Bid On Our House Aug 23, 2015

Bid On Our House  Aug 23, 2015

Well, we did get a bid on our house on Aug. 23rd; but our realtor says we are going to get a second bid from another family today.  We are waiting to see if the second one is a better offer than the one we got already.  The first bid is quite a bit lower than we just lowered the price too.  It is so sad that we will be losing money on this house, but I guess that is the case for most people that bought homes in 2005 and before the recession.  It doesn't make it any easier to be in that company!  Anyway, please pray for this process, and for the decisions to be wise ones!  This could be the week we actually sell our house?!  I won't count my chickens before they hatch; but things are looking active.

Aug 25, 2015
We never did receive that second offer/bid.  So we have started the counter offer to this family and are waiting to see how they like our counter offer.  I'll keep you posted.

They have countered our counter! and we will offer another counter tomorrow.  Tonight, (Tuesday) the other family that we thought was going to bid, but hasn't, have come back to our house for a THIRD showing!  I am hopeful they might make a bid tomorrow morning---a bid that is perhaps closer to our new (low) asking price.  The people bidding now are difficult!  But, we are thankful that there is a hope.  Keep 'ya posted...

Aug 27, 2015
We countered their counter yesterday, and their realtor really put our realtor, Gwen, through the wringer!  "What is wrong with the house, why hasn't it sold in a year!" Then when we wouldn't go down as much as they hoped, their realtor said something like-'Aren't they desperate to sell the house???' and Gwen told them we weren't keen to give it away!!!  I guess they went back and forth for a good while.  Their realtor was incredulous that only a father, mother, and one child lived in our big house.  After all the tit-for-tat, they accepted our counter bid...which is $10,000 less than we were asking for a week ago!  But, it is better than if we had to continue paying two mortgages until we were desperate!

Now they will work on finding a bank to be their lender.  I does leave a doubt in my mind---they could still fall through if they don't get a loan.  They hadn't gotten pre-approval before house shopping.

Now, for the other family that we were expecting a bid from on Sunday.  Well, Monday was their third showing of our house, and Tuesday was their fourth showing of our house; only this time they brought along all their family (parents, etc,) in SIX cars to examine the house!  The told Gwen they still had to contact the police to see what the crime rate was in our area.  So, they are still researching and haven't placed a bid...and perhaps they have missed the boat now that we have agreed with the one family with the feisty realtor.  But, if they can't get a loan then they will have an opportunity then--and perhaps they will have completed their research by then! Ha!

So, there is probably a good 75% chance that our house will be sold in the next month or two.  That is much better odds than we've had for the last 14 months!

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Core G Week 13 "B" Aug 17-22, 2015 (Starting Back with Lessons)

Core G "Ancients"

Week 13 "B" 

Aug 17-22, 2015 

(Starting Back with Lessons)

The view from my back door in Indiana

Dd took this picture from up in her playhouse.

Dd took this picture from up in her playhouse.  It was so beautiful and peaceful to see all the Indiana fog!  This little retention pond was really pretty; the picture doesn't do it justice.  There is usually a heron in it...successfully fishing!

We are still knee-deep in things that need done in fixing up the house before winter, but we needed to start back at our lessons as Dd has been off for 8 weeks!  Yikes!  That is a long time for her, but I think she really enjoyed a real break.  She got to pick all the books *she* wanted to read, and not assigned reading.  She definitely read more hours each day than when I assign the books; which was interesting to see.

I'm working hard!

I got the stairs to the basement all Spackled, Sanded, trimmed, and Kilz'ed.  Now to Spackle a few spots that still need more filling, and then I can paint the stairs "stone" color with the oil base floor paint.

