One Wintry Day

I didn't think I was going to post more pictures before the upcoming Christmas holiday, but I can't help myself! So, I thought I would post some additional pictures of Houston's "snow storm 09" for you all to check out! Plus, looking at them makes me feel like Christmas is really here!

Enjoy the pictures...













And last but not least...Raleigh wasn't too sure about the snow so Matthew had to carry him out. He looks like a grumpy old man here, I love it!


Yay, Christmas!!!! Hope you all have a most fabulous holiday:)

Are you ready for this???

Christmas came early and my camera cord came in the mail!!! Woo-hoo!!! I ordered it forever ago when I realized we lost it in the move and today it arrived....FROM CHINA. I guess that explains the ridiculous time to ship it - anyhow, pictures are being uploaded and it's just so great!

Wanna take a quick peek and see what you've missed? Well, come on in....


We hosted Thanksgiving, as was previously mentioned...so there was some cooking in the new kitchen...
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Some obligatory posing in front of our new house (I'll spare you the others!)...


And lots of furniture arranging...this is the start of our formal dining:


Formal living, let's call this side A


Formal living, side B


Which got interrupted by some SNOW...


And has now been pushed aside for the start of Christmas decorating...this is just the beginning, I assure you!


Can't wait to share more, and will have plenty of updates after the Christmas holiday! Hope you are all doing great - we miss all our friends and family who aren't near to us this time of year. We're super excited to read/see all your fun happenings on all your blogs:)

BIG NEWS - IT IS SNOWING!

Yes, that's right, SNOWING!!!!! I literally just turned on the "yule log DVD with Celine Dion Christmas" and walked back into the kitchen and it was SNOWING.

Then I did the following:

1. Started crying. Yup. Involuntarily cried like a baby because it was snowing.

2.Texted Kelley like some freak (I realize now it was FAR too early to do that...sorry, Kel!) and then called my Dad. SOMEONE had to share in my excitement, right???

3. Decided I needed to tell all my friends about it - So here I am!

Oh and I am still possibly wiping tears away like a fool. Can I just tell you how much I love Christmas??? and Winter??? and the fact that I'm in a place that has Winter??? It's like I'm the Grinch right now when his heart grows all big and fat - and I love it and I just had to share:)

Alright, that's the news here this morning, I'm going to go make a wreath!

Happy Holidays!!!!!!

p.s. Yes, I actually have a DVD that plays so as to make your tv screen appear like a "yule log" is roasting in a fireplace while playing the entire collection of Celine Dion's "This Christmas." It is BRILLIANT. Don't hate - My mom bought it for me;)

p.p.s. Maybe between points 1 and 2 above I skipped around the entire bottom floor of my house, just maybe...

So...

We're in the house. And we hosted Thanksgiving four days later:) Call me crazy, but it really was a team effort and it was so nice to give thanks in the new homestead.

In the last post I promised blogging overload with lots of pictures and trust me I've taken LOADS of pictures. In fact, Ty even told me I needed to stop - to which I replied, "But we MUST heavily document this journey." Like I'm on some path of enlightenment;) So pictures are aplenty!

BUT looks like we lost our camera cord again!

Grr...

So not knowing how long it will take us this time around to find the camera cord, I withdraw my promise for pictures. BOO! But hopefully we get everything settled sooner than later and we can have a long picture blog-fest! Sounds like fun, no?

P.S. Also went to Michael's today. Emerged bloodied and covered with gold glitter - it was fabulous. I have many projects I hope to blog on in the near future, so you better get ready because it's going to be WAY too much fun!

P.P. S. Just kidding about the bloodied part;)

Home - An Update

Hi Everyone!

Good news, all went to plan and the keys to the house are in our possession...holla!

I am SO excited. Like ready to jump out of my own skin excited. But I'm in CA for work and head back tonight, so no pictures yet:(

We move in this weekend and I cannot wait to share pictures of the move! Be ready for blogging overload;)

PS - Get out your calendars asap and let me know when you'll all be coming out for a visit!

Home...

I tried to think of a more engaging title for this post, one that might encapsulate the excitement I have as I write this, but better to keep it simple when words cannot do it justice, right?

So, I'll keep it simple and get to the good news: WE BOUGHT OUR HOME!!!

The long story short is that in an unexpected (and quick!) turn of events we fell in love.

IN LOVE.

I walked into the house and just felt IT. I felt the walls as we walked through and thought -

This is where my family will gather...this is where I will cook dinners - some good, some bad, and maybe even a few that are great...this is where memories of bright and joyful holidays will be shared...this is the place where our closest friends will sit with us for hours over a good glass of wine by the fireplace...

