We Are...Moving

It is shocking news, huh!?! You should have see all our neighbor's reactions when the big FOR RENT sign magically appeared in our front yard on Friday. That's right everyone we are moving.

So just a little back history on this. It isn't new news. We have been thinking about various places to move to for over a year now. We even got our house appraised a year ago but it kind of fizzled away and we didn't really think about it since Matt was leaving for his deployment and I was very pregnant with Mace. But about a year and a half ago when we were looking just north of Charlottesville, we were told about a new subdivision that was going to be built directly across the street from Matt's work in the very desirable north Albemarle county in North Charlottesville. Before we were looking in the neighboring county. Anyhew Albemarle County has amazing schools and it is the area that we originally wanted to live in when we were first moving out here but couldn't afford the houses. Too rich for our blood. Anyhew we were toying with the idea of moving to St. Louis but first spending 3 years in England for Matt's job but we weren't planning on moving for a few years.

~The View from the top of the street. The green and black building in the right center of the pix just below the peak of the "hill" is Matt's work, well the building right next door.~

~The view up the street. Our house is the 4th up.~

~Matt and Mace playing~

Matt really loves his job. Where he is at. He loves the work environment. He loves the work he does and to leave them to go to the main headquarters for his job just didn't really fit with him. So we thought about just staying here. Would we like it? Where would we live? What about our house here in Louisa? Well, we know a few people that rent out properties, and some that are renters. The past 6 months we have been hearing about renting and it seemed like little hints or ideas started to pop in our head. Us rent out our house? It was a thought, since we could never sell it right now for what we want for it.

~Our living room and beautiful stone fireplace~

~Fireplace and dining room~

~My kitchen. It will have stainless steel appliances and has granite countertops!~

Last Thursday, Matt locked his keys in his car and made me drive all the way to his work, 45 min, to get them out. We had lunch together and I told him I wanted to walk thru the model home across the street. He hemmed and hawed and said have fun. When I walked into the model home I was shocked with how AMAZING IT WAS!!! Yes I know that model homes are made to blow you away and want it I get that, I have been here before, but something just clicked with me. I called Matt and told him to get his butt over here and see it. He couldn't leave work and so Mace and I had to wait about 2 hours for Matt to get off work. I waited. I had to show Matt. Couple of perks were, they just reduced the houses significantly and they were including the finished BASEMENT with the house. This house had everything we wanted especially the MAN CAVE in the basement and our own walk in closets in the house, plus a beautiful bathroom. So Mace and I waited, and waited, and waited and Matt showed up and really like it too but wasn't convinced. We talked about it that next day and on Sat I scheduled an appointment for the following Wed just to "build our house" on paper to see how much it would cost. But before I had to do that Matt wanted me to do some homework.

~The morning room off the kitchen.~

~The deck will be thru the glass dor and the view into the kitchen living room and stairs~

~Kitchen granite color~

~Both baths have granite countertops too, and this is the color~

We needed someone to run our house while we were out. A property manager. So Monday and Tuesday I spent doing interviews over the phone with various property managers, I found one. Called the insurance co. and asked what we would have to do with them, check. I figured out the budget. I basically put all of my ducks in a row that allowed us to feel comfortable with having the meeting on Wednesday.

~The view into and from the front door. I love the stair case, so beautiful!~

Wednesday rolls around and I know what I want to do. No brainer, it is across the street from Matt's work in an amazing school district and it is an AMAZING house! When we arrived there, the sales person had her pitch ready to go, with my help cause I knew that Matt was leaning towards the new house but needed to be swayed a little longer. She showed us a house that another couple started to build but they couldn't get the house anymore for whatever reason so Ryan homes had to sell the house ASAP as it is scheduled to be completed mid Oct. We looked at my build and the prices of the house and compared the 2. The other house was amazing and has everything I would have every wanted but couldn't ever get or afford but the price was very close to each other. Well after seeing this soon to be finished home Matt and I talked, talked and talked and prayed, got counsel and then decided that it was the house for us. I am getting everything I could ever want in a home and we are so excited. So Wed we signed the papers, Friday we had an appointment with our new property manager and then the magical sign in our yard. I have already had a couple of people ask me about the house and one in particular said they would contact our property manager. So right now we are praying, praying, praying that we get someone in here.

~The hallway off the stairs~

~Our huge bedroom~

~OUR AMAZING SHOWER~

~Jetted tub~

We think that we will be out of "the rental" as I am calling it now, by early to mid Nov. We will be moved by Thanksgiving. Our plan is to get a renter in our house by Dec. So please everyone send your prayers this way that we will get a renter in here. We feel very much that Heavenly Father is guiding and directing us in our decision because things have been too easy. Everything is just working out perfectly and the last time that happened it was when we moved out here and everything worked out amazingly well. We are so thankful for the people in our lives that have helped us and for this opportunity to move to another area.

