Insomnia Gone

Finally...FINALLY....my insomnia seems to have subsided. I'm sure that fact is in direct relation to the amount of stress that has been reduced over the last week. The two major things, that I believe have put me back into slumber mode, are our housing future and Christmas.

I'd say that 90% of our Christmas shopping is done. I knocked out most of it on Thursday via Amazon.com. On Friday, Kenny and I handled the rest by spending the majority of the day at the Grapevine Mills Mall.

Like I said, I've still got a few things to pick up. But most of our shopping is done. We've gone a little over budget, but I'm ok with that considering that a handful of gifts are well worth the money spent. They have the power to change peoples lives and you just can't tie a dollar amount to a gift like that.

As mentioned in my previous post, we put an offer in on a house last Sunday night. By Monday evening, we got the call from our realtor letting us know that our offer was accepted. As a family, we immediately dropped to our knees and thanked God for this blessing. The offer we submitted was only 75% of the property's value. It is a near perfect fit for our family. The only thing that I would change would be the backyard's size....or lack thereof. It's a bit small. But the deal we got makes the size tolerable....at least temporarily.

So now, we are waiting for the final purchase agreement so that we can get the inspection done and the loan processed. Once we have possession, we'll go in and do a little bit of drywall work/alterations. We'll also be putting in new floors and counter tops in the kitchen. Once all those things are done, I'll probably paint and then we'll move in. We should be in by the end of January. I think once everything is said and done, I'll post the before and after pictures of the house.

On today's agenda: I need to put the Christmas tree up, do a little more shopping, and then get behind my camera to take the boys' portrait. I imagine after this full day, I won't have a problem falling asleep tonight. Ohhhh, how wonderful it feels to easily fall asleep again.

Random Thoughts

For the last week or so, I've had insomnia. A few times this week, I've taken a sleep pill to help out. Normally, one good night of sleep reboots my system and I'm back on track. But not this week. I'm sure it is stress/anxiety related. Note to self: up medication dosage. In the meantime, I figured that I'd better get back to my blogging and purge out some of the random thoughts that I've had over the last few weeks....

Thanksgiving has come and gone. I'm sure that I gained at least 2 pounds. Guess I'd better hit the gym a little harder this week. Anyway, I did reflect on the many blessings that are in my life throughout that day and the days since. I, like most, count my family, friends and health as a blessing and am extremely thankful to have each.

And with the passing of Thanksgiving comes the Christmas season. I could post on how consumer oriented it has become, and probably will do so in the near future. For now, I just want to vent my bitterness toward the Salvation Army for sending out those bell ringers 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. Now, I don't mean to sound bah-humbug....but Thanksgiving, the holiday, gets more and more lost every year. The one day that we can just count our blessings and be thankful is getting snuffed out between Halloween and Christmas. I just want a little separation. Can we please enjoy Thanksgiving without big business shoving their agenda down our throats? I'm all for supporting charity, but PLEASE....keep the bell ringers at bay until we've eaten our turkey! Is that so much to ask?!?

Ok....onto other things that are chapping my backside right now. Umm...I just watched "Sicko" and gave it 2 thumbs up. Very thought provoking and worth checking out. The part the chaps my backside is the greed of HMOs and the lack of dedication that our government has in the matter of taking care of the least of these in our country.

On another note, Kenny and I are shopping for a house. We actually put a bid in this evening on a house in our neighborhood. It's a foreclosed house...bank owned...and about $35k under market value. For that price, we're willing to sacrifice the big yard and spend 2 years living in it. After 2 years, we'll see about selling it along with the Reno house and then buying something a little more suitable...mostly, something with a larger yard. Well, I guess I shouldn't get too ahead of myself. The bank has to accept our offer first. If they do, I'll post progress pictures on the house. Right now, it needs a major clean job and new carpets. We'll probably add new counter tops in the kitchen as well. But like I said, I need not put the carriage before the horse.

I guess that's it for now. Just sitting here bored and AWAKE. I think I'll add some more songs to my myspace play list/jukebox. Either that, or maybe I'll go rearrange the pots and pans in the kitchen cabinets. Good Lord...please let me get drowsy soon!