Our New Home

Colin and I were able to see the house we're buying today. The previous renters left it super dirty and smelly. I think once we get the house completely cleaned and some paint on the walls we both will feel a lot better about this place. It has some really great potential but will take a ton of work. So, here are the before pictures. It will be a process since we can't really afford to do everything now. Check back in 6 months and we should have the carpet redone with Pergo, the cabinets painted and that fireplace taken care of. And YES there are 2 toilets in the bathroom and YES there is a sink in the master bedroom. I have NO idea why! :)

I'll post more after I finish painting hopefully next week sometime. Wish us luck!

Kitchen/Dining Room

Living Room


Master Bedroom


Bathroom

Fireplace (will be redone!)

Backyard

Good News!

The original plan was to give the tenants of the house we will be renting/buying a month to vacate. Granny and Gramps did that and the tenants have already found a place and will be moving out hopefully next weekend! So Colin and I will be getting the house next weekend/week. We are super excited to finally see the inside and most of all, have a back yard for Duke and our chocolate lab we will be getting next spring! Oh, and Colin gets his garage which means MAYBE I will get a craft room!

We'll finally get a place to make our own and paint, do yard work and renovate freely! We have been waiting for this for a very long time and are way more excited than we probably should be! Hopefully we will be getting financing by April to buy the house, if not sooner.

Colin has been working with his dad for a couple weeks now I think and he is doing really great! He has had several new patients and is learning the ropes of the office.

I had an interview with OSU and another agency in Salem yesterday. They both went great! With interpreting, it's not "yes you get the job or no you don't." It's more like when a job comes up they will let me know. OSU wants me to interpret a play in February which will be interesting. Also, they have sporadic jobs they will be calling me for. The agency in Salem said they can give me work also. So it was a very positive day yesterday! I still have one more agency to interview with. We'll see what happens!

On a VERY happy note...it's snowing on Mt. Hood! Yay! Hopefully it snows several times this year!

And the verdict is....

Colin and I have FINALLY figured out our housing situation after a couple months of going back and forth. Thanks to the generosity of Colin's Granny and Gramps, we will be renting their rental house for a couple months until we can get financing to to buy it from them. They are giving us an amazing deal which will really help us start out. We are so super thankful for them! So where will we be living until early December when we are able to move in? Colin's parents house. They were gracious enough to let us temporarily stay there while we are in transition. Not only will we save money but we are hoping for some really great home cooking and a playmate for Duke.

Speaking of Duke, he decided he wanted to be a bumble bee for Halloween. Ok, well maybe I decided. (Pardon the mess...Colin and I were in the middle of packing when Duke tried on his outfit.) I found this on clearance at target and HAD to get it. Colin wasn't so amused. :)

This Thursday is our moving day! I'm a little sad to be moving further from my family but happy for the opportunity Colin gets to have with his dad and the chiro center. He's really lucky to be in the position he is. Also, we would never have been able to afford a house around Seattle or Portland right now. So overall it's a good decision for the both of us. Now comes the hard work of finishing packing, loading, moving and unloading. Blah.

I hope you all have a wonderful Halloween and I'll be posting pictures later next week. We'll be at Bailey's for a costume party!

Up to Seattle for the weekend...

On Saturday my mom and I got all dolled up to go to the Celine Dion concert. For my parent's 30th anniversary, my dad bought my mom 10th row floor tickets which were AMAZING. My lord can that woman sing! And not to mention her ripped body! She was flaunting around in mini dresses! She looks amazing for being 40! She had 6 or 7 outfit changes and her show was more like a mini Vegas concert/show. There were 8 dancers who were ridiculously talented, a few backup singers, pianist, 2 drummers, a guitarist and another man who did some duets with her. This concert definitely topped the list right next to the Dixie Chicks concert I saw a couple years ago. Here's a pic I pulled off my phone. It actually looks further away then we really were. Thanks for the tickets dad and thanks for bringing me along mom!

