"Two are Better than One!" ~Ecclesiastes 4:9



Friday, June 24, 2011

Much-Needed Spa Day

I am going to put the bad, crazy, and not so fun in the most concise form ever because I just don't want to talk about it and want to get it out of the way, but I know you all want an update.....  SO, after mega headaches we signed loan docs on the house Tuesday evening, the deed is officially recorded as of June 24th (so close!), the homeowner prior owner still feels entitlement and wants to vacate on her schedule (which we are currently being told is next week) and she continues to be unreachable, we are now juggling movers/setting up utilities/orchestrating locksmiths/etc, AND Todd is out of town (so much for not traveling in his new position...however, he was so grateful to be back in Orlando, and fit in visits with friends, beer with the guys, shopping at John Craig, and coffee at his favorite French bakery and sushi in Tampa)!

What is a lonely girl to do when she needs a little down time and is tired of sitting in hotel room by herself all day??  She gets out!!  Better yet, for a little (okay, maybe it was more like a LOT) of pampering!!!  If you know my Aunt who lives in San Diego, you completely understand why she was the perfect partner-in-crime for this mission!  When I text her to see if she wanted to meet me for a spa treatment, she replied to let me know she had booked an entire day of lunch, spa treatments, and pool time at the Rancho Bernardo Inn Country Club, Resort & Spa!  It was heaven served on a silver platter... I now understand why they are consistently voted San Diego's Best Outdoor Spa!  This is what we did ALL.  DAY.  L. O. N. G.....



Tomorrow I drive home "home" back to the hotel (and reality) so we can finish preparing for the move and wait for the call saying the home is officially ours!  ...and then wait for Mr. Hood to arrive home from his long day of cross-country travels!

Friday, June 17, 2011

Here I sit.....

Here I sit writing this post, instead of closing on our home today, as originally planned.  This is the product of several unfortunate events that were out of our control over the past few weeks:

-There were several liens against the home (back taxes, child support, credit card debt) we had to wait to clear in order to get a clean title
-We have waited, and waited, and waited on several documents from the sellers that have arrived in a very untimely manner
-We just got the last of those documents, the HOA disclosures, yesterday
-There is a huge discrepancy in the true square footage of the home and what the tax assessors office has on file....I don't think we are going to be so lucky to pay those deflated taxes!
-While all along, we were supposed to close today, suddenly the seller is realizing how nice free housing is and doesn't want to move out until she absolutely is made to....as you can tell from the above information they are clearly dragging their feet.

So, we are not closing today after all.  As you can see, this is completely out of our control.  Yet, we have spent the last two weeks on the phone, signing papers, keeping everyone on the same page, pushing for documents, securing a loan, picking up what others drop, moving around money, and juggling so many balls just trying to keep them all in the air!  It has brought me to the verge of tears on several occasions, due to the high levels of frustration, and we have sworn we will never buy a short sale ever again!  We have spent entire days working on this like there was no tomorrow...simply exhausting ourselves, yet seeming to have achieved nothing by the time our heads hit the pillow.  I have felt like we were running backwards!  We have done everything to make sure it didn't all come crashing down, and if it did that it wasn't due to lack of effort on our part.  I don't think this quite embodies the level of anxiety we have been under to make this work, close on time, get out of this hotel, compromise with the seller, appease the bank, get our stuff out of storage, and work around Todd's work schedule. 

Yesterday was the eleventh hour, and after a full and stressful day we felt completely defeated and frustrated knowing we would not be closing today and taking possession of the home on Monday, before Todd goes out of town.  Todd and I decided we should get out of the hotel for the night and go out for Mexican and Margaritas...that always seems to make anything better!  It seemed to work!

Today, I thought I would be upset and still frustrated.  However, I feel so at peace with God's timing in this whole thing.  I have spent my morning responding to emails that are unrelated to the house, on the phone with people I want to talk to, and focusing on my grocery list instead of my moving list.  (Sidenote: We are still doing our walkthrough this evening) For some reason, we are supposed to continue living in this hotel, storing our stuff, taking Breck out to a tiny patch of astroturf in my robe every morning, delaying our move date, and eating out of a toaster oven.  God surely is mysterious!! ;o)

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Vow Renewal

We spent last weekend in Atlanta celebrating my parents' 30th anniversary and vow renewal!  We snuck in a lunch with friends at Dreamland, since there is no such thing as good barbecue in California!  I will let the pictures do the talking!










Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Happy thoughts!

I am having a rough day!  The closing of this home has been quite an ongoing frustration!  It seems every time one thing is handled, another issue that is out of our control arises.  I have had one of those days where you spend your entire day on the phone, yet seem to get nothing accomplished!  Long story short, we are more thank likely not closing on Friday.

To combat the anxious, frustrated emotions I have had I thought I would blog about something happy instead!  Of course that would mean food, more specifically dessert!  Todd and I made a gluten, sugar, and dairy free blueberry cobbler in the toaster oven with coconut ice cream in the blender last week and so now I will share this amazing happy thought with you!

I used 1 cup frozen blueberries, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1/4 cup agave mixed together for the base, and then I made a mixture of coconut and almond flour with palm oil and coconut milk for the topping.  The ice cream I made by freezing coconut milk (the real, high quality stuff made by Thai Kitchen, not the Silk brand watered-down kind) and then putting it in the blender with agave and vanilla extract.  I am ashamed to say that Todd and I split this little dish of cobbler and polished it off with the ice cream!  Amazing!!!! ...healthy food doesn't have to be bad!


Going into the toaster oven!

Completed perfection!

The final product!  Once I stopped eating long enough to get a picture!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Day Dreaming

I cannot stop thinking about springing this hotel room, and finally being in the house.  The inspection went very well the other day and so we are full steam ahead.  Which means the thoughts in my head have not slowed down...they've only gotten worse!  We have just over two weeks left until the home closes, if everything goes as planned.  I hope my brain can handle this constant humming for a little longer!

I won't bore you with all of the details of what I am thinking about, but I will share a few things that you might actually care about ;o)

We have needed a headboard and footboard for our guest bed, and we decided we would purchase one once we were in the house....we will also have a formal living room to furnish....flooring for upstairs.....landscape....and tweaks in the kitchen.  Memorial Day weekend brought sales, and of course I couldn't help but hitting that click through button on the email blasts sitting in my inbox!  If you work for an advertising agency, there you have it - it works on me!  I am a sucker for emails from my favorite stores, the displays at the cash wrap, and promos.  So, here's what I have my eye on!

Flooring for upstairs to match the hardwoods downstairs

A farmhouse sink to replace the damaged sink
that is in the kitchen now

This gorgeous iron bed from Ethan Allen --
thank you to my Aunt and Uncle for texting me
a pic from the store when they ran across it!!

We are wanting a leather sectional for the formal living,
this one is from Thomasville, named "Benjamin", and I like it!