The Ihnen Family

Moving Sites

2011-07-20T21:19:00.001-07:00

We are moving blog sites!! Check us out!!
http://ihnenfamily.tumblr.com/

We have a new niece!!

2011-07-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Josh's brother Ryan and our sister-in-law Missy on their new addition to their family. Hannah Louise Ihnen was born July 12, 2011 at 10:50pm. She was 7lbs 6oz and 20in long. She is so precious! Momma and baby are doing great and they get to go home tomorrow!

Skydiving

2011-07-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

While in Cali, I went SKYDIVING!!! Eek! So much fun. No, I was not scared. And it was so amazing, I want to do it again!!!

Cali Vacation

2011-07-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

Josh and I took a little over a week's vacation and visited my sister and her family, and his sister Jessica in sunny San Diego!! We had such a GREAT time. We visited USS Midway, the Maritime Museum, San Diego Zoo and lounged around by the pool. It was a much needed vacation.

Oregon Coast 2011

2011-06-18T17:58:00.000-07:00

After leaving Portland and wedding festivities, Josh and I took an extra long weekend and went to the Oregon coast for a few days. We had so much fun. We got to see whales and sea lions playing in the ocean in Pacific City, OR and Depoe Bay, OR.

This time we started in Newport, OR and traveled up through Astoria, OR and then came home.We camped in Sand Lake Sunday night and got a hotel Monday night in Tillamook. So much fun and glad we made time to do the trip again this year.

Here are some pics of our journey...

Nick and Leah's Wedding

2011-06-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

The last Ihnen boy has been married away and I got a new sister-in-law. We attended Nick and Leah's wedding last weekend in Portland, OR. It was so pretty. I LOVED their colors and the venue (and everything) was beautiful. Leah made a beautiful bride and Nick made a handsome groom. We partied the night away with friends and family. We got to see family from Alaska and Minnesota, so glad they made the trip.

Here are some pics... ENJOY!!

Wheeling Out at Hover

2011-05-15T21:09:00.000-07:00

We went wheeling out at Hover today to enjoy the weather and perfect wheeling conditions. It was my first time out at Hover, and I gotta say, although its in Finley I like it!!

Twisted

Samurai vs Toyota

New Slipcovers Have Arrived!!

2011-05-11T19:56:00.000-07:00

We have had our outdated VERY UGLY couches for 5 years and the slipcovers for almost the same time. Needless to say, we are in desperate need of new slipcovers. I found some that weren't too expensive and purchased them. They came in the mail today and we LOVE them!!!

Garden Planted

2011-05-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

Since the weather has been nice, I decided it was time to finally plant my garden. I no matter how much I think I cut back I still bought WAY too many plants. So I had to prioritize and choose the ones that I wanted most.

I planted tomatoes, scallions, garlic, Walla Walla sweet onions, cucumber, garden salsa peppers, jalapenos peppers, green and red bell peppers, celery, raspberries bush and from last year my strawberry plants and artichoke plant came back.

So excited to see my garden grow and enjoy the goods!

Long Time.... No Updates!!

2011-05-03T19:49:00.000-07:00

Wow! I just realized that I haven't been on here since the holidays. Time for some updates!

The Holidays went great, spent quality time with friends and family. Received amazing news that our sister-in-law is pregnant with their second child, a girl! The time is fast approaching for Josh's oldest brother, Nick, to get married in June to his fiance, Leah. We will be traveling to Portland, Oregon for the wedding.

Since the holidays ...

I received a .22 from my dad, it was a hand me down, been in the family since his uncle and now its mine. I LOVE it! We go shooting all the time now.

This is me using my 'new' gun for the first time. Since then I have learned to aim better and I am actually a pretty good shot now. :o)

We took time to do some upgrades and repairs around the house. We finished the fence and stained it. Now we don't have to worry about a TON of tumbleweeds destroying our yard. YAY! Now just doing repairs to the yard that was ruined by the tumbleweeds. haha

We also got a new mirror in our bedroom, couch cushion covers, slipcovers, a new TV and reorganizing/re-purposing our guest bedroom and doing away with our office. Gotta love the Spring!!

Coming this summer.... Like I mentioned, Josh's brother's wedding, the birth of our newest niece, our trip to California and Oregon and so much more. Looking forward to a fun an exciting Spring and Summer!

2010-12-25T17:23:00.001-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Holiday Season

2010-12-15T20:15:00.000-08:00

Ugly Sweater Party
Nick and Leah invited us to their holiday part, themed, "Ugly Sweater Party". So we had the chance to drive to Portland to see them and hang out with friends and have dinner and festivities.

Josh and I, sporting our AMAZING sweaters.

Pretty poinsettia cupcakes that Leah and I made for the party.

Our Christmas tree

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care....

Our First Family Photos

2010-12-12T20:27:00.000-08:00

Josh and I had our pictures taken, professionally, and here are the proofs of the ones we really liked.

