For Sale!

We did it. I cannot believe how much we accomplished in seven days. Every room, corner and drawer has been tackled. And our house looks incredible. Makes it hard to put on the market! My tip of the week: for anyone inspired to work on your own home, go get yourself some new accent pillows. They are an easy way to add a little something something to a room. :) 

molly maids and a day full of grace

Yesterday we hired Molly Maids to come and attack our house. They were $80 an hour for two cleaners and then towards the end, a third cleaner showed up too to help finish the basement. It was worth every single penny. I am not receiving any perks for writing a blog post raving about them, but for the record, I would endorse their service with a television commercial if I could. I was so excited when my house was cat hair free, rid of plastered banana on the wall and smelled like the bleach and chlorine you smell at a health club. I told Rory it almost made me want to join a gym. That's such a good smell.

So check them out. The oven has NEVER looked so spotless (stove top included!) and they moved every single piece of furniture to vacuum and mop every inch of floor. Wiped down the walls, vacuumed the heat registers...I could go on and on. Obviously, I already am.

And then today Rory put on the second coat of paint on the porch floor, but it is going to need a third coat now...so our "house on the market" date has been postponed one more day. Oh thank goodness. The extra accessorizing of our house is taking lots and lots of trips to Marshalls, our own basement storage of home decor and to other people's homes to gather and collect the right pillows, vases and furniture. The extra day due to the paint on the porch was like a little present for me. I will gladly take it.

So that's our life right now. All consuming cleaning and staging and boxing things up. Next week I am planning a getaway to my inlaws where I will watch obscene amounts of HGTV while sitting sedentary on the couch watching other people work their tails off as they get their houses ready to sell. I can't wait.

so much getting done

It is unbelievable how listing your house suddenly necessitates the completion of every single project on the "to do someday" list. Like this picture from our wedding day. For six years we have moved this print around, always intending to get it framed. We looked into matting but it just felt too expensive and somehow another year would pass.

But with the house going on the market, we needed some bedroom art. And after a quick trip to Michaels and a $35 frame with matting included, we now have the wall art that we have been putting off for years.

Crazy.

We are utterly exhausted. The house looks incredible. Rory's dad is here now washing our windows. Rory is about to paint the porch floor. We had cleaners here today and the house sparkles. They hit every single room so that our next step is to add the little special touches to each corner before the photographer comes tomorrow.  We list on Friday morning and hopefully then we can rest this weekend. Like at a Barnes & Noble, because so many people want to come and see our house. :)

a sad goodbye

We said goodbye to Toonces yesterday and took him to the humane society. It was so sad. He has been a faithful sidekick for six years. We got him just a few months after we were married.

The crazy thing is that we both knew it was time to find him a new home, even before we found our new home. Our move really had little to do with his departing from our family. It had more to do with our growing family, wanting Rory's brothers to be able to come over without having their throats swell up and wanting a tidier house. He shed a lot.

Rory drove him to the humane society and only got a few blocks away before I called crying that they needed to come back because I hadn't held him while saying goodbye. (You can imagine any fifth grader behaving the same way.) And my sweet husband turned the jeep around and let me come and fall apart in the front seat, holding Toonces, who was very indifferent to the swell of emotions that held him. And then they left.

Rory said the drop off went well. The lady said that because of his age, proper litter box usage and the fact that he is good with kids that she though he would be adopted very quickly. I am sure she says that to every owner, but I am choosing to believe her words.

we're selling our house

Oh how we love this house. Adore this house. It is the perfect South Minneapolis home...complete with a front porch, lots of windows and the best neighbors we could ever imagine. This move is sudden...we found another home with three bedrooms that I'll talk about in another post on another day. But things are moving quickly and we are planning on listing this house by the end of the week.

It breaks my heart though. All the memories stored up in every room. We began our marriage in this house, learning to live together, working things out. We brought a teeny tiny Ivar home to this house and rocked him on the porch and took countless family walks to the lake. We have utilized the laundry shoot with great joy (going to miss that feature so much!) and played hard in the back yard.

Most of all we have been loved by the neighbors who surround us. Moving away from our neighbors is the very hardest part to swollow. We have been well cared for and looked after and we will miss our neighbors so, so much.

All this to say, we are sad to go. And hope and pray for a great new owner to start their own sweet season enjoying the sun porch, gardens and laundry shoot. If you, or anyone you know is looking for a move, interested in the South Minneapolis area (we're one block from Minnehaha Creek and four blocks from Lake Harriet) and would like to take a look at one charming and fantastic home, drop us a line at: beccagroves (at) gmail.com

Toonces is still looking for a home...