A few years back I planted Milkweed transplants in my backyard that were going to get mowed over in our neighborhood's common areas.  This year we have nibble's on our leaves!  Dd found this caterpillar on our Milkweed on Friday.  Two other Milkweed plants showed up across the yard?  I didn't plant them!  But, I'm glad to see them.  Also, this week--in Michigan we had TWO PILEATED Woodpeckers on the Spruce tree closest to our deck.  I was only 15 feet away from them!  While in Indiana, I saw two Wrens in our back Colorado Blue Spruce tree.  They were the first Wren's I've ever seen in Indiana!  We also have seen a lot of hawks lately.  

For our first week back, and because I still need hours each day on painting, we only did Bible, Math, and Read Alouds.  For the Read Alouds, I had pinned The White Stag to read during Week 13, and Dd asked if she could pick another RA for us to read together.  She gave me five options to choose from, and I picked The Hobbit.  We have listened to this book on audio at least twice, but I absorb so much more when I am reading it aloud, and was curious to see how I liked it---and like it, I very much do!  I'm very happy with our choice, and like it way better now that I am able to catch every detail.

On Thursday, we did our lessons in the morning, then packed up our van, pushed in our dog, Sophie, and headed to Indiana for a visit.  Thursday night we were invited to the "L" family's house for dinner.  We had the best rice dish!  Wow, Mrs. L can cook!  We had a **showing** of our house from 5:30 to 6:30 pm, so Sophie had to stay with us at the L house.  The people that visited our house didn't leave any feedback; so I can't share what the results were, but I'm assuming they weren't interested if they didn't leave feedback.

On Friday, Mrs. L picked Dd up to take along with her family to Eagle Creek park, and then back to her house to visit while I mowed/weeded/vacuumed/scrubbed/etc at our house.  I was invited back to their house for dinner, and hurried to get all my work done in time for dinner!  We had a wonderful Stir Fry and then the kids all worked together to make a cake and icing.  I believe this time there might have been too many irons in the fire for one cake!  We were all happily willing to eat the funny cake!

Saturday was a rush--I woke at 6:50 am to start packing our van for our return.  We had scheduled to meet at the "L" house at 9 am for a hike together at Eagle Creek before we left, so we really had to hustle on cleaning up the house and packing!  As we were about to finish up, and already 5 minutes late, our realtor called to let us know we had another family schedule to have a showing of our house from 10:30 to 12 pm!!!  Glad we were already all cleaned and packed!  So, we rushed off to the L house, and Dd, Sophie and I got in their van for the ride to the park.  We saw a really super beautiful Monarch butterfly on a perfectly blooming purple thistle flower!  So gorgeous!  Dd had left our camera in her backpack, so I couldn't take a picture, but Mrs. L did!  I just enjoyed every line and white dot on the butterfly's wings.  We also saw some great birds, the two birds of prey in cages by the ornithology center, and cormorants/herons/ducks in the water as we walked along the path beside Eagle Creek.  A beautiful day, and a beautiful walk with friends! After the lovely hike, we went back to their house and got in our van for the long ride back to Michigan.  It was so good to see familiar faces and to talk, talk, talk!  Goodness, I talked way too much---my voice was raw by the end of Thursday night!  What a great visit with friends!!!  Thank you to the L family!!  When we got back to Michigan, Dd and Dh went swimming together.

So, our house in Indiana is STILL in need of prayer; for it to finally sell.  Dh's work is still many 12 hour days; but he still says it is better than where he worked in Indiana.  The homeschool group (local group: LINK) has not responded to our application, so I emailed them this morning to find out our status - it has been a month now.  I'm re-re-reading The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.  I was looking at my notes in the journal that goes with it, and the last time I had read this book was when I was nervous about moving to Brownsburg, Indiana!  Ha!  I guess this is the 'go-to" book when I move!

Our lessons:

Bible:

Veritas Bible Chronicles through Malachi and Job Home School Kit

Item #: VB4KIT

Veritas Press: Chronicles Through Malachi

Card 87: completed

Temple Work Resumes Under Haggai and Zechariah

Ezra 1-6; Haggai; Zechariah

This week we read Zechariah 11, 12, 13, & 14 with the Bible and the Believer's Bible Commentary by William MacDonald.

