Thursday, July 7, 2011

It's raining, it's pouring...


It is raining like crazy here.  I love a good summer downpour.  It's been hot all day, and then all of the sudden--BOOM--clap of thunder and it starts to pour.  I love it.

I stood on our porch for a few minutes and watched the rain coming down in sheets, and then I came inside and discovered that our livingroom windows leak.  Lovely.  The arm of our new (to us) couch is now soaking.  I'm guessing it will leave a nice ring on the fabric when it dries.  This is why we shop Craigslist.

Speaking of, I've had a few requests for photos of our new apartment.  Our apartment is nothing fancy to blog about or photograph, but we did find a couple of pieces of furniture that I am pretty excited about.  I stumbled into an antique shop a few weeks ago, and I thought I had died and gone to Anthropologie Heaven (i.e. Anthro style but way cheaper).

I got a few cute things:

Tile Coffee Table

Look at the funky details!

Fun, bright kitchen chairs!
Unfortunately, there were only two of these, so I have to figure out how to get two more that somewhat match.
I love this hook for my aprons.
Also, please note the location of the electrical outlet.  That will become important later.
Isn't this jewelry thing cool?  It's just an old painted frame with chicken wire behind it.
I really like this banner.  Not sure where to hang it yet.

Old chest of drawers thing (I think there's a name for it)

 And here is the baby's $1 garage sale globe:


Lest you think our house is cuter than it actually is, allow me to show you our amazing kitchen cupboards:

Elegant.

Very posh.
Despite the crappy cupboards, we feel like we are really moving up in the apartment world.  Our first married apartment was an attic in Provo, Utah that we rented for $400 a month.  It was tiny, and the shower was under the slant of the roof, so we had to sit down or hunch over while we bathed.  I wish I had more photos of that place.  I think it was kind of charming.

Our next apartment was the upstairs of a little house in Buffalo, New York.  One bedroom; interesting neighborhood (i.e. robbed once and mugged once); the outlets were all in odd places, so it was a production to plug in any of our appliances; no AC for the humid summers and no insulation for the cold winters; living room painted "sunset pink" (no, we did not get to choose our paint colors).  We loved it.

We are now in a two bedroom apartment with leaky windows in Aurora, Colorado.  The kitchen is narrow and the cupboards are ugly, but at least the outlets are all in the right places, we have air conditioning, and we have our own washer and dryer right in our hallway closet.  The other day, Ryan was making himself a protein shake, and he said, "I love this place.  It is so easy to plug in the blender."  Life is good.

We haven't even attempted to decorate the baby's room yet--I think that is next week's project.  But adoption paperwork is coming along, and we are getting more and more excited.  We did receive fingerprint clearance (thanks for the prayers), so now we are just waiting for our new health insurance cards, Ryan's first paycheck, and a reference from our new Bishop.   I can't believe that this 1.5 year+ adoption journey is almost over.  I also can't believe that most married couples in the world just get to enjoy a romantic evening together in order to get a baby.  As Napoleon Dynamite would say, "Luuckyyy!"

Katie is doing well.  I believe she is 36 weeks along, and she looks great and is healthy.  The baby is due August 11, but I am going to visit her for five days at the end of July while her parents are out of town.  I can't wait to see her and to feel the baby kick.  We are going to have fun (I'm thinking shopping, movies, massages, restaurants), and we'll also meet with her caseworker to talk through adoption logistics and take a tour of the hospital where she will be delivering.  I'll also go with her to a doctor appointment. :)

I'll come back home to Colorado on July 29th, only to return to Utah a week later (August 5th) to await the baby's arrival.  Katie has invited us to be at the hospital when the baby is born, so we can be a part of his first few minutes of life.   I can't believe this is all really happening, and I am so grateful to Katie.  I love her.  Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers during these last few weeks of her pregnancy and in the weeks after the baby's placement with us.

The rain has let up, and I expect Ryan will be home from work any minute with lots of stories to tell me (he is really loving his job), so I better run.

Love you all.

11 comments:

  1. What a relief! So glad that your fingerprints cleared! This is all so exciting and brings back lots of memories of our adoption experience. We will continue to pray for you guys that precious little boy as well as your angel birthmother.

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  2. I love summer afternoon thunderstorms. Your table is so so cute. I have been thinking about that store since the minute I left it.
    Looks like you have a great start on getting settled. I was thinking about Katie today, realizing that she should be approaching the '37' week mark soon - which means she is considered full term. So exciting.
    Glad things are all coming together :D

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  3. Your blog always makes me tear up!Happy tears this time. I am so excited for you. Katie IS awesome. That week you have planned with her sounds fabulous! Thank you so much for keeping us all updated!!!

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  4. I love this post! "Find happiness in ordinary things and keep your sense of humor."---Boyd K. Packer
    That quote got us through a number of tough times when Jonathan was sick.
    Also, Jonathan and I were discussing the FUTURE tomorrow and when we might consider having another baby. He expressed his apprehensions, as he does each time, about me being pregnant. It's hard on me and therefore, hard on him. And I said, "Yeah, pregnancy is tough, but it's the easiest way to get a baby." I'm so thrilled your turn to be a mommy is almost here. You so deserve this tiny miracle headed your way. Yeah to Katie for bringing you this miracle.

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  5. Great post! I love your antique furniture, but the pics don't do it justice---especially the chairs. They are the cutest EVER!! We'll have to work on the other two and your decor next week.

    Report the leaking windows for sure!!!

    Excellent use of a Napoleon Dynamite reference! :)

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  6. Tears!!! So excited for you guys! Love the chest of drawers ...OK and the kitchen cabinets!

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  7. Rachel, I'm starting to wonder if I was led to your blog for a reason other than just because I love babies and wanted to follow your story.

    I think you know Colorado is my dream state- for reasons which I can't explain and don't understand.

    And the University of Denver is a school I have decided I want to apply to for graduate school.

    Well, in checking things out online, Aurora is where I had been looking at apartments and houses the last couple of months.... It's just all so strange. I guess it's just a coincidence, but I don't know... Isn't it a little odd? Maybe... I don't know!

    Tell me more what Aurora is like? How close is it to Denver? I mean, you know I can look at a map and see, but how close does it FEEL? Is it commutable? How did you choose to live there? How affordable is your area and what do you think of it? I have so many questions! I'm so excited to "know" somebody who lives there! I don't know anyone who has ever lived in Colorado- hence my confusion as to why I have such a strong drive to go there!

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  8. Oh and MY GOODNESS, that chest of drawers is amazing! (Were you thinking of the word armoire?) That's EXACTLY the piece of furniture I've been looking for, complete with that curve in front. AHH! Can I ask how much it was? It seriously makes me want to go to the goodwill tomorrow. Darn it, why are all the stores closed at night!

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  9. Awesome furniture finds! And so excited that the baby is almost here. I can't wait to see you in a few weeks!

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  10. I love that table! GAH! I think about you guys a lot and of course will pray that things go well for your family, your baby, and your sweet birthmom in the coming weeks. We didn't have internet for a while with the move, and I missed checking your cute blog!

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  11. Shoot. This is Whitney. I've probably accidentally commented on your blog under Spencer's name before, but thought I should clarify just in case :) Ay yi yi.

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