It was like for every minute we walked through the house I saw memories to come play out like a scene from a movie.

And it was beautiful.

That was last Sunday, by Friday we had a signed and agreed-to offer, and yesterday the house inspection went perfectly!!! If all goes accordingly, we will close on the house on November 19th. Talk about a killer birthday present for Ty and me:)

Now enough of the story...here's some pictures!

Here's our street:


One view of the front:


Another:


Entrance:


Front door, entryway:


Foyer:


View of family room, with bay window:


The kitchen has this fabulous exposed brick, which I love:


This is the view from my kitchen window:


The backyard of the home is what sold us, it is HUGE and really made for entertaining with a gorgeous pool, extensive patio, and yard - this is one view:


This is the left side of the yard:


I was trying to capture the whole yard, I'm in the far left corner while snapping this picture:


Close-up of the spa:


Yard from the right side:


I should have taken more pictures but we spent a lot of time talking to the inspector yesterday - SO next time we're there, I will take LOTS of pics to share! I will be updating the blog as we go along!!

Cannot wait for you all to come out and visit!

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow...(NSFW)

Raleigh had to say goodbye to these:


Sad, I know. Ty took him in on the way into work on Thursday and when he came home last night, he looked like this:


Funny, I know. We took many more drugged-pug pictures, but thought it might be overkill to post them all here. What is that you say? Oh, you think I already went overboard by posting a picture of his balls pre-chop? Pish! It's for archival purposes.

It's not like I'm some weirdo saving her kid's umbilical cords. (Sorry to any of you readers who think this is a good idea.) Have we not all seen that SATC episode where Miranda's cat eats the baby's umbilical cord? SICK, yo! SICK!

Anyhow, back to the blog...Raleigh's starting to recover from the shock and looks a bit more with it, but just a little:) He's none too pleased about the cone.


But sad story, he has to wear it for another 14 days! He will get it off just in time for his 4th birthday:) We'll have to celebrate with a cake and everything, it will be a momentous occasion. Look for it on the blog in two weeks!

What? Overboard again you say?

Dang.

New Orleans

I don't know what I expected when I went to New Orleans. I think I expected one part debauchery, one part grit, and another part pure frivolity. But it's so much more. The city is layered and rich and it beckons you in from the minute you arrive. It doesn't take you long to know you've discovered something much better - with it's people, music, food, colors, and history, it's just like the jazz music so synonymous with the region. All at once dark, brooding, beautiful, and joyous.

Ty and I spent this last weekend drinking in all the city had to offer, and while the pictures that follow can hardly capture the essence of all there is to behold - don't worry, we're already planning our next trip back:)



Down a random alley, you find treasures like this:


Breakfast was here with beignets and coffee, yum!


St. Louis Cathedral, built on the foundation of one of the oldest churches in the city from the 1700's.


Our lunches were pretty much summed up by this sign:


I took so many pictures of this cathedral, so I will spare you and only include one more:


Lafitte is one of the old family names in the city:


Lafitte Blacksmith Shop - now a bar, but the original building still stands:


Beautiful statue in the middle of a square:


Like the cathedral, I kept coming back to this little square, it was beautiful:


And last but not least, proof we were there;) At the end of day one:


At the end of day two, a "bit" more refined;)

Friday Night Lights

Being in Texas, I've learned a few things. In no particular order they are:

1. Texans are super friendly, no lie. Southern hospitality is real y'all! BUT it gets annoying when people are so nice that they actually cause accidents waiting for people to make their exit from a parking spot. Move it or lose it folks!

2. Everything is bigger Texas. Again, we heard this before we arrived, but we kind of laughed at the stereotype. Nope. Again, very true. From houses, to hair, to smiles, to...well you-name-it. It's bigger here:) Bigger is better, right?

3. Football is not to be taken lightly. Not on any level. I didn't realize the show Friday Night Lights was a docu-drama. I stand corrected. My weekends now consist of football, football, and wait for it...more football:) But you won't hear me complain! I am loving it - in fact I nearly lost my voice at two of the three games I've been to so far!

With Matthew being a Senior on the Kingwood Park's varsity football team, I clearly won't be missing a game:) Here's a few snapshots from the games so far - enjoy!



The stadium:


This is how they start off the game - I had never seen a high-school team that had one of these, but like I said, they're intense here:)


Matthew is 48:


Matthew set for action:


More action:


The field:


Matthew being all cute:


Matthew and his coach:


Last but not least - Miss Em and me at the last game, note the outfit change:) I only grabbed a pic in the beginning... the game was too good to be spent taking pictures, though now I kind of regret it because it was pretty spectacular. Matthew had a killer tackle that started off the game!