I have posted a few pictures of our new house. We went over today to do a walk though and measure some things. Closing is less than a month away and we are just praying the financing will fall into place. Enjoy the pics!

This is a front view of the house from standing in the street.

This is a backyard view.

This is the tiny and unappealing (at the moment) back patio. The French doors lead into the kitchen/dining area.

A close up view of the RED front door.

A view of the front entry.
The garage doors seem to be in very good condition. They are probably fairly new.

Although the windows are not very energy efficient, they open and that is good. I like the red shutters and the blinds are nice as well.

This is the view looking right in from the front door.

In this photo, I am standing in the walkway into the kitchen shown in the above picture.

The red front door is just to the left, adjacent to this opening to the hallway. The stairway leading to the upstairs is to the right of the opening.

This is a view of the kitchen. It doesn't have a lot of counter top space, but I am hopeful for an island.

Another view of the kitchen.

In this picture I am standing in the kitchen area looking into the dining room and den though the opening.

This vanity in the hall bathroom is new as well.

This is a picture of the hall shower. It has newer fixtures and the tile is nice too.

A view of the bathroom looking in from the hallway.

One of the bedrooms. All three bedrooms (including the master) are 10'6" x 13". It'll do.

A picture looking out into the hallway of the bedroom in the picture above.

This is the master bedroom looking into the closet. It has an odd bifold door as the main door as you can see in the left.

This is a photo of the master bathroom.

And another. It has a shower, but no tub.

Upstairs, this is one of two bonus rooms! Lots of room in this space.
This room measures 12' x 31'!

Another view of the larger bonus room.

This room is also upstairs. It is on the other side. I can use this as a massage room. It would be a nice bedroom, but it has no closet.

This is a view from the other side of the room. The small door leads to the attic.

What a fun house huh!? Now come and visit!

an excuse to be lazy

Dinner is in the oven, so I am taking a minute to catch up.

Our offer on the house was accepted on Monday. After completing a bit more paperwork yesterday, we are in waiting again. Apparently a lot goes on behind the scenes when you buy a house...who knew!?

Last night we went to bed listening to the freezing rain coming down. I was pretty sure that meant school was canceled for today. In that case, my day today was going to be slow instead of the full schedule I was supposed to have. Scott set his alarm for 5:00am as usual. I told him to let me know in the morning if I schools were canceled. If so, I was staying in bed the whole day. Sure enough, schools were canceled. I was lazy until about 11:00 this morning. I got up and made us some brunch. I did have one client that decided to brave the weather and come for her appointment this afternoon. By noon the ice was melting away anyway. But, I didn't get out of the house today. I worked for quite a while on a blog for my other site. Much to my dismay, the Internet shut down on me just as I was finishing up on the post and I had to start all over. Oh, well...it wasn't like I was going to be doing anything else.

I have a client due tomorrow. I know she is so ready for the baby to come. I have my bag packed and am just waiting on her call. My client that had her baby last week is doing well. I went out to her house last weekend to help her with breastfeeding. The baby wasn't getting a proper latch. She was grateful for the new latch and out of her pain thank goodness.

Other than all of that, we are staying very busy. Scott is in full fledged basketball season and is having a couple of games each week. Thankfully, I stay busy enough to not miss him too much while he is at games and keeping busy with that. And, thankfully his personal training at the gym has picked up quite a bit since the new year. He is averaging about 10-14 clients a day. I am so proud of how hard he is working. He has also been working on a ladies bathroom at her home. He put new drywall up, wired an outlet, hung a light, and sanded all the trim and cabinets. He was glad to be finished with that project this week.

Well, I gotta go fix some green beans to go along with the rest of our dinner. Stay warm and cozy everyone. Thanks for stopping by!

a hope and a prayer

Two posts in one day! I am catching up due to my lack of time to post the past week. No, actually I am seriously procrastinating on my studying. One more post and I gotta hit the books!

Scott and I decided to get back up on our horse and get back into the housing search. The Texas MLS (multi list service) has been a good friend of mine since we moved back to Texas. I get on and poke around at it every once in a while to see what houses there are in our price range.

I found a house that I drove by one Saturday while Scott was working. I decided to take a peak around the property and check it out. The outside was nice, needs a bit of TLC, but has a good sized yard in back. Brick and roof looked good. No apparent serious foundation issues. Peeking in the windows I could tell there was new paint, carpet, and tile...also good. When Scott and I went back to look together, there happened to be an unlocked door in the back. (No worries, it was vacant.) Despite the large sign that was taped to the front window "Trespassers will be prosecuted", we decided to go inside. It was a cute little house with lots of little surprises. Lots of storage and an really nice upstairs that has two bonus rooms. The bedrooms are a bit small, but workable. A couple of days passed and we decided to go back over. There was also a house two doors down for sale. It is a bit higher in price, but looked nice. While we were there, we once again got into the house we had previously walked through to check it out for a second time. We called the realtor to get the scoop on both houses. The higher priced one had serious foundation issues, so we crossed it off the list.