~Guest room, house is not for sale.~

~Hall bath~

~Mason's big boy room~

~The nursery~

~Hallway from the kids room~

We are very sad to be leaving our friends in this area. But we are moving about 45 min away so we will still be able to hang out and such. Thank you everyone for your support and I look forward to our new adventure.

~Food storage room~

 ~Storage room~

 ~Basement play area~

 ~Matt's man cave~

 ~Storage room~

 ~Walk out basement~

 ~Mason had a ball playing in his future play room in the basement~

The Sweetest Place on Earth...

Hershey PA! The military has great ways to help us see the world. We just spent the weekend in beautiful PA, I really think that state is so pretty, and had a great time staying at the Hershey Lodge. We were given candy bars for each of us, including Mace, when checking in. I was approaching the check in counter where Matt and Mace were, Mace was sitting on the counter holding the chocolate candy bar and when he saw me he held it up in pure joy like he was saying, "Mommy, look what I got!" Super cute. We did figure out that Mace does take after me with his affinity to chocolate. It is how we woke him up on Sunday morning and got him out of his super crabby mood. And how I calmed him down when he was not wanting to stop crying. I think I have found the best bribe for when I am trying to potty train him. We shall see but man he loves chocolate and just eats it up!

~The great wall of stairs as we called them. Mace had fun climbing up them, many many many times!~

~At the top! Sorry it is blurry!~

The military sent us there as a family to attend the Yellow Ribbon program which is a reintagration program for soldiers. It is really great. The have vendors there for education and jobs and teach classes on how to be a normal person again. All Army reservists are required to attend these programs before and after they return. We didn't go to any of the before his deployment because he was in Afghanistan and oh yeah, they had one the 2 days before I was being induced so NO THANK YOU! MY HUSBAND WAS NOT GOING TO LEAVE ME. NO WAY NO HOW!!! So now we go and enjoy them and both Mace and I get to go on the military's dime.

~Waiting to go to daycare. And I was able to snap a pix of how big he is getting.~

On Sat afternoon we went to Hershey park. So much fun. I told Matt I wanted to go on just 1 roller coaster and I ended up going on 3. He walked Mace around or rather watched Mace walk around while I waited in the lines to go on AMAZINGLY FUN RIDES!!! There were more that I wanted to go on but 3 was the limit. Maybe someday we will go back and I will go on as many as I want. But I did do some pretty cool ones. Including a brand spanking new one that you pull negative G's on 4 times. (means you are catching some air) SO FUN!

~This is called Farenheit, not the newest roller coaster but I Did this. Pretty crazy. More than a 90 degree drop on it as it curves into itself.~

We are glad to be back as it is a long drive with a 1 year old in the back of the van but Mace was a trooper and did pretty well until the last 40 min. He was done by that point. Poor kid but he is AMAZING!!!

~Daddy and Mace chillin in the room, and you can see Mason has a chocolate mustache.~

 ~Around town~

I did pretty well myself in not going crazy with the chocolate. I just had a few pieces of chocolate and a cookie and that was all. I am fighting my addiction to chocolate and other yummy things that I should only eat in moderation and not all the time like I used to want to. I am getting better and I am approaching the 40 lbs lost mark and I am excited to reach that point and be below my pre pregnancy weight!!! Almost there! We have a new follower to the blog! Wanted to give a huge thank you to my Grandma Dickson for checking out the blog and wanted to thank all of you for reading it. I do this for family and as my electronic journaling. Enjoy!

 ~The pretty scenery in Harrisburg, PA!~

10 Tremendous Years

Wednesday, September 5 2012, Matt and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary. I can't believe that it has already been 10 years. It has been a very long but fast 10 years. Some things I remember really well and others a a blur. I also feel like I lost a year since having Mason. The whole pregnancy brain thing, I guess. But I am so happy that Matt was here this year to celebrate with me. He got me the most beautiful flowers yet. We went out to dinner and had cake and just had a great time together.

Matt let me get all dressed up and fancy for our date, sans child, and we went to a wood fired steak house in Richmond. Walked around the mall a bit then went back to pick up the kid. Then On our actual wedding date we had a somewhat replica cake which we shared with Mace, who as you already knows loves cake.

It was a great weekend and a day. I am so happy that I met and married Matt. He is so amazing. He takes such great care of Me and Mason. Matt is an amazing father and friend. I just feel so blessed that I get to experience my life with my best friend and that I get to be with him for all eternity! Happy anniversary to my wonderful husband! Thank you for all you do. You are truly amazing in every single way and I am so very thankful for you. XOXO!

