM at UPS in the morning. 3AM? yeparooski. He's hopeful to get it.

Pray that he does.

Off to kiss the boys goodnight.

Poop, poop, poop

No, no plumbing problems. Just poopiness, in general. So far, being in Mississippi has felt a wee bit like vacation and now it's beginning to feel like, well, like we live here.

I know we actually do live here.

I miss the 'ham. I got an e-mail from our Moody Church today announcing a potluck lunch on Sunday for the Jennings, who are missionaries in England, who are also home for a brief visit. I can't go. Poopiness.

I've been taking a few days break from peeling wallpaper. Secretly, I'm waiting for Crissy Sharp to come back and light a fire under my butt. Peeling endless wallpaper is not fun for me. I have hung up pictures in my butter-colored kitchen. They look good. I know I've promised pictures, but I don't feel like doing anything right now. Poopiness, remember?

We went to the party the other night and had a good time. I forget that it takes time to become friends with people. I've been invited to a Bible study on Friday morning. I will attend.

It's raining today and I'm watching the pine tree in the back yard, waiting for it to fall on the house. Pessimistic? Nooooo...

We went fishing this morning with our new friends, Mike and Andrea. Andrea and I are a lot alike. We both run and love to bake. We will probably become better friends. Except that she likes to fish (and lots of other outdoor things, bleah) and I don't (way, way, way don't). We got rained out at the pond and she was helping the men load stuff in the vans, soaking wet, while I comfortably waited (warm and dry) in the van for the stuff to be loaded. I may have pointed and laughed at her. Maybe. And then felt bad because she doesn't know me that well and she just figured that I'm a lazy jerk. I'm not a lazy jerk. I just don't like to get wet. And I didn't fish, right? Okay, I'm a lazy jerk.

I'm making potato soup in the crockpot for dinner and it smells good. Potato soup and Elizabeth McGinnis's cornbread recipe sounds divine.

I'm re-reading (for the millionth time) the Anne of Green Gables series. I can never get enough of Anne. I wish I were friends with her. I also wish I were more like her. Yes, I know she is pretend.

Well, I guess I'm going to try and organize some stuff upstairs. I wish somebody would pop in and ask for a cup of coffee. I may make some anyway.

Maybe the poopiness will go away when the rain subsides.

Up and Running

I'm currently sitting on the floor of Quinn's office typing a new post. We have internet now. Uh, woo hoo. There are a couple of kinks still, but hopefully we'll get everything settled out in a day or two.

We are getting settled and the house will be a slow go. Go here to see what we've done so far. Crissy put up some great pics and a nice list of what we've taken care of. We DID get a lot accomplished with the Sharps here. It's nice to have slave labor. I do LOVE the house. It's big, BIG, and it has lot o' storage. I've jogged around the neighborhood and think, "um, we are not supposed to live in this neighborhood; it's too nice." I'll have to give the illusion I belong. The neighbors have been lovely and the streets are quiet. The inside of the house is really great. I love the big, open kitchen and dining area and Quinn has a small office upstairs that just suits him to a tee. The boys are adjusting well (so far, so good) and hopefully we'll be making some new friends soon. We've actually made a couple of friends; Andrea and Mike, who came by last week to welcome us to Mississippi. Andrea is the head of the "welcoming committee" at RTS's Mrs. in Ministry. We went to church with them yesterday at Redeemer Pres and tonight they invited us to a BBQ with some families from RTS. Woo hoo! I've made my Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake to woo them to be friends with me.

I hope to post pictures soon. We've painted the kitchen a lovely, butter yellow (not SUNSHINE yellow, Scott) and I love it.

Also,

Abbey and Virge- I do love peeling wallpaper that comes off easily, however the bathrooms have MULTI layers and the sheetrock is coming off, too. They will have to be spackled and sanded. I also (secretly, shamefully) love to peel sunburned backs. Quinn calls me a monkey.

Must go get ready for the BBQ (and friend-making).

More later (because I have internet now).

Toodles

Things I hate...

Not having internet access. Monday. 12 noon.

Peeling wallpaper.

Faux wood panelling.

Missing Alabama.

Saying goodbye.

PEELING WALLPAPER.

Waiting to meet new people.

Sitting still. It only makes me feel guilty with so much WALLPAPER TO PEEL.

White carpet.

White walls. I KNOW they're practical and neutral. Super boring.

All of the wet, soggy boxes in my backyard. Oh yeah, the neighbors are loving us.

How high gas is. Seriously folks in big government buildings, the conspiracy must end.

More to come soon...

