Closing day

The bill passed that we were waiting on and our sellers agreed to extend the closing date.  Sooooo, we are supposed to close on June 4th which is just a week after when we were supposed to close... today.  But I am just not going to jump up and down yet.   A lot can happen in a week and our resident Negative Nellie (AKA Justin) just will not let me be happy.  So much has happened to thwart our efforts to get this house, that he is just not ready to get excited just yet.  So I will contain myself for another week and just pray that all goes according to plan.  This week has been one of the longest of my life, next week will definitely rival it.

Sorry, no house

Okay, so here is the latest.  I heard from our lender today and the Rural Development Fund has indeed run out of money.  This is not a good thing.  We are supposed to close on the house on May 28th.   The Senate is sitting on a bill that would put money back into that fund allowing hundreds of thousands of people to get their loans and therefore buy their houses.  The Senate can take as long as they would like to do this.  We are hoping that they will pass it before their recess in August, but there is no guarantee.  But, the fact that our closing date is May 28th means we do not have until August.  We have one week.  It does not look good, folks.  We will not be buying a house this summer.  We will miss out on that great tax break.  But, on the bright side, we will be able to continue to look for the perfect house.  We will have more time to put money aside for the house.  We will revisit the whole buying of a house business in the fall or winter after we have licked our wounds, and maybe we can take a small vacation this summer!  We will not be going to Disney World, or anything as exciting as I had outlined in a previous post, but that is cool.  I am totally good with it.  Things are good in my life.  I have a good family...  a good husband who takes care of me and loves me.  And hey, I might get a new job!

A little extra money

I am tired of looking at my friends' blogs only to see that there is nothing new posted.  So I figured that I would post something new, even if it is mundane and not entirely entertaining.  I had a job interview yesterday at the ticket office at the University.  It is just a little part-time job.  Nothing that will make a huge difference in our life-style or take up a lot of my "mommy/wife" time.  But it is something that would give us a little extra money.  If we get this house...  no we still don't know...  (Justin is not very hopeful since it is taking so long.)  If we get the house, we are going to need every extra little penny we can get.  I have several things that I would like to get and do and the only way those things are going to happen is if I earn a little extra money to fund them.  I would really like a freezer that we could put in the garage or down in the basement.  I would like to have that space for storage of meat and frozen stuff.  It would just be really handy.  I would like to get a grill.  We have never had a grill.  Well, we have had camp stoves.  We seem to have bought several over the years because they only cost about $20 and if we just toss them when we move, we don't feel bad about it.  But I would like to get a nice big heavy duty grill that we could put out on our cement slab in the summer.  There are so many recipes that I would like to try that would involve grilling.  Plus it is a healthy way to eat.  I would like to get a new tv.  Our tv still works, but it was damaged in the move.  We got a little bit of money for repairs, but not enough for a nice, new, flat screen.  And we have really become accustomed to having a larger tv in the bedroom.  I am getting blinder every day and our little 13 inch is not going to cut it for our bedroom.  There is noway I am going to be able to see it.  So if we get into the new house, I would like a new tv so we can keep our big one in our room.  I would really like to take a trip to Louisiana next year.  I want to see all of my good friends.  So I need to save up for that as well.  All of these things add up! So getting a little part-time job in the evening would really be great.  The hours are not steady.  Which I am fine with.  It would only be a couple hours a night a couple nights a week, but that totally works for me.  So, we shall see.  I think the interview went pretty well.  But they did not give me any indication about whether or not I was a front runner.  They just said that they were not finished with their interviews, yet.  So I will keep you posted.  Meanwhile...  I will just the money I find in pockets when I do laundry.

