Living & Loving

We're in Cancun!  I'll update later but I felt like jotting something's that have been on my mind throughout this trip. 

Sage & I booked this trip back in July... it's been a long time coming & it had been so long since we booked it that it almost didn't seem real.  This trip has been amazing & has brought us so much closer, which I didn't even know was possible.  After being together for nearly 10 years, you think you know everything about each other, I was wrong. 

I've learned so much about my husband & best friend. We've discussed things in deep conversation while laying on the beach, we've laughed harder than ever while relaxing by the pool- we've simply enjoyed one another.  Which is why I'm writing this.  It's so important to take time with the one you love.  Life is crazy.  Especially with two rambunctious, perfect little girls, a house, full time jobs & a dog.  These things make it easy to forget about  nuturing your relationship & getting caught up in the madness.  I'm so thankful for the time we've spent, for the endless amount of memories, big & small.  I'll cherish the inside jokes we've made, the times where we disconnected from the world & just entertained one another.  

The first night we arrived here we walked the beach after dinner.  Majority of the couples our age crowded the bars & the nightclub here but not Sage & I... we were found walking on the beach with many elderly couples lol!  As we walked & past those couples I asked "What are we going to do when we're that age?"  Sage simply responded with "This. Travel & enjoy each other." 

I can't wait to continue to experience the world with this man, my best friend, my husband.  This trip was the perfect way to end an amazing year & to bring in the new year on positive vibes! 

"When you're young, you want to do everything together. When you're older, you want to go everywhere together. When you've been everywhere & done everything- all that matters is that you're together."

Cancun

In nearly 10 years of being together, Sage & I have never taken a REAL vacation together, alone.  We never had the opportunity to go on a honeymoon, we've traveled alone to LA when Anelia was 2 & that was for less than 48 hours.  We've never been away from Tai for more than 24 hours.  To say I'm not nervous to leave them is a complete lie.  Am I looking forward to traveling with my husband? Yes, 110%!  We deserve this time & it'll be nice to just have some real US time.  However, I know we're going to miss our babies more than anything.  

In less than a week we'll be leaving to Cancun to stay at the Paradisus Resort.  We opted in for the "Royal Service" which allows us to experience more amenities- such as our own personal butler, a cell phone to contact him, we'll be staying in our own area of the resort, there's a number of amazing services we'll get to experience & I'm just a little bit excited! 

We wouldn't be able to go on this trip if it wasn't for Sage's family volunteering to watch our princesses while we're gone.  They help us so much as it is, we're truly blessed to have them & are so thankful for their willingness to help us! 

The countdown is REAL & our bags still need to be packed.  I'll update upon our return! 

Busiest time of the year...

August to January is the busiest time of the year for us.  It's been go, go, go since our anniversary & it hasn't stopped since.

We visited Utah in August & celebrated our 4 year anniversary as a married couple. Our baby girl, Tai Moana, celebrated her 2nd birthday in September and our big girl, Anelia Dawn, celebrated her 5th birthday in October.  We took a trip to California & spent 2 days at our favorite place on earth, Disneyland! Thanksgiving is in 2 weeks, we leave to Cancun in 26 days, then of course Christmas, 2017 & my 27th birthday shortly after.  Busy, busy!

Tai is officially two & so advanced for her age.  I'm not just saying that because I'm her mom either.  Her doctor has confirmed it as well hehe!  She's able to count to 10 without assistance & 20 on occasion.  She's slowly learning her colors, mainly red & pink.  She knows her ABC's.  She speaks so clearly & so much.  She's a little smarty pants!  Her attitude is the same as when she was a baby.  Timid, shy, sweet but still has a little temper at times.  She's the type that gets angry then cries after going off.  She's very girly but also has a little "tom boy" to her.  She loves to dress up & get into make up but I have a feeling she's going to be our athlete. She can already dribble & catch a ball.  That's my girl! 