Last call for Toonces. On Monday we will take him to the Humane Society. If you know of anyone who would love a super great cat, please let us know. We posted on Craigslist yesterday and hopefully something will come together.

All of the details about Toonces can be found here.

We sure are going to miss him. He's such a great cat.

shish-kabobs

I made shish-kabobs for supper tonight for my first time. They were divine. I think the grill was invented just for shish kabobs.

After we were done eating, Rory asked that I put the recipe on my blog "for easy access for next time." So here it is, from Cooks.com

Kabob Marinade

1 1/2 c. salad oil
3/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. mustard
2 1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. parsley
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 c. lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together. Place sauce in glass bowl and add cubed meat: up to 3 large sirloin or round steaks or chicken. Can be marinated several hours.

 

Kabobs: Chicken, steak, pineapple, green pepper, mushrooms, onion, cherry tomatoes.

**We were out of propane, so our kabobs actually sat in the marinade for 48 hours. And they were so full of flavor!

And a tip: I remember from a cooking show I watched one time (I have watched many) that they suggested to keep like items on each skewer so that each item can be cooked to its perfect char. So I put all the tomatoes on two skewers, all the pineapple on three skewers, all the meat and onions on their own skewers etc... And this was really helpful for easy grilling. Everything was perfect.

it's strawberry season!

Oh my word. Went strawberry picking yesterday for my very first time. Every year I want to get out berry picking but I always seem to miss the window. But this year I hit it right on. And it was amazing. Heidi and I got about ten feet down the row before our boxes were full...the berries were everywhere. We were at Silkey Gardens in Northfield and I will for sure return to this place in two weeks for raspberries and another week after that for blueberries.

And not only did I hit strawberry season, but I got down and picked strawberries 8 1/2 months pregnant. With Heidi, who is 7 1/2 months pregnant. I believe we were quite the sight!

Now I have to decide what to make with them, though I'm not totally convinced there will be any left to make anything with, the way we (Ivar in the lead) have been inhaling them.

around here: garden edition

Around here our roses are spectacular. We do nothing to care for these poor bushes and yet they continue to impress.

 Around here we have four varieties of lettuce as well as spinach for literal fresh garden salads.

Around here our gardens are growing...potatoes sprung up between the two square beds. Obviously they were planted there, but it is clear that Rory is looking for every bit of possible garden space to plant more produce.

 Around here the snow peas are flowering, and they are beautiful.

 Around here we are growing carrots like Peter Rabbit. This will be quite the harvest.

 Our radishes are looking healthy. er...I guess I mean beats...

 And so are the potatoes.

And finally, around here our raspberries are beginning to ripen! I ate this one the second after I took its picture. Can't wait for raspberries on my cereal again.

34 weeks

Oh baby, do I love ice. I crave ice. I get excited when I remember that I can have a cup of ice at any given time. I chomp through at least a tray a day. I know that the best ice is at Ikea, Sonic, and the gas station by Perkins on France and 494. I would take a cup of slushy ice over dairy queen. I can't get enough. And recently I found this awesome dot-candy sized icecube tray...so now I can make tiny ice at home!

Ivar has trouble fitting on my lap to read books. It's a balancing act. He has to sit sideways and I have to help him stay on the ends of my legs. His oversized books are proving to be a challenge to hold, turn pages while keeping him on my knees.

I wake up each morning at 4 ready for the day. Wide awake. And so I blog, or make lists, or toss from side to side. I usually go back down at 6, but then I am not ready for the day when Ivar wakes up. Quite sleepy, in fact. I do believe by body is beginning its prep for baby #2 and the multiple wakeup calls that are coming my way.

I have a nerve in my right leg that is pinched daily. Usually when I am just taking a normal step, something will go awry and my back and leg seize up on me. It leaves me with the most quality preggers hobble you've ever seen. It usually lasts just an hour or two before everything settles back down again. But look for me...I'm that large pregnant woman who walks like she's large and pregnant.

I've started calling this baby Tigger. It dances and summersaults and cartwheels and kicks and swan dives all day long. My belly is not my own...it morphs shapes before my eyes and always keeps me guessing where the head is, where the feet are, where the elbows are. There is a lot of baby in there.

Toonces is looking for a new home

Well, our house is getting smaller and smaller as I get bigger and bigger with this pregnancy. And our beloved cat Toonces is looking for a new home. There are a couple factors at play... mostly that we are outgrowing this house, as well as the fact that Rory's brothers cannot come over because they are so allergic. We want to be able to have family here.

