The Biggest Loser.........

Rick and I decided tonight after watching "The Biggest Loser" Finale that I win in our family for being the biggest loser this year. So where is my Jello-grand prize of $250,000?

A hint to all the players on the next season: cut off a leg and you will probably win.

Days Of Our Lives

I feel like our life has been a bit of a soap opera lately. But we are hoping it is winding down. It is official: our buyers didn't end up qualifying (though we were assured that they were pre-qualified, etc). Anyway, a week ago, we "moved" back into our house. We have been on pins and needles to figure everything out this week, just a lot of waiting, mostly. But it is over with these buyers. *sigh* I am so sad! It means we are going to lose our earnest money AND the cost of having a moving van for 2 1/2 weeks, but worst of all, we are probably losing the new house we have been sooooooooo excited about and that was such an amazing deal and I have to continue to deal with stairs.

Anyway, it is over for now and I PROMISE, not to post anything more about moving (at least until it is a done deal). I don't even want to talk about it. bleck!

A few days ago, I decided that regardless of what was going to happen, it was time for our family to have some Christmas. So..... we set up the tree last night and have been playing Christmas music and are trying to have some Christmas spirit.

The kids have been amazing through all of this. I am so grateful for them! And I am glad it is Christmastime to have something so wonderful to focus on!

Anyway, I am DONE. I just thought I would keep everyone "posted." I am done with this and it is time to celebrate that at least it is over. I am "decking" our "halls" today and I am happy.

Putting Your Best Foot Forward When You Feel Like You Are Standing On Your Last Leg

I am seriously considering writing a book with that title. And that is how I have been feeling this week. We STILL have not closed on our house. Our new house is just sitting there lonely and sad, just waiting for our family to make it a home. We are living in the few clothes that weren't thrown in boxes in our haste to get out TWO WEEKS ago. We got word today that the title company is waiting for wiring instructions and documents, but we still haven't heard anything and, seeing as how it is almost 5:10, I doubt we will today. The closing on our new house has been pushed back (AGAIN) to the 12th --agh -- to give the buyers and title people time to get their act together. Really, I don't think selling a house should be so difficult. Is it a secret that you need financial documents when you meet with a loan officer? I didn't think so, yet the buyers say that the loan company is putting them through "unusual stress" and asking for "unusual documentation". He is a lawyer and has a trust and didn't think he needed to turn in that paperwork. jThe loan was held up for a week on that one, because they refused to take time off work to get everything in. Then, because everything took so long, the termite inspection was older than 30 days and they had to order a new one. Then the lending company found more "conditions." The loan for our new house has been a breeze, really. I don't get this. I guess I can be grateful that the loan isn't being held up because of us!

There is a fine line between trying to be Christian and not letting yourself get walked all over. We are struggling to find that line. We want to be kind, yet we are paying a small fortune for the moving vans alone.

I have learned through all of this that I am a very very trusting soul. I thought I was getting more cynical in my old age, but apparently not. I still believe people when they tell me things.

AND, I can't find my camera. I know I kept it out, but it is somewhere in one of the cars or the cab of one of the moving vans. I know not where. And the kids have been the cutest and I can't even take pictures of them. *sigh*

I can relate to this scripture lately: 1 Nephi 11:17: "I know that [God] loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." Without this knowledge and comfort, I would be a wreck.

On Thanksgiving Day, when we weren't where we expected to be, I was struggling a little. Yet, I looked at my little family and realized how grateful I was to just be here with them. We are all together and going through this together.