Basement Update, Blog Problems and other Ramblings

First off, the basement is coming along quite nicely. It's fun picking out the paint and flooring. If the rain holds, they should be finished by Monday. DARN that pesky rain!

I am having major issues with my blog, I inserted a gif animation that says Lucky Me to see what it looked like and now I can't get rid of the darn thing. Blogger is being difficult and you can't get help from them you have to go to an online help center question forum, which of course is NO help! So I changed my template but I still don't like it and now there is no acutal title. I'm working on it. I was thinking about moving my stuff to a different blogger blog but not sure how to retreive all my posts and all my other saved stuff in order to move it to a new address. So if anyone out there can help, please email. Also, I have been getting some weird comments, so for now I put in that I need to approve all comments before they are posted but don't let that stop anyone from writing an appropriate comment.

Hannah's team won their first game 26 to 13, I know it sounds like a basketball score but this will probably be a re-buildng year for the Boomers.

Another long lost friend is also having a baby. Andrea is due in September. That is another edition to a long line of friends who have had or are having babies soon.


Sparky has been staying at Grandmas while the basement is being finished and the back yard is torn up but I really miss him so I thought I would post this cute picture of him and Justin.

Is Spring Finally Here?

I think it may be official, Spring has arrived in St. Louis. Now if only the rain would stay away. For those that don't know, we did have flood number three last week. Not quite as bad as the first two but still wet carpet and flooring etc. We did get a bid on fixing the entire problem including re-doing the basement (new carpet, paint, drywall etc) that we can actually live with. So with the help of family and some MAJOR budgeting on our part, we are going to have the basement fixed. And barring any rain, they will start on it today and hopefully be finished by next weekend! YEAH!!!!

I can definitely tell Spring has sprung for my kids, because not a one of them wants to do any school work! Adam asked me today, "Mom, who invented school?" And I was like, "HMM, I don't know?" He goes, "Whoever it was is evil!" I thought, I feel the same ways sometimes. But I said "School is fun, you get to see your friends and learn a lot of new things." He goes, "Whatever, MOM!" I CRACKED up laughing!

Hannah has her first softball game this weekend. Go Boomers!! She's a little nervous because she will have to do some pitching but I know she will be great.

Justin has quickly learned where all his friends in the neighborhood live and he and his buddies have gotten together a Friday night Poker Game. They play with real money but use nickles, dimes and quarters. Each kid has to have $3 to play and that's all they can lose. He said it was blast last week and I told him we could host it as soon as the basement is finished. Not too sure I like the gambling aspect but we have been playing cards including poker and tripoly with the kids for years so Justin is quite good at it.

That's the update for now.

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Baby Boom

There seem to be a lot of pregnant women in my life lately. So here is another birth announcement for you. Our friends and former neighbors Blaine and Nadine had a baby boy on April 7. They have named him Thomas Bruno! What a great name! He weighed in at a whopping 9lbs+. I'll post pics when I receive one and get the okay from the proud parents.

Congratulations Blaine, Nadine and big sister Sofia!

Next up is my best friend from college, Bridget and her husband Drew who live in Texas. They are due to give a little brother or sister to my godson and their son, Luke, sometime in July.

Then our friends Larry and Kim are due to have their first child, a boy, in August. (to tentatively be named Ethan Alexander)

All will be amazing parents!
xoxo~AL

Welcome Jane Elizabeth

My friends Jacki and Brian welcomed their daughter Jane Elizabeth on 4-4-08. She was only 5lbs 15oz and 18 3/4in long but she is quite adorable. Almost makes me want another one--- ALMOST!


Congratulations guys!
xoxo

Interesting Happenings

There are several interesting things to note today. First off, my friend Jacki is in labor as we speak. I have a link to her blog at the right. She is having a girl. Second, my friends Larry and Kim found out they are having a boy in August.

Also, on my favorite inspirational blog, Confessions of a CF Husband, Tricia received a double lung transplant today. If you have yet to check out that blog I highly reccommend that you take a look. It is truly an inspirational story.

It's funny how the light of new day makes everything seem like it is going to be okay. I mean look at all the things I have to be thankful for. This may sound cheesey coming from me but God is Good and I feel like things are going to eventually turn my way!

Enjoy your weekend, I know I am looking forward to the spring weather they are FINALLY predicting for St. Louis on Saturday!

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Flood Number #2

Flood number 2 happened Monday night. Not near as bad as the other time but they are predicting rain all weekend long. I was up till past midnight trying to shop vac the water up but it didn't matter. I couldn't stop the water from coming in because we can't really see where it is coming from. Bob was working so my dad and I shop vac'ed and used the push broom to get the water to go down the drain but it was no use. The carpet got wet again, so did the laminate flooring in the bedroom and the dry wall etc. Basically all the flooring is ruined. A water proofing company wants over $4000 to put in a sump pump system in which they tear up the dry wall, jackhammer the foundation around the enitre basement and generally make a complete mess. But they do guarantee that we will never have water again.

For now this seems like our only option, FEMA is not granting funds to St.Louis County, Insurance doesn't cover it so we are out of options.

This is the last time I am going to post about this as it makes me so upset to even think about. I may eventually post some pics of the flood but for now keep us in your thoughts as we try to clean up and do what's best for our family!