Sunday, May 10 from 12-1:30 we will hold our first open house. Again, we have not advertised. We did not want to invest in the $100 to place an ad in the paper when it is Mother's Day. So, I will be celebrating Mother's Day in our home waiting and seeing if anybody will walk through it (after a night without sleep since I am working tonight). Should be fun...wish us luck!
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Today, the kids and I set out on an adventure to visit my long time friend, Heidi, and her little boy, Brody (he is Asher's age). Heidi is a stay at home mommy to 3 boys, 2 of which are in school. I have known Heidi since I was probably 3 years old.
Anyway, we began our 3 hour drive at 7:30 this morning, arriving at their home just after 10. The ride through Iowa was not as bad as I had anticipated. There was plenty to see, including hundreds of windmills! (Okay, those things sure change the way rural Iowa looks! No more endless green fields...now endless HUGE windmills!).
Once we arrived, the girls played with all of Heidi's toys and with her daycare kids. Asher played with all of "Ms. Heidi's" many boy toys and balls while Heidi and I caught up. Then, Brody woke up from his nap. He approached Asher and gave him a hug! It was so adorable! Asher did not know what to think. It was fun to see them play along side each other as Heidi and I did for so many years.
Heidi fixed lunch (Alivia's favorite, too!) for her expanded crew, and then the kids played until our "normal" quiet time. I was uncertain if they would sleep on the way home since our kids tend not to. However, within 20 minutes of our departure, I was driving with a quiet car as all the kids slept! It was amazing and weird!
We had a wonderful time visiting Ms. Heidi and Brody today. Alivia even asked if we could visit her again someday! Thank you Heidi and Brody!
Yes, like there were running blogs, there may be a lot of FSBO posts coming as well. Like it or stop reading, ya know? :)
Chris had yet another showing tonight. We are gathering why people get real estate agents (other than they have lots of money to give away in commissions). The couple tonight had a lot, and I mean a lot, of questions. Where's this, why's that? and how about that? Then...security questions. Chris is so honest. Too honest sometimes. Scary honest. Now...I will be sitting on the edge of my chair thinking someone is going to rob me during the day because they think they may be able to outwit our security system. How do we know these people are really looking to buy our home? How do we know they are not casing our home to rob us. Okay, let's get real here. Unless someone wants a big doll house, some little kids books, or a few loud toys, they are not going to find what they are looking for here. But who knows what scary people are looking for these days unless you are one of them? (I know, I know...BUT I AM SCARY!). The funny thing is...we thought we were smart! Ha!
Meanwhile, Chris sells these people (with his quiet tone they probably tend to take him more seriously) with all the things we have done to the home. Other than building it, we have more or less done everything else so take credit (good and bad I guess). However, in selling the home, Chris reconsiders again, "Why are we moving?" with every comment..."We installed the fence, all the landscaping, the cobblestone all the way around the house, the 10 trees and many bushes and flowers." Or on the inside, "We finished the basement, installing a second fireplace and a 5th bedroom with a day light window." And then Chris gets comments like, "Wow...we have not see a backyard to flat and big...this is nice." Oh, great...are we going to be stuck in some hole when we move with NO BACKYARD or with one big hill? Seriously, we have driven past really nice homes with backyards that are one big hill or homes that have NOTHING for a back yard (no room even for a playset). Now who would want that? And Chris is thinking about when he planted all the trees, some with my Dad's help, and not so sure my dad is going to want to help this time (and my parents just planted 100's of trees on their farm...I am finding it highly unlikely they even want to look at a tree at this point!).
Let's just say, at this point, we are scared and tired FSBO...and we are only 1 week into it. Oh Lord...help us.
Just because we think we want to move does not think we have to stop decorating, right? About 2 years ago, I sold our entry way table that I purchased from the original homeowner to force me to find a new one. However, I could not find one. I looked high and low not finding a thing until...
...I shopped at Target.com a few weeks ago one night when I could not sleep. I could not be happier with the result. Fabulous! Simply Fabulous! And, from Target to boot! Who would have thought? Now, we are done to one piece of furniture we need to update...our kitchen table. It is on order...and hopefully we like it just as much!