Saturday I went to the pumpkin patch with Keana and Joey, Laura and her boyfriend's nephew and niece. I wanted a pumpkin so bad, but with moving next week it just wasn't possible!

Laura, Laney, Ky and Mr. Scarecrow

Keana and the lovebirds...Laney and Joey.

Next week is SUPER busy for Colin and I! We move next Thursday the 30th to Albany and Colin has his FINAL National Boards on Halloween! He has already started seeing patients by himself and will eventually have an increased schedule. He's a busy boy these days! As for me, next Tuesday will be my last day working in Portland/Vancouver. I'm going to miss many of my clients who I really have gotten to know well! I've given myself Wednesday off to pack/clean etc. Thursday is the big move, and Friday Halloween! I can't believe it's almost November! Before you know it it'll be Thanksgiving then Christmas!

Beaver Game 10-11-08

Colin and I had some friends from his college, Brent and Katie, come down for the Oregon State Beaver game. We tailgated with Colin's buddy Cody and stayed until halftime. I'm telling you, people are absolutely wild about their home team. I've never seen so much OSU stuff. Chairs, tents, people even brought orange party cups and black and orange plastic silverware! At halftime we went to Colin's parent's sports bar to finish the game out. They ended up winning 66-13 against Washington State! It was fun to just hang out for the day and it actually ended up being really sunny and nice! We had a little rivalry going on with Brent and Colin. Brent went to
WSU and Colin went to OSU before attending Western States Chiro College. Katie and I just tagged along for the Mikes Hard Lemonade! :) Here are a few photos...

Last Day - Forever!

Today was Colin's LAST day of school! Never will he have to sit in a classroom again nor treat another patient under anyone's supervision other than his dad's. (Other than continuing education of course). He celebrated tonight by kicking back watching the Oregon State game and drinking a few beers!

All I can say is...YIPPEE! It seemed like this day would never come! :)

Kara

Crabbing in Waldport Oregon

This past weekend Colin and I went crabbing on the Oregon coast. We caught around 12 crab...unfortunately neither of us really like to eat them! But everyone else seemed to enjoy the fresh crab. Colin's grandparents, one of his sisters and her family, Colin's cousin, aunt and some family friends came along. We had 3 RV's (and our tent!) which made quite the little camping compound! It was so much fun! This was the first time Colin and I got away for the weekend this summer other than going to Seattle or Albany to visit family/friends. Well, I guess technically it was Fall, but close enough to summer! It felt like summer! It was so sunny and warm - we were all surprised!

This little man was definitely Born to Rock! (Colin's nephew Brayden)

Here are a few pictures of our trip. Notice Brayden Rockin' my sunglasses...what a cutie! He was such a good boy this weekend. I would never have thought he'd stay within our camp, but we never had any problems with him running away! He LOVED looking at the crab and playing in the different RV's we had!

On the house update, we've signed the paperwork...now the sellers have to sign theirs! Pending inspection, we should get this house in the next few weeks!

Bethany and Jason

Bethany and her little crab friend...

Bethany * Brayden * Jason

Happy News!

The sellers of the house have accepted our offer and now just comes all the details! There is still a lot to figure out so the deal still might fall through but we are hopeful everything will work out! We really do love this house! It's so old and beautiful and has so much potential to be exactly what we want it to be! Below is a sneak peak of the living room right when you walk in the front door, and the kitchen beyond the living room. And NO, that is not our furniture! But I do love that table set!

IF we do end up getting the house...expect a Halloween party! We'll have it on Friday the 31st at the house! If not, we'll be crashing one of your parties! :)

Possibly A New House?