Anelia is now 5.  I think it's because she's my oldest but I cry every year on her birthday.  She's such a big girl now.  She's our free spirit.  She loves dressing up every. single. day. without fail.  From the minute she wakes she decides what costume or princess dress she's going to wear for the day.  She sings like an angel.  For a 5 year old she's amazing & I know that as she grows she's only going to get better.  She was destined to be our oldest child, she's so helpful!  She loves to clean & still has OCD.  She's my little organizer for sure.  Everyday she asks us when we're gonna have another baby.  She's more baby hungry than I am lol!  She keeps us on our toes with her comments & hilarious jokes.  Today, while at IKEA, Sage & I got into a bit of a disagreement.  Ane butted in & said "That's it, I've have enough. You guys need to love each other!"  She's our peacekeeper & has a heart of gold! 

We recently enrolled her in pre-k & speech therapy. Anelia is extremely bright & wise but her speech is a bit delayed.  As a parent, it's not easy being told your child isn't up to speed in certain areas.  In a small sense, I feel as if I've failed her but at the same time I know we've done all we can & we will continue to teach her, time will allow her to grow & learn.  

I'm so thankful that our girls are healthy & well.  God continues to bless them & keep them safe & for that, I am so thankful! 

 

[typed on 11/12]

blessed

I'm trying to keep up on my blogging. I don't even think anyone reads this, which is totally fine with me.  I made this blog for US & as something for my girls to look back & read. I hope to eventually print all of my blogs out so they have hard copies to keep as well.

Anyways... 

I feel like my girls are saying & doing so much each everyday that I need to document things that happen throughout the day whenever I can. 

Since Tai was a baby she's always fallen asleep to my "blessed" playlist on Spotify.  It's basically my gospel music playlist full of hymns & other spiritually uplifting songs.  Tai usually falls asleep within the first minute of "Another's Burden" by Moleni Brothers.  It's like my magic go-to song.

Tonight I tried playing another song "God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again" because my Great Aunt Hazel passed away today.   Without going too far off subject, I was saddened by the news but could only imagine the sweet reunion that took place in Heaven when she returned home. 

I wanted to set the spirit after today's sad events & decided to play that song. Tai immediately got upset & as I changed the song back to her usual, she silenced. 

However, tonight as the lyrics began to play, she started to sing along.  Hearing my sweet girl sing a normal song melts my heart as it is, but hearing her sing a gospel song brought me to tears.  I'm sure I'm just being extra emotional after today's events, but that moment is one I hope to never forget. 

I'm so thankful for these sweet souls & their constant example.  They unknowingly teach me the smallest lessons everyday & I know God gave us them more than a trillion reasons...

 

Not babies anymore...

Our girls are the furthest thing from little babies... They've grown into little girls.  While driving today I listened to their little voices sing to Disney songs.  I was so surprised that Tai knew the lyrics just as well as Anelia.  Each day Anelia learns another big word & Tai learns a new sentence or phrase.  Tai just recently started saying "love you too!" & Anelia calls everything an "accident" and refers to Sage & I as geniuses. I hope she always views as a that ;) 

I'm thankful for every single part of them from their sass to their snuggles, to their fighting to their cuddles.  They're the greatest thing to happen to us.  I love that everything little thing they do & learn never gets old to Sage & I.  We're always excited to point out their growth.  

I hope that when I look at these pictures I'll remember the joys of their ages & the perfection & innocence in their little faces. I love them. 

Maxine, our photographer, got sooo many amazing shots of these two.  I would show them all but I rather leave the rest for special occasions. Anyways, they're perfect & im so glad we took the time to get new family photos.  They both have transformed & grown so much since we last got pictures taken. 

Where to begin?

Goodness, I can't believe it's been since JUNE that I've blogged. Tragic.

We've been busy enjoying the summer & our new home.  The busyness doesn't stop now & will only get worse, which is a good & bad thing.

