Life full of new adventures!

Well...it has truely been a while since we blogged, and we definitely have some good excuses.

Excuse #1 - We bought a condo!! I briefly mentioned it before and we are so excited. It all started one Wednesday afternoon, while I was on my daily lunchtime walk. The lady I walk with and I always pick up flyer for the houses for sale that we see along the way. This day was no different, I picked it up, saw the pictures...the price....then called Peter. I asked him what he thought about buying a condo, he told me we would talk about it later that night. I asked friends, co-workers, fellow condo owners, how it all works, advantages/disadvantages. I decided I wanted to just go look at it, see if it worked and either buy it or move on. Anyhow, we went and saw it, didn't really like it, was really small, felt too much like an apartment. I went home so disappointed, but we talked about it and decided to look at some more places, check them out and go from there (Pete is such an optimist!!) We found about five places, called a realtor, went and saw them, some liked, some hated, one we LOVED! I walked into this place and didn't even have to walk upstairs for me to fall in love! This was Friday night...we didn't like the lady that showed us the place, not very knowledgeable, so we called up another realtor and wanted to put an offer in. We had set up a time to go to this first time homeowners class, to make us eligible for a grant for our down payment (but the grant fell through because the condo we bought was across the street from the boundaries) Anyhow, we couldn't put an offer in until Monday, and let's just say the weekend was WAY too long!!! I was dying, (I am not a patient person...how I ever waited two years for Pete to get home is beyond me...ha ha) Monday came, met with our realtor...which is when she told us that the bank (this was a foreclosure) had 2 other offers, and they were doing a one time bid. THE PRESSURE WAS ON! We had to go above the asking price...then sit and wait. The bank said a week...again I was dying...but luckily they called the next day to say WE GOT IT!! They accepted our offer to pay all closing costs too! It was grand. I was on my walk when I found out, and practically ran the whole way! The bank told our realtor that we were barely above the others...so I knew it was meant to be. Well this brings one a whole another excuse...

Excuse #2 - Things were going so smoothly...our loan went through, we were set to close within two weeks. We had to repaint the place and re carpet it because the previous owners had smoked...but that's no biggie, my dad = painter, my uncle = carpet layer! So my dad bought his plane ticket, we picked out colors, we were SET TO GO! Then...Peter gets a phone call saying that the investor is going not to buy our loan because we are in a FLOOD ZONE! That started a week long process or phone call after phone call trying to get flood insurance, not only for contents, but for building because HOA doesn't cover it. Anyhow I could type pages on this and how frustrating it was, and how many tears it brought, but we got through it. There had been a mistake on the city map that said we were in a flood zone (which we are not) and our HOA is working it out. So solution = get flood insurance (FYI - expensive). Luckily the bank agreed to pay the first year for not disclosing that we were in a flood zone to us, and we are fighting to get it removed. On closing day the bank claimed they had not signed that addendum, but we showed it two them. I personally think some new guy signed it, and forgot to tell the guy in charge (good for us :) ) This delayed us getting the keys for a couple of days, but it all worked out. Oh, and while all of this was going on, Pete and I are in school, trying to do homework, tests, studying, and also working full-time. BUSY BUSY BUSY...oh and crazy ;)

Yes, my kitchen is orange, it's my favorite color and it looks amazing!!

My dad working away, we got the whole house painted (ceiling and walls) with two coats in two days! Dad and Peter worked so hard. Oh, before my dad came, Pete and I had to sand and wash ALL of the walls....not fun!

Excuse #3 - From offer to close it was 3 weeks...then 3 more weeks of painting, carpeting, a work trip squeezed in the middle and then finally MOVING DAY! (April 18, 2009) I love to pack, go through things, which ends up leading to going to down memory lane. We collected boxes from work and friends and decided that this move (our third on in our 18 months of marriage) we would rent a UHaul, because it takes too long with little old "amry" and a truck. We had fun, and were really so grateful for the ward coming to help us move all of the "stuff".

Stuffed FULL! It was a 17foot truck...

Excuse #4 - During all of this I had to take a work trip to Austin, Texas. We left early on Sunday morning and came back on Wednesday. Luckily Pete was able to go, and we went with Heather and her husband and had a fun time. Heather and I had to sit in the conference most of the day, but we got to play at night! It was beautiful weather, and a fun adventure! Pictures explain it all!

By this cool waterfall wall in front of a business building


We found Moses...he is in Austin, stopping traffic!

On a trolley taking a tour of the city

"Bats under the bridge" we watched tons of bats fly out from under the bridge, then went to the top to find this beautiful sunset...oh I love vacations!

Excuse #5 - Are we tired of excuses yet?? We moved in and got unpacked (we kind of) then had to paint the closets because my dad was so kind to leave that job to us. Boy did we find out why! It takes FOREVER to paint one closet. We did the ones in our bedroom (yes I said ones...we each have our own...that is was sold Pete on this house ;) ha ha ) We still have 2 more to paint...but we are getting there! Catherine graduated and so mom, dad, Ryan flew out here and grandma and grandpa Mort drove out as well. We had to whole clan here! We had lots of fun, and my house seemed to be the "spot" everyone met and hung around. It was so great to have enough space to fit everyone! (Sorry no pictures for this excuse)

Excuse #6 - We finally got what I have been waiting for our whole marriage! (Yes only 18months, I do realize this) COUCHES AND A BED!!! My grandma has been so great and loaning us a love seat for a couch, and we were using my old full-size bed with no frames. We went shopping and shopping and price comparing before finally decided on the one we got and I LOVE THEM. Pictures....

