Camping trip to Fairfield State Park

We just got back from a fabulous get a way! We went to Fairfield State Park with the Miller's. We took our trailers and set up. The kids played and played, fished and swung in the swings. We had a camp fire going, it was so cold in the mornings and at night. I think we ate our weight in s'mores! Bentley went too and he was such a good boy! Here are a few pics.
Megan can eat anywhere! Look how happy she is!

Corinne and Marshal showing off their beginnings of a cart wheel that they are both learning in their gymnastics classes.

New concept: Give the kids glow sticks and then you always know where they are in the pitch black of the night!

Lee and Wayne cooking up some Jiffy Pop Popcorn.

Marshal and Claire

Corinne playing Ladder Ball

Doesn't this look like Forest Gump and little Forest?

Corinne and Claire got tired of fishing....it is hard for them to understand that you don't always catch a fish and that you have to be patient.

Claire and Megan playing with chalk.

Corinne and Claire Hook'n Horns at dinner at the Miller's campsite.

Poor Bentley, thinks he is missing the action being tied to our picnic table.

Playing some more Ladder Ball.

Corinne

What a surprise!

No, I am not pregnant! And, shame on you for thinking that is what I was going to say!!! :) Just kidding! But, really, I am NOT pregnant!

I got home this afternoon from Corinne and Claire's ballet classes to find a sign in our yard. We got "Yard of the Month"!!! Surprised we didn't get a sign that said, "You took too long to landscape"!! Anyway, this is very exciting for us and we are very proud of our new yard. We prayed all summer for rain during our drought and now it has rained almost nonstop for 2 weeks. A lot of our mulch and rock has been displaced and needs cleaned up from the rain coming in so hard and washing things out of place. Non the less, it is a beautiful yard if I do say so myself!

Tennessee vacation

We spent a week in Tennessee the first part of October. We went to Montgomery Bell State Park for a church study weekend and then took a 5 hour drive to Pigeon Forge, which is about an hour south of Knoxville. If we didn't love Austin so much, I would move to Tennessee in a heart beat! The resort at the State Park was set in the most fabulous forest. The trees were just starting to turn. We had good fellowship and caught up with lots of people we hadn't seen in ages. After leaving there, we rented a cabin with Brenda and Gary in the Smokey Mountains. It was absolutely amazing and beautiful!! Each day was jammed packed with fun and entertainment. We were not ready to come home! Can't wait to go back! Here are some pictures from our trip. We spent one afternoon at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Carry Underwood was there and set to perform that night, but we didn't see her. We rented a mini van for the trip. There were 6 of us, 7 suitcases and bags and 2 large car seats. We fit better in the silly mini van than we did in my extended length Expedition!

Click on the link (or copy and paste) to see some pictures! There were just too many to download here! click on the "slideshow" button and it will go through all of them.
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kristinurse77/October09?authkey=Gv1sRgCNXC0Meku9PQzQE

The girls love to write and draw on the old cardboard that is still around. Here is a picture of them and then a picture of Corinne's rendition of "Bentley." Not too bad!


This is a picture of Claire...after you ask her how old she is....she proudly says, "2!" and holds up 3 fingers!

Yay for Grass!

We have had so much rain lately that it is ruining our grass plans...and washing away all the dirt for the 4th time. After our drought this summer, we should be rejoicing with all this rain, but it makes landscaping impossible! The grass was all lined up to be delivered on Tuesday (tomorrow.) Lee called home this morning as he was leaving for work and told me that he just passed and 18 wheeler loaded full with sod. Sure enough, they landed at our house. I called our landscaper and he couldn't believe they were here. It was still so muddy, and he didn't have a crew lined up for us today, as he was giving the mud a chance to dry out a bit. Well, he pulled members from their other crews to get them out here. We ended up with 2- 18 wheelers of sod. It is starting to take shape. Looking good. About 12:30 today, our 20% chance of rain came in a huge down pour. The crew had mud everywhere. I felt so sorry for them. They worked as much as they could. I am putting in a few pictures of how it looks today. We still have some beds to finish and cleaning up of the trees that were already here.





There are 17 pallets there for the backyard.
This is Claire sporting her outfit that I made for her and Corinne.

Corinne and cousin Lauren...looking for trouble! :)

Andrew enjoying a popsicle.

On Saturday, Corinne went to a dance camp at Vista Ridge H.S. where she spent the whole day playing and learning a routine. At 2:30, the parents got to come back to the school and watch. It was great! She loved every minute of it! That is her in the middle.
This is Corinne with her "ballet friends" Ellie and Bali.
This is what we woke up to Sunday morning. It had rained during the night. So beautiful! (Check out the dirt!) (Oh, and my gorgeous fence!)
We spent Sunday afternoon finishing all the cleaning out at our old house. We are set to close October 8. As I went through the kitchen checking all the cabinets and drawers, I just cried and cried! We have so many happy memories in that house. Not sure why I am taking it so hard, but it makes me tear just writing this. We had never planned to stay there...it is just hard. This is a picture of the girls in the garage as we finished up.
And, my most handsome boy, Bentley.

