I realized I never put our update in of our new adventure we took. We sold our home back in November 2011 and have been living in our "starter home" that we have owned and has been a rental for the past few years for us. Before we moved we were really confused to where we needed to move to and within one week we had our renters announce they were moving and second, that a potential job offer was stirring up and we were pointed in to where in AZ we needed to move to.
We were first hesitant to move to the home we now live in because of it's size. For a family of 5, fitting into a 1128 square foot house with a small backyard didn't seem ideal, but funny how things work out WE LOVE IT!
What I love about downsizing...
1. I love that I have everyone in earshot of me and that I can hear my kids at night and that they are so close by.
2. I actually enjoy my smaller kitchen. It seems more functional how it's designed and that I am down to the basics with supplies and cookware.
3. Of course, cleaning! We had 4 bathrooms previously and it's nice to just take care of 2 now. In our old house I would attempt to lock some of the bathrooms just to keep one bathroom clean in case for guests. I catch myself in disbelief when I finish cleaning so quickly and then I'm done!
4. Yard work. We now have a small yard. No pool, only 2 plants to take care, no HOA. Love it! My time is freed up and I don't feel anxiety when I have weeds popping up and I have to walk my yard weekly for fear of the HOA hunting us down, or I can put my garbage out at noon instead of waiting past 5pm.
5. Bills! Smaller bills! No HOA fees, lower taxes in Phoenix, smaller electricity bill because of reduced square footage and not running a pool pump. Ahhh.
6. When we moved we had a few garage sales. At first it was hard to let things go, but then it is a big relief to reduce the amount of STUFF we had! We realized or stuff was just looking pretty, tucked away hidden for years never to be used. I probably have potential to be a hoarder, but my husband always talks sense into me and I'm picking up on his minimalist preferences and it works. Reducing stuff helps reduce the clutter in your mind.
7. Cooling down the house! In our old house I gave in a lot to turning on the A/C because of how our house was designed it was hard to get the outside air to come in and get a breeze in there. I can cross-ventilate more easily and the house can cool down in a matter of minutes.
What I love about living "In Town"
1. Libraries are everywhere! I have a choice of 3 libraries in a 5 mile radius. I have a choice of different story times available to me for 6 days of the week. I don't need to do an interlibrary loan and only have it for 2 weeks, I can order a book and have it sent to which location I want and actually renew those books.
2. Rec Centers. Again, 2 recreation centers in a 5 mile radius. I love to have choices!
3. Parks! Plenty of parks and they are lit at night!
What I miss about being in Buckeye :(
1. I miss the people. The people is what made Buckeye awesome. I love how you really got the sense of a family away from family. Everyone teamed up and worked together.
2. Being out there trained you to be prepared and work with what you got. If you had to go "into town" for a doctor's appointment, your trip out there would not be wasted. You would plan that day and the places you would go around that doctor's appointment. Your trips seemed planned out and the car was packed with food, extra clothing, water to support whatever errands you needed to do.
3. Since stuff was limited out there, the people really came together to work with what you had. Not many parks, so playdates were 20 mom's showing up. Library time, you got to know all of the mom's that attended and then you start seeing them through town. I felt like us mom's got pretty creative with our resources!
4. In phoenix if someone honks at you, you are usually ready to give them the bird, In Buckeye, it's because they know you and you wave. Miss that!
5. It was quiet out there. I could run anywhere and can get in my zone because it isn't congested with traffic.
6. You can see so many stars and constellations out there. Beautiful. I remember that really stuck out to us when we first moved out there.
7. Close to Cali and Mexico!
8. Bigger homes! Of course what brought us out there were big homes for small prices!
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The Carney's
We are the Carney Family, The Parents consist of Tiff and Free, Our kids we think are great, Their names are Freeman, Preston and Nate!
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Thoughts by Little Freeman
Freeman always cracks me up with some of his comments and questions. Here are some that make me laugh.
I have attempted to make a garden and there is still no sign of life. Little Freeman was helping me water it and Freeman turns to me and says.
"Mom, the garden not working?"
"The garden is sad"
Dec. 2008
It's been a few weeks, and the garden is finally growing. Well Freeman went outside with me and yelled enthusiastically, "The garden is working now!"
We were walking out of the store today and Freeman is trying to stop me and tell me something,
"Mom, you look tired"
While Freeman was pretending he was talking on the phone, I asked him to put something away. He acknowledged me and then went back to the phone so he can actually end his pretend conversation,
"I Pick up toys, All right, Bye"
I turned on the television this morning and ESPN was on, and Little Freeman says,
"Yeah! Football, Go Cardinals!"
