Here’s this week’s quick takes. I managed to fill it up with lots of housing stuff 
1. We went out to a friend’s place for New Years. We left the toddler at home and just took the baby, because we’d already buggered up the toddler’s sleep patterns the night before. I think it was the perfect way to spend New Years Eve, it was a bit of a party but there were only 6 of us so it was still intimate. There were drinks for those who wanted them and crackers and cheese and nachos. We watched the Canada-US World Junior round robin game, and Canada won in a shootout 
By the end every one of us was making noise anytime either team got near a net!
Cheering when Canada scored
At midnight we went outside and across the parking lot to watch the fireworks across the water. After that we watched some great comedy, and made fun of retro music videos. What a fun evening.
Baby’s first New Years!
2. Here’s an update on the house: I don’t think we’re going to get the pink one afterall. We found out after viewing that the pink house has no driveway, the owner parks on the street, and, after consideration, the lack of yard is becoming a deal breaker because I would want to have somewhere to sit outside on nice warm days. Everything people have been saying is leading me to believe that it is not the house God has for us, but that we are on the right track. (I remember feeling peaceful during the drive there and standing on the street, but not specifically inside the house). We are going to continue to look, particularly in that area. We are looking at 2 other houses friday morning, both with yards.
I know people around me might be wondering ‘what’s the hurry?’ especially since we don’t think we’re getting that first house. The reason I’m so intent to keep looking is that I need to see what it feels like in another house for comparison, to get a feel for whether God wants us to buy soon or not, and as things stand now it will drive me crazy if I don’t find out soon! I’m hoping that walking around inside other houses will help me be sure that we are following God’s will in this matter.
It does seem that God is ready for us to start looking (finally), and I think we’re still meant to end up in Windsor, but I won’t know for sure until I get to walk around inside another house. Only by walking around another house to compare can I get a feel for whether there is a house for us now or whether we are to stop looking and wait some more.
3. Because I was so caught up in a house of our own I had a trial run taking care of both kids and the house by myself while DMIL was out. I pretended it was my home and no one else would do things. It went fine, we had playtime after breakfast. I kept my joy and wasn’t stressed or frustrated once, and I rinsed the breakfast dishes and put them in the dishwasher It was only in the evening when I started to hear more commentary on my parenting etc, that I got stressed and unable to handle them 
4. Further house update: When we got to the first new house our agent told us that there was no need to see the other house because it was in bad shape (he asked the agent listing it and when he told her it was a young couple with 2 kids looking she said we didn’t want that one) We are trusting their judgment, this guy is looking out for our interests.
As for the house we did look at, we are not interested. I didn’t care for the yard, it is narrow and long with a shed right next to the deck which kind of blocks the rest of the yard from view at ground level. Also most of the yard is a hill, so it’s not all that usable. It was also a little small inside, especially the kitchen, and our laundry would have been in our dining room.
Even though it’s a bank repo and we could get it for quite a bit less than the asking price (which was higher than the other) between the yard and the house we don’t really like it. Also because it’s a bank repo, it is dirty and not in the best shape, it would be doable if we wanted it but we don’t.
Our agent said best thing to do is wait until the spring when more houses come on the market. They are predicting it to be a big season, so we should have lots of options, even in our limited price range. And he said that that would start the middle to the end of february, so we’re really only putting this on hold for a month, which isn’t that long to wait, which seems to be what God wants me to do. wait a little longer for the perfect house.
5. This still leaves me wondering what God was trying to tell me the other day when we looked at the pink house. Why the noticeable sense of peace and joy that usually means I’m following God’s will? To make me realize I needed a yard? To give me a sense of hope that the perfect house will come if I wait. It just doesn’t make sense to me.
6. The other day when I was driving to church I had something interesting on my mind: manual wiper blades. It was a really light precipitation so rather than using a preset I was manually toggling the wipers as needed. It got me to thinking what it must have been like before they came up with the automated settings. Having to flick the wipers with one hand while holding the steering wheel with the other. Imagine flicking up and down as fast as you possibly can in a torrential downpour. That must have been fun, or maybe in those days they didn’t drive in that kind of weather, not that I would choose to walk instead!
7. Some not so recent photos (from BEFORE xmas!)
Baby’s card night
Toddler
Helping with the Dishes
snowflake on the window
Tracks in the snow
Church