Sage & I celebrated 4 years of marriage this past week. I can't believe it's already been 4 years since we said "I do."  So much has happened in such a short amount of time.

We went & visited my family this past week & it was definitely an overdue trip.  We loved our time there & enjoyed every second we spent with family.  

We left Tuesday, 8/2 after I got off of work & after an idiot cut us off on the road, we decided it was best to stay in St. George & drive in the morning.  After a good night's rest we hit the road & arrived in Salt Lake around 1pm.

Sage & I had reservations at our favorite resort in Park City, Newpark Resort, so we spent some time with family then went about our way to celebrate US.  That evening we had dinner reservations so we did some shopping beforehand then went to the hotel to get ready.  We ate dinner that night at Ruth Chris Steakhouse & it was absolutely worth every penny.  Sage loves steak so I figured I'd take one for the team & I'm so glad I did.  Their steak is amazing! We don't splurge at fancy restaraunts at all so it was fun to do something out of our norm.  We ordered the calamari as our appetizer & it was easily the best calamari I've ever had.  I've had ALOT of calamari in my life too lol.  We ordered the Porterhouse T-Bone steak for two & it was HUGE, I'm talking 40 oz huge.  We didn't even finish half but it was the best steak ever, I'm not a fan of steak but I'd eat it everyday if it was from Ruth Chris'.  We also ordered the sweet potato casserole, lobster mac & cheese & had creme brûlée for desert.  The entire meal was perfection & next time I'll wear a shirt that isn't so tight because I was stuffed! Lol!

We ended our night in the jacuzzi on the balcony of our one bedroom suite & played cards.  It's been over a year since we enjoyed a little getaway to ourselves so it was much appreciated & enjoyed! 

We spent Thursday running around getting things together for our family photos, which probably wasn't the best idea on my part.  We basically spent our anniversary stressed & rushing around like maniacs.. However, once we got to our photos we got to bask in the moment at a beautiful park & enjoy family time while a photographer took our photos. I can't say enough good things about our photographer, Maxine Fano.  She had reached out to me via Instagram & mentioned that she was on the hunt for a cute family to photograph.  I jumped at the opportunity because her work is so gorgeous!  I told her next time we were in Salt Lake that we'd love to do a shoot & the rest is history.  She has two daughters around the age of Anelia & Tai so she was so patient & kind with them. 

We've seen a few of the pictures & I lalalove the ones I've seen so far.  She's so good, I'm sure once I get the rest I'll love them all.  It's been so long since we've gotten pictures & I needed new ones to hang for our picture gallery in our house.  I can't wait to print them out.

Friday was spent at the zoo with my entire family.  It was really hot & humid but it was so worth it because we got to spend some much needed family time.  The kids loved every minute & watching their reactions to all the animals was priceless.  It was so neat to take my girls & Sage to the zoo I grew up attending as a kid but it was changed drastically since I last visited.  There was a lot of baby animals, a chimpanzee, 3 lion cubs & a baby giraffe- so that was something we all enjoyed.  I won't lie, I'm not a huge fan of zoos, seeing all of the animals locked up in such small quarters pulls on my heartstrings but we did enjoy our time there.  The rest of the evening was just spent together & watching the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

Saturday was our last full day.  Sage, my Dad & brother-in-law, Talai, spent the afternoon together at the gym, buff guys! I love that Sage gets along so well with my family & goes & does "guy" stuff with them all.  

While Sage got his workout in, I took 7 of my nieces & nephews AND my two girls to my friend Kailee's pool.  It was definitely a large task but I'm so glad I took them along with me.  They all had a blast swimming while I got to see & spend some much needed time with my some of my best friends, Kailee, Rio, Stacy, & Whitney.  I've known them all for nearly 15 years & I'm so thankful for their friendships!  

After gathering all the kids up, we headed home & got ready for dinner.  No trip home is official until a meal is eaten at Chukarama so that's what we indulged in.

