The bank countered our offer, and we accepted!
So now we start the process to get into the house! I am so excited! I think I want to go browse Lowe's tonight... haha. ;-)
I just pray there is nothing wrong in the inspection that would cause concern, and that there are no problems in the process that would prevent us from closing after nov.30 (we need the tax credit!)
AAAHHHH! I can't wait! Now I need to start packing stuff before I go back to work in a week and a half.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Interesting...
I took this from Neo-Neocon
Obama’s fixed smile is described thusly (the nearly-fixed head position, which in my opinon is even more revealing, is not specifically mentioned):
"Ladies and gentlemen, your President is a robot. Or a wax sculpture. Maybe a cardboard cutout. All I know is no human being has a photo smile this amazingly consistent."
Perhaps Obama was merely getting ready for Halloween a few weeks early, and was wearing his favorite costume: an Obama mask.
And lest you think all of this is sort of trivial, I submit that it is not. Obama is easily the most controlled president I’ve ever seen in terms of his personal style. Although supposedly cool, there is no looseness there, no moment when you think you see a glimpse into the true man in a relaxed state when he has let down his guard.
In general, politicians who would be president must exercise more public control over themselves than ordinary people. But Obama is in a class by himself in this regard; his control is more complete and therefore more eerie. Even gestures that might appear to be spontaneous (witness these) are, IMHO, carefully planned to appeal to a certain audience that “gets” it.
Some people are just naturally subdued, and I think that description fits Obama as well. But there’s much more than that going on with the demeanor of our current president. Anyone who attempts this complete a level of control is hiding something. In Obama’s case, I believe it is his essential far-Leftist self: who he is and what he means to do.
That’s the Obama mask he wears, and he cannot take it off without revealing more than he wishes us to know right now. Maybe some day.
And now let me go all literary on you and quote T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock:”
And indeed there will be time
For the yellow smoke that slides along the street,
Rubbing its back upon the window-panes;
There will be time, there will be time
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;
There will be time to murder and create,
And time for all the works and days of hands
That lift and drop a question on your plate;
Time for you and time for me,
And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the taking of a toast and tea.
[NOTE: One of the very few people who seems to know Obama—if “know” is defined as having had a great many dealings with him before he ran for office—is Richard Epstein, a law professor at University of Chicago. The following excerpts are from an interview Epstein gave in early April of 2009 (and remember, this is from a guy who has known him personally for quite some time):
Obama has the world’s most perfect human disposition. He can sit in a room with you, he can listen to you, and he can talk to you, and you really get the sense of a man who is in complete self control.
But, that’s the very feature that makes him so hard to read. He is so much in self control, that if he doesn’t want you to know in a conversation what he is thinking, you can be there for 30 minutes and never be able to figure out what he believes. You can only have him question you about what you believe. He keeps all of his thoughts to himself.
Robinson: So, he is like Leonard Nimoy, like Spock, the Vulcan in Star Trek.
Epstein: He basically knows how to keep that shield over his face.
Epstein also expresses little doubt about one of the questions that keeps coming up in discussions of Obama: is he an ideologue, or just a follower and/or a narcissist? From the interview:
Robinson: You are quoted in the Boston Globe, “I like Obama but I reject the suggestion that he is an intellectual. He is an activist merely mimicking the mannerisms of an intellectual.” How good is Obama’s mind?
Epstein: His mind is pretty good, but it is a clever “means-ends” mind. He has never written a scholarly article in his entire life…
His positions are not close to the middle, and so he sees no reason to compromise with Republicans unless and until they can mount a veto threat in the Senate. He is very, very dogmatic about his substantive positions. He knows what he believes and he knows why he believes it, and it is extremely difficult for people on the outside to change his mind.
]
[ADDENDUM: Stuart Schneiderman of “Had Enough Therapy?” adds some further reflections on Obama’s mask.]
Barack Obama's amazingly consistent smile from Eric Spiegelman on Vimeo.
Obama’s fixed smile is described thusly (the nearly-fixed head position, which in my opinon is even more revealing, is not specifically mentioned):
"Ladies and gentlemen, your President is a robot. Or a wax sculpture. Maybe a cardboard cutout. All I know is no human being has a photo smile this amazingly consistent."