CHRISTMAS CARDS TO COME!!! ;o)

Complete Dining Set

2010-11-21T20:03:00.001-08:00

After Josh (2) building the bench and me, frantically searching for a table and chairs, our dining set is complete, just in time for Thanksgiving. My friend Laura made the cushion... so this whole set is custom. I LOVE IT!!

Wind Storm Surprise

2010-11-21T19:59:00.000-08:00

Those of you that live in the Tri-Cities are well aware of the CRAZY windstorm we had this week. It kept us up in the middle of the night the way it shook the house and blew EVERYTHING into our yard and up against the house. The next morning I woke up to get ready for work and let Brittany out and saw that our house was SURROUNDED by tumbleweeds.

A picture IS worth a thousand words....

This is what Josh gets to clean up! lol

Reception Photos

2010-11-13T17:58:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a few months, but I FINALLY got some of my photos back that were taken off my laptop. So now I am finally getting to post some reception photos. Here is a couple to show some of the fun we had that night.

Little By Little....

2010-11-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

We are preparing to spend our first Thanksgiving dinner in our new home. So I have been searching high and low for a table to fit in our kitchen as well as seat plenty of people for the holidays. I have Josh (and Josh) build a storage bench for the kitchen and found a nice LARGE table on Craigslists. Now I am searching for chairs to go with it. I am so excited!

New Job!!

2010-08-15T20:40:00.000-07:00

As some of you may already know, I was offered a couple of jobs out at the Hanford area. I took one position out there. I now work for Mission Support Alliance. I love it! I haven't been there too long, because the paperwork process took some time, but from the short time I have worked there, I can tell I am going to like it. I work with 45~ guys and no women. I could get used to this. :o)

I Have A Job!!

2010-08-01T23:37:00.000-07:00

After a few months with only working at Victoria's Secret and several applications and interviews at Hanford I have been offered two jobs. One fell through and the other (which offered more money) worked out well! I passed background and drug test and I start August 9th!! Yay! I am so excited!! I hope that getting a job out in the area will turn things around for us in starting a new life as a married couple. :o)

A Few More Photos

2010-07-26T21:58:00.000-07:00

Photographer NOT to Use!!

2010-07-23T01:13:00.000-07:00

Photographer NOT to Use!!

We Are MARRIED!!!

2010-07-16T23:50:00.000-07:00

Josh and I FINALLY got married on July 10, 2010 on the beaches of Pacific City, OR at 5pm. It was PERFECT. We were surrounded by good friends and family, I couldn't have asked for more.

Grandma Passed Away

2010-07-12T12:07:00.000-07:00

Imogene Morrison Connerly, April 1917 – July 2010. At the age of 93, Imogene went home to be with her Lord and Savior. Her last few hours were spent at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, WA, where she was surrounded by family members as she slipped peacefully away.

Imogene was one of four children born to Clifford and Blanche Stone in Athena, OR. She was married to Thomas D. Morrison for 52 years. Most of their years together were in Pasco, WA where they raised four children. After being widowed, Imogene remarried to William Connerly, also of Pasco who had been previously widowed. They had enjoyed 10 years together when Bill passed away at the age of 93.

She is remembered fondly by her sister Lena Gibson, daughters Jerry Franklin, Joyce and husband Dennis Hay, June and husband Mike Detloff, and son Thomas and wife Wanda Morrison, step-daughter Mary and husband Chuck Green, step-sons William and wife Marcia Connerly, David and wife Chris Connerly, James and wife Norma Connerly. Imogene also has nine treasured grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren and great great grandchildren. There are countless friends and family members who were blessed to know her.

Imogene’s love for the Lord and children led her to teach Sunday School and work in Vacation Bible School for many years at First Baptist Church of Pasco, where she was a charter member. She had the privilege of introducing many souls to her Savior. Imogene enjoyed having friends, family and visiting missionaries in her home for visits and meals. She always had a genuine concern for the cares and well being of others. Imogene enjoyed Bible study and scripture memory, most recently committing Isaiah 53 to memory.

Friends and family are invited to attend a memorial service for Imogene on Wednesday, July 14^th at 11 am at First Baptist Church of Pasco, 1105 N. Road 36. The service will be followed by a luncheon at the church. The memorial service will be preceded by a private graveside service for the family.

Watching Twilight Saga: Eclipse TONIGHT!!

2010-06-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

I am SOOOOOO excited!! Me, Cassie and Laura are going to see Eclipse tonight. It was my Birthday present to Laura. Ahhhh!!!!

Happy Birthday Laura!! :o)

Bachelorette Party

2010-06-29T10:15:00.000-07:00

My good friend (BFF! hehe) Laura planned my Bachelorette Party for me this past weekend and we had a BLAST. I have yet to see all the pictures from that night but here are just a few.

More Pictures of My Baby Nephew...Daniel

2010-06-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

We have a YARD!!

