Real Life

So...no more "catchup"- I can just post "real life" now :) I am gradually going through a major adjustment in my life...trying to figure out what "real life" is now. I'm still living a dream and wondering whose house we are living in. Then I realize...what a minute...I picked out all of this stuff. lol 

As expected a few things didn't turn out quite like what I "thought" I wanted- but that's okay. Many of the walls are still bare...while I try to decide exactly where things should go. But, remember, I am a minimalist at heart, so even bare works pretty good for me. (much better than clutter :) As I have been decorating...again a few things (and colors) aren't exactly what I was expecting, but other items are working out great. Here are a few of my favorite things so far. (and I am still wondering how they get all of those great photos on Houzz.com - somehow my photos don't look as good as the real thing- some of the colors are off- but you'll get the idea)

Here is a picture that I used to plan a cabinet in my kitchen- with a built in microwave and oven with a book shelf around the corner, facing the other wall.

Here is how mine turned out. (I should have tried to take the picture at exactly the same angle) Anyway... it has glass doors on it.

And the bottom of it is my "little kid dishes". When some of the grand kids were here for Christmas- it was fun for them to go pick out their own dishes from this cabinet. 

This furniture is in the living room. Only the sofa was here at Christmas time- the two chairs arrived in January. The kids will probably notice that the sofa no longer has black stripped pillows on it- I recovered them in chocolate brown- goes much better with the chairs. 

Ron won't let me cover up very much of the wood floor- but I found a rug that I really like for just inside the front door. 

 Most of the windows will have pleated blinds on them- but this one window in my laundry room had a cabinet on one side and just a small area of wall on the other side- perfect for a small drape that is just for decoration purposes :)

That little drape and the brown pillows were my sewing projects so far. Gradually things are getting unpacked- still lots to do there- but it's getting to where I have to be in the right mood to do that now. I also spend time working on "store stuff" (when the computer cooperates). I spend time each week planning a Sunday lesson for a Valiant boys class (ages 8-11). Mom and I plan our shopping days, since most of the shopping is 30-60 minutes away. Pretty much I can "clean" to my hearts content and still not finish (in fact the bunk room is still exactly the way the kids left it after Christmas), I'll get to that one of these days...who needs all of those beds made anyway- lol. Since Ron is in Houston this week- I  had to take the trash can out to the road today- put corn out for the deer- feed the stray cat- and untangle the pool cleaner-crawler-thingy. :) Mom and I went to Kerrville today for her pedicure appointment- then Office Max- then Subway lunch- then fabric store- then grocery store. Now we'll stay home for a few days, and not go anywhere. I'll let you know when I figure out what's "real life"- it all seems like someone else's life in a strange house for now. hehe

Catchup- Girls Lunch Out

Since Audrey was here on a short schedule, the only day that we could have a "girls lunch out" was on Saturday. There was a particular, Hill Country place, that I wanted to go. It is called Camp Verde and it is located between Bandera and Kerrville. Other than the fact that it was busy and we had to wait an hour to get a table....it was perfect. There is a cute little store there and the restaurant only serves lunch. Needless to say, with the hour wait and then a slow lunch, we were "out" for most of the afternoon. The guys did well holding down the fort at home :) We loved being together...

The waiter at the restaurant commented about the beautiful girls and announced that he was single. lol

More Gifts Catchup

Some how there were still a few gifts left...after Christmas.

The Simms arrived late on Thursday evening, after driving all day from Oklahoma.

There was even a birthday gift for Savannah!

Then the Andersons arrived late on Friday evening.

Christmas Eve/Christmas Morning Catchup

Christmas morning was a simple, little kid celebration. Gifts for those who are under age 50 :) Only those under the age of 10 received significant gifts.

Since our house doesn't have a fireplace and a mantle- 

we had to improvise on hanging stockings ;)

Moving Day Catchup

Here are a few pictures from moving day (December 11) - seems like "years ago" :) I'm still trying to figure out what happened last year. Especially over the Christmas holiday, it seemed like we were renting a vacation home- but then after all of the company left- we stayed. hehe

It was a very long day of wrapping, loading, and cleaning. Mom and I finally left Katy about 8 pm.- getting to Bridlegate just before midnight. We grabbed some dinner at Sonic in Katy and then headed west on our very familiar I10 route to Bandera. The movers arrived early the next day, for a very long day of unwrapping and unloading. Even though all of the furniture was wrapped and then moved, there was tons of chips, dents, broken corners, dings, and scratches. I can't imagine how so many of those things could have happened. 

