Star Wars, Build-A-Bear and Home Refinancing: Week One

Week one of 2020 was busy for us in the Dahlhouse.  It began on New Year’s Eve.  I took the Fab Four to see the new Star Wars movie.  Raising teens and toddlers at the same time can present challenges at times, but mostly it is fun.  One such challenge is seeing movies.  Such a range of ages and tastes.  I chuckled to myself as I navigated the movie theatre, popcorn buying and seat selection, that the mom in me 15 years ago would have never taken a three year old to see a PG-13 movie in a crowded theatre.  But four kids later...I bought Man Cub M+Ms, brought his blanket, bink and trains and we were doing this!  He was good as gold and I only needed to remind him to be quiet a few times.  

I’ve been a long time Star Wars fan but haven’t really kept up on this new trilogy very closely.  I was surprised at how many times I cried through the movie.  Gahhh...I’m such a softie.  Parent/child relationships, light/dark, love ugh...pass the tissues.  Who would have thought I would be crying in a Star Wars movie.  Never the less....I was. 

We let the kids stay up to midnight on New Year’s Eve.  Then I paid for it the next day with how grouchy and emotional they all were.  

We had fun taking silly pictures with the filter on my phone.  

Over the break we were able to take a trip to Build-A-Bear.  Both Miss B and Man Cub got gift cards for Christmas and they were burning a hole in their pockets.  

This was Man Cub’s first time building a bear and he enjoyed every minute.  I thought it was fitting that they had a Thomas The Train Bear.  So perfect for him.  

Even on the most seemingly perfect of days...we can end up sitting on the mall floor waiting for the tantrum to pass.  Poor guy just doesn’t quite understand why he can have all the toys and cars he sees at the mall.  The concept of paying for them hasn’t registered yet.  So we wait it out while the teens are in other stores shopping for video games and Office sweatshirts.  Another example of the challenges of raising teens and toddlers.

Luke had a recheck on his broken foot.  He broke it the day before Thanksgiving falling UP the stairs chasing his sisters.  The doctor is concerned about the possibility of the stretching of a nerve in his leg, so he is recommending that he sees a specialist that will test his nerve.  Not really certain what they will do with the outcome of this information, but I will find out more next week.  Meanwhile, the bruising and swelling have decreased and he is healing well.

One of our goals for this year and next year (as it seems it will be) is to pay off all our debt.  Living off one income is tough and over the course of the past three years we have racked up quite a bit of credit card debt.  I have felt embarrassed about this in the past, but I don’t anymore.  Mark reminds me that this is a season.  Medical and therapy costs have been astronomical for our family this past 18 months, and all the expenses of raising kiddos and life.  It is time to make some changes and we have been completely overhauling our finances.  So refinancing the house was an option that we looked into.  Not with the plan of taking any equity out of our home, but seeing if we could reduce our interest rate to lower our monthly payment.  Well...we didn’t decreases our payment but we decreased our interest rate and the overall life of the loan to 20 years instead of 30.  So in the long run, we will be saving a lot of money in interest.  Short term not a monthly savings.  However, we have a good plan, and I have been educating myself on the finer points of budgeting, cash and debt reduction.  It’s been quite the education so far.  

Christmas was packed up and put away.  I really loved my tree this year.  It was the first time I have ever really had a vision for a Christmas tree and decorated it for me.  The kids had their tree for their lights and ornaments.  As much as I love Christmas, I was ready for the fresh beginnings of a new year.

The end of week one saw us celebrating 21 years of marriage, which seems impossible since I am only 25!  Haha.  Yes, we were babies when we got married.  Me 19 him 20.  A lifetime ago.  I’ve been so blessed to spend most of my life with this amazing man of mine.  We went to dinner at Ilani and Line and Lure.  We had the cutest little table next to a fireplace.  The dim lights and candles were romantic and we had such good conversation planning this next year.  I love you Dahl!

Happy New Year my readers.  I am believing many blessing and happiness for all of you in this new year!

4th of July Fun!

So I am almost a month late in posting the fourth of July Pictures!  But I promised myself I would post them to my blog during the month of July!  Today is the 31st...No rush right.  What a fantastic party we had!  It was by far the biggest party we had and I loved every minute of it. 

