Knock Knock!

A few weeks ago I came down with a pretty nasty cold. I felt terrible, looked terrible, and wasn't motivated to do anything. In an attempt to kick it, I slept one full afternoon and into the night and woke up on a Saturday morning feeling a tiny bit better. I forced myself to get out of bed, shower and run an errand since I'd been stuck in the house sick for almost three days. After returning home from the store, I made myself lunch and plopped down on the couch to eat. Terry had taken Grace and Ava up the street to get the mail, when I heard the door bell ring. I got up to get it and then basically stopped dead in my tracks when I saw who was waiting for me on the other side of my front door.

THREE LITTLE SNEAKY LADIES! Tracie, Brittany and Lindsay drove down to see me and our new home for the first time since we'd moved! Terry was outside with them and I soon realized they had been in cohorts for days planning the Secret Trip. All illness that was left in my body, vanished, although it took a bit for the cold medicine affect to dissipate but I really was so happy to see them!

They came without their kiddos because we had been planning on them arriving a few weeks later with all of the kids to have another visit. So it was just us and my girls!

Pool time quickly commenced...

Errbody say HOLLA!

Discussing "The Races"

Britt and Lindz compete. It was hilarious fo sho.

For dinner we decided to get ready and hit up a yummy Mexican restaurant down the street. We stopped into a QUIET country bar on the way home, then called it quits and hit the hay.

My how times have changed for us old ladies!!!

I am so very lucky to have such fun, spontaneous, and thoughtful friends in my life.

LOVE you gals!

Till Next Time! Tee Hee!

Mother Nature Can KISS IT!

Houston was PELTED with rain last Wednesday and Thursday. It POURED for EIGHT HOURS STRAIGHT the first day and most of the day, the next...and in the end, out of all of Houston - the NW area topped the charts at almost 14 inches within 48 hours.

The clouds cleared, the sun began to shine, and after being stuck inside all day I ventured out about 3pm Thursday to run an errand. I turned out of my subdivision and was hit by a ton of backed up traffic, everyone attempting to "turn around, don't drown".

I turned around, went home, pulled into the garage and went inside.

Two hours later IT started.

We live at the end of a very long street, in a cul-de-sac. Terry called me outside, and we, along with our neighbors noticed flood water creeping its way up our street, at the far end.

We took the kids down the street to our stop sign to take a closer look and had to stop.
We were shocked to see what was happening.

Checking it out any way they can...              

I rounded the corner. This is the main thoroughfare and our street. (on left)

Standing on the island, watching it creep.

Water front prop, yo!

Within a couple of hours, street was covered.

Curbs covered.

Sidewalks covered.

Front grass covered.

Before it crept over our front grass and sidewalk.

WAY TOO FRICKIN' CLOSE FOR COMFORT.

From our yard and vantage point, this is where it peaked.

Watching it happen, was unnerving. To say the least. Obviously, we had no idea when it would stop rising. It turns out, every single street in our small subdivision was consumed with water. No one got out Thursday, and few got in. We watched as several canoes ventured out and surveyed the flood. The water began to recede at 9am Friday morning. Not a lot of shut-eye for us in the neighborhood that night.

Our street was lucky, several near us ended up with water inside of their homes.

Home Is Where The Heart Is

It's been four weeks and two days since our little family said good-bye to Austin and hello to Houston. We're a little bit in the outskirts...but when you're in such a large city, the 'out skirts' ain't really that far out!

So many things have changed and naturally I'm all over the map and back and forth with excitement for our new start and new friends but then missing my family and friends back home like crazy.
Barely a month in, I think it's fair to say those are normal feelings...

Our first stop was the aquarium, we had a fab time. Super fun!

Lunch with some big ol fish!

How cute are these things?! They're  my fav.

   

So, right off the bat...barely a week in, my mom, sister and youngest neice came for a visit. I was so excited to have them here, not only to catch up after six days of not seeing each other - ha - but they were a HUGE help organizing the house. They both have a nack for design and decoration and really helped add the finishing touches to a lot of areas. We took a stroll by our neighborhood park to check out the lake and ducks.

   

Ava and Grace loved having little Claire here and they were connected at the hip the entire time. :)

 The next week our buddy Jarrod flew in from Nashville and stayed a few days, and shizzam, those boys knocked out all kinds of manly projects. They were up in tiny crawl spaces, on the tops of ladders, in palm trees... they got SO MUCH DONE. Thank you so much Jarrod!!

