Summer Photo Dump

his lips are like a suction cup.  He loves to give kisses.

Jack's first sunday school craft.  he was soooo excited to show us.  

The cutest thing ever!

Jack in my shoes

He's spent a lot of time in the corner this summer.  Bad boy.

still loves to do housework

my mom and Halle at Krissy's graduation dinner

playing with some medals hef ound

the girls dip-dyed their hair with Koolaid.  Aunt Sarah and I did it, too!

WhataMelon

This has been a summer full of melons.  These kids of mine have gone through at least one watermelon a week.  That is not including all the cantaloupes and honey dews.

We made a watermelon cake.

And then a real cake that looks like a watermelon for Halle's birthday

And sometimes they don't even bother to slice it up.  Just eat it with a spoon!

American Ninja Warrior

She turned my house into an obstacle course.  She says she wants to be like Kacy Catanzaro.

Vertical Limit

Spider Climb

Salmon Ladder

I finally had to stop her when she made this to be The Warped Wall.  Don't need any broken bones at this time, thank you.

My new running partner.

Arden always begs me to let her run with me.  I finally started letting her, and she is thrilled!  She is a little runner and does really well.  Right now she can run a whole mile without stopping.  She loves it and it's been the highlight of her day.  I make her wait until the evening after the sun goes down because I am definitely not running in this Texas heat while the sun is still out!

the first time she ran with me.  We realized that she had outgrown her sneakers.  She didn't care, she ran in socks and dress shoes instead.

After her first run with me her daddy promised her new running shoes.

This kid has been cracking me up with her new shoes.  Here's some of the things:

1.  She runs on her toes.  She tried to run on her heels, but she said that doesn't feel right.  If you know Arden this won't surprise you.  She walks on her tip toes everywhere.
2.  She says her new running shoes make her go super fast.  She has shown everyone her new shoes and will give them a sample of her speediness by sprinting in front of them.
3.  When she gets tired on our run she says, "I'm tired but I'm gonna keep pushing myself.  I'm not going to stop!"

Moving on up, to the east side. We finally got a piece of the pie!

Movin' on up, to the east side.  We finally got a piece of the pie!

Those lyrics of the Jefferson's theme song keep playing over and over in my head.  Because, you know, we are moving Northeast.

And it's in a cul-de-sac.... you know, a piece of the PIE..

our pie-shaped lot at the head of the cul-de-sac, the one with the red dot.

Here's some pics of our house!  I can't decide if the pool, the cul-de-sac, the master bath, or the kitchen is my favorite.  I'm soooo excited!

looking at the front

the backyard has a path all the way around it

the pool!

a side yard for the kids to play in without having to be in the backyard by the pool.  

breakfast room with windows and door opening out to pool

kitchen

dining room

family room

entryway

gameroom

Jack's room

Arden's room

guest bed room/secondary game room/playroom/ school room.  I-have-no-idea-room

Halle's room.  It has vaulted ceilings which is perfect for her loft bed

game room looking toward family room

I no longer have a closet for a bathroom.  This bathroom is so big the closet is in it!

his and her sinks with a water closet.  Brian and I no longer have to fight over the bathroom.  Woohoo!

another view of the kitchen

we walked-through our house yesterday.  The kids already made friends while we were there.

Epilogue

Now that the days of Dr. PSYCHOlogist were behind them, the couple focused on finding another home.  It worked out perfectly because the same day that Bryan and Bonnie sold their house was the same day that the wonderful house came on the market.  Even though the house received several offers, Bryan and Bonnie's was the one that was accepted.  They were over the moon.

Bryan and Bonnie had to keep quiet about much of the details of the house involving Dr. Psycho while they were under contract.  They couldn't post anything on social media regarding the house and risk legal ramifications.  However, once the deal was finished, Bonnie decided to write a short story depicting the series of events she encountered.  She, of course, used false name, though.  Just in case....

:)

Nightmare on Elm Street Chapters 5-9

Don't forget to read Chapter 4!