The weekend of the 13th/14th Colin and I decided to go with a realitor to check out a few housing options. I have been trying to find any way possible to get us into a house for a few months now. We looked at 5 houses which included a house down crack alley, a house which Colin hit his head on every doorway and a perfect little 1920's house. That was the first house we saw and all the other houses just didn't live up to it. It's got a lot of character and charm to it and will suit us really great for awhile. It has 4 bedrooms, 1 bath, a bonus room, a nice big kitchen and a small back yard. The rooms are small and the only bathroom is small too, but it has been kept up really well. It has new electrical, a newer roof, newer vinyl windows, nice paint, a big beautiful porch and a good foundation. It is the absolute perfect first house for us. Even Colin loved it!

We will be taking Colin's parents to the house to check it out this Sunday with the realitor - since they know WAY more than we do about owning a house! We really hope they love it as much as we do! We can't wait to show my family also! We hope our offer is accepted if we do decide to put one in on Sunday. I'll keep this updated to let everyone know what happens! Colin and I are trying not to get our hopes up, because no matter what happens - we know we won't be homeless! But it would be great to have our own space...larger than our TEENY duplex now! =)

Labor Day weekend...

Saturday Colin and I drove up to Lake Tapps, WA to visit my family. My parents were still on their anniversary vacation staying in a cabin so we went to Laura and Justin's lake house. They were having a Labor Day party so we joined in on the fun! We had beer margaritas, mojitos and strawberry lemonade and vodka. YUM! Keana and Joey came up to visit and Joey decided he wanted to keep running down to the water. Well, we decided to put him in a lifejacket and let him have a go at it and maybe he'd learn a lesson or two! He ran and ran then face planted into the water. Boy did that scare him! And guess what? He didn't even try and go by the water again! He wasn't hurt just scared him enough to stay on dry land-which made Keana's chasing him a a whole lot easier. Later we went on Justin's boat with Keana and Joey, Justin's niece Jaden, Colin, Justin and I. Colin and Justin ended up going on a "booze cruise" with some friends later that night and came back awhile later...they must have had tons of fun because I don't think they had any "beverages" left. =)












Sunday Laura and Justin, my parents + Colin and I went to the Melting Pot to celebrate my parents 30th wedding anniversary which was on August 26th. My sister and I made my parents a quilt with tons of pictures on it of all from different stages of our lives. We also made them a scrapbook starting from their childhood, then wedding day, then family life and ending with a page that said "30 years and counting" with their picture on it. It actually turned out pretty good! Well, 3 hours, 6 fat bellies and a huge paycheck later we were finished! It was really great, especially the dessert! Wow, I've never been so full in my entire life...I thought I might die!
Monday, Colin and I rode my parents jet skis on Lake Tapps. It wasn't the warmest weekend but we still managed to have tons of fun! It was a nice break from the everyday routine of school/work. Colin hasn't been up to WA since February so my parents and Laura/Justin were really excited to see him. He needs a little vacation once in awhile too! He has his Osti's (I have NO idea how to spell that) exam in the middle of September and after that, the rest should be a breeze! This is the nerve racking test for Colin and his friends-everyone is dreading it! I know Colin will pass. I've never met anyone with such an extensive memory. He remembers things from years ago that I would never remember 6 months down the road...sometimes I think he makes it up! haha. Then, the only test left is the national boards in October and November...then graduation on DECEMBER 20th!!! Can you tell I'm excited???

Oh yes...Duke and his best friend Stoli had a TON of fun too!

Kara

A little giggly girl...

Today I babysat Madison again. We went to Subway with Colin before he had clinic, then went to Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond. Then met Tiffani at our house! I heard Maddie laugh for the first time today...it was SO cute! She loves watching Duke and Diesel and smiles and laughs at the. And for some reason, she loves Colin. He gets more smiles from her than I do! Tonight Tiffani and I are going to meet up to scrapbook! I'm helping her put it together so Maddie can have something to look at when she's older.

Here are some more pics of today! Just for you and Addie and Katie! And yes, Tiffani read your comment and agreed that she is lazy. haha




And a little video of Madison...the first video I've ever posted! Hope it works! :)

New Baby New Bed!

