I'm finally ready to share.....(Part 1)

As most of you know, we put our house on the market in February. We had a "perfect" house in mind that we would be buying when ours sold. The "perfect" house sold approximately 2 weeks after the sign went in our front yard. I refused to look at houses b/c I didn't want to fall in love with another one, only to lose it too. So, we sat, we waited, and we got discouraged when our house wasn't selling. Then, it happened...the dreaded 60 day phone call....it goes something like this, "So, your house has been on the market for 60 days now..." "Yes." "Have you guys thought about lowering the price in order to keep it competitive?" "No." "We just listed another house in your neighborhood for the same price." (And who's fault is that?!?) "Okay." "Maybe you guys could talk about it over the weekend?" "Oh, okay." We talked about it, we got more discouraged, and we finally decided to lower the price, but not by much. I called and left a voicemail to get those changes going. Meanwhile, they called to show our house 3 times in 2 days. Our agent called to let us know he'd need the price change in an email b/c he couldn't change it based on a phone conversation, he needed it in writing. I tell him we've changed our minds, they showed the house 3 times in 2 days, seriously?!? He says to see the feedback and then decide what we want to do. All of the feedback says "over priced" or "needs new appliances." We agree to come down the cost of new appliances, send the email, get a phone call..."Hey there, I'm not going to lower the price of your house." "Huh?" (seriously here...it took me a week to decide this was a great idea, what are you doing?!?) "We have an offer for you." (maybe should have started with that....). "Can you be here at 5pm?" "Yes." Offer is good, 1 counter offer, house is sold!!!

Hi there....I'm homeless...and mildly frightened by that thought.

Our realtor sent us 13 homes to evaluate online and see if we wanted to see the inside of them. We liked 5 of his and found 2 of our own. We do some serious house hunting one evening. We decide to make an offer on a 4 bedroom ranch on 1.67 acres. The house needs lots of improvements to make it what we want, but we agree it has great potential (I now HATE that word....don't say it around me and definitely don't ever describe my house as having it!!!!). The night we made the offer we agreed that if they came back at full price we would walk away from it, the house needed too much work to pay full price for it. So, we make the offer, we give them almost 48 hours to reply b/c they have already relocated out of state. We hear nothing, we get in bed at midnight, I FREAK out....actually, the word FREAK is really an understatement. I lose all control of the ability to talk without crying and the ability to just be quiet and go to sleep. Matt is up until 2:30 trying to convince me we made the right choice. I am convinced we didn't and can't get control of myself....I believe I finally passed out from dehydration :-)

Drum roll as God teaches me a GREAT lesson in faith, trust, self control (tongue biting!!), and, most importantly, His ability to care for me even when I'm trying (and failing miserably) to "take care" of myself.

The next morning I wake up still crying (I'm not joking here people, it was awful!) I sit down to eat breakfast with the kids. Now, mind you, Matt is already at work and doesn't know I am still crying hysterically. The kids are inquisitive, "Mommy, are you having a bad day?" (Carson) "You cannot go to school acting like this!" (Delaney....think she's heard that before?) "This'll cheer you up..." Carson proceeds to tell all of the corny jokes Matt has taught him. The phone rings, I hold my breath as I look at the caller ID, it is the realtor. "Good morning. We have a counter offer here for you." "Okay." (It's taking everything I have to not jump through the phone to see what he's holding.) "They came back at full price." Not joking, I immediately didn't want to cry. I wanted to dance around the house singing praise songs....and so, I did!!! The kids thought I had lost it, I had kind of, in a good way!!!! Before my dancing escapade, I did mange to tell the realtor I'd talk to Matt and we'd call him later.

Doesn't God work in mysterious ways even when we don't put all of our faith in Him to provide? And doesn't that make you love Him even more, that he's protecting you even when you don't think you need it? Even when you are sure you have it all figured out.....and you don't!

Catching up before the BIG post

Grandpa Bub (Matt's dad) gave the kids Easter baskets the Saturday before Easter. While he was here they had egg hunt after egg hunt. They had SO much fun and rehunted for empty eggs for the whole next week....SO fun!