2010-06-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

After months of living with a dirt lot we FINALLY got our sprinklers in and and our grass laid. Yay! We can finally enjoy the nice weather from our own backyard and have BBQs etc. I'm so excited!! A couple of the neighbors came over to enjoy the new backyard with us and see what have done, as they know.... dirt yards a HELL!! hehe
I have also had the chance to do some gardening in the past few weeks. I grew my herbs from seed and by placing them on my back patio, they are taking off, now that the backyard is almost done, I need to do some BBQing to use up some of those herbs.
I also planted my garden last weekend and it's AWESOME!! It's 15' x 5', I thought it would be more that enough room, but it turns out that its smaller than I thought. maybe next year I will make it bigger or grow less items. But for now I can't wait for everything to start growing so I can start EATING!!

New Addition to Our Family

2010-06-07T10:14:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I wrote on here last but I have been super busy with work, the wedding, working on our yard and we have a new addition to our family. My sister, Cassie, gave birth to a healthy little baby boy on May 26th. His name is Daniel Rey Venegas, he was 7lbs 13oz and 19 3/4 inches long. Mom and baby are doing very well.

Easter With Michael

2010-04-05T12:57:00.001-07:00

We went to my mom's house for Easter. Cassie and mom set up and egg hunt for Michael.

Time to hunt for Eggs!

ADD kicked in and he wanted to play in his truck instead.

Grandma helping Michael find eggs.

Oooo! An egg!

He made it about half way around the house and then we had to pick up the rest of the eggs. Hehe

Great stash of eggs. Below is all the hard boiled eggs, minus grandpas, cuz Michael threw it at him. Hehe
Michael blowing bubbles with mom.

Oh my gosh!! SO EXCITING! BUBBLES!!!

Dress Shopping Was a Success!!

2010-04-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

Last week I went dress shopping in Spokane with my mom and my sister.

The first store we went to was horrible, the lady was a b***h! She refused to help. She kept telling us that I "wouldn't fit in the dressse" or "it couldn't be ordered in time" and kept putting dresses back. All the dresses she pulled for me to try on wouldn't fit and the dresses she claimed I couldn't fit in, zipped right up and fit perfectly. It was such a horrible experience I was in tears while trying on dresses and was NOT having fun. My mom, finally, spoke to someone and the gal was pulled from "helping" us.

We went to a designer's dress store and found a beautiful dress, unfortunately it was a size 6 and I couldn't try it on. But they had a dress from the same designer on the rack in my size that had the same shape and everything, just not the lace design that I was attracted to. So we tried it on and it fit PERFECT and we held up the dress that I like and it was BEAUTIFUL. It was definitely THE dress.

Just to make sure it was THE dress, we went back to David's Bridal and tried on the dresses that I liked and a few more to see if I was making the right choice. After about an hour there, I felt, in my heart, I had made the right choice.

I spoke with the designer the next day and we had to rush order the dress, but fortunately they cut the rush fee in half for me.

I am making payments and once it is paid off they will ship me my dress, which will be ready by the end of May. I'm SO excited!!

The Front of the dress. I love how its just long enough for a beach wedding.

The back. It laces up.

Close up of the bodice. See how it is a sweetheart shape at the top.

The pretty design of the dress, the sparkle and the lace. LOVE IT!!

Finally Getting TV!!

2010-03-19T12:06:00.000-07:00

Woooh Whoooo! Finally getting TV! Josh and I have been in the house since December. We decided to wait and see how our bills look and get used to paying a mortgage before we decided to get TV. We talked it over and decided it was time. We went for satellite, it's the cheaper way to go these days. The Dish people will be out tomorrow morning to set everything up!! YAY!! no more rabbit ears! I can get American Idol in without blocking the front door! hehehe

Bike

2010-03-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting a bike for a while now. I started looking on Craigslist thinking that a new bike would cost a bunch of $$. I found the type of bike I wanted but used ones on Craigslist were about $40 (average) and they still needed a bunch of work. So I went to Walmart and Target and found the same bike I have been looking at. Target was spendy but Walmart was really reasonable.

I picked up this bike for $80 (with 1 year protection plan).

I have been on a bike ride for the past two days. I met up with Josh's mom, Kim, today for nice stroll through the neighborhoods between our houses. It was really nice. We are planning to do this during the week. Its a good excuse to get out and enjoy the weather and we don't even realize we are working out.

Wedding Plans

2010-03-10T17:33:00.000-08:00

I can't believe the wedding is 4 months away!! I have been buckling down and doing more wedding plans lately.

I finally booked a DJ for the reception, and a decent price actually. So we have the reception hall booked and the DJ booked, both REALLY important. I think we will be catering the reception.

Also, I have bought most of the reception decorations and still have a couple more to get, like small lights (slightly larger than Christmas lights) to hang around the reception hall and I need to rent the linens and punch bowl for the reception as well.

Josh has asked his brothers and best man, Josh, to be in the wedding, finally. So that is out the of the way and they can start focusing on their outfits (which is really simple anyway). Both sides of the family booked their places to stay on the Oregon Coast and are looking for their outfits as well.

This is something that Josh's mom pointed out to me. Since we are all going barefoot, she thought this would be a great way to dress up our feet. I really liked the idea. We are looking into how to makes these ourselves. I loved the idea!!