After replacing the foyer light, adding some large vases to the shelf, the table and mirror...I love our foyer! Too bad it only took me 8 1/2 years to say that! And, thank you Chris (and the kids) for my early Mother's Day gifts.
There is a poem by Shel Siverstein titled, "I'm Sick," that is fitting for our family the last few days. Addison started it with a bad cough, cold, fever, loss of appetite, etc, that she shared with Alivia, Asher and Chris (for whatever reason, I have only gotten a mild sore throat for a few hours so far). Yesterday, Chris stayed home for work (being asthmatic, colds tend to be worse for him and the inhaler is out all day so he can breath), Asher cried all day, and Alivia stayed home from school. Then came last night. At 10, as I sat down to watch a few minutes of the news, Alivia woke crying, "My stomach hurts." Oh boy...now what! At 3:30 AM, Chris and I had still not slept! Alivia slept for 10 minutes here and there. At 4 AM, she finally went to sleep until 7, waking saying she was hungry! She never actually got sick, but moaned all that time in pain from her stomach and ear. By morning, she was fine, no complaints, ear feeling better.
Asher, Alivia and Chris are still sick today, having problems breathing, congested and coughing. Fevers seem down today, however. I see no piggy tails...so I think we are good there, too. So, here's to hoping we are on the mend!
Let me point one thing out up front, Chris and I have done NO ADVERTISING for our home yet. The sign is in the yard and we placed a few directional signs around but that is it. However, we have gotten very good feedback already, with another showing scheduled tomorrow evening. We hope to have our first open house on Sunday, but I do not plan to advertise in the paper until next week (I just do not think Mother's Day is a good day to go house hunting...just me).
First of all, as FSBO, you have to pretty much ALWAYS BE ON CALL. Chris and I both went to pick up the kids on Sunday and made a possible buyer disappointed because they were unable to see our home. Secondly, we are priced right on target - but under target. There is one home on the market with a similar floor plan with a real estate agent at $215,000 (ours is priced at $214,900). With that said, the home did not have what our home offers. Our home is the only 5 bedroom on the market in our neighborhood, our home is situated on a large corner lot with over 10 large trees, bay front window, plantation shutters, new AC/Furnace, newer fence, new stainmaster carpet, 2 fireplaces (all the homes in our neighborhood for sale have only 1 fireplace), and I could go on and on. Therefore, we are priced probably below what we would market it at with a real estate agent. Third, selling FSBO makes you take many looks at your homes' amazing features (and all your work and love you put into it!). It is difficult for Chris and I to let it go. This is all we have ever known. It makes me sad. We just hope to get something better than we can make our own as well - and have room to stretch a little (but not grow!).
We now have a few more homes on our wish list after the first ones have sold. The problem, most people are chossing not to move in this market unless they have to! So, in our price range, in all of Omaha, Council Bluffs, Papillion, Gretna, everywhere...there were only 22 homes with 4 bedrooms (and we really want 5 or 4 bedrooms with an extra room for an office)! That includes really old homes, beat up homes, etc, leaving very few choices. So, the good ones sell fast! Chris and I are reluctantly looking at building as well. When building, you have to do all that landscape work, sprinklers, fence, etc, that we just got done doing here. With 3 small kids, we do not want to do that or go through the process of building. Too stressful (if this is not stressful enough).
Yesterday, under stress, Chris and I decided to not move and pull the sign when darkness fell (making this decision at 2pm in the afternoon. Chris was sick and I was tired, making it a poor decision perhaps). Then, Chris went into the garage to put away our trash cans, hit the cozy coupe (a kids' toy) that was hanging from the ceiling, it fell on the car, then fell onto the van, causing a lot of damage to both cars. When he came in, we agreed the sign should stay in the yard. We just needed a little reminder as to why we were moving - we have NO ROOM! This home is made for a family of 4 or less (2 kids), not for 5, or at least our family of 5 and all our crap that we can not part with at the moment.
When we bought this home in 2000, someone said to us that we would fill up the 4 bedrooms. Chris and I laughed, knowing that we were only going to have 1 child. Now, nearly 9 years later, we sit here, rooms filled, dreaming of something bigger!
