FINALLY!!!...

Back to that big news again.

Remember? Me...rambling on about something like trying to buy a house?

Well. It's happened.

We close a month from today! Wooohooo!!!
Want a sneak peak?

Say pretty please...

Oh naw, you don't even have to do that because I'm just so darn excited.


The picture doesn't really do it justice. It makes it look small but it's really not. It has a living room, kitchen, dining room, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a family room, and most important: a big walk in closet just for me.

I've already taken dibs on it.

So now my mind is racing. Colors, furniture placement, packing...

Oh how I hate packing.

I wish I could just take a vacation to The Pioneer Woman's lodge and come home after it's all done.

But, alas, that won't happen.

I did take a week off work so I can enjoy our new home.

Oh, and The Kid's first question? "Can I bring my Game Cube?"

Priorities LOL

GIRLS NIGHT OUT...

Several months ago, I began joining my sister for Girls Night Out with the girls she grew up with.

On our most recent outing, we went to Olive Garden where we enjoyed wine tasting, fattening hors d'oerves, and even more caloric main courses.

The wine tasting was exquisite. I tried a Muscato (Castello del Poggio) for the first time and found that I truly love sweet wines (as if Arbor Mist didn't already know that).

The salad was as good as always and the bread sticks were divine. I ordered Chicken Parmesan. I know, kind of boring but the menu was overwhelming and I just couldn't decide so I went with easy.

But, most of all, the company was charming, delightful, amusing, engaging, and even more that I can't even begin to put into words.

I've come to really enjoy and look forward to our monthly girls nights out. I can't wait for the next one.

TOO FUNNY...

Last week my sister picked me up from work to go to dinner with some friends.

We were on our way to Olive Garden when we came upon this:

We had been stuck in traffic and I even had my sister hold up everyone behind her because I wanted to take this picture. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. How on earth had the driver even managed to get his vehicle into that position.

Here's a close up so you can see what I mean:

He is wheel-to-wheel, ground-to-bottom-of-car stuck on that median. To top off his dose of bad luck (or judgment), notice the police car behind him--in rush hour traffic.

And as we drove by, boy was he arguing with the passenger. Do you suppose it was his wife and she was giving him an earful? If that were me and Daddeee, I know I would have been.

It made for a good chuckle to start off a fabulous evening -- for us anyway.

Oh. On a side note. Back to that original photo:

My sister cracks me up because I think she's the last person alive that still buys scented trees and hangs them from her review mirror!

I love her anyway.

BUSY WEEK...

Boy has it ever been a busy week.

I got my car back. After close to $6000 worth of work, it's back to normal. Seriously, thanks to CarStar in Raytown, it is as close to the way it was before the wreck. They did spectacular work.

We've had other really exciting activities going on but I'm afraid to even speak of it -house- for fear I'll jinx it -house-.

We'll know more about it -house- Monday evening but until then, I'm not mentioning it -house-.

I spent this morning having eggs and pumpernickel toast with The Kid. We watched Handy Manny and looked through the grocery ads.

He's a joy to have breakfast with. He's such a morning child.

The rest of this weekend is going to be spent relaxing, doing a few chores, making some kabobs on the grill, and enjoying some of my favorite Apple Sangria.

And not thinking about it -house-.

FAVORITE SPRINGTIME ACTIVITY...

...and summertime too.

We love to go to the River Market on Saturdays. It's been a tradition for us since The Teenager was a little toddler. Today was a gorgeous day for it too. I found a few items I want for the house once we find one (that's a whole story I'm not wanting to talk about right now).

I thought these little yard-bling items would be spectacular in a garden.


I don't know what they're called but the beaded yard decor are adorable. I liked the bumblebees too.My favorite were the flamingos. I have a dream of one day having a yard with a white-trash flamingo smack dab in the middle of it. I know it's wrong but my warped mind just loves the thought of it.


So, of course, while we're there, we HAD to stop at our favorite, River Market Coffeehouse.

The Kid patiently awaited his "little boy" coffee. He doesn't know it but it's really hot chocolate.

Two of my three favorite guys enjoying a cup of coffee and watching the people at the market.

There wasn't quite as much out there yet as there normally is. Most items aren't quite in season yet but I did buy some farm-fresh, organically raised chicken eggs.

I also bought some green beans from someone's garden somewhere out west (at least that's what they said and I'm pretending to believe) that I plan to blanch and wrap in bacon for the grill later.

BIG DISAPPOINTMENT...

The house-hunting adventure didn't go well today.

The houses were so bad I didn't even bother snapping photos.

They weren't even blog-worthy.

All I can say is: Do people really live like that?

I mean, I get that we're pretty much looking for something that will need some TLC but all the love in the world wouldn't help some of these houses.

I don't have enough love in my heart for my husband, my sons, my dogs AND any of these houses.

I'm saddened by our search today.

UPDATES...

1. We're going to look at more houses tomorrow.

2. I'm off work today WHOOP!

3. Sunday we're celebrating my mom's birthday. We're having crab and shrimp. Yummy!

4. The Teenager has been dating the same girl since October. I haven't blogged about them because The Teenager gets all embarrassed when I post about him.

5. Forget I posted that last one so he doesn't get all embarrassed.

6. I'm off work today.

7. The Kid and I are going to have Chinese food with my mom today for lunch.

8. My adopted brother and his partner are going to Iowa to get married on Monday.

9. I have to work and can't go. :(

10. I will be celebrating with them at the reception in September.

WEEK FROM...

Well, I really don't know where.

From Hell would be too kind.

The week began with a rod going out in Daddeee's truck. For those of us with no vehicle mechanical sense, that means the engine is shot.

Down to one vehicle.

So Daddeee took me to work in my new car on Wednesday, dropped The Kid off at the sitter, and headed on to work.

A few blocks from work, a woman runs a red light and t-bones my car.

Down to no vehicles.

Daddeee's ok but my car has $4600 worth of damages...so far.

Daddeee was wearing his seatbelt.

Amazing person that I am, I have rental on my insurance policy. Luckily.

What kind of car hit him? A Chevy Cobalt.

What kind of car did the rental company want to put us in? A Chevy Cobalt.

No. I upgraded to a Chrysler Sebring. (Don't buy one. It has horrible blind spots)

So if anyone knows of a way to get rid of bad mojo/karma/luck etc, send it my way.

I'm in dire need.