House Deets

OK...so here it it.  I am ready to spill the beans on the house thing.

We are building a house!  It is scheduled to begin on Monday, the 4th, and they are guessing a closing date by July 15th.  So how did we get to here?

Many of you know that I REALLY was not crazy about the idea of staying in Minnesota long term.  It is just too far away from my family.  However, Cameron is also going to begin grad school here soon.  As we were looking into all of our options, and places where he could go to get his MBA, part-time vs. full-time, etc. we came to the conclusion that right now, in our lives, the option we are most comfortable with is Cameron going part time at the University of Minnesota.  General Mills pays for him to get his MBA here, and it is really hard to turn that down.  Plus add that on top of his regular salary, and we would be so much further ahead at the end of it then if we were to go somewhere and go full-time.  With this part-time route, Cameron will probably take around three years to complete his MBA, and then as part of the deal, he would owe General Mills three years.  So we were looking at a minimum of 6 more years.   

During my pregnancy with Landon, I really started feeling the NEED to have somewhere to call "home."  We have been renting for 4 years now...ever since we have been married.  While we have liked the flexibility that has offered us, with a soon to be 3-year-old, and a new baby, I just need space - a yard, a garage, etc.  Plus, I am ready to nest.  It is not easy to be going through that nesting phase of pregnancy while you are in such a temporary housing situation.  And there is NO WAY I would want to be renting for 6 more years.

So basically, between the financial aspects, and the mental/emotional aspects, we were just ready for this next stage, even if it is here in Minnesota.  We really do love it here.  Like I said, I wish I could just switch the geographical location.  :)

So why did we decide to build rather than buy?  After looking at a LOT of options, we discovered that we could build exactly what we want for not significantly more than the houses that are out there.  We wanted something that was a reasonable price, but something that we could also see ourselves in long term.  While we will always leave the door open to other opportunities and career moves for Cameron, General Mills is a FANTASTIC company, and if we were to stay here indefinitely, we wanted a home that we could see ourselves in for a long time.

All that being said, we are thrilled with our decision, and are so excited to have a place that is going to be OURS.  We are building on about a quarter of an acre, and I am so excited to have all the extra space for our little family!

I will keep our blog updated with the progress of our home as it is being built.  We have spent the last week making all kinds of selections for the inside - hardwood floors, carpet, vinyl floors, paint colors, countertops for the kitchen and bathrooms, cabinets, appliances, etc.  It has been so much fun picking out what the inside of our house is going to look like.  Hopefully is all comes together how we envision it!  We also picked out the exterior colors and stone.  We have been dragging poor Miley and Landon around with us to all these appointments, and I think all the excitement is wearing them out...

Landon was conked out as well at this same time, I just couldn't get a picture of him since he was facing backwards.  :)

Can't wait until July 15th (our estimated closing date!)!

Here it is...our lot is staked! 

Sisterly Love

To say that Miley loves Landon is a bit of an understatment.  I would say it more borders on the edge of OBSESSED.  She is always interested in what Baby Landon is doing, wants to hold him, wants to help feed him, etc. 

She really is sweet with him...she will be playing with some of her toys, and Landon will be lying on the ground and she will randomly throughout the day just go up to him and give him a kiss on the head, then go right back to wherever she left off.  She will look at him and say to me, "Awwwww, tute (cute)."

I am so lucky that she handled the transition so well.  She really does love her baby brother, and I know he loves her too...she seems to have an easier time getting a smile out of him than I do already!

I sure hope these two know how lucky they are to have each other, and that they continue to be great friends throughout the rest of their lives.  My sisters are two of my very best friends, and I am so thankful for them every day, and I hope my kids feel the same way about their sibling(s).

My only problem these days, is too much love from Miley sometimes, and I think I will take it.  :)

Making Life Easy - Amazon Mom

I will be the first to admit that I am a terrible coupon shopper.  I really admire the people that can save hundreds of dollars by couponing, and know all the strategies to doubling up and hitting sales etc. and can get some things for free by doing all this.  I would like to be better at that someday, but right now I don't feel like my organizational skills and such are up to par to keep up with that. 

So when I see a great deal that is a no brainer, I have to pass it on.  Now I know I am probably way behind the curve on this one, but humor me anyway.  :)

Enter Amazon Mom.  My new found love.  I order a lot of stuff from Amazon.  Everything from movies and books, to kid toys, to camera stuff.  Amazon Mom is a free service that gives you deals on baby stuff, but inparticular, diapers and wipes (or at least, that is what I use it for).  If you sign up for Amazon Mom, you get 15% off on all your diapers and wipes.  Plus, free two-day shipping.  As if diapers delivered straight to your door isn't cool enough, if you sign up for a thing called Subscribe-and-Save (a scheduled delivery every 1, 2, 3 or 6 months), you get another 15% off.  So a total of 30% off diapers!  Just to give an example...

Landon is in Size 1 Pampers Swaddlers diapers: 

Target price for a 216-count box:  $41.99 ($39.89 using the 5% off with Target credit card) = $.19/$.18 per diaper.
Amazon Mom + Subscribe-and Save Price for 216-count box: $28.38 = $.13 per diaper.



Miley is now using the Size 3T-4T Pampers Easy Ups:

Target price for 96-count box: $29.99 ($28.49 using the 5% off with Target credit card) = $.31/$.30 per Easy Up.
Amazon Mom + Subscribe-and-Save: $23.31 = $.24 per Easy Up.

Plus the perk of not having to run out to the store when you need diapers. 

