Updates!:)

Well we're home. No, really, I'm thrilled. We had an awesome trip! I'm so very ready to move to California's Central Valley. We both fell in love both with the amount of agriculture and the climate:) Guess what? Wayne loves Palm Trees! yay:)
PLUS there are amazing foreclosure deals to be had. In our favorite county, I'm currently stalking a 4Br2Ba ranch with 2700 sq ft, an awesome kitchen (Dream: double ovens, big fridge, 6 burner stove top...ahhhh), etc, etc. In a great neighborhood, across the street from a church, a block from the elementary school. It sold in 2007 for $290K! But..the bargain basement price that has us oh so tempted? $49,900! yeah. Three times the above ground square footage of this house...and we could proabably figure out how to make it a mortgage free house AND the taxes are less than crap hole Victory Mills! Hot Damn! TWO Targets and a Costco within 2 miles...and 3 miles in any direction to HUGE farms. Does it really get any better? Awesome produce all year...at great prices.
A girl can dream....right?
In all reality...we're probably not that cool.
We explored a lot of California...We liked the Redwoods and SanFrancisco...but would never live in either. Redwood villages are a lot like Victory, but with big trees and smaller fire departments. SanFrancisco is awesome to visit...but we wouldn't fit in there at all! The homes near our hotel (across the bridge) STARTED at 2million! up to 28 million! and there were tons in between. So no, not my neck of the woods for living.
We did have a 3D ultrasound while in the Bay Area...and that darling little Gorsky WOULD NOT cooperate! We had a cord in between our legs AND our ankles crossed. Even after an hour break filled with a sugar overdosing breakfast. We did get a great DVD of the baby and a bunch of cute pics, so not a total loss:)
Tomorrow is the "big ultrasound" at the OB's office. Praying that the l/o gives up the modest bit at least for tomorrow afternoon:) Also need to talk to the Docs about inducing 2 weeks early. Otherwise, my mom can't be there due to work conflicts. Of course I'm picking a holiday weekend for induction, so we'll have to chat about that. May be a good shot at Grandpa's birthday:) So we still have to get him a "real present?" :)
The March project of Operation Kids Room is starting out great! Tomorrow morning I pick up free bunk beds so we can get Joey's beds stacked out of the way to make room for the crib and wardrobe station. I've got all the bedding/accessories figured out for each gender. We will be leaving the walls their smokey blue color...a light smokey blue with white trim. Joey's bedding will be a lake blue comforter over a light green fleece blanket...then the baby will have either blue and green or pink and green:) there will also be a chocolate undertone throughout...to counter the wood and tie things in.
This will probably be one of my easier house projects...I'm not relocating any walls, painting, wallpaper removing...nada.
Next project will be finding a rocking chair of some sort that fits in the room without being too bulky, yet still comfortable...oh yea. and CHEAP:)
So that's my month in a nutshell:) Kind of a big nutshell...but still a shell:)

Technology

Some people, I've decided, should not have access to technology in all it's glory.
First, my mother texts me saying she's cooking (ie: warming turkey, bought gravy, stuffing and frozen cauliflower) and that she has news. Then she wants to know if she can call, sure. Cell or house? House. (Already needs a nap.) So she calls and we chat (and she almost burns the gravy). Then nine minutes into the conversation, my father, who I swear to God lives in the same house, calls me from his cell phone. Hold on Mom, Dad;s calling. Click over. Hi? Why do you sound annoyed? I'm on the phone with mom. Now? Well, now I'm talking to you. Oh Ok bye. Click back over, Mom's not there. Call the house back...Dad answers. Good grief. Did you mean to call me? Well, i was calling mom back. Oh. (Screams down the stairs) She picks up...Now they discuss the dinner delivery. (Dad's recovering from knee surgery.) Then my sister's cat. OK, Dad hangs up. Just Mom, who almost burns the gravy again. "It's like trying to drive on the phone."
Fine, bye.

Travel....

