Sold!

I've wanted to say this for nearly two years and I finally can. We SOLD our house! Call us insane in this market, but we feel good about it. I have mixed emotions about leaving our house (I brought my 2 babies home to this house), but in general I'm very excited (hello backyard)!

Listing our house kind of took a leap of faith for me. In this hot market, contingent offers don't fly and we haven't had any success with the offers we've made so far.  Our chances will  really increase once we've closed and can remove the contingency. (We'll be able to offer a 10-day close and we'll have the cash equity we made in our bank account.) After hearing that the lot we wanted to build on was out of our price-range, we asked ourselves what we were waiting for. Initially, we were considering waiting to list until Memorial Day, but once we made up our minds, I was far too antsy to wait an instant longer. Our house hit the market on Thursday, May 13.

Keeping our house spotless with 2 messy babes was no easy feat, but we survived. We only had to have our house on the market for 1 weekend. Hallelujah! We spent most of the time at my parent's house. Andrew teased me because I went a little over-board and was a bit obsessive in my cleaning/staging. It was hard to have the garbage can in the garage, our hampers in the basement, the toilet paper and soap hidden under the sinks, and no appliances out. I'd say our hard work paid off though. We ended up having over 25 showings and getting 8 offers!

All 8 offers were over the list price (439k) and we feel very blessed that we had so many options to choose from.  I've struggled with  inquisitive neighbors throughout this process and am sick of being asked personal financial questions. I try to remind myself that people are only trying to be nice, but it feels like people just want the latest neighborhood gossip.  Here's as much as I'll give you and shhhh, I haven't told the neighbors this, but we will make over $250k on our house, which is a big part of why we decided to sell it.

When the bids first started coming in, our realtor, Deea, kept saying, "This isn't the offer that I'll come do cartwheels in your yard for." That offer finally did come though and I was nearly doing cartwheels myself. The offer was much higher than the list price and much more than we anticipated that we'd get. Additionally, the buyers offered to let us rent-back the house for free until August 7th and they waived the appraisal which we were thrilled about. Apparently appraisals have been coming in quite low and aren't quite keeping up with the market, so we're relived not to have to worry about that. I was pretty stressed about our inspection because I know there are some things that need to be replaced in our house soon (water heater, AC, windows), but we were able to negotiate with the buyers.

Today, we officially have $10,000 in earnest money from the buyers, so if they decide to back-out, we'll get to keep that. We close on June 8 which can't come soon enough! I'm ready to pull out aggressive Jenna and bid my heart out on a new house. I have been holding off writing this post because I wanted to be able to have our ending figured out. Just this week, we offered on some beautiful land in a prime location, but we just found out we didn't get it. Oh well. We don't know where we're going yet, but we do know that moving is the right thing for us and are anxious to see where we end up.

Buy It!

Have you ever been on the fence about a purchase and decided to pass it up? I still remember a time long ago when I was debating whether or not to buy a pair of shoes. I ended up talking myself out it (frugal me) and left the store. I instantly regretted that decision and later had a dream about the said shoes. Sadly, the shoes were nowhere to be found and I missed out on the opportunity of owning those lovely purple flats. 

Last summer, I brought up the idea of buying a bike trailer. I thought it would be a wonderful way to tote the kids around but when I saw the price-tag, it was easy to pass. Nearly a year later, I was still thinking about the bike trailer. It was time. I took the plunge and purchased one. Lesson learned... The bike trailer was worth every penny and I'm kicking myself for not buying it sooner.

Our kids are hyped up about the trailer. James has mentioned it in several prayers. It's the highlight of every day. While out on a ride, I get demanding instructions from the kids such as: "Go faster!" "We're not ready to go home yet. Longer, longer!" James is about maxed out weight wise, so we'll utilize it with him while we can. 

Isabelle likes to wear her helmet around the house after returning from a ride to reminisce about the good time she had. James was so torn about missing out on a trailer-ride home, so he threw a colossal fit and wouldn't leave the bike trailer to go to preschool. The little cuties aren't the only ones who are pleased with this new toy. I get my workout in and don't have to deal with any complaints. Oh, and I also sometimes get to listen to my book along the journey. (Only on secluded roads. Safety first!) 