We have been hosting 4th of July since 2008!  Almost a decade.  Crazy.  Each year it is a tradition that I buy a piñata for the kids to destroy.  As the kiddos have grown bigger, it has become a challenge to find a piñata that will at least allow the kids to each have a turn.  This year's piñata did NOT disappoint!  The cheeseburger piñata held up to many rounds of each kiddo getting a turn hitting it.  Looking for a great piñata... you can find this one at Target for 14.99.  :)

Even the babies got in on the fun!

The piñata line grew this year.  The kids line up youngest to oldest.  Except Matthew was more interested in my cup than hitting the piñata. 

Friends and Family

Fun with water!

300 water balloon!

Buddies!

B in Grace's dress from years past.

He wasn't scared of the fireworks during the day...but his little nerves couldn't handle it at night when they were all going off at the same time.

Firework time!

She held a sparkler!  She hasn't had anything to do with fireworks since the "incident" of 2014!  Way to be brave B!

I was exhausted when it was over...but it was a good exhausted.  I have been reminded over and over these past couple of months how wonderful it is to have family and friends that are there for you when you need someone to hold you up.  I've also been reminded that God is good.  I look around at the blessings God has given our family and I see God's goodness.  I look at the challenges we face daily, and some of our darker moments this year (skin cancer) and I still see God's goodness.  Him alerting me to something that needed medical attention, strength to advocate for my kids, faith to face the "what if's" and to continue on with the realities of the unknown.  In all of the good, and the mess (and my life is messy)...in all of it...God still remains good.  He is unchanging.  His faithfulness unwavering.  And.I.Need.Him.  I watched littles hold hands, wave sparklers, eat candy, wear glow sticks, and I sat back holding my son reminded of this one precious life, and the goodness of the One who created it. We really are the luckiest.  What a privilege to have so many wonderful people in our lives.  So on July 4th we celebrated, not only our country's freedom, the gift of family and friends and God's goodness. 

Week #23 @ The Dahlhouse: New Kids On The Block and Kindergarten Graduation

There was much to celebrate at the Dahlhouse during week #23!  We started our week on Sunday at church.  Aren't these baby Robeez feet the cutest things you have seen???  I spend a lot of time in the "Cry Room" at church.  I am super thankful for it though.  They stream the service through a live feed on a television screen, so I can mostly hear the service. 

Our first s'mores of the year was enjoyed on the patio with our new fire pit.  That was reason to celebrate!

We celebrated my best friends son's graduation from college.  She has this really adorable fountain on her back patio.  Matthew's love language is WATER!  He would have played all day if I had let him.  He protested when I took him inside and put on his PJ's. 

I finally was able to complete some projects with my Cricut and heat transfer vinyl.  I finished this diaper bag, designed two t-shirts for a concert and added the VIPKID logo onto a few orange shirts for my business.

Celebrating Man Cub's boyhood.  He has a freshly skinned knee in this picture.  He is a source of joy and happiness.  I am so thankful he is ours.

Mom and I celebrated teenage years by attending the New Kids on The Block concert at the Moda Center.  Seriously you guys....my mom is so awesome to go with me, wear the shirt, and dance and sing.  I think this why she looks so young.  She is young in heart.

It was WILD!!!  Mom took me to my very first concert (which was New Kids on The Block) on Valentine's Day 1991.  26 years later...we were back!  It was the most fun I have had in a very LONG time.  It made me feel like a teen again.

Jordan is still my fav!

The Boys were such great performers and you could tell how much they are enjoying being on tour. 

Matthew is a big helper these days.  He is "helping" me with the dishes. 

This little one had her very last day of kindergarten and kindergarten graduation.  I have been so emotional about this!  I cried more this last week of school than I did the first day.  I had a very special connection with her teacher.  She was more than Bella's teacher, over the year she became my friend.  I have a difficult time imagining Bella with a new teacher.  We love you Ms. Cavill. 

 Isn't she the sweetest?  Makes me tear up to think about what she will look like at her high school graduation. 

 Bella and Ms. Cavill

 The class!

 Waiting for her name to be called....

 Bella and Mr. Hoff (school principal).

Celebrating friendship in the neighborhood.

June 8th we celebrated Grace's 10th adoption day.  We are so grateful to have this little princess in our lives.  Even if she is twelve going on twenty.