Merry Christmas 2009

Another year has gone by and, for the most part, all of our family and friends are doing well. I thank God every day for keeping the ones we love safe. I hope this Christmas brings joy and comfort to all and that the New Year is happy and prosperous. Please know that even when I do not do a good job of keeping in touch, each and every one is thought of often.

Love to all and Merry Christmas!!

Moved and New Furniture

Well, we got everything moved out of the old house into the new. Of course, there is still a bunch of stuff still in the storage unit. Hopefully, we (I) will have some time to weed through it some more and get rid of more. In the meantime, here are some pictures of the new furniture we bought.

This is the new sleeper/sofa that is in the game room upstairs. So in addition to the spare bedroom, we have a queen size sleeper to house plenty of extra guests (hint, hint).

Here is our new family room furniture. Our good friend, Marsha, wants this for her house. :)

This is Cami's new big girl bed. She loves it and has not fallen out yet.

My favorite is our new bedroom furniture. After 25 years (in December) of marriage, my husband and I got ourselves this as an anniversary present.

And, of course, what post would be complete without a picture of the Munchkin! Here she is ready to go to day care on a chilly fall morning. In case you are wondering, that is a bagel in her left hand. She loves having one in the morning. Of course, she can't quite say 'bagel' yet and it comes out 'wagel'.

On a side note, can't wait to see some more posts from the family. I think we have all gotten so busy and are neglecting our posts, although I know a lot of you are doing quite a bit of Facebooking. I only get on it about once every other week or so.

Packing Up

Well, it's official. We close on both houses next week, most likely on Tuesday. We need to be out of our house by midnight on Thursday, so there's a lot of work to be done between now and then. The garage is pretty empty except for the freezer and the extra fridge. I started packing a few boxes ever day last week, but will step it up tonight. If it is up to me, the only things left to pack by next week would be the beds, the TV and the chairs in the living room.

Jason is moving out today and tomorrow into his new apartment. He sounded a little sad last night thinking about it being his last night in his room. We are going to let him have the living room couch and a couple of the bar stools. We are getting a new love seat for the new house, and there is no place for the bar stools.

John and I are really excited about the move, but at the same time it is sad. We have been in our house for 24 1/2 years. Can you believe it? There are a lot of memories that we will be taking with us to the new house. And we get to start making some new memories.

Our new address will be 965 Kingwood Circle, Highland Village, TX 75077. Can't wait to start having visitors!

It's Ours!!!

We have a new house! The bank accepted our offer and the inspection has been done. There were a couple of major things found during the inspection, but they are having those fixed. The current 'schedule' is that we close on our current house October 29. The closing on the new house is not scheduled until November 20, but they are trying to get the loan underwritten quicker than that. Still not sure what we will do, or where we will be, for four weeks. Still have to figure that part out. There is some painting and minor repairs that we will have to do to the new house, but we are excited about the move. Cami already knows which room is her's. We went over to the house on Sunday and told her to go to her room. She ran up the stairs, directly into the room that will be her's and laid down on the floor. Smart girl!!

Our New House?

Well, we finally found a house that we both liked and have put an offer on it. It is a foreclosure, so the bank currently owns it, but they have accepted our offer. We had an inspection done the end of last week, and there were a couple of major things that we have asked to be fixed/corrected. Depending on what the bank says about fixing them will depend on whether we stay with our offer or withdraw it.

A couple of you have asked for some pictures, so here is a sampling. In order, the pictures are the front of the house, looking at the kitchen from the breakfast area (the lady in the picture is our realtor, Julie), the pool in the backyard and the back patio. It is a fairly large house having four bedrooms and three and a half baths. It has a living room, dining room, family room, game room, kitchen and utility/mud room. It should be more than enough space for us. Of course, that means more space to clean also. Hopefully the bank will have an answer for us tomorrow.

Our House

For those of you who haven't been following on Facebook, or we haven't talked to in a few weeks, we finally got the house ready to sell. We have been busting out at the seams and need to get something a little bigger as we figure Cami and Sara will be with us for another three to five years. At least until Sara is able to graduate from college.

The For Sale sign went up on the evening of Wednesday, September 2. That Friday night we received a call from our realtor that we had an offer on the house. Earlier this week, we did sign the contract to accept the offer. If everything goes okay, we should be closing before the end of October. Below are some pictures of how are house looks right now.

So . . . that means that we have to really start looking for another house. We had found one that we really liked (even though it was really big), but it was a foreclosure and we were not able to make an offer since we don't yet have the down payment (we'll have it when our sale is final). Just this last Thursday, we spent half a day house hunting and we may have found one that we can agree on. Here are a couple of pictures of that house.

What A Busy Weekend!

Oh my goodness, what a busy weekend we had! John and I left home very early Friday morning to head to New Orleans. His oldest brother's son, Michael, was getting married that night. We did not know that we were going to be able to even go to the wedding until one week before, so that week was spent getting what we needed. That included a tuxedo (yes that's right!) for John and an evening dress for me. As you can see from the pictures below, we both looked pretty spiffy even after a fun evening of dancing.