Perhaps Obama was merely getting ready for Halloween a few weeks early, and was wearing his favorite costume: an Obama mask.
And lest you think all of this is sort of trivial, I submit that it is not. Obama is easily the most controlled president I’ve ever seen in terms of his personal style. Although supposedly cool, there is no looseness there, no moment when you think you see a glimpse into the true man in a relaxed state when he has let down his guard.
In general, politicians who would be president must exercise more public control over themselves than ordinary people. But Obama is in a class by himself in this regard; his control is more complete and therefore more eerie. Even gestures that might appear to be spontaneous (witness these) are, IMHO, carefully planned to appeal to a certain audience that “gets” it.
Some people are just naturally subdued, and I think that description fits Obama as well. But there’s much more than that going on with the demeanor of our current president. Anyone who attempts this complete a level of control is hiding something. In Obama’s case, I believe it is his essential far-Leftist self: who he is and what he means to do.
That’s the Obama mask he wears, and he cannot take it off without revealing more than he wishes us to know right now. Maybe some day.
And now let me go all literary on you and quote T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock:”
And indeed there will be time
For the yellow smoke that slides along the street,
Rubbing its back upon the window-panes;
There will be time, there will be time
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;
There will be time to murder and create,
And time for all the works and days of hands
That lift and drop a question on your plate;
Time for you and time for me,
And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the taking of a toast and tea.
[NOTE: One of the very few people who seems to know Obama—if “know” is defined as having had a great many dealings with him before he ran for office—is Richard Epstein, a law professor at University of Chicago. The following excerpts are from an interview Epstein gave in early April of 2009 (and remember, this is from a guy who has known him personally for quite some time):
Obama has the world’s most perfect human disposition. He can sit in a room with you, he can listen to you, and he can talk to you, and you really get the sense of a man who is in complete self control.
But, that’s the very feature that makes him so hard to read. He is so much in self control, that if he doesn’t want you to know in a conversation what he is thinking, you can be there for 30 minutes and never be able to figure out what he believes. You can only have him question you about what you believe. He keeps all of his thoughts to himself.
Robinson: So, he is like Leonard Nimoy, like Spock, the Vulcan in Star Trek.
Epstein: He basically knows how to keep that shield over his face.
Epstein also expresses little doubt about one of the questions that keeps coming up in discussions of Obama: is he an ideologue, or just a follower and/or a narcissist? From the interview:
Robinson: You are quoted in the Boston Globe, “I like Obama but I reject the suggestion that he is an intellectual. He is an activist merely mimicking the mannerisms of an intellectual.” How good is Obama’s mind?
Epstein: His mind is pretty good, but it is a clever “means-ends” mind. He has never written a scholarly article in his entire life…
His positions are not close to the middle, and so he sees no reason to compromise with Republicans unless and until they can mount a veto threat in the Senate. He is very, very dogmatic about his substantive positions. He knows what he believes and he knows why he believes it, and it is extremely difficult for people on the outside to change his mind.
]
[ADDENDUM: Stuart Schneiderman of “Had Enough Therapy?” adds some further reflections on Obama’s mask.]
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Another Offer
Well, We went and looked at another house today. It is about 15 years newer than the other one (built in '88) It is 3 bdr, 2 ba, 1236 sq. ft. It is on a corner lot, off of a somewhat busy street, but has a large brick wall along the side of the house, which helps with noise. It is pretty nice inside, though we will replace the carpet and linoleum in the kitchen, and paint the whole place. =)
It is actually listed for less than the other one, which is nice.
So, we are putting in an offer tonight! I know there are no other offers yet, so that is an advantage for us... hopefully the bank will just accept it!
Here are a couple pictures: (though it looks nicer in person!)
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It is actually listed for less than the other one, which is nice.
So, we are putting in an offer tonight! I know there are no other offers yet, so that is an advantage for us... hopefully the bank will just accept it!
Here are a couple pictures: (though it looks nicer in person!)
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Monday, September 28, 2009
Pumpkin Scones!
I love Fall! And I love Pumpkin. I have a great recipe for pumpkin scones (not typical scones... they are not dry at all!) And they are sooooo good! We used to sell these at our coffee shop (all you old mocha mania customers should enjoy this!) and they would sell out fast.