Of course this makes us terribly sad. Toonces is one of the greatest cats ever. I have described him as "part-dog" as this cat is quite social, tolerates a whole lot of Ivar, purrs so loudly we have to turn up the TV to hear over his rumble, and wants to be with the action. He is not a cat who hides from human activity.

Most of the day he sleeps and looks out the windows. He is declawed in the front, is amazing with kids, likes to drink his water out of the bathtub faucet and requires a daily brushing. Not that he gets that from us...hence, why he needs a new home. We just don't give him the love and attention he deserves.

Well, Ivar gives him plenty of attention. But with another baby on the way, something has got to give.

If you or anyone you know might be interested in this sweet cat, please leave a comment.  And if you'd help us spread the word and link to this post via your facebook, twitter or town crier, we'd be so grateful.

Toonces is a 6 year old male, long hair tabby
He can't actually drive a car
He is great with kids, super social, needs affection
He can be vocal early in the morning, so a second room to put him in is a good idea
He is declawed, fully vaccinated and just had a check up last month and is healthy
He is looking for a loving home with someone who can give him the attention he deserves
He comes with everything he needs and is free for someone who can provide a good home for him

1st grade track and field

I got to spend part of my morning watching some very talented 6 and 7 year olds race with bean bags, run with hula-hoops and relay with a ball on a spoon. It was very fun and Mara was fantastic.

I don't mean to toot my own horn or anything, but I think you should know that you are reading the blog of a girl who won first place in the frisbee throw in her own 1st grade track and field day, back in 1987. And I still have the construction paper ribbon to prove it. As it turns out, that was the only blue ribbon I ever was given for any sort of athletic achievement. Hence why I still have it 25 years later...

my painting teachers

I played hard last night. Oh how I played. It was awesome. I've had this in me for a long, long time and last night I began to mix paints and choose which size of brush to use and the process was pure joy. I purchased two huge canvases, but in the end, I started with three little ones. The smaller ones felt like a better place to start.

As I worked I kept telling Rory how good it felt to play. I thought about the three painting "teachers" I have learned from, all though their blogs and books, and how grateful I was for the freedom they have presented in not judging the art as its being created, not worrying about the final product, but rather enjoying the process, embracing the imperfections and waiting with anticipation to see what unfolds.

I thought I would take some time tonight to share with you these three free spirit teachers whose art I enjoy so much.

***

First, Donna Downey:

Lots of years ago I started following Donna Downey's blog. She is a mixed media artist who paints on canvas...just the fabric part. She makes awesome aprons and made a flower art project that knocked my socks off, so that I had to make one of my own. And then I got to attend one of her workshops when we lived in Nebraska, and that was about the greatest thing ever.

She's not afraid to get messy, and when I watch her Inspiration Wednesday videos, I always feel a freedom to create. Like there is no one right way to make art. She works with whatever happens as she creates and to watch the process is sort of mesmerizing.

I stopped following her a while back because I had to simplify my life and streamline my online time. But I still would consider her my first painting teacher. And I definitely still spend some good chunks of time browsing her site and her latest projects.

***

Next, Kelly Rae Roberts:

I was introduced to Kelly Rae Roberts by my friend Shannon. Kelly Rae was pregnant with her son the same time I was pregnant with Ivar, and at first I just liked tracking the size of her belly compared to mine. I think we were three weeks apart. But now I read her blog not only for her candid take on motherhood, but also for her creative joy as she lives her life, makes her art, and runs her very successful business.

When I was in California with Rory this spring, I brought along her book, Taking Flight: Inspiration and Techniques to give your Creative Spirit Wings. I can't say enough good things about this book. It brought something to life in me that wanted to come to life and I'm still listening closely to that little voice inside of me that surfaced as I read through the pages of this book.

***

And finally, Flora Bowley:

Kelly Rae introduced a friend of hers on her blog a few weeks ago. Her friend's name is Flora Bowley and she recently came out with a book that I purchased based on Kelly Rae's recommendation called, "Brave Intuitive Painting." It's a very free spirit book that does everything to empower you, encourage you to try and rid you of the fear that you might not actually be a gifted artist. Last night I kept thinking about her words, telling my critical self to calm down, telling my creative self to keep on playing. I read the book in one afternoon and still thumb through it for eye candy and inspiration.