I made the mistake of promising the hooligans that we could take the trailer to a park play-date. We went to Hill Park. What was I thinking? It was the most intense workout I've had in a long time. Picture a killer hill that only people in pristine shape can climb and add 70 pounds tugging along behind you. I was dripping sweat, and ended up walking the bike and trailer up the majority of the hill. At one point, I even made the kids get out of the trailer and walk because it was too heavy to push. For the record, this was a busy street, so many fellow PG residents got to witness my demise. I was exhausted and defeated and showed up stinky and late to the playdate. Let me reassure you though-- the ride home was smooth sailing and the breeze in my face as I sped downhill almost made up for that gargantuan hill.

In order to get a bike trailer, we needed a bike. We've had a bike sitting in our garage with a flat tire for FIVE years now. Andrew tried to fix it twice recently with no luck. We finally took it into a local bike store and they replaced the tire tube within 5 minutes all for $20. Why did we wait 5 years to do this? I wanted bike rides to be a family thing, so that meant we also needed to purchase another adult bike. Whew, big spending spree for us! Andrew ordered a bike sporting a color scheme he loved and a price-tag I was ok with. In James' words, Andrew's new bike is "flashy." Andrew rode the bike to work this week which was pretty impressive. He works in Lehi and it was a 26 mile round-trip adventure. He plans to bike to work again, so I'd say it was a success. We live in such a gorgeous place that has many bike trails. I'm glad we get to utilize them more and see us spending many future Saturday mornings cruising along the Murdock trail!

Now, what's the purchase you've been wanting to make and put-off? I've learned from experience... BUY IT! You won't regret it! And, you can blame me for making you do it.

Darling Daisy

Since Daisy's traumatizing entry into the world, I've been itching to meet her. Jessica suggested taking a girls trip to see Daisy now that we're all vaccinated. At first I was hesitant (who would watch the kids?) because making the trip seemed impossible. Before I could talk myself out of it, we purchased plane tickets to Boston. Mom, Jess, and I made the trek together to Cape Cod. Unfortunately, Lindsey wasn't able to come. We were gone from Saturday, April 17 through Saturday, April 24. I say trek because getting there is not for the faint of heart. The flight is 5 hours, and additionally you have to drive another 2 (or more) from Boston to Cape Cod depending on traffic. I'd do it again in a heartbeat to see Daisy! (Oh and Jill and Rob too.) 

PEAKS: 

At the end of our trip, Jill had all of us each say our PEAK of the trip and our PIT. I love this concept because that's real life for you-- full of ups and downs. There were a plethora of PEAKS or highlights. There were few PITS or bad times. Clearly, Daisy was the #1 PEAK, but the order of the other PEAKS isn't specific. 

PEAK #1: Daisy! The miracle that is now 7 months old. Daisy is a sweetie. She is content and has a mild temperament. Daisy babbles constantly (more than any baby I've seen). Her wardrobe is unreal. She wears vintage well. She is happy. She giggles and smiles all day. Her bedtime is 5:00pm. She doesn't really cry either. When she's sleepy or hungry, she spits. She's a dream baby and I secretly hoped people thought I was her mom while we were out and about. I cherished the moments she fell asleep in my arms.

PEAK #2: Day-trip to Provincetown. (P-Town). What a place. Shopping and food right on the water. Everything is walkable. My only regret is not purchasing the t-shirt that said: -Republican -Democrat -PIZZA. I found sunglasses made for my face. We ate lunch right on the water. You can't get more picturesque. The homemade peanut butter cups were icing on the cake. Who knew peanut butter cups could be made with crunchy peanut butter!? Crunchy peanut butter was a game-changer.

PEAK #3: Hiking. We went on 3 hikes and many beach walks. 1) Sand Dunes Hike near Provincetown 2) Cedar Swamp Hike in Wellfleet 3) Fort Hill Hike, a boardwalk in Eastham . When every hike leads to a stunning view of a deserted beach/ocean, you know you've hit the jackpot. 