CHAPTER 5

The following day after the survey, Dr. Krueger decided to cooperate.  She approved the survey.  However, after the surveyor finished the front, he needed to do the backyard (for the outdoor kitchen, which was the whole point of the new survey.)  Dr. Krueger did not like that the surveyor would have to step into her house in order to pass through to the back yard.  Again she kicked the surveyor off her property!

Another day came and went, and after some coaxing, she decided to cooperate, again.  This time there was a new surveyor (the old one refused to go back.)  This surveyor, a female, arrived a half hour early.  Dr. Krueger was mad that the surveyor did not come at the scheduled time, and for the third time, refused the survey!  She told this one that she would use whatever force necessary to remove her from the property.  Bryan and Bonnie were sick of this lady, the emotional roller coaster they were being put through, and all the games. No house was worth this kind of headache.  The seller, Dr. Krueger, had refused the survey three times and this was causing a delay which was out of the buyers' control.

Why didn't she want a new survey of the house?  Bryan decided she must have had a dead body buried beneath the outdoor kitchen.  

Because of Dr. Krueger's refusal to cooperate, Bryan and Bonnie's time had elapsed so they could no longer legally pull out of the deal without repercussions.  They were so fed up with this lady, though, and couldn't be sure she would follow through with the sale.  For all they knew, she might not show up to closing.  Did she want to sell her house or did she not?  They weren't sure if she knew that answer.  Was she deliberately trying to make the buyers angry so they would back out of the deal?  Either way, time was of the essence and they needed to be assured that they would have a house to move into because they would soon be homeless.  They already had the usual stresses of moving (packing, moving expenses, selling their own house) without adding Crazy Lady in the mix.

 They decided to back out of the deal before it got any messier.  The couple's realtor, Courtney, drew up a termination agreement to cancel the contract.  The couple was also wanting to get their earnest money, not a small amount, back for all of the trouble they had been through.  As you can well imagine, Dr. Krueger was pissed, again, and wasn't going to approve that (it has to be approved by both parties.)  Courtney spent the next morning arguing with the seller's realtor and broker about the situation.  This whole ordeal was outrageous and Denise, the seller's realtor, was proving to be a little kooky herself.  Courtney's broker stepped in and tried to intervene on the couple's behalf.  All efforts failed as they would not approve the earnest money reimbursement.

That evening the couple discussed the situation and drew up another termination agreement.  This one stated that Dr. Krueger could have the earnest money which would release the couple from the contract.  At this point the loss of earnest money was worth being able to walk away from this mess.

*************************************
CHAPTER 6

The next day Bryan and Bonnie got another call.  They were hoping that it was a call to confirm that Dr. Krueger took the earnest money.  Actually it was a call from Courtney saying that she just got off the phone with Denise, the other realtor.  Apparently Dr. Krueger was "soo soo sorry of all the trouble she caused and had repented."  She was willing to knock $8,100 off the price of the house.  What?!  One minute this lady is refusing to pay for a $300 survey to the point of shooting someone; the next she's willing to knock thousands off the house price.  Wow.

And why $8100?  That was an odd amount.  Bryan and Bonnie knew better than to fall for that.  If Dr. Krueger was apologetic today, tomorrow she would have remorse for letting her house go for so cheap.  Who knew what she would do to sabotage the house before she moved out.  Bryan and Bonnie had heard horror stories of deals that'd gone sour.  The sellers would mess up the house in ungodly ways to get back at the buyers: purposefully bust pipes and cause all sorts of water damage, stick gum in the electrical outlets, loosen hand railings.... If Bryan and Bonnie were to agree to the new price, who knows how long they would suffer the wrath of Dr. Krueger.  They had to think of the safety of their children.  Besides, if they did purchase the house, she would know where they lived!  They said thank you, but hell no.

*************************************
CHAPTER 7
The next day Dr. Krueger was mad again. She decided that she wasn't going to sign off on receiving the earnest money.  The original purchase agreement stated that she could either take the earnest money, thereby releasing the buyers from the agreement, or take legal actions and force the deal by suing for the price of the house plus damages. Well you know where the couple stood.  After four weeks of crap from this lady, there was no way they were going to buy that house!

Dr. Krueger stated that she would be seeking an attorney.  So one moment she's repenting, and the next moment she's threatening to sue.

