September 2007

This is going to be one crazy fall! A week before we started officially looking for a house, we wandered through an open house on River Oaks Drive. It was a beautiful house, great view, had everything we wanted and was within our price range. The realtor showing the house said the builder was going to finish the basement and raise the price, so we though that would push it out of our price range. When we saw it in Sunday's paper for the same price, we decided to take another look. We asked our realtor about it (as he just happened to be the listing agent). Still within our price range, and still loving it, we decided to make an offer. 3 days later it was accepted and we will soon be home owners again! Now we need to find furniture to fill it up. We bought a refrigerator at Best Buy (that was our one MUST have before moving in) and are trying to prioritize the remaining wants: dining room table, sectional, grass, fence, new bed for us, bunk beds for Maggie, exercise glider, new guest bed. I put a few more pictures on the photo page. But I am just head over heels for my new kitchen! I can't wait to get in a start cooking! We close 9/21 and are moving in that weekend.

For Labor Day we drove to Eugene Oregon to visit my Aunt Patsy and Uncle Ed. Ed has cancer and we wanted to visit while we could. He looks great! He took Rocky to opening day for the Oregon Ducks (the Ducks won). Patsy and I played with Maggie and had a chance to catch up. Sunday we went to a winery and relaxed. It was a long drive, but very pretty. The Columbia River/Gorge is phenomenal! We got there late in the afternoon and enjoyed a beautiful sunset (after the sun was behind the hills). We took 2 days to drive home (better idea). The winds had shifted in Montana and we could actually see the mountains instead of just smoke. It is sad to see all the fires burning the state. So much charred ground. Intellectually, we know it is good for the mountains to have these fires, but it would be nice if they weren't all black at once!!

Both Rocky and I are trying to figure out how to go back to school as well. I'm STILL waiting for my accounting book, but as long as I attend the lectures and read the prof's notes, I can keep up (except with homework). Rocky is headed to some training this week and is hoping to do some reading while on the airplane. Maggie is moving up to the 2-year old group in day care! Doesn't see possible that she is going to be 2 very very soon. She's no longer a baby! She loves to try to do things herself -- especially change DVDs in her player! "I get it" is her new favorite phrase. When she tires of anything it is "Momma's turn!" (very rarely is it "Daddy's turn.") With the move coming up, we've put potty training and getting rid of the bottle on hold. I think moving up with the 2 year olds will push both of those. Maggie loves to be read to and is trying to read along to "Green Eggs and Ham." She also loves to sing and sings along to all her favorite theme songs "Veggie Tales", "Sesame Street", "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse", and of course "Elmo's World." She will actually recite most of several "Elmo's World" episodes, even though she rarely watches them anymore.