Good thing that was the last move of our life ;)

Catchup :)

"Catchup" as in...my last post was on Dec. 3...not "ketchup" :) Lots has happened since Dec. 3!
Our actual pack/load/unload dates were Dec. 10,11, and 12. That was actually mostly loading and unloading- I had most of the packing done- which was a very good thing. On Wednesday, the 11th, Ron drove to Bandera to be at the house for a appointment to get Dish Net installed (long story about that...long bad story. More to come...) Mom and I watched all of the LOADING that day. Everything was finally in- we did some cleaning- then headed for Bandera about 8 pm. That meant that we arrived just before midnight. We had reserved a guest room for mom, here in Bridlegate, so that she didn't have to sleep on an air mattress.  I had thought  many times about how great that first night would be IN the house, but actually I was so exhausted, it wasn't quite the excitement that I was anticipating. The movers arrived early on Thursday morning to unload- again a very long day of "nonstop"! Finally by late evening, it was all IN somewhere ;) It took me two entire days to just unpack the kitchen essentials. Then I tackled the guest rooms up stairs, then our bedroom and other main rooms downstairs, then the Christmas decorations- by Thursday, Dec. 19, we were as ready for kids and grand kids to start arriving as we were going to get. The Christiansens arrived on Friday and the Petes arrived on Saturday. Our main goal for that weekend was getting everyone to church on Sunday. We go to a ward in Kerrville. It takes about 50 minutes to get there. A good plan is eat breakfast before church- then pack sandwiches and snacks to eat in the car on the way home for lunch. Then fix dinner late afternoon. On Monday, our goal was to go buy groceries to feed 23 people for a week. Mom, Alison, Ashley, and I headed to Boerne to do last minute Christmas shopping at Wal Mart, then buy groceries at HEB. Alison and Ashley did a great job of meal planning and assignments. We went out of HEB with 4 carts of food, which turned my laundry room counter into an extension of the kitchen for groceries. We had a great, fancy Christmas Eve dinner- mom bought shrimp and a prime rib roast. Then we had another great (turkey) dinner for Christmas day. All of us cooked various items for that. Christmas morning was a fun, simple Christmas for Jaden, Hailey, Mason, Dallin, and Emmy. On Thursday evening, the Simms arrived. On Friday evening The Andersons arrived. The Sunday after Christmas, there was 22 of us at church :) I packed an entire cooler of sandwiches, snacks, and drinks for that day :) The next few days we spent doing "stuff"and letting everyone experience our life here in Bandera.
I will post a few family pics now. Later I'll do another post with some house pics. I will also do a couple of other "catchup" posts- this was the readers-digest-condensed-version.We love the house, we love Bandera, we love the deer in the yard...our only BIG problem has been the internet connection. The Dish Net turned out bad, then switching to another provider has also had it's challenges. Now finally over a month later, we might have a workable connection. Of course we also have a few other "new house glitches" to work out...but we are here and trying to adjust to a completely new life style.

Can you tell that the grand kids all have a "Bandera" shirt? The boys shirts are navy and the girls shirts are pink. Thanks to GG for those cute shirts.

Move Schedule

Our moving schedule got moved back a few days. Ron and I were at the house yesterday- the main purpose of our trip, was to leave his car there, so that when we actually move, we will only be driving 2 cars instead of 3. The first thing we saw when we arrived was that the pool was finished and full of water....but the pump and filter were not working, so we had a pool full of "nasty" water instead of clean water. A couple of guys from the pool company came and worked on that. Then when the builder walked through the house with us- the painting that was supposed to be finished last week, was not done. He had been scrambling around yesterday morning trying to figure out what happened to the painters.Seems like they are not coming back- move on to plan B. New painters- but they seemed to think it would take them a week to finish. So...we are not loading and going now until next week. (Packing and loading on Monday and Tuesday- unloading on Wednesday.) Yesterday...I left Ron there at the house to meet with several subcontractors, while I went furniture shopping. (Much better task for me that what his task was :) Never the less, both things needed to be done. Now I actually have a few more days to finish up all of my loose ends. Okay...maybe not ALL of them, but a few more of them, than what was going to happen this week. I didn't take any pictures at the house yesterday. I wish I had taken 2- one of Ron's car, parked in the garage. (first time ever for Ron to be able to park his car INside the garage.) And the second one of a "toy closet" that we will have under the stairway. It will be perfect. I thought that space might just be an unfinished storm shelter. Instead it is all finished, trimmed, carpet floor, ceiling light etc. The perfect place to stash some of my grand kid toys, that I didn't know where to put :)