THE HOUSE WITH 3 LAST NAMES: 2013

Monday, October 28, 2013

3namehouse is on the market!

When we bought this place over 2 years ago I never would have thought we would be selling

so soon. This was suppose to be our home until Offspring finished school.

So, we started making changes to make it "ours". New flooring in the living room

Hall and 3rd bedroom.

Fresh paint on the walls in the open living area.

This is where the washer and dryer would go, but I don't have either.

There are still projects we planned to start and finish. Moving to Florida next spring

threw a wrench into that. All of the updates we have done so far,

could easily be changed to suit someone elses style.

Hopefully we will get it sold and check that off the TODO list!

When Florida became more than a vacation...

Last January we went to Florida for my birthday to visit friends that had moved there the year before. We all had a fantastic time. On the flight back home my son said something that would change our lives forever.

"Why do we have to go back?" he questioned. Me in my post vaca stuper mumbled something about our "REAL" lives and work and school. But his question stayed with me. And my Husband. Once we got home terms like "What if....in Florida" were flying around our house.

So here is the big question...WHY CAN'T FLORIDA "BE" OUR REAL LIVES?

We were all thinking the same thing.... it was more than a dream that needed spoken.

A family meeting the week after we got home, our dreams became a spoken idea. It was unanimous, we wanted to move to Florida! Not just talk about it....actually doing it...moving to Florida?? It was fantastic and scary all at the same time! Plans were made and put into motion...

Pay off debt (or at least as much as possible) before the end of the year.
Purge all non-essential items that would not be making the move with us.
Tell friends and family our plan.
Put the house on the market.

CHECK, CHECK, CHECK AND CHECK!

Now we just wait for a bite on the house, Husband to finish up his Military duties and the Kid to finish 7th grade. It's going to be a long ass winter in Ohio, but if all goes well, it will be our last!

On a personal note, "Why move to Florida?, What if you get down there and don't like it?, Won't you miss your family?" - These questions have been thrown and my Husband and myself repeatedly. Here's the thing - We want to spend our birthdays and holidays on the beach! - We can always come back if it doesn't work out for whatever reason. - Of course we will miss our families & friends, but we have to do what is best for "our lil family"...And what kinda of role models would we be if we didn't show our son it was ok to act on a dream instead of spending your life wondering "What if I had".

Us lately...

We have been doing a great deal around our little house lately. Lots of changes are going on!

Meet Maizey. She is the newest member of our little family. Weighing in at just 4 pounds she has still proven she can hang with our bigger dogs! I will be writing more about her in the coming weeks - and explain why against all logic we got another dog.

Offspring is pulling straight As in school (as always). He went to his first dance this past Friday. Man my boy is growing up.
It was a costume dance....Can you tell who he went as? He had a good time and seem relieved that he could mark that off his "firsts" list.

My cousin Rob got married a couple weeks ago. It was beautiful! Welcome Kasey to our ever growing family. I wish you both the best!

Offspring got to shoot his new-to-him rifle for his birthday. The pop cans didn't stand a chance!

We went to the Pumpkin show in Circleville! Had a blast watch Bug and his best bud AJ ride the mechanical bull! Besides sitting for 2 hours in traffic to get there...we all had a great time!

And I have an announcement, but you will have to see the next post for that...

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Where minimalism and creativity and a love for guns come together...

(Yes the slide actually moves back and the mag falls out!)

Bug has been interested in firearms for as long as I can remember. He bought his first gun encyclopedia when he was 2.

Fast forward 10 years and enter minimalism.

You get a young man with a creative streak that chooses to make his own toys guns

out of cardboard instead of clutter his room with bulky plastic ones.

Don't get me wrong we have our share of Nerf guns BUT

as Bug explains

"I am using my imagination and ingenuity,

keeping boxes out of a landfill,

and making something that can still be recycled when I'm done playing"

How can I say no to that?

Raising children with Simple Desires

This is my finest creation. We call him Bug. He turned 12 last Friday.

Three years ago, if you would have asked him what he wanted for his birthday - he may have responded with a list of toys he didn't need or things he wanted because one of the neighborhood boys had one.

Minimalism suits my boy. From the beginning I have been upfront with him about my goals to de-clutter our lives and listened openly to his suggestions and input along the way. It took him a bit longer to get on board applying minimalism to his own "stuff"...but I saw a change in his "wants" fairly quick.

