Saturday, May 9, 2009

Fever

Flannery felt a little sick with a cough and sore throat Friday, but no fever, so she went to school. She HAD to go, because Chris and I were going to Seaside, and he and I hadn't had an official run down of the DL stuff that wasn't either interrupted or whispered, so our trip there and back was FILLED with talking! Anyway...last night, she had a fever of 102. 4 chewable aspirin later, her fever broke and she slept all night only with a little coughing.

This morning, she seemed good, but her voice told me that her throat was swollen a bit. No fever...until about 1 pm, when she asked if she could go take a nap (NEVER DOES THAT!!!) and I fell her head and she was hot again. Chris and I had to cancel her mini golf party this afternoon, calling 15 or so people, because a fever isn't good.

I took her to urgency care at Kaiser and she is negative for strep. But, she feels like poo.

Pray that she recovers soon...we're going to DISNEYLAND!!! Shhhhhh...don't tell her!

Butterflies at the Cove

Chris and I took a drive to Seaside today and decided against the house I shared a couple blogs back with all the pictures...the owner wants a management group to come and "check in" every month, taking an inventory of sorts of the house. Well, you know how much I hate being checked in on, so that house is out.

Then, we looked at a house that wasn't anything special, except for a windproof and childproof deck with an amazing oceanfront view and a path to the ocean through a well manicured lawn...the bedrooms (3 of them) were dark an none had a view, and it was a little out dated, in a bad way.

Next, was a 1930 house, again, oceanfront, 2 stories, 4 bedroom, nooks and crannies and a rock fireplace, built-ins, a pretty yellow kitchen and lots of storage. Totally cute. But...negatives: Next door to a hotel... and the landlady wants to rent on a month to month, and since we'd have to move all of our furniture down for that one, that feels very unstable for Chris and I...and there's no dishwasher. Boom.

Then, on a whim, we were going to drive past another possibility, but the owner couldn't show it to us until Sunday, she said via email...Chris decided just to knock on the door (another family rents it and is moving out in a few weeks) and ask to see the view. (That's his biggest requirement.) When he went on, I prayed aloud, "God, please just make it clear. We don't even know if this is the time or if You desire this for us, so please make it clear for us."

A few moments later, Chris waved me inside. I saw the view and looked at Chris and he gave me a look I'd only seen one other time. It was the look of "yep. This is the one!"

The woman was so nice and wanted to show us the whole house...her 4 year old son led us through with her and described everything, down to a "blanket basket" that they have in their front room. "You should get a blanket basket too," he said matter-of-fact. We told him that was the best idea ever and we were going to go right out and buy one. He thought that was pretty cool of us!

This house cannot really be described...but I'll try. It's a 50s feel...in fact, the kitchen style reminds me of my grandparent's home (Bauers) in Felida...Large Master bedroom, large room for Flannery, good sized living room with huge window, undraped to reveal the Cove at Seaside in all it's glory. The floors are hardwood, but they didn't creak at all. It feels new, like a Danish modern feel.

Head downstairs (same narrow wooden stairs that my grandparents had in their house) and there's a long wide hallway (which they used for the kids to ride their trikes and play catch in during the rainy season) with a full bathroom and another large bedroom (CRAFT ROOM!) off a kitchenette (fridge and everything)- and the basement has it's own entrance with a different key. So cool.

The back yard is probably a 1/2 acre, with a drop off...well, a steep wall of brush and rocks, more like a slide with sticker bushes, to the ocean. Don't worry...Cannon won't go toddling down into the ocean like some horror story. I don't smoke crack and then pass out on the couch, so he should be alright.

I guess I'll stop rambling...but we called the owners and offered to put money down for them to take it off the market (they were going to begin public advertising tomorrow)and Sunday, Chris is going back to sign an application.

Say a prayer...I prayed that if God wants us to be able to live there it would be clear and obvious. So far, on our side, it has been both. I'm versed in change and disappointment, so I'll be alright if it doesn't work out. That just means God has something better for us.

Friday, May 8, 2009

tick tick tick tick

I have 98% of our stuff packed for the trip. Just have to add jeans, sweats, makeup and the phone chargers last minute...I have butterflies again just pondering it. It's the surprise. Seriously. It's not the actual trip. It's so weird.