I went dress shopping with my sister this week, finally, and had horrible experiences. The first place that I went to the lady pressured me and wasn't really helpful at all. Then I went to David's Bridal, had a good experience until they let me fall in love with THE dress and then told me after I picked out accessories and veil, that the dress didn't come in my size!!! I was SO mad!! I hate this!! So I am still dress shopping and pulling all the final details together.

This is the dress I fell in love with! It's MUCH prettier on!

I will be writing up the invitations soon and putting them together and sending them out next month. That is my next big project. Still a lot to do and only 4 months left!!

Afternoon in the Park

2010-03-10T17:08:00.000-08:00

I was babysitting Amelia this past weekend and so me and my sister decided to take her and Michael to Howard Amon park for a few hours. They had a blast.

Michael didn't want to go on the little kid swing, but would only swing on the BIG kid swing. He loved it.Weeeeeee!!!

I had to pry Amelia away from the swing to play on something else. She LOVES swings and had a blast!!

They had big fish for kids to play on in the playground... not sure why but the kids seemed to like them. hehe
After prying her away from the swings, she wanted to climb this rock, and of course she wanted to climb the biggest one! I helped her up when she got stuck (she was scared at first but once she was up, she was on top of the world!).

By the end of the day Michael and Amelia we inseperable. They were laughing and playing together in the park and in the car. It was very cute! Such a nice day to spend with the kids.

It's Been Awhile

2010-03-10T16:46:00.001-08:00

Wow! It's been awhile since I have been on here. A lot has happened since my last post. We moved into the house, and worked really hard to get everything settled into our new home. We had a house warming party and just settling into our new location.

Michael turned 2! Of course he has a Spounge Bob themed Birthday Party with all of his friends and family there to celebrate.

Jessi came home before leaving overseas. Also, Rick turned 50 and we had his 50th Birthday Party at our place.

Jessi left for Afganistan and Amelia is staying with Rick and Kim for the summer until her dad returns late summer early fall. We will miss Jessi, this time we don't have as much communication with her, so it will be harder than any other time she has gone. I pray that this time will be quick and God will bring her home safe.We'll miss you Jessi!!

Our HOME!!

2010-01-05T20:17:00.000-08:00

A lot has happened in the past couple weeks.

We got keys to the house!

We moved in...

And after doing some work around the house to make it our own....

We finally get to enjoy what we have been waiting so long for...
We aren't done yet, but this is definitely become more of our HOME each day. We LOVE it!

Found!

2009-12-26T14:46:00.000-08:00

Josh'a wallet has been returned!!

A couple days ago, Josh's wallet was stolen right out of his truck at our house. And then later that day, we received a phone call from a neighbor two blocks up from ours saying he found Josh's wallet in their yard a long with a couple others. He came to our house & returned it. To our pleasant surprise, everything was still in it! Yay!!

I bought Josh a new wallet, he took out his SS card and now he is making sure he doesn't leave it an ANY vehicle. Lesson Learned.

Merry Christmas!

Bah Humbug!!

2009-12-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

The Holidays are a great time but they are also the worst time for thefts etc. Josh woke up this morning to find his truck door wide open and his wallet stolen. On Christmas Eve! I called the Pasco Police at 8am this morning, called our bank and credit cards and canceled his cards. The sucky thing is, his SS card was in his wallet along with other important thing (that can be replaced) but now we have to watch our credit and PRAY that whoever stole the wallet won't use the SS card. We had also planned on using our credit card to purchase a few things for the new house but we won't get new cards for 7-10 business days. So the honey do list is put on hold.

What a CRAPPY Christmas!

We Signed on the House!!

2009-12-24T08:35:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to us! Josh and I signed on the house yesterday. Unfortunately we don't get the keys until Monday, but it was still nice to be able to sigh.

Merry Christmas to us! :o)

Baking Cookies with Amelia

2009-12-19T12:13:00.000-08:00

Getting ready to bake

I have my wisk!

Haha! She got flour on her face.

Helping grandma and the "grediants"

Mixing the dough with her hands

Rolling out the dough

Cutting cookies

Signing and Closing on the House

2009-12-19T09:40:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've talked about the house. We have been dealing with the final stages of the house. We did the final walk through on the house, the builder fixed things that we didn't like. We had to wait for our last paycheck to come through because we are putting just over $7000 down on the house (including closing costs). Friday we turned the last of the paperwork that the lender needed. Monday we should sing the documents and then get the keys on Tuesday.

It's exciting but it's been a long last two weeks. I will try to keep you all posted when we sign and get the keys and post pics of the house. :o)

Happy Baby

2009-12-03T19:31:00.000-08:00

Baby Emma almost 4 months old and such a Happy Babby.... :o)

My Grandma is on You Tube!!

2009-11-25T23:36:00.001-08:00

Rogers/Barrera Pregnancy Photos

2009-11-08T17:06:00.000-08:00

Karis asked me to take photos of her when she was pregnant. I finally got around to editing them and getting them to her, so I thought I would post them here for all to see. These are just a few that I really liked. Mama and baby are doing great. Baby Jamison is three weeks old and doing great. Hopefully I will get to take photos of him when he gets a little bigger.

