Halloween 2012

Time to play catch up! I have been out of the loop and out of access for a couple of weeks and this past week I just didn't update my blog. I know some of you are wanting pix from Halloween so here they are. Mason was the Itsy Bitsy Spider, that was the actual title of his costume, and I recycled my old HS costume this year. Because we were in the midst of moving this year we didn't for the first time since we moved out here, hand out candy at the house. We went around the neighborhood to say our goodbyes and then we went to our church's trunk or treat. Mason had a ton of fun with the young women with whom he attached himself to all night. He loves the young ladies and they all love him too. So most of the pix from the night are of him playing with N. Also Mason no longer walks. He runs everywhere and getting a clean pix of him that is not blurry is next to impossible with my camera phone. So sorry they are blurry and grainy but this is our life. A running 1 year old. 

 ~Super excited high 5~

 ~Mace was running back and forth into N's arms.~

Daddy Time

I love nights like these where Mace and Daddy have a ton of fun together! On Tuesdays, Matt watches Mason for me while I teach and they have had really great bonding time. Last night Matt got home from being gone all weekend and Mace just wouldn't leave Matt alone or any of his things. Mason was carrying Matt's military boots around and taking an interest in them. I said put him in your shoes and this is the fun time we had with that! I love seeing how happy Matt is. It is a new side to him and I LOVE IT!

Ever Growing Baby Boy

Next week Mason will be 15 months old! OH MY GOODNESS! He is growing way too quickly. We are definitely in the fun play attitude stage of his life. He loves us and shows his love all the time. He will even go up to strangers and hug their legs or give them "loves" as we call it. He gives the pictures of doggies in his books loves too. Super cute!

He is a flirt. He loves the ladies. He has to watch every lady, young or not as young but he loves to check them out. And sometimes if you are lucky he will get up close and personal with the ladies. Not sure how to break some habits he developed through nursing, if you get my drift.

~Mason loves to stick out his tongue at us now!~

He no longer just walks he RUNS and runs and runs! Diaper changes when he sees me grab a diaper he runs up to me while I am setting up, grabs the powder and then runs as far away as possible from me. We call it the powder dash! He runs to the bath tub because he loves his baths and he runs to the door to meet Daddy when he comes home from work!

Mace and Matt have quite the little relationship. Mason is different with Matt. He gives him more loves on command than he does to me, but I get a lot anyhew so I am not that jealous. He loves to spend time with Matt. Every week Matt and Mace get their time while I teach and for the rest of the night Mason prefers to sit with Daddy and show him his books and such.

He loves to read his books. Flip through them and find the doggies which he then proceeds to do his "woof woof" for. He knows doggies and loves all of them so much! He likes other animals too but he will always flip to the back of the books with the doggies.

He has a new fav show to watch and I never thought that I would let him watch the newer style cartoons. He loves The Backyardigans. There is singing about every 2 minutes and all the music is a different style so it keeps him more interested. He bops around and watches and dances as much as possible to the show! It is fun to watch him enjoy music. He is going to be my musician. He adores music and can't get enough of it.

~This is Mason's silly, I want something so I am going to do an extra cute and charming smile for you to get it, look~

Mason is overall a great kid. He has his moments like every kid but I am so thankful for him in my life. I now know how lucky I am to have been able to get pregnant and to carry him full term. I am so thankful that Heavenly Father blessed our family with this special little spirit. I know we have some other special spirits waiting for their chance to come down and I am so excited for when they do arrive. No announcements now but hopefully it will be soon!

~Here Mommy! Have a blueberry~

~Hi Grandma and Grandpa!~

Sad Day

Things have been very difficult for the past few days. Plus side, Sept 30 we found out I was pregnant. No fertility drugs no nothing. I went to the doc on Monday the 1st and throughout the week. Based off of various blood work test my hormone levels weren't going up as they should and I was expected to miscarry our very first spontaneous pregnancy that we have ever knows about. Saturday Oct 6 I miscarried the baby and that was that. Not happy. Very upset. Sad. but at least I got pregnant and we might be able to do it all on our own now and not have to spend thousands of dollars. Silver lining I guess.

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~