Mixed up Marbles

Appointment Scheduled

2009-06-29T11:22:00.002-07:00

So we have our appointment scheduled to have an in home meeting with our Adoption Specialist, Diana, on July 15. That means we won't be able to start the required classes until September, so there will be a lot of just waiting around.

I also let my mom know about what we wanted to do. At first she was confused and disappointed, but she called me back a few days later to let us know that she "let is sink in and that she's excited and happy." She even requested a "girl" grand-daughter, LOL.

Anyways, we kinda have a "what ever happens, happens" attitude lately about the trying to conceive. We're not so much stressed about the insurance thing anymore because it's figured out now. I have been making a conscientious effort to eat better and get in at lease SOME exercise everyday. I'm debating to do South Beach induction in order to get a jump start on eating better and a little weight loss. I figure dropping 20lbs would greatly improve things for me physically. For now, I've been eating A LOT of fruits and watching proccessed foods. Also been trying to drink more water, which is harder than I thought.

2009-06-16T21:49:00.002-07:00

So we just got back from the Foster Care and Adoption Orientation. Lots of information, but not much that I didn't already research.

On a quick side note: On both the website AND the paperwork the sent in the mail, they say the meetings are for Adults ONLY. Mostly because its a 2 hour long meeting and its boring....so anyways, this family brought both kids and the baby was LOUD and they had to sit behind us. It was a small group, probably 25 people attended. Anyways the baby was cooing and giggling and crying the whole time...Normally, I would suspect, people take the kid outside so not to disturb the rest of the group. EVERYONE was annoyed because they were missing out on important information. Finally, I had to raise my hand and ask the speaker to talk louder because I could hear her...and I was only 3 rows back.. that's when the lady finally took the baby outside.. I felt bad being annoyed by the kid, but I was there to learn and I couldn't hear. =(

Anyhoo...The next step is to contact and interview adoption agencies and pick one we want to work with. We got a whole list of them tonight. I read through the descriptions and looked at the websites. I emailed 2 of them this evening, so hopefully I will hear back soon and we can get this part done by this week or next week. I will have even MORE information then.

Thinking more about adoption

2009-06-14T22:51:00.001-07:00

Alan and I have spent a lot of time thinking about how we want to build our family and we've been thinking more and more about adoption. There are MANY reasons why we want to adopt. Go to http://www.heartgalleryofamerica.com and you will see part of the reason. The short of it is, that we are ready to start a family, but we're not quite ready to get pregnant. We're ready to share our home, build memories and bond with a child - our child. We are prepared to love a child and raise them as they were our own. We have not taken this lightly and are well aware of what is involved. It's going to be a long exciting, and stressful process just to be eligible to have a child placed in our home. Not to mention the emotional process of bonding and attaching and helping the child to transition into our lives.

As our family grows we want to have adopted and biological children at home, as well a (manageable) menagerie of pets. These are exciting thoughts for me.

On Tuesday, we will take our first step forward with the process by attending an orientation for prospective foster and adoptive parents. I think going to this orientation will give is a lot better idea of what we are getting into (more than just the books I've read and websites I've visited) and we will know for sure if we want to go forward.

We'll keep you posted...

Rant

2009-06-04T10:46:00.003-07:00

**Warning: My frustration my offend some who might read this. Sorry***

So Alan got his benefits package yesterday. I was excited because it means I get health insurance and I can take the whole baby thing more seriously. umm....I might have to re-think that. Seriously, I was shocked at the premium prices. LAST time it was an extra $250 per month to cover me, THIS time we're looking at twice that! PLUS, the deductible is $5000 a year. Say I had an uneventful pregnancy the cost is estimated around $12,000 if I paid cash. The short of it is that I would pay the same, if not more with this insurance. My work doesn't offer health insurance so I talked to the HR lady today and asked her to ask the officers if they could reconsider based on the growth of the company and how many of us need it now.

How much does a baby cost a month anyways? Also, I don't get much time off. I just get 2 weeks paid time after birth, that's not part of the regular time off. Actually, Alan might get more in paternity leave than I get of maternity leave.

I might have to re-think this giving birth stuff...there just seems to be a lot more to think about, and not just with money, but my health. I have a whole slew of risks...mostly because of my weight and Im having the hardest time getting it off this time around. I guess I'm just frustrated.

Alan and I thought about foster/adopting a kid in the next couple years if the live birth thing doesn't work out. We wouldn't want an infant, but maybe a kid between 2-5, for a few reasons. First, s/he will have cousins closer their age, I also feel more comfortable around tots, and whole insurance thing won't be such a big deal and I won't have to worry about infertility, gestational diabetes, etc. Alan's insurance will cover him and up to 10! kids for $250...add me into that and it's like paying an extra mortgage! Wofda~! I'll just get cheaper private insurance for myself.