We didn't have any plans for the rest of the evening so we took the kids to the park then ran out of ideas.  We originally were going to play cards for the rest of the night but Sage came up with a brilliant idea for us to have an Olympic competition with all of the kids.  It was easily my favorite moment out of our trip. We did all sorts of events from a weighted ball toss, the long jump & multiple obstacle courses.  I recorded most of it via snapchat.  I'm sure my followers were so annoyed but I'm so glad I captured such fun memories that hopefully my nieces & nephew will remember for years to come.  

Sunday came way too fast & we packed up & had to say our goodbyes.  No amount of time spent in Salt Lake with my family is ever long enough.  Unfortunately, this trip went by quickly & we weren't able to complete everything we had hoped to do.  That's the beauty in visiting home though, there's always next time! 

RIP Goldie

We lost our first family pet tonight, our little fish Goldie.  Anelia's cousin's won him for her at a carnival a few months ago.  

One of Anelia's chores is to feed our dog, Ziggy & our fish, Goldie.  I typically put the fish food up where she can't get it & assist her in feeding him, just in case. When I arrived home from work today, I found the fish food container half empty next to the bowl that was so cloudy.  Goldie seemed fine.  Anelia must have decided to feed him on her own.  I kept making a mental note that I needed to clean his bowl before bed tonight... Well, I forgot.  I made dinner, took the girls to the high school by our house to get a workout in, came home, bathed them, put them to bed, took a shower, & got ready for bed.  I needed a drink so I went downstairs to the kitchen & while grabbing a glass I caught a glimpse of Goldie floating.

Poor fish...

I feel terrible but I'm glad I found him like that tonight because I wouldn't have seen him tomorrow.  Anelia would have found him & it would have been downhill from there.  Anelia has thee biggest heart for allll things.  For example, last Valetines Day, Ciera, my sister-in-law, got the girls balloons.  Tai's was a frog & Anelia's was a gorilla.  Well, Anelia accidentally let her ballon go.  She cried & cried & kept saying "my gorilla is all alone in the sky..." To this day, she'll randomly mention her gorilla ballon & I always remind her he's "in a better place." 

I understand that Goldie is JUST a fish, however, a family pet whether it be a fish, a dog, an ant farm- is a big deal for a 4 year old.  Anelia takes time out of her day to acknowledge Goldie & loved helping me clean his bowl & feed him. 

One time while cleaning his bowl, I was emptying him into a glass so I could clean the bowl.  The next thing I knew, Goldie missed the glass & went straight down the sink drain.  I screamed & panicked & thought he was gone for good.  I stuck my hand down the garbage disposal side & to my surprise, Goldie was in there.  I hate slimy fish & I struggled to grab him for what felt like forever.  Anelia began to cry & panic so I gave myself a pep talk & grabbed Goldie.  This is also another thing that Anelia brings up atleast once a week. "Mommy, what happened to Goldie? He fell down the sink huh? The sharks almost got him huh?" Lol... 

Sage & I decided that because "Finding Dory" comes out this week, we'll say Goldie had to go help find Dory.  If she asks, we'll for sure go & buy her a new fish. I think next time we'll get a Betta fish since they live a long time.

So yeah, tonight we lost our first family pet.  Hopefully that's the first & last time lol! I wanted to of course document this so one day I can let Anelia know the truth. Lol

xo,

Ang 

Hello Neighbor

After work today, I decided to go run at the nearby high school & climb the bleachers.  While heading out of our front door I was surprised to find some of the kids who live in our circle, riding their bikes down our hill.  Our driveway has a little hill & is tons of fun to ride down. Trust me, I've rode our wagon down the hill more times than I should probably admit. 😂

Anyways, my heart literally burst when one of the kids ran over to give me a hug.  She ran to me with open arms & had the biggest, most beautiful smile on her perfect little face.  This gem just so happen to be Down syndrome & in the brief moment that we met, she made an imprint on my heart.  Her name is Sarah & she's five.  