From bare to BAM!

T's workshop came a long way!

Later that weekend my brother popped in on his way back home from a fishing trip and it felt really great having him here. He's coming back very soon to visit. AREN'T YOU CHRIS.... :) :)

We are thrilled to be here, and everyday we get something else done to make this house our home.
Ava and Grace are so happy, and we simply couldn't ask for more.

The Dreaded Four Letter Word

LICE.

I threw around a few four letter words of my own, after finding out the girls had it.

The girl's woke us up giddy as can be on Christmas morning, and after ripping through presents and piddling around I sat the girls down to fix their hair for a visit to my sister's house later in the day. Grace had been scratching at her head for days and days, at that point, but honestly after peeking in her hair I figured dry skin and winter weather were to blame. It wasn't until I pulled up Ava's hair when I noticed a cluster of small red dots at the nape of her neck.  I took a closer look, then promptly shit my pants.

Christmas morning.

Lice.

Two children.

CHRISTMAS MORNING.

To make a very long story (what? I'm dramatic?) short... Terry saved us. He stripped every body's sheets, bagged clothes, pillows, stuffed animals, disinfected, washed at least 15  loads of laundry over the next several days, and didn't blink when I had a complete breakdown filled with tears, snot, and whining to my sister on the phone.

I remember standing in long lines with other kids in my class having our hair picked through by the nurse in elementary school. I never had it as a kid. I knew lice were gross, but really never knew what to expect if I were to see any. I imagined them as minuscule, itty bitty bugs things stuck to strands of hair. I know that is true.  But what is also true, MORE IMPORTANTLY, is the fact that I forgot those minuscule, itty bitty bug things stuck to strands of hair were PUT THERE BY THEIR PARENTS. And holy shit, I saw some major parental activity in Ava's hair.

Bugs and I don't mix y'all, and bugs and HAIR and I definitely don't mix.
Hence the aforementioned breakdown.

This is where the breakdown began. Not really knowing what I was looking for, I noticed a dark spot on Ava's scalp and stuck my finger next to it to give me a better sense of what it was and the FUCKING THING SCURRIED AWAY FROM MY FINGER.

Now, as the mother of the child whose head I'm inspecting, at this point I should have remained calm, dealing with a fellow drama queen - but I couldn't help it and panicked - which did NOTHING TO HELP THE SITUATION. Once Ava realized there were 'bugs' in her hair... um... well..Merry Christmas to all and to all nightmare for the next days to come.

Are you itching yet??

I'm itching.

I hope it's only phantom itching. Because if I get lice, I will shave my head. There is no way I can go to sleep at night knowing these little see through, pointy headed bastards are crawling all over the place, obviously partying it up in my hair celebrating their own Christmas... AND OURS... because they took our Christmas celebrations away.

Soooo, no leaving the house on Christmas Day. Which the girls were THRILLED about!

And no visit to my Aunts Ranch the next day. Which the girls were THRILLED about!

Oh, and happy vacation for Terry! Hey honey, we need more laundry detergent.

Apparently, without our knowledge, Grace suffered through the lice. We caught hers at the very tail end. Ava needed the NIX stuff, and that did a lot of damage to their population. Within 48 hours, it was pretty much under control and we were back to normal life.

I have pictures, wanna see!?

Tour de Austin

Terry's childhood buddy and his family stopped into Austin on their way back to Ohio after taking a cruise around the Caribbean for Christmas break. We wanted to ensure their day was packed full fun and hit up some of Austin's  must-see spots.

We started our day off right and ate a healthy portion of Round Rock Donuts before hitting up the Capitol. Mexican for lunch and smiles for the rest of the afternoon!

At 1,550 feet deep, the capitol well provides some YUMMY COLD water!

Two sets of 'two peas in a pod'.

Who says no to a cupcake?! Not us.

The guys at the fire station were SUPER friendly!

Of course Terry jumped onto the back...

They became fast friends!

Don't Mess with Austinites and their company...

5-4-3-2-1...

The day couldn't have been any more beautiful!

Until next time!

Mark and Amy, we had a great time with all of you, and hope to see you all this summer!