That's all Bryan and Bonnie needed right now; to enter into a law suit with a mad woman.

***************************************

CHAPTER 8

Bryan and Bonnie were extremely stressed out.  Two days had passed and they had been praying that Dr. Krueger would release them from the contract.  They hoped her mood would turn and she would be kind enough to just let it go.

In the meantime Courtney had an "aha" moment.  After a few days of replaying the events in her head, she suspected that Dr. Krueger might NOT have offered them the $8100 discount like they originally thought. Courtney realized that the discount amount is suspiciously the same as Dr. Krueger's realtor's commission!  Denise may have offered up, without the seller knowing, her portion of the sale in order to save the deal, probably just to get away from this woman.  She suspected that when the proud Dr. Krueger saw the statement in the termination agreement, "Thank you, but we politely decline the $8100 reduction on the house," it infuriated her and sent her into a frenzy of seeking a lawyer.  What a mess!  Bryan and Bonnie didn't know what to believe anymore.  Either way, the deal was off the table, and they were left with a not-so-nice lady, the lady's shady realtor, and a bad relationship.

The couple kept praying and requesting prayers from friends and family.

*******************************************

CHAPTER 9

As it turns out, the seller had plans to move out of the country.  After much deliberation she decided it would behoove her to take the earnest money and move on.  A lawsuit would be difficult for her to pursue if she's living abroad.  It would be in her interest to fire her realtor, and re-list her house quickly so she could be on her way.  Why she was so resistant to the home selling process when it was her decision to sell it, we will never know.  She signed the earnest money release and fired her agent.

Whew!  The couple was so relieved.  Courtney was relieved as well.  She told them she was sorry they did not get their earnest money back and that she had never encountered anything like this woman.  Courtney told her clients, Bryan and Bonnie, "I never thought I would have to say this to anyone, but congratulations on losing thousands of dollars.  What a relief!"  The couple couldn't agree more.  They just feel bad for the next buyer that gets suckered into Dr. Krueger's trap.

Nightmare on Elm Street Chapter 4

Click here to read Chapter 3

CHAPTER 4
The next few days passed without incident.  Bryan and Bonnie were excited about their new home.  They were planning the furniture layout for the game room, showing their friends and family pictures of the place, and were anticipating the closing date.

They then received a call from Courtney, their realtor.  Dr. Krueger was at it again.  The Elm Street home needed a new survey because the old survey did not include the recently added outdoor kitchen.  The contract stated that the seller would be responsible for paying for the new survey if one was needed.  The survey is very important because the lending company, Slow Loans, will not finance the house without it.

(At this point, Dr. Krueger and her realtor, Denise, were not on good terms again.  Apparently Dr. Krueger had screamed at Denise because she felt that Denise wasn't doing her job.  She thought that Denise didn't fight hard enough in the negotiation process, and that it was her fault that she, Dr. Krueger, wasn't getting full price for the house.)

In addition, Dr. Krueger was furious that her old survey didn't suffice.  If she did have to have a new survey then she wanted her old surveyor friend to come out and "write-in" the outdoor kitchen.  It doesn't work that way.  The survey has to be completed by a non-biased third party company, and be ordered by the title company.

Because of the poor relationship between Dr. Krueger and Denise, Denise didn't tell Dr. Krueger about the scheduling of the survey.  Denise approved the surveyor to arrive at the Elm Street house at 9 am Monday morning.  Dr. Krueger would be at work and wouldn't be able to object.  Well, for whatever reason, Dr. Krueger was not at work that morning!  She saw the surveyor in the yard, opened the door, and started screaming (this is all according to a neighbor witness).  She told him that if he didn't leave that instant she would sic her dog on him and shoot him!  (Remember that locked room upstairs that initially wasn't viewable?  It turns out it was locked because it was a whole room full of guns.)

What were Bryan and Bonnie going to do?  This lady was nuts!  They loved the house, but without the survey there was no loan.  Without the loan there was no house.  Why wouldn't she allow a new survey?  It was her responsibility to cover the cost of it, but it wasn't a huge expense.  The couple was getting very tired of this lady's shenanigans: the rudeness, the ludicrous accusations, and now this.  Bonnie had visions of going over to the lady's house and punching her in the face, but crazy ladies and guns don't mix.