Although I was excited to get a little workout in before the girls got back from my in-laws, who watched them all day for us.  I was so bummed that they weren't there to meet all the kids in our circle.  Almost every house in our circle has kids that range from 2 to 7.  Seriously?  I always prayed that wherever we laid our roots there would be kids that our girls could grow up & play with.  They all are around their age, so awesome! 

Our neighbors were all so friendly and put cones out at the end of our street to let any approaching cars know to slow down.  Meeting them all & their kids just validated that our house & the neighborhood is perfect for us! 

I've slacked terribly with updating our blog. An update will have to happen another time.

xo, Ang.

Mom life at its finest...

Today I decided to make some Easter Bunny cinnamon buns with my girls 🐰 ... The reality behind this picture is pretty much horrific. 

While Ane & I were decorating the cinnamon buns, Tai was in our dining room doing her own thing. Well, as I was taking pictures of Ane, Tai came around the corner & climbed up on the bench next to Ane. As I was ooo-ing & awe-ing over how cute they looked while taking pictures, I was in for a horrible surprise. 

Please note, our island is tall & Tai is much shorter than it so I could only see her upper half... I came around the corner of our kitchen island & Tai had no diaper on & 💩 all over her legs 😲 I then had to perform an adult like Easter egg hunt, except this involved me trying to find where her messy diaper was.   After a nice bath, cleaning up, & disposing of nastiness, these gems got to enjoy their bunny shaped cinnamon buns... 😷😂 

Oh the joys! 

18 months

Our baby, Tai Moana, is a whole year & a half today... I'm not sure whether to be happy or cry?!  She's grown so much & each day gains a little bit more of her independence.  Thankfully, she's still very needy & loves to shadow me around.  

From the day I found out I was pregnant, everything about Tai has been so different from Anelia.  Tai is needy, is very easily scared, has a very short fuse, gets jealous easily, loves to sing, loves to dance, loves to "talk" while explaining with her hands, is starting to be a pickier eater, but most importantly, she loves to cuddle & give lots of hugs & kisses.  

She's saying a lot of words.  I'll try to list the ones I can remember...

Mama

Dada

Papa

Hi

Bye

Uma (kiss)

Sasa (hit)

Yummy

Inu (drink)

Baba

Cheese

Please

No, no

Yesss

Yeah

Oh!

Uh oh

Whoa

Ow!

Ooo-bah-bah

Ziggy

Doggy

Yumm

Apple

Hugs

See

Shhh

One

Two

Three

Nose

Eyes

Cheeks 

Her favorite songs are "If you're happy & you know it" & "wheels on the bus."  One song she's always fallen asleep to since she was a baby is "Another's Burden" by the Moleni Brothers.  As soon as she hears it she calms down & eventually dozes off.

She's built so different body wise in comparison to Anelia.  Ane is a lot like me, tall & skinny.  Tai is tall but she's muscular & strong, like Sage. She'll just randomly pick very heavy items up & carry them with ease.  She'll be the perfect little crossfitter when she's older!

I'm so thankful for all that she's brought into our family & beautiful addition that she is.  We love her so much & can't wait to see all she learns & does as she continues to grow! 

Sitting at the table like a big girl! 

Church with this one has been a challenge but today she gets to attend nursery.  Finally! 

Goal!!!

Anelia is officially enrolled in soccer & has had two practices so far.  Sage & I both played sports throughout our childhood & teenage years.  He played soccer, tee ball, baseball, basketball, volleyball, track & football.  I played a little bit of volleyball, track, softball & a whole lot of basketball.  Because we have a background of sports, we're so excited for her to start playing!  Sports has always played a large role in our lives & taught us valuable lessons.  I hope that Ane continues to love sports & continues to want to play them.

After we signed her up, we bought all of her cute little gear & she was so excited.  She looks so dang cute in her little cleats & shinguards, seriously... Cutest. Soccer player. EVER. 