I so know where he picked that up from!
I told Freeman,
"I need you to get dressed," and he looked at me offended, "Mom, I don't wear dress!"
We were leaving the playground and Freeman says...
"Bye Bye Playground!... Mom, the playground is sad." Why is the playground sad?
"Because I'm going bye bye"
1/24/09
"Mom, you're a child of God"
I caught Freeman coloring on his new Christmas bike with a marker, and I told him that "dad would be very upset because he put a lot of thought into getting you a bike," and Freeman corrected me and sounded a little upset, "Mom, Santa gave me that bike!' Whoops....
Freeman was jumping off the bed and grabbing onto the rim of his basketball hoop. It kept tipping the hoop over so I told him he needed to stop and be safe. His explanation was, "Mom, I play like the Suns!"
March 2009
Parts of Freeman's prayer:
"Dear Heavenly Father, thankful for Daddy and his boo-boo and that he dusted it off, thankful for his other elbow, two elbows... thanksful for the Suns game and basketball... Goodnight.. in the name of Jesus Christ Amen."
May 2009
Little Freeman is really big on saying his own prayers. Here are some things he includes in them that I think are cute.
One night Freeman pointed out that Tohbi had a boo boo on his leg. So later when it was prayer he said, "Thankful for Tohbi and his boo boo, pray that it gets better."
"Pray that no bad guys come into our house."
"Pray that Daddy does good at his training"
"Thankful for Nate and that he copies me." (He says this when Nate immitates saying a prayer)
5/20/09
It was time for bed and Freeman kept leaving his room and coming into mine. I told him he had to go back to his room and he responded, "Stop, I need to think, Let me figure this out."
Our dog Tohbi was in the car with us and he kept trying to climb onto my lap. I kept pushing him away and saying, "No!" and Freeman interrupted and said, "Mom don't do that, that is going to frusturate him!"
6/13/09
It was naptime so it was pretty quiet in the house. Freeman woke up and went potty, and then he came out scared and tiptoed over to me. He whispers, "Mom, what is that noise?" So, I'm listening and all I hear is motorcycles or a lawn mower sound outside, so I told him that's all I hear. He let's out his breath and is relieved. "Mom, I thought there was a lion and tiger in our house!"
7/15/09
I was on a ladder looking into the attic and Freeman asks, "Is Heavenly Father up there? Do you see him." So I told him no he isn't in our attic, he is farther above us. "And then he said, "Dad said that he is up there" and points above his head."
7/22/09
I love how kids have questions that you just aren't sure how to answer. This is one of my favorite questions of all times.
Freeman likes to question who made things and this is our conversation the other day.
Freeman: Mom, who made the trees?
Me: Heavenly Father
Freeman: Who made the clouds?
Me: Heavenly Father
Freeman: Mom, who made Heavenly Father?
Me: That's a great question... ask your dad.
7/21/09
Freeman and I were playing together and all of the sudden he stops and looks at me seriously..
"Mom, the baby needs to come out of your belly so I can play with it."
Sept.2010
Freeman just asked me,
"Mom, how do you get a girl to marry you?"
I have attempted to make a garden and there is still no sign of life. Little Freeman was helping me water it and Freeman turns to me and says.
"Mom, the garden not working?"
"The garden is sad"
Dec. 2008
It's been a few weeks, and the garden is finally growing. Well Freeman went outside with me and yelled enthusiastically, "The garden is working now!"
We were walking out of the store today and Freeman is trying to stop me and tell me something,
"Mom, you look tired"
While Freeman was pretending he was talking on the phone, I asked him to put something away. He acknowledged me and then went back to the phone so he can actually end his pretend conversation,
"I Pick up toys, All right, Bye"
I turned on the television this morning and ESPN was on, and Little Freeman says,
"Yeah! Football, Go Cardinals!"
I so know where he picked that up from!
I told Freeman,
"I need you to get dressed," and he looked at me offended, "Mom, I don't wear dress!"
We were leaving the playground and Freeman says...
"Bye Bye Playground!... Mom, the playground is sad." Why is the playground sad?
"Because I'm going bye bye"
1/24/09
"Mom, you're a child of God"
I caught Freeman coloring on his new Christmas bike with a marker, and I told him that "dad would be very upset because he put a lot of thought into getting you a bike," and Freeman corrected me and sounded a little upset, "Mom, Santa gave me that bike!' Whoops....
Freeman was jumping off the bed and grabbing onto the rim of his basketball hoop. It kept tipping the hoop over so I told him he needed to stop and be safe. His explanation was, "Mom, I play like the Suns!"
