A year later

It's hard to believe that I have been in my home for a year. It seems like have lived here forever. I still love my home and my neighborhood. The grand children enjoy all the activities that are here for them and all the friends in the neighborhood. Our new items include a blow up water slide, slip and slides, sandboxes and trampoline. My yard is getting smaller and smaller everyday with the new added toys. The old standard motor cycles are still a favorite. Why the blue one is the one of choice but who knows why. The kids love to ride on them and even love them more with lanterns on them for head lights.

Warren's family has been here since August and I love having them here. It is great for the cousins to grow up together and visit with each other almost daily. Aurora is doing great at Elm Grove Elementary and is reading everything she can find. Eric and Savannah, or I call them the twins, each are very positive so it is interesting to watch them grow and teach each other.

Seth and Shawn are growing so fast. Shawn started walking at 8 months and is now following them around like a little puppy. He still isn't convinced that he likes the back yard but it will be only a matter of weeks until he gets it and starts following them out the door more than he does now.

My view from my room has greened up for spring and I love to wake up to my green forrest. I leave my curtains open in my room so I can wake up with the sun and laugh at it and turn over and go back to sleep.

Retirement has been a great choice for me.

Warren and Family have arrived!

It has been a fun week since Beth, Warren, Aurora and Erik arrived. Warren stayed for a week and we went to Sea World, trying to explore the Biscuit Brother's farm and explored Austin and San Antonio, swimming. Also they found their way around Buda.

Warren was able to be here for Seth's blessing and meet the chaos of thirteen cousins running around the house. Funny how the kids went upstairs and the men took over the WII for a sports event. The Movie room has had a work out with tiered seating.

The women took over the Visiting teaching room and Dining room and enjoyed a good visit.
It is so amazing when you have 10 year old, 9 year old, two 6 year olds, one 4 year old, four 1 going on 2, 3 year olds, three 1 going on 2 , three newborns how quiet the house can be that the parents can actually play games.

It is fun to be part of Lisa's extended in- law family. They know how to have fun when they get together. It is trains most nights and we even fit in a game of Trains before Warren had to go home.

Merridy and her family stayed until Wednesday. They wanted to leave earlier in the day but their was something about an exploded frog in a container in the car that required a three hour airing out of the car frogs explode in a car that has not been used for two days in the Texas heat.

I think the cousins frog catching days are over. Other than frog catching there was adventures in all type of water play, movie in the popcorn room, motorcycle, (Knotts style) Why with two motor cycles do all the kids want to ride the blue one. Now the Titanic pose on the handle bars is not an exciting thing. Especially since Seth's stitches have not yet healed from his last sky diving adventure. Aurora and Erik have become fearless in the pool. It is fun to have a house full. Erik is confused because all the cousins went home yesterday. He didn't think they had another home.

The Craig list item of the week was the $600 stroller for $150. Beth scored! We will keep looking we missed the perfect bookshelf and bench but we will keep looking.

We have all the bedrooms curtained and ready for guests. Looking forward to the big Octoberfest birthday bash starting October 1. All the kids should be in for the event. I don't know if Buda is ready but it should be fun!!

time flies

Here it is June and so much has happened and I haven't even posted at all. Victoria and Elisabeth stopped by on the way East and now they back home with a brief stop here.

Lisa and Orson have had their new son, Shawn Taylor. And he is growing so fast.

Edward Graduated from college so I made a quick trip to Independence, MO and visited all the old haunts. Looking forward to the reunion next April in Independence.

I guess that is all for now. The Bed and Breakfast is now open for visits. Put in you reservation.

Finally back on line and I have a working phone

It's been a fun two weeks but without the internet and a home phone it's been hard. None of the mobile phones don't work here.

I had a special weekend watching conference at home a visiting with various friends and family that shared the weekend with me.

Again loving my new home and enjoying moving things out of the pod. We have the center of the pod emptied and can see the back and sides. It is a slow process but I am trying to put things where they belong when we unpack things. Lisa is glad we found the recipe books. We had to do without rolls for Easter.

Littlefoot puppets came out last night along with the little dish cupboard. Also my sewing machine. Visit with you all soon be sure to make your reservations.

I'm in! The furniture fits. Yeah!