Anyways, here is the recipe... you have to make these at least once! I promise you will love them! And they are super easy!
Pumpkin Scones
6c. Flour
3c. sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tbs baking soda
1 stick butter
1/2 c. crisco
1 lg. can pumpkin (can sub any type of pie mix/filling, or just do chocolate chips and milk to make a dough, almost the consistency of cookie dough!)
Sift together dry ingredients.
Cut in butter and crisco and mix together
stir in pumpkin or pie filling
place on ungreased cookie sheet or pizza stone
bake at 350 for 25-30 mins. (or less depending on the size)
Enjoy!!!
Anyways, here is the recipe... you have to make these at least once! I promise you will love them! And they are super easy!
Pumpkin Scones
6c. Flour
3c. sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tbs baking soda
1 stick butter
1/2 c. crisco
1 lg. can pumpkin (can sub any type of pie mix/filling, or just do chocolate chips and milk to make a dough, almost the consistency of cookie dough!)
Sift together dry ingredients.
Cut in butter and crisco and mix together
stir in pumpkin or pie filling
place on ungreased cookie sheet or pizza stone
bake at 350 for 25-30 mins. (or less depending on the size)
Enjoy!!!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Video time!
Here are some videos from the past week or so... They aren't the best quality, because I used my cell phone, but they are still cute! Enjoy!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
The waiting game...
Well, we went and looked at the house thursday evening...
It was pretty nice! It needs a little work, but nothing major (broken bathroom window, carpet could stand to be replaced, etc.) But overall, we liked it!
so... We made an offer!
Unfortunately, it was a foreclosure, and is bank owned. (Not a short sale, though, thank goodness!) so we haven't heard about it yet... but we are keeping our fingers crossed!
It is 3 bdr, 2 ba, 1376 sq. feet.
Here are a couple pictures of the house:
It was pretty nice! It needs a little work, but nothing major (broken bathroom window, carpet could stand to be replaced, etc.) But overall, we liked it!
so... We made an offer!
Unfortunately, it was a foreclosure, and is bank owned. (Not a short sale, though, thank goodness!) so we haven't heard about it yet... but we are keeping our fingers crossed!
It is 3 bdr, 2 ba, 1376 sq. feet.
Here are a couple pictures of the house:
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
2 months old, and other news!
I can't believe my little guy is already 2 months old. (2 months and 3 days to be exact!)
I can't hardly remember what life was like before he was here. He has become our life. I love just sitting and watching him play and talk with his toys. He has developed quite a voice! And when he smiles at me, it melts my heart.
He is getting so big too! He has a double chin going on, and is definitely starting to round out and get a little chunky. =)
In other news:
we are re-homing Stella. The person at Reno Husky Rescue is going over applications for her (she had several for them the day they listed her!) and will be taking her for some meet and greets in the next couple days. We know she will be going to a good home, which makes us feel good about it. She just has way too much energy, and needs a lot more attention than we can give her. She is also very clumsy with the Cat, and we are not sure how she will do when Jack starts crawling. =)
Also, we might be buying a house! I am waiting to hear back from the lender on our pre-approval, which he said looks good so far, and he should have a letter in my hands in the morning, and we are going to look at a promising house tomorrow afternoon... if it looks good, we may be making an offer! It is priced great, and even if we don't stay here, we can probably make money on it in the long run. After the mortgage, taxes and insurance, our monthly payment will still be $150 less a month than it is with us renting here... and for a bigger house. =) So we are praying!!!
I will leave you with some pictures from this week!
He loves playing with his toys
And even smiled for me!
Tummy Time
First time in the Bumbo Seat. =)
Look at that double chin!
I can't hardly remember what life was like before he was here. He has become our life. I love just sitting and watching him play and talk with his toys. He has developed quite a voice! And when he smiles at me, it melts my heart.
