House Progress (post 4)

I just received these pictures on Thursday, January 27. The progress is going well!

Master bath, sink 1

Master bath, sink 2

Master shower
Sinks in the jack-and-jill bath

Kitchen (tech center in the back)

Pool bath

Our home!!

House Progress (Post 3)

I was SO excited to get these last Tuesday while I was sittin' at home on a "snow" day with no snow!!

Our sitting room through the bedroom

The family room in the back, standing in the kitchen

The kitchen

View of back of house

Warmer weather is ahead, and I can't wait!!

House Progress (Post 2)

One of the ~many~ things we did over our holiday break was make a quick trip to Florida to check in on our new home. Jeremy had to work Monday and Tuesday. Thankfully, he was able to leave a bit early on Tuesday and met the kids and I at my grandmother's house. We left there around 2:45 and headed south.

Though it was a long drive, it really wasn't that bad. The kids had not taken a nap and Major was out within 6 minutes (we had just barely gotten on the interstate). They played with their new Tag readers, watched movies, had some snacks, we sang songs and talked and laughed, and then they fell asleep again as it got late.

We hadn't made any plans for a hotel. Partly because we weren't certain Jeremy would get off work early, partly because we weren't sure how far we would fee like going. It all worked out wonderfully. We had written a few hotel names down and called and got a reservation (thank you Priority Club points!). Unfortunately, the room I reserved was not the room we got. Also, unfortunately, the door was unlocked when we got upstairs (so the kids and I waited on Daddy to look it over), the sink was very slow to drain, and the shower head sprayed water everywhere. SO, after complaining a little (I was not rude), we got free breakfast and my points back! Woo-hoo!

On Wednesday we drove the kids by the house and then rode around the area some before we met the superintendent. We were able to do a thorough walk-through and it was GREAT!


I won't bore anyone with all the pictures, but here are some highlights:

What did the kids do while we looked at the house?

Front view

Looking back through the formal dining room

A view of the back

One last sand-angel

Good bye!

Afterward, we swung by the elementary school and then found a place to grab some lunch. We made a few other little stops, including meeting with someone at the mortgage company and locking in our interest rate, and then met my cousin Tammy and her husband Chris for dinner at Urban Flats, and followed up with dessert at Cold Stone - yum-o!

When that was done we headed north not quite two hours (I was able to get another hotel room on those same points!). Again, the room I reserved was not what we got, but we knew all good things (and points) have to come to an end. After a good night's rest we headed back to sweet home Alabama.

The trip didn't start out too good on the way home. Ella Grace wasn't feeling well at breakfast, and we made a side-of-the-interstate-we'll-have-to-change-her-clothes type stop not even 30 minutes after we started! And then when we got across the Alabama state line we had to make a similar, yet not quite a severe, stop for Major! It was crazy! (They both recovered very quickly!)

It was a quick trip, but helpful and productive. Not too much longer now!

Another traveling holiday weekend (Labor Day)

(You'll have to plug this in from back in September, but it goes along with my recent posts on our relocation.)

SO, flashback to September, if you will...

After my boss letting me take my lunch at the end of the day, the kids and I headed to my parents on Thursday afternoon/evening September 2. For the second time in a row, we were caught in traffic. Unlike the first time where my dad was traveling home from work at the same time, we weren't able to avoid this one. It took us about 45 minutes to go about 8 miles. It was terrible! But, the kids were SO good! We sang and talked, and they played. It wasn't until we had been in the traffic for about 15 minutes did they ask to watch Looney Tunes.

My in-laws picked Ella Grace and Major up after dinner, and Mom and I got the rest of the things packed up to travel. We got on the road about 5:15 am on Friday (9/3) and made it to Florida in about 8.5 hours. Since we had some extra time before Jeremy would be there (he had been in south Georgia training), I decided to go tour a daycare Jeremy & I found out about after our last trip (the weekend of July 4th). We toured that, then we drove through the neighborhood we were looking at finding a home in. We ran by the bank and then went to a daycare Jeremy & I had toured. Afterwards we headed across town to our cousin's (Bonnie & John) where we were staying.

John cooked us a FABULOUS steak! Yumm! And not long after, my sweet husband arrived! Yea! We helped Bonnie do some things for a gathering she was having at her house on Labor Day, then headed to bed.

Saturday morning, after a quick breakfast, we headed out and met someone about a house. After walking through a house, looking at a couple of lots and going over our laundry list of wants. We took a break for lunch, then went back and signed a contract! Wow! The house is going to be great. we are so excited about it all - the options we were able to get, the price, etc. We know it is going to all work out great.

Saturday night was the Alabama v San Jose game. We found a local UA alumni chapter that was gathering to meet the game (which was on PPV). We had an awesome time. We met several people from our hometown, one even that went to school with us!, and I even won two door prizes. After the BIG WIN, Jeremy and I met my cousin Tammy and her husband Chris to hangout for a bit. It was a late night, definitely not something I am used to doing!

We slept late the next morning and then headed back to Alabama. Mom and I got the kids as soon as we got back and were so very glad to see them. I think the feeling was mutual!

It was a great weekend, lots accomplished!