Change. I still have the biggest problem with it. But there is that saying that all good things eventually come to an end.

I have LOVED every single minute of being here on Blogstream. I really do feel that Blogstream was a great catalyst in me beginning to find my own inner voice once again. Blogstream got it moving; horses are showing me the process of putting it all together.

From the laughter to sorrow, computer world hugs and helping hands, the support, perhaps even some of the disagreements and "mis-"agreements. From people leaving, new people hopping on, to even the reemergence of those thought gone. Amazing. To speak with people all across the United States, some even from different countries. Unique points of view and perspectives. Take what you want and leave the rest. Blogstream has been a truly great thing.

As I write this, I am sitting here in the new home. We moved in over the past week. I joked on Facebook that although there was no Easter egg hunt, there certainly was a LOT of hunting going on through the many boxes and totes we have left to sort. Unfortunately we caught a bug while moving and the end result is that the ladies of the house have had to have time off for a dr visit, medication and are now in recovery time. I can't begin to tell you how aggravated I feel that I can't get to more, but... well... after all! all those boxes and such will still be there when I feel better so I really don't have much to fret about. All I can say is that our cornerstone, Honey, can't get sick!!! He has worked so amazingly hard to get us in here.

THIS feels good. I will say we are going through (hopefully) the last real cold spell and with the start of the new month warmer weather should soon arrive. This house is COLD! Or, is it because we aren't feeling well, or the type if heat is just not what we are used to.... either way, better weatherization is on the agenda for the summer into fall months.

No matter what it's ours and we are loving it. My roots are all ready digging down into the earth with a sigh of relief after all this time. Outside the office window we have a large forsythia bush and it's getting more and more yellow by the day. Irises!!! We have irises growing.... I am SO excited. And, if they are what I think they are, under the kitchen window possibly sea rose bushes are growing. The thought of their scent drifting in through the kitchen first thing on a lazy August morning.... unbelievable!

There is so much room here! It's hard because I'm the type of person who wants to fill every little space, yet.... I don't want to give into this train of thought this time around. Space is good. Living with less I think will be nice, too. Hopefully there won't be so much to clean around!

I know this is the honeymoon period. I know that tough times eventually will rear their ugly heads. I'm sad that I won't be able to run to MacKenzie's Inner Fire to write about it!

Thank you all so very, very much for being on the other end of the cyber line. It's been absolutely amazing. And really.... who knows??? There's another interesting quote that states: Every goodbye makes the next hello closer. Maybe someday I will be visiting someplace and we'll meet. I mean.. hey... one never knows what will happen so why not keep open to the possibilities!?!?!?

With much love and wonderment that all Blogstream has accomplished, a final:

Cheers! ~MacKenzie

It's been one thing right after another lately and by the time I have a chance to relax.... I'm asleep in no time.... Yet, I haven't been sleeping all that well. It's been in small bursts off and on. The moment my eye lids flutter, my brain starts racing a mile a minute.

Monkey had her annual cardiologist appointment. Minimal changes and things at the moment remain trivial. This was the first time since we really found out about her aortic membrane that we've wanted to know more besides the "She's clear for the next year..." Eventually she is going to have to have it removed. Okay... that's all I want to hear on that for now. Not ready for the hows and I am refusing to let my brain's imagination get the best of me. Best thing we can do right now is to insure she has a proper heart healthy diet and exercise. If we get the feeling that something odd is going on.... we have it checked out. We can do that.... Maybe... fingers crossed that by the time something will have to be done, technology will be such that it isn't a huge deal (please, please, please!!!!)

As for the house, things seem to have pulled together. We had to go back and have some electrical work done. They paid for the materials, Honey did the work. Of course, in doing that he would feel better rewiring the entire upstairs now. We had planned on doing a little work, but not as much as what he now wants to do. However, if he has to do some, why not all and be done and over with it.

We are in a fantastic spot. We don't have to move in right away. Actually, we really can't as half of our furniture is in storage and there's a 6 foot snowbank in front of it still..... We are going to take our time and tend to the electrical, the girls rooms and hopefully painting before we move in.

So... (obviously I'm rather scatter brained today...) the appraisal came back and was accepted, after the electrical work was done and new fire alarms were put in the house, the inspection passed. The water test came back with no problems... (yay!!) It's a matter now of getting the house insurance paid and the time for closing finalized, which I think is going to be at noon on this Wednesday... thus... 49 or so hours and waiting...