Nice Fall Morning

2009-11-08T09:51:00.001-08:00

I was up early this morning and it's a nice day out. So I decided to go out and enjoy the fall leaves and take a few pics. Nothing great, but it's festive.

Motherly Love

2009-11-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

Had to steal this moment between mother and child.

Getting the Finishing Touches In

2009-11-05T21:56:00.000-08:00

Josh and I went by the house tonight. They got a lot done in the past week or so. I am not sure of all that they have left, but I a can't imagine that it's much. But here is what it looks like so far.

The Kitchen is in!

2009-11-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

Check out the house on that block!!!

2009-10-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

We went by the house today with Josh's parents and brother, Ryan. The walls are dry walled, and painted. It's really coming along.

The Progress So Far

2009-10-24T23:03:00.001-07:00

Opening Duck Hunting

2009-10-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

Josh, Josh G. and Ryan all went out hunting bright and early this morning for Opening Duck Hunting. They limited out by 8:30am. These pics are a bit violent but it's the boys' trophy.

21 ducks.

Birthday Present

2009-10-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

This is one of the presents my Little Sis Ashleigh and her mom Michelle got me for my B-day. I love it. I mentioned liking my little sis' purse just like it when she was back here in June and she remembered! Yay! :o)

THANK YOU!!

Insulated and Ready to Dry Wall

2009-10-15T21:24:00.000-07:00

Josh drove by that house last night after work and saw them unloading drywall. So curious, we drove by that night and went inside. The insulation is all in and I am sure they have started putting up dry wall today. So exciting!! They could be done with the house sooner than we thought! Yay!

Our House is Coming A Long

2009-10-11T19:22:00.003-07:00

Josh and I went by the house today and walked around. It's really coming a long.

The front of the house/driveway. You can see that the roof is completely done and they are working on the siding.View of the kitchen/living area from the front door/entry. They have all the hook ups in and the electrical done.Another view of the living area from the kitchen.Looking down the hallway.Josh standing in our Mater Bedroom, he's exited. :o)Our Mast Bathroom, we have a tub!!

Breatfast in Bed

2009-10-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to sleep in today, but the dogs were not letting that happen. They were barking and whining so I had to let them outside, then I laid back down in bed for a bit, then the dogs were barking right outside our bedroom window, so I had to let them back in. Then of coarse they wanted to play and walk in and out of our bedroom. I was just not having the relaxing morning that I wanted.....

Until Josh surprised me with Breakfast in Bed. He's such a sweet man. I love him. He made eggs, sausage and English muffins. My morning ended up being really nice. :o)

It has a roof!

2009-09-29T21:28:00.001-07:00

I went by the house today (like everyday) and this was the progress....

We have a ROOF!!

View from the front.

View of the inside of the house as you walk in the front door.

View of the front entry from the back door.

The garage.

You can't tell, but this will be our hall bathroom.

And this will be our Master Bedroom.

Progress of our house

2009-09-27T21:41:00.000-07:00

I promised to post pictures of the progress of our house so here we are.

The first photos I took of just the foundation our on my phone and I am not sure how to get them off my phone and onto my computer, I passed by it today and snapped a few photos and much to my surprise, they had the whole frame of the house up in one day!!!

There is siding on the right side of the house!

The front of our house!!

Our garage!

We're Under Contract!!

2009-09-09T19:23:00.000-07:00

I received the official word from our Realtor today that we are Officially Under Contract to build our home! Yay!

It has been a LONG journey but it's been worth it. It's nice to know that we will be getting a brand new home with everything that we want. And when it comes time to move in, we won't have to do anything to it.

I am so excited :0)

I'll post pictures of the progress of the house as it goes.Floor Plan

Taking Michael to the fair

2009-08-30T22:24:00.001-07:00

I got free tickets to the fair so I invited my sister and my nephew since he has never been I thought he might enjoy seeing all the farm animals. To say the least, he loved it! I thought I would share some of the moments with you.

Michael petting a 2 week old calf, named Rascal. He was so cute! He stretched out his neck for Michael to pet him.

Michael with his first encounter with a baby Texas Longhorn.

Mommy and Michael stopping for a photo.

Michael squirting a pig with a water bottle. It was cute, the pig and Michael both enjoyed it. hehe

Michael petting his first pig. The gal was so nice for offering to wake the pig up so Michael could pet him.

House Update Part II

2009-08-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

We have been waiting since May to hear back on an offer we made on a Short Sale house. We finally heard back from the second lender and they have decided to decline our office and auction off the house at county auction. Their reasoning is, they wanted to make $8,000 on the sale of the house, but with our offer, they would have made $3,000. Needless to say, there was not negotiating with them

So back to square one. We have been looking for house, but since everyone has been taking advantage of the market, there are, what seems like, no houses available in the area we want in our price range. Josh's parents suggested building. So we met with Olin Homes and Hayden Homes and after meeting with them, we decided to move forward with Hayden Homes. We just feel we would get more for our money and still stay in our price range.

