The DDA Trouble Free Zone Part 8

[my3princes]

Hey everyone! Thanks to my FANTASTIC husband, I had a few minutes to catch up!!

The NCLEX is done at least I'm pretty torn on it. I mean, I think I passed for one (fairly safe assumption) reason. It cut off at 75 questions. You can most certainly fail in 75 questions, but I'm told it gives you the beneft it of the doubt and lets you keep testing until you REALLY prove you're incompetent if tha'ts the case. Most people that stop at 75 pass. However..... the questions sucked. You know when you get something narrowed down to two choices and guess? Well that was like 70 of the 75 questions It didn't take an hour even though, so that was nice. I'll let you all know when I find out (in the next few days).

As far as the other thing going on, DDA prayers are reigning it in a bit anyway. Continued thoughts would be greatly appreciated, but I feel confident enough to at least tell you what's up, with one thing happening already this morning!




In mid-May ..... we bought a house!!! I didn't mention it here because of all the bumps we hit along the way with the mortgage. I was terrified something else was going to go wrong, so I didn't really want to focus on it much (anymore than I already was IRL). Even until today, we hadn't got a straight answer on our closing information. Pretty much, people are stupid. When we set a closing target date (June 9th), it was suggested by the people involved, knowing darn well about our trip. Now all of a sudden they are freaking out that we won't be accessible up until the day before.... so I'm a little nervous.

We did finally hear this morning that we have an appointment set up for the 9th at 10:00am. My mortgage guy was working his butt off to have everthing finalized a week early (today) so that he would not have to contact us at all during the cruise (and make us spend even more money and time trying to communicate via email). We're still waiting on his call, but I know he's doing his best. And the financing was preapproved, so there shouldn't be any problems... but it will be nice to know it's 100% completed and awaiting our return.

So I'm supposed to have my entire house packed, plus the cruise stuff (and hope they don't get mixed up), plus take this test this morning, take my sister's homeschool team to their Olympic day (which thankfully got rained out and rescheduled ) so I was pretty much pulling my hair out yesterday.

But while I was gone, Kyle got up early and packed virtually EVERYTHING here for the house!!!!!!!!!!!!! He's great So I have a few errands to run, and need to double check the cruise stuff, but then I should be all set.

So if you want to continue praying, just pray that we have no surprises waiting for us when we come back. It's still a little scary knowing that we come back less than 12 hours when we're supposed to meet, and who knows what could happen before then!!!! We're pretty thrilled about the house though.

So that's that. I'll check in again either later tonight or tomorrow morning before we leave. Talk to you then!

Congratulations on the test and the house. I'm sure you did much better on the test than you think. The details on the house will work themselves out. It's really in the hands of your mortgage guy and the lawyers at this point. All the paperwork and house inspections etc can just boggle the mind. Enjoy your trip!!! Try to relax and take lots of photos and notes. I've never been on a Disney cruise and will have to live vicariously through you.

Deb

 

[kc10family]

Guys I am sorry -

I was simply expressing a frustration that the same parents always seem to do everything and it would be nice to see other people step up sometimes to give those that do everything a break or at least ease their load

why do I do what I do - b/c I love being with the kids - I love that my kids beg to go to church with me and they are so excited for VBS b/c it is one of their favorite things in the world

I actually feel sorry for univolved parents b/c I think that they miss a lot of joy and fun

I guess I thought that expressing a frustration in here would be safe

I understand everyones view and I think we all do a great job listening and giving opions that we learn from.
I for one am glad to learn from you all (not that I am glad you have these problems) I thank you all for sharing and please sontinue to do so.

 

[kc10family]

Well folks I am back on pg 2410 and must get off this computer. DH will be home in a few and we will be packing the car again to go away for the weekend. (I rather stay home this weekend, but not gona happen)

Have a wonderful weekend!!!!

PD and Prayers for all who need it.

Chat with you all Monday night.

I will post Pal Mickey picks next week as well as pics of the girls.

 

[babytrees]

My brother loves bicycling. He does long trips like from Tampa to Orlando and back in the same day. They are moving to Denver, CO over the summer and I was telling him the difference in the altitude. It will take him a while to get used to it. Enjoy your biking trip.

Lynn

Yup he will definitely take a bit to get used to the altitude here!!
Which part of Denver is he moving to?
Do I need to have a DDA welcoming party for him?

 

[Tammi67]

That is terrific news, Tammi. Thanks for letting us know. Ignore my PM now

Too late. I've already responded.

 

[Tammi67]

Tammi, it isn't a hassle to go into Canada, and it's much nicer than the American side. You still only need a birth certificate. The Sheraton at the Falls is a beautiful hotel. It costs more, but you can get a room overlooking the falls - gorgeous. There's even an electric fireplace in the room. If you choose a non-falls view, there are huge windows overlooking the falls in the restaurant. It's right near the casino, too. For kids, there's the usual "Maid of the Mist" boat ride, the tunnels under the falls, there's an aquarium and amusement park, and endless tours. There's also a whole bunch of hoaky places like a small wax museum (I call these the money-wasters, but kids would probably love them). It's a nice palce to visit for a weekend or a few days. Don't forget, if you stay on the Canadian side, you can get back any taxes you pay on the room!