To be continued....

Nightmare on Elm Street Chapter 3

Click here to read Chapter 1
Click here to read Chapter 2

CHAPTER 3

Bryan and Bonnie spent the rest of the evening talking about the accusations.  They were wondering what they had gotten themselves into and with whom they were dealing.  Dr. Krueger of course had no proof, and would she go as far as pressing charges?  Bryan and Bonnie just didn't know what to think of this woman.  Courtney, the couple's realtor, called them again that evening to tell them something else.  Dr. Krueger, the seller that refused to show her home, was now permitting other potential buyers to view her home.  Yes, even though she was under contract, she decided that now she would start approving the showings!  She was well within her rights to show her home because it was still hers, but why now if she hadn't been doing it before?  This didn't sit well with Bryan and Bonnie.  It was also brought to their attention that she was "pissed" because the inspectors came.  She was not happy about them coming on Tuesday since that was the day she had arranged for a friend to come over and visit.  Seriously?!  (Mind you, buyers have a 10 day option period in which they have to get the inspections done.  The seller is supposed to be accommodating according to the contract.  Inspectors are very busy in this current housing market, and are not easy to schedule.)  Did she even want to sell her home?  Bryan and Bonnie worried that the seller would back out of the deal altogether.

They still needed to negotiate the findings on the inspection reports regarding the Elm Street house.  Considering Dr. Krueger's emotional state, the couple was doubtful she would cooperate with them.  However, the seller's agent called Courtney the next day and told her that Dr. Krueger was in good spirits (bipolar anyone?).  Courtney submitted the inspection report to the seller and the seller was quite agreeable with the terms.  Well that's good news, right?  The couple's spirits were lifted since the seller seemed a little more sane.  They were sitting a little more easy the next day, having agreed upon a monetary value for the repairs with the seller.  They were also happy that their own home selling was going as planned.  The seller came to find out that her son did have a party while she was out of town and caused the damages.  Bryan and Bonnie never received an apology, though.  That's ok, they thought, we just need to get through this transaction with this difficult woman, and won't ever have to worry about her again.  She seems to be cooperating for the most part, so it should all be downhill from here.  Or so they thought.....

To be continued...

Nightmare on Elm Street Chapter 2

Click here to read Chapter 1

CHAPTER 2

The day following the holiday, Independence Day, the seller, Ms. Krueger, still not to be bothered with the purchase contract that Bryan and Bonnie submitted, went out of town for the weekend.  She returned Sunday evening and finally signed the agreement.  Courtney, the realtor, mentioned to the couple that the seller and her agent did not have a good working relationship.  The seller's agent, Denise, confided in Courtney and told her that the seller was verbally abusive to her and that they did not get along.

Bryan and Bonnie, who were waiting anxiously, were thrilled that the contract was underway.    They immediately began ordering the home inspections and worked diligently at getting their financing in order. The couple and their realtor joined the three inspectors on Tuesday to view the house and discuss the necessary repairs.  The children did not come since the couple wanted to respect Ms. Krueger's no-children policy.  Wow, they thought, as they walked up the front path, Ms. Krueger must have had a fun party.  Fourth of July firework debris lined the path and street.  Inspections went well enough, and the couple went on their way.

Courtney. the couple's realtor, called the couple later that evening to discuss the phone call she just received from Ms. Krueger's realtor.  Apparently Ms. Krueger was irate.  She told her realtor that she was upset with Bryan and Bonnie.  She accused them of allowing their children, Haley, Audrey, and Jake, to swim in her pool while inspections were underway.  In addition, she insisted that the couple had thrown a party at her home over the weekend while she was out of town! They swam in her backyard and also tore the felt on the pool table in the gameroom.  They also broke a stool and hid it in the closet.  To top it off, the couple stole her beloved statue of St. Matthew!