Doesn't he look sweet and innocent here???

Landscaping has begun!

Last Friday, the landscape crew installed our entire irrigation system while we were at work. We couldn't believe it was done and we missed it. So, today when the crew shows back up, I understand why. There are 8 of them!
From all the recent rains that we have had, we were able to see how the water will flow across our driveway and through the yard. Our awesome landscaper came up with the idea to put a "dry river bed" where all the water seems to collect and move across the yard. Sounded great! Then, he comes up with the idea to add a water feature at the beginning of it and it will always have running water. Lee about came out of his skin at this idea! So, today they got the whole yard prepped for sod, lined out the beds for plants and got our not-so-dry river bed flowing. It looks really cool and I love the way it sounds! Tomorrow they are going to start the planting. Half of the plants arrived today. Only problem is...we are expecting severe thunderstorms for the next 5 or 6 days! That means that they are not able to cut the sod at the farm and get it delivered, until things dry out again! UGH! They worked so hard getting the ground all smooth. (We had huge crevices where the last rain washed out our dirt, creating gullies!)



Digging the hole for the pump.
End of day 2 -
Our wee-little waterfall.

Sort of Settled....

We are still here! Trying to get things unpacked, be Mommy, be a wife, be a housekeeper, a chef, a taxi driver...and still keep unpacking! Wait, I need a wife! Just kidding! We are managing. Things are definitely hectic and we are always on the run. Corinne and Claire were in swim lessons this summer, and we just kept it going because Corinne is doing so well. They are both in ballet and Corinne just started gymnastics. And, they go to school 3 days a week. I'm not complaining...just explaining! I promise I am not purposely ignoring anyone! Anyway, I have included just a few pictures of what is going on around here. The landscaping is finally getting started tomorrow. I'm surprised we haven't gotten a nasty gram or a fine for not having anything yet. We have put about 5 landscapers to the test and finally settled with one. Can't wait to be able to show you pictures! The house is great, can't wait to get things on the walls and get all the boxes out. In due time, right? We had a beautiful iron fence installed a few weeks ago and Bentley loves his yard!
Here is the back of the house. They had to dig and jack hammer over 80 holes for the posts.
This is Claire on her first day of dance...yes, she looks like Medusa. She did great and wants to be just like her big sister!
Here is my handsome boy. Sir Bentley had just had a haircut. He carries himself so high and proud. The biggest news of all.......we sold our house!!!!! Yes, it took close to 2 months. We are so relieved! The buyers did not ask us to fix anything on the inspection. We were completely surprised. That house was built in 1975, we just knew there would laundry list of items to fix. The buyers are a great couple with a 6 year old daughter. They are looking forward to putting in a pool and taking down some walls inside. They invited us to come by some time and see what all they have done. We will close the 1st week in October. Whew! I had to include a picture to show you how great it looks!This is what it looked like when we bought it in the winter of 2006.
Here it is in June 2009.

Here we are!

Not done yet! We started the moving process this past weekend. Brenda and Gary came to help us and watch the girls for us. We got a lot done. Still a few odds and ends that need to come over, but for the most part, our entire lives are still in boxes! We are sitting on lawn chairs in the living room and sleeping on mattresses on the floor. It works. We were absolutely exhausted after yesterday. Bentley has done great. The cats, that's another story. Oliver came right out of the carrier and started sniffing around, Tink stayed in the carrier for over 2 hours! They are starting to warm up and are ALWAYS on the look out for Bentley! It really is funny to watch him chase them and they hiss and spit at him.
Day 172 - 5 1/2 months start to finish!
Bentley tied up on the porch, started the fence today.

Oliver safely hiding in Lee's suitcase so that Bentley can't find him.
The girls, so tired and not even a bed to lie their heads on! Stairs work!

So, our house is technically "done." The painter was here all day restaining the staircase, the electrician came for a few things, the air conditioning guy came to change out a thermostat, 2 guys started the fence in the back yard, met with an irrigation guy this afternoon, and the security system was installed today! Oh, and the cabinet guy to fix some trim! Needless to say, we are not "done" and I didn't get but 2 boxes unpacked! UGH! Lord willing, there is always tomorrow!
We hope to get some landscaping done in the next few weeks. Leander is in a mandatory water restriction. People are getting fined $500 for watering more than once or twice a week. We got a variance to water as much as we needed, without letting the water run down the street. We would hate to put in new grass and let it die because we can't water it. We even offered to wait until fall, but they told us we had 30 days to get it in. Guess that answers that question!