I just want to have a kid so bad...but I just want them to come to us in the BEST possible circumstance so we can provide the best for them. On a selfish note, I think Im scared of the change a baby brings, even though I know I shouldn't be.

More updates.

2009-05-29T19:44:00.004-07:00

Overall everything is going good. My mom was serious about moving down here, but then found out Arizona hospitals that do acute dialysis do not accept LPNs, only RNs. That is Seriously whack!!! Mom has 20 years experience as a dialysis nurse! Too bad after a certain amount of years nursing, you can't just get "promoted" to RN. She's 50 and doesn't feel comfortable going back to college....and it's not like you can study to be an RN online--you have to go through clinicals.

Mom can work in a clinic setting, but she finds that boring and unsatisfying. So their looking in San Antonio, Texas instead.

****
Last weekend we took an impromptu roadtrip to San Francisco. We left at 1AM on Saturday morning and got there about 2pm. We stayed until Monday morning. Below are some pictures.

San Fransico cable car depot.

The Embarcadero. The main place where ships come in.

Golden Gate bridge.

Us in front of the Golden Gate bridge...it was COLD and cloudy!

Downtown San Fransisco.

We also went to Chinatown...but oddly enough, we forgot to take pictures. We were too busy eating! LOL

Mom came to visit

2009-05-18T15:27:00.001-07:00

...and when she left I cried. Wow, I didn't realize that I would miss her that much! Mom said that they are planning to move out here within the next year...the major block is that they have to sell their upscale suburban home first. She's worried about that because, 1. They haven't really made any "improvements" to it. Its just generic. 2. They have opened a new subdivision in the neighborhood behind her, so she has to compete with new builds and 3. There are already 4 houses in their neighborhood for sale.

I told her to go ahead and put their house on the market now, while it's still spring/summer for a better chance to sell their house. She and I agreed that if they sold it faster than they thought, it would be relatively easy to move down here. The good news is that both of their jobs can do a transfer.

On our end, we're still doing Home improvements. We just have to finish with the tile and we'll be done. We couldn't get that done with my mom here, and Alan will be camping with family next weekend. So it may be a few more weeks before I want other people coming to see it.

Not a whole lot of news right now. Alan and I are trying to plan a vacation later this summer/fall...some place outside the country perhaps?

Updates

2009-04-15T08:05:00.003-07:00

1. signed closing papers on Friday
2. bought a fridge
3. bought a kitchen table
4. finalizing tile decisions
5. bought a truck so we can haul our own stuff
6. transferred all utilities
7. scheduled A/C repair
8. scheduled all appliance deliveries
9. scheduled locksmith to re-key the house
10. packing up our stuff in the other house

Now...we're just waiting on the keys. As of yesterday the sellers haven't signed yet. =( They're slowing down the process. Hopefully today we will get the keys.

No news is.....

2009-04-07T10:39:00.002-07:00

Man, we're supposed to move next week and here I sit on Tuesday we NO word on what's going on with the paperwork! We don't even have a dollar amount to what we are supposed to bring to closing...which REALLY annoys Alan.

I MIGHT be over reacting to early, LOL, but I feel like we're in limbo. I just want to solidify our plans, call service people, buy appliances and schedule deliveries, schedule days off, etc.

2009-04-02T12:23:00.002-07:00

So we're closing 2 weeks from today. Why does the process have to take so long? Right now the ball is in the Lendor and Seller's court, so all we have to do is wait. Waiting is hard! The good news is that we will be closing 2 weeks from tomorrow. After that, we'll probably take a few days off to do pre-move in projects and to move. Before moving, we want to lay tile in the kitchen. Alan wants to do it himself, though I am not sure if he has made any calls to recruit help yet. The A/C needs repair, cable and untilities installed and a thorough cleaning.

We will be giving our notice to our landlord tomorrow when we pay him the last rent. I don't think he will be happy...its weird because he's been emailing me ALOT of articles about how its not the best time to buy just yet. Of course its his own poragative because he's loosing steady income when we move and then he has to find a new renter. But honestly, I am so ready to move.

Almost ours....

2009-03-12T19:28:00.010-07:00

So here it is...we just locked in our interest rate...4.5%! Yeah! The inspections went smooth. We have some repairs we need to make on the A/C, but nothing too serious. Hopefully, we will have some money left over for some tile I want to put in the kitchen and hallway. We also want to paint...all the walls are white.

Many of you have been waiting for pictures, so here are a few. I included the floor plan and the numbers represent where the picture was taken from, so you kind of know what you're looking at.1. The Kitchen.
2. The Formal Dining room/Living room

3. The Entry way.

4. Cabinet Details....I love my cabinets!

5. Back Patio

6. Jacuzzi Bathtub! Can't wait to soak in that!

7. The Hallway

So that's it! We're closing on 4/17/09....in just over one month!