The couple was astonished at all of the accusations.  Bryan and Bonnie were furious, but in a way, they were amused at the insane allegations.  Of course they were no where near the house while Ms. Krueger was out of town, and would never do such things.  This lady must be joking, right?!?!  Bryan and Bonnie were not sure how to proceed with the situation.  Why on earth would a seller accuse a potential buyer of her home of such outrageous doings?  Did she not stop to even consider the possibility that her teenage son might have thrown a party while she was out of town?!  Was it easier to accuse strangers into whom she had entered into a business-professional relationship with than her very own son?!  Ms. Krueger's agent then sent photos of the damage done to the pool table as proof.  These pictures made the couple quite angry.  See, the pool table had been negotiated into the contract, so the pool table was soon to be owned by Bryan and Bonnie.  Why would the seller think they would damage their future property?

While on the phone with Courtney, they learned a quite interesting piece of factual information.  Ms. Krueger was not the correct title for seller.  She was taken aback by the title and was actually Dr. Krueger.  The couple learned that the lady they were dealing with, who was turning out to have paranoid tendencies, was in fact a psychologist!

To be continued....

Nigtmare on Elm Street

This is, ahem, a purely fictional horror story....  (The names are fictional, anyway.  The story might or might not have happened.)

CHAPTER ONE

Bryan and his wife, Bonnie, along with their children, Haley, Audrey, and Jake, were selling their home. Their house had served them well for the seven years that they lived there.  The neighborhood was quaint, their neighbors were wonderful, and overall they were pleased.  However, their children were now getting older, and the living spaces were becoming tight.  They hoped to move into a roomier home that would suit them better.

After much searching, they were thrilled when they found a new house in a nearby neighborhood.  The house looked like it would be a good fit for their family, and was located on Elm Street.

Bryan was working, so Bonnie, her realtor, Courtney, and the kids went to see the new home.  Now Courtney had a hard time getting a showing of the home because the seller was not accomodating.  See, the seller supposedly wanted to sell her home, but hardly allowed any showings.  (How do you sell a home if you don't show it?)  When Courtney pulled up the history on the home, she realized that the seller and her realtor had listed and re-listed the house multiple times.  In addition, the seller's realtor told Courtney that the seller is a "nut case" and she about had it with her.  Something seemed fishy, but nevertheless Bryan and Bonnie wanted to take a look.  After all, there was a shortage in the area of 50,000 homes, so homes were hard to come by.  Buyers were having to act quickly on what became available.  The three houses that Bonnie had looked at prior to this house on Elm Street were terrible, so she was willing to take a chance at looking at it.

Once Bonnie and Courtney arrived to view the home, the seller's realtor texted Courtney to tell her that only one person was allowed to view the house at a time.  Absolutely no children were allowed in the house.  Also, anyone going upstairs must remove her shoes to walk on the carpet.  Bonnie also learned that previously one of the rooms was locked and not viewable.  What had been in there, she wondered.  A dead body?...  She didn't give much thought after her initial wonderment, though, because the room was now unlocked, and the room seemed plain and ordinary.

In spite of the odd demands by the seller, Bonnie fell in love with the home.  It was an older home, but it had a lot of charm.  It was a two story home with a lot more space than the current house in which they resided, and the backyard was an oasis!  The backyard was large, with lush greenery, a sparkling pool, serene water fountains, and abundant seating.  Flanking the pool was an outdoor kitchen and bar.  The bar area had a relaxing tropical feeling.  A palapa canopied the bar, and stools faced the TV and kitchenette.  Bonnie imagined herself poolside, entertaining guests, while Bryan lived out his cocktail dreams of serving mixed drinks, grilling steaks, and catching the football game on TV.  Bonnie envisioned her children laughing and splashing in the pool while she sunbathed.  She also loved the French doors that opened onto the pool area's covered patio from the breakfast room, and pictured herself enjoying her early morning cup of coffee.  The house was incredible, and she could not wait to show Bryan.

Bryan and Bonnie scheduled another showing of the house that evening.  Again, they met resistance from the seller.  She was not happy that she had to show her house again.  Bryan and Bobbie really thought this to be odd.  Most sellers are very accommodating.  After some coaxing, the seller reluctantly agreed.  Bryan immediately fell in love with the house as well, and they put in an offer.

The seller, however, was not going to be put out by the timing of the offer since she was entertaining guests the following day, a holiday.  The offer would have to wait until later.

.....to be continued