The other house that we liked and had been in (we didn't tell the realtor that though) is a foreclosure. It didn't have any disclosures, nor would it upon purchase. We knew it needed a new air conditioning unit because the current one was obviously disassembled and parts were taken. A couple of days later I saw they had lowered the price of the house by $10,000. In our price range that is a huge chunk. So we decided to have the realtor take us to see it. We took a level to check the foundation and got a serious eye on it for anything that could possibly need done to it that would be too costly. Other than the air conditioner, everything looked really good. Our realtor said she had never seen a foreclosure in such good condition. Scott and I decided to move forward and make an offer on it. It had been on the market nearly 5 months with no previous offers.After talking with Dad and getting his advise we came up with an offer we felt good about. Yesterday when Scott and I went in to sign the papers, we found out that we were in competition with another buyer and there would be two offers on it. Go figure..... After being in her office for nearly four hours yesterday we came upon an offer that we feel comfortable with. Now we sit and wait and pray and hope to hear good news. All offers are due at noon today so I am guessing we won't hear anything until Monday. It is going to be a long weekend. We are trying not to get too emotionally involved with it. I can't handle another house "tragedy". Scott and I feel good about our offer and now it is in God's hands. Although it would be a wonderful starter home for us, we have to be willing to accept otherwise. If we get it, it will have been an awesome deal. After seeing comparative homes in the neighborhood, we think that with a little elbow grease we can start building equity almost immediately.

I will keep you all updated.

all in a days work

Yesterday morning at about 2:00am I got the call. It was the call I had been waiting for for about two weeks. She said "Hannah, my water just broke and I am having really strong contractions." I said, "ok, I will be right over. She was having a homebirth and lives about 25 minutes away. Surprisingly, I was not nervous or anxious despite the fact that this was only my second "natural birth" and the other one I had attended was not truly "natural" (that story is for another time). I had been praying a lot that I would have the instincts to know what to do for her when the time came. I had also been praying very specifically that I would be able to attend all of her birth and that the baby would not come at a time that I could not get to her immediately due to other obligations.

I arrived at their home at about 2:4oam. She was still in first stage labor and dealing very well with her contractions. We tried several different positions for her to be comfortable. I did some massaging on her back to ease her contactions as well. Ultimately she found the bathtub willed with warm water to be most comforting. She had prepared for this birth which The Bradley Method (taught by my friend Donna) and with hypnobirthing techniques. While in the tub, she became very peaceful and allowed her body to work for her not against her. So much so, that none of the midwives, nor I, could really tell when she was having contractions. Although exteremely tired, she was very relaxed and trusted her body at that point. As she got close to second stage (pusing) she wanted to be out of the bathtub. As it was being drained for her to safely get out, she began to have the strong urge to push. It seemed as though she wasn't going to be getting out of the tub and that the birth was going to take place right there. With her husband and I at her head coaching her along, she had one midwife at her bottom and one midwife at her side. With several pushes a baby girl was born at 5:22am. Mother and baby bonded right away. After immediately nursing, mother and baby enjoyed an herbal bath together. Dad did an awesome job in his support roll for her. It isn't always easy to fully understand the needs of a laboring woman and, in my opinion, we worked together well to achieve the mothers needs. I stayed for about two hours postpartum to ensure mother, family and baby were doing well. The midwives were going to stay for a few hours as well. I will be visiting her at least one postpatum depending on her needs.

I feel very honored to have been a part of the birth. It is such an intimate experience for the family and to be asked to attend is such a wonderful feeling. I enjoy working along side women who desire to have an amazing and memorable birth experience. I know that having support and comfort during that time means a lot to moms..... and dads too!

And, I highly recommend the midwives at The Cleburne Birthing Center in Cleburne, TX. They were amazing!

is this happening?

The other day I said something I never thought I would hear myself say. "I wish these jeans sat a little higher on my waist." I asked Scott if that made me "old" to say that, he just laughed. And, I realized that I have been getting called ma'am a lot lately too. My mother is a ma'am, not me! (no offense Mom). And last but not least, it is 9:31 on a Friday night and I am headed to bed. I am not going to say that I am "old", but I sure don't have that teen body or stamina anymore. My how time flies.

take the poll

I need some more statistics for by birthing poll. See my other blog for details. Statistically 98-99% of babies are born in a hospital and so far I have 75% of my poll voting for a home birth. I am curious as to what you all think. Give me your anonymous vote please!

a word for me

I had lunch with my friend, Marissa, yesterday. She is always so encouraging and such a blessed friend to me. I had just gotten back from the doctor's office. I had a check up with the gynocologist that did my surgery this past summer because I was experiencing some weird things. He gave me a good report and I left relieved. In addition, I have been dealing with a skin infection for a few months now that I am remedying myself holistically.

As many people know, we have been looking forward to trying for another baby this year, but until this skin infection clears, I don't feel comfortable growing a baby. Last night we had to work, but Marissa and her family went to church in the evening. (We all go to the same church.) At the end of the message the pastor had gotten two words from the Lord that he wanted everyone to be praying for. One was for all those who desire to conceive a child soon. He gave everyone a moment to pray. The next was to pray for all those who have and/or are dealing with a skin infection...scoriosis, exema, fungus, etc. Marissa called me after church to tell me what she had heard and that she was praying hard for me. I got off the phone and got a little teary. Those are so random and different and yet I am experiencing both right now! I am so hopeful that there will be an end to all of this and we can move on into greater things.