We do not have internet access yet and occasionally we get some other wireless, but only for a brief time (today is the first time I've looked at my e-mail). Hopefully this week we will establish our own account. It hasn't been on the list of priorities. I will post pictures when I have them. Everything has been going well, though there have been minor problems (we are still waiting for hot water). The kitchen is newly painted and the house is mostly unpacked. I will update later.

Stay tuned for more!

The Inside

Well, indeed, we did close on the house on Friday and I have brought home pictures. I am excited to get in the house and make it our home. Here are the pics...

Some ideas for the house:

Ripping out the carpet downstairs (in living room and dining room) and putting in Pergo wood floors. BTW, if you have a Habitat for Humanity thrift store in your area, I would definitely check them out for new Pergo floors. I bought our floors yesterday and saved over $900 buying them from there ($50 dollars a box at Home Depot vs. $22 dollars at the Habitat for Humanity store).

Painting the fireplace.

Painting the chair rail and panelling a darker color for contrast and a more modern, finished look.

Painting the kitchen a sunny yellow.

Repainting all the bathrooms.

This is all we can do right now. The upstairs paint looks good (even if it is white, white, white) so that will stay as-is for now.

To answer some questions: we bought the house as-is (it's a foreclosure), there was no appraisal or inspection (it would not have changed the price of the house because it was as-is), and, yeah, we are crossing our fingers a bit as we move in. Quinn is very handy.

Are you kidding?

Well, we didn't close yesterday. And we've been waiting yesterday and ALL DAY TODAY. So now at 4:30 we are HOPEFULLY going to close in the next 30 minutes.

ANYHOO... the party that was planned for tonight has been changed to tomorrow night. Come if you can! Go here for more details....

Or e-mail me.

Out the door now...

Be Anxious For Nothing

Yeah, right. I wish I could! I've been waking up at 4 or 4:30 for at least a month now and just would love to sleep until 6am.

I'm thinking about the house, cleaning the house, decorating the house, moving away from the 'ham (that's Birmingham), and worrying about jobs and such. I'm breaking out like a teenager and my house is a wreck. Poor Corin is having a hard time with moving away from everything we've ever known. Last night, I went to his class at church to make sure he had made it there and he looked at me and said, "See ya in three years, Mom!", which, ironically, is the amount of time that Quinn has left in Seminary. Silas is totally fine with everything, which means that he hasn't thought about it long term yet. In about a month he'll look at me with tears in his eyes and tell me he misses his friends. Felix is.... hungry. "Momma, I want a snack." He'll probably be more sad to move back to Birmingham because Jackson will be the place he remembers.

Today, we are heading off to close on the house. We're taking a whole bunch of boxes (thank you, dear friends, who've helped me pack) and I hope to bleach the toilets and windex the counters and shelves in the closets. I WISH I could have the carpets cleaned today, but we do not have power or water at the house yet. We need to take care of that today. It's a packed day! Better get started.

Party, Party, Party

This is Scott. He likes to fish. Can you tell? He calls me Hollywood occasionally. I think he called me Brittney Spears once when I wore a white linen suit. Yeah, he's like an older (much, MUCH older) brother. He has a lovely wife. Her name is Melissa. I do not have a picture of Melissa. She is funny, sarcastic, and endures Scott for a husband. They have a good story. They are also throwing a Bon Voyage party for Quinny (as he occasionally refers to my husband) and me on Friday night from 6pm until whenever. He asked me to post the info on my blog for all of my non-Community-Presbyterian-Church-friends to see and to let them know they are invited. Hop on over to his blog to get more info. Just click on his name.

PS... There is no childcare... hence, I need to find a babysitter.

WE GOT IT!

This is a completely different house than we had looked at before and I hinted to it on Saturday morning's blog, but was hesitant to mention it. It is a foreclosure and we are taking it as is. It's very big (for us) on the inside and it's in a gorgeous neighborhood. A contract is being written as we speak and we are closing on Thursday sometime. There will be before and after pics coming soon. Thank you for praying; the Lord is gracious! And if you have been around me this past week, thanks for not shooting me. (I've been a little emotional- a little over the top, if you will). I'm very glad there is closure and we actually have a place to move to one week from today. YEA! I'm so EXCITED!

Hangin' out with O'Jay and Chelle

O'Jay is what my babies call Quinn's cousin Jason. I think Silas did it. Jason and Michelle had us over for dinner last night and it was fabulousness. They are our only blood family in Birmingham and I'm sad that we're leaving them. However, the consolation is that Grandma's house is in Mississippi and we congregate there for holidays. I feel bad for people who don't get to go to Grandma's in Mississippi.

Brittney (my oldest niece) cut my hair last night (you can kind of tell in the picture) and I love it! Shorter, but not as short as I was thinking earlier (I chickened out a bit)- I can still pull it up in a ponytail- but with lots of layers. Michelle dried my hair for me using a round hairbrush (the way her hairstylist does it) and I really want a round brush now. I am a bit of an idiot with a round brush, since it gets caught in my hair everytime I use one. But maybe next time...