For someone who used to travel ALL THE TIME (I spent more time on the road than home), it's amazing how out of that routine you get! I mean I traveled with Joey as an infant, he was in 13 states by the time he was 5 weeks old. Now I'm packing for two of us for two weeks and it's been incredibly time consuming. Not so much the "how many pants/socks/undies" situation, that's easy, it's the finding of the bags, the chargers, the camera accessories, the this and that. This morning I pulled out my laptop bag to discover the shoulder strap was missing! Where did it go? I put the bag in Joey's closet 14 months ago when we returned from Florida...and it ate it's own strap? Wha? So, now I'm debating if it's more cost effective to get a laptop sleeve and throw it in a multi-purpose backpack, or find a replacement strap. Of course, no time to order one online at this point so forced to pay retail somewhere local.

Clothes posed a slight situation however. Turns out Wayne had about 1 complete outfit that wasn't work clothes...and my ever expanding bump was not working with my previous wardrobe. So there was a few rounds of Old Navy orders and returns, delightful. Plus new sneaks b/c mine were worn by Joey to the farm...end of story. Wayne has had his sneaks for at least 11 years! So new ones for him. Then there was the camera bag and extra memory card and lens filters.

Then there was the expansion luggage option, providing we have any money left from "trip prep" to buy anything while we're gone;) In an effort to not check baggage until completely necessary We are each taking a "carryon rolly" and a backpack. An entire morning was spent on "Bag 5." What would it be? Finally ended up on a Medium LL Bean Duffle Bag, that is packable for the first leg of the trip, checkable, easy to spot on a carousel as it's in "Pink Aloha" print, would fit in the toolbox mounted on the frame of the big truck we're driving back AND would pass as a carryon on future trips with more people. To think one bag for $40 could do all that with a lifetime guarantee....mind blowing:)

I've also discovered, I only have 5 pairs of undies...I know, probably TMI. I do laundry often so I don't usually run into a problem. However, this trip we aren't doing laundry till day 9...herin lies the conundrum. So today I'm off to pay far too much for undies that don't last as long as they should.

Speaking of laundry, Once we added 5 more days to the trip last week I decided I wasn't buying any more clothes. Yet, it's my honeymoon...of which we will only take one, and I'm not spending a day of it doing laundry. Back in the day, I always did wash-dry-fold on the road. Ten years ago it was $1.00ish a pound. In Saratoga today it's $1.20/lb...in Louisville...it's only 60cents/lb! ding ding ding. Found a nice place with great reviews...sounds like a winner to me! Not to mention, I'd have no place to put more clothes when they came back home! Wayne and I share a 5 shelf clothing station....no closet. So yea...done buying clothes:)

Then there is TSA guidelines...oy vey! They are clearish on exclusions, but don't give an exhaustive list off acceptable items. ie: scissors less than 4" are ok. So how about tweezers? I'm throwing them in.

Joey's spending his two weeks at the farm filling in for Daddy...so we had to pack his clothes (in laundry baskets), independent school work so he doesn't forget how to write, medical release note, #s for all his Drs/specialists.

The amount of time invested is kinda crazy...but once we sit on that first plane, all alone, and properly stocked with clothes, electronics and acceptable toiletries...it will be worth it:)

I need a vacation from planning a vacation:-)

Favorite Sweatshirt

I've decided it's time to blog again. There's just too much floating around in my head and the dog is tired of listening:)

Everyone has "THAT Sweatshirt" right? Well in our house its a Carhartt sweatshirt, not a real heavy one, just perfect. It was Wayne's forever. Now it's just referred to as "favorite sweatshirt" ;-) I steal it often, and it's lovely. Not in the best shape anymore but it has managed to avoid paint and oil stains, so I think that's pretty impressive. We've bought many more Carhartt sweatshirts since, and while wonderful, nothing compares to favorite sweatshirt.

Wayne put it on the other morning and I let out an "awww" like the kind you say when you learn a friend is getting married or had a baby:) He says "I knew you were going to say that." Am I that predictable in sweatshirt emotions? Apparently.

I've been known to hide it, not gonna lie, so that I would have dibs. I think now I'm subconsciously not wearing it so that it lasts forever!

I know I'm not the only one....right?