PEAK #4: Day-Trip to Salem. With traffic, this ended up being a 3 hour drive each way. Of course,  the drive was no problem for Daisy. We jammed out to T Swift. Upon arriving in Salem, we sprinted from the car to the museum because our museum tickets were very clear that you couldn't be late. We made it with time to spare. Phew! The Salem Witch Museum was kind of dinky, but the presentation wasn't long. Next, we did a walking tour of the city. What a quaint, adorable town. Hearing more about the Salem Witch Trials was astounding. We saw the Hocus Pocus House, The house of 7 Gables, and wrapped up at a local bookshop. Salem Witch playing cards were the perfect souvenir. 

PEAK #5: Shopping. We brought an extra suitcase full of clothes for Daisy, and we made it a point to fill that extra suitcase up with stuff to bring home. We succeeded. We went to an out-of-this-world stationary store, a flea market, several vintage stores, and typical Target and T.J Max. I felt like I got a whole new wardrobe which felt necessary after recently reading "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up." I got rid of most of my wardrobe. I came home a new woman.

These cards were made for me! I initially intended to give them to my piano students, but they might be too special for that.

PEAK #6: Evenings. Rob had to work during the day, but we saw him each night. We saved the most recent season of "Fixer Upper" to watch together. It was refreshing to watch "Fixer Upper" again. There are only 4 episodes so far and I was devastated when we ran out of new episodes. More are coming in July, so let the countdown begin. After taking a break for 10+ seasons, we decided to dive right back into the drama of "Sister Wives." Whew. That's about all I have to say about that. We also gave "Magnolia Kitchen" a shot. It was underwhelming and we lasted for about 5 mins. Games also became a nightly routine. We played Scheming and Skulking, Sushi-Go, and Cover Your Assets. 

PEAK #7: Food. Keeping with tradition, we definitely planned our days around meals and tried to pack in as many calories as possible. We hit up "The Chocolate Sparrow" for their famous frozen hot chocolate more than once. We also craved ice cream sandwiches from "The Knack" and were repeat customers there. Rob's gourmet cooking was restaurant-quality. He made us all sorts of pasta-- lemon, teriyaki, and meatballs. Don't let me forget his breakfast sandwiches. We went to a scrumptious brunch place and let me tell you, maple bacon pancakes should be on every menu. Also, I may have had the best pizza of my life. Call me dramatic, but you need to try it. If you ever have the chance to try "Good Eats on 6," do it. We had some excellent, authentic Chinese food as well and the lo mein was out of this world. I even branched out of my usual boring pallet. When in the Cape, you've got to give seafood a try. I did my part! I had fresh Clam Chowder and even Oysters. Who have I become? My first attempt to eat the Oyster was catastrophic. I didn't actually get any of the oyster in my mouth and instead tasted a huge mouthful of cocktail sauce. I'm surprised I didn't gag and came close. 

Thank you, Rob!

PITS:

To be fair, the trip couldn't have been much better. The only reason there are 4 pits is because there is one per person.

PIT #1 RENTAL CAR: Yes, this needs it's own category. The rental car sitch was less than ideal. Our original car smelled so strongly of smoke. We exchanged it for a different car which also ended up having a smoke whiff. After 6 days of fighting the smell with a rotting banana and a variety of air freshners, it finally diminished. On our way to P-town, a warning light kept flashing about low air pressure in one of the tires. I filled the tire up with air which didn't solve the problem. Yes, you read that correctly. Be proud of me! (I was also called to kill a spider on the trip. What has motherhood done to me!?)  Lo and behold, there was a nail in the tire and we ended up getting the tire patched. Fortunately, we were never stranded on the side of the road and the tire didn't ruin our plans. The rental car company reimbursed us for the cost of patching the tire which made us feel better about the saga. 

