Unexpected Potty Training

Our little Philomena known as Mena, Bunzy, Buns, and Doughnut, has taken action and wants to be a big girl.  I was waiting until we had moved into the new house before potty training would take place.  I just wasn't ready for packing and moving while trying to potty train.  Philomena has other plans.....is she a choleric or what!

However, this has been the easiest experience of my life with training.  I don't even have to use treats to get her to sit down.  She just likes hearing the potty song when she's done.

Philomena, thank you.  You help Mommy and Daddy so much.

P.S.  The ladybug potty seat makes her feel extra special as well! 

Color Option for Kitchen

This is the color we are considering for above and between the cabinets and countertops in the kitchen and the wall near the sliding door.  I think it's neutral enough that I wouldn't be restricted in decorating.  Thoughts?

http://www.glidden.com/Color/Paint-Colors/Greens/90YY_52-138

Our New House: Before Photos

We were able to get into our new home for the first time tonight to see what work we need to do before we move in.  We have work to do, but then again, we are excited about it!   We prayed a special prayer for nine days to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and on the last day of the novena, Jordan's boss texted him about whether we were interested in his home.  We saw that as a sign from God that we needed to take this next step.  The home has plenty of space for our family, and we are excited to finally sit together around a table as a family.

The home definitely has character from the early 1920's.  The original bought a one acre plot of land in Nashua with views of a hayfield in front of the house and woods near a dry creek in the very backyard.  The original owners also poured a new foundation around 1999 with a double garage (breezeway attaches garage to house).

I forgot to take a picture of the garage and breezeway.  You go through the breezeway and enter into the area near the downstairs bathroom, kitchen, kitchen nook, and dining room.  Our plans are to take down the wallpaper, paint, and redo the flooring.  

I am so excited about the work space on the countertops!  There is also a dishwasher!!!!  It's amazing how much storage is in the kitchen.  

Brand new fridge!  Seriously folks....this thing will hold so much food!

Cute kitchen nook.
Jordan will take out the carpet since it's right near the deck sliding door. The sliding door leads to the two tiered deck overlooking the huge backyard.  It's a gorgeous view!
 We want hard flooring near a high traffic area with a dog and children running in and out from the outside.  I also plan on using that countertop to do some schooling and keep a desk in the corner with some school supplies.  

Our cute little bathroom downstairs.  Since the rest of the downstairs has white trim, we plan on painting the trim the same color.  

Our new dining room!  It flows well between the living room and kitchen.  They left their beautiful table for us as well.  We just need to get more chairs.  It can seat 12 people!  The door in the picture leads to the front porch.  

Here is our living room!  I think our family altar will go in the corner.  I hope to get a fake fireplace to draw the eyes to the area.  

This is the extra bedroom downstairs that we will use for a toy room/school area.  I plan on hanging school posters and keep things organized in this room, but schooling will happen pretty much anywhere in the house that learning could happen.  

By the way, those windows are gorgeous and beautiful!  The stairwell is safe for children and clumsy mothers who seem to fall down a lot.  :)  

We plan on taking out the carpet in this area.  I know it's a beautiful looking carpet, but it would not look so beautiful after children eat on a table near it.  We plan on getting a cherry laminate wooden plank flooring to match the colors upstairs in the house.  We do plan on keeping the carpet on the stairs though.  We think it might be safer to walk up and down on carpeted stairs.  

This is where most of the work will be done.  The original owners did not do very much to the upstairs.  Jordan already started pulling up carpet, and we will need to patch up cracks we see.  He will continue working this weekend on the prep work so painting can happen before flooring is changed.  

This will be the boys' room!  

I love closets.  You see in our current home....we have only one room with closets.  There is a closer in each room!!!!

The boys (and girls) will have so much in this little cove, cave, whatever you want to call it.  

This was their little girl's room, and she left some of her toys behind for the girls.  Isn't that sweet!  Magdalene has been working on thank you letters, coloring pages, posters...you name it.  

This used to be a small bathroom and a bedroom.  They tore apart the area and just made one big bathroom with washer and dryer access upstairs.  This is where they placed their washer and dryer.  

I like the colors enough to not change it.  It reminds me of my sister.  :)

Walk-in closet from bathroom to master bedroom.  

Master bedroom

Girls' room!

Magdalene wants a pink room so I think we found the shade that would last for years.  By the way, the ceilings in every room are so high.  The rooms feel so large!!

Jordan started ripping up carpet and discovered that all the bedroom upstairs had the beautiful original hardwood.  Our plan is to refinish or whatever you call it to the floors after we paint.  We think it will stay in character with the home.  We will try to find a laminate hard flooring for the downstairs  that will be close in color of the original.  It appears to be a cherry colored wood.


We hoped you enjoyed the before photos of the home!  We pray one day soon that the Alves side can come visit soon.  Oopsss...forget to take pictures of the half finished basement.  There isn't any work to be done there since it was recently done.  It even has a screen like a classroom.  I need to find an LCD projector to hook to our computer and have family move night.