Offer Accepted

2009-03-04T11:28:00.003-07:00

So, YEAY! We got an offer accepted on Choice 2! We will be signing a contract in the next few days and FINALLY be in escrow.

We have not heard ANYTHING back on the other 2 houses. They are short sales. Yeah, I've heard bad things about the "short sale" process and only 1 in 5 actually gets the house they put an offer in. This happens because 1. the bank takes FOREVER, up to 6 months, so people usually move on by then and 2. you never know if your offer is good enough, because the listing agent does not usually list the house at the bank approved price, the list for lower to get more offers in. It's been a hassle just trying to get the offer in. We put in the offer 3 weeks ago and haven't heard a peep since. We actually thought since house #1 was set to go into forclosure 2/23, they would move faster, but that has not been the case. It's like in limbo. Anyways, if, by some miracle, we get acceptance on house #1 in the next few days, we have also moved on. =P

But that's okay...we really like this house. I can't wait to get into it, paint it, furnish it and make it uniquely ours.

My mom's all excited and is going to fly out on my birthday to come visit.

A weekend NOT looking at houses....

2009-03-01T20:43:00.006-07:00

Okay, so far we've narrowed down to three...meaning we have 3 offers out on the table. Two off them are short sales and the other is a foreclosure. Because these are short sales it takes a long time to hear back from the bank to see if our offer was approved, we've decided to put in two offers.

This is the main house we're hoping for. Its 1,900 sqft, 3 bed, 2 bath plus den. It's a former model home, so everything is upgraded. Has a nice front porch with a fountain. The backyard is finished with a built in BBQ. Its move in ready. We put in our "best offer" last week, so hopefully we'll hear something back soon.

Here is our second choice. It's a foreclosure. It is also over 1,900 sqft with an open floor plan. It has vaulted ceilings, huge master bedroom and bath with a jetted tub. The back yard is relatively large. It's unfinished but has lots of potential. Again, the kitchen is upgraded and it has 4 bedrooms. We would have to put little work into this home to make it "perfect", but the price was definitely right and it is move in ready.

Here is the third house. Also plenty of upgrades, 3 bed, 2 bath, no den, so it's smaller than the first 2 houses at 1,720 sqft. Nice corner lot, the backyard is completely landscaped with a built in BBQ.

Pre- Approved!!

2009-02-03T14:52:00.002-07:00

We were easily pre-approved for exactly what we were asking for. Now the fun starts!! They even E-mailed me the pre-approval letter to print out, so we're all set and can make an offer on any house at any time! I am SO excited! This weekend we are looking at houses. It looks like we might be able to get into our first home by my birthday in April.

This is awesome!

Starting the house hunt

2009-01-29T20:38:00.005-07:00

It's like the stars are finally aligning or something!
My first contact with our Realtor today, over the phone. Got some excellent info from her today, as well as some names of mortgage lenders (whom we will be calling next week). We are meeting up with her next weekend to actually look at houses!

We're going to be looking in a few areas. See green areas on map below. The D and A are where we work. But we're going to keep things open incase our Realtor knows of a Gem of a neighborhood.

There are certainly a lot of good deals right now, so I don't think Alan and I will have any troubles finding a house we love.

does good credit dance

2009-01-19T10:25:00.002-07:00

Wow...for the longest time, I thought I had bad credit...well, I probably did. Alan and I were starting to stress because we wanted to buy a house soon, but with the higher standards for lending, we thought we had a lot of work to do to boost the credit. We wanted to buy before June so we can get the tax credit.

Anyways, Alan got his report and score last week. After a bit of whining about MY score (I signed up for the credit monitoring and they have a "score"), we finally just paid the $$ to get my Official FICO score from Equifax. 673...I was flabbergasted. That's in the "Good" range...most importantly, that in the "I can qualify for a house" range! We ran the other 2 credit bureaus to make sure it was not a fluke...and it wasn't!

The next step is getting in touch with a mortgage broker. My co-worker's friend is a mortgage broker that works with FHA loans, so we will be talking with him soon. Our main concern is the difference in credit scores. We expect Alan's to be a lot better in a few months and mine would continue to raise if I pay down some things. If I can boost a few more points, that means lower interest rate. Im sure talking with him and getting information will put our minds at ease....and we could possibly be in a our own home sooner that we think!

MixedUpMarbles update

2009-01-05T18:10:00.002-07:00

EDIT: Sorry Guys the original email was incorrect. Its "Forum" not "forums". My bad! I updated the link on this blog.
***********

Hey guys,

Due to a technical issue (Cox blocks port 80) I've had to create a temporary workaround to get to our website. This is only temporary and within a few days it should be working normally, but in the meantime, to get to the website you need to use the following address : http://forum.mixedupmarbles.com:8080

When you register and go to log in (or any time you log in after being logged out), the :8080 part will go away and you'll have to re-add it. However, once you are logged in, you don't have to keep re-adding it as it should be automatically added by the server. Worst case scenario, just use the above link and you'll get back to the main page.