It was good to sit with family. We laughed and joked and had general good times all around. I love that we've gotten close to them. I actually refer to them as brother-in-law and sister-in-law and my children have always known them as Uncle Jay (O'Jay) and Aunt Chelle. I love that they love my kids. Thanks for having us over, guys. We love you all...

Happy Mother's Day!

A day lily always reminds me of my mom. I know we had them when I was growing up. There's something understated and beautiful about them that reminds me of her. So from the daughter who always required much attention, I love you. The older I get, the more I see you knew. Thank you for your sacrifice, your consistency, your kindness, your creativity, and your love. I appreciate and love you.

Love always,
Kimmy Sue

Boys will be Boys

We had an awesome day in Jackson yesterday. I do have news about a maybe house, but I've decided I will be superstitious and not jinx things up. There. That's a logical, adult decision. I'll let you know more details if things pan out.

Observations from yesterday:

Jack Sullivan and Dowell Davis are two of the funniest human beings ever. They had a ton of one-liners. I laughed all day.

Dowell Davis occasionally watches Jackass on MTV. He's a grandpa.

The previous observations lead me to believe that boys will be boys. Really, boys don't ever get past 12 years old. I mean, their bodies do, but, nope, not their brains.

Chick Fil-A's newest milkshake is awesome. It's like Jamocha Shake on steroids. And it's only 500 calories! Unfortunately, that kind of ruined it for me, but it was still good.

Men like to drive around and look at stuff.

The original Dreamland Ribs in Tuscaloosa is a dumpy hole-in-the-wall, but the ribs are awesome.

I like that my husband holds hands with me in public.

I need a haircut.

Happy Anniversary to us!

Nine years ago tomorrow I married a man who loves me for who I am. He is gentle and kind and an excellent father. He is far above me. For real, am I dreaming? I love him. Happy Anniversary babe.

PS... control yourselves, ladies. I know he's hot.

As Inigo Montoya says, "I hate wait..."

The last few days have been difficult. It has been hard for me to trust in God that we will have a place to live. Married housing is available, but only the two bedroom. I am tired of waiting, but waiting is what is on the agenda. Tomorrow we head out for Jackson to see what we can find. I have been encouraged by friends who have told me how quickly they were able to acquire their houses. I'm very blessed to be in my church; friends have jumped to help with the children while we are gone. Thanks. I'm praying for resolution.

On a different note, I'm in love with big rubbermaid containers that match. I like stacking them and I like putting them in my closet. This is a new concept for me; everything used to sit in laundry baskets or old boxes. With my friends Heather's help, I organized my closet, organized pictures, and boxed my shoes. I keep looking in my closet because it is so organized. And pretty! Perhaps this will spur me on to future organizational efforts. Everything is ready to pack in the moving truck, with the exception of clothes. Clarify, everything in my closet is ready to pack. I'm nowhere near done with the house. Yikes. Maybe more today. For the first time in our moving history, I have cleaned out closets and under beds BEFORE the day of the move and I hope it makes a big difference in moving day. What usually happens is that there is junk everywhere the day of the move and it fills up most of the van. And it takes me hours to clean up. I am hoping we can avoid this.

So another day goes...

Disappointed

We didn't get the house. It was sold to somebody else who was countering the same time as us. So that's it.

I guess.

Welllll....

I know you all are just WAITING by the computer to hear my news. What IS she going to say? We are waiting on a closing date. We have agreed on a price and will hopefully close soon. Wow. As promised, here are some pictures of the inside of the house.

It's a great house and I'm excited. We are in no lack of dark panelling, as you can see. And textured, gold wallpaper in the master bath. I do not have pictures of the bedrooms (there was one of the master, but I can't find it in my pictures) and I have not seen the house personally. Quinn says that it has big bedrooms and that the living area is very roomy. I did go look at Pergo yesterday and I like the hardwood (looking) floors. How can they make it look so real? Anyway, we will paint the kitchen cabinets and the panelling. The bedrooms, foyer, and hallway also need painting. The Pergo will go from the kitchen, through the dining rooms, into the living room and foyer, and then down the hallway. We will replace the carpet in the three bedrooms. We will probably use all neutral colors (for resell), but neutral colors do not make me happy. Life goes on.

Speaking of going to look at flooring yesterday, remind me next time I want to go shopping with no stroller and my other two kids, that it is NOT a good idea. Just tell me, "Kim, why don't you wait until Quinn comes home?". Pretty frustrating. I think I actually growled at the children.