We practiced a bit with her & she was so anxious for her first practice.  When we were driving she had a little nervous grin.  It brought back so many memories of the feelings I felt while playing sports growing up.

Her first practice was pretty entertaining! Her teammates are ages 4-6 so each kid is usually doing their own thing.  Anelia is still getting the hang of it all but we're just mainly excited for her to make friends & learn.

I was assigned as the Team Mom at our first meeting.  I'm pretty excited & can't wait to make cute snack bags for after games lol! 

Isn't she so perfect?  I just adore this gem & her little poses that she throws when I pullout my camera.

It's coming along...

We closed & recorded on March 7th, 4 days prior to our scheduled closing date which was awesome!  When we moved out of our old house we basically sold all of our big items so now we're starting fresh which is so much fun yet a little overwhelming.

Before I go into what we've done so far in the house... Here's a little breakdown of our home sweet home:

• It's located in Southern Highlands.  Of my 8 years of living in Vegas, I've lived atleast 4-5 years in Southern Highlands.  I love this area & all that it has to offer.

• Its nearly 2200 square feet.

• Has 3 bedrooms

• 3 & 1/2 bathrooms

• 2 car garage

• Living room

• Seperate dining room

• Gorgeous spacious kitchen with an island & lots of cabinet space

• Family room

• Loft

The list literally goes on & on.  This house is perfect for our family, Sage & I can't wait to transform it into our perfect home. 

Although it is perfect in size & layout, there are a few things that need love which delayed us from moving in right away.  I plan to post before and after pictures along the way but here's a little list of what we have accomplished...

• We had it deep cleaned on Thursday

• Bought & tested about 12 different shades of gray paint on the walls.  Sage & I officially came to an agreement on the color.  We chose "Silver Bullet" by Dunn Edwards. 

• Bought our sectional, two end tables & a coffee table for the family room from Ashley Furniture. (Tables not pictured)

• Bought our king size, gray, upholstered bed.  I'm seriously in love with this piece! Sage snapped these of me so I look goofy but I love everything about this bed! 

• Bought a pull out couch for our loft.  I'm excited for all the use this piece will get.  My family is planning to visit often so it's another bed that they can use while they're here. 

• Scheduled our painters to come out Monday & repaint the ceiling, baseboards, doors white & all the walls gray.  I'm so excited for this step because it truly is going to transform our home.

• Scheduled the carpets to be deep cleaned Thursday.  The previous owners had a cat... Ew, I know.  Therefore, we need the carpets done.  Luckily, downstairs has tile throughout so the job isn't too big.

• Our furniture is all going to be delivered Wednesday, so we're hoping that if all goes as planned we'll be able to move in next weekend.

The main reason for this post is for what we accomplished today.  At 6am this morning Sage, my mother-in-law & I all went yard sale hunting & got a few great pieces.  Not only were we successful in finding some furniture pieces but we completed a huge task at the house, the landscaping.  The previous owners stopped taking care of it & honestly, it was horrible!  There was a huge overgrown willow tree that had shedded all of its tiny leaves into the overgrown bushes below.  We knew as soon as we saw the house the first time that the landscaping needed love so I looked into landscapers.  The first landscaper I talked to said he'd charge us $200 to remove the tree alone.  The rest of the yard would be additional.  So Sage scheduled for another landscaper to come out & after seeing a picture of the yard, he quoted us $150 for the tree removal & landscaping.  Awesome deal right?  Well, he showed up Thursday, saw the yard, said he needed to pick up something & never came back. Lol.  Sage had to work tonight so while he rested for work, I went to the house with my FIL, Nua, (yes, Sage's dad's first name is our last name... I'll save that explanation for later) & my little BIL, Derick & I attempted to fix our landscaping.  While Nua & Derick cut down the tree I started on some vine plants that were growing up the house.  Unfortunately, I only have an ugly before picture because I was too busy to take an after picture once my work was complete.  The vines were completely to the roof of the house but I pulled them down prior to taking the picture.