I'll inform everyone when the DNS issue is fixed and there's no need to use the 8080 any longer.

So...in a nutshell
1. Go to http://forum.mixedupmarbles.com:8080
2. You should be able to register without any issue.
3. Next log in with your username/password and click on the log in button.
4. The page will show up blank, but thats okay, just go back to http://forum.mixedupmarbles.com:8080. It will put you on the index page, but you will be logged in and ready to view and post. You should not have to do the 8080 thing anymore during your visit.

Thanks!

Server down..

2009-01-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

Looks like the server or something went down or something. BUMMER!

The cat probably chewed through a the internet cable or something. = ( Sorry about that! Anyways, Alan will fix it when he gets home, not much we can do about it during the day.

We'll get it up soon and it'll be fabulous!

Family Forum is back!

2009-01-04T00:26:00.002-07:00

www.mixedupmarbles.com

As of Early morning 1/4/2009, the family forum is up and running! Alan and I made a project of it this weekend. We're even hosting it on our own server...so any problems and we can point straight to Alan, LOL/JK.

All friends and family are welcome with open arms! Spread the word.

I can't figure out....

2009-01-03T12:41:00.001-07:00

how to get those really cool blog skins that my Sister-in-laws and other people have. Anyone want to enlighten me?

A Healthier Weigh

2008-12-15T18:16:00.002-07:00

I've been on the Healthier Weigh program for 2 whole weeks now and I'm already down 15lbs! Granted, most of that is water weight, but its weight that I'm not carrying around anymore.

This will be the second time on her program. Last time, I went from 234lbs to 168lbs from May to Oct...I am seriously hoping for the same type of success. If I follow it correctly, I will average .5 lbs per day. That's 60lbs in 16 weeks (or by March 24). Then I go on a "refeed" for 3 weeks, then I start again.

What is this Diet, you ask? It's a medically supervised Protein Sparing Modified Fast. Below is the Wikipedia description in a nutshell.

A PSMF is a very low calorie diet. The dieter eats no more than 1000 kcal a day, usually between 600 and 800 kcal. The majority of these come strictly from high quality protein. No carbohydrates** are permitted, and very little fats.

One who is on a PSMF must consume enough protein to maintain lean body mass, which depending on the individual, can be between 80 and 220 g. Also, high quality essential fatty acids must be taken as a supplement, along with multivitamin and multimineral supplements.

The dieter is permitted any amount of low-glycemic vegetables, as long as food energy stays within the limits provided.
**I am actually allowed to have 10 grams of carbs only through veggies. For perspective, Atkin's induction allows 20.

My main problem is that last time, I didn't do the Maintenance correctly. I left the country for 3 weeks and when I got back the holidays started...I slowly gained it all back in and then some in the course of 2 years. I tried low carb dieting, but after I would hit a plataeu I would stop. I TOTALLY need someone to be accountable....also, I know this time around its MORE about the maintenance than it is about the diet. I told the doctor about my worry of gaining it all back again. She said that I will complete it this time, and I will be on the maintenance program and that if I follow her, I won't gain weight again. Its a investment as my insurance does not cover the nutrional counceling and labs, but it is way less than surgery or the cost of being obese.

The doctor even said thate there is a Pregnancy program I can go on if I don't reach goal before Alan and I decided to start "trying".

All in all, I just wanna be a healthy momma who can keep up with the kids as they get older...that is why I am starting now.

2008-11-23T19:26:00.002-07:00

Man, for some reason, I'm just itching for the season to start! Can't wait to get Alan on the roof again to hang lights and to pick out a tree. =)

Welcome to the 2008 Holiday Edition of Getting to Know You!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Cocoa--with flavoring, like Hazelnut or Peppermint.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or sit them under the tree? Santa's gifts go in the stockings

3. Colored or white lights on tree and house? Colored, with flashing disco effects!

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No...it's poisonous and I'm afraid our cats my get into it

5. When do you put your decorations up? The weekend after the weekend after Thankgiving, (first weekend in Dec.)

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Honey Glazed Ham

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Going to bed with a few gifts under the tree and waking up the next morning with stockings overflowing, gifts everywhere, the fire place roaring, and Christmas music playing on the radio. As and adult-- When I was in college, I spent 24 hours on a grey hound bus on Christmas eve so I can surprise my Dad and brother on Christmas day.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I'm 28 and my parents are still trying to keep me in the dark, LOL. Clothes and books come from the parents, Santa brings the COOL stuff.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We open one gift at Midnight.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Red bows, beads, and simple round ornaments.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Like to visit snow, don't like living in it.

