Reading

I find Preston doing this often. Both of us feel it is important to teach our kids the value of reading and learning. We love that Preston has always loved books and hope to keep his love of learning alive.

Our Trip to Boston as Seen from Jared's Phone

We're having some computer, internet storage, and Preston-playing-with-the-computer issues right now, so this is going to be an impossibly brief synopsis of our trip to Boston. Of course all the great pictures were taken with Sereen's camera, and we promise to get those up soon.

Oh, and for those of you who don't know, we went to Boston. :)

He was SO COLD...because it was SO COLD out there. Brrr. He was a champ, though, all through the site-seeing, the hours and hours on the plane, and even at Jason and Natalie's place. Jason and Natalie were extremely patient as Preston redecorated their tablecloth, too. 

I'm sorry, I found this to be too funny. At BYU, there were lots of self-help posters for depression, anorexia/bulimia, roommate conflict mediation--in other words, all the NORMAL things that NORMAL people deal with. But at Harvard, people just have different issues. Apparently, one of the major problems on campus is chronic burnout. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

Jason and Natalie heard about Pinocchio's from us who heard it from Austin, who heard it from...someone. So we had to try it.

Lots and lots of pizza. It was pretty good stuff.

I knew that if I was ever going to enlighten Sereen and get her to enjoy seafood, I'd have to get the fish right out of the bay and put it (almost) directly on her plate. Now, I doubt that Legal Seafood (what a name, eh?) actually caught shrimp in the Boston Harbor in December, but it was still really good.

And Sereen really enjoyed it! OK, so she still ordered a chicken sandwich, but I coaxed her into trying one or two things, and for the most part, she actually enjoyed it. She still has a hard time getting past the mental factor, even with her taste buds telling her that it's OK.

More pictures to come! We went to Bunker Hill, the USS Constitution, Harvard, all around the city of Cambridge, Old North Church, Old Manse (Ralph Waldo Emerson's digs), Lexington & Concord where was fired the Shot Heard 'Round the World. It was cool to see all the sites, but it was even better to hang out with Jason and Natalie. We're excited to tell you all about it.

A Brief Synopsis

Life has been a bit crazy this last few weeks.

We closed on our house the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and got the keys the next day. I think it took us a matter of 10 minutes before we were painting away. I know we are crazy but when we were both raised to only move into houses that needed fixing we can't help but do a little bit to put our own personality in the home. The day we got the keys we were able to put two coats of paint on our bedroom, which took us late into the night.

Thursday was filled with much cooking, eating, resting, family, all the thanksgiving fun.

Friday we were back at it cleaning, finishing packing, a little shopping, and painting high gloss stripes as an accent wall of our bedroom.

We were then up bright and early Saturday morning to make use of the moving truck provided by the builder before the next people had it reserved.

I spent the next few days doing what I could to unpack and organize while also getting ready to take a vacation to visit my cousin and her husband in Boston.

Jared came home Sunday night to start his new job while Preston and I stayed until Tuesday morning for one more day of fun.

Due to moving and vacation I don't remember the last time I went to the grocery store. That was my main job for today. The car had a different plan when it decided not to start. On top of the growing list of projects around the house now we have the car to figure out.

Those of you waiting for pictures of our house finished, I promise they are coming. I just have to finish getting boxes out of the way and find a moment where Preston isn't pulling everything out just as I am putting it away so the house isn't covered up with the mess.

There is so much to look forward to this month (can't wait for Christmas in Dallas) but I sure do look forward to January when I imagine life will have settle down a tad.

Let's get real

 I have finally submitted myself to the fact that if I want to accomplish anything I can't have my house clean at all times. I either follow Preston around cleaning up his messes or I let him be while I work on whatever project it is I am doing. You combine that with packing and it looks like our house was hit by a tornado. 

 If he's having this much fun I guess it's all worth it. (notice the toilet paper stuck to his chin)

 At least he can't open the toilet lid, yet. 

He walked all around the apartment like that. Plastic bag stuck to his foot, leaving a trail of toilet paper, remote in the hand, and the biggest smile because he could do whatever he wanted. 

 If we didn't already know Preston was the culprit here there would be no doubt when you notice the wooden spoon (usually being held with an iron fist)

 He loves to pull all of our socks out

I'm just getting over the flu and as good as I am feeling today this little man wore me out and I needed to lay down for a minute. This is what happens when mom falls asleep.

Unexpected Love Note

Not that getting a love not from my husband is unexpected but the location of that note was. The other morning I went to get a banana for Preston and my breakfast and this is what I found. Made my day!

House update

I went by the house today and found appliances installed, sinks and toilets set, counter tops on, and the outside in the process of being painted. We're just 9 days away from our walk through, it's getting so close!