 ~My flowers!~

 ~Date night~

 ~ As of 9/3 I have lost 30 lbs since May!~ 

P.S. As I was writing this Mason decided it would be a great idea to climb up on the coffee table and have fun! Cute little kid!

13 Months

Mason, my cute little big boy! He is WALKING ALL THE TIME! On his 13 month old birthday we were at the mall and he walked all over the place. Matt was chasing him around and it was so super cute!!! Mace was being watched by all the mommies and they were so impressed with his walking abilities. And as you already know Mace is such a charmer with the ladies. He liked to follow ladies around, until he saw the train. The he was trying to walk as fast as he could to catch up with the little train that rolls around the mall.



Mace is still babbling. He knows who Archer, Mommy and Daddy are. And when we ask him were Daddy is he will turn and look at Daddy and give his cutest little smile. I sometimes think I hear him say "apple". I know I have heard it a couple of times. It is his fav thing to eat. He loves apples, and blueberries. He will pick out all the blueberries from his fruit and eat them all. He doesn't particularly like raspberries. He will eat them but prefers strawberries to them. Out of all the fruit he eats regularly the raspberries are the ones that end up on the floor for the dog.

Mason is such a sweet heart. He is in the squeezy hug and kisses phase and loves to give them all the time. He even gives little hugs to Archer when the mutt lets him. I love Mace more and more every single day. He is growing, learning and remembering new things and loves to explore everything. He is a little helper, or he thinks he is helping me. He loves to take things out of the dishwasher that I just put in, and tries to put them back in by himself but never where I put it. He tries to put his toys in bags, because he thinks he is cleaning up. Sometimes he does put his toy back in the basket where he found them but then just goes back and decides to play with it again. He loves to play with balls and roll them around all over the floor. He loves closing doors for me. Especially the fridge door. Whenever I open it up, he runs over as fast as he can and is waiting under the doors and will close them when I ask him to. He loves to imitate us too with sounds. He is just such a sweet little miracle.

Matt is loving working at this job again and loves working with his friends there. He comes home and plays with Mason and talks to him and he is such a great dad! I am still trying to workout almost every day. I am 11 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight which is a miracle in itself considering where I was in the beginning of May, 40 lbs away! SERIOUSLY!!! I have an amazing nutritionist that has changed my life and eating habits. I fell better. My body doesn't hurt like it used to and I am happy with how things are developing. Also I don' have to work out 2-3 hours a day to obtain these results.  I am eating, a lot of food. Not always the food I want to eat but food that I know is good for my body. Anyhew in the next few weeks I am planning on surpassing my pre-pregnancy weight, and getting and staying out of the 200's for the rest of my life!!! And I will be half way to my goal so 3 big things coming up with just 1 little number. I just have to get to that little number for now and then see ya!

Anyhew enough about me. I hope that this post finds all of our friends and family well. We miss all of you!

Gma & Gpa Visit

Our week with my parents, Gma and Gpa, ended way too quickly for all of us. Mason had so much fun with them and giving them hugs and love and showing off his walking skills. We enjoyed trying new things, chocolate bowels made using balloons and cleaning up said chocolate when balloon decides to pop while the chocolate is still melted and splatters all over my kitchen, and eating lots and lots of yummy food!

~I have proof that Mace was born to play the piano. So when he is 14 and says that he is awful and can't play the piano I have proof otherwise.~

Mason has such a rigid schedule, by his own design, that most of the eating out we did was in the early afternoon. We had fun hanging around the house watching movies and Matt and I went on our first date alone in over a year. I know that sounds like a long time, but remember Matt was gone for the last year. We went to downtown C-ville and ate some yummy gelato and pizza by the slice and enjoyed the Avengers in the theater. We are going to try and have a date at least once a month without the kid. Now to find a babysitter.

~Gma and Mace having fun~

Matt returned back to his civilian job this past Monday. And Thursday was my first day alone with Mace since before Matt was home. I am out of practice apparently because I have been worn out by the end of the day. I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to be able to stay home with Mace all day and support Matt in his jobs! Yes jobs, Matt is going to be doing military on the weekends for the next few months to make up for the months of drill he missed while he was on active duty. Things have been good though! I love being a mom and watching Mason grow. He is getting more and more confident with walking everyday and will be walking in his own due time. We are getting our new couches next week, YEA!!!!! So I look forward for their arrival. We are donating these huge blue ones to a needy family. Giving them a little Christmas early and so they don't have to sit on just the floor anymore.

~Daddy and Mace chillin' watching cartoons! Soon we say good-bye to these blue monsters.~

Mason's 6-12 Month Photobook

Click here to view this photo book larger