Still waiting

Yesterday, after going to the doctor's office to have a bead removed, then going to the Stewart's house for lunch, and playing outside for a it, Lorelai started to get clingy.  She seemed very tired and very warm.  Caroline came home from school with the same symptoms but we had to go to Caroline's piano recital.  During which Caroline did an excellent job on her two songs and Lorelai whimpered and clung to me.  By the end of the recital they were both feverish and we took them home, put them in our bed and gave them Motrin.  Caroline and I have been up since 4:45am.  She has a headache and slight fever.  I just can't sleep.  And Lorelai is still blissfully slumbering.  I am waiting to see what the day will bring.  Will we find out about our loan today?  Or will it be another day of excruciating wait?  I have tried searching the web to see if HR 5017 has been passed through the Senate which would mean more funding for the type of loan we are getting...  but apparently, the Senate does not feel as much urgency to get it passed as I do.  So I will continue to wait, the fate of our future resting in the hands of the USDA.  Justin has already concluded that we will not get the loan, for which he would be grateful, because that would mean our lives would not change at all.  And for him, no change, is good change.  I, however, have a completely different outlook on things.  Being the "moving junkie" that my parents raised me to be...  moving me 8 times in 14 years...  I am of a different belief.  That change can be good.  Even if it is a little scary.  Even if it means giving up some comfort that we have grown accustomed to.  But I must tell you, either way, I will be happy.  I figure, if we get the loan and the house, it was meant to be.  If not, then there is a reason.  So while I might be sad, I think I will be able to get over it quickly.  Meanwhile, I hate just being in Limbo.  Especially with two whiny, feverish, little girls.

Our Summer Vacation

This summer we have huge plans!  Justin has 6 weeks off from school and we are going to use every single second of that for tons of fun!!!
First we are going to go to Disney World!  We thought we would go to Disney Land.  But the more I got to looking at it, the more I thought that Disney Land just does not live up to the same standards as World.  I mean, Disney LAND as opposed to the actual WORLD?  How can you even compare the two?  We are going to stay in one of the luxury hotels right in the park. We are going to stay for 5 days and have an amazing time exploring all there is to offer.  Our children will enjoy themselves so much that they will never complain.  It will be pretty incredible.  I think after that week we will take another week to just stay at the beach.  We will rent a condo right on the water and just relax and play at the shore all week long.  The kids have never even seen the ocean.  We will also take in a trip to Sea World and maybe go to a lagoon and ride in a glass bottom boat and look at the manatees.  When we get home from those 2 weeks in Florida we will relax for a couple of weeks at home.  I will take the kids to the zoo, Bear World, we will go see any movies that are out, take in Rigby Lake, go to Porter Park and play at the Spray Park a few times, ride the carousel.  Then we will be off again for a great trip to see Mount Rushmore!!!  We plan on staying in a five star hotel right next to the monument.  We will take all of the great tours.  We will drive there and stop at all the fun sites on the way there, and buy the kids whatever they ask for.  But they won't ask for much because they will be so full filled after our Disney World trip, they won't feel the  need for anything else.  We will all sing songs all along the way and the kids will never ask if we are there yet.  On the way back, we will take a different route and there will be even more fun and interesting stops along the way.  By the time we get home, we will be all ready to get set for school.  And our wonderful Summer Vacation will be over.
Or, we will buy a house.  Vacation or house.  Hmmmm, what will it be?

This is for you, Mary!

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Our dinner

This is what we had for dinner last night.  It was really yummy, even though it was quite healthy.  The Soup was anyway.  The sandwiches were not as big of a hit.  Hilton loved them, but would not touch the soup.  Everyone else loved the soup but were less enthusiastic about the sandwiches.  I have been all about trying new things the last couple of weeks.  I am sure my family is tired of it, but I am so bored with cooking that I want to change it up.  So, if you are like us and have an entire case of black beans, this is a great recipe to try.  It is also quick and so easy!  I think next time I will put some shredded chicken in there and serve it with corn chips.  Also, I left out the jalapeno and the hot sauce.  And with the sandwiches I did not put any kind of sauce or hot pepper jelly.  Next time I will add the jalapeno to the soup just for a little more kick.  But even without, it was fantastic!