12. Can you ice skate? Sorta...I tend to cling to the edge.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? hmm...Well, probably when Alan actually got me gifts that were on my list...usually people ignore "the list" because they think that what I want is too "practical". =)

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Family and paying it forward.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Pie

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Alan and I usually go out to eat on Christmas eve, or a few days before...then we usually, anonymously, pay for the meal of a random stranger.

17. What tops your tree? I think its a star...I don't remember! We bought it last year.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Definitely giving...I like to think long and hard for the perfect gift for people. I usually don't want much for myself

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Any song sung by Bing Crosby.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? I usually just use them to decorate the tree...not to eat.

Well now, that was fun!

Updates and scattered brains

2008-11-15T08:36:00.002-07:00

Wow...finally an update.
We've been married fore 2 1/2 months now. =) We had our Mini-moon in Vegas...which was a blast. Since we got home we've been kinda on honeymoon hide-away mode, so we haven't had much of a social life....also, I am starting to feel bad that we haven't sent out the thank you cards and pictures out yet. =P Maybe this weekend I'll finish that up.

No much news worthy is going on. We're doing a lot of preparation for the "big" things that we're planning for next year, like buying a home and building a family.

We are taking a trip on Thankgiving to Whidbey Island Washington (in Puget sound). I lived there when I was a little girl and I have not been back in 20 years (my first vacation choice was Hawaii--maybe next year)...I always wanted to go back to see what has changed. Out of curiousity, I looked at Google satillite map and it looks like not much HAS changed. =) We'll be staying at a Bed and Breakfast, the Blue Goose Inn. My main concern is that I may not want to come back to AZ after the trip, LOL. I LOVE the Pacific Northwest.

Well, that's about it for now.

Topper is done

2008-08-25T12:40:00.003-07:00

Finally DONE. Seriously though, I'm tired of looking at it. I changed the concept up a little and I am having us both on the second tier then having Alan holding on to a rope that is attached to the balloon cake to make our daring escape. Doing the bust thing was just too hard....then after it is all said and done, what am I gonna do with just a bust? At least now, I can have a keepsake.

ANYhoo...I have to drop it off at the bakery this week. Maybe a few weeks of note seeing it will be good for me.

***********

Been unlucky with photographers since the beginning. Mom recommended Natalie...she was way to expensive. I really couldn't justify spending $1250 for a CD...and no prints. The second photographer, there was major miscommunication, both a language barrier and just an understanding in general. The 3rd never showed up for the interview. =(

So, 4th times a charm! =) Right price, right attitude, and we have the same taste in photography. We met him last week...so PHEW!

Less than 2 weeks to go. This week is a full week... next week is going to be crazy!

One more month until im officially a Marble

2008-08-06T08:35:00.002-07:00

Man, I can't believe its August 6 already! There's like, a lot, yet so little left to do! I'm sure it will hit the weekend before the wedding. Labor day is the Monday before, then I work for 2 days, then I'm off for a week for the wedding.

Right now, I'm tying up reception and ceremony details. I have to go rent props for the ceremony, and take care of ordering flowers. My dress is currently at the tailor for alterations, still need to get ties for the groom and groomsmen. Finish my cake topper. Meet with the photographer. Buy shoes and my trousseau. Meet for my trial hair style appointment, etc, etc. I got enough to keep me busy every weekend.

This weekend, either Friday or Saturday, Alan and I are meeting up with this parents to talk about rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. On Saturday, I have to go to the rental place and put deposits on my ceremony props. Then I have a hair appointment for a trial run on my wedding hair. Then shopping for shoes and trousseau. This whole weekend I have to work on the wedding topper because I have to give it to the baker by next week.

Next week, I have to do a final fitting for the gown, meet with the photographer, find a florist near or on the way to David's Bridal in Scottsdale and order flowers.

The ceremony has become a bit more "formal" than I originally intentioned...but that's alright. It will me really nice and truly the day I was hoping for.

I'm just so excited!

Second try

2008-06-15T01:17:00.004-07:00

I was ambitious this weekend...also, Micheal's was having a sale on polymer clays, so I decided to try a full body figurine.

This won't be the final because there are a few things wrong, first off --it doesn't look like Alan, as much as I wanted it to. Also, there are some flaws, like lumps I couldn't fix (due to wire framing being too thick), the eyes are wall-eyed and there is a crack on the back of one leg because I fiddled with it too soon after baking. Anyways, the more I work with and get used to the materials the easier it's getting.

Who knows....maybe once I can master the techniques I can make some money on the side doing commissions. =) The process was about 8 hours.

PS. The hands are positioned like that because one hand is going to be holding a cat and the other will be positioned to hold the hand of another figure.

New job and Alan's head in a vase

2008-05-29T13:45:00.008-07:00

I don't know why the date shows May 29th...its really June 10..

Yup. It's the second week on the new job. I get paid on Friday and Alan will no longer have to be my "sugar-daddy"...well, unless he wants to.