This is a picture of John's cousins from England that had come in for the wedding and a holiday. Theresa is Mom Whitehead's niece. You know John and his Dad in the back row. John's youngest brother, David, is in the yellow (LSU) shirt. In the middle row beside me are Hugh and Theresa. The front row is Olivia and Ursala, Hugh and Theresa's daughters and Mom Whitehead. This was the first time that John had met his cousins, so it was extra special.

Besides the wedding, it was Cami's second birthday. John and I got home about 7pm Sunday night, so we had to have cake and ice cream for the birthday girl. We will be having the party next Sunday at the house. We plan to grill some burgers, hot dogs and brats and let the kids swim in the pool that John bought for Cami. It is ten feet by 30 inches deep. Just right to cool off in!

The first picture is of Cami applauding our rendition of Happy Birthday and the second is her enjoying her cake and ice cream.

I just had to include this video of the Munchkin on a sugar high. Luckily she crashed pretty quickly and was in bed about an hour after eating. Caution - the video could make you dizzy! :)

Where Does Time Go?

Wow! I can't believe it has been over a month since I've posted a blog. There has been so much going on and just not enough time to get it all done. May was a pretty uneventful month. Just keeping busy with work, soccer and keeping up with Cami. She is starting to get into the 'terrible twos'. I'm not so sure that I would call them terrible, but rather 'learning'. She is starting to learn just how far she can push the boundries, and what she can or cannot do on her own. Her vocabulary continues to grow by leaps and bounds and, of course, she repeats everything (and I mean everything) she hears.

June started out with the Alaskan cruise for Mom and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, John was unable to go on the cruise because of work. We had a wonderful time and the weather was perfect (70's and sunny). Alaska is beautiful country and full of history. I have posted some pictures on my Facebook site. Not a week after getting back from the cruise, I headed to Las Vegas for a work conference. I took a 'little' detour through Denver to spend the night with Priscilla, Craig, Melissa and Kajsa. I am so glad that I did as it had been too long since I have seen them. We had an enjoyable time just visiting and catching up. Then off to Vegas for the conference. Rich and Leslie were able to join me for the welcome reception on Sunday night and the larger event on Tuesday night. We had a great time and it was good to see the two of them again.

The rest of June (and what is left of it) was spent on the usual work, soccer and keeping up with Cami. John and I are also looking at houses. It is becoming very apparent that our three bedroom is not large enough for five humans and four animals. We have seen a couple that we really like, but nothing that 'screams' at us. In the meantime, we are starting to do some purging and clearing out of all the things that accumulate over 20 plus years. I do believe that John will have the hardest time purging as he tends to be a pack rat. :)

Jason is still working as a leasing agent for an apartment complex, hanging out with his friends and playing softball. No steady girlfriend yet that we know of. Sara is still working part time for a dry cleaners in town, taking care of Cami and taking a couple of summer classes. She did pass all four of her spring classes and is taking one class right now and then one more when the current class is over.

Well, that's the quick update. Keep posting!!!

Some Upgrades (Finally!)

I was beginning to think that it would never happen, but I've finally been able to get John to agree to some "improvements" around the house. The first step is new counter tops in the kitchen. So long to the 80's counter we had!

Here is the old, 80's counter we had:

And here is my new, updated counter:

The next step is to paint the entire kitchen and attached den/dining room area and then (hopefully) do a tiled backsplash. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it won't take too long to do either.

One Calm Kitty

Well, Cami has figured out that she can (sort of) pick up Kali. Of course, Kali is weighing in at about 11 lbs right now. She is so patient with Cami and does not try to scratch or bite her. When she has enough, she just runs and hides.

Tiptoe Through The . . . Bluebonnets

I told myself as the kids were growing up that I was not going to be one of those parents that stopped on the side of the road to take pictures of the kids when the bluebonnets were in bloom. As most of you know, this seems to be an Easter tradition in Texas. I never did do it with the kids, but I'm a grandma now and I can take things back. Especially since the bluebonnets this year are abundant and gorgeous. There is a field of them by my office that is large and thick with the flowers. Sara and I decided that we would get some pictures of Cami in the bluebonnets, so here they are.

The first picture is a shot of just a portion of the field. It is at least twice the size of what you can see in the picture.

By the way, did you know that from the time I arrived in Texas, I was told that it was illegal to pick bluebonnets. I found out last week that that is untrue. It is, of course, illegal to pick them from private property and that some cities and counties do have their own 'laws', however it is not a Texas law. Nice to know after 27 years here.

Miscellaneous Cami Pictures

Okay, I promised to post some pictures a week or so ago, so here are a few random pictures of the munchkin.

This is the only way to eat spaghetti!!

Is this what boxes are for?

Crashed! She pulled Sara's comforter over the rail of the crib before she fell asleep.

I love Uncle Jason!

Hope you enjoy a few views into Cami's busy life.