In order for Hayden Homes to pay $3,000 of our closing they want us to use their lender. So now we have to go through the whole approval process again. I have a telephone interview today and then we can start moving forward. I am confident we will be approved by next week and we can start making choices on upgrades etc on the new home. It will be nice that we get a say on what goes in the new home and be able to pay for certain upgrades that can be included in our loan.

One really nice upgrade that we are going to do, is upgrade to gas stove. We were sad that we would have to go back to electric after having and cooking on gas for the past two year. The sales gal told us that we can upgrade to gas for $450 and they will include the upgraded stove for free. We thought it was worth it, and it looks great for resale value.

I am excited to get this going. Granted, if they extend the $8,000 Buyers Insentive we would get it, but we are planning on not getting it. We wouldn't close on our house until mid January.

That is the update so far on the house. We will continue to keep you posted.

Emmalee Jean Ihnen Photos

2009-07-23T20:44:00.001-07:00

Emmalee Jean Ihnen

2009-07-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

Emmalee Jean Ihnen was born Thursday, July 16th, 2009 at 2:47pm in Kennewick, WA. She was 6lbs 4oz and 18.5 inches long.

Mom, dad and baby Ihnen are doing well.

Pictures to follow.

Preggo Mrs. Ihnen

2009-07-06T00:29:00.000-07:00

Melissa Ihen is due in three weeks. Her and Ryan are expecting their first child together (a girl). This is a very memorable moment for them. Missy asked me to take photos of her belly to help capture her pregnancy. I hope I did her justice.

Here are a few photos.
(more to come)

Uribe-Venegas Wedding

2009-07-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

After dating for 7 1/2 years my sister and Marco FINALLY tied the knot.

Here are some photos from that day.

Bachlorette Party

2009-06-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

My sister is getting married this weekend and so of course, since I am the maid of honor, I threw her a batchlorette party last weekend.

Here is some... ehmm... evidence from that night.

Cassie Getting Her Gifts

Cassie and Kelly
The Shot The Started It All
(thanks to some random guy who bought us the shot)
Dancing By The Bar ... And Pretty Much Anywhere

House News

2009-06-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

So after MONTHS of waiting to hear back on our offer that we made on the house. We finally heard back last night that the sellers have accepted our offer!! Yay!!

Now we are just waiting on the paperwork to get done by our lender which could take 30 days. Keep your fingers crossed that everything comes back clean and we get the house soon!

No more renting!! Yay!

New phone!!

2009-06-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

So I am notorious for dropping my phone all the time, and I dropped it again the other night... and that was the end of my phone. It officially crapped out on me... I was without a phone for a day and it was horrible. I shopped online and in the AT&T store and finally got a phone that I liked and had great reviews. I spent a little more than I wanted but I hope this phone will last me a long time. I just need to make sure not drop this one....

Crazy Ladies... Late Night Snackin'

2009-06-03T22:23:00.000-07:00

Sonic was giving away free Root Beer floats tonight so I talked Missy into coming with me. So we sat in the parking lot and had Root Beer floats and tots. We were two crazy ladies.... late night snackin'!! lol (you would get it, if you seen the commercials)

Memorial Day Weekend Camping

2009-05-27T23:00:00.001-07:00

We went camping by Packwood, WA for the Memorial Day Weekend.

Here are some photos.....

Enjoy!

A barn we saw, so we stopped to take a picture.I saw this train the second day we were there and so I made Josh drive back so I could take a photo.Lovely morning...
In front of many waterfalls there
Why the road was really closed ..... landslide
Uhh..... watch out for that rock!!
Yippy!!

Tunnel.....to where?

Latest on the House

2009-05-27T22:56:00.000-07:00

I received an email from our Realtor today and she has informed me that the Bank has asked for an appraisal on the house and when they receive that back (hoping they don't want more money) they will accept our offer and we will be under contract.

The appraisal should take about a week.

We will keep you posted once we hear anything.

Keep your fingers crossed for us!!!

House Update

2009-05-20T22:21:00.000-07:00

So I was sitting at work today when I received a phone call from our Realtor, Monica. She called to inform me that she was on the Realtor of the house that we made on offer on, their site and noticed that the house that we just made an offer on, was listed as 'Under Contract'. We hadn't heard anything from anyone so we didn't understand why it said so. Monica called the other Realtor and asked her what was up. She informed Monica that she had been getting so many phone calls asking for showings of the house, and she had to keep turning people away because we had already made an offer. So she just listed it as 'Under Contract' to stop the calls. Monica doubled checked with the Realtor and we are the ONLY offer on the house and since we offered the asking price they are 99.99% sure that we will get the house. :o) She also told our Realtor that she is hoping to hear back from the bank by this Friday. So we are keeping our fingers cross.... we might have a house soon!! :o)

Waitsburg

2009-05-10T21:06:00.000-07:00

So to celebrate Mother's Day, Josh's mom wanted to go to a Brewery in Waitsburg. The drive is about 45 minutes out of town and a really beautiful drive in the spring. So on our way back, Josh and I stopped a few times to take a few pictures.