Card 88: in process

Esther Becomes Queen

Esther 1, 2

c. 516 BC

We started--we read the Introduction to Esther, and Esther 1, in our Bible and Believer's Bible Commentary.

Believer's Bible Commentary   [BELIEVERS BIBLE COMMENTARY -SS] [Hardcover]

Mar 31, 1995

by MacDonald, W.(Author) ; MacDonald, William(Author); Farstad, Arthur L.(Editor)

Math:

Math U See: Algebra 1

We left off after doing the first 4 lessons, back in July, so I decided we would review each lesson, one per day.  So we made a new copy of 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A (Monday through Thursday) and then on Friday we started 5A, which was a *new* lesson.  Next week we will do 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E and go normally forward.  Dd did really well at remembering the first 4 lessons, and didn't need to re-watch the lesson videos.

History Read Aloud (RA): in process

White Stag

The White Stag by Kate Seredy

Rainbow Resource description:

This Newbery Medal-winner tells the story of the Huns and the Magyars and their generations-long hunt for a homeland, led by a mythical white stag. The tale begins with Nimrod, the Mighty Hunter, saddened by the hunger that is affecting his people, and unsure where to lead them. After a sacrifice and a dramatic sign of four eagles, Nimrod announces that his sons, Hunor and Magyar will lead the people west to a new land of plenty. Nimrod dies that night, and his sons, now dubbed the “Twin Eagles of Hadur” bury him, then lead their people westward, on a journey that will take many years, and result in the division of the Huns and the Magyars, with the Huns pushing further to the West, eventually under the fearless leadership of Attila. A dramatic and lyrical story that would make a terrific read-aloud too. By Kate Seredy, 96 pgs, pb. - Jess

Fun RA: in process

Hobbit

The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien

Current Events:
CNN STUDENT NEWS---it's back on!

Audio 1:
Little Town on the Prairie by L.I. Wilder: completed
(we love all these audio's narrated by Cherry Jones and listen to them over and over again!)

Halt's Peril (Ranger's Apprentice): completed

Redwall: completed
(Dd was in and out on this one, but I loved it!)




Nature/Science:
Dd went to Eagle Creek Park 2x

Language Arts:
Dd has been working all summer on her book

Gym:
swam a lot this week, twice with Pappa

Art:
Dd is making a gray sweater--knitting it--very nice

Cooking/Baking:
She made a cake at the "L" families house, we drove down to Indiana to mow and check on our house, and visit our dear friends.

Not bad for a first week back at it.

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Dd's Summer Reading List 2015

Dd's Summer Reading List 2015 

Hit or Miss this year, we didn't write down each book...

In Process!

By John A. Flanagan:

Ranger's Apprentice: Halt's Peril, Book 9

Ranger's Apprentice: Kings of Clonmel, Book 8

Ranger's Apprentice: Erak's Ransome, Book 7

Ranger's Apprentice: The Battle for Skandia, Book 4

Ranger's Apprentice: Icebound Land, Book 3

By Rick Riordan:

Previously listened to these on audio, now reading:

Heroes of Olympus: Son of Neptune, Book 2

Heroes of Olympus: House of Hades, Book 4

Heroes of Olympus: Blood of Olympus, Book 5

By L.M. Montgomery:

Anne of Green Gables, Rainbow Valley, Book 7

Anne of the Island

By Brian J. Selznick:

Wonderstruck

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Star Wars, Conviction by Aaron Allston

Conviction: Star Wars (Fate of the Jedi) (Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi - Legends)

Star Wars, Invincible by Troy Denning

Invincible (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, Book 9)

By Suzanne Colllins:

Hunger Games, Book 1

Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Book 2

Hunger Games, Mockingjay, Book 3

Ignis by Gina Wilson and P.J. Lynch

Ignis

Oct 1, 2001

American Girl: Mini Mysteries 3 by Rick Walton

Mini Mysteries (Revised): 34 Tricky Tales to Untangle

Feb 28, 2015

By Bruce Hale:

Murder, My Tweet

By Bruce Hale Murder, My Tweet: A Chet Gecko Mystery (Reprint) [Paperback]

Apr 16, 2005

Chet Gecko, Gum for Hire

This Gum for Hire: A Chet Gecko Mystery

By Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little Town on the Prairie
(audio, narrated by Cherry Jones...for the umpteenth time!)

