Friday, August 7th
I woke up and got ready right away today. The electrician called me at 8:30 to ask about lighting in Michael's closet. I realized if those sweet guys had been at the job a while, I should get up and get going. Especially since I had a full day planned again.
So, I got ready and skyped with our financial advisor in Maryland. I'm glad we kept him (he got licensed in Alabama to keep being our advisor - how nice is that?). I had questions about how our money should be used to pay for the Alabama stuff and we have a really awesome plan set up. Basically, we will pay 2/3 of this huge project with cash. Then the remaining third we will set up like an 80/20 mortgage. Except, I'm not sure they do those anymore. So, we will just put a large portion (maybe 80%) into our official mortgage when it's time, and the rest (maybe 20%) will be a loan with First Command. You see, my goal is to pay that last third way down as soon as possible, then refinance. Our financial advisor said refinancing costs money and rates are going up, so why don't we use the extra money we were going to pay down the mortgage to just pay off that 20% loan. Yes! Genius. This may have been the most boring paragraph you have ever read, but my friend Lara would have loved it! We are the financial ones in our households and we're always looking for new ways to pay things down or pay them off or whatever. This was genius.
After that, I met Bert at his office to pay a giant bill, set up to pay another bill first thing next week, then get a bunch of paperwork for Michael and I to sign. We also went over the final numbers for the estimated budget *gulp* and he showed me how he keeps track as we go. His philosophy is 100% transparency with the finances. It's my money and he believes I should know where every penny goes at all times. I like that. He also doesn't bill me until they've done the work. I like that too.
Then I went to the house to talk with Abe, the electrician. I told him my ideas for the outdoor grill so it can be turned into a full on outdoor kitchen in the future, if we choose to do that. Yet make sure it doesn't always look like something is missing if we just want a grill. I also answered some more questions and saw the amazing progress they have made. Abe says he thinks he will be done Monday or Tuesday. Sweet!! Windows and doors will be in Wednesday. That is going to be so neat.
Then I stopped by Publix to get a few things that ALDI didn't have, then I got some ice cream, then I wanted to try their laundry detergent. $28 later, I left with what was supposed to be just milk and peanut butter. ;-)
When I got home I heated up lunch for Michael and I so he would be full for his 2:00 meeting with the Huntsville Alabama guy (this is different than his work-from-home day job - this is the company stuff).
While he was gone I face timed with my mom, cleaned and set up for the movers, called my sister, and listened to a podcast. I fell asleep during the podcast. I am not sleeping well on these air mattresses.
Want to know how I set up for the movers? I hung a floor plan up on the wall, each room got a color, each box has a piece of tape with the color on it, and I hung a sign outside each room with that color tape on it. It should be crystal clear where the boxes go. :-)
Michael got home around 4:45 and I asked if he wanted me to start dinner or if he thought cereal was fine. Of course he said cereal was fine - he's an absolute dream boat. <3 I justified this with the fact that we had a heavy lunch - last night's dinner. And it was all the fabulous we could handle.
Kara and I skyped with Stephanie and her kids from 5:30 to 8!
Now it's time to put everything away in closets to make room for real furniture and vacuum so furniture doesn't go on top of dirty floors, and top off air mattresses for the last time.
Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I really can't wait until it's all over. lol. I have too much furniture coming into this small house and I really won't know how it will fit until it's all in here. I will get them to put all the furniture in the right room for me, and I will move it around on my own to get it just right. Fortunately Kara is 9 and the idea of 2 couches and 17 boxes in her room doesn't bother her at all. She wants her bed, a plug for power cords and night lights, and a path to the door. That's it! Bless her.
Like I said, I'll be glad when it's over and the furniture is in. I'll show you more pictures when it is. At least we have been living fine with what we have now, so there is no super rush to unpack. The boxes laying everywhere will drive me crazy, though.
So, I got ready and skyped with our financial advisor in Maryland. I'm glad we kept him (he got licensed in Alabama to keep being our advisor - how nice is that?). I had questions about how our money should be used to pay for the Alabama stuff and we have a really awesome plan set up. Basically, we will pay 2/3 of this huge project with cash. Then the remaining third we will set up like an 80/20 mortgage. Except, I'm not sure they do those anymore. So, we will just put a large portion (maybe 80%) into our official mortgage when it's time, and the rest (maybe 20%) will be a loan with First Command. You see, my goal is to pay that last third way down as soon as possible, then refinance. Our financial advisor said refinancing costs money and rates are going up, so why don't we use the extra money we were going to pay down the mortgage to just pay off that 20% loan. Yes! Genius. This may have been the most boring paragraph you have ever read, but my friend Lara would have loved it! We are the financial ones in our households and we're always looking for new ways to pay things down or pay them off or whatever. This was genius.
After that, I met Bert at his office to pay a giant bill, set up to pay another bill first thing next week, then get a bunch of paperwork for Michael and I to sign. We also went over the final numbers for the estimated budget *gulp* and he showed me how he keeps track as we go. His philosophy is 100% transparency with the finances. It's my money and he believes I should know where every penny goes at all times. I like that. He also doesn't bill me until they've done the work. I like that too.
Then I went to the house to talk with Abe, the electrician. I told him my ideas for the outdoor grill so it can be turned into a full on outdoor kitchen in the future, if we choose to do that. Yet make sure it doesn't always look like something is missing if we just want a grill. I also answered some more questions and saw the amazing progress they have made. Abe says he thinks he will be done Monday or Tuesday. Sweet!! Windows and doors will be in Wednesday. That is going to be so neat.
Then I stopped by Publix to get a few things that ALDI didn't have, then I got some ice cream, then I wanted to try their laundry detergent. $28 later, I left with what was supposed to be just milk and peanut butter. ;-)
When I got home I heated up lunch for Michael and I so he would be full for his 2:00 meeting with the Huntsville Alabama guy (this is different than his work-from-home day job - this is the company stuff).
While he was gone I face timed with my mom, cleaned and set up for the movers, called my sister, and listened to a podcast. I fell asleep during the podcast. I am not sleeping well on these air mattresses.
Want to know how I set up for the movers? I hung a floor plan up on the wall, each room got a color, each box has a piece of tape with the color on it, and I hung a sign outside each room with that color tape on it. It should be crystal clear where the boxes go. :-)
Michael got home around 4:45 and I asked if he wanted me to start dinner or if he thought cereal was fine. Of course he said cereal was fine - he's an absolute dream boat. <3 I justified this with the fact that we had a heavy lunch - last night's dinner. And it was all the fabulous we could handle.
Kara and I skyped with Stephanie and her kids from 5:30 to 8!
Now it's time to put everything away in closets to make room for real furniture and vacuum so furniture doesn't go on top of dirty floors, and top off air mattresses for the last time.
Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I really can't wait until it's all over. lol. I have too much furniture coming into this small house and I really won't know how it will fit until it's all in here. I will get them to put all the furniture in the right room for me, and I will move it around on my own to get it just right. Fortunately Kara is 9 and the idea of 2 couches and 17 boxes in her room doesn't bother her at all. She wants her bed, a plug for power cords and night lights, and a path to the door. That's it! Bless her.
Like I said, I'll be glad when it's over and the furniture is in. I'll show you more pictures when it is. At least we have been living fine with what we have now, so there is no super rush to unpack. The boxes laying everywhere will drive me crazy, though.
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