Texas

Before I update everyone on the move back into the house, I want to share some photos from our trip to San Antonio.  We had never been to Texas together, so this was a nice opportunity to enjoy some beautiful weather and time together.

First of all, let's get the bad stuff out of the way...Soren puked at school while we were gone, and Grandpa had to handle it.  Colby got a horrible cold while we were there, and I'm pretty sure it's easier to buy a gun in Texas than buy some medicine with pseudoephedrine.  So, he suffered.

Okay, bad stuff out of the way.  On to the fun!  First, the view from our room:

We had a nice little deck where Colby could smoke his cigars, but there was some sort of vent directly below us which meant that if we wanted to talk to each other while outside we had to yell.  We could see the River Walk, though, so that made up for it.

Our first evening in SA was spent eating supper with the other folks from Colby's office.  After supper, Colby and I headed to the rooftop hot tub.  Not a bad way to relax after a day spent flying.

The next day, Colby had to work.  I got the chance to explore the River Walk on my own.  First, I found a Starbucks right down the street (of course) before heading down to the River Walk with my book and a pastry.  As I sat sipping a latte and reading, a man on the other side of the walk yells, "Good morning, pretty lady!"  Clearly he had me confused with someone else...

After Colby was done working, we hit the River Walk for some lunch.

We followed the Walk all the way to The Alamo.  I was excited to see if Pee Wee Herman's bike really *was* in the basement of the Alamo.  Alas, it was not.  In fact, the Alamo (or what is left of it) is quite small and was a short stop on our sight-seeing adventure for the day.

Alamo yoga :-)  I'm a tree!

And I'm a Dancer!

This monument was right outside the Alamo.

Right across the street from the Alamo is the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum.  Count me IN!!

a chunk of the Berlin Wall

the world's largest tire...used for some type of mining truck

The world's sexiest man next to a replica of the world's tallest man ;-)

 That evening, we went to the Tower of the Americas for supper.  How freaking cool is this place?  The Tower was built in the 1960's for the World's Fair.  It is 750 feet tall, and you can enjoy an amazing view of the Alamo City from a restaurant at the top.

On Friday, Colby had to work again all day.  I was left alone again.  I wandered back to Starbucks.  Then I met up with some other wives to do a little shopping.  Boy, can those ladies shop!  In the evening we pretty much just ate supper and walked the River Walk.  All alone.  No kids.  No responsibility.  Awesome.  We went to bed early.  Awesome.  We slept in a little.  Awesome.

On Saturday, we had the whole day to ourselves.  We hit some local markets, art studios, and a hat maker.  Then, we toured the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum.  They displayed tons of taxidermy of all sorts as well as tons of relics from the Texas Rangers.  It was actually really cool!  The best part?  You could enjoy alcoholic beverages while you walked through the museum.  Boom!

Cutest little jail bird ever

Our last evening in San Antonio was spent enjoying the beautiful weather, good food and drink, and mariachi bands along the River Walk.  We listened to a bit of Battle of the Bands.  We explored.  We sat and chatted.  I was really ready to go home by the time Saturday evening rolled around, but spending time strolling along the river with Colby was absolutely priceless.

I don't think we'll visit San Antonio again anytime soon.  We have bigger plans to head back east.  Colby has been jonesing for a little time in NYC.  We'll see where the wind blows us...

Time for One More House Update

Since the house is almost done, I thought I'd post once more about its progress. We'll start downstairs.

Our bedroom is two colors...part gray

...and part blue.

We put a red accent wall in the laundry room/bathroom.

Here's the other end of the laundry/bathroom.

Moving upwards to the main level:

Our bright teal walls in the entryway

The flooring looks so nice!

Steps are carpeted

And the kids' bedrooms:

Brody picked green carpet so his room could look like a football field. 

The girls' room is ready for furniture!!

Dade's gray room and tan carpet

Now the bathroom:

Flooring is in and walls are still pink :-)

And my favorite room, the kitchen:

The new pantry is so large that we had to put the light switch inside of it.

I can't wait to see what the countertops look like.

The outside of the house doesn't look like a haunted house anymore!!  You're welcome, neighbors.

We added an electrical outlet out front so we don't have to run cords all the way to the back yard for Christmas lights.

Good as new!

I just have to share a photo of my two favorite hens, Zen Hen and Henrietta.  :-)

My little T-Rex.  She's just like her mama.  Haha

Zenny likes to roost where she really shouldn't!

So, that's the last update before we move in.  Finally!!

Week 15

Today is February 13th, and we've been living in a hotel since October 28, 2013. My house is completely painted inside.  The exterior is done.  Flooring is about 90% installed.  Counter tops are ordered.  Appliances are waiting in the garage.  Oh, the garage door is installed and is quiet as a mouse when it opens...no more squealing, squeaking, or squawking. Lighting fixtures are mounted and powered.  We don't have any water or toilets yet, but soon enough we will.  Did I mention that Colby upgraded to tall toilets?  I upgraded the cabinets; he upgraded the crapper.  Priorities, people.

So, my friends, the end of hotel life is upon us.  All of our furniture is set to be delivered on February 24th.  Side note: Colby and I will be in San Antonio February 19-23 for a work-sponsored retreat.  We are so good at bad timing.

As I sit in my hotel room today washing all the laundry, packing up a few things, and watching Zero Dark Thirty, I dream of the moment when I walk back into my cozy little split level.  I dream of baking a loaf of bread, roasting some Brussels sprouts, and walking the dogs.  So, friends, if my blog is silent for awhile it's because I'll be busy on a short vacation and then beginning my new adventure post-fire.

Much love.

Paint!

Oh, my friends.  The end is near.  The end of our hotel stay, that is.  Color is presently going up on the walls in the house, which means construction should soon be complete.  We are expected to be back in the house by February 24, but we are hoping it will be sooner than that.

First, the living room.  We decided on a paint called Tantalizing Teal, which is sort of an homage to the "old" house.  Before we put on the new siding, the outside of our house was basically this same color.

The girls' room is green.

Dade's room is gray, actually Dorian Gray.

Brody's room isn't done yet.  Neither is the kitchen, but the cupboards have doors and quiet closures now.

The bathroom is PINK.  Yes, I finally got to paint a room pink.  All it cost me was a compromise of Star Wars curtains in the master bedroom.  More on that later.

The master bedroom isn't painted, yet.  It is instead being used as a holding area for all the doors and shelving that are being stained.

Instead of cars, our garage is filled with our appliances and our lighting.

Speaking of lighting, I'm very concerned that the kitchen lighting we chose isn't going to fit with the taller cabinets.  I guess time will tell.

So, that's the house update for now.  I really hope the next update includes more paint and FLOORING!  A girl can dream, right?