Chris and I are heading to the beach today to check out a few houses and one even has 3 bedrooms! God knows what I desire and that is a craft room. Boom.

Pray for Flannery. She started getting a little sore throat last night and all night I heard her coughing. Not hacking, but the annoying little dry cough...I have been praying for her since last night, and she and I prayed together this morning. I told her that we need to pray because she needs to be well for her two birthday parties this weekend! (If she only knew...) Pray for Cannon also, that he won't catch anything in the next few days. We want Melissa to have a stress free time taking care of him.

Thanks everyone!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Creations...

Flannery is celebrating her birthday at my dad's on Sunday - she requested a "rock" cake, so I ordered it air brushed black with pink piping, and I made the "embellishments."




Ocean Dreams...

So, this is the ocean front house that might be a possibility for us!






Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...................


The secret of all secrets is being withheld from my daughter. She turns 8 next Tuesday, and for the biggest surprise of her life, we're taking her to Disneyland!

I am freaking out. Seriously...when I do something that takes this much planning, and when I am this excited about something, I always tell Flannery. She is my littler self...loves to create, make fun plans and make everyday life so enjoyable. She is the one I am dying to talk to about it!

My dear friend Melissa will be keeping Cannon, which is great because they are real close...he stays with her twice a week during baseball games, and has spent several nights in a row: when my stepfather had a heartattack and my sister and I traveled to Spokane; once when Mikee was in town and I wanted to stay up real late, and the last stay was when my sister and I drove to Coulee City and the car broke down. He's totally comfortable with Melissa, needless to say! So, he's in great hands for the week, though I'm going to miss my boy!

Flannery gets a free admission on her birthday, and we made an appointment at the "Bippity Boppity Boutique" for that morning, to get her all glamed-up, complete with a manicure and sparkles! I promise I am more excited than she'll ever be.

So...I'll be gone for a week and cannot wait to see her face when we spill the beans. Okay...that's the best part...read on, if you're not bored to tears already.

Monday, we're picking her up from school 30 minutes after class starts, telling her that Grandpa Jeff (my dad) wants to take us all out for lunch to celebrate her birthday a day early...like a surprise from Grandpa Jeff! So, we drive to his house, get in his car, (our luggage will already be in his trunk), and head out. She'll see the airport, and say, "Are we going to the airport?" My response, "I know you like to watch the planes and there's great food here."

When we pull up to the unloading curb, I'm going to hand her a card. This card had Cinderella on the front and it reads, "Happy Birthday!" When she opens it, it makes a "ta-da!" sound with chimes, and her voice says "May all your dreams come true!" I've written, "Flannery, you're going to spend your 8th Birthday in DISNEYLAND!"

Seriously, I have chills as I type. I get chills everytime I tell someone. I can't stand it. The last and only time I went was in 1982. I was also 8. Funny, I contracted chickenpox while we were there, and mom made me wear these big honkin' sunglasses on the plane home to hide some of the pox. Maybe they weren't that big...it was just the 80s.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Tranquility

We want to move to the beach, right now. Renting a place down there, at least 2 bedrooms, ocean front, and rent our house out here. I am so wanting this. I realize that when I suggested a move in 2005 to Government Camp, it was a huge mistake for me mentally. To be literally snowed in for 2 months was almost the end of me. I had a breakdown and Flannery and Chris suffered because of it.

This is different. It's the Oregon Coast, only an hour and 20 minutes (ish) away from Portland and though snow and ice in the passes is possible, it doesn't normally happen as was the case on Mt. Hood. I love the beach so much. I don't have allergies there. I can get a deeper breath of air. It's cooler there (about 98% of the time). And I can see the ocean from my window, walk the beach...it's one of the things that truly makes me happy. I love to watch the waves - the vastness of it all and talk to God. I "find" Him there.

Chris is calm at the ocean. He isn't affected with his gluten allergy there. There is no stress, just calm and the sound of the waves and the gulls all day long.

Flannery has been begging us for the past year to move there. We explained that it will be a new school, new teachers, kids...she doesn't care. She wants to live near the water.

I am praying this can happen for us. We no longer own the beach houses in Moclips, and this would be such a sweet escape.