Last night, we celebrated Cinco de Mayo (we're all such big celebraters) with the Claytons. We had fajitas and other yummy latino cuisine. And then dessert. Maja made something called Chocolate Swiss. It was chocolate merengue with cut-up (non-cooked) apple, a scoop of ice cream, and homemade chocolate sauce. Delicious. The apple really added a touch of tartness that was surprisingly good to this non-apple loving gal. It wasn't that hard to make (who doesn't have chocolate merengue lying around their kitchen) and I wanted to lick the chocolate sauce out of the sauce pan. Maybe I did, a little.

I'll let you know more details of the house as they come.

House Anticipation

We're still waiting on word about the house. Quinn says he thinks we'll get it. Maybe we'll know today. I have a feeling the next two weeks are going to be CRAZY.
I kind of hope so, actually. I think crazy-busy is the only way I'll be able to not think about leaving my world of security and jumping into the black abyss of the unknown. (Maybe a little overdramatic- maybe).

I have library books to return today and I'm thinking of going to Irondale to return them so that I can swing over to the Habitat for Humanity Outlet store. You can donate stuff for the cause of Habitat for Humanity, but you can also buy their surplus for super cheap. It's like a thrift store for housing items. If we get the house, we'll probably get our floors (brand new Pergo for CHEAP)and maybe light fixtures and fans (we'll have to see what's available) from there. I'm fighting the urge the go to Sam's and buy enough toilet paper to stock us for a year. We're almost out again. AGAIN! I hate buying toilet paper. I also have this thing (in my crazy head) that I have to have everything we'll need this summer BEFORE we move into the house. Why can't I go to Sam's AFTER we move in? Because I know where the Birmingham Sam's are located. That's a good reason. I AM going to Aldi before we leave to get milk at $1.99 each. We'll chunk it into coolers for the four hour drive to Mississippi so that I'm stocked for a week and a half. I will miss Aldi's cheapness. I actually did speak to an Aldi bigwig this week (at Roebuck's Grand Opening store) and asked when there would be an Aldi coming to Jackson. Not anytime soon, unfortunately, but for you folks in St. Clair county, there's something in the works!

Hopefully, my next post will be something like "We got the house!". Stay tuned...

Unbelief

I would, but cannot, rest in God's most Holy Will. I know what He appoints is best, and yet I murmur still. Yet I murmur still.

Help my unbelief.
My help must come from Thee.

Being a Girl

I love being a girl. I like heels. I like make-up. I like to wear a dress. I love wearing an apron when I'm cleaning or cooking. I like hot rollers and hair spray. I like being told when I look pretty. I like shaving my legs. I don't like plucking my eyebrows, but I don't like a unibrow even more. I actually enjoy the strenuous effort I put into making myself up. I love shopping. I love finding an incredible deal. I like standing in my closet trying to decide color combinations and shoes. I like listening to pretty music and imagine myself running through a field somewhere with my arms spread open wide (no snakes or bugs, of course). I like to do a random cartwheel. Or cheer. Or dance. I like to sing broadway tunes and songs from Disney movies. I like being romanced. I like costume jewelry. I love that it's me who does the mommy thing. I like being the nurturer. I like crying over girly movies. The whole thing. I love it. I love being with girlfriends who know me. I love to laugh with them and be silly. I love to talk about real life and struggles and know that they will encourage me and help me see Christ. I love being treasured and loved and held. I love that my husband loves me. I love being a girl.

Still waiting...

Things are still working for the house... The back and forth thing is happening right now. Patience, patience.

I found this picture yesterday when I was looking for something else. "Kim and her trusty Windex will save the day!"

A House?

I am sipping my coffee and thinking what I have to do today. I am NOT packing today. Tomorrow I'll slip back into cleaning out another closet. Today I may go to the thrift store to look for bar stools and maybe a book shelf. Bar stools and a book shelf? (you may ask) Well, we have made an offer on another house in Jackson. Can you say 2 1/2 weeks? Yes, because that's when we're moving there. I'll let you know what works out. I actually really like the house. It's a 3 bedroom, 2 bath (2 car garage) house in a neighborhood with sidewalks. It's in great condition, but is very outdated on the inside. You know what that means: HARD WOOD PANELLING. Lots of it. So, my ideal dream is to close on the house next week (sometime) and then replace all the carpet and linoleum (which looks original in the 1979 house), paint the walls, kitchen cabinets, and panelling before we move into the house on May 19th. Doable? We'll see. I will post pictures of the inside if we get the house. I'm trying to not be panicked about the whole thing (whoever heard of closing on a house a week after making an offer?), but I know we're going to move SOMEWHERE two weeks from next Monday. Our other option is married housing, which appeals to me, but is small and we wouldn't be able to resell after seminary. What does my life look like a month from now?