PIT #2 WIND: For the majority of the trip, the weather didn't inhibit our plans. 2 of the days had strong winds. Let me get specific-- 25mph winds. When you're staying a block from the beach, 25mph winds are significant. The wind woke me up several times throughout the night. It kind of felt like the story of the big bad wolf. The house felt a huff, and a puff, and like it was going to blow down. Luckily, it survived. 

PIT #3 PEDICURES: I'm no regular when it comes to getting a pedicure. It probably comes down to the cost and the fact that my feet are extremely ticklish. That being said, I still do enjoy pedicures, especially because of the back massage. The pedicure place tried to fit us in before some other appointments and rushed. Our pedicures were speedy and minimal.

PIT #4 LOSING HOT WATER: We stayed at Max's Shack which is walking distance to Jill and Rob's place as well as the beach. It was adorable, clean, and spacious. The hot water stopped working for a day which was kind of annoying, but they got it fixed quickly. 

Quotes: Throughout our trip, we kept a list of funny moments/sayings. Here they are:

• "I have to defecate and urinate." 
• The Paparazzi Porta Potty
• "Just so you know, someone got really sick in there." 
• "I've been surrounded and silenced."
• "As a woman..."
• "There's zero chance there's a Big-O here."
• "We're in the cradle of America."
• "The graves."
• "Brick wall with a mustache."
• "What's the matter with Daisy, she's alright? She's full of pep and vitality.."
• "Stomp your feet to the beat, then repeat. Cha cha cha."
• "She can't be tamed."
• "You don't want to use that kind of battery life for no sound."
• "They think we're polygamists. We were wearing dresses in the rain."
• "It's so fun, it's so fun, it's so fun to be me."
• "Come to Mama."
• "Dead silent."
• "It was a fake."
• "Rob, we've gone down a dark path."
• "She can't be tamed."
• "Rob, bring the air horn!" 
• Pudding conspiracy
• "Va va voom. "

Let me call attention to the quote, "Rob, bring the air horn!" Late one night, we saw not one, but TWO coyotes. This was terrifying. We stayed in the car for a bit to give them time to leave. When we gathered our courage, we purposefully made lots of noise and darted for the house. Mom snapped a pic in the moment, but it was too late. The coyotes didn't want to be seen again. Thank heavens! It's crazy that so near the beach, there are squirrels, woods, trees, wildlife and COYOTES. 

Books I Read:

• "The Push." By: Ashley Audrain (Language warning)
• "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" By: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
• "The Bridge Home" By: Padma Venkatraman
• "Stand Up, Yumi Chung!" By: Jessica Kim (I listened to this one because apparently I'm into audiobooks now.)

Who Watched the Kids?

It takes a village. Hats off to Andrew for being such an involved dad. He knows the routine. Since he only recently started his new job, we didn't want him to take off an entire week. Andrew only had to take off 1 day of work thanks to the help of family. Lindsey watched the kids on Monday. Debbie, my mother-in-law flew in Tuesday evening and watched the kids after that. I so appreciate everyone stepping in. Throughout the week, I got various pictures of my kids which I treasured. 

Grannie and our niece Alysee took the kids to the Provo Rec Center to swim one day. The kids haven't stopped talking about the water park since.

Grannie was here for her birthday and I got back just in time to celebrate!

Meeting baby Daisy was worth the wait! Making memories with my mom and sisters was priceless. They get me! I can say exactly how I feel around them, and even though they know my flaws and quirks, they love me anyway. 

Although I'm glad to be reunited with my kids and Andrew, I miss Jill, Rob, and Daisy fiercely. Good thing they're making a trip to Utah this summer. Izzy will get to see her cousin Daisy in person! She calls every baby she sees Daisy. Isabelle will finally get to meet her idol. I'm so grateful I was able to.

Day-to-Day

Nothing earth-shattering has happened. The most bizarre thing that comes to mind is a sub job I recently took. I was unexpectedly assigned to teach a Chinese immersion class. I panicked, especially when seeing that all the assignments (even the BINGO boards) were in Chinese. In case you're unaware, I do not speak Chinese. Luckily, it was a 5th grade class and the students were pretty independent.