He stopped asking for things on a regular basis and he adhered to the new house rule (one-in-one-out). He has also taken to searching ebay and shopgoodwill.com for secondhand items he desires. He has passed up the chance to upgrade his phone this year..."my current one does everything I need, Momma". HE HAS BEEN LISTENING!!

This year when I asked my son what he desired for his birthday. I received a list of 5 things. Most he has been saving his money for. There was only one toy on the list and the rest he could use for many years if not the rest of his life. I was told though that he would prefer a birthday party over anything. One like we had when he was very little. With the whole family! This is to be his last birthday in Ohio. We are moving south this coming spring.

So, That is just what we did! A surprise party at the park! All the grandparents (there are 5), family friends, cousins, aunt & uncle, his best friend (see pic below) and his parents (Papa, Momma & his Dad).

After a Friday night of storms and wind, the skies cleared 20 minutes before the guests arrived! It was the day I imagined all week long. He thanked us multiple times that evening. And he promptly went home and purged 10 items to make room for his new micro stereo, toy Barrett and the vintage Hubley cap gun he had been watching on ebay for months!

HAPPY #12 MY BOY! YOU MAKE MOMMA PROUD!

Momma is making art again!

For as long as I can remember my mother always had a project going. Painting, stain glass, crafts with the kids etc. And while her mediums have changed over the years her creativity hasn't. My sister and I got worried when her cancer hit a little over a year ago. She lost her desire to create art. And anyone who makes anything knows this a very lonely place to be in one's mind.

After her six month check-up and a family miracle - She has found her new inspiration in paper & thrifted frames. SO I HAD TO GIVE HER A SHOUT OUT!

If you are interested in ordering one, please contact me @ lesliejones94@gmail.com

My tiny house inspiration...

REDBUD RANCH 2013

This is the closest I can get to going home to the family farm. My Aunt Poppy & Unc Ed have taken this place from a 1.5 bedroom cottage to a rustic beauty that has inspired me in my own tiny home journey. ALL of the wood siding, fencing, mill work was done by my Uncle. The trees taken off the land and used in the expanding of the main house which now includes a summer kitchen and a few screened outdoor living areas, even a root cellar. All allowing access to my Aunt's garden and hen house. Growing up around here consisted of cannoe rides, bunny runs, picnics on pine hill, camping the summer nights away all of my cousins. It is awesome to see it transform over the years. I strive to raise my boy with the values I learned here. And that the land provides all you need to live and grow and play. Trees do build a home, earth to grow food, woods to roam.

Redbud is just around the corner from my grammy and grampy's farm where they raised their girls (all 6 of them!) and Gpa took us grandkids shooting and hiking when we where young.

This is as close to the family farm as I can get these days. Going to Poppy & Ed's is my way of going home. I am thankful I can share that with my son.

Do you have a "home" from your childhood to return to?

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Lucy has a new big sister!

UPDATE:

An F250 hauling a 15ft trailer decided to park in Husband's back seat while he was stopped in traffic. Roxy was totaled. SO, car shopping we went...again, six weeks after we baught her! OH, and yes Husband is ok. A little bumped up...but very lucky.

So, Husband's truck blew up last week...which didn't help or budget planning for the end of the year. After thorough research on a price to fix it, we came up with a win/win.
The truck is bring sold to our mechanic, yay recycling! And Husband gets a Jeep that is well in side our budget and saving for our future move is still doable...
Enter Roxie.... (yes, I name our vehicles,, makes filling paperwork much more fun!)

Family that fishes together...

Time at the lake with my Dad & Mommatoo is priceless...

I caught my first crappie!

Bug strung his first pole ALL BY HIMSELF!

This is our family time...What do you do to keep summer simple?

Many changes & projects the past month...

First up...

The carpet has been the soar spot of our household since we moved in. The youngest member of our household has asthma induced by allergies. We have 2 dogs and a cat, which thankfully he is not allergic to, BUT they carry in dust and allergens that he is sensitive too. Between Husband and myself the carpet was getting vacuumed EVERYDAY (major time suck!) And I am not all than fond of vacuuming anyway. Sooooooooo, when a friend of mine offered us some recycled composit (yay green living) at a fantastic price (yay budget friendly!), offered to show me how to install it and was on call for any follow up questions, I couldn't say no!

It took a full week of working after work every evening and 2 full weekends...We have new flooring in the dog's room, hall way and living room. It was truly a family project. Husband pulled out carpet, Offspring pulled staples and I followed along with new floor.

I am so happy with the outcome! One trip around the house with a dry dust mop per day

instead of 30 minutes vacuuming, YES PLEASE!