Happy Halloween

Halloween's are pretty low key around here. We usually just hang out with family and play games and hand out Halloween candy to the neighbors, which is the way I like it. But I can't wait till we have kids and we get to dress them up and take them trick or treating. I think it will make holidays like these more enjoyable. But until that happens we will continue our little tradition of hanging out with family, eating chili, and playing games; which I am sure we will do even when we do have kids!

Bear bought this mask this year and I am not fan of it at all! But he insisted on wearing it so here he is cooking the chili..he only put the mask on for picture purposes for me. I wanted that thing out of sight. He did scare my mom with it. She was in the bathroom and he waited for her by the door and went BOO and she jumped and screamed. She did chase him up the stairs but couldn't catch him...

We pulled out good old Jenga and played it about three times. Me, dad, and mom were the ones who ended the games. Bear never let it fall..whatever. He is a bit on the competitive side

I was the first one to let it fall...

Then my dad

Then my mom

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Workin Man

With the economy on the crapper, Bear's company has kinda slowed down. He is still getting work which has been a HUGE blessing but not what he was used to getting. One of his good friends that is the Chief Firefigther out in Buckeye, told him about a company that was hiring for Fire/EMT. Chief knew the guy that was doing the hiring for the position and put in a good word for Bear. Well it worked and after about 7 months he was "officially" offered the position. He had to wait on his background check, his physical, his stress test, etc results to come back normal and thank goodness they did :] Who knew it would take sooooo long!

He has been working at the job for about a month and a half and its going alright...I wish I could say he loved it but I can't. The one good thing about working here is that most of the guys that are working there part time are full time firefighters for the surrounding cities, so he has been able to become friends with them. But I do know why he is doing it..he is doing it for us. He is doing it because he slowed down in his work so he found something else for the time being to make up for lost jobs. So he works Wed-Fri the 6pm-6am shift and I am NOT a fan of it at all! I have a really hard time sleeping and every little noise I hear I freak out. Hopefully I will get used to it soon! So on his days off his has been doing side jobs during the day, and at night is an assistant instructor at GCC with his friend doing the Fire Fitness class.

So on the weekends he is catching up on his sleep! We do go out once in a while but I try not to complain much about being bored because I know how tired he is and he does deserve a good rest! And sometimes I feel like I never get to see him which has been hard but it has opened my eyes and has made me realize how much I really do need him! I am very grateful for Bear and for all his hard work. I am so very blessed.

This little Piggy

For the past 7 years or so my Grandpa has been collecting pigs. Stuffed pigs, salt/pepper shaker pigs, piggy banks, pig statues, pig pillows, etc. Any thing to do with pigs he would collect it. Now that he has passed on my grandma is giving each grandchild and his children a pick of one of his pigs so that we can have a "piece" of him...
This is the little piggy that I chose....small and simple. I am sure before I wouldn't of boughten a pig to display in my home but this one I proudly will!

I still miss my grandpa dearly and wish he could still be here. I can't believe its already been 5 months! I know he was "older" and his time was coming up but I still think he was too young considering how healthy he was. I am not(actually, I think most of the family) looking forward to Thanksgiving or Christmas because he won't be there. I mean we are excited to spend time together but its going to be hard not having him there. These 2 holidays he cherished the most because that is when the whole family would get together and we would have the best time! Family was the most important thing to him and he LOVED it when we were all together!

I went and visited my Grandma today with my parents and it was a great time just sitting there laughing and talking with her. I love her and she is the cutest thing ever! And she is doing great and I think that helps all of us knowing that she is going good! It's still weird going there because you are expecting him to come out of his room or see him in his office studying away. His pictures are everywhere and seeing them bring back such good memories of him and I can't help but get teary eyed when I see them. But I know someday I will see him again and I can't wait!

Hair Be Gone

I had an appointment to get my hair done yesterday for just a trim and some highlights...I have always wanted to chop my hair off but never got brave enough to do it! My hairdresser was just trimming away and I just said...go for it and chop it and give me bangs!  I brought a picture over just in case I decided to do it and she did exactly what I wanted!  I am so happy I decided to go short...I am hoping it will be easier to manage and its a nice change!

I am also hoping it will help me at least look a little older since a lot of people think I am 16 and sometimes think I am Bear's daughter :/ 

Its still weird that when I run my fingers through my hair it stops at my neck instead of down my back....

Feeling Crafty

How cute are these?! I made these the other night and I love how they turned out! Thanks Keeley for the idea! I love the feel of Autumn and that I am able to bust out all the cute Autumn decorations for our home!

Home Sweet Home

After a year of searching for a home we finally found the ONE! We kept submitting offer after offer and getting denied because someone came in with a bigger offer or cash upfront...something we didn't have. It was getting really frustrating because for each offer we had to sign so many papers and submit bank statements, proof of who were, etc.

We put in an offer on a bank owned home and got approved a day later and we were finally relieved that we got something...NOT! Well come to find out, the seller on the home was an investor and had only owned the home for 2 weeks and by law he had to own it for at least 90 days since we were doing a conventional loan. To say we were upset would be an understatement :/

Bear had to go to the house and sign the cancelled paperwork for the home and as he was driving around the corner he saw another house with a sign in the yard and it was also a bank owned home. He called me and told me about it and gave me the MLS# so I could go look at it online. I looked it up and from the pics I really liked it and so we submitted our offer. I think after all the run-around from all the other houses I wasn't expecting to get it...but the next day we got the call saying they accepted our offer and it was ready to go!

30 days later we signed a TON of paperwork and then got the keys a week later! After we got the keys it felt like a weight had been lifted off our shoulders and that we were able to now relax and not stress about our housing situation! I guess this was the house that was meant to be...
It was a foreclosure and move in ready! All we had to do was clean the carpets! That's what I am talking about.

Here are some pics of our home...its not exactly picture ready because things are still not in their proper place..oh well!

Big Sister

Kennedy is going to be a BIG sister!

Now that my sister has officially announced it I guess I can too! My sister Elaine is pregnant and her due date is May 16! I am sooooooooo excited that another little baby is on its way into this family!

About 2 weeks ago as we were moving Elaine came over and helped me pack up some boxes while my mom and other sister Rebecca were there. We were all sitting there talking and she kept yawing and stating that she was tired. I JOKINGLY said what are you pregnant and she looked at me with a BIG grin on her face and I knew then that she was! She finally admitted after I kept bugging her to tell me...she found out the day before Kennedy's 1st birthday!

Congrats to Elaine, Shane, and Kennedy!