NEW HOUSE!!!!

Well, Todd and I are no longer homeless. We signed an offer for a house in Lee's Summit this weekend, and they accepted! We are buying a house on the Southwest side of Lee's Summit in a nice little neighborhood. The sellers accepted our offer of a thousand less than the asking price, and they are giving us their stainless steel side-by-side refridgerator, built-in microwave, 1-year home warranty, and the necessary pool equipment. That's right folks--we are buying a house with a FREAKIN' POOL!!! They have spent $6000 on the above ground pool and deck, so it is VERY nice. We didn't really want a house with a pool, but this was just too good to to pass up. We definitely think there was a reason why we didn't get the other house last weekend. These are the pictures from the website--Note: I LOVE THE KITCHEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My favorite room--I have always wanted a red, white, and black kitchen!!

We love the beams on the ceiling and the wood above the fireplace. The owners don't know if the gas starter even works b/c they have never used it. We will definitely use the fireplace, so the inspector will have to tell us that.

I don't really care for the wallpaper in the hall bathroom, but Todd likes it. We made a deal--I'll live with the wallpaper if he lives with the kitchen. I took the deal!
The master bedroom isn't huge, but they had massive furniture in it. We figured if they could fit their furniture in it, we could fit ours. The master bath is small too, but we can live with it (I hope!)

The pool area is FABULOUS!! They have two gates on either side of the deck so you can walk down in the yard area. The backyard is actually quite big, too, even with the pool. It backs up into a field, and according to the owners, there can't ever be houses back there.

The house also has a big doggie door coming out into the backyard, so we'll see if Soze can get used to that! We know she won't be enjoying the pool since she hates water, but we do want to to enjoy the big backyard.

We also plan on finishing the basement too. They have started some of it, but we want to finish it. We also have to make a few changes to the plan down there, too. We think there is room for a family room/den, scrapbook room, and a bathroom. We are hoping the inspector can tell us where all the plumbing is downstairs.

We are supposed to close on the house on April 30th. That gives us the month of May to paint, maybe begin on the basement, and get the house ready before I move up at the start of June.

I'll see you all up there!!

Wow! Two posts in one day??

Although I do have plenty to keep me busy (I need to make a portfolio checklist and study guide for my English I classes), I have been tagged by Kodi. I'll make the time to do this--