Only time will tell. We have decided to have the sign remain in the yard until the first part of July. If our home has not sold, we will stay. It will be too close to Alivia's start of the school year to make too many big changes.
Now, gotta get back to getting a new set of paperwork ready for yet another potential buyer. Maybe this one will be the one!
My goal was to finish in 1h 45m before my injury (and then I never really changed my goal). I can tell by my time that I ran out of gas towards the end. I felt better knowing that I started in the right area, though, in the 7minute mile range towards the back. Now...I can go to bed!
Division: 30-34
Rank in division and I think out of just the women: 13th
Overall: 342 out of 6500
Sex place: 57 out of 3021 females
10K: 46.39
Gun time: 1h 42m 7sec
Official Time: 1h40m44sec
Pace: 7m 42 sec per mile average
The kids had their first overnight visit away from home without Mommy and Daddy EVER last night at Grandma Bet's and Boppa Bills. Alivia has stayed with overnight with them before when Addison was born. Addison and Asher, however, have not ever stayed ANYWHERE without us before. My parents had offered several times, but it never worked out for us to take them up on their offers. Chris and I were predicting it to be difficult on them when we left.
We arrived to the farm and Alivia became quiet, just different than her normal excited self when we arrive at Grandma and Grandpa's. Once we said we were going to leave, she broke down into tears. Now, keep in mind, she was awake at 2 AM and at 6 AM and I am not sure if she went back to sleep in between those times. So, being tired may have contributed. We eventually reassured her that we would return, and then left. Oh no, then Asher started in. When the door shut, Asher was crying. It was really difficult to hear. I guess after we left, he went to the door and asked, "Where's Mommy?" a few times. When my Dad said she went running, he asked, "Why?" and then walked off. Not sure he knows what why means, just that Addison always responds with why. Alivia and Addison asked a couple times, but were easily reassured of our return on today to pick them up.
We left them before dinner yesterday. Exhausted after getting a little nap because of a home showing, they all went right to bed. Asher even slept in until 9 AM! Today they were busy baking cookies, coloring and playing. Asher even played with Grandpa's football. They all, unfortunately, came down with a cold/cough/fever. Addison is over it - but shared it with Asher and Alivia.
Meanwhile, Chris and I enjoyed a very quiet pasta dinner (carbo loading) without having to get up one time for anything! It seemed so weird to have our home so quiet. We found all kinds of time to actually talk - which we get little time for anymore! We missed the kids so much, though, but knew they would never be able to get up for the 4:30 AM wake up call let alone a 13.1 mile run.
Tonight, the kids were all so tired & sick, that Alivia was asleep in bed by 6:30 with Asher and Addison following about 25 minutes later. I am thinking tomorrow will be a sick day at home, maybe for all of us!
Perhaps we need to do these overnight visits more often. It appears all of our kids need a little parental separation, especially Asher. He seems a bit traumatized by the whole experience, now afraid that I am "going on a run" whenever I leave the room!
Thank you Grandma Bet and Boppa Bill! We hope they will agree to watch our kids again soon if they are not too traumatized by their night with our 3!
Today I completed my first half marathon, 13.1 miles...in about 1hr and 41 min unofficially - putting into account that it was 1 minute into the run when I crossed the starting line (4 minutes faster than my goal of 1 hour and 45 minutes). This was Chris' first one too, but he did the whole distance on his bike! What kinda cheerleader is that!
I started off fast. I have a watch that gives me my pace. I looked down at it and I was running 8.7 (similar to 8.7 on the treadmill). In other words, I started off WAY TOO FAST! I was DEAD to the world at mile 10-11, feeling sick. I actually had to stop as I thought I was going to be sick, which I never do. I think my blood sugar dropped. Once it does that, it is too late to eat, so I had to run through the it. Some nice told me to get going (I think I was his pacer). I ran with him to the end. He nicely told me how far we had to go - 1/2 mile, how the course was to the finish. I believe he finished with me, and I wanted to thank him, but was feeling REAL sick at that point. The volunteers moved me off the path and stayed with me for a moment to make sure I was not going to get sick on the course.
