So there is roughly 11 hours and 28 minutes until we close...roughly

It is literally the final hours before we close on the house. It was sooooo difficult to leave yesterday after the final walk-through. We threatened the builder that we weren't leaving and just might be 'squatters' until noon on Friday. He just laughed at our silliness and we were like, "no, really." Everything looks good, just a few minor cosmetic things...oh and a few fixtures that didn't come in yet so we're stuck with some pretty fancy polished brass ones. Luckily they are in the closets and at this point, whatever they have to put up right now just to get the certificate of occupancy, we're fine with. I guess that is par for the course in the neighborhood, as pretty much everyone we've talked to went into their new home sans a few fixtures.

As of now, we have one more night in the apartment. One more night. We told the kids before bed tonight that the quicker they fell asleep, the quicker tomorrow would come....it worked. They've been real troopers through all of this and to see their excitement about a whole new world that is about to open up to them is truly priceless.

For now, we leave you with a few more pics before we move in officially. We hope to see everyone soon and please, come by and visit. We'll be sure to have a cold beer/glass of wine ready for you.

It's the Final Countdown --

We have 10 days left. Ten days until we can finally call the house on Daria Circle 'home'. It really did go by fast, a lot faster than we thought it would. So we continue to cross off each day on our countdown calendar, knowing that we only have one more weekend in this apartment. Only two more weeks of having to park one building down because when I get home from work at midnight, there are no more parking spots by our building! Two more weeks of lugging groceries up the stairs and doing laundry out of a closet, while leaning over the garbage can and returnables. It is going to feel like pure heaven to be back in a house. We found out that our neighbors are closing on the 12th, but moving in the same weekend we are (the 20th - 22nd). It's funny how when you're childless (like our neighbors), you take the time in your new home to put up the ceiling fans and get some things taken care of before you move in. When you are a family of 5 in a 3 bedroom apartment, you show up to closing with the van packed to the gills! We're busting out the inflatable mattresses folks! The Nester Family will be sleeping in our new digs as of the 20th.....whatever it takes!! You can go ahead and call us crazy.....yep, we are and so what.

Brad 'measuring' for the mirrors we're going to install. We were wondering how much you like the outlet that they decided to just place through the mirror. Why move an outlet when you can just cut a hole in a mirror?? Wow. They'll be fixing that!

The only thing left to install is the cooktop. This is definitely a dream kitchen for me. Brad is even in awe of it. There will be many meals and treats made in this kitchen. Can't wait to do Christmas cookies this year!!

Looking forward to some relaxation.....

Happy Halloween!

It is our favorite time of the year. A time to decorate the house, carve the pumpkins, sip on some warm cider (we hear Kevin likes cider) and enjoy a little trick-or-treating with the kids. It's been a little different being in the apartment this year, but we definitely have the best decorated balcony in the building! We have our lights up and our usual Halloween decor' hanging up. It makes it feel like 'home'....well, as much as it possibly can. We even decorated the outside of our door with a yellow caution tape that reads "Caution - Enter at your own risk" and a hanging skeleton...which we seem to keep finding in some fairly suggestive positions every morning. The kids get a kick out of it anyway (it is kind of funny).

The best part of Halloween for the Nester Family this year is getting our first round of trick-or-treating in the new neighborhood. The kids are in heaven over the whole idea, it almost seems too good to be true to them. They even have a costume parade for the kids. After spending some time with our new neighbors at the Fall Party, we already feel like we are home. So tonight, we kicked off our Halloween celebration with our pumpkin carving contest..well, it's a contest to me. Everyone else does it for "fun." I'm kidding. Brad has come a lonnnnng way with his pumpkin carving skills. I remember the first year (1999) in our new home in Redford, I brought home the pumpkins to carve and I had to actually scoop the guts out for him. He now does it himself. I'm so proud. The kids had a blast and poor Little B was still feeling a little under the weather and was in bed, so I carved my pumpkin in honor of him. As for the contest......Owen won this year.

Happy Halloween Everyone!! May the Force Be With You!