As much as I love the "homey" feel & how vines look on a house- I knew the vines could cause more bad then good eventually so I tore them down & de-rooted them.  I then moved onto some overgrown bushes near our front door. 

There's 4 bushes total in this area.  They had thorns on them & after cutting & de-rooting 2, I gave up & left it to the men. Lol!  I then moved onto raking the small obnoxious dried leaves.  I don't think the previous owners ever raked their leaves because there were inches of inches of dried leaves all in the rocks & spilling onto the sidewalk & driveway.  All while I was doing that, Nua & Derick, cut down the tree, cut down the pieces, & de-rooted 4 bushes.  We still have a bit to tackle tomorrow but seriously, look at the huge difference! 

I have to add how thankful I am for my incredible in-laws & their constant support.  We saved so much money because of their help.  I'm so blessed to be apart of this family! 

I'll get around to updating on other things going on with us... Like Anelia starting soccer!  So stoked!  I'll save that for next time.  

xo, ang

Let the countdown begin...

I've been holding off on posting about our home because we're still in closing but I have faith that all will go as planned.

Yes, we finally found our home & are set to close March 11th! 

Last year Sage & I sat down & set many goals...

One of them was for us to be pre-approved in January before my birthday & have enough saved to begin the house hunting process.  Another goal was to find a house & be moved in or in closing before Sage's birthday.  Well, if all goes as planned, we will have conquered our goals & I can't say enough how proud I am of us for that. 

Not to brag but Sage & I make an incredible team.  This entire process has been proof of that.  He's worked long hours of overtime to get us here & I've spent countless hours prepping, signing & sending all sorts of documents, offers, disclosures, scheduled our inspections, processed payments for things, searched for home warranties.  In other words, a lot of "adulting" has been taking place.  As silly as it sounds, at 26 years old, I feel like a real adult now lol!  

No but really, I am so proud of Sage & I & how hard we've both worked to get us to this point. 

March 11th can't come soon enough!  We're already anticipating making amazing changes to our house to make it our home.  I'm so excited! 

3rd time isn't a charm...

3rd offer placed, rejected.

A cash buyer swooped on in & ruined everything lol! I'm still a bit bitter...

Anyways, the search continues & Sage & I are becoming a bit discouraged.  The competition out there is endless. I hate it! 

I noticed I haven't updated on my gems in awhile so I figure I'll stop on the house updated & update on something that makes me happy, my babies!

Anelia is a full grown little girl with quite the personality.  She's still hilarious, still a soar patch kid yet still so sweet & caring. She's at the age where she can really sense when you're down & offers lots of love & little cuddles.

Tai is a walking little chatter box.  She says so many words it's crazy...

Mama

Dada

No

Yesss

Please

Cheese

Hi

Bye bye 

Uma (kiss)

Sasa (hit) 

Nigh nigh 

What's that?

Who's that?

Those are just a few too. She's seriously grown far too quickly & definitely isn't a baby anymore. 

They both get along for the most part. Anelia hates sharing & Tai packs a punch in her hit & loves to tackle... So it's safe to say the fights are amusing.  They hug randomly & love to share laughs.  Watching them bond is my favorite thing to witness. 

You Are My Sunshine

I've been a bit down since we found out the news about that house.  Sage & I were so certain it was going to be ours & just like that, we got shut down.  That's what we get for getting our hopes up ha! 

Anyways, yesterday Anelia had come home from a baby shower & sat next to me.  I was looking for potential homes on my phone & she sat & said "Mommy, you're the best..." I smiled & told her SHE is the best.  She then began to sing "You Are My Sunshine" to me.  

In Ane's 4 years she's never sang this song. She's listened to me sing it on occasion, like once every 6 months? I rarely sing it because it makes me emotional.  Just a little back story, my Grandpa Toa used to sing it to my cousins & I when we were kids. He passed away in 2007, long before Anelia was born. 

