Out with the Old and in with the New

We've made some big purchases recently. We bought a new washer and dryer and a new (to us) car! 

Our washer and dryer have been on the outs for several months. We discovered that the timing belt on BOTH machines needed to be replaced and the repairman quoted over $600 for that. It didn't seem worth it to fix the washer and dryer because our machines were 10+ years old. We were holding off a bit to purchase new ones. (To be honest, I was hoping to find a deal over Labor Day weekend...) Well, that was a dumb move. Our washer decided to flood our laundry room, basement, and kitchen during the night (when the city turned off the water for a quick fix). We are blessed that more damage wasn't done. Our basement had A LOT of water in it. I'm so glad we didn't decide to finish the basement this summer like we considered. The bad news is that we will need to replace the flooring in our laundry room. 

The flood made purchasing a new washer and dryer my number one priority (forget waiting for a sale!). We purchased a new washer and dryer that week. $1500ish later and here they are...

They both play chipper songs when the cycle is complete! It has been extremely nice to have the washer finish an entire cycle on its own (before, I would have to re-start the washer at least 4 times in one load). Also, the handle to turn the dryer on had broken off. Andrew had rigged up a way to use pliers to turn the dryer on. That was always an experience and I was not always successful. Now, I can simply push a button and poof, it starts. What a relief.

We have been fortunate not to have a car payment for most of our marriage. When Andrew's car died last year, we got our first car loan to purchase the Hyundai Sante Fe. After over a year of paying for that, we decided it wasn't worth it. Yes, we loved the car, but no, we did not like paying $293 every month.

We knew that we eventually wanted to get a mini-van and we probably should have just bought one last year. We figured by the time we paid off the Sante Fe, it would be about time for a new car anyway. Our van hunt began and we tried to sell our Sante Fe private party. After weeks of dealing with annoying people making low-ball offers, we finally decided to just trade in the Sante Fe and get a van. 

We LOVE having a van! James might enjoy it more than of any of us. Opening up the sliding doors is one of his favorite things to do. We can't believe how much more space we have! Also, our car payment is significantly lower. We did buy an older model, but it drives nice. It's a 2014 Kia Sedona with about 75,000 miles on it. It still has some really nice features though. (blue tooth, back-up cam, dual heating/air control, etc.) Hopefully it lasts us a long time!

Here she is! And in case you're wondering, neither of us would have picked this color. It was a good deal though. We'll see if it's true that red cars get pulled over more often. I have yet to be pulled over since getting my license and hope I don't attract the police now. 

We have plans in the future for a new sectional (our current couches are ripping), a new front door (it's painted and ready to be put on), and who knows what else. I recently told Andrew everything I wanted to update in our house and he estimated it would cost at least $25,000. Here's to dreaming and being married to someone who goes with my crazy ideas and works to pay for them. :) 

Isabelle's Baby Blessing

Finding a date to bless Isabelle was tricky. We had to plan around family members being on vacation and church callings. We settled on Sunday, September 8 which still wasn't ideal for the Ditto side. (The brothers went on their all brothers hike that weekend, but none of them were planning on making the 12 hour drive anyway. I don't blame them.) It also wasn't a fast Sunday, but our ward has so many baby blessings that the bishopric didn't care. I was thrilled because there was absolutely ZERO pressure for me to bear my testimony. I can only imagine how hormonal that would have been.

Jill and Rob flew in for the blessing which I really appreciated. I always love to see them and wish they lived here. We packed in the fun while they were in town. We hiked Stewart Falls and Andrew and I brought BOTH kids with us. (We hiked about 4 miles.) Andrew was the lucky one who got to carry 30+ pounds of James. I got to carry Isabelle. After the hike, we ate at a scrumptious breakfast restaurant. That evening, my sisters and their spouses came over for a game night which kind of ended up turning into a BYU Football viewing party--much to my dismay. Why did BYU have to go into overtime??

9:00am church means we were up plenty early to ensure everything was just right. We decided to have a brunch following the blessing, so the house was spic and span.

All of my siblings came to the blessing which meant a lot to me. We snapped a family photo, so the pressure was definitely on to be looking good. Who knew that the apple tree in our backyard would be the perfect backdrop?

I love how it turned out!

Grandma Langlois was thrilled she was able to make it. (She has been dealing with a foot injury the last couple of months.)

The Dittos!

Ben and Cousin Becca, (plus their 2 kids) Uncle Dan, Cousin Alex, Cousin Tyler, Cousin Malia

I didn't get pictures of Grandma and Grandpa Denning (Giggi and Go-Daddy), my Aunt Lisa, my cousin Allie, or my cousin Kimberly. We had so much support which made it such a special day. Andrew gave Isabelle a neat blessing and one of the speakers even mentioned a specific part of it. Something that stood out to me was that Isabelle was blessed to be service-oriented. Another part focused on love and how many people love Isabelle.

Brunch afterwords was a success! My house felt small hosting so many people. I was hoping to use some outdoor space for one of the tables, but rain ruined that plan. We had Costco muffins, 2 breakfast casseroles, juice, and parfaits with fruit/yogurt,granola, whipped cream, etc. I had so much help which I greatly appreciated because it would have been hard to pull off on my own.

Let me just say that I was exhausted after all of this! We all took naps (for about 2 hours) and then headed to one final dinner at my parent's house before Jill and Rob had to fly out. Even after the nap, I was asleep by 9:00pm. (That seems to be the new norm around here though these days.)

I'm dying over these pictures. Thanks to Lindsey Denning (as always)! I can't believe how big my baby is getting. Isabelle is such a sweet, good baby. It helps that she sleeps through the night.

This picture of the 4 of us is now hanging on our wall. I'll cherish it forever!

I'm truly blessed with the best!