It's Official.....We Own Two Houses Now

Our family on the day of signing the papers.

Our children were very well behaved during the paper signing.  Oh my, that took longer than expected.  

Surprise Getaway!

We celebrated six years of marriage this past weekend!  I was working on a scrapbook the past week for a present for Jordan (still a working progress).  It contains letters before we started courting and hopefully letters during our courtship and engagement.  Wow, we wrote long letters!  It was fun reading through the letters.  Something caught my eyes when I read a letter I wrote to God on All Saints Day of 2008 asking for some kind of direction in my life.   It was also the day Jordan shot the big deer we have mounted on our wall.  It was the same deer that led to our first conversation via facebook.

Nothing really happened in the early messages.  It was more, "She said, she said.....then he said.....then she said, she said."  It wasn't until our first conversation over the phone the weekend after our birthdays.  If you didn't know, we share the same birthday.  Then things took off after that.

It was fun to see the look on Jordan's face when he saw the letters and saw the first picture of us together in 2006.  There's a picture a mutual friend sent of us on the Young Adult Gathering in Estes Park, Colorado.  The whole group had a square dancing night, and there is a picture of us touching hands as we are square dancing.

Good memories.

Jordan created a surprise getaway this past weekend.  We stayed overnight in Winona, Minnesota.  We attend Mass twice a month at St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Winona, MN.  Jordan arranged for us to attend Holy Mass the morning of our anniversary.  Holy Mass is the unbloody re-enactment of Our Lord Jesus Christ's sacrifice on Calvary.  The Holy Sacrament of Matrimony is also a sacrifice as both Husband and Wife are to imitate Jesus Christ in all that they do.  Each day we renew the promises made on our marriage day six years ago.  We ask for the graces to fulfill our marriage vows; to imitate Christ, forgetting ourselves and putting the well being (spiritual, emotional and physical) of our spouse and children above our own.  Many days we FAIL in our attempts, but each failure provides an opportunity to learn from mistakes and continue to PERSEVERE in our resolutions.

If we forget ourselves a little bit each day, we will soon learn to truly love one another as Christ so LOVES us.

FAITH.....HOPE.....CHARITY

While at Mass, we were able to see Fr. Abbet, the priest who joined us as Husband and Wife in the Sacrament of Matrimony, six years ago.  Jordan's best man in our wedding, his twin brother Josh, served Mass and he also held the paten during Holy Communion.  In addition, Fr. Dean, the priest who baptized Theodore, distributed communion.  It was a very special and emotional moment for us.   Remembering the promise we made to God and to each other.  I found myself thinking of all the loved ones who helped shape who we are today, and after Mass, I went to the candle area and almost every candle was lit for someone in our families.

 Mom and Dad took me to a place called Golden China, but all I see is BIG RED DRAGON

Wow, I get a Peach Banana pouch and they get Crab Rangoons and Shrimp.  Huh..... what a deal.

Do I look like a Happy Baby?  Peach Banana Pouch anyone?

A queen size bed is just right for me!

Tobias and Philomena's favorite breakfast "Tiger Pancakes"  I chose a House Omelet, while my more adventurous wife chose a Greek Omelet with sizsheeky or tisqueaky sauce?  Basically it's lamb meat with white sauce?

I Love my Mom and she loves my PENGUIN VEST

Hash browns...Ya..Ya...YAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

Most of the hash browns went in my mouth our in my blanket.  A few got stuck on my face and ears.  YAAAAAAA!!!!!

Uncle Josh's favorite doughnut shop.  It DID NOT disappoint!!!

Why do I look so serious.  It looks like our FIRST kiss on our wedding day.  I'm still not comfortable yet.

Dad's idea, not mine.

Hey Girl....Like my SWIRL???

Tobias would be proud.  I just wrangled a snapping turtle

Even after six year of marriage Christina gives me chances to sweep her off  her feet.  I look forward to spending the rest of our lives together.

Thank you, Jordan, that was very sweet of you to say that.  I think coming home to hold and spend time with our little blessings was the icing on the cake.  They were excited to see their doughnuts and Mommy's wedding dress.  Later that night, I looked through some of the cards we were given on our wedding day.  They were so touching and sweet.  One stands out in my mind from my sisters.  It was the most beautifully written card I have ever read.  

Teddy Bear

Theodore is growing so much!  Please stay a little baby just a little bit longer!  He has been saying the sound "dada" for about a month, and last weekend, he finally said, "mama"!  However, he hasn't repeated that sound for some time now.  It's exciting to see him babble and talk to little stuffed animals.  

He has been moving around the living room, but this past weekend was the first time he actually crawled on his knees.  Tobias was very excited to see him crawling.  I have a feeling that excitement will soon fade once they realize he will start to take away toys, knock down blocks, etc.  Tobias is very understanding for his age and is a model of patience with it comes to toy taking and such compared to the girls.  I think his patience might be tested in the next couple of months, but they will bond for sure!  

Our New Home

We are ready to make wonderful memories in our new home.....very soon!  :)