EASTER MORNING....wow, we were NOT being agreeable!!!

Carson warmed up a little for the pictures at my parent's house. He at least was smiling by then, even if it did take some effort.

All four of the adorable Tooley grandkids.....Delaney is, of course, being the mother to Luke, he's too young to know to run away from her, poor guy, he'll learn!!! And by this point, Carson has turned on the charm...look at that face!!!!

"Mom, I think I'm a better cheerleader"

Sorry the last post wasn't full of stories, just had to catch you up on our early April happenings. This'll make up for it!

Delaney, the awesome reader she is, saw a sign at the Y that was advertising soccer sign ups. Of course, not really understanding what soccer was, she decided she just HAD to sign up. So we trotted over to the desk after a workout and signed her up. Then we trotted to Walmart to buy a soccer ball so she could have some idea of what she had just signed up for.

She caught on quickly and loved her first practice (the ONLY practice before the first big game. However, even if they'd had 10 practices, NOTHING can prepare you for the first game of the 4/5 year old league where everyone and their brother comes out to see everyone and their brother play soccer so there are people everywhere and you aren't totally sure you know what you are doing and you inherited the "If I can't do it perfect I'm not doing it" personality trait from your father and the "I'm going to disappoint someone" personality trait from your mother....so, you decide it would make more sense for you to just stand in front of your mother and bury your head on her b/c you're shy and not sure of yourself. Then, when you don't get the reaction you want there move on to your dad, who has zero sympathy and tells you to get back out there and be a part of the team, after all, you asked to sign up for soccer.

I'm happy to report though, that the initial reaction is gone and she is one "on fire" soccer player. I hope to get some action shots this week...last week's game was at 9am and she had pictures before the game...I wasn't exactly awake enough to grab the camera!!

April in review

On Wednesday of Delaney's spring break, Matt took the day off work. We went to the Old Spaghetti Factory for lunch ~ we even got to sit in the trolley car!!! Then we headed to the zoo to be wild animals for the afternoon.
I think he's way too cute to be a wild animal!!

Maybe goats for our next house aren't such a great option...she really liked posing, but wasn't too sure about petting.

On Friday of that week we surprised the kids with a trip to see Sesame Street Live. Seth also came with us (well, and Dave and Cara too). The kids had a great time. They loved the show and got to eat cotton candy at the intermission....what's not to love about that?!?

Odds and Ends

Okay, first of all, nothing in this post really goes together.

This is what I walked into the other day when the kids said they were going to go to Carson's room to play with some odds and ends. Our children are "honored" enough to live with two control freakish parents that like things in their place, so each bin has an assigned toy or group of toys that go in it. Well, one of them in Carson's room has the "odds and ends" in it, like McDonald's toys, seasonal items, and other toys with no partners....isn't that HILARIOUS!!! Delaney is participating in Book It in school. She is required to read 10 minutes everyday that she has school and earns a Pizza Hut certificate at the end of March and April. We decided to expand on it a little and told her that she had to read for 10 minutes every day. She has filled out more than her fair share of crayons (they are paper and they have to write the title of the book on it) during the last month. She has taken in so many that with the last batch her teacher actually said, "More crayons from Delaney, I'm shocked" in a very sweet, sarcastic voice. It was pretty cute!! This week is her spring break, so she ran out of crayons to write her book titles on on Saturday, so she just has piles of books that are waiting to be logged!!!

The next two stories have no pictures, although they could. One would be inappropriate and the other wasn't snapped that night, so it has lost it's look by now.

First, we have started making the kids wash themselves off on nights that they don't take a bath, I know, they probably should have learned this skill a while ago, but they are my babies!! Well, Carson will sit on his Cars stool in the bathroom washing his feet with his washcloth giggling for the LONGEST time...actually he'd probably sit there until he fell asleep, but we have to encourage him to stop, put on his pajamas, and get into bed.

