Working at Home

Working at home today. Getting some things wrapped up for work as well as a few other loose ends on stuff for church that I'm doing. A fairly productive day so far.

Last night Cyndie and I worked some more on the front yard. It was slower going this time ... lots of rocks to dig out and old decayed bark to remove. As I write this, Cyndie is outside with the lawn tractor and trailer moving some top soil that we'd saved (can't remember where in the yard that came from) back on top of some of the small rocks (really gravel) that are still there. Hopefully by the end of the day we'll have the front area "done". Then it's crossing our fingers and hoping that the grass stuff that we bought to grow the grass really works!

Progress and fun

Cyndie and I are feeling like we're at least making a little progress at the house these days. Yesterday we pulled out 6 or 8 bushes that were to the left of the front door and pulled out the underlayment that was in that "flower bed"*. We did this while the kids were at VBS. Not only that, but we went over to our friends, the Chapmans, for dinner while they (as well as the Chapman kids) were VBS-ing as well. It was a full evening, but productive and fun!

*I use that term extremely loosely since there were not flowers, only old bark shavings and LOTS of weeds.

It was funny yesterday when we were picking up the kids, our friend Breana who is part of the leadership for the VBS program, jokingly accused us (and other friends whose kids were also at VBS) of all getting together for dinner behind her back while she was taking care of our kids. And then it happened! Funny.

The other fun note from yesterday was that the power was off at our place for 5 or 6 hours during the night. It flickered three or four times over 10 or so minutes, and then went out right as we were going to bed. It was REALLY windy. We actually heard (didn't see it this morning, so it must have been in the middle of the woods) what sounded like a tree, or at least a large branch, breaking and falling. That made Cyndie and I wonder if our kids would be okay if one of the very large trees on their end of the house fell on the house while they were sleeping?! I guess some things you just leave in God's hands.

Full Weekend, and VBS Starting

Had a nice weekend ... full of good things.

We spent Friday afternoon through Saturday noon hanging out with our friends Greg and Sheryl (and kids). It was nice to just be with them and have good conversations. The "highlight" of that was probably the (literally) hour we all (4 adults, 4 kids) spent looking for Ben's shoes. They just disappeared. We haven't found them yet! Strange things happening in the upper hallway of the Wildwood house!

We followed the Armstrongs out of the driveway as they left to go to the airport (and back to SoCal). We were on our way to the rodeo. It was fun, but a bit long. The kids got to talk to the clowns and a cowboy before hand. Then we watched the crazy, violent show as cowboys were thrown here and there by various farm animals. I'd say the highlights were:

• The very pro-USA intro to the show with lots of patriotism, flags, and a prayer.
• The barrel racing ... lots of fun because of how fast the girls are riding their horses. Lots of the other events were much slower, and over fairly quickly, but that was cool because of the high speed and longer length.
• The bull riding ... dang those beasts are big!

We got hit by a nice downpour 2/3rds of the way through. It was good to push most of the crowd further up the grandstands and give us a little more elbow room. Good times.

Sunday was church, a bit of down time at the house, then swimming at Grandpa and Grandma D's pool with all the local cousins. The water was nice, the kids had fun ... it was a beautiful Wisconsin afternoon.

We left the festivities a bit early for the kids to go to Vacation Bible School. They went to the Luthern church that many of our friends attend. The theme is "Crocodile Dock". There were lots of kids, neat decorations and just a really festive atmosphere. The kids took a few minutes to adjust to an unfamiliar surrounding, but they were fine when we left. They had a great time ... did crafts, ate dinner, held rabbits, saw miniture horses, and learned about God! When we got back for the parent time at the very end, they were up in front singing and dancing. It was good to see them have something that was right at their level, and with other kids just excited to be there. We'll see how the 5 - 8:15 time slot works as the week progresses. It meant bedtime was more like 9p, so we'll probably have some pooped kids by the end of the week!

So there's life as we're living it. Cyndie and I are hopeful to get a yard project done this week while the kids are doing their VBS thing, so we'll see how that goes.