Black Bean Soup and Monte Cristo Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 ribs celery with greens, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 fresh bay leaf or 1 large dried bay leaf
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 (15-ounce) cans black beans
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin, a couple of palm fulls
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1/3 palm full
• Salt and pepper
• 2 to 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons hot sauce, divided
• 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, diced tomatoes with peppers and onions, or stewed tomatoes
• 8 slices white sandwich bread
• 1/2 cup hot pepper jelly or chili sauce, tomatillo or tomato salsa, taco sauce - whichever you have on hand
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 8 slices honey baked ham, from the deli counter
• 8 slices pepper jack cheese, from the deli counter
• 8 slices smoked turkey, from the deli counter
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Splash of milk
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 to 3 scallions, chopped

Directions

Heat a medium soup pot over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to the hot pot, then onion, celery, garlic, jalapeno, and bay leaf. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, then add red peppers and continue to cook. Drain 2 cans of beans and add them. Use a fork to mash up the beans in the remaining can. Stir the mashed beans into the pot and season with cumin, coriander, salt and pepper and 2 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce. Add stock and tomatoes to the stoup and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes over low heat. Add the lime juice. Remove and discard the bay leaf
While stoup cooks, make Monte Cristos: spread bread with a light layer of pepper jelly, chili sauce, salsa, or taco sauce. Build sandwiches using 2 slices each of ham, cheese and turkey per sandwich. Beat eggs with milk and 2 teaspoons hot sauce and season the eggs with a little salt. Heat a griddle pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Melt butter in skillet. Dip each sandwich in egg coating and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side to melt cheese and warm the meats through.
Ladle up black bean soup and top with sour cream and scallions. Cut Monte Cristos corner to corner and serve alongside soup for dipping and munching.

Last night I had the strangest dream

Last night I had a dream that my mom and I were in high school together in New York City and I just had to have a burger for lunch.  I got the burger and it was delicious.  I know this is random, but I did watch Guy's Big Bite right before I went to bed last night.  I am still craving a big, juicy hamburger.

Outside

I was reading another friend's blog post about her children playing outside and I got all mushy and gushy thinking of the days when I used to play outside.  This was the time when kids used to walk 2 miles to school, go swimming in the creek, play in the woods all day and our parents didn't see us for hours on end and they didn't worry!  I remember living outside.  Playing in the trees, playing in the back yard, playing in the woods. 

My kids love to play outside!  It is something they prefer to all other activities.  We just recently got a Wii video game.  It has been great for the cold winters here, but honestly, no amount of cold, or snow will deter my kids from going outside.  Our neighbors said that before we moved here, they rarely saw kids playing outside and now there are kids outside all day and all evening.  That is, until we make them come in and go to bed at the unseemly time of 7:00.  Other kids parents let them stay outside til 8 or 9.  We are just mean, terrible parents.  But I am glad we put off the whole video game thing.  And they rarely watch TV.  We removed the TV from the living room and put it in our bedroom and since we have done that, they rarely watch it anymore.  No easy access, no desire!  I am really grateful for this.  I am grateful that my kids know the fine art of playing outside.  That they know how to use their imaginations.  Hilton loves to play a game he calls, "Spider Monkeys."  I don't have any idea what this is.  I just know he loves it!  They play basketball daily, and swing on the swing set.  They would much rather be outside than in.  I wish I were still like that. 

I just hope this desire remains for them.  I hope outside play remains a priority and that they can continue to benefit from the sunshine... whether there is rain, snow, wind, hail or blue skies, I want them out there.  Even if it means muddy shoes.  Even if it means that homework is a little neglected.  My childhood was a magical time full of outside adventures and I want my kids to experience all they can.  As long as it is in the safe little block that is our home.  There are no woods or creeks or huge trees nearby, but you should see what my kids can do with a pile of dirt.