Working on getting a new place to live.

So the saga of our rental this summer.

When we were moving we were planning on moving into some apartments that only let people in _below_ a certain income guideline. Because Doug was a new employee, his income verification was held up and renting from this complex fell through.

Well there I was with Nora just about 14 months old, staying in a hotel room with my husband, child, and dad with our Budget Truck sitting outside with no where to unload it.

Every rental I looked at said they would take at least a week to process an application, so we had to go with a "other" property owner. He owns a lot of properties in Billings, and will rent to anyone as long as you have the money.

So we forked over $730 for July rent, plus $200 for the remainder of June, plus a $730 deposit PLUS a $300 or $400 deposit for the dog! Yikes. Talk about empty bank account!

So we moved in on a Saturday. The carpet still wasn't laid down, and the place was filthy. It honestly should not have been listed as habitable. We didn't have a working oven all summer- for about 3.5 months. Then our faucets in the bathroom broke and we had to turn the water off to the whole house to not have it gushing full force 24-7. That took several days to fix and now our cold water tap is broken in the bathroom shower as well. It is leaking a lot- we are talking about gallons upon gallons of water per hour and they still haven't fixed it.

Then, in addition, there is a leak in the basement from the shower that has been there since we moved in. They still haven't fixed that.

So the next stage in this drama. Our car broke down. The brake light switch is broken. So we had to buy a new part and we won't be able to fix it until Sunday when my parents drive me home. But we had to spend money to get the part. So...we are short on rent by just a bit. Like $30. Will the landlord give us any extra time? No. He gave us a 3 day pay or evict notice. And then they gave Doug a 24 premise inspection notice.

Doug thinks they are trying to find a way to evict us, which with the evidence of how they are behaving makes sense, but I don't understand it. We have been good tenants and the one time we have had to be late before, we paid the late fee with no grumbling. We take care of the property, we move the lawn, change light bulbs, keep it relatively clean. (we aren't perfect but we don't leave garbage laying around or food rotting). We don't do drugs or get into huge screaming fights. I honestly don't know why he wouldn't want us to continue to rent it.

So I have been looking for a new place to live. I think I have some leads and we might even save some money. Wish us luck!

Playing with Nora and Sky!

The first picture of Sky looks like "Really....I didn't do it. I don't know what it was...but I didn't do it." The second picture is so funny because we were playing and she was about to pounce on my foot...LOL







Some of these pictures will make it onto my slide show, but here are some fun pictures from yesterday. Sky was in a playful mood so she was jumping and pouncing.






Some of these pictures will make it onto my slide show, but here are some fun pictures from yesterday. Sky was in a playful mood so she was jumping and pouncing.

More Jewelry!

I have been busy all day doing homework, taking pictures of my mom's fabulous jewelry and adding it to the website. It seems that whenever I do a big add to my site I learn lots and it is really streamlining down. I may change the layout a bit down the line to be a bit more organized, but I am so pleased to be able to offer room on my site for this.

Mom, my sister Jen, and I are hoping to get spots as vendors in the MJF farm fair. We are making plans for crafting weekends to build up our inventories! I would hope to offer my bath and body lines as well as my dolls and even doll clothes! What do you all think?

Sometimes you just need a good cry on your mom's shoulder.

Last night all the stress that I have been carrying around for the past 6 years just was a bit too much and I had a good crying session while talking to my mom. She is fantastic. Supportive and offering good advice. Mostly my stress stems from money issues. Ugh. Money issues. We have been super tight on money this summer because of mistakes, misunderstanding, lack of attention to detail... well you get the picture. We did it to ourselves but it still doesn't make the fall out feel any better! :(

But things are turning around. They are getting better every day and that makes it tolerable. It also helps to have my hands busy. I am currently waiting for the mail to bring me brand new wool batting to make some dolls for some kids for Christmas. That above all else is making me happy. I like to think of the kids playing with their toys for years and then maybe, someday they will pass them on to their kids.

I just added a new section to my website! Heritage Designs is where my mom's beautiful Jewelry is featured! I have had the privilege of taking the photographs and getting the site set up for her. I think it is looking pretty spiffy!

Nora is getting so big. She is so inquisitive and active. Some days it really tests my patience when she can be a bit destructive. But I am so thankful that she is how she is. She is learning and growing so much! She is learning new words each day and we understand her better too.

So, Cheers and here's to a great Holiday Season!