It's Been A While

I have to admit that I am guilty. I look at everyone's blog sites a few times a week, and noticed that it has been quite some time since I have posted anything on ours. I will try to post another blog with some pictures later this weekend, but I'm not promising anything.

I'll start out with quick updates on the guys since they don't have a lot going on. Jason continues working as a leasing agent for an apartment complex fairly close to the house. We have been giving him (not so) subtle hints that it is getting time for him to be venturing out on his own. ;) In his spare time, he plays softball on a couple different teams and golf with his friends.

John started a new job about three weeks ago working for IBC (International Baking Company). They are the ones that distribute Hostess goodies and Wonder Bread. He has one more week of training before he will be on a route of his own. Unfortunately, because of the new job, he is unable to get the time off to go on the cruise for mom and dad's 50th anniversary. :( We are still keeping our fingers crossed that something might happen and he'll be able to go.

Sara is now going to school at a community college to get her basic classes done, and working part time for a dry cleaners in town. She is also playing some indoor soccer; a couple of teams with me. She was approached again this week by the soccer coach at Brookhaven College. This is the second time that the coach has asked her about playing soccer there and going to school. We need to sit down and look at this as there could be some scholarship involved, but it would mean that John and I would need to help out more with Cami.

Cami continues to grow and talk. Her vocabulary is rather large and she doesn't seem to have too much trouble expressing herself except when she is tired and cranky (don't we all?). She is heading into the "terrible twos" already and is even more strong-willed than her mother. She is also getting some more teeth. At last count, she now has nine that have broken through. She is a very active little girl, loves her Poppi (John's name), and enjoys loving on the cats although they don't care for it much.

I continue to enjoy my job and the shorter commute. It is so nice to leave the house after 7am and be home before 6pm, instead of leaving the house before 7am and not getting home until after 6:30pm. I am still playing indoor soccer, and am in my fourth season of outdoor soccer. Before anyone gets too impressed, you have to remember that I am playing goalie in outdoor so I don't have to run too much. ;)

I am looking forward to a busy travel month in June. Besides the cruise the first of the month, I will also be going to Vegas for a conference. The conference is June 14-18, but I am leaving on Saturday, June 13 to spend the day with Priscilla, Melissa, Kajsa and Craig before continuing on to Vegas on Sunday. I am really looking forward to seeing the girls (and you too Craig!) as it has been at least three years.

Wow! That was pretty long. I guess I shouldn't wait so long before blogs as there is so much family out there and so difficult to keep in touch one-on-one with everyone. I'll try to do better, but no promises. :)

Love to everyone and keep up the blogging!

Too Funny!

I just had to put this one on the blog! It really made me laugh.

Dad at the mall:
I took my dad to the mall the other day to buy some new shoes (he is 92). We decided to grab a bite at the food court. I noticed he was watching a teenager sitting next to him. The teenager had spiked hair in all different colors: green, red, orange, and blue. My dad kept staring at him. The teenager would look and find him staring every time. When the teenager had had enough, he sarcastically asked, 'What's the matter old man, never done anything wild in your life?' Knowing my Dad, I quickly swallowed my food so that I would not choke on his response, knowing he would have a good one, and in classic style he did not bat an eye in his response. 'Got drunk once, and had sex with a peacock. I was just wondering if you were my son.'

Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Just An Update

Okay, so there isn't much new happening in the Whitehead household. Cami continues to grow - she is saying a ton of words and the doctor has proclaimed that she is 'advanced'. By advanced, she means that Cami's motor and vocal skills are closer to a 3-year olds than an eighteen month old. It is a little creepy sometimes how she looks so intently at you when you are talking to her. It really is like she is absorbing the words. She also continues to be as, or more, strong willed than her mother. Of course, it doesn't help that Poppi (John) spoils her rotten. I continuely remind him to be careful with that since she is living with us and we have to put up with the brattiness (is that a word?). All in all, we love having her and Sara still at the house. It will be difficult for both of us (John especially) when Sara is able to move out and live on her own.

For those that didn't know, John has been unemployed since the middle of December. Luckily he does qualify for unemployment and that has been a help. The good news is that he received a preliminary job offer on Friday. He hopes to be going in later this week for final interview(s) then background and drug checks. We are hoping he will start within the next couple of weeks. I say "we" because he is driving us all crazy! :)

That is all the news for us right now. Love to everyone!

Cowgirl or Just Cute?

Like a lot of other stores right now, Western Warehouse is closing their doors. Sara, Cami and I were all able to get some great boots for more than 50% off the regular price. Unfortunately, they didn't have any large, wide ones for John. And, of course, what they had in kids' sizes were very limited. We decided to go ahead and get the larger size for Cami as she'll quickly grow into them. She, however, discovered a way that she could wear her boots now. She is hysterical to watch trying to actually walk around the house because she can't bend her legs totally since the boots come up too far. We got this picture of her the other night after she was ready for bed. She added the boots and the jacket herself.