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Spruce Aug. 18, 2015

Spruce Aug. 18, 2015

It might have taken years, but Dd *finally* got her Chinese kit put together!  She likes to make things while I read our RA's (read aloud's) 

A quick Tuesday update.  The "library" books are getting harder and harder to find, and our shelf space is running out!  Now we have only our fun books left---hundreds (or more) of picture books.  Those books are going to have to wait for me to find a few new (to us) bookshelves in order to come out of their boxes.  Our house in Indiana had high ceilings, so I could stack boxes on top of the bookshelves for lots more books per room, and that doesn't work here in the basement library.  I haven't figured out what we will do yet.

Our house in Indiana---we have had the last two weekends as "open house" inviting people in to see (and hopefully buy) our loved home.  So far, people are interested, but not buying...yet!  Prayers appreciated.

Dh worked something like 64 hours last week...this week will be his third Saturday in a row to work.  He is doing 12 hour days (or longer) on most days, and this week one of his major helpers went on vacation, so he has to cover his 6 am shift.  So, Tuesday through Friday, he has to be by 6 am --and doesn't get home until after 7 pm so far.  It is going to be a LONG week for him.  Thankful that he took a nap after church on Sunday---and quite a long one too!  Poor guy!

This week, as Dd and I were sitting on our deck table eating our lunch a Pileated Woodpecker on the tree closest to our deck!!!  So we sat there frozen, not moving an inch, and watching it eat and peck.  Then after 3-4 minutes of watching it, another Pileated Woodpecker comes swooshing in and lands on that tree and the first one quickly flies away!  While the Pileated Woodpecker was on the tree, there was also, for sharp contrast, a little Hummingbird sitting on one of the lower branches.  Later on this same day, we had a hawk above our pool, in the trees.  What a great day!

Our lessons:

SO we have started back this week to our Core G lessons.  We left off on Week 13.  We are just doing bible, math, and two read alouds for now.  For math--Dd is in Algebra 1, so we are going to start the book over, doing a new lesson each day.  So, Monday she did Lesson One, Tuesday, Lesson Two...etc.  She will be back where she was in no time--and had a good review.  For our RA's(read aloud's) we started The White Stag by Kate Seredy and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.  We have already heard this story on audio (numerously) and Dd has read it to herself, but now we are reading it aloud---which is great for me, as I remember better when I've read it aloud rather than an audio.  Dd is an auditory learner, so she can do fine either way.

We have been listening to Redwall, and a Ranger's Apprentice audio (Halt's Peril).  Dd has been taking to Dh about all the Ranger's Apprentice books; and who is who, and all the details.  She gave him a "test" last night to see if he was keeping it all straight, and he did pass! Funny!

Besides unpacking boxes, (finally found my salad spinner!!!! and my Birds of Michigan book and audio) I am trying to get the stairs to the basement done.  Spackle, Sand, re-apply Spackle, vacuum, and hopefully painting will be the next step! 

It has been extremely hot and humid here--and we have been swimming practically every day to cool off.  So thankful to have a pool that apparently never reaches 80 degrees! Yikes!  True, but I am getting use to swimming in 75 degree pool water; it is better than that aquatic (WSI) camp I went to in Maine (in early June), and the water was literally in the 50's and fellow candidates were dropping from hypothermia!  That was officially "wicked cold"!

Here are the latest pictures:

Here are about 5 boxes of empty boxes---we have another five in other rooms...SO MANY BOXES!