It's official

It is official. Brad got the call today from the secretary at the office that we'll be having our final walk-through on the 17th of November....and closing for sure on the 20th. So that leaves us with 28 days in this apartment. The first thing we did when we got the news was print off a countdown calendar and taped it up on the wall by the pictures of the house. I had the opportunity yesterday to walk through with the 'nice' Canzano Brother. He showed me around and told me what they did and what was going to be done soon. It's amazing. It is way above what we imagined and is really going to be the perfect place for us to be for the next 30+ years. Brad and I are both super excited to have everyone over to celebrate with us! We're thinking we can maybe squeak a little party in between Thanksgiving and Christmas? Let us know who is in!

I foresee this scenario in our near future......We'll have lots of room and sofa sleepers. Bring your sleeping bag!! We'll have 'Waffle Bar Sunday'....

It's almost here.

Not too much to say. Just counting down the days 'till we are in the New Nest. We got a little insider info that tells us the closing day will be November 20th. It's almost here......

(insert ear-to-ear-grin here)

Moving right along.

The move-in date appears to be upon the horizon. This whole apartment thing is near the end. It hasn't really been all that horrible but it is definitely something we don't want to do again. I mean, our bedroom is bigger in this apartment than it was in the Redford house...and we have a master bath to boot....but we're done. This one-floor-living-plan is for the birds.

The mortgage app is already rolling and into place, the only thing we are waiting on is an exact closing date. One of the neighbors that just moved in last week actually closed a week earlier than they had planned. That would be dandy. Brad and I still feel that we have to pinch ourselves when we see what we have to look forward to. It's been so amazing for the kids, especially Owen. He is now riding the bus to and from the neighborhood with the Percy and Whalen kids. That 'gang' is going to be so much fun to watch grow up together. Brad said the other day they all got off the bus singing Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' and sang it all the way down the sidewalk to the Percy's. I guess the bus driver has been playing them music on the way home (Kidz Bop, etc.). The Percy's also built a stage in their basement, so that they have a place to perform. I'm sure we'll get some great footage to embarrass them with when they get older.

So brace yourself friends and family, the 'The Nester Nest Party' is coming soon. I can't wait to cook for everyone and Brad can't wait to serve all the frosty, adult beverages.

The driveway, sidewalk and porch are all poured and ready to go.

They've started to install the railing....

and the kitchen cabinets are in.

There are so many more pics to post but our computer is still acting goofy. Sorry these are so small...can't figure out why right now. Hope you can see them OK.

...more to come

The Beezer...

Well, it just occurred to me this morning that Mr. B is 18 months old today. Wow..where has the time gone? It's easy in the day-to-day grind to remember that he is still a baby. I know that sounds weird, but he just goes with the flow so it's easy to lose sight of that.

Not much has changed as far as his fascination with Cars...the Pixar Cars, any cars. He LOVES cars. He also got his first look at Thomas the Tank Engine. Guess it's time to send Daddy into the storage unit to dig out Owen's old Thomas stuff. Brendan still isn't saying a whole lot but is very good at shooting out random words. The other day I went through Tim Horton's to grab a coffee and he yelled out from the backseat "DONUT!!" I guess that's really kind of bad that he can already make that association. If Avery would have been with us, there would have been a 10-pack of Timbits in the car with us. Brendan knows what the box looks like. Oh well, could be worse things. He has also started to recently run around the house saying "Mommyyyy, Mommmyyyy!" It sounds so cute and I just melt. He's been running around saying the same thing with Daddy and I was starting to get a bit jealous. What's up with that?

We are really getting a kick out of him and his babbling. He has so much to say and is literally having a conversation with us..but we just can't totally get what he is saying. There is so much emotion and his voice changes in excitement....but it definitely doesn't sound like English. Brad is convinced that he'll just start talking in full sentences one day. Brendan also loves to try and sing along with us. He sings the Alphabet song which sounds like "A-E, A-E, A-E, AAAA", but he has the tune down to a tee. He also loves the Beatles song "Here Comes the Sun" and hums along with me when I sing it to him at night.

In a nutshell, these past 18 months with him have been wonderful. He was a special gift that was sent to us and made us complete. Brad and I were just talking the other night about how in the midst of all the things we had to go through....we have truly been blessed. My Mom has always told me that "Nothing worthwhile ever comes easy" and I believe that to be 100% true. Even with all of the sadness and uncertainty that we experienced, we wouldn't change the way things went. Brendan has made a lot of those old wounds heal......