That is the extent of my "earth-shattering" experiences as of late, so I'll fill you in on some of our day-to-day activities.

Andrew:

Is still writing in the evenings and meets up with friends to play board games weekly. He is working on a new book. To get in the writing mood, Andrew does a warm-up and finds a random prompt to respond to. He posted his latest writing "warm-up" exercise on Reddit and got many positive reviews. You can read it HERE. Andrew is pleased with his job at Hivewire. 

Jenna:

Is starting Physical Therapy. I'm sick of knee pain while I workout, and now even while walking/sitting. The doc gave me a cortisone shot which helped. I look forward to the day I'm able to sweat hard and push myself again, instead of having to modify and end my workouts early. I've given audiobooks another whirl recently and am dusting more than ever to get to listen to more books.

James:

Is doing gymnastics with his friend, Harrison. It's very low-key (and cheap), but it gets the job done. James has a designated time each week (for the next month) to run around wildly, Isabelle enjoys snacking on the sidelines, and I savor in the adult conversation with McCall. If you've been around James lately, you've probably heard him say this phrase: "I don't like it, I LOVE it!" He says the sweetest prayers that melt my heart.

Isabelle:

Is adorable. People constantly stare at her and comment on her beauty when we're in public. Her curly hair is a conversation starter and I've been asked too many times to count, "where does she get her curly hair?" Meet my mom and sisters and you'll know. Isabelle likes to be out and about and doesn't like it when we leave the store. She likes the scream, "I don't want to go home." I think quarantine is still too fresh. 

House Update:

We've been talking to a builder since January about a lot. I've kept it fairly quiet because I didn't know if it would workout. It has been an emotional rollercoaster and I'll admit, the anticipation and excitement has kept me up tossing and turning at night.  The lot is a third of an acre, walking distance from my parent's house, and in a cul-de-sac. We told the builder it was a go if it fit in our price-range. I've driven by the lot almost every week. I've seen the architects floor-plans for the exterior and interior. I've decluttered my house, ready to list at a moment's notice. (Although, let's be real, houses take months to build.) I even post-poned signing James up for preschool for next year because I thought a move was inevitable. The biggest hold-up has been the price. Lumber has skyrocketed and is estimated to be 3x the normal cost. That being said, we still thought this house was a possibility and so did the builder. This week I finally heard the price of the build. It was sky-high and we can't afford it. My dreams are shattered. The build was too good to be true. What's next? Excellent question.

The week before Easter.

Easter

The good news is that I get to flee reality early tomorrow morning. Boston couldn't have come at a better time. An escape from this news is just what I need. In all seriousness though, clearly the lot wasn't meant to be. Maybe we're supposed to stay in PG or maybe something even better is coming (like a rambler). 

I'll do my best to have a mind-blowing experience while in Boston to blog about.

Back-To-Back Birthdays

We live for birthdays around here. Clearly, the food is the most important part of the day. We have back-to-back birthdays which keeps me on my toes, but I like it.

ANDREW'S BIRTHDAY

February 20th

Meals:

Breakfast: McDonald's McGriddle

Lunch: Chubby's Burgers. This was our fist time dining-in a restaurant in ages. It was amazing to go on a date.

Snack on the way home: Purple Turtle Shakes because obviously we were starving.

Dessert/Cake: Pumpkin Bars

Presents:

A Google Pixel Phone. Andrew got this in January. I felt bad not giving Andrew anything on his bday, so I gave him a small present relating to each of the 5 senses.

                    Smell: Cascade Springs Drinks

                    Taste: Cool Ranch Doritos

                    Touch: Orange Tie

                    Hear: Audible Credit for his commute

                    Sight: Redbox movie, "Tenet." Not for me, but I gave it a try for a solid 45 minutes before pulling out my book.

JENNA'S BIRTHDAY

February 25

Meals:

Breakfast: Kolaches

Dinner: La Hacienda. We got to go out again thanks to my parents. It was glorious!

Dessert: Kazookies at "The Chocolate." The gooey cookie with ice cream did not disappoint and I definitely want to head back pronto.