Today Colin and I babysat Trent and Tiffani's little 5 month old Madison. Trent goes to school with Trent and Tiffani and I have become great friends! Madison is very cute and a very good baby. We had so much fun with her! Madison and I decided to go shopping and we picked her up some sweet pink shoes. Also, a zip up hoodie outfit with pants and a onesie to match, and a romper. I LOVE shopping for baby girl clothes!















Duke loves Madison too! He thinks she's his little toy and just wants to lick and stare at her.


This was my favorite picture from today...look at those beautiful eyes-and the slobber!

Duke was a lucky boy today too...he got a new dog bed and took his first nap in it today.

This weekend Colin will be teaming with Trent in a Foosball tournament...should be interesting to see! Apparently they are really good-so lets hope they win some prizes! Tiffani, Madison and I will be cheering them on!!!

Sunday we will be meeting my mom and dad at Bailey's in Albany. They will be traveling to Reedsport to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary by staying in a cabin and will be passing though Albany. It's a good excuse to meet up and eat some good food! Colin also starts Fall Ball (softball) on Sunday with his sisters and brother in law. They are really good so it's always fun to watch them play! That's our exciting news for the week!

Quick Update...

Colin is at around 200 visits. He needs around 265. He is SO excited to start practicing with his dad-they're going to make an amazing team!

My work has slowly started to pick up. Fall time is my busiest time so we'll see what happens this fall! Hopefully LOTS of work!

Other than that, we're just thankful for the cooler weather and happy this weekend should be nice! We had some pretty crazy lightening storms up here in Portland and down in Albany last weekend. Interesting to see! Well...that's all for now!

Softball Champs...

Colin's team (which includes his 2 sisters, brother in law Jason and his brother and friends) had their championship games last Sunday. They won the first game then had to play a game against a team who previously did a little unfair switching of the schedule. They lost to them a couple weeks ago so we all were anxious for Colin's team (Bailey's) to win! They ended up beating them by a few runs. Everyone was so excited! They ended up having to play them for their final game-the championship game! Colin had a grand slam in the 6th inning (out of 7 innings) and they ended up winning 23-13!!! I think Colin's Granny and I were more excited than anyone! :)

This season was full of randomness...including Bethany having the biggest bruise on her calf that I've ever seen (think the size of a squash with a hard knot the size of a tangerine!) and Allison breaking her nose. They are both doing much better now! Fall ball starts in a couple weeks so we'll be making many more trips down to Albany before we actually move. I should calculate the cost of gas in the last few months...wow!

The Big 2-5

Well, today I am officially 1/4 dead, or less. Bummer. The good news is that it's an easy age to remember. Today I worked a little then came home and played around with the new Cricut machine my mom and dad gave me for my birthday. It's a di cut (sp?) machine that is really awesome for scrapbooking or other arts and crafts. I did a few baby cutouts for my friend Tiffani so we can start scrapbooking baby Madison's book soon. Then I thought I'd try and beat Super Mario Bro's level 3 on my new Nintendo DS Laura bought me. I am absolutley horrible and attribute that to my mom NEVER letting us have anything other than an attari! Anyway, Colin is on lever 6 with 27 lives and I keep killing my guy on level 3. Colin took me to a chinese restaurant in downtown Portland and it was SO good! I finally found spring rolls that come close to Mandarin Kitchen's in Des Moines.

Last week my parents, sister and I went to Potholes for about the 23rd time. We started going when I was about 9ish months and have gone back almost every year since. I hope to make this a tradition with my future family. Anyway, here are a few pictures from camping...



Duke had a great time lounging around. The sunsets were absolutely beautiful!

Thought this was a funny picture of duke. He was sneezing! Here is a picture of the fires that were near the damn. The middle one looked like a skinny tornado because of the heat rising.













Other than my birthday and camping, nothing else is going on! Just getting back into the swing of things at work. My jobs are picking up which is great. I am one of the lucky few whom actually LOVE their job and wouldn't trade it for anything! Hope everyone has a nice sunny week! It's darn hot out today!