..ok, one last thing...

Ok, seriously just one more post for now about the house. Cash's room is officially complete! I got the valance up. I bought just a regular old white curtain rod (you know, the $5 ugly things) and wrapped it in rope and just tied knots on the ends-to make it fit the room. Much better than that ugly white metal rod :)

:details:

Just added to Preslee's room:

Here is her actual bedspread up close

Here are the birds I just painted above her closet!
:the whole thing:

Now-just to finish the white trim between the paint colors and we're done!

.:saved:.

So, as some of you know, I had a laptop that totally fried quite a long time ago. I've just held on to it knowing there were loads of pics on there that I MUST have! No way was I going to rewrite the harddrive and lose them all. Mostly from Cash's birth and when he was very young...
I took the laptop into Geek Squad, who told me it shouldn't be a big deal, but that they had to send it off to their offsite lab. Alright. First they needed a deposit from me. $400. Ok. My pics are worth $400 and they said they'd likely be refunding me most of it anyway.

I get a call many days later saying they were not able to get anything off the harddrive, unless they do a "level 3 recovery" where they take the harddrive into a "safe room" and retrieve the info that way. Cost of this lovely "level 3"? Base=$1550. No, not TOTAL, BASE.
Needless to say, I had them send it back to me, untouched.

So my friend Tami suggests I send the harddrive to her and let her take it to her usual computer place. She says they are pretty good with viruses and such; so I give it a whirl. I want these pictures, after all, and I'll do anything to get them--except give Geek Squad my right arm just because they want me to.

I send the harddrive up-and less than 2 weeks later get the news from these guys. They are able to retrieve not only my pictures-but every file on the harddrive! WITHOUT EVEN A LEVEL 3 SAFE ROOM RETRIEVING SCAM! The cost for this amazing job? $60. That is right, sixty dollars. Not $400. Not $1550+. $60. I am eternally grateful. (and to Tami for suggesting it!)

So please-if you have computer issues... take a trip to XSComputers. http://www.xscomputers.com/

Here are just a few pictures that were saved, you can see why they are so important:

These are just a few.... there are many many many more that I'm so thankful to have again.

*more before and afters*

My room-before and after

Preslee's Room before-from the other side of the room

And Preslee's room after! (She painted the pics 2 years ago)

I'm going to paint the dresser white and paint birds on it like her bedspread :)

So this is it so far on the house... everything else is still a major work in progress, but I am so happy with what we've done so far. I love it, and it really truly feels like HOME.

| before and afters |

Cash's room before The next 3 are Cash's room after!
The "denim" paint job I did!! And nail-head trim... oh so cute!!
his "cowboy room"

Living room before and after

Kitchen before and after

home SWEET home

I started looking for homes for me and the kids back in February, just to start browsing... I walked thru several, looked at building one, watched the MLS like a hawk-with the help of my Eagle-eye mom!-and waited to find one we would really love.... then came across the one I totally fell in love with. As it turned out, it was a short sale, and anyone who has worked with a short sale knows-"SHORT SALE" does not refer to the time frame!! I put an offer in on the home in February and waited and waited and waited....looking at other homes in the meantime, just in case. We weren't in a hurry, after all. This home had 3 banks involved and the probability of them all agreeing on the short sale was not likely. But I just loved the house and couldn't find another that I liked so much. Finally at the end of May I got the word that all 3 banks were agreeing on my offer! Then if flew from there. We were closing only 2 weeks later and ready to be in our own home! At the closing we found out that there was also an IRS lien on the property for $400,000. The closer said he just figured the deal was sunk, because they never see the IRS drop a lien, but they did. In a week's time! He said I must have someone working double time on the other side for me, because this house going thru is quite literally a miracle. (Our closing was also on the 11th-which is also significant to me) I know we have had our Guardian Angel working over time on his side to make this work out and I'm sure he has had a huge smile on his face.


So it went thru! I AM A PROUD HOMEOWNER! I almost can't believe it. It is so nice to come home to our own place. Our home. The kids are loving that there is a big back yard, and I'm loving that too! :D

{i'll make a slide show with before and afters once the afters are all taken.....}


I want to quickly thank everyone who helped me move too! From ward members, to friends helping me paint like crazy! Ripping up carpet with Tami and Mom hanging all my decor while I was out of town! Dad doing all the heavy lifting and fixing water drips... the brothers for mowing and my cute nephew Tye for loving to weed!! And Kenny Parcell is an amazing realtor if anyone is ever in need--he worked hard to get this to work for us, and pulled strings I'm sure! And especially Jeremy for setting things up in a way that allows me to be able to do this for our kids. Thank you thank you thank you... to everyone!

sUmmErTiMe and the LiVin's EasY

SPRINKLER FUN!!

Roasting hot dogs and s'mores with our friends!

Lovin' up the s'mores!

Random fun times swinging and digging :)

These are just a few pics of the beginning of our summer

my li'l graduate

Brit and Ja came to see

With Mommy

receiving her diploma

Gmas and Gpas came!

Preslee Oaklee and Cash

Miss Courtney

Preslee absolutely loved being in Miss Courtney's class. Little Leapers has been a fantastic learning place for her and she loved all her classmates (she had a class of all girls, by chance! it was Miss Courtney's Princess Class!! :D) She loved every day of it.
Preslee graduated with flying colors May 20, 2009. Here are a few pictures of the adorable graduate!

once was lost.....

....now is FOUND!
Thank you fairy godmother... or at least the crew that helped me move and found the camera cord under the couch! HAHA!! I have lots of updating to do and lots of pictures to go with those updates... so hang on tight!! :D