Check out the skylight on the right of the roof....I've been working on applying more tar to the seems--used up a whole gallon can of tar already.  We are considering buying some flashing to put on top of that---we had rain coming in our sun room on rainy morning, enough to make me want to cry...and dare to climb an "A FRAME" house...steep!

I could reach the top and top side a little, but going farther down the roof was daunting!  I need to try again to finish this job correctly.  I'm trying to figure out a way to not slide down and kill myself!  I did have Dh on the ground with a rope around his waist, and the fence and me holding the other end of the rope, and tried around my waist, so I wouldn't fall.

Believe it or not, I still found at least ten staples in these stairs as I was sanding them last night!  Then I applied Spackle to the spots that needed it.

Spackling and sanding the basement hall

Re-figuring how to get in more things...

I added two new bookcases (smaller) to the Spare Bed Room...does anyone else think of Narnia when they say "Spare Bed Room?"

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Putting our house together, Aug, 9-15, 2015

Lots of things going on here...

Dd made *blue* Percy Jackson Ranger cookies!  Over the weekend she made her first casserole--chicken breast, peas, mixed veggies, and lots of cheese! 

I finally got all the trim done on the high parts of the LR walls

We finally got all our cookbooks back together in one place!  

Since taking this photo a few days ago, it has already changed quite a bit..

Prepping the hall stairs for work

Just bought more paint, so we can finish these hallway walls

The library changes every day as I try to squeeze in our homeschooling books.  Our library in Indiana was a much larger room than this one---what a challange!

This closet has already changed quite a bit too, in the past 2 days.

I added another small bookcase behind the door to get these art related books off the floor, and another small bookcase to the end of the bed to get the knitting, crocheting, "making stuff" books off the floor.

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August 2015 Barred Owl and Fallasburg Park

August 2015 

Barred Owl 

and Fallasburg Park

Hello Friends!  I've spent the past two days in bed with a migraine, tough week for me.  I'm praying today will be better.  We did have a few good things happen this week--my favorite part was when Dd saw a Barred Owl in the trees above our pool.  We watched it for about 30 minutes.  We hear at least two Barred Owls talking back and forth with each other a few times each day; they are very verbal!  We didn't think we would be able to see the owls until winter when there would be less foliage.

The other good thing from this week--we met up with the local homeschool group at a picnic they were hosting at Fallasburg Park.  Dd met another 13 year old girl there.  I got to chat with a few parents too.  They have received my paperwork, and I am waiting for them to call my references so I will know if we are accepted or not.

I also should mention I saw a little group of Wrens this week, in our front yard.  There was a very interesting yellow and black bird outside my window too---and I totally have no idea what it was!  not a Gold Finch..not sure...hope to see it again!

Wednesday we made a "dry run" to Fallasburg Park, to make sure we could find the spot that the picnic was going to be held on Thursday.  It was a pretty little park, but no pamphlets to tell if they have trails or not...I will have to look more into this place and find out. 

There is a windy stream that leads into a big river.  The windy stream had gazillions of Water Striders!  Kids came to the picnic with buckets and caught frogs and crawdads.

The Barred Owl above our pool!

When ever it would call (Who, Who Cooks For You?) it would ruffle up it's feathers; as seen in this picture and the one below.  It's whole body got involved in each call!

Supposedly they only weigh 2.5 pounds...but they *look* like they must weigh at least 20!

Dd found this very big beetle-- at least one inch plus.

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UHaul truck and trailer Aug 1-3, 2015

U Haul truck and trailer 

Aug 1-3, 2015

We went to Indiana and got another load; and mowed/weed wacked our yard before returning back to Michigan.  Plus, we got to spend Sunday with Giz & Grampy.  We still have another load to get from our Indiana home before we've got it all!  Geesh!

The new library is starting to look like a library!

The spare bedroom is taking shape too!

Oy, the basement living space is still waiting for its' turn on being fixed up!

We need to figure out how we are going to get those ceramic tiles up, before we can get to painting this floor!  Sophie doesn't mind though!

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