***

I'm going to paint again tonight. It's really fun. And a really great way to nurture my own self after a day of care taking. Here's to all things bright and beautiful!

a great big blank canvas

                                                                image from google images

A few months ago I was at the obgyn and pointed out a lump I have in my armpit. The doctor kept an eye on it from visit to visit and after another 6 or 8 weeks it had noticeably grown. So she sent me across the street to the hospital for an ultrasound immediately that afternoon. I just had a few hours to wonder and get really curious. She seemed concerned, but I refused to get really worried until I had all the information.

Still...in those hours I did wonder how I would react if I got some crazy-bad news. You know, the sort of day dreaming you did when your parents were late coming home from a meeting at church on a snowy winter night and you were able to take that situation all the way through the fatal car accident that left you orphaned and alone. And you may or may not have had tears streaming down your face while your imagination ran wild.

Or was that just me?

So in this scenario, I wondered, if I got news with a timeline that told me I had months to live, what would I do. It's a good question to ask from time to time anyway, just to see how fully we're living out our days. But in this moment, the question held a bit more weight. And honest to goodness, sitting there in my paper smock in the ultrasound waiting room, looking out the window at the tree blowing against the glass, I had one clear thought: I would go to Dick Blick, buy a HUGE canvas, every color of acrylic paints, a variety of brushes and I would paint something really big and colorful.

It made me smile. This honestly is my dream. Not a trip to Bora Bora. Not a chance to meet famous-celebrity-whats-her-name. But to use a lot of thick paint on a great big canvas.

My appointment proved to be very uneventful (praise God) and I left with a clean bill of health. With this good news, I got in my car and drove straight over to Dick Blick. You know, to price check my dream. Turns out, my greatest life's dream might run me around $100, depending on how much paint, how big of a canvas, and how many brushes.

Not too shabby to make a life dream come true.

So for Mother's Day I asked for a huge canvas and some acrylic paints. And tonight we are going to Michaels (because I've been price shopping and have a 40% off coupon) to purchase a large canvas, paints and brushes. I can't wait. I'll be sure to show you my masterpiece when it feels presentable. It might take a lot of paint to get it presentable...

memorial day

Rory and I just watched a documentary on PBS called Hell and Back Again. It was powerful and sobering and the sort of reminder I think we all need to remember the true gift we are given from a military who protects and defends and serves our country. To those of you who have served, and to those of you who pray with might for someone you love who serves on our behalf, thank you.

After the program, I wrote an email to my cousin Diane whose son-in-law is a Marine and has served our country on multiple missions in some terrifying situations. This is what I wrote:

Diane,

Rory and I were just watching a documentary of Marines in Afghanistan and it made me want to drop you a line to pass along to Steve. I watched this program and thought about all the things that he has seen that he wishes he never had seen. And all of the things he has felt that he wishes he never had to feel. All the sounds he has heard, the emotions he has experienced and terrifying moments he has lived through that he wishes he hadn't heard, felt or witnessed.

So on this memorial day, just wanted to say a huge thank you to Steve. And to Libby too, for sharing her husband and her little girls' daddy with the rest of the country. It is overwhelming to me and impossible to say the perfect right thing. But I'm grateful. That's what I want him to know.

Becca

Ivar's swing/ thoughts on 18 months

I adore 18 months. Ivar now uses enough words that I can usually figure out what he needs, and this is fantastic. I recently heard him yelling from the bathroom, "Helpee! Helpee!" which is his combination of Help and Please. I ran to the bathroom to find his hands on the bottom of the tub and his feet extended over the ledge. He had been bending to try to get a ball and was stuck in a pike position with legs in the air. Thankfully there was no water in the tub, but more than that I was glad he had a word that could get me to his aid so quickly.

He will do anything for a laugh, and is often making himself laugh. Yesterday I heard him back in his room, all by himself, cracking himself up. No idea why. And now we have this swing, which is basically a giggle machine.

He also can entertain himself for longer stretches of time. I can't always count on this, but sometimes he will play in his room for lengths so long that I have to go and see what he's up to. Sometimes he's balancing on a box looking out his window and yelling, "hi!" to our neighbors in their backyard. Sometimes he's reading books in his glider rocker. Sometimes he is manhandling the cat. It's so fun to watch him grown and learn.

the machinery trader

While at the farm, we told Uncle Jake of Ivar's love of tractors and trucks and big heavy equipment. Uncle Jake walked into the next room and came back with a special gift for Ivar: The Machinery Trader. It's a newspaper filled with pages and pages of tractors, cranes, diggers, loaders and semi trucks that are for sale. Ivar cannot get enough. He will go page by page for a good long time. And when he needs redirecting all I have to say is, "where is your newspaper? why don't you go and look at your newspaper for a while." And he'll pull it out and begin his sound effects to accompany each page.