I was a little skeptical of the Subscribe-and-Save option, because I didn't want to sign up for it, and have my kids outgrow that size, or not need it as often, or more frequently than I signed up for delivery.  However, it is really easy to go in and change the size that you need, change the delivery timing, or cancel it altogether! 

I'm sold.  With a house coming in our near future (again, I will post about that SOON), I am trying to find ways to save a little bit of money here and there, and diapers are one thing that seem to eat up our money.

Plus, on other qualifying baby items you get free two-day shipping (Amazon Prime) for a limited time. 

Again, I realize I am probably way behind the curve on this one, but I like to share good deals like this in case anyone doesn't know about them!

How Can I Resist?

I try not to buy too many silly things for Miley, but there are just some things that I have a really hard time resisting that fall under the *want* rather than the *need* catgory...

For example, this little gem that we stumbled upon while out browsing yesterday...

OK seriously.  I die.  I don't think I have seen anything so cute in a while as these little mini golf clubs.  Not too mention, the little sweater-wearing, Shox-rocking, visor-beanie bearing little girl that was all smiles while working on her form...

We are currently full-blown in potty-training mode over here.  And I am very tempted to buy these as a completion present.

What say you?  Too cute too pass up, or too silly to spend the money on (mind you, they are on sale for $50 off the original price)??

I just have visions of summertime, playing in our yard (yes yard...more on that to come later!), and Miley playing with her little mini clubs.  Too cute.

I don't know if I can resist much longer.  :)

Yes, We Are Still Here...

...and wearing our green to celebrate St. Patty's Day!  Miley wasn't too into the whole picture thing today like she normally is...I can see a lot of this in our future when she thinks she is too cool for her ol' mom and dad...

I know I still have much to catch up on, and I am working on it (all the posts I have up until now will be posted eventually, but under this one).

But we have been spending our time sleeping (when we can), house hunting/meeting with builders, enjoying our new spring-like weather and taking walks (and by spring-like I mean in the high 40's...and yes, that feels GREAT!) and recovering from colds (me) and pink eye (Miley, and now me...lovely).

Landon is already 1 month old today.  I know...we can't believe it either.  He is one laid back, sweet little guy.

I just wanted to share a couple pictures and let you all know we are still here and I will get caught up once I feel like I have myself back together!  :)

Random Landon

I have so many pictures to catch up on of Landon, so here are some pictures from his first few weeks!

We are so in love with this little guy and can't imagine our family without him!

Grammy and Papa!

I was so lucky to get to have both of my parents here right when Landon was born, and also lucky to have my mom here for 8 days, and my dad for 5!  That is the longest time they have ever apent with us up here in Minnesota, and I was thrilled...I just wish it could have been longer!

My mom had made airline reservations a few weeks before Landon was due, and without knowing exactly when he would make his arrival, she scheduled a flight for the 17th (he was due the 18th), with the thought that since I went a week early with Miley that Landon probably would have been here by then.  Little did we know, she timed it perfectly, and flew in 4 hours after he was born!

We were so lucky the timing worked out like that, because she was able to stay home with Miley and Cameron could spend the time at the hospital with Landon and me.  Miley loved having Grammy there...I don't think she even cared/noticed that Cameron and I weren't around, and this was the first time that we had both spent the night away from her.  Grammy took great care of her while we were in the hospital.  :)

We came home on Saturday morning, the 19th, and spent the day settling in.  That evening, Cameron graciously offered to keep both the kids at home, so my mom and I could run to Target and just browse.  When I still hadn't had Landon on the 16th, before my contractions started, my mom and I were laughing about it, and just saying that we would have a couple days to have some fun and shop before I had the baby.  Well, I guess Landon was having none of that, and came the next day.  As we were on our way to the hospital, I was telling Cameron how sad I was that I wouldn't have a couple days where I was a little more "free" to spend with my mom.  Well, I guess he felt bad enough, so that is why he offered to take on the 2 1/2 year old and the three-day-old at the same time so we could get a little bit of that time in...no easy feat for him, I am sure.  :)

My dad flew in on Sunday morning, and barely made it, as there was a huge snowstorm that day.  He kept having his flight cancelled out of Denver, and finally got on a later one...we could never quite figure out why the earlier ones were cancelled, because it hadn't started snowing at that point, but we were just glad he made it!  I was so glad he got to meet Landon so shortly after his birth...he didn't get to meet Miley till she was about 6 weeks old, and they change so much in that short period of time!

We mostly spent the week relaxing and getting rest and just enjoying each other's company.  We squeezed in a little shopping, and house hunting as well.  My poor mom, started feeling sick on Saturday or Sunday, and was battling a sickess the rest of the time we were there, and I could tell she was just exhausted and feeling lousy.  My mom is amazing though, and still cooked every night (we did pizza and PF Changs in there too, to give her a little bit of a break!), and gave in to all of Miley's demands for attention and play time.  I didn't get any pictures of her while she was feeling crummy, and I am wishing I had gotten more while she was playing with Miley.  My dad was wonderful with Miley too...she was their little shadow the whole week.  I think it was probably really good to have my folks around this first week, because it eased Miley into life with another little baby around, while she was still getting a lot of attention.  I was SOOO grateful to have them to help with her!

I am always so sad to see my parents go, and I know Miley was too.  She is STILL asking about them, and calling the guest room "Grammy and Papa's Room."  I really think my parents are the best, and I am so excited for them to make their next trip out here for Landon's baby blessing!