Working at another software company, this time in Scottsdale. Thank goodness my friend, Sonia, works near by making it possible to carpool. The company is WAY laid back and I work with good people. Perks are great. Free lunch, gas money, flexible schedule. They're a small company. Only about 6 people in the office and 4 sales people that telecommute...boss just wants to keep people happy.

Oh yeah..I'm a software analyst.

************

So anyways, I'm working on a new project. Decided to pick up the clay and start sculpting figurines. Basically I ran into a website that does custom wedding toppers and I thought, "Wow, that's cool...I wonder if I could do that?" So I went out and bought some sculpey clay and attempted to capture Alan. Below is the very first attempt. Keep in mind, I haven't done this before.

Anyways, its not THAT bad...plus I found instructions on proper technique through the website I was inspired by. I also got proper tools...so we'll see how version 2 goes this weekend.

Baby instructions

2008-05-26T11:15:00.002-07:00

I couldn't help but laugh! Hope you enjoy!

Okay...moving forward again.

2008-05-16T15:12:00.006-07:00

Well, everything has changed.

Our plan is to get married in a small ceremony early Saturday morning (9/6/2008) and take off in a hot air balloon immediately after the "I do" for a sunrise flight. There will be no formal invitations for the ceremony (there will be for the reception) and we'll leave it up to family whether or not they want to run around the desert at 5am to attend the ceremony. Infact we don't even know WHERE in the desert we will be married that day because it depends on the wind. The pilot will let us know that morning. We consider that part of the adventure. =) We understand if siblings won't be able to attend because of the inconvenience of the situation, and that's totally okay. We won't even have time to wait for late arrivals. The main celebration is the reception and we hope everyone will attend.

I figure we can have the few family that does come take pictures and video, then have someone throw together a quick video montage to play at the reception (recapping the wedding ceremony) just before the grand entrance.

Anyways, below is the time line I have in my head, nothing SOLID yet...and believe me, I don't think I will be able to sleep the night before.

4am- Drive to Balloon launch site
5:15am- Start wedding ceremony
5:45am- Take off in balloon. Just before sunrise.
7:30am- Land with parents greeting us.
8:30am- Bride and groom have breakfast with parents.
10am-4pm- NAP TIME
4:30pm- Get ready for reception.
5:30pm- hor d'oeuvres and cocktail hour starts
6:15pm- Grand Entrance
6:30pm-8pm- Dinner buffet served
8pm-10pm- Dancing and fun!
10pm- Bride and groom exit

As far as the bridal party goes, I have explained to my friends that they are honorary bridesmaids and will be introduced and treated as such, however the role in the actual ceremony is optional. Same with the groomsmen and flower girl.

I asked Denise (a long time friend of mine) to preform my ceremony. She's going to get ordained online. Yes, we did our homework and it's totally legal.

Dresses: I planned on wearing 2 that day...maybe. It really depends on my body image issue. A practical wedding dress for the AM ceremony and a nicer, formal one for the fancy reception. I've already purchased the morning wedding dress. It looks like the picture below. I just love it.

Give-aways: So I was planning on marbles for our wedding give away. At first I was thinking, like those tins you can find at Micheal's. But after searching the net I found these bags you can buy for cheap and use an Iron on Transfer. Thanks to Photoshop we can see what the bags will look like. The front will say, "The Marbles--Play for keeps." and the back will have our name and wedding date.

My friend reminded me of the choking hazard, so we'll only pass these out, one to each family.

So there's the update.

In other news, I'm STILL job searching....sigh.

Wedding Plans

2008-05-05T13:03:00.001-07:00

We've run into a few "snags" so wedding plans have been put on hold until further notice.

Sorry.

Maricopa dreaming?

2008-04-21T11:24:00.001-07:00

Perhaps "Maricopa Dreamin" doesn't have quite the same lyrical endurance as the seminal Mama's and Papa's hit, nor does it evoke quite the same imagery of surf and sand and carefree lifestyle, but it does at least roll off the tongue fairly well, and in this day and age does hold some real promise.

With a couple of weeks of the new job under my belt and a better picture of how finances are going to shape up (on hold, slightly, due to Dawn's circumstances but that's another tale) I have been doing a lot more long-term planning for what will come in the months and years immediately following the wedding. We would both, of course, love to own a home in the near future. A couple of years ago I'd have been more worried, what with the housing prices going through the roof, but since the downturn things have looked a little more promising (at least for us - it is too bad that our own fortune in that sense comes at the expense of those who have fallen victim to the dismal housing market).

Working in the East Valley means looking in the East Valley, which has opened up the somewhat unique prospect of looking out in Maricopa. I'd not have considered it before - it is a bit isolated - but Dawn pointed out that the driving distance is virtually equal to the commute I have now. So I decided to take a peek. Boy was I surprised at what I found.

