Please Click to Save Lives!

During the month of April The Breast Cancer Site is giving free mammograms if you follow the link below and click on the pink "Click here to give" icon. You can do this once everyday and potentially save a life. Please take 3 seconds to help a woman in need. Thanks :)

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

My "to do" list just keeps getting longer

Even as I cross off all the many tasks needed to prepare for the wedding and my graduation (just 4 short weeks away), I can't help but notice my "to do" list is still a mile long. I've decided this is a part of home ownership that is largely unavoidable. I'm pretty sure my weekends for the next 20 years (maybe a little exaggerated) will all involve some type of home improvement project.

I can't tell you how much Greg and I love the new house. It is so wonderful to be "home" that I really hate to leave for work, grocery shopping, or any reason at all! Our house is older, built in 1971, so there are a lot of small projects that we would like to do to update the house. In fact, there are so many projects that Greg has instructed me to create a list so we can prioritize what needs to be done first. Together, we have tackled a few minor jobs but it seems the list may never end. Did I mention we have no furniture? I completed my internship for school last week and my new job is to decorate and furnish our house. I can't wait!!!


Accomplished:

1. Dog run (essential for preserving our sanity)
   
2. Doggy doors (2)


3. New pavers for side door entrance


4. Installation of baby gates (no, we are not pregnant, these are for the dogs to protect our WHITE carpet)


5. Change hardware on kitchen cabinets (the brass handles had to go)


6. Couches for living room (pictures below)


7. Seed the grass (I did this yesterday, so hopefully our lawn will be nice and green!)
   

Still needs to be done:

1. Kitchen table (a must, we currently eat standing up at around the kitchen island or on our laps in the living room)


2. Guest Bed (for our many visitors that have already made reservations at casa de polheber)


3. Re tile fireplace (the psychedelic 70's tile is slowly blinding me)


4. New light fixtures for kitchen


5. New blinds for the kitchen windows (we have no privacy)


6. Refinish the deck


7. Re caulk tile in master bath


8. Reseal kitchen cabinets


9. Replace yellow bath tub (yes, we have a yellow bath tub)


10. New interior doors (all the 1970 style doors must go)


11. Tile the mud room (this is what the people in the Midwest call the laundry/utility room)


12. Kitchen counter tops (in time)


13. Update kitchen appliances (in time)


14. Someday...wood floors for the main level
15. There is a lot more furniture that we still need to purchase: coffee table, end tables, dining room table, formal living room furniture, a bedroom set...etc. But I'm assuming this will come with time.
    

Optional:

1. Paint (our walls are all a very neutral beige, painting them seems like too much effort right now...this can wait)

These are the new couches. The first pieces of furniture we own that do not fold, collapse, or easily disassemble. To me, these couches are a HUGE symbol. The represent the permanent status of our life here in Chicago. Finally, we are home and it is WONDERFUL!

Where am I???

Last weekend I woke up, looked out the window, and found this.....

What is going on???? I thought it was April! This can't be my backyard!

It's been a while

I know it's been a couple weeks since I've been on here, but let me explain. We've been a little busy...buying a house!

Here is a run down:

4 bedrooms
2.5 bathrooms
fenced yard with deck
2 car garage

1/2 mile to the River Walk in dowtown Naperville (my favorite feature!)

And just a few pictures!

We're just a little excited...COME VISIT!

Crazy Busy

I just wanted to say that I don't know when I'll be able to take some time and post something intresting. I've been working, interviewing, wedding planning, house shopping, and thesis writing. I am so busy I want to cry. I hope my life will chill out and slown down soon. Until then...don't worry I'm still alive.

Worst Day of My Life

About 20 minutes ago I got of the phone after having a telephone conference with 3 PhD Nursing Professors at the U of A. Part of my requirement for graduation is to write a Master's Thesis and defend it to a "committee" (the 3 nursing professors) and today was THE day. One week ago I presented them with a 42 page paper that has taken 3 months to research and write. I created a PowerPoint presentation for our meeting today to highlight the important aspects of my paper. This has been a VERY time consuming process!!!

My chairperson started the conference by saying,

"Thank you for preparing the PowerPoint presentation but you won't be presenting it today."

That was not a good sign. The rest of the conversation consisted of each of the 3 woman ripping into my paper left and right. Their final suggestions changed the 1.) Purpose of my paper 2.) Focus of my paper 3.) Research included in my paper. Basically, toss out this piece of crap and start over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know why they had me write this paper in the first place, if they have all these grand ideas of what my paper SHOULD be, then they can write it.

I am beyond frustrated, overwhelmed, and totally pissed off.

Drum roll please...

It has been a little high stress here in our home for the last several months. We've been trying to live normal lives but there is nothing normal about relocating every 3-6 months. As you all know, this is Greg's last rotation in his company program. We have been anxiously awaiting news about his "permanent" position.

We have pretty much left our fate in the hands of Chicago Bridge and Iron and finally, on Friday, we got some news. Greg has officially been offered a permanent position here in Chicago! Wow! I am so proud of him! The economy has been so awful lately that we were both a little nervous about our future. We can finally take a huge sigh of relief and call Chicago...HOME :)

We are surviving our first winter, one for the worst winters in over a decade, and I can't wait to see this place in the spring! This is great city for us at this point in our lives and I am so thankful we did not end up in Texas! Maybe some day we'll make it back out to California but for now we're officially Illinoisans...lol...what a funny word! Let the house hunting begin!!!!!