Sleepless in Seattle

2009-05-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't seen this movie in a LONG time, and it happened to be on TV tonight. Josh and I curled up on the couch and watched it while discussing wedding plans. It was soooo romantic. ;o)

Dinner Party

2009-05-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

So while we were in Portland, our friends, Jr and Karis looked after Brittany. We thought that a good way of repaying them for taking such good care of our 'child', would be to cook a nice dinner for them. So, in celebration of Cinco de Mayo, I cooked a Mexican feast. I got a GREAT recipe from Missy that was a pulled pork in a green sauce, a twist on your typical rice and beans and a great dressing to go with it.

It turned out delicious!!!

YUM!! :oP

House Hunting Part II

2009-05-04T22:26:00.000-07:00

So after we made an offer on the house, so did 4 other people..... To say the least, we didn't get the house. So have continued to house hunt. We looked at a couple other houses and then a house that we have looked at before came back on the market. We looked at it one more time. Josh and I made an offer on the house today. It's bank owned and a short sale, which means it could take a couple weeks to hear back on our offer, but we have high hopes for this one.

Wish us luck!!

McMeniman's

2009-05-04T22:05:00.001-07:00

We took some time to get out of town for the weekend. Josh's brother Nick and his girlfriend Leah bought a house in Portland, OR and it was moving weekend. We went down there to help them move in, and get a little settled in. The boys installed a ceiling fan in the master bedroom while us girls unpacked and built a bookcase.

On Sunday, the took us to McMeniman's. It's this really quaint place outside of Portland. The place is an old retirement home, that has been converted into a hotel, brewery, winery, distillery, and many restaurants and pubs throughout the grounds. There are also many Par 3s on the grounds for people to enjoy. You can buy a beverage and walk the grounds enjoying the scenery and history of the place. It was very nice. Definitely a great place to take photos. So I thought I would share a few with you.

ENJOY!! :o)Wine barrels

Rocking chair on porch

Fire hydrant

Passing time

We Made an Offer.... Very Nerve Racking

2009-04-14T21:47:00.000-07:00

So Josh and I made an offer on the house, the bad thing is, so did two other couples. We'll find out Thursday if we are moving forward with this house.

Wish us luck!!

We Set a Date!!

2009-04-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

After taking time to mull it over. Josh and I have finally picked a date.

We will be married

JULY 10, 2010

The Next Step in the House Hunting Process

2009-04-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

After weeks of house hunting Josh and I have seen a lot! We have seen houses that are under our price range, but have had several offers on them; houses that have are foreclosed on that the owners treated like crap before moving out; to houses that seem perfect....besides the price. Today was the better day of all the days. We drove around with our Realtor, Monica, and looked at 5 houses. We found 3 that we really liked. After talking it over and weighing our options, Josh and I have decided to move forward on one house. It has everything that we are looking for, 3 bedrooms 2 baths, open kitchen and a HUGE backyard!! We have decided to take Josh's parents to see the house on Monday. We are hoping that with their experience and advise they will be able to tell us if the house is worth moving forward with. And if it is, we will make and offer!!! :o)

Wish us luck!!! We'll keep you posted!! :o)

Photo Devastation

2009-03-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

I bought a flash drive to store my photos in, just in case something happened to my computer and to have more memory on my computer. Well, that didn't work out too well. In the process, about half of my photos were corrupted and now they are lost. I am so devastated. So I bought a special software meant to restore photos in such a situation, we'll see how it works.....

House Hunting

2009-03-24T21:50:00.000-07:00

Josh and I have mulled around with the idea of buying a house. With our tax return, we were able to pay off three large bills. Now we are in a decent position that we can start the process of buying a house. I have been talking with a lender to see what we can qualify for and about applying for government grants and loans.

It's nice starting a new chapter in our lives.

We're Engaged!!!

2009-02-17T20:07:00.000-08:00

Josh and I have been dating for almost 5 years now and FINALLY on Valentine's Day he popped the question!! We are getting married!!!

Away From Home...

2009-02-04T12:39:00.000-08:00

As many of you may have read, I have a new job at American Family Insurance. Since insurance is an intense field, we are required to take corporate training to prepare for our new job. So, me and several other new employees to American Family Insurance are in Spokane on a week long business training seminar. It's nice to get away from the Tri-Cities, but it does suck being away from Josh and Brittany and of course, Jessica (Josh's sister) since she is home now for only a little amount of time.

I miss Josh and can't wait to see him, but I understand that it's only for a week and that this is for my new career. ...... Kinda sucks being an adult.

Jessica's Return Home

2009-02-04T12:29:00.000-08:00

After 9 months serving over seas in Iraq in the Marines, Josh's sister, Jessica, returned home on January 26th to the United States. She and her daughter, Amelia, and best-friend, Tasha, came home to the Tri-Citities for a welcoming home. Josh's brothers and parents and several friends took the opportunity to welcome her home and celebrate her safe return.

We had a BLAST!! To say the least, Jessica made up for lost time. She partied and enjoyed her new freedom. We are VERY glad that she is home safe. We really did miss her.

WELCOME HOME JESSICA!!