Along my side the whole way...Chris, riding his bike. I lost him at a few places and then he would pop in to give me a high five! I love you, Topher!
Overall, the Lincoln Marathon is very organized. They have plenty of volunteers, cheer leaders, water stops, etc. I loved how we started according to pace, 7m, 8m mile pace, etc. It is NOT a flat course, however. It may be MORE flat than the Omaha marathon (from what I hear), but it NOT flat.
What did I learn? Start slow. NEVER, NEVER PASS YOUR PACER! That is what got me the most. If I would have followed my pink short pacer..I would have made it fine. She slowed on a hill and I passed her. She later passed me as she went on to complete the full marathon. She was experienced, so I should have followed her all the way HOME I also learned to get up, wait a couple hours, and then run when I am training just as I will do on race day. Also, do not drink. I just took splashes of water, but it gave me a stomach ache since I was not used to drinking on the run. I can not drink and run, I guess. And maybe, when training, eat some sugar so it does not drop to the point mine did (of no return). I finished hours ago, and I am still sick!
I finished, sore, sick and exhausted, but I finished. I am not saying I will run another one, and I am not saying I will run the full, ever! I am saying I finished. I am about to shower and take a nap. That is about as far into the future I can see now.
One check off my bucket list (& I'm afraid a full marathon would make me kick the bucket).
Today was our first viewing since putting the FSBO sign in the yard (we had one showing in February or March when we originally pondered this decision). Keep in mind, the only advertising we have down is craigs list and the sign in the yard. We were not THAT committed yet since our weekend is so busy. That would be a CON of FSBO - we have a life and you have to put that aside to sell your home.
Chris was the "show er" and did a good job. The viewers were first time home owners and appeared to be quite interested. We will see...
...now for the waiting game and more COLD feet.
It is finally official...our kids are all Berkshire Hathaway shareholders (buy low you know)! Too bad they are not going to Dairy Queen this year for the annual meeting. I will have to write Warren a Letter.
Probably not a good sign that it is 10:20 AM and the kids have already had 2 days worth of candy (and still whining for more candy!).
We got up early this morning to fill the baskets that I had tried to make (Chris has the artistic ability...but he is sick. So, I had to fill in). The girls had fun filling them with candy and putting stickers on them. The delivery...well, so far, Mommy has had to step in for that, too. I thought it was April showers and May FLOWERS. Oh well. It is still fun!
Happy May Day!
I am down to just over 2 days until I will attempt to run my first 1/2 marathon! All my training comes down to Sunday morning, 7 AM! It has been a long hall. I have had difficulty getting support as most think I am crazy. Towards the end of my training, I ran during the morning missing breakfast or during the late afternoon over dinner so that I could beat weather, beat darkness or whatever. Chris is/was getting tired of that part of the training.
In preparation, the kiddos will be staying with their grandparents. This is the first time they have all ever stayed over night away from home without us. Alivia is actually the only one to have stayed on the farm (or stayed anywhere) without us. Chris could just not do it with all those people at the run, and the kids would probably not last that long.
With that said, Chris is now sick. Addison started it, now it is Chris' turn. He went to bed at 7:45 tonight if that says anything. So, I may be going to the run alone, without my cheerleader.
I am looking forward to finishing come Sunday and being done with my longer runs for a while. My goal: To finish in under 2 hours. I did have a better goal, but I believe I may have a minor stress fracture. So, I am just hoping to finish WITHOUT totally "breaking a leg!"
What a month! We started the month off with celebrating Daddy's birthday. We had a very busy month. Alivia finished her swimming lessons, then we headed off to the Great Wolf Lodge in KC for a night. The kids had a lot of fun there (okay, Chris and I did too!). We celebrated a chilly Easter on my parents' farm in Iowa. We kept our normal busy pace by going to the Children's Museum, Fontenelle Forest, shopping, the zoo, etc, as well as playing outside more as the weather warmed up. We also threw in a little house hunting. Chris and I must be bored because ended the month with a bang...a FOR SALE BY OWNER sign in the yard. Yes, we are going to give moving a shot. If it does not sell, we will stay put. Let's see how this goes. Also, Asher turned 17 months old! He is talking a lot and almost has a bigger vocab than his big sister, Addison! He is playing more with Addi, but still loves to play ball, ride in his car outside, and follow Mommy around yelling, "Mommy! Mommy" even if I am right in front of him. :)
Next month looks like a busy month, too. We will welcome a new cousin and nephew tomorrow!, I have my big run on Sunday, Mother's Day, Alivia's 5th birthday, and more! Looking forward to it all!