New homes down there were going for $100,000 less than identical floorplans in places like Gilbert, Chandler, Peoria or even Goodyear. That's huge - based on the down I hope to have in a couple of years and likely financing terms, it's a difference in almost $700 a month. To me, $700 a month is well worth an extra 20 minutes of driving. I was also surprised to find that, in some communities, the prices out there for new homes have fallen some 50% since the peak in 2006. Good news for people looking to buy now, but devastating for folks who bought back then. How would you like to know that folks are buying for $125,000 what you paid $250,000 just two years earlier?

I don't like most of the floorplans I've seen, to be honest - but there are some. Dawn and I looked at a few and there was some that we liked. One that we both rather liked is this model at 1,950 square feet, starting at under $130,000. That's pretty impressive. I took a peek at some of the pictures of the model and found that I liked what I saw. I would almost be tempted to drive down there to check out the model and the neighborhood, except that I know it'd only make me more impatient and wish that I were ready to buy today. Unfortunately, it'll take a couple of years for us to save up a decent amount for a down payment, as well as get the credit situation a little better. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that things don't go back up before then.

On one last curious note, I realized that I recognized this floorplan - that community is one of them that was selling and we were building back when I worked for YBC, and I processed some starts out there. I was a little surprised to see that the community hadn't sold out in the intervening timespan. It kind of makes sense, though, as the housing crunch has slammed the builders just as badly as the homeowners.

(crossposted to http://banalrealm.blogspot.com/)

The older I get...

2008-04-18T10:28:00.002-07:00

The more I don't look forward to the birthday!
No more..."Woo Hoo! Im gonna go out and party!" I just don't feel up to it. I'm having a self -esteem issue. Everything I want...I just feel like I don't deserve. I have a bad habit of talking myself out of things I want. Like, I found these pants I wanted, but I was all like..."Well, I don't NEED pants and we're trying to save money and I want to lose weight--so I should just buy pants later..." The thing is that Im FINE with money and they were only like $15, and I really DO need pants and I haven't been gung ho about weight loss, so they would fit for quite some time. Im also to the point where I wont get things unless Alan (or who ever im with) gets something too... Like when I was SO in the mood for Starbucks...Alan's not big on coffee so I said, nevermind.
I think that my fear is that if I allow myself to get the things that I want, I might not have self control and go overboard. The SAD part is that I DO allow myself to be over indulgent when it comes to food and we go out to eat ALOT more often than we should. Maybe I SHOULD give in to my shopping inpulses and BUY clothes and home decor...and spend less on going out to eat. At least I will have something to show for the $15 like a throw pillow or sandals, instead of eating and poo-ing my investment.

Marble Family Genealogy Project

2008-04-04T12:11:00.003-07:00

Alan has been doing a ton of Genealogy research lately, I have finally convinced him to start documenting his findings. However we are still trying to come up with a good solution to how to do it where we can share it with everyone and without everyone having to sign up for an online service somewhere. We'll keep you posted.

The final groomsman is.....

2008-03-24T13:49:00.001-07:00

Abe Penberthy.

Auron, Fat Cat and Pork Chop

2008-03-24T12:59:00.017-07:00

I'm talking cats because...well, they've been keeping me company the last few days of being at home.

Auron is my "fur baby," so to speak. I've had him since he was a kitten...and now he's 7! He's basically moved EVERY where with me. He's kinda become a crotchety, old man-cat, but that's okay...he's still there when I need him.

Fat Cat is HUGE. A whopping 22lbs! Despite putting him on a "diet"...he's still gained weight. I feel bad because the poor thing is having a hard time cleaning himself.

Alan's quite distraught. We're going to try one more "diet" that's high on proteins...Basically Low-Carb for cats. If that doesn't work, he's going to the vet.

Pork Chop is a happy cat! Not the brightest crayon in the box, but we still love him. Alan and I adopted him together on Jan. 9th....We called him Pork Chop because, well, I saw another cat named "Pork chop" online that I wanted, but when we got there he was gone. So instead, we got our "Pork Chop" and the name seemed to fit. It was a silly name for a silly cat.

Fat Cat loves his new brother!

Fired...

2008-03-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

The good news is that Alan has his second interview today! I am REALLY crossing my fingers that he gets the job....

The bad news is ....Well, I got canned today.

Reason: I don't fit the "company dynamic". It's not that I was doing a bad job... but they kept giving me so many different titles, I didn't even know what I was doing anymore! NEways, anyone that's talked to me lately know's I've been frustrated...so they decided to "put me out of my misery." so to speak.No hard feelings though. They were kind enough to offer a severance package and be "good" references for my job hunt.Speaking of job hunt--anyone have any leads for me.

You can view my resume online at www.geocities.com/DawnAnderson85021.