March 2009
Parts of Freeman's prayer:
"Dear Heavenly Father, thankful for Daddy and his boo-boo and that he dusted it off, thankful for his other elbow, two elbows... thanksful for the Suns game and basketball... Goodnight.. in the name of Jesus Christ Amen."
May 2009
Little Freeman is really big on saying his own prayers. Here are some things he includes in them that I think are cute.
One night Freeman pointed out that Tohbi had a boo boo on his leg. So later when it was prayer he said, "Thankful for Tohbi and his boo boo, pray that it gets better."
"Pray that no bad guys come into our house."
"Pray that Daddy does good at his training"
"Thankful for Nate and that he copies me." (He says this when Nate immitates saying a prayer)
5/20/09
It was time for bed and Freeman kept leaving his room and coming into mine. I told him he had to go back to his room and he responded, "Stop, I need to think, Let me figure this out."
Our dog Tohbi was in the car with us and he kept trying to climb onto my lap. I kept pushing him away and saying, "No!" and Freeman interrupted and said, "Mom don't do that, that is going to frusturate him!"
6/13/09
It was naptime so it was pretty quiet in the house. Freeman woke up and went potty, and then he came out scared and tiptoed over to me. He whispers, "Mom, what is that noise?" So, I'm listening and all I hear is motorcycles or a lawn mower sound outside, so I told him that's all I hear. He let's out his breath and is relieved. "Mom, I thought there was a lion and tiger in our house!"
7/15/09
I was on a ladder looking into the attic and Freeman asks, "Is Heavenly Father up there? Do you see him." So I told him no he isn't in our attic, he is farther above us. "And then he said, "Dad said that he is up there" and points above his head."
7/22/09
I love how kids have questions that you just aren't sure how to answer. This is one of my favorite questions of all times.
Freeman likes to question who made things and this is our conversation the other day.
Freeman: Mom, who made the trees?
Me: Heavenly Father
Freeman: Who made the clouds?
Me: Heavenly Father
Freeman: Mom, who made Heavenly Father?
Me: That's a great question... ask your dad.
7/21/09
Freeman and I were playing together and all of the sudden he stops and looks at me seriously..
"Mom, the baby needs to come out of your belly so I can play with it."
Sept.2010
Freeman just asked me,
"Mom, how do you get a girl to marry you?"
Nathan
Nathan 11 months
Nate started taking his first steps! He loves to walk back and forth between mom and dad. He also is a little goofball. He likes to breathe in and out of his nose really fast as he is walking, he will raise his face up and yell, "Ahhh", and make a goofy, whiny face to make me laugh. His little personality is just shining through, and I think he is going to be our little clown.
He also likes to clap, and he tries to do the fingerplays to, "Itsy Bitsy Spider," and "Patty-Cake." Then if you say, "Where's Nathan?" or "Are you hiding?" He will put his hands to his ears and that's his way of hiding.
Nathan 15.5 months
Nate has been a late bloomer with his talking but I think he is finally picking up on it. He now says, "Juice," "Dada," "Broom Broom" "Ah da (All done)" Momma, and for some other things he just makes sound effects. He is quite a character and loves to make us laugh. He likes to stomp his feet really fast, or he has this goofy walk where he hunches over and shuffles his feet. He loves to race garbage trucks with his brother and do anything he is doing. He is our little sweetheart and goofball.
Nathan 18 months
Nate gets so excited when he sees birds. He has come up with many facial expressions and our favorite his "oh" look. It's like making a fishy face with your mouth. He loves to give kisses and hugs. The first thing he does in the morning is get a book and reads in his crib. As soon as you walk in he repeats, "Book! book" and wants you to read to him. He likes pictures of ducks, cows, dogs, cats, and trucks. He has his own "Puppy Monster Truck" that he makes the sound effects for. It looks like Nate is going to be our climber. He has figured out how to move a chair to his high chair, climb up and get into his high chair. We have also found him on our table to dancing around. Another thing I just love about Nate is when he gets the chance to walk around, he has to wave to EVERYONE, and he keeps waving until they wave back or smile. So, then of course with the positive attention he gets, Big Brother Freeman will start to wave to, so I have this little parade of boys waving to every stranger walking by. Embarrasing, but I love it!
Nathan 19 months
SUPER HEROES!!!
Nate is such a boy. He has picked up the web throwing from his big brother so he chases after you pretending he is Spiderman. He also likes batman, and even though he doesn't say much, he says, "Ba Man!" and makes him fly around. He also loves monster trucks and makes some pretty great sound effects.
Nathan 22 months
FINALLY TALKING!!!
