Now that's fast!

Noah was running around the living room with an airplane he built from Legos...

Noah: Check out my super fast airplane!
Jeana: Wow, you sure are speedy!
Noah: No. I'm speeder than speed!

Noah's Haircut

Noah and Geary went to get haircuts last week. Normally, Noah is quite shy and little bit teary eyed around the stylists but this time was different. He actually seemed excited about going. I asked, "So what kind of haircut are you going to get?" He said, "I don't know yet. I just wanna go there and see what hair they have."

He strutted his four year old stuff into Great Clips and pulled out the book of children's haircuts. He paged through it until he found the "flat, not so pokey" style he wanted and presented it to the girl who would cut his hair. "I want this and I don't want any color. Just reggalar (regular) brown." Then he hopped up into the chair and proceeded to talk her ear off about Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder.

When the haircut was over the stylist turned Noah to face the mirror and asked, "How's that?" He examined her work and replied, "You did good." She accepted his approval and asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you?" Completely straight faced, Noah responded, "You can give me a balloon."

He not only got a balloon but also a lollipop and a hair comb, too.

Ratatouille

Grandma: Are you going to be a chef when you grow up? Because Grandma would really like that.
Noah: Maybe...
Jeana: What super special dish would you make for Grandma?
Noah: Ratatouille!
Grandma: Ratatouille!?!?
Noah: Yeah! Ratatouille does not sound delicious! Because it sounds like "Rats tooting! Stinky!"

Things you never want to hear your children say

"Look, Mom! My owie turned green!"

Christ as Border Patrol

Noah: When is everyone going to get out of heaven?
Geary: Um...never. Once you go to heaven you stay there forever.
Noah: What if someone wanted to run away from heaven?
Geary: I don't think they would want to. It will be so nice there they will want to stay.
Noah: Hmm. And I think Jesus could run them down anyway.

Approval

Our financing snag has been mended. The lender who pre-approved our loan decided not to actually approve our loan because of a technicality on our income. It was a stressful couple of days but we found another lender through Geary's new school who has completely bent over backwards to get us a great deal on a mortgage. The loan was approved yesterday, we've paid for an appraisal, and we're praying for smooth sailing until closing (September 7th). Over and over again we are reminded that we really do live by the grace of God and that lots of things come down to who you know. We are only able to buy this house because of God's goodness to us and because of the many people who have contributed financially and otherwise. And that's what I wanted--a true community. What a blessing!

Home Inspection

The inspection today went really well. Mike, our inspector was extremely thorough and we learned a whole bunch of stuff about home improvement and maintenence. It looks like there are a bunch of little things to repair and secure but nothing too major. Mike said the house is in excellent shape for its age and that a lot of work has been put into it to make it very sturdy. He said he thought we were getting a great deal for first time home buyers. Yay!

We made a list of 7 of the biggest things to ask the sellers to fix before we move in. The funniest item we're asking for is that they repair the incorrect insulation job under the house. Whoever installed the insulation put it in backwards! We specified that we'd like the job to be handled by a professional. *Grin*

We had to leave Albany at 7am to get to Newberg in time for the inspection and in all the rushing around I completely forgot my camera! I tried to take a couple pictures of the inside of the house with my cell phone camera but they didn't come out at all. Gah! Sorry about that. And I was so excited to show you, too!

Despite the great inspection we did come home feeling a little deflated. We may have hit a snag with our financing. The whole thing really confuses me but I know God can take care of it. We are just trying to trust him and rest in his grace. Please keep praying for us. It really helps us to know that you are supporting us in prayer.

I'll update again soon!

And they accepted!

Actually, they countered our offer (which we expected) and we accepted the counter. We have a home inspection scheduled for Wednesday at 9am.

The house is an 1890 bungalow with three bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms. It has a formal dining room and a large eat-in kitchen and a laundry room. And a HUGE backyard! The only thing we're sad about is that there is no fireplace but we love everything else about the house especially its quirky built-ins and funny nooks.

Since the house is so old the inspection might be a little scary. Please pray that there are no major repairs needed. I'll let you know how it went on Wednesday.

Eeeep! We're so excited!!!

Noah James Day

A couple weeks ago Lila called and told us she and Eldred had something special to give to Noah. They wanted to make a whole day of celebrating Noah out at the farm. We decided that August 12th would be Noah James Day.

Today we loaded up in Bob's van and headed out to the farm. Noah was excited because he knew he was getting "something with wheels" from a clue Garyanna had given him. Geary and I were excited because we need something to distract us from obsessing about whether the owners will accept our offer on the house (pray!). When we got to Lila's house we saw this sign on the front door. (Click picture to enlarge)

We chatted for a little bit and then Eldred led Noah outside and behind the gazebo to find a Power Wheels Jeep! I think Noah was in shock. He was grinning but he couldn't say anything and just kept shaking his head like he couldn't believe there was a car his size. Eldred pulled the jeep out to the lawn and Noah spent a looooong time inspecting every inch of it. But he wouldn't get inside!
Finally, Geary and I decided to take the jeep for a walk with Noah. We coaxed him into the passenger seat and Geary pushed the gas pedal down with a stick. Then we said, "You know...it would be easier if you would just scoot over and push the gas pedal yourself." Noah said, "Okay!" and scrambled over and took off driving. It was if he had been driving all his life.

It didn't take him long to figure out how to reverse and do three-point turns. He was quickly manuevering through obstacles like cut branches and garden hoses. He was a total pro! I don't think we got him out of the jeep for the rest of the day. He even ate dinner in it while listening to the radio.

Nila made a special place in her shed where Noah can park his jeep. So now he even has a garage. When he parked his car in there he decided to keep a water bottle, a cloth rag, and his drivers license (yes, they made one for him) inside the glove compartment.

Since it was Noah James Day we got to eat whatever Noah preferred. We had hamburgers, hot dogs, and ice cream. Noah made two declarations on his day. 1) Let's make it Family Day! and 2) My jeep is named Mario!

It was a very fun and special day. I know Noah is going to want to visit the farm as often as possible, not just to spend time with Mario, but because Lila and Eldred are special to him. Thank you, Lila and Eldred, for a super fun day and for all the ways you demonstrated your love to Noah today. We love you and are so excited to (hopefully) have a home near you soon!

We made an offer!

We finally got a look at the townhouse and it was tiny! Much smaller than our old apartment, even. So we've been working our tails off looking for a house that would work. We found an awesome real estate agent who showed us 5 places within our prie range today. And...we really really liked one. So...we made an offer on a house in Newberg!!! We should hear back by Monday at 5pm. More details soon!