Second, Carson fell on the bricks in our front yard last week and he scratched up his knee and hand, requiring a Batman bandaid on the hand. Later that night when I was putting Delaney to bed she said, "Boy, Car sure does have a clam dragon nail scrape." I commented that is was pretty yucky looking. Her response, "I'm so glad that's not on his face, ewww." Maybe my girl doesn't dig scars!!!!

We're off to see....

Glenda the good witch and the scarecrow...constantly!!!

We love to read chapter books to the kids at night. We have an obsession with finding books that also have movies. We read the book and then we watch the movie. A few books ago we read the Wizard of Oz. The kids LOVED the book and the movie, so when Matt noticed that his high school's drama department was doing the Wizard of Oz, we decided to take the kids (and Matt's grandma) and make a day of it! We had a wonderful lunch at Big Boy (my personal favorite!!) and then went to see the show. The kids got green glasses (thank you Meemo!!) and we had popcorn at intermission. They sat totally still for the almost 3 hour production. It was a very good play, but still, the kids are only 3 and 4....their behavior was amazing!! Since then, we see at least 3 "shows" of the Wizard of Oz during any given week....it's adorable and very creative ~ I love it!! This was exactly what we wanted to happen with our book/movie obsession!!!

Puzzle man!

If you meet my handsome son for the first time, I can almost guarantee that within 10 minutes he will tell you what an "excellent puzzle do-er" he is. I am going to have to agree with him. The workers at church know that a puzzle will distract him on a "missing momma" day. Delaney's teacher knows they will keep him occupied while I help other kids in the class with reading. I know that a puzzle will entertain when I need a few minutes.

And, as you can see, sometimes I need a lot of minutes :-)

When doing puzzles on the kitchen floor has lost its challenge, he resorts to trying to do them on the wall. This was unsuccessful, but he did have fun trying!!

My American Girl

For some reason, which Matt and I will never understand, an American Girl catalog came in the mail the other day. For another reason I'll never grasp, I handed it to Delaney without thinking twice!!! WOW! I am all about encouraging reading and writing, but I NEVER would have guessed the amount of reading and writing this catalog would encourage. Delaney very carefully evaluated every picture in the catalog and made of a list of her favorites so she could ask for them for her birthday. This was all done on her own. The list is currently 3 notebook pages long (yes, there is writing on EVERY SINGLE LINE). After she ran out of the paper I gave her she started in on single sheets from her smaller notebook. Each item was written on it's own piece of paper. I believe that stack was currently up to 20 or so, last time I counted. It is adorable to watch, and yes, we've talked to her about the fact that she will NOT be getting all of it for her birthday. (Furthermore, Target sells similar things for a fraction of the price, so if she gets anything, that is where my purchases will be made!!) But wow the reading and writing she's been practicing!!!

Calling all Royalty

The Lego castle is open and we love it! We have made it there twice now. The first time we went with Aunt Cara, cousins Seth and Luke, and Grammy. The last time we were able to take Daddy and Aunt Shannon. The area is, of course, full of lego areas where you can build, but I chose to highlight the other activities available. A very cool (all Lego) queen and king "picture"
A magnetic castle with magnetic royalty, dragons, etc... The kids were having a great time creating a story with their "people"

A very cool reading area with some fun chairs....fit for a princess or ready to give a rotten prince a dragon hug!!

A computer where you build your own castle wall and then see if the (also computerized) rock that you shoot at it will break it. This requires a lot of analyzing. Unfortunately is it also very popular, so the line was very long and Matt and Carson were not able to properly analyze the structure and the choices they made, so their wall crumbled. You can imagine that one of these boys was more upset about this outcome than another :-)

The disappointment couldn't last long when you are sitting upon your own throne (also a hot spot in the area which required a fast picture taker so as to not get someone else's child in with yours!!)

Date night at the Dillard house

Matt had a GREAT idea to take Delaney on a date. She has been acting like a typical 13 year old girl trapped inside a 4 year olds body lately, so he thought a little daddy-daughter bonding might be good for their relationship. Delaney and I spent the afternoon getting her ready (notice the nails).

