The New Goal...

Okay, so I wasn't going to say anything until I had some really good news to report, but I decided if I started documenting on my blog from the near beginning I might actually hold myself a little more accountable than if I waited until I had hit a big milestone. And Jackie has practically told everyone around here already anyway soooo...

I joined weight watchers last week and had my first weigh in today. Week 1 weight loss- 3.2 pounds! It is a start and from what I hear, a decent first week. My overall goal is 50 pounds, so I am on my way!

I have to tell you right now that I won't be posting any week 2 results because as of next Monday I will be in New Orleans on a mission trip with our church! We are going to serve through Samaritans Purse to help rebuild houses for 1 week. I am so excited this is my first mission trip ever and I can't wait to go and help people! I have heard so many neat stories about experiences people have had and I am just so excited! :)

We Said Goodbye to Jonah...

Some of you might already know this information, but I decided I was finally ready to put it down on paper. On December 15, 2008 we had to make a decision to put down Jonah. He developed a cold and was not fighting it off like the other kitties were, so we took him into the vet. They gave him medication, but he just seemed to be getting worse. Our vet suggested we take him into the critical care unit and so we did, only to find out that he had an enlarged heart, 1 non working kindney, and a small stone in his bladder that could cause a blockage if not taken out. This was all on top of the fact that he had a really bad cold. The vets suggested we get him through his cold and then have surgery to remove the bladder stone and dead kidney. Then we would start him on medication for his heart and see how things went. They didn't think that he would make it more than a couple years even after all this, so we were very saddened by the news. They gave him some fluids and told us to feed him baby food through a syringe so he could get the nutrients he needed since he refused to eat. A couple days later he would still not eat and seemed to be getting worse so we took him back in and they administered some more fluids and put him in an oxygen tank to try and clear out his sinuses. We took him home only to take him back the next day to have them put a feeding tube in since he was not eating anything. We left him there intending to be back in a few hours to pick him up, but the vet called us saying they redid his blood work and he was in full renal failure. At this point there was nothing they could do for him because they could not put him under with his vitals like this. He was in pain and uncomfortable and they explained that he would not make it much longer being in full renal failure. After many tears Jackie and I decided it would be best to let him go and take away the pain. I really believe this is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do and I have had a few hard things to go through in my life. Jonah was only 3 and a half years old.

His buddy, Hannah, has not been the same since then. Ever since we brought her and her sister home almost 2 years ago, Hannah has been inseperable from Jonah. She was lost without him and would cry for him all the time. Even though it has been a few months now, just writing this has brought it all to the surface again. I know he is in a better place, but we definitely miss him very much! Goodbye Jonah

Time Sure Passes Quickly

Well, I meant to take more pictures of the house and post them to the blog shortly after my last post, but as you can see that didn't happen. We are moved in and have just a few boxes to still put away before we can say we are completely moved it. From the time we received the keys (December 18, 2008) to the day we moved in (December 27, 2008), we decided to go full force and get as much done with the house as we could! :)

We painted the living room, dining room, hallway and are working on getting the kitchen redone (we picked a yellow that was too bright and didn't do the greatest job when we painted it). We had new laminate floors and carpet installed, the plumber came out and installed a water line for the fridge as well as fixed one of the toilets and replaced the washer valves, the heating and a/c guy came out and installed a new motor blowers and well as a new pilot assembly and cleaned the heater, installed wood blinds throughout the living room dining room and kitchen and had our kitchen appliances delivered.

Since we have moved in we have had the gardener remove all the shrubbery and plants on both sides of the house in order to plant some low maintenance small bushes and flowers. We still have quite a few things we want to do before we feel satisfied, but as most of you can guess, it takes money to do these things and that is quickly dwindling.

I will try to put up a few pictures of the house this weekend with the changes we have made so far and then you can all tell me if the upgrades were worth it! :)

Our House

Well, the search is finally over! One of our many house offers was accepted Monday and we have spent the last few days doing the inspection and getting everything in order to open escrow! :)

The Lord truly had His hand in it because it is everything we were looking for and still in Old Town Orange, which is the location we ideally wanted but didn't think we could afford. Our home is a 1924 bungalow style, two bedroom, two bath with indoor laundry and a 1 car detached garage. The house sits on a corner and so there is a cute little white picket fence that surrounds it. It even has an orange tree in the backyard, but that is about all the backyard has! 

Below are the pictures that the listing had and as soon as we can get over there this weekend with a camera, I will be taking more pictures that will give a better idea of what the inside looks like! :)

The Horrocks Girls

It has become a Horrocks girls tradition to get together once a year and have a girls weekend. During the time we are together we take pictures with all us girls.

This past September we all met up in Las Vegas for a weekend filled with fun and time together just sisters and mom. We try to do dinner and have as much fun together as possible until our next get together. I thought I would share the pictures we took this year, since they are so much better than last years!

Hope you Enjoy!!!!