Ane sang the song & I immediately thought of my Grandpa. I definitely think it is his way of telling me that we didn't get that house for a reason or maybe that he was thinking of my little family & has something better in store for us?  Regardless, I believe in tender mercies & that our loved ones on the other side are mindful of us & what we're dealing with on this side.  

Whether it was a sign or not, I'm going to just try trust the journey & remember to not have my heart set on a home until we close lol! 

The hunt continues...

Whoever said house hunting is fun... Lied!  This has been such a stressful, nerve wracking, roller coaster ride & it's only just begun.  Sage & I found a house last weekend that we thought we loved. It was almost 1700 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2 & 1/2 baths, granite counters, tile floors, upgraded appliances, a loft, a community pool, a park nearby, and close to his parents. It checked off everything on our list so we went for it.  Unfortunately, two other offers came in after ours & the sellers chose them over us.  

Then, we found "the one" it was perfect it every single way. It didn't have a community pool & was a few more minutes farther from his parents but this home was absolutely gorgeous & big too! Hardwood floors, dark cabinets, a cute backyard with a cute little orange tree. It was stunning and had all we wanted and MORE.  Sage & I offered over the asking price but there were two offers in against ours. I'm so sad to say that today we found out that the owner chose yet another offer over ours.

When you find a home like that & you can afford it, you feel immediate regret & wish you would have just went in with an even more aggressive offer.  I'm so regretful but I'm trying to focus on the positives in the situation.  Like we have time to save even more, that home was at the top of our budget & we would have had to sacrifice vacations & such, etc.  

Everything happens for a reason... I just hope we find a home that we love & don't have to settle.  There's seriously so much competition out there, it's so frustrating! 

We've been praying like crazy throughout this process & hope that we find our "home sweet home" soon! 

Anyways, in other news.  This weekend we decided to have a staycation just to relax & get away.  We've been stressing so much over finding a house so we took a breather & had a day out with our girls. We visited the Secret Gardens at the Mirage.  Sage & I went together years ago so it was so fun to go back with our girls.  They have a dolphin habitat where the dolphins are within hands reach. It's so neat! They also have an area with lions, tigers & cheetahs.  Anelia has recently fallen in love the Lion Guard on Disney Jr. So the entire time she kept asking to see the "lion guard."  She really enjoyed it & so did we.  It's nice to just get out & experience everything this city has to offer.

Welllp, I'll continue to update as time goes by. Let's cross our fingers that my next post will be about our new home! 

Home Sweet Home

Here we are just 15 days into the new year and already off to a great start!  Today was a big day for my little family.  As I've mentioned in previous posts, we've been saving and preparing to purchase our first home. Well, today we were pre-approved and can officially start looking!  To say I'm excited is an understatement... I'm beyond it.

We wouldn't have gotten to this point if it weren't for our families.  Sage's parents welcomed us into their home to live rent free for a second time.  This time there were four of us, which meant more madness and craziness.  I can't say enough how thankful I am.  This entire process would have taken twice as long if it wasn't for them allowing us to live with them while we save up.  My parents and older sister have also guided me through the loan process.  When we first started this process everything was so foreign to me.  The last thing I want is for someone to take advantage of us.  Thankfully, my family has steered me and provided me with such helpful advice.

There's ALOT of competition out there in the market right now.  I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a little discouraged while looking today.  Anything in our price range that I liked was either pending or recently sold.  The nice ones go quick and by quick I mean, an offer is placed within days of a nice house being placed on the market.  We were introduced to our realtor today, not formally, but via email.  We look forward to meeting her and I pray that she's fast and find us our dream first home.

I'm so grateful that we're finally here and starting this journey.  I know our patience is definitely going to be tested but with lots of prayers, I'll keep the faith and trust the journey!

Here's to our journey of becoming homeowners...

xo.

2016.

... is going to be amazing, just watch.