Duplex Day

Just returned from looking at a duplex on the edge of Lake Geneva. It was a pretty good place. A bit more than we were thinking to spend, but with a corresponding better cash flow. It didn't have a garage for either side, but did have washer/dryer hookups. Both sides are rented to long term tenants. There is also room to improving the cash flow, both by upping the rent to a more market norm, and also by improving the units (they're pretty dated, but in fairly good shape). Interesting stuff.

We'll be hanging out with our friends Greg and Sheryl today. We're hoping Greg, who's been very busy with a convention for his company, will have some time to hang out today. Tonight they'll be staying at our house and then they fly back to LA tomorrow.

15 Years Ago Today

What were you doing 15 years ago today? For many readers of this blog, you were probably in the same place Cyndie and I were ... getting ready to attend a wedding!

I believe the hour was around 2pm Pacific time ... the wedding started and in under 45 minutes, we were married!!! Yeah! Being married to your best friend is great stuff, and continues to get better.

It's funny. Cyndie and I were sitting together on the couch last night after the kids had gone to bed. We both had our laptops out and were doing some research regarding rental properties that we're interested in buying. An email popped up from Laura (who coincidentally shares our anniversary ... congrats guys!), "Happy anniversary tomorrow!". Cyndie and I laughed together ... after the outstanding anniversary trip to Cancun (I know, pictures are still required), we had kind of forgotten that our actual anniversary was still to come. I guess we're getting old!

So today, remember us, remember that day 15 years ago and what was happening with you, remember your own wedding day, and look to the future!

Day 2 in the Real World

Well we're approaching some semblance of normalcy now in day two back from Cancun. After working from home yesterday, I'm in the office and even being a bit productive! Yesterday Cyndie and the kids had a nice day (parks, swims, etc) with the Armstrongs (minus Greg who also was working ... he has a convention here in town out at Grand Geneva). I got in a bit of hanging out time at the end of the day over pizza.

Not a whole lot else is happening, though we seem to have a lot of things on our plate which we're trying to prioritize so as to not become overwhelmed. The Armstrongs will be here through the weekend, then next week, the kids have Vacation Bible School at a local church (in the evenings).

One little fun twist is that we discovered a rather large hornet nest underneath our back deck. It's right above one of the windows in the basement, which is kind of cool because it allows us to observe nature in action. I went out to spray it last night after dark, but the spray I had ended up not working. We'll try again tonight.

So that's about it ... some odd ramblings and back to somewhat normal happenings.

Quickie

We're back!

We had a great time ... the weather was awesome, the resort was outstanding, we had a wonderful time. I'll try to add more to that at a later date, but I thought I'd announce our re-entry into the real world with just a short post.

The kids really enjoyed their time with Grandma Cathy and Grandpa Fred. Thanks a million you guys!

Today some friends from SoCal are visiting. They're friends from church and the old neighborhood who have kids almost exactly the same age as Tim and Ems. They're here all week which will be great fun!

Already Checked In (or is that Out)?

I just checked in online. We'll be staying in Suite 638, a non-smoking Suite with King Size bed. I told Cyndie that in less than 24 hours we'll be at the hotel! WhooHoo!

One day left!

That's right, only one more day. We leave for the airport tomorrow morning at 6:45 am. In many regards, I already feel like we're on vacation. I'm done with work, Fred and Cathy are here already to watch the kids. Good stuff. That must be why I'm so tired even though it is only 1:17 pm as I write this. My mind is in vacation mode.

We had a nice walk along the lake trail this morning. Now we're in low gear for a little quiet time. Then I'm guessing we'll head out for some other late afternoon activity with Grandma Cathy and Grandpa Fred.

Cheerio all ... have a good week while we relax on the beach, sleep in, and eat good food.

It's Friday ... last day of work before VACATION!

That's right ... today and tomorrow, and then we leave early Sunday for the airport. I'm not sure when I'll post again. Maybe later today, maybe tomorrow, and then not likely for another week. Consider this your official "goodbye Neal and Cyndie" post then.

