running through my head

It's that time again!  Where I share all the things currently running through my head.

Tomorrow is a big day in our household.  We are finally signing paperwork for the housing grant that will help us finish our house.  I've never done a full blog on all we've done with the house so far.  Someday I will.  We've been in the process for this housing grant for a year or something now.  But, if we live here for 10 years (which we will) it's free money and I'll wait as long as necessary for it.  We'll finally have updated windows (instead of the original 1954 single pane glass), an automatic garage door, perhaps new tile in the bathroom and kitchen, some landscaping and irrigation stuff--along with more. 

We are also getting a dog tomorrow.  We finally decided to just do it.  We have an opportunity to get a 2-year old Golden Retriever.  Bean and the kids really want a dog, and I'll enjoy it too.  Bean and I both feel a bit of panic and excitement over it.  If for some reason it doesn't work out, we'll just have to find the dog another home and move on.  But we think it will.  We want it to.  We are currently searching for a new name for the dog.  Bean has naming rights (since I had veto power with the kids).  So we'll see!

Last night I slept 8 solid hours.  Which was my first night of solid sleep since last Wednesday night.  Lily has been waking and crying every night and has ended up in our bed for at least a period of time.  My solid sleep was so good that for the first time in weeks I turned off my alarm when it went off for my run.  This was one case a little more sleep was more valued than a few miles.

I'm excited for the coming holidays.  I love the family togetherness and baking.  I finally feel like I'll be able to decorate and enjoy them all now that Lily is almost 2.  I have felt so scattered the last few holiday seasons.  Two years ago I was 8 months pregnant, packing up a house, buying a new house that needed renovations before we moved in.  Last year my parents had just moved in, and I still had a baby and a toddler.  This year I have a toddler and a preschooler, which feels more manageable. 

I won a 90-day membership to 24-Hour Fitness today!  One of my favorite blogs is Money Saving Mom.  I also follow her on Twitter and Facebook.  She posts a lot of freebies and deals and great coupon match-ups.  Everything is really simple to follow and a lot of the freebies come with coupons.  I happened to catch a tweet today (while I was in a meeting, ssshhh) about some great giveaways.  I happened to click on the 24-Hour Fitness one at the right time and was one of the first 1,000 (I think) entrants.  I went back to try to get one for Bean, but they were gone by then.  I am super excited about this because it will take me through the holidays and give me something new to do after my training and half marathon.

We recently subscribed to Netflix.  I love it because we can watch stuff on the computer as well as the TV.  We stream videos through our Playstation 3--finally a good use for it, since Bean rarely plays it and only uses it to watch Blu-Ray (which is really the reason he wanted it years ago in the first place).  The kids are enjoying watching new movies and it was great while Lily was sick last week. 

After work when I picked the kids up from my mother-in-law's, they were in the van waiting for me (I drive her car to work).  As soon as I opened the car door there was a chorus of excited girls yelling "mommy".  That is the best sound in the world.  My three girls, so excited to see me and be with me once again.  They are my world.