Don't forget all the free stuff I got throughout my birthday week: A Crumbl cookie, a small 1 topping pizza from Marco's, and $5 off my Cafe Rio meal.

Presents:

Andrew had the 26th off of work, so we did most of our celebrating then. My biggest request was alone time. (Welcome to motherhood!) I went to Piyo at the gym with friends (for the first time since last summer), read lots, and went shopping solo. Andrew got me heated socks and a Swiffer mop. These gifts truly age me because I was thrilled.

JAMES' BIRTHDAY

March 16

In care you're wondering, we did make a paper chain countdown for James' birthday again this year. He was jealous we got to celebrate Dad's birthday and Mom's birthday, but not his.

Schedule:

The night before his special day, James anxiously told me to go pick-up balloons while he was asleep. He also gave me strict instructions to be sure to wake him up in the morning. He didn't want to miss out. James was pretty amped up all day.

Breakfast: Pancakes 

James: "Dad, I wanna tell ya something. You make the best pancakes ever!"

PRESCHOOL: James got to bring a birthday snack and a birthday spotlight. To top it all off, they celebrated St. Patrick's day and apparently some Leprechaun's visited the classroom and made a big mess and left treats. James has not stopped talking about it since.

Lunch: Chick-Fil-A at Andrew's new office. James has been asking about touring Andrew's work since before Andrew even started. I think James was expecting another office party and was a bit disappointed that everyone wasn't wearing costumes and passing out treats.

SURPRISE: I thought I had done a good job keeping this a surprise, but apparently not. After lunch I told James we had another adventure ahead. He said, "Are we going to the Dinosaur Museum now?" I invited a few of James' friends to join us at the Dinosaur Museum. James has never been (Covid) and I've been eager to take him. Harrison Hendricks, Philip Alling, and Maeve Hollis came. 

Our time at the museum was wild. Corralling both kids was not easy. James sprinted throughout the exhibits and was hard to keep up with. At one point, he even tried to go through an emergency exit and yes, the alarm started blaring. Isabelle wanted nothing to do with the stroller and definitely made her opinion known by kicking and screaming when she didn't want to move on to the next display. The kids had a blast though and were definitely worn out by the end. They were especially fond of playing in the sand and I was content too because it meant they stayed put.

To end the little celebration, we had doughnuts from the Lehi Bakery. I enjoyed putting together party favors and am proud of how they turned out.

Dinner: Stroganoff (James' pick). James treasured hearing all the things we love about him at the dinner table. He directed the convo to ensure everyone got a turn.

Presents:

We got James a scooter, bubbles, new pajamas, and shorts. (He was spoiled by many others too!)

James: "This is fantastic! Izzy, let me show you how to ride my scooter. Just be careful not to break it."  

Bio:

James is tender-hearted and caring. He brings up Grandpa Ken who has passed away often. He cherishes Isabelle and is always thinking of her. He adores books. We've recently started reading him chapter books. He's a big fan of "June B. Jones" and "The Boxcar Children." He listens to stories on Alexa everyday during Quiet Time. James is bright! He knows a lot about the gospel and looks forward to family scriptures and church. He also knows the first few articles of faith. We've been playing games as a family, and "Go Fish" is his favorite. He doesn't like to be skipped in "Uno." James is extremely friendly. We were getting in the car the other day and James dashed outside to tell our neighbors, "hi." He then explained: "Mom, I just had to go say hello to the Hortons." He proceeded to ask me to roll down his window in the car, so he could talk to them some more. We love our sweet, energetic boy.

There's nothing quite like a birthday, especially towards the end of a long winter. The thoughtful texts, phone calls, and messages are always a highlight. I am blessed with caring friends and family who helped make our birthdays special. My mom even did  separate birthday dinners for Andrew and I, so we didn't have to share the spotlight (or pick the same meal). I have plenty of time to gear up for Isabelle's 2nd birthday in July! In the meantime, what am I going to plan next!? Obviously, the food will be the focal point.