1. Do you like blue cheese? Not particularly, no. (I don't like the curdled texture--I know, Todd!)
2. Favorite Food? Anything from Cheddar's--I am sooooooo going to miss that place when we move to KC!
3. Do you own a gun? No and I am just fine with that.
4. What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? I don't, but at QT I always add a shot of vanilla and cherry.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? I don't anymore. After being poked and prodded for all of this fertility stuff, I actually don't mind.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? I have to be in the mood for one. I like them grilled or at the ball park. I eat them with mustard and the occasional relish.
7. Favorite Christmas song? One to sing along--Carol of the Bells (Destiny's Child's version is great!), one to listen to--Hippo song (I guess I sing along to that one too!!:)
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? I don't really drink anything first thing in the morning. As soon as I get to school though, I grab a Diet Coke from my fridge.
9. Can you do push ups? Nope. I don't even try.
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My wedding ring and the ring my dad gave me last year before he died. (I can't just pick one!)
11. Favorite hobby? Of course--Photography and Scrapbooking, but I am trying to get back into reading more. To be a reading teacher, I don't read as much as I'd like!
12. Do you have A.D.D.? I don't think so, but Todd is always telling me to sit still! I guess that's the H part of it.
13. What is one trait that you hate about yourself? I don't say no often enough.
14. Middle name? Kristin
15. Name 3 thoughts at this moment. a. I can't believe my spring break is already over. b. I have so much I need to be doing instead of this. c. I really hope we can find a house this weekend!
16. NAME 3 DRINKS YOU DRINK REGULAR? tea, Diet Coke, milk (I know I need to drink more water!)
17. CURRENT WORRY RIGHT NOW? finding a house we like that we can afford
18. CURRENT HATE RIGHT NOW? not having enough money to buy the house Todd and I both love
19. Favorite place to be? Disney World...duh
20. How did you bring in the New Year? watching the ball drop on the TV
21. Like to go? Not really. I love to be in my home. If I'm with my family, then I like to go, but otherwise, I'd just rather stay home and hang out with them. (I'm with Kodi on this one!)
22. Name three people who will complete this first? I have no idea b/c the people that I will tag don't have blogs, but they COULD LEAVE THEIR ANSWERS IN A REPLY (HINT...HINT)
24. What color shirt are you wearing? White KHS sweatshirt.
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? No, they're too slippery. I sweat too much!
26. Can you whistle? I wish.
27. Favorite color? red
28. WOULD YOU BE A PIRATE? I don't think so...
29. WHAT SONGS DO YOU SING IN THE SHOWER? Whatever pops into my head.
30. Favorite Russian Chauffeurs name? What the heck is this?
31. Favorite boy's name? Right now it's Coleton, but it changes with the wind.
32. What's in your pocket right now? A dime I found and my cell phone.
33. Last thing that made you laugh? Todd quoting lines from Jeff Dunham's show (Jef-fa-fa Dun-ham)
34. Best bed sheets as a child? The only ones I remember are Strawberry Shortcake ones.
35. Worst injury you've ever had?? Getting my front teeth knocked out in the 5th grade.
36. Do you love where you live? Not particularly--it's hard to move back in with your mom after having so many years of freedom (sorry Mom).
37. How many TVs do you have in your house? 3 in Mom's
38. Who is your loudest friend? I would have to say Carla
39. How many pets do you have? 1 spoiled rotten Black lab
40. Does someone have a crush on you? It'd be nice if Brad Pitt did, but I'll take my husband any day.
41. What is your favorite book? Anything by Nicholas Sparks, except I did really like Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Piccoult too.
42. What is your favorite candy? I usually get a big tootsie roll while traveling.
43. Favorite Sports Team? Cardinal's Baseball AND Nebraska Huskers
44. What were you doing 12 AM last night? sleeping
45. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? It's too damn early!!

Okay, you know how this works...copy and paste...blah, blah, blah. I'm tagging the following people:

Todd
Mom
Stephanie
Jennifer

New job...still homeless

Over the past week, I have been up in KC with Todd. I went on one final interview with the principal of Christman High School in Independence, and while I thought I did okay, I wasn't sure. I was one of three finalists for the English position, but I guess I nailed it! I am now an official new staff member of CHS (effective August 2008)! This job has put somewhat of a wrinkle in our house hunt though. Because Overland Park and Independence are literally at opposite ends of KC, Todd and I are looking to live in the Lee's Summit area. We found a house we really liked, and we even put an offer on it, but the owner is not willing to budge a cent. He did come down from the original listing, but not enough to even warrant a counter-offer. I took pictures of the house, too, but I have no way of getting them to the blog down here in Springfield. I'd have to do that from the in-laws' house. Our realtor has been great through all of this! She knows we have tough criteria--location, money, floor plan, etc. Needless to say, I am going back up this weekend to see if we can find an even better house!!

More snow days!

How many more snow days can we get? We were out of school yesterday, and I believe that makes 6 days we have to make up somewhere. At this point, I am hoping the district will extend the school day or let us come for half days on Saturdays. I DO NOT want to come to school in June!! I want to have moved by then! Oh well. The Superintendent said no decisions would be made until we were out of winter weather. While I did enjoy my time yesterday, enough is enough!!

Somehow yesterday I motivated myself to drag out all of my scrapbooking stuff into the living room and set up shop. (When Mom walked in last night, she thought the scrapbook store had permentantly moved to her house!) I only managed to get two pages completed, but the majority of my time (it seemed) was getting organized! That's why I don't like getting it all out and putting it back again! My goal for scrapping is to get caught up to current in our family album--I am on September 2007 right now. I have to get some pics developed of Thanksgiving and Christmas, though, before I can scrap those. I also want to do our Disney album from last summer, but that may have to wait until we get moved and settled in. We'll see--maybe I'll get motivated enough to do it all!!! Yeah right!