where the street have no name

That's where i'm going in about 3 weeks, to live on a street that is only identified by a number, not a name. I guess that's what you get in a town of less then 1 000 peoples. hmmm i think i'm gaining some apreciation for that song.

"I often feel very claustrophobic in a city, a feeling of wanting to break out
of that city and a feeling of wanting to go somewhere where the values of the
city and the values of our society don’t hold you down." ~ Bono, U2

yes, our offer finaly was accepted and we're only waiting for a water test and time to get all the paperwork done and over with. DH recieved the ok for his vacation request, so he'll have more time to help get ready for the big move.

Chantal, cityfobic or at least wanting to break free

Sitting on edge

it's only the second house we make an offer to, and since we made the offer friday and it's a bank repo, the bank is closed on the weekend and they can only reply to our offer on monday morning. I thought waiting 24h for an answer was bad enough. I tried not to think too much about it yesterday. but this evening, the waiting is anguishing me.

I had a hard time getting as entousiastic about this house because the land is no where near as nice. but on the other hand, the house is much better and more suitable for our growing needs. and there is a river running at the back of the propriety. i suppose we should go take a walk down there sometime this week. unless we're outbided and there's no chance to redeem ourself.

the house was only listed the day before we went to see it thursday and we were the first to see it. there were 2 or 3 other couples that went to see it before we even made an offer but yet there were no other offer made yet. there was an other couple going to see it yesterday and i guess we're gonna find out tomorrow if they decided to make an offer.

it is a nice house but it has a lot of overdue maintenance. nothing i'm worried about but it could scare some buyers... i hope
what would you think of a place that need:

• new roofing
• new windows
• driveway need fixing
• side metal stares have no support on one side at the foot of the stares.
• the lanterns on the cement posts along the driveway look totaly rundown
• there's a deadbolt but no doorknob on the entrance door
• the staires are tiled but the edge of a few are missing the trim
• a hole in the bathroom door
• some solarium glass panes are cracked
• the jacuzy might need replacing, meaning the windows have to be replaced at same time cause it will be the only way out for the jacuzy and back in for the new tub.
• the en suite bathroom need be totaly torn down and redone, too much mildew on the walls and ceiling.
• hard wood floor has a few burns in one of the room and nasty scratches in the master bedroom.
• a few missing ceiling acoustic tiles in the basement
• a tiled fireplace cassing with a pipe sticking out but no fireplace
• the driveway will have to be broken up and dug for drainage near the house since it used to be a garage at basement level and will have to be filled.

that's all i can think of right now hehe not sure i feel like going to bed tho, but then again, if i mannage to sleep, time will go faster.

my uncle had advised to bid low, i hope it will work for us.
i guess you'll hear back from me tomorow with more stress or a big celebration hehe altho i seriously doubt they would accept our offer without counter offering. but i kind of expect to be turned down.

ok, enough rambling, this is waring me out
Chantal, worn out from house shopping

torn between dream and reality

So this morning we were anxiously waiting for the report from the inspector to go get a mortgage aproval at the bank. this is it, one of the final steps on our way to ownership. wondering why did the inspector took so long and if we were going to be able to meet the deadlines. and the relief when he walked to our door.

then he came in and sat us down. and his first question was "you guys are infatuated with this porperty aren't you?" yes, it is possible, the view is so nice and a lot of what we were looking for. then he broke it to us, and the words sank deep, "to bring this house to code, it would cost about $100 000" we had even failed to see that there wasn't an electrical outlet upstares where all the bedrooms are. they use extention cords! and about the wood heat? i guess it doesn't even make it to the 2nd floor, they have electric heat up there. the only electricals that are running in the walls up there. he also said that if we were to do any work that required a building permit, like the extention i wanted as an exemple, we'd be asked to bring the house to code and we might as well just tear down the house and build anew. that's quite a wakeup call.

I can't help but feel bad for the owners that are stuck with it. the land and view is beautiful but we need somewhere safe to get our kids to bed. so back to house hunting it is for us. blah!

I had a good laugh this evening while preparing the bath for Vivian. Owen came to see the water running. and when i got ready to get in the tub myself, he hurried like i never seen him do, to get undressed, all by himself. i was so proud of him. pulling his shirt over his head, pulling his pants down and unfastening his diaper with so little trouble. but how do you tell him that he had his bath the night before and will have his bath tomorow and this is Vivian's turn? well, i guess you don't. i took Vivian in for her bath and he was trying to climb in himself. but ended up being pulled back in the livingroom and put new diaper and a pijamas with much protest. he did not want to get into his routine at all, he was so set on getting a bath. he usualy follow bedtime routine very compliantly. Not tonight, after Vivian was clean, i told DH that he might as well have a little soak so he can calm down to go to sleep. So vivian wasn't even out yet that he was trying to climb back in, fully dressed. he got some help getting undressed and then with a little help, climbed the edge of the tub and jumped in gleefully.

so after they were in bed i went to get a boob rack and a 18l water bottle. came back with what i went for and 2 chicks. they were so cute i had to bring them home. they weren't much and they're gonna help with after school activities. I was gonna show you a picture but it won't let me upload.