I was telling Chris just this morning that waiting for the birth of our kids was less stressful than this!!!!! His reply? Yeah, but it's gonna cost just as much in the end.... tee hee.... So... exactly HOW am I supposed to focus on anything for the next few days???

Cheers! ~MacKenzie

Wow.... the snowstorm we had yesterday was really quite something. Fierce and furious!!!! Truly.... if we get much more snow, we aren't going to be able to get out of our houses!!!!! One of the drifts against the house is actually as tall as Chris. It's unbelievable. Can't even get out to my bird feeders, the drift around it is at least up to my thighs. I just throw seed for them out the window and hopes that they get enough before it sinks down into the snow.

Should be at work today but ...well, obviously I'm not. I have been doing pretty good this winter, but a sore throat and the start of a deep cough is keeping me home. I don't want to give it to my co-worker. She has SO MUCH going on in her life right now. She has health problems of her own and she found out on Monday that her son has a life threatening heart condition. They are such wonderful people and to have to see them deal with this..... I'm quite worried about her and the stress that she is under so I know if she came down with a cold on top of everything.... I'm happy to stay here at home. Chris is going to bring my work home with him when he comes.

Well.... a THIRD water test is off to the lab. Bleached the well, followed instructions and then the second test still had too much bleach in it so hopefully 3rd times a charm. I'm a little concerned about the appraisal; it was supposed to be in last Friday but the bank still hasn't received it yet. Minor issues in the title search; apparently the owner and us use the same lawyer and we have to sign a release. The letter to return stated that since he had already done the probate work for the family before the house went up for sale he knew that the title was clear so as long as we agreed to him working for us both, sounds like he made some really easy money....

craziness, craziness...... Also learning more about what we need to bring to closing for the house. Ouch... that first years insurance is going to sting just a wee bit. We filed our taxes last night. Oh how quickly it goes. Between house insurance, a pellet stove, water purifier,and fixing up the girls rooms before we move in, we may actually not be able to do any more as we had hoped. It's all stuff we don't REALLY NEED, but it would have been so nice to put in the storage system we wanted in the bathroom, paint as we had hoped, buy curtains, a dishwasher... the fun stuff, ya know??? Well... although, at this point it really isn't going to be spring until we get out of here. I am NOT having Chris drag mattresses, the couch and other heavy items of furniture out through the snow. Plus, we have some of our things stored in the garage where we work and there is now a thick 6 foot plowed snow bank in front of it. That furniture isn't going anywhere for awhile. AND, in order to get it into the house, we have to use the door facing the woods. Unless we plowed around the house to get there..... we're stuck.

hmm.... I've done it again. gotten that romanticized notion of moving and how everything will go according to plan and welllll.... I can't help but laugh at myself. Things will unfold when they are supposed to and not a second more. However..... I DO NOT need more snow as a reminder!!!!

Cheers! ~MacKenzie

Okay... it's not that bad. Small set back but it's good to find out about the house and to get things taken care of.

The water tests results came back. Not good. The results indicated that the water wasn't drinkable due to e.coli. All righty then.

I was obviously disappointed and needing movement was grateful that I hadn't cleaned the horse stalls yesterday so out to the barn I went. There, able to sort out feeling a little better the thought popped into my head: WHY is there ecoli in our water? Chris was reading up on it and when I asked there's usually 2 types of sources: sewer waste and dead animal decomposition. er... That's not making me feel any better. I actually don't know which one is worse..... There was a new leech field put in in 2004. Reportedly it's working fine.....

Regardless, we need to bleach the well, wait 24 hours and then have another water test done. Yesterday Chris stopped into the house and spoke with the owner. Fortunately the well cover isn't buried in a 3 foot snow drift! yay! Also mentioned was that the well doesn't have the right well cap to it.... hmmm.... Guess what we'll be getting as one of the first purchases. Not very fun I must admit, but worth it. The owner will bleach the well over the weekend and on Monday we'll do another test. Let's keep fingers crossed that this works.

The only other thing we can think of in regards to the water is that if this bleaching doesn't work, to consider purchasing a house water filter system. Of course, we won't sink money into a house that isn't ours, yet at the same time, we could need it to prove the water safe before we can sign on the house.... It just stinks that living here in the country we'd need a filter for the water.

First things first. Hopefully this one time bleaching will take care of the problem and we wont' have to worry about it after that. Argh... I know things don't usually go easily, but I really was hoping to have no other snags left in getting the loan. Ah well.... onwards and upwards!

Cheers! ~MacKenzie

" To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of oneself; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived--
this is to have succeeded. "

-Ralph Waldo Emerson