Yesterday was a good day. We got the house pretty well cleaned up. My dad did a great job fixing the gazebo thing (thanks mucho much Dad. I didn't get a chance to say so in person, but it looks great!). The push mower which we use for trimming and for the steep parts that the lawn tractor can't get was fixed for about $70 (we thought we might have to buy a new one). And we got the jacuzzi fixed for only $70. And the kids were very helpful and pleasant all day. Yippee!

The kids helped Cyndie a bunch with cleanup. Apparently they are quite the aspiring gardeners as they helped Cyndie spread mulch out in several different places. They also helped her clean the jacuzzi.

Cyndie (and my sister Laura) went to the "normal" monthly ladies night out last night ... they cruised Geneva Lake on the boat of one of the ladies. A good time was had by all!

After that, we did a little late night packing ... we're probably around 75% done ... and then Cyndie left to get Fred and Cathy. I don't think there were any hitches. They got back well after I was in bed, around 1:15 am.

So the visit has started, and the vacation trip is becoming more tangible by the day!

Quick one

In case you should need to reach us while we vacation in Cancun, you should be able to find us through the hotel, The Royal in Cancun.

Three

Yep, that's right, we've got three more days until vacation number two starts. Today's pre-vacation highlights include Grandma Cathy and Grandpa Fred arriving (late ... something like 11:30 p in Milwaukee) and a visit from an electrician who will (hopefully) fix the jacuzzi.

Wednesday means 4 ...

We're getting there ... four more days until we hit the airways for Cancun!

We started season 7 of 24 last night by watching the 24 movie, Redemption, and then the first episode. I gotta say, there was no purpose at all in the movie. It was terrible. There was no real story, and having a realtime movie like 24 didn't really work. As bad as the movie was, the first episode was good. Nice, tight, concise, and did a good job in introducing this season's main characters. Looking forward to the rest of the season.

Hit 3 duplexes this morning with our realtor. Saw one that was a pretty good possibility. We'll have to mull it over a bit to see what becomes of that.

Tuesday ... counting down

Five more days until vacation! We're planning on packing in the next couple of days, both as an homage to my mom (and her early packing habits!), but mostly so that we can wash any clothes that we discover as we pack. We've been watching the weather ... so far the 10 day forecast at weather.com has high of 91, low of 78 for every day we're there. Oops, just checked again and there's now a day of 90/78 and one of 90/77 ... oooooooo! There is some rain forecasted, but our research tells us that that's really nothing to worry about given the warmth and the fact that it's typically only a short (minutes, not hours) rain.

The excitement builds!

Feeling a bit overwhelmed ... need vacation!

So I think Cyndie and I are feeling a bit overwhelmed with the house right now. It seems like we have a whole bunch of stuff breaking and a whole bunch of projects that we've started, but are just sitting there unfinished. So it's partly stuff we can't control, but mostly our own fault for starting too many things.

In the last week or so we've had the gazebo thing (screened) that covers the jacuzzi blow over and break, a leak (through a crack in the foundation) in the basement, and the jacuzzi stop working. On top of that we have the craft room project, various lighting projects, Tim's room which we have stuff for, but haven't worked on, flooring that we now have money for, but need to do, etc., etc. Additionally, we're feeling like the yard (and specifically the weeds in the rock areas) are growing faster than we can keep up with!

Soooooo, we decided last night that we need to take a bit of a step back and focus on one thing at a time with the hope that we can get a handle on the house. We'll not try to do much this week (before vacation), but when we get back, we're going to focus on trying to get ahead of the yard. There are several different "flower beds" (not grass, but not exactly usable or at all good looking), that we're going to get rid of and try to seed. We'll also get rid of some smaller bushes that really serve no purpose, and just require constant trimming. We'll see where that gets us! We'll deal with the broken stuff as we can ... with many thanks to my dad for all the work he's done thus far on the gazebo and leak.

On the family front, we're cruising right along. The kids had a play date yesterday afternoon, and after a quick bite to eat together, we headed out for some fishing. Not a single bite! In fact, I didn't even see any fish, which is pretty unusual by the pier where we were fishing. Oh well.