Chantal, gonna be here for a while longer

Too excited to think about a subject

This is it! we made an offer last night for the house that's been running in our mind for the past few weeks and got a call this morning. we have to call the building inspector, the offer is accepted without need for negotiation on price. although, i think we'll have some negotiation after the inspection is done, there's a lot of work to do in that house.

the closing date is very soon so we have to get ourself into top gear. it sure will help get the clutter out of this house and make it easier to show all the corners hehe
there's so much to do though, oufff, getting this house ready fast and cleaning up our new one. the current owner of our new house don't apear to be the kind keen on reno and maintenance.

my mind is racing, my heart and all, so i'll see about more updates on the events later
Chantal gonna be a contry girl

Mommy beware of new chompers

outch, yes sir
those top 2 teeth are making their way out, gnaw, gnaw gnaw, chomp! :o
i recieved a little preview of their potential this evening. hopefuly she'll be kind to me.

looking back on previous posts, i noticed that i've been talking mostly about house shopping, and i must admit it's on my mind a great deal. especialy that we're starting to get the house ready to put it on the market. there's this sense of entousiasme, exitement and doubts, all mixed into one big ball of nerves that is me right now. why? i'm trying to keep my thought rational on the whole deal, but with Owen that has developped a strong selective hearing and love to torment his 2 sisters, push and steel lill sis's toys, chasse and wagg tail of fluffy fur sister Daphne. and when he get in his mind to chase her around, he has to follow her exact path. it's difficult to keep a straight thought in this chaotic circus of laugh and tears.

to add to the mix, Vivian nurse more frequently at night since she can do so more peacefully. good for her but i'm not getting much sleep from that deal wich i wasn't asked my opinion in the first place. i would like to see her eat more solids but she refuse everything food from me aside from the booby. i've been trying more persistently for the past 3 days to give her food, but it's just one big source of frustration for both of us. My mom has no problem giving her solids though, and my husband has had somewhat more success then me, so i really don't feel like pushing this issue to battle anymore. it just ware me out and make me feel guilty.

it's been a week already since i recieved my potties. we first had asked a coupple that are in business to order them for us, thinking they'd apreciate the business. but time was going by with no news and after 2 months of waiting, we said enough is enough, they wouldn't even return our call, so on monday, i ordered the potties, from a canadian store in Ontario, and thursday they were at my door. Wow, now that's service! and really not too soon for vivian, she look so happy on her new potties.

Argh, i was gonna post some pictures but after 2nd try it just won't let me.
i better go see how Owen's doing, he wasn't sleeping last time i checked. instead, he was in his rocking chair that i just recently placed in his room. might have to take it back.

Well, maybe not, i found him curled up over his sippy in bed hehe if it work for him, i'm ok with that. and if he went to bed later, i might have a bit more time to sleep in the morning.

This evening when i was getting Owen ready for his shower, i found out Vivian mannaged to stand up by herself and was holding on to the side of the playpen. Yay Vivian, you go girl! already 9 months old tomorrow, it's had to believe time went that fast.

looks like Daphne don't want me to type, she's laying across my arms
Chantal, looking for my sanity

Is that my sign?

The sign i've been praying for last night?
could it be?

cause i have a hard time dealing with dilemas, i prayed that if the house in Sackville was the one for us, I asked God to send us someone interrested to buy the house in the next week or 2. i thought leaving 2 weeks for God to send me a sign would be a descent timeframe. Not that i think he can't work with much less time, i guess i just didn't want to sound too much like i was in a hurry. I really didn't expect that a friend hint to us that he's interrested the next day.

Yes, tonight, less then 24 hours before my prayer, he announce that they're gonna put their house for sale and that they are looking for something like our place. She'd like to build, but he doesn't want to. And we are so close to everything here, from first school to college, even university is not too far. and we're walking distance from the mall but it doesn't feel like we're so close to all that trafic. I'll keep praying. it's not an offer yet but there's hope. but now i'm wondering, if he decide that they are not interrested and don't make an offer, is that still my sign?

I guess time will tell, he'll be coming over in 2 days to get his computer virus checked and look at the house.

Chantal, believing that everything should go well if it's God's will

Oh the View

For the past few days' that's all i've been thinking about, The View. i gues you would have to be there to understand.