Thanks June. I was worried that we might need a passport or something.

 

[Tammi67]

Tammi,
We will be in Niagara Falls June 28-29th. We always stay on the American side at a particular hotel, The Best Western Red Jacket Inn. My grandparents were born and raised there and that hotel sits on the spot where my grandmother's childhood house sat. So for sentimental reasons we choose to stay here. It is about 4 miles to the State Park which is the falls viewing area on the American Side. I have also stayed at the KOA on Grand Island which is again not far from the falls. The Canadian side used to be so much better but the American side is getting nicer and nicer.

You will definetly want to get on the Maid of the Mist, the boat that goes under the falls. What a great experience. We are going to do that along with the Cave of the Winds, which is a walking tour that goes behind the American Falls. Another thing to consider is the Cable Car that goes across the river gorge. When I was younger, my grandparents took me about 4 times and they would never let me get on either the Boat or the Cable Car. When I went with my parents and sister 9 years ago we did the boat. We tried to do the Cable Car but it was shut down due to the winds that day. I hope I can do it this trip. At night they used to do a lighting show where the Falls would be lit up and it is spectacular! HTH!

I read that they still light up at night. They also do fireworks in the summer over the falls on Friday and Sunday night.

 

[babytrees]

Yeah!! Jen for the new house. You have an awfully full plate right now!! Hope it straightens itself out enough for you to fully enjoy your cruise!!

You have passed your test, so one thing down and the rest will fall into place,

 

[Tammi67]

Tammi
Glad to hear your dad is doing well!
I love your classes....my DH will be signed up for #10. He thinks he is the perfect driver & likes to comment on my driving skills even when we are in park!!!

Sounds like my dad. He called to tell me that they were on their way home from the hospital and my mom had to drive him. Then he proceded to say that he would probably have a heart attack now, because of that!

 

[Tammi67]

Hey everyone! Thanks to my FANTASTIC husband, I had a few minutes to catch up!!

The NCLEX is done at least I'm pretty torn on it. I mean, I think I passed for one (fairly safe assumption) reason. It cut off at 75 questions. You can most certainly fail in 75 questions, but I'm told it gives you the beneft it of the doubt and lets you keep testing until you REALLY prove you're incompetent if tha'ts the case. Most people that stop at 75 pass. However..... the questions sucked. You know when you get something narrowed down to two choices and guess? Well that was like 70 of the 75 questions It didn't take an hour even though, so that was nice. I'll let you all know when I find out (in the next few days).

As far as the other thing going on, DDA prayers are reigning it in a bit anyway. Continued thoughts would be greatly appreciated, but I feel confident enough to at least tell you what's up, with one thing happening already this morning!




In mid-May ..... we bought a house!!! I didn't mention it here because of all the bumps we hit along the way with the mortgage. I was terrified something else was going to go wrong, so I didn't really want to focus on it much (anymore than I already was IRL). Even until today, we hadn't got a straight answer on our closing information. Pretty much, people are stupid. When we set a closing target date (June 9th), it was suggested by the people involved, knowing darn well about our trip. Now all of a sudden they are freaking out that we won't be accessible up until the day before.... so I'm a little nervous.

We did finally hear this morning that we have an appointment set up for the 9th at 10:00am. My mortgage guy was working his butt off to have everthing finalized a week early (today) so that he would not have to contact us at all during the cruise (and make us spend even more money and time trying to communicate via email). We're still waiting on his call, but I know he's doing his best. And the financing was preapproved, so there shouldn't be any problems... but it will be nice to know it's 100% completed and awaiting our return.

So I'm supposed to have my entire house packed, plus the cruise stuff (and hope they don't get mixed up), plus take this test this morning, take my sister's homeschool team to their Olympic day (which thankfully got rained out and rescheduled ) so I was pretty much pulling my hair out yesterday.

But while I was gone, Kyle got up early and packed virtually EVERYTHING here for the house!!!!!!!!!!!!! He's great So I have a few errands to run, and need to double check the cruise stuff, but then I should be all set.

So if you want to continue praying, just pray that we have no surprises waiting for us when we come back. It's still a little scary knowing that we come back less than 12 hours when we're supposed to meet, and who knows what could happen before then!!!! We're pretty thrilled about the house though.

So that's that. I'll check in again either later tonight or tomorrow morning before we leave. Talk to you then!

Congratulations on the new house. Once piece of advice though....don't pack away any of your financial paperwork. Leave everything accessible because inevitably, even though you've already provided them with a copy of 'x', it will get lost and you will need to resubmit it. Or they will ask for you for something that they need they didn't ask for to begin with. Closings are never simple. I'm so happy for you. A new house and a cruise! Can life be any better???

I'm with Kate....we want details, and pictures!!!

 

[bethbuchall]

I am OK...Jonathan graduates on Sunday (the same day that Kirsten turns 7) so I am running around like crazy...I can't wait for next week to end. These end of the year activities are killing me!

Bill is good (thanks for asking) The moms are, let's just say fine (for the moment).