Our living room/dinning room (with the new couches)

New Bed!

Excuse #7 - The weekend everyone left, Pete and I started summer school. He did full-time and got a scholarship for an excellent GPA...and so between the benefit of working at WSU and that we didn't have to pay a cent. I did two class (7-week course) and also didn't' have to pay anything. It was awesome! The only not so awesome part was ALL the homework and studying and more homework and more studying. Friday night date nights turned into all night study dates with pizza and soda. We did have fun quizzing each other and cheering each other on while we both felt like going crazy!

Excuse #8 - Pete is probably so tired of my crazy idea's and me acting on them. One night he was late getting home, he had his class, and I was sitting on our pourch just enjoying the outdoors and saw a Honda CRV. Pete and I had been thinking about buying a car for a while, just waiting for the right time, trying to decide if we wanted brand new, or a newer used car. We were thinking about buying my grandma's accord at the end of summer. Anyhow, I thought...I wonder what the difference is in price between a used CRV and a used Accord. I let it go because we just bought a house and stuff for the house, so I knew it was not the time to talk buying another thing. I went to work the next day...was really busy...finally was able to take a lunch, had the same thought pop into my head of, just wanting to know how much a used CRV was. I looked on KSL, then got distracted, needed to help some people, came back to my computer, and I saw this ad for a 2004 Honda CRV, 17,000 miles. I was like WHAT...no way. I called my dad, asked what he thought, then called Pete and said in a cutsie voice, uh honey what do you think about buying an SUV? He was like WHAT?! Where did this come from? I told him what I found, he said ok call the guy let's go look at it (he is so great, goes along with my craziness) and so I called. This guy's dad (84 with dimenshia) had this car, and barely drove it. He said his dad drove it around town and once to a Walmart 30 mins away because he thought that was the closest one (now isn't that cute). Anyhow he said he already has someone coming at six (now mind you this ad had only been up for 45 mins) and so we scheduled to see it at 7:00. I was dying, making phone calls finding out about loan stuff, and car insurance and all that fun stuff. I kind of go crazy when I get an idea in my head and I need to solve it all NOW. haha, well we went go see it, with the intention of buying it if the other guy didn't and it looked and drove well. Turns out, the guy was WAY late and so we were there first, drove it, fell in LOVE with it, told the guy we wanted it. He wanted to be fair, so he let the other guy come, and of course he wanted it too, but he wanted to talk with his wife and wanted the guy to hold it for a day. The guy said no, because we wanted to buy it that day. IT WAS FATE! We got some custard while we were waiting, SO not the same as Wisconsin, but it does the job. Anyhow, he went back there, put a down payment down, and left. The guy couldn't find the title, so we spend the next few days waiting for him to find it, and finally we got it! I love it, its perfect, will last us FOREVER and it will be great for then the little peter and tina's start arriving....

Excuse #9 - and probably my favorite...we went home to Wisconsin for 10 whole day and had a wonderful time! I finished my classes, Pete finished his hardest, then took a break from homework while we were home. We went boating, up North with Pete's family, to Ryan's band shows (I'm so proud of him, he is one AWESOME drummer), ate way too many times at Culver's, ate yummy yummy donuts, spent lots of time with both families, went ice skating, went to the park that Pete and I would go to a lot while dating, my mom and I went to Mary Poppins on Broadway in Chicago while dad and Pete went to Museum's, we went swimming, hung out with friends, more of Ryan's band shows, Pete did a 25 mile bike ride, 2 mile run and swimming with his dad and siblings and pretty much we were crazy busy by loving every single minute of it! I love Wisconsin and honestly cannot wait to move there and be by family permanently.

Ice skating for Carrie's 10th Birthday
(Jared, Angela, Peter)

His shows are so COOL!

After one of the shows, they had a drum off. All the drummer gathered around this light post and drummed, or in my brothers words "They were throwing down some notes"

Us watching the shows...some not so good, but some were great!

One band played a Wicked song

This is one of the reasons I love Wisconsin, this is what you see when

you drive on free ways...beauty

Pete's grandpa was trying to hook up a new TV, and so Pete was on the roof helping hook up something to the antenna.

View from the front of the cottage...once again beauty

Getting ready to build the fire!

Roasting Marshmellows and make s'mores...

We tried and tried to go boating during the week, but it was cloudy, cold, and too windy. On the last day my dad woke us up the morning we were leaving and said "you wanna go boating" Of course we agreed went boating from 8:30AM-10:30AM, drove home, showered, had to leave by 12:30PM to see Pete's dad and get to the airport by 1:30PM....we made it and definitely had a blast boating!

Pete has tried this before, and wasn't able to get up on the skies, be he DID IT!!! Love him...

This would be me getting ready to flip of the tube...my dad was NOT suppose to flip me off, but he wanted Pete to get a close up, and it took me by suprise how he swung me out to the side...needless to say...I flipped...it hurt...but I had fun oh and got a sweet picture to prove it!!!

I hope you have enjoyed my excuses! We are truely loving and living life!