Happy Spring!
Remember earlier in the spring when I decided I did not feel like cleaning the windows, so we decided to just replace them? Well, come to find out, our windows with broken seals were still under warranty! Yeah! That made our day! We just had to pay for the installation, which was not too cheap (but well worth it and necessary to sell our home). So, today, we had new ones installed. They are beautiful! We can see out again! Window warranties are so worth it! Oh, and I cleaned the rest of them. Pictured below is just one window before and after - the view from our bedroom. Oh, it looks amazing now. Now, they just have to be painted on the outside.
It has been 1 day since we placed our home on the market. Someone drove up and took a flyer within 4 minutes of the sign and flyers being placed. And then, we were reassured to making the right decision to move.Sometimes love is not enough.
No, we have not found a house. We have a few homes that we like. It really does not make any difference, though because we can not put an offer in on a house until we sell ours. We are ready to move if we can just find the right buyer. It is time for someone else to enjoy our nearly 9 years of work to this home. We are not ruling out building, either. Chris has an appointment tomorrow with a builder we like to see what land is available. We really want a home with a view (or that does not back to neighbors). But, if our home does not sell, we are always ready to yank that sign out the yard and stay, too.
So, tell your friends and family that someone selling a house and direct them to the website. Oh, and wish us luck...we will need it!
Loan Pre-Approval: Check
House Deep clean: Check (Twice!)
Real Estate walk throughs (x4!): Check
Finding a house: Um, no luck.
Chris and I "thought" we had decided to move (This a recent decision after first making the decision NOT to move. I know, kinda annoying how wishy washy we are. Try being us. Chris and I said, "We are both smart, educated people. Why can't we make this decision?" My response, "I guess we are too smart!" :) Ha!). Our first real estate agent a year ago (whom we dropped after our contract was up) more or less insisted we have to sell our home before we even looked at homes. She said this after we found a home that we wanted to buy. However, Chris and I have had problems finding a home even close since then. What if we would have put our home on the market and it sold? Where would be now? I'll tell you...HOMELESS! We would be in a nice and small apartment with our family of 5 searching for THE right home. Chris and I refuse to settle for just any house since we hope to stay there awhile (we have been in our home nearly 9 years!). We have gotten close, but not close enough that we would have put an offer in if we were homeless.
Why do we want to move? There are a number of reasons...perhaps get closer to Chris' work, to move before the kids get into school so they do not have to move away from friends and familiar school, and the list goes on. We want to find a home that we can be in for years, making our own, like we have with our home now. Staying is an option...and at much easier option at that. Our home, however unpredictable, is somewhat predictable as well. We know what we have replaced and what may need to be replaced or updated in the future. In a new home, it will be uncertain.
Chris and I initially had decided to put our home on the market for sale by owner this week. However, if it sold, we have no potential homes to look at. None, zippo, zero!
So, the debate continues.
It was so nice this week, I did not have time to blog. Or, maybe I just have writers block because of my racing mind.
This week brought the first week on wonderfully warm weather. The kids and I ate breakfast and lunch outside (loved it!), played outside, visited the Children's museum early in the week, Aunt Nikki came to visit from Colorado, we took walks and visited the park. It was so fun to get out of the house but stay around the house! I also busied myself washing windows, blinds and shutters, and doing some more spring cleaning. At least now it is actually spring. I also been doing some Internet furniture shopping (I will do before and afters when I get done). Chris, the kids and I did some more house shopping. This time, I found a home I liked with a great back yard, while Chris saw a lot of work in the same home (all in the eye of the beholder, right?).
With the rain, brought cold symptoms to our house. Ah, to be inside, again. I will be waiting for those May flowers next week!