July 4th ... the weekend

We had a nice weekend with all of my sister's and their families around. There was lots of fun stuff going on: swimming, cousins playing together, games, great food, some fireworks, all that stuff. We very much enjoyed the weekend together, and I was pooped by Sunday night. We went to bed early, and still overslept a bit.

Now we're in the finish line for Cyndie and I's vacation. We're trying to get the house in order a bit, and wishing we weren't quite so much in the middle of so many projects. Oh well. I guess we just need to start focusing on a couple of those so that we can make some progress rather than getting so spread out across so many.

Monday ... the countdown starts.

There are officially six more days until Cyndie and I hit the airport for our trip to Cancun*. We are starting the countdown. Last night before bed, I read a few reviews of the hotel online ... both to see if there were any special "hints" we should take advantage of, and also to just let the excitement start building. Good stuff.

*I suppose that we could equally start the countdown for the visit of Grandma Cathy and Grandpa Fred, though that really more represents excitement on behalf of Emma and Tim since we'll be gone for much of their visit.

July 3 - Happy Birthday Dad!

My Dad is 68 today! Happy birthday Dad, you are one of a kind and I love you!

So, I'm trying to fit in some work today around looking at a few more houses this morning, and all of my family being around the rest of the day. It should be a fun, busy day!

My folks were over this morning to watch the kids while Cyndie and I hit the houses. We had donuts (with candles for my dad), oatmeal, and eggs for breakfast ... the breakfast of champions!

The houses we saw were interesting. Still no "gotta buy it"s. We'll keep plugging. Cyndie is meeting with a lawyer to try to get our Trust up to date in advance of heading to Cancun!

Holiday Weekend Cometh ...

Not a lot is happening now ... just gearing up for the holiday weekend. Jane comes tonight (will stay with Gowans). Tomorrow we're going to look at a couple more houses. Then I'll work a half day and help celebrate my dad's 68th birthday! Yeah Dad! Then it'll be more family time throughout the weekend.

Saw a few houses ...

So we saw four houses this afternoon and really discovered what a house for under $100k in Lake Geneva looks like:

1. Small - It's likely going to be 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, maybe another BR if the house is trashy enough.
2. Old - The houses going for under $100k are those that have been around for 50+ years, which means they're also 1) Small.
3. Trashy - These are handyman specials folks.

So we saw four houses with two definite "no"s and two "maybe"s. It looks like we'll try to see a few more places on Friday morning.

Starting July Off Right!

So, we're starting a new month, and kind of starting a new era for the Wildwood DeVries. We've sold the CA house, and now have quite a bit of money, certainly more than we've ever dealt with before, to steward. On the way to and from the cabin (20 or so hours total in the car) we listened to some CDs by Dave Ramsey, a financial guru who happens to be a Christian (but whose advice is not overtly Christian). Anyway, we are very convicted that we don't want to let ourselves get back into the mode of "now we have some more income/money, but where is it all going". We want to be more intentional with what we do with our money, and how we manage it on God's behalf. So we're doing two things.

First, we're going to have a monthly budget (which Ramsey calls a Cash Flow Plan). His point is that if you don't direct where every dollar is going to go before it's on hand, then the dollars tend to seep out here and there and by month end, you haven't put aside anything for saving, and you're short on this bill or that, etc. So here we are ... more financially free than we've been for a while, but on a budget. And we're happy about that. It's actually pretty liberating to know that, "yeah, I have $50 to go out for dinner ... I don't have to worry about that". Or, "no problems, I can deal with a $500 water treatment related bill because I have a fund to deal with large, bills like that". Anyway, it's good stuff, and we're excited to start that.

The second thing is that we're going out today with our local realtor to look at some investment properties. We've really been blessed with how real estate has worked out for us. And we're not afraid to get our hands dirty and but in some sweat equity into a place. So we'll see where that goes! Should be interesting!

So there you have it, a new financial dawn for the Wildwood DeVries. It'll be a little work, but we're excited to be able to see some results!