When we first decided to start trying for a baby, I didn't really want everyone to know. I wanted it to be something that Scott and I shared together. I guess that when you start having fertility issues, that you really need friends and family to know and be praying for you. It is so encouraging to have people that want the best for you and believe God has big things in store.

One of the issues that is making this skin infection worse is our home. We are not able to open the windows in our home because it is old and they are painted shut. We are afraid to break them if we try. Because of this, we are concerned about the lack of proper circulation and ventalation. We have been searching for a new home, whether it be renting or buying. I think that no matter what, we need to move soon. I have been on my knees praying for just the right place that will be perfect for us and to start a family. I believe it will come and there is something out there. I appreciate your prayers with us.

Take care everyone! Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. HUGS!

babies coming

It seems like so much happens in the weeks, yet so little time to blog. When I get around to it, I can't recall much. But, I'll try. I had my first experience with a semi-natural birth this week. I say semi-natural because she had an pain medication that she and the baby could not tolerate so it was shut off. It was good for me to have the opportunity to facilitate a natural labor because in the coming days I will be at a home birth and a natural hospital birth. I am just waiting for the call. It is an intense and anxious feeling to have to be ready at any time to help a woman in labor. Mentally, I think that I am prepared, but physically, I am not sure that I have everything I need in my birth bag and just praying that I have the stamina to be alert and available for her the entire time. Wednesday and Thursday I was at a 21 hour labor and ended up being awake for almost 36 hours straight. That gets crazy, but at least I know that I can do it. My prayer every day is that I will not get a call in the middle of a massage or when I can't get there in time. I have three births lined up to meet the requirements of my doula certification and I want to be available and there when I get the call.

Scott has games this weekend. He is really starting to enjoy it now that the conference season has started. He is getting more responsibility now. I am proud of him working so hard. I hope some day he will be able to be a head coach somewhere. He is so good at it. It does take a lot of time and dedication, as we learned over the holidays, but he has such a passion for it.

Yesterday was so nice out! I think in the upper 70's. Today my teeth were chattering when I set foot out the door. Such weird Texas weather.....

Thanks for reading ya'll!

once in a lifetime

Just a quick and random thought....my sister doesn't read my blog, so I can rag on her! That girl needs to take enough pictures of her kids and someone needs to tell her so! She gives me a hard time for taking so many pictures of her kids. She is going to thank me one day....just you watch. :)

a new year ahead

I have been MIA for the past week, sorry if you all were worried. I have been kind of laying low. The new year has gotten me pondering new goals for me and our marriage, family, career....I am excited for what 2009 has in store for us. I have so many ideas and believe that good things are in store. It is hard to believe that we have been back in Fort Worth for almost a year again. When we came back, I could not have imagined that this is where we would be a year later. I had no idea what 2008 was going to hold. Now that it is over, I am happy to be moving on. It is fun to write down our goals at the beginning of the year and look back at the end to see what actually transpired. In January of 2007, I jotted down a few goals and sealed them in an envelope (I wish I could find them). I guess growing up I was always encouraged to do that. Scott thought I was nuts and wanted nothing to do with it. I think that he has come to realize that having something to work from isn't such a bad idea and we communicate our goals, desires, and dreams quite often now. I think he had to get past the idea that it is okay if they change, as long as you have something to work from. He was thinking he was bound to whatever was on paper and a failure if it didn't get accomplished as hoped.

I have two (all natural) babies due the month so I have been studying up. This will be my first chance to ever be with a laboring women who has no intention of being medicated. I am a little nervous on how I will react and help, but am going to trust my instincts as much as possible. My birth bag is halfway packed with tools. I need some more ideas of things to take along. Today I found some visualization note cards that I will type up. I guess I will just add as I go through each birth and realize what I need and use. It is just the fear of the unknown at this point.

We are back in the house hunting game again. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. We are taking it slow this time. We have to get out of this house. It is making both of us unhealthy. We are crunching numbers and calling in the real estate agent this time around. It would be nice to finally have our own place. It is all in God's timing.

I was supposed to start training for a 5k with some friends. Ya, I know, just don't ask. I am asking myself the same thing...where did that come from? Well, due to the detriment of my health, I have decided not to put myself through that right now. I am joining the Y and giving up my LA fitness membership so I can work out with friends. My husband is too "macho" to be seen working out with his wife. ;) Na, he just doesn't work out with me and I need someone to motivate me like a girlfriend. So, Marissa and I are starting a new program on Wednesday. We will see how that works.

Scott has been traveling overnight to games lately. Last time he was away I didn't sleep at all. He is in San Antonio tonight until tomorrow. I guess we will see if tonight goes any better. The team is doing really well. I think they are 10-1 or something like that. He is liking better now that they are giving him a little bit more responsibility here and there.

The cold rain is falling. Friday and Saturday it was in the 80's. The last couple of days have been freezing and today it has rained all day. Weird weather.....

Well, I will try and go out into the world and do something exciting so I have fun things to report other than weather.