Friday, we went to see one more house. probably the last in a while, since we were gonna put the house hunting on the back burner again. i feel bad for the estate agent that help us look around. he work so hard for us and then we always end up saying, we're gonna wait some more. wait, wait...

oh, i can't say that we havn't seen some gorgeous house before. sure there was a few. but the price was ah hem! nice too. but this one. when we stepped out of the van. i was so taken by the view. it got to be one of the most beautiful view i ever saw comming with a house. high up overlooking the bay of fundy. oh so beautiful. i guess i'm loosing all my ability to use objectivity when i looked at the house.

there are cracks in the stone masonery, the kitchen is ubber small, witha wonderful view of the bay at the sink. there is barely any room to eat, unless we convert the livingroom into the diningroom. and the office into the livingroom. then, the listing say there are 4 bedroom, but we could only count 3... we are already using the 3 bedroom and will need more if i get pregnant again. the roof need reshingling. the house need new siding and new windows. and if your cooking, hope you don't have to go to the loo in a hurry, cause you have to go all the way throught the house, up the staires and then a few more paces. the barn is not falling apart, there are still some animals in it but it need some TLC too. but the view is astonishing.

the View is what i have in mind all the time no matter what i see in the house. altho i'm unsettled about finding a water cooler in the kitchen. this house is hooked up on well water. what's wrong with the water? we want to get out of the city so we can have good water on tap. not having to keep carrying big water bottles back and forth. so i'm really wondering about that. the kid said that his parents got the water tested not long ago. hope to hear about the results soon.

so after seeing the size and condition of the house we thought about the first house we saw last year. it was about to go in the hands of the bank due to bankrupcy. and it would be out of the market for 3 months. i thought about it again. its a big house with 6 bedroom. there was a few things i had issues about but over all it only needed roof redone and windows. plus it's a finished basement. not the same wonderfull view but a good sturdy house with enough room that we don't have to think about expanding someday.

then we started to think about it and how it would be ok. but the location is in alittle town with not much to do. not a problem for me so much but i think about our kids and how they might have not enough to keep them out of trouble there. altho there are plenty of wood to heat the house and a river running at the back. no barn but a big garage that can fit a few vehicules and lots of junk or hobbies. and no pastures. just a fairly large backyard but nothing i'd call a pasture.

So i'm torn apart, the view keep calling me and sackville has much more to offer. but the house is needing a lot of TLC. it has some fenced pastures and plenty of room to grow lots of stuff. and even more wood. and the view is so nice. but how could we afford all the renovation and the possible expanssion?

Where does the reality start and the dream end? anyone can help me make up my mind?

Chantal, Struck by the View

Saw a few more houses today

The first house we saw was in memremcook, nice location, elevated enough not to worry about flooding, but oh my, how the floors are crooked, they all have their own slope facing diferent direction. can't hold it against them that the bed was in the dining room right off the living room, there come an age when steps are not an option, even when all the bedroom are up there. i suppose it's still better then the one with the dead mouse in it, yeah. pretty interresting houses we've been seeing. no wonder i started considering building new again.

the second house we saw today was so nice, i think it was the nicest we saw so far overall. maybe not the nicest house in absolute. but in very good condition with enough room, and some out building that are not treatening to fall like most other one we saw. the barn was actualy very nice and sturdy too. and had some inabitant so Owen had the chance to make is first encounter of the bovine kind. he also had a chance to see a real piano for the first time. make me regret selling mine. he seemed to like it.

the third one was nice too, mostly but had a muddy basement and altho we thought it had 200 acres of wood land, it was only near the house that there was wood, behind that, it was all cut. and the house burn 12 cords of wood, wich a lot. and on the way to this house, i found out that we had forgotten the diaper bag at home :

how can we forget such a thing? with a toddler and a 8 months old? oddly enough, she kept fairly dry and didn't want to eat either. all it seem she made a big fuss about is that she was too warmly bundled. the whole weat rolls i bought at the big stop irving was a good investment though. kept our stomack from grumbling and Owen in a good mood the whole trip.

Now if we can only find a happy medium between afordability and our dreams. that will be great. or maybe we just need to win the lottery :p unless i can get in a good business oportunity that i could do at home, that would be sweet.

Chantal, house hunting continue

House hunting

Once more, we've started going to look at houses, hoping to find the one that we can call home. at first i always feel the rush and the urge, then after a few houses, it's the disenchantement. too small, too run down, not enough land, or too expensive, still not big enough or way too far. blah!

then i start thinking, what if we just got land and built the house that suits us. but we're talking money we don't have. we thought about in law suite too but maybe we're just dreaming.

i guess we're gonna go see more house next week. keep you posted

Chantal

Censored News?

My DH sent me a link and after reading a bit, found it quite of interesting value. i thought i'd share the link with you. there was one in particular that conserned Canada, and makes me wonder if the elections even matter.

i'd also want to make you ponder the true origin or mother's day . because even if we're a few months away from mother's day, i think if we should honor it's true meaning, we'd have to pass the word early enough so woman everywhere could get together to unite their prayers for peace and show solitarity for the ones who are mourning their loved ones because of terror, wars and opression.

Please pass the word around
Chantal