Another Accomplishment

2009-01-19T18:28:00.000-08:00

So after I got my job at the insurance company, I needed to take a course and pass a REALLY hard test for my insurance license. When I first started the class I was already behind everyone because of my late admission. But after long days of studying for 13+ hours a day I passed the test the FIRST TIME!! The state says you should pass it by the third time, so you can see why I am so excited. All I need to do now, is put in for my license and I will be, Melinda Marcia Uribe, P.C.

I got a job!!

2009-01-12T16:48:00.000-08:00

So me and my friend Laura just got done working out today and decided to go grocery shopping. So while we are in the store I get a phone call. I didn' t know who is was, but answered it anyway.

It was a guy named Brett who I interviewed with a couple weeks ago from an insurance company here in Richland. He called to make sure I didn't go get a job somewhere else, and offered me the job!!! Yay!!

Going in, I knew there was some business that I had to take care of. I needed to get my insurance license before I could work there. So I start the classes tomorrow through Thursday and when I am ready, I take the test to become licensed!! Then I can actually work.

Official company training is in February and they are sending me to Spokane for a week of training as well.

Lots of official this and that but I am REALLY excited. I really wanted this job.

Christmas Party with the girls

2008-12-22T22:03:00.000-08:00

Living With PCOS

2008-12-15T16:30:00.000-08:00

For more information about PCOS.

Christmas Photos

2008-12-14T05:42:00.000-08:00

Our 'family' Christmas photo this year. I let Josh keep his uniform on this year, figured it seemed more like him. Wish he didn't have a HUGE spot on his uniform, but oh well.

Brittany's Christmas photo. She HATES the hat and wouldn't stand for a photo, that's how much she hates it. lol Silly puppy!

Capture the Season

2008-12-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

Fall

2008-12-06T21:54:00.000-08:00

Job

2008-11-03T12:14:00.000-08:00

As some of you may know, I was laid off at my job at the Engineering company last month. Damn economy forced budget cuts. I have been searching for a job since and have had no luck.

Unfortunately the economy is so bad, that my job/company wasn't the only one effected and so therefore other companies are not hiring right now. It's sucks because I am not getting unemployment and we have bills to pay. It's hard on both of us, especially Josh, who now has to support the both of us... again.

So please, keep us in your prayers as we struggle through the mess that our economy has left us in.

Sick!

2008-09-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

So I have been itching a lot lately and I couldn't find out what it was. I decided to go to WebMD and search my symptoms. I have Shingles!!! Ewwww! It's a form of Chicken Pox that is triggered by stress or sickness, in my case both. So I went to the hospital after finding out that it could shut down my nervous system if I don't get it taken care of. I found out that since I am young and have a mild case, I should be ok. I am past the 48 hour period so I couldn't get a shot so all we can do is treat the symptoms. So he gave me 4 medications and sent me on my way. It should take a couple of weeks until I a start to get better. Until then, Josh has to sleep in the guest room and I can't touch anyone. It's like I have cooties!!

Oregon Coast Vacation

2008-09-06T18:06:00.000-07:00

Our trip to the Oregon Coast was amazing. We had so much fun at the ocean. It was beautiful!!

A beautiful rock in the ocean created a beautiful view.

Josh at the Aquarium. He looks like a little kid.

Us at the largest lighthouse on the coast. Beautiful!

The rollin' waves.

The lighthouse again.

One of the many pretty bridges we saw on our trip.

Us at the Maritime Museum in Astoria.

Us on the beach in Seaside, OR.

The Tillamook Air museum in Tillamook, OR. It can hold 8 blimps or 6 football games (at once)!!

Girls Weekend

2008-07-20T21:44:00.001-07:00

It's always good when you can hang out with your girlfriends and be goofy and have fun, WITHOUT boys!

I got a job!!

2008-07-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

After looking for a job for just over a month now, I got another interview today and it went really well. I didn't even walk in the door at home afterwards when they called me offering me the position! Yay! Things are finally looking up again.

I start tomorrow. I will be an Administrative Assistant for Mid-Columbia Engineering Inc. And the girls that I will be working with seem REALLY nice.

Thanks to everyone who has helped me along the way and offered their encouragement.

Vacation

2008-06-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

After graduating college and my recent unemployment, I recently needed a vacation. My little sister's mom (who is like a second mom to me) bought me and Cassie a plane ticket to see them in San Diego, so of course we went. I loved it!!! I miss them so much already.

Here are some pics of our trip.

Job Search

2008-05-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

Now that I am a college graduate I am forced to take my future seriously. I have been applying for jobs since before I graduated college. I need to find a job that will be able to fit well with my degree or will allow me to get a well paid job.

Oh to be a kid again.....

I Graduated!

2008-05-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

Graduation

2008-03-10T16:38:00.000-07:00

I am graduating from Washington State University in May.

The last day of the semester is May 1st.

Commencement is May 9th, 2008 at 4pm at the WSU Tri-Cities campus. I chose not to walk at the Pullman campus, so it's easier for my family.

Finally, I am GRADUATING!!!

YAY!! GO COUGS!!