 As we thought the brown stripes were painted over. it looks like at this point they just need paint the trip around the boarders and windows. 

 Our kitchen is just about complete. We just need the microwave (in that big box) installed

 All this bathroom needs is the mirror. 

 The vanity in our master bath waiting for the mirror. 

It's going to look so nice and I can't even wait to move in!

 

They originally placed the dinning room light off center. We sent a quick email Sunday night to have them fix it. By the time we went by Monday night they had fixed it. We were very impressed with their quick response. 

 

We haven't even moved in and Preston has already left his mark on that beautiful stainless steal. At least I know what we were getting ourselves into when we picked it :)

The life of Preston

Just a few fun moments with Preston

 Preston is always on the move but sometimes he just needs to kick back and relax. There is no better way to do that then to hold your toes and eat the remote.

 

 

It is not uncommon to see Preston  carrying around a bowl or spoon. It's usually a wood spoon and tuperware bowl (they happen to be in the easiest cabinet for him to access). Today it was the fork and bowl from my lunch that ended up being his. If he will let me feed him I will gladly give him my lunch.

 

I finally let him put to use those well practiced skills. He was concentrating so hard to stir that pot of pasta. 

 

This is how the day went with these pants that were too big. Trip on the pants because they were too long, crawl over to something to stand back up, crawling pulled the pants over his diaper which was the only thing keeping them up, then walking on the pants and pulling them further down with every step until he eventually stepped out of them. Needless to say he went without the pants most of the day. 

Our Home

For those who have not heard our exciting news, we are finally buying a home! We started our search last October. After submitting somewhere around 16 offers (all short sale fixer uppers), having two of them accepted but not go through, and our realtor saying on several occasions "I have never heard of that happening to anyone before" we have found our home.

It is a brand new Town Home in Lehi near Thanksgiving Point.

• 3 bedrooms
• 2 1/2 bath rooms 
• 1 car garage
• Just over 2,000 sq ft
• unfinished basement with plumbing for another half bath and plenty of room for storage and a media room. 

We are scheduled to do our walk through on the 16th and get the keys on the 21st. We are praying all goes as planned so we can move Thanksgiving weekend and get settled in time to enjoy the Christmas season in our new home.

For those who are curious to see the progress here are some pictures we took October 22nd:

 ours is the middle unit 

 At this point the walls were textured waiting for paint. This is standing in the living room looking at the kitchen. I am standing in front of the garage door and the open door is a half bath. 

 This is from where I was standing in the previous picture looking at the living room and dining room. 

These were taken October 31st:

 The outside is just about complete. The brick is up, stucco is stained, and the siding is on. We're pretty sure they still need to paint the siding though so there aren't brown stripes. 

There is now a driveway and steps up the porch. (we will take updated pictures this week)

 Standing at the back door. Preston is playing with the plumbing to the kitchen sink. The walls are painted and tile is done. 

 Looking into the entry. The door on the left leads down stairs. On the right is the door to the garage and the half bath.

 Standing in the entry. The bedrooms are up the stairs. 

 Our master bedroom. The door leads to a balcony.

 Our master bathroom from the walk-in closet

 The view from our balcony

 Looking from the master bedroom. Laundry in the closet on the right. Handsome man in the middle. First door on the left is a bathroom. Two doors on the end are two bedrooms. Then a linen closet behind the handsome man.

This is looking out the back door of our neighbors. That first window well is ours. There will be a fence along the back where the brick pillars are. Each unit will have 15 feet of fence on either side. That means we will have 15 feet of semi private land then it will be open to another 30+ feet to the back fence.

Halloween Party

On Saturday we got together with some of Jared's cousins for a Halloween party. I don't normally like Halloween but when it's a time to get together with family, eat good food, dress up the kids in cute costumes, and carve pumpkins then I can really enjoy it.

I seriously debated dressing Preston up since I didn't see a point in taking him trick-or-treating and didn't want to spend any money but when I wanted a project one day and found this polar fleece in my small supply of fabric I decided to make a little dog outfit. 

 Most of the little ones in their costumes. 

 I think Austin has the better pictures of this photo shoot. It is his hand in the way, after all.  :)

 Peek-a-boo

 Thor and the Princess dancing. There was no music and they didn't think anyone was watching. Too cute not to sneak a few pictures.

 All the men hid behind the doors inside the house so the kids could trick-or-treat 

 Here are all the little kids after a few of them got sick of their costumes. 

 I love my little puppy dog even if he was a bit of a stinker that night. 

 Liz is rocking gutting the pumpkin. Too bad there was nothing left to gut. At least she looks good doing it. ;)

The pumpkins in all their glory. The middle one is ours, designed by Jared.