More wedding stuff....

2008-03-16T15:37:00.003-07:00

Here's an update on our wedding plans so far.

When: September 6, 2008

Ceremony: Sahuaro Ranch Park, Glendale, AZ
5:00 or 5:30pm depending on the weather.

Reception: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Phoenix, AZ
Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres starts at 6:00pm. Dinner at 7pm.

Wedding Party

Bridesmaids
Reylyn Cabrera -Friend
Denise Calhoun - Friend
Sonia Molina - Friend

Groomsmen
Waylon Marble - Brother
Jeremy Hoffman - Brother in law
3rd is unconfirmed. -(hint - Brother in law)

Master of Ceremonies
Dennis Wheeler - Brother in Law (unconfirmed)

Ring Bearer
Jaymar Radoc - Bride's cousin

Flower Girl
Jane Wheeler - Groom's niece

Other events:
Rehearsal Dinner
Farewell Brunch

Dream Honeymoon:
2 week cruise in the Mediterenean with stops in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Eygpt, Malta and Spain.

Anyways--Here's the wedding website

"Great" Bridal Expo

2008-03-16T14:38:00.004-07:00

The "Great" Bridal expo was this past Saturday. Even though the event was kinda disappointing, I still had a blast hanging out with Sonia, Kristy and future-mom-in-law.

The expo was mainly booths advertising timeshares, photographers, and places to have bridal registries, like Bed, Bath and Beyond. There were few gown places, though I did find one I would like to check out. I was also looking for cakes and wedding officiants, but without any luck.

The "fashion show" was a bit of a joke since many of the dresses didn't fit the models very well, some were also damaged or dirty. I think the best thing about the show was Kristy's commentary! LOL.

NEways, There will be a few other shows later this year, one April 27, and one June 8 that I will want to check out.

Random list of stuff...yeah...

2008-03-11T22:21:00.002-07:00

Getting to know us...(totally stole this from Donna P.)

Basics
1. Who is your man? Alan Marble
2. How long have you been together? September 6, 2006
3. Dating/Engaged/Married? Engaged since Oct. 14th and getting married on our 2 year anniversary.
4. How old is your man? The big 3-0

You or your man?
1. Who eats more? I donno--probably eat about the same, but I have stronger cravings.
2. Who said "I love you" first? Me...I was so nervous that I scared him away! Took him over a week to say it back.
3. Who weighs more? Unfortunately I do at the moment...=( But I like to think I carry it well.
4. Who sings better? I donno.
5. Who's Older? Alan.
6. Who's smarter? I like to think I give him a run for his money. Sure I have my degree, but he thinks on a different level than I do. He's definitely more analytical.
7. Who's temper is worse? I'm more likely to fly off the handle than he is.
8. Who does the laundry? Both of us.
9. Who does the dishes? Both...sometimes, I'll wash and he'll dry.
10. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does because it's closest to the door.
11. Who's feet are bigger? His.
12. Who's hair is longer? Mine...though apparently he's had hair longer than mine at one point.
13. Who's better with the computer? Depends on the application....but I would definitely call him to fix my computer.
14. Who mows the lawn? The Landlord
15. Who pays the bills? We pay our own.
16. Who cooks dinner? We both do...or go out to eat.
17. Who drives when you are together? Depends if he's wearing his contacts or not. =P
18. Who pays when you go out to dinner? We take turns.
19. Who's the most stubborn? We're both pretty stubborn, but at the same time, we know each other's weaknesses.
20. Who is the first one to admit when they're wrong? Who ever was wrong.
21. Who's parents do you see more? Gee...I wonder... My parents live 1800 miles away.
22. Who named your dog? We have 3 cats. Mine, his and ours. Mine is Auron, his is Meech (aka Fat Cat) and ours is named PORK CHOP.
23. Who kissed who first? LOL...I totally called him out on it...I said, "we're you trying to kiss me?" after a wierd and awkward hug good bye after the first date. He said, sheepishly, "yeah" so I kissed him.
24. Who asked who out? We met at the book store (he approached me) and after an hour of talking I asked him to dinner.
25. What did you do? Had a burger at Chili's then went to Best Buy.
26. Who's more sensitive? We're both pretty whiney!
27. Who's taller? Alan.
28. Who has more friends? What kind of friends? He has a rather large online circle...and I just have a few close ones scattered around the country.
29. Who has more siblings? He does.
30. Who wears the pants in the relationship? We both wear pants....what can I say... sometimes Im too lazy to shave my legs....and he's not Scottish.

I guess, "technically".....

2008-03-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

Im not a Marble YET...so a more appropriate phrase would be "mixed up with Marbles". NEways, I'm jumping on the blog band wagon. This would be my 3rd...I don't know how many Alan has, but he has at least one other. Im going to force him to contribute.

Heh...well, I guess I will fill in the rest later!