Stop and take a DEEP breath

Okay, I know that my dogs are in a state of confusion. Moving into a home they don't recognize, not having a backyard that is completed and at their disposal and suddenly being told that they have to stay in a dog run all day long rather than running freely must be a difficult concept for them to grasp. But seriously, I feel like they are intentionally making my life more difficult than it need be.

Truth be told, I have not been the world's most attentive mother when it comes to training, my lack of time does not excuse this fact. I also feel I must defend my unruly children to a certain degree because they genuinely are good girls. They just have sooooo much energy and they love me sooooo much that they simply cannot contain their excitement when they see me. It's a pretty incredible feeling to come home everyday and see their overly joyous puppy faces looking back at me with love and adoration shining in their eyes. I wouldn't trade them for any other dogs in the world when it comes down to it. I just wish more than anything that I could control them!

I had to run home during my lunch hour today because a man who pours concrete was coming out to measure the yard for an estimate. As soon as I came home, my children went crazy, as always. I feel horrible leaving them in the dog run all day, especially because there is a small patch of grass and the rest of the run is currently serving as a swamp land. They are muddy, whinny and psychotic by the time I get home everyday. So, since I had a little time during my lunch break I wanted to give them a few minutes of freedom. Bad idea #1.

I am obviously dressed for work and therefore in my professional attire. To make matters better, I am wearing a white cardigan today. Bad idea # 2. So when I open up the dog run to let my girls take off at warp speed down the length of the backyard to expend some of their, literally, undying energy, they come back to make their usual lap and hurdle their bodies right back in my direction. Screaming at them to stop at the top of lungs has little effect on either at this point, they are after all thrilled that mommy is home. Hence, bad idea # 3. Letting my crazy dogs out of the dog run when I know they are going to be excited to see me despite the fact that I am not dressed appropriately to play with them was not my brightest idea of the day. So now here I sit at work, my dogs are upset with me for toying with their emotions and letting them out long enough only to tease them and I have muddy dog prints all over my white cardigan and grey pants. Oh the joy.

First Time Home Buyer 101

It quite simply amazes me how little I knew to expect in this whole first-time-home-buyers experience. Usually, I feel decently prepared for what comes along in my life. Nik and I are the ultimate researchers and take much pride in this fact. We rarely make a purchase, decision or transition without giving it our up most attention and consideration. Before we made the decision to purchase a home, we sat down and dissected our finances. We looked at our savings, our income and then broke down all of our bills from utilities to food to gas to animals, etc. You name it and we most likely thought of it. Well, at least anything that comes along AFTER you put in a backyard, window treatments, purchase a whole brand new starter's kit of cleaning supplies, trash cans, food, paint, yada yada yada.

Good lord people, I cannot even tell you how much goes in brand-spanking-new homes. I can only be grateful that Lennar provided us with light bulbs for all of the lights in the house!!! What's worse, I have probably spent more on gas driving back and forth, back and forth to Lowes, Home Depot, Target, the grocery store, Costco and any other home "friendly" store that currently loves me due to the obscene amount of money I am paying them. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE these stores. At times I consider the stability of my mental health because I consider these happier places on Earth that Disneyland. I just get tired of arriving home after a very expensive and liberating shopping extravaganza only to turn around and go back out because I didn't realize I needed two additional trash cans, one for recycling cans and plastic and another for recycling glass. It really kills my buzz.

It amuses me that before Nik and I left Tennessee I had the foresight to pack away cleaning supplies, laundry detergent and some food that is not perishable. However, it does not amuse me that over the course of the last year this fact completely escaped my memory bank and I now have not one, but TWO of each item. Thank goodness I have the room to accommodate all of these items. So now I find myself in the very interesting situation of having too much of certain things and not nearly enough of others. I wish I could somehow delete the items that I have too much of and then the things that I do need would magically appear. And no, I don't think I am asking too much =)

I know I promised pictures and I will post the ones I have from before, but now I am going to wait to post pictures of the after until everything is done. My absolutely incredible and way better than I deserve family came over this weekend and between my parents and sister and Nik's friends, grandmother, aunt's and Uncle Robert, we were able to put in backyard, a sprinkler system, a dog run, paint every room that needed to be painted and put in window treatments in the master bedroom and bathroom. I am so beyond thrilled with the results, I am literally amazed. So, as I finish the final touches in each room, I will post pictures. For now, here is what I have from the before...

The front door and entry way

The dining room, right off to the left side of the entry way


The side yard, now the dog run

The backyard

The backyard

The master bathroom

The master bathroom

The master bedroom

One of the three bedrooms, going to be the study

Guest bathroom

Looking out of the kitchen to the great room

Looking into the kitchen from the great room

The great room

The great room

The breakfast nook and kitchen bar

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!!

If for one second I ever doubt how lucky and blessed I am, I only need remember this past weekend and I shall doubt no more. It is unbelievable how incredible all my family is. Between Andrea's help on Friday; Oma, Papa, Nikki, Robert, Andrea, Fred, Pam, Kristin, Alex, Mitch, Jeremy, Steph, Chadwick, Samantha, Steven, Alex, Matthew, Erik, Anna and Ben's help on Saturday and Oma plus all the tante's and uncle's help on Sunday, Nik and my home is almost finished! All I am waiting on now is my parents, sister and Far Far's trip on Friday to drop off yet more furniture and stuff, then bookcases for the library and the Beer's home will be complete!

I am so grateful that my obsessive compulsive personality did NOT cause me to lose the love of any of my loved ones. In fact, everyone was so respectful of my quirky and often ridiculous organizing habits, that I hardly realized I was having them. How lucky can a girl get?

I cannot thank everyone enough for putting up with the craziness this weekend, I appreciate it more than I could ever possibly verbalize. You are all fabulous!

I have before and after pictures that I will be posting either today or tomorrow, let me know what you think!