I signed papers on the 16th of March and had the pod delivered that day. The furniture started arriving the next day. I love my bedroom set! It fits just as I wanted it to. The curtains really set off the room but the view is so beautiful I am so tempted to just leave them open all the time. My rocker blends perfectly with it and it is complete. My closet (Seth's nap room) is coming along beautifully and the shower and bath is calling my name constantly. And again I love them.

Beth and Warren's room I complete except for their curtains. I have them but not up. Hopefully by the weekend.

Christopher and Ed's room traded places sort of since Christopher's bedding was King Size and it fit on the bed I bought so Christopher and Victoria do have the room with the view but they don't get a dresser but the room comes furnished with a port a crib already in the closet. Again thanks to Seth, he likes to sleep in the dark.

The play room is furnished I hadn't planned on buying it yet but I love it. It also fits perfectly so it is ready for late night gave nights. So mom can sleep.

The guest room is ready and will have a full house for the weekend again this weekend for conference.
5 extra adults and three kids.

We have had several pizza parties and the only thing I was missing was a sharp knife and a can opener. I had bought a can opener but I just discovered it with next year's family Christmas presents. Only Ed and Anna know what that is because theirs arrived early since last years was late.

I will keep you posted, reservations are filling up quickly so put in yours.

The end is in sight!

We have taken our major final walk through today! It was so fun to learn about all the exciting new toys I will have. it is 95 % finished. Grass landscaped etc. just a few fixes and touch ups to take care of.

I love the furniture, bedding, bathroom items we have chosen and will be furnished enough to enjoy the home before I even unpack the pod. Lisa and Orson will be delighted to have their garage back. Not to mention their extra bedroom.

We finished up the Red and Black bathroom today. Only one more theme to pick out and I'm going to wait on that one until I move in and live with what I have now and decide what I want in there. I say just make it the Tinkerbell bathroom but Lisa isn't going along wit that very well. I tend to agree with her howeve4r. . . I think she feels one kid themed bathroom is enough for one house. Monsters rule downstairs, right down to the monster feet rugs.

My sprinkler system is great it even knows when not to water because of the rain and over rides my previous instructions. I will have to study up on it to make sure I understand what it really does.

I'm excited to know they did put the grass in the back yard also. I thought we had only done the front. I was worrying about when I would get the back yard planted. Instead it is already in.

Coordinating the deliveries should be interesting. My bed is coming from one company the others are coming from another one and all the matresses with the second. I may be sleeping on an air matress in my bed the first night if the deliveries get crossed.

Deanne is flying in on the 5th, the day I am suppose to close so it will be an exciting day. We really didn't plan it that way but she needed to be in town for a luncheon on Sataurday. Good timing.

Serious shopping

Today we decided we had better be ready to party so we picked up two Punch servers at Bed Bath and Beyond. Lisa is a good shopper. I was going to get one and whith shipping it was way too much so she googled it and we got two for less than the price for one. Retirement gift cards paid for it so we were started. Always start with party items first.

Tonight Orson was up for furniture shopping so we got the furniture for the family room downstairs and the guest bedroom. So Victoria will have a place to sleep when they come out in April. First two rooms completed.

Lisa and I had fallen in love with the dresser for the guest room last October but we knew if we waited we could get a great deal on the room at Rooms to go so I have baskets of my my clothes while with her instead of us buying it then. Good choice.

We think we know the comforter for that room so we will will check that out tomorrow and see if we like it as much as we think we do. It will go with the curtains from my bedroom in California I believe so we will see.

The family room is Denim keeping with our red, white, and blue theme. And the electric recliner is what I need since I never can get them to recline or return upright. Oak and wrought iron end tables, coffee table and entertainment center. We just need to check out all the measurements to be sure that is what will fit. The recliner is a perfect fit for me and I can spend many enjoyable hours reading,watching TV or sleeping in it.

It was fun shopping tonight because we had pre-shopped and chosen what we wanted and it was just a mater of going and picking it up. Now I will have a bed to sleep in and a couch to relax in. We already have tables and chairs if I don't find exactly what I want for the dining room and kitchen. so the downstairs will be livable.

We have pre-shopped the Fridge, (shaved ice) washer and dryer also. So as soon as I can get a close of Escrow date we will pin those down. I haven't decided red or white on the washer and dryer any ideas.