When he came home from work they went to Pizzeria Uno. Her hilarious moment from the night was this observation/question, "If baby chickens are called chicks are baby roosters called roosts?"

Then we met up with them at Ritters for some frozen custard - we couldn't miss out on all the fun!

May I have this dance?

Delaney has been begging to take dance again. We took her out because she showed very little interest in it. Then we had her in gymnastics only to have to take her out because my coaching schedule was too hectic to get her there every week. The child dances her way around the house singing and making up moves and songs, so we decided to give it another whirl, only we were MUCH smarter this time. We enrolled her in a 7 week class at the YMCA. It is very inexpensive and she absolutely loves it!

Mike Sold Me.....

well, not yet. But we are praying that the red Mike Sold Me sign will appear soon!

We're on the lookout for a great young couple who'd like to buy our precious home. It has served us well for the 8 years we've spent in it, but we're ready to find someplace different to call home....somewhere with a play room and some running space (for the kids and, maybe, a puppy!!)

Pray with us for the right buyer and for a wonderful new house for our family (other than my parents upstairs). But, especially, pray for patience as we wait for both of these things to happen :-)

Go BIG Blue!

For those of you who don't know, I coach cheerleading at Greenwood Christian Academy where I used to teach and where the kids do/will go to school. I love coaching and I love the girls that I have this year. They are from one of my favorite first grade classes!! Last Friday we had the chance to play and cheer at Conseco (where the Pacers play). It was a wonderful opportunity and tons of fun. I was so proud of the girls....they did a great job and represented GCA wonderfully!!

The hilariousness of life!

Okay, my stories have nothing to do with my pictures, but I couldn't pass up these pictures and I couldn't pass up the stories.

Carson is a big boy and Delaney is a tiny girl, but I always refer to Car as my puppy b/c he has HUGE feet and hands and I say that someday he'll grow into them like puppies grow into their big clumsy paws. Well, Delaney is a true techie like her daddy, so a few weeks ago she was exploring their computer, which used to be our old one, and she found pictures of Car when he was first born. He was sitting with her at the computer and it totally cracked me up to hear her explaining to him, "This is in the hospital, that's mommy, that's you, and those are your dog legs." Puppy feet, dog legs...she had the right idea!!!

Looking at the pictures a few days later I heard her yelling at them trying to get people's attention....they're pictures babe!!

Carson loves to get up early in the morning and snuggle. I used to get away with watching the news, but lately Car protests and I can't say that I blame him...there's lots of yucky stuff on there that I don't so much want him to see anyway. So, now, we usually watch cool kid shows like Monkey George (Curious George) or Sid the Science Kid. Well, one day my sister called and told me to turn on the news to see someone she went to high school with. When I turned it on, Car said, "Is this the stinky news or the smell good news?"

It's cold out there....

I don't so much care for the cold weather. Matt and I ask ourselves every winter why we still live in Indiana. Then we remind each other of our house, jobs, family, church, school, and friends...seems kind of odd to start all of that over just for the weather....and to have to convince all of our family to come with us and start their lives over too :-)

One stinkin' cold day we decided to take a trip to the children's museum. We dug up dinosaurs....
We did some excavation.....

Delaney admired the most awesome town of miniatures....

She drew pictures of cartoons characters....

Carson told some GREAT stories....

And they worked together on a puzzle without any screaming or fighting...it was totally worth enduring the cold to get inside!!!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

One of the GREATEST treasures on earth is our family, both immediate and extended. We were blessed to have a birthday party for Jesus with some of my mom's side of the family. Nancy made a cake for the kids to decorate....so much fun!!

Laney taking her turn with the sprinkles....there were very few left for the rest of the kids by the time she finished.
Carson finally getting a turn...

And then on to the littlest ones ~ Ava and Seth getting their hands messy!!!

And....the finished product. I'm not sure if any of the adults had a piece, but I can guarantee that the kids enjoyed it!