****s are back to normal..I think Bill misses it though!!

Congratulations, Jonathan!!!

Happy 7th Birthday (a little early), Kirsten!!! (Miles just turned 7, too.)

Have a great time celebrating, and don't stress yourself out too much getting to the celebration!

Beth

 

[bethbuchall]

Off to stuff goodie bags....no more home made treats allowed in Kirsten's school (not that I feel like baking anyway )

Are you allowed store bought treats or are the things in the goodie bags non-edible? I heard that starting in September, our schools are going to have strict policies in effect for food. We are not going to be allowed sweets, anything with over a certain percentage of fat, etc.

Beth

 

[bethbuchall]

Wow. They have French in Kindergarten in public school?

I wish our schools started a foreign language early. Ours don't start until 8th grade.

Beth

 

[triplefigs]

Yes, the Elementary school teaches French here! They get it one day per week.

 

[bethbuchall]

Could I please have some prayers and pd for my dad, who is undergoing a heart cathaterization (sp?), probably as I type this. He had a stress test last week and there was some blockage, so now they are doing this to figure out the next step. They may not need to do anything, insert stents or do surgery, depending on what is found. He had a heart attack, about 15 yrs ago, and an angioplasty. A year and a half ago he had stents put in for blockage, and now maybe again. Hopefully it will all go well.

Prayers and Pixie Dust for your dad and for you! My dad had a heart attack followed by triple bypass surgery when I was pregnant with Matthew.

Beth

 

[bethbuchall]

Please pray for Phil right now. I don't know what is going on as I'm at work, but he sounds like he is on the verge of a total breakdown. It is being caused in part because some combination of the high calcium and Vitamin D they had him taking has been keeping him so drowsy for over a week that he can barely function. Now he seems to have come to the end of his rope over these feelings. Luckily, he is of good enough mind that he has made an appointment for this afternoon with a psychologist. For now, I just need him to get himself and Terra into the city and to me safely. He won't be driving so there isn't a danger there, but they can get to me faster than I can get to them and I think time is of the essence as too relieve as much stress as possible as soon as possible. He has asked me to go to the doctor with him so hopefully I can help convey what has been going on lately if he can't. Thank you for any prayers and pixie dust you can spare as this is all a little scary.

I've said a prayer for all of you and will keep Phil, Terra, and you in my prayers. I hope that as I read on, I'll find things have already begun to get a little less scary.

Beth

 

[lmartin2711]

Yup he will definitely take a bit to get used to the altitude here!!
Which part of Denver is he moving to?
Do I need to have a DDA welcoming party for him?

They haven't found a place yet but looking in Littleton.

 

[bethbuchall]

Does anyone have any info on Niagra Falls? It's about a 3 hr drive from my parents house, so we are thinking of going up for a night or 2 the next time we visit them. I'm looking for nice places to stay, things to do that would interest the kids. I'd prefer to stay on the US side, as I don't know how difficult it is now to go into Canada. If it isn't a hassle, I hear the Canadian side is nicer.

I used to live up by there (and my parents still do). I don't have a lot of information to give you, but if you have a hotel in mind, I could ask my parents what it is like.

Also, I haven't crossed the border recently, but I asked my father about it last weekend. He said that it still is no problem to go across as long as you have a photo id. To be extra safe, bring along birth certificates (especially for the kids who don't have photo id).

The Canadian side is more built up right at the Falls (in a nice way), and I think many of the nicer hotels are there. The American side is more park-like right by the Falls. There are Casinos on both sides now.

Beth

 

[bethbuchall]

Tammi,
We will be in Niagara Falls June 28-29th. We always stay on the American side at a particular hotel, The Best Western Red Jacket Inn. My grandparents were born and raised there and that hotel sits on the spot where my grandmother's childhood house sat. So for sentimental reasons we choose to stay here. It is about 4 miles to the State Park which is the falls viewing area on the American Side. I have also stayed at the KOA on Grand Island which is again not far from the falls. The Canadian side used to be so much better but the American side is getting nicer and nicer.

You will definetly want to get on the Maid of the Mist, the boat that goes under the falls. What a great experience. We are going to do that along with the Cave of the Winds, which is a walking tour that goes behind the American Falls. Another thing to consider is the Cable Car that goes across the river gorge. When I was younger, my grandparents took me about 4 times and they would never let me get on either the Boat or the Cable Car. When I went with my parents and sister 9 years ago we did the boat. We tried to do the Cable Car but it was shut down due to the winds that day. I hope I can do it this trip. At night they used to do a lighting show where the Falls would be lit up and it is spectacular! HTH!

My parents live on Grand Island, and that is where I grew up.

There is a Butterfly Museum on the Canadian side, and we always like to go see the Floral Clock. The Casinos have fireworks almost every weekend now, too.

Beth

 

[bethbuchall]

I've heard rumors that starting in January you will need a passport to get to Canada. Does anyone else know anything about this? There is an international bridge between the U.P. and Canada. Chuck & I want to take the snow train in Canada so I need to verify whether this is true.

I've heard that crossing the border by a land route wouldn't require a passport until after December 31, 2007. My father said that he has heard rumor that may not take effect.

Beth