He is getting so big too! He has a double chin going on, and is definitely starting to round out and get a little chunky. =)
In other news:
we are re-homing Stella. The person at Reno Husky Rescue is going over applications for her (she had several for them the day they listed her!) and will be taking her for some meet and greets in the next couple days. We know she will be going to a good home, which makes us feel good about it. She just has way too much energy, and needs a lot more attention than we can give her. She is also very clumsy with the Cat, and we are not sure how she will do when Jack starts crawling. =)
Also, we might be buying a house! I am waiting to hear back from the lender on our pre-approval, which he said looks good so far, and he should have a letter in my hands in the morning, and we are going to look at a promising house tomorrow afternoon... if it looks good, we may be making an offer! It is priced great, and even if we don't stay here, we can probably make money on it in the long run. After the mortgage, taxes and insurance, our monthly payment will still be $150 less a month than it is with us renting here... and for a bigger house. =) So we are praying!!!
I will leave you with some pictures from this week!
He loves playing with his toys
And even smiled for me!
Tummy Time
First time in the Bumbo Seat. =)
Look at that double chin!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
2 month checkup
Jack had his 2 month well baby checkup today... The Dr. said everything looks good. he is at 9lb 14oz, and 21 3/4 inches long, and his head is at 14 1/2 in. He is in the lower percentiles for weight, so the dr. said to maybe try and get him to eat a little more. =) But he is nice and strong!
He got his vaccines, and has been a little fussy all day, so hopefully he will sleep good tonight...
We also got a prescription for zantac for him, and I gave him his first dose this afternoon, and it seems like it is already helping! He hasn't spit up or made the semi-gagging noise (like he spit up in his throat) at all since then. And, he hasn't gotten the hiccups (which he usually gets like 4-5 times a day. =) So hopefully this is really the problem/solution, and things will only get better!
I will leave you with a couple pictures and a video...
He was smiling and having a great time!
He got his vaccines, and has been a little fussy all day, so hopefully he will sleep good tonight...
We also got a prescription for zantac for him, and I gave him his first dose this afternoon, and it seems like it is already helping! He hasn't spit up or made the semi-gagging noise (like he spit up in his throat) at all since then. And, he hasn't gotten the hiccups (which he usually gets like 4-5 times a day. =) So hopefully this is really the problem/solution, and things will only get better!
I will leave you with a couple pictures and a video...
He was smiling and having a great time!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
The Great Reno Balloon Race '09
We got up way too early this morning (4am) to go to the Reno Balloon Races. We had to walk about a mile from where we parked to get to the park, but it was worth it. There were so many balloons! I can't believe how many people were there that early though. It was still dark out!
Anyways, here are some of my favorite pictures from the day:
To see the rest of them, go here:
http://www.seehere.com/katrinawelch/balloonraces
Anyways, here are some of my favorite pictures from the day:
To see the rest of them, go here:
http://www.seehere.com/katrinawelch/balloonraces
Friday, September 11, 2009
7 1/2 weeks (and pictures!)
Jack is 7 1/2 weeks now. =) I can't believe it... I am not ready to go back to work in a month!
Lately I have been noticing more and more symptoms that Jack may have acid reflux. I moved his 2 month check up to next Thursday, so I will talk to his Dr. about it then. But I think it may have something to do with his breastfeeding issues too, so hopefully that is what it is, and it can be easily treated, and he will start nursing better. =) Pray for us!
We had another photo shoot for Jack today, but this time, I was behind the camera. Here are some of the shots we got. =)
This outfit was Josh's when he was a baby:
Almost caught him in a smile!
This one reminds me of an Olan mills pose from the 80's. haha.
Love this one!
Lately I have been noticing more and more symptoms that Jack may have acid reflux. I moved his 2 month check up to next Thursday, so I will talk to his Dr. about it then. But I think it may have something to do with his breastfeeding issues too, so hopefully that is what it is, and it can be easily treated, and he will start nursing better. =) Pray for us!
We had another photo shoot for Jack today, but this time, I was behind the camera. Here are some of the shots we got. =)
This outfit was Josh's when he was a baby:
Almost caught him in a smile!
This one reminds me of an Olan mills pose from the 80's. haha.
Love this one!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Bathtime!
Jack is liking bath time now! He will just sit contentedly in the tub while you wash him. =) It is so cute, and he has even given us a smile or two. here are a few pictures from last night...
My favorite one:
Playing with his towel (starting to get chubby thighs!)
My favorite one:
Playing with his towel (starting to get chubby thighs!)
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