These past 2 weeks Nate's vocabulary has finally arrived! He would say basic words and sounds, but was really behind on communicating. We've been reading more, breaking down words, using flash cards and just working non stop and finally it kicked in. It all started when we went to see Nadia and when Nate saw her dog Rowdie, he said "Puppy" for the first time. Now he can say so much more and I know he isn't as frusturated because someone understands him. Some of my favorite words he says are, Doggy, Baby, No Wa Wa (Water), Connor, Outside/Inside.
Nate started taking his first steps! He loves to walk back and forth between mom and dad. He also is a little goofball. He likes to breathe in and out of his nose really fast as he is walking, he will raise his face up and yell, "Ahhh", and make a goofy, whiny face to make me laugh. His little personality is just shining through, and I think he is going to be our little clown.
He also likes to clap, and he tries to do the fingerplays to, "Itsy Bitsy Spider," and "Patty-Cake." Then if you say, "Where's Nathan?" or "Are you hiding?" He will put his hands to his ears and that's his way of hiding.
Nathan 15.5 months
Nate has been a late bloomer with his talking but I think he is finally picking up on it. He now says, "Juice," "Dada," "Broom Broom" "Ah da (All done)" Momma, and for some other things he just makes sound effects. He is quite a character and loves to make us laugh. He likes to stomp his feet really fast, or he has this goofy walk where he hunches over and shuffles his feet. He loves to race garbage trucks with his brother and do anything he is doing. He is our little sweetheart and goofball.
Nathan 18 months
Nate gets so excited when he sees birds. He has come up with many facial expressions and our favorite his "oh" look. It's like making a fishy face with your mouth. He loves to give kisses and hugs. The first thing he does in the morning is get a book and reads in his crib. As soon as you walk in he repeats, "Book! book" and wants you to read to him. He likes pictures of ducks, cows, dogs, cats, and trucks. He has his own "Puppy Monster Truck" that he makes the sound effects for. It looks like Nate is going to be our climber. He has figured out how to move a chair to his high chair, climb up and get into his high chair. We have also found him on our table to dancing around. Another thing I just love about Nate is when he gets the chance to walk around, he has to wave to EVERYONE, and he keeps waving until they wave back or smile. So, then of course with the positive attention he gets, Big Brother Freeman will start to wave to, so I have this little parade of boys waving to every stranger walking by. Embarrasing, but I love it!
Nathan 19 months
SUPER HEROES!!!
Nate is such a boy. He has picked up the web throwing from his big brother so he chases after you pretending he is Spiderman. He also likes batman, and even though he doesn't say much, he says, "Ba Man!" and makes him fly around. He also loves monster trucks and makes some pretty great sound effects.
Nathan 22 months
FINALLY TALKING!!!
These past 2 weeks Nate's vocabulary has finally arrived! He would say basic words and sounds, but was really behind on communicating. We've been reading more, breaking down words, using flash cards and just working non stop and finally it kicked in. It all started when we went to see Nadia and when Nate saw her dog Rowdie, he said "Puppy" for the first time. Now he can say so much more and I know he isn't as frusturated because someone understands him. Some of my favorite words he says are, Doggy, Baby, No Wa Wa (Water), Connor, Outside/Inside.
About Us
- The Carney Family
- We're the Carney's! We have three boys and then there is us, Tiff and Free. We have been happily married for 9 years and enjoy having a blog to keep our family and friends up to date about what we have been up to.
About Me- 15 Months
A little about me, Little Free.
One of my favorite things to do is go outside. Mom and Dad will tell me we are going out and I'll run and find my socks and shoes to put on. While outside I love to look and listen for birds and airplanes and will even make a sign for each one when I spot them.
I can dance to Ring A Round the Rosie, Do as I'm Doing and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.
I love reading, and when I want to read with Mom or Dad I start repeating, Read, Read, Read until I get my way. I enjoy acting like animals, especially a gorilla, monkey, or alligator.
Here are some things about me at 15 months. I'll update you next month!
One of my favorite things to do is go outside. Mom and Dad will tell me we are going out and I'll run and find my socks and shoes to put on. While outside I love to look and listen for birds and airplanes and will even make a sign for each one when I spot them.
I can dance to Ring A Round the Rosie, Do as I'm Doing and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.
I love reading, and when I want to read with Mom or Dad I start repeating, Read, Read, Read until I get my way. I enjoy acting like animals, especially a gorilla, monkey, or alligator.
Here are some things about me at 15 months. I'll update you next month!
1 comment:
So glad you are happy back in your old stomping grounds. Have to admit, reading about Buckeye, made me tear up a bit! We are happy in our new place too, but there are times I wonder why we left! Miss Buckeye too!
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