moving in

Not having our moving truck for 4 days was both a nuisance and a blessing. For the two days before my mom and Owen arrived via airplane we painted the front room sky blue, bought all sorts of power tools, base boards, crown molding, countertops, etc.
I guess that without the task of moving our furniture in right away, we were semi-productive home improvers. And hey, if you don't feel like working, the empty house makes the perfect playground (or dance floor).
My mom was so wonderful to fly out with Owen on Saturday and stay with us for a few days. She said he was an angel child on the airplane. He slept for an hour, played with toys, and didn't make obnoxious noises. Good job Oboe!
My mom was a huge help. THANK You! We all loved having her here. She was a good sport about everything and even offered to sit in the back seat of our car, smashed between two carseats. Thanks for being so easy going Mom. Sorry we had to relax like this each night:
Our couches are supposed to arrive this coming week and we are more than excited about that!

On Gram and Owen's first day here we stopped at a local sandwich place called: Firehouse Subs. It's adorable, yummy, and already a family favorite! (this may be a good In 'N Out replacement for Saturday outings).
The kids got fireman hats, the local football game was playing on the TV, and the decor was just adorable. I love this place! The kids seemed happy with it too.
The strange thing about the week we arrived is that it rained NON STOP for 3 days straight. It's been hot and sunny here for months and then the week we arrive, raining off the hook. And even though the rain has stopped, it's been overcast and cool. I honestly keep wondering if we've moved to Portland.

On Sunday however, when visiting our new ward, we found the possible reason behind the rain: the members in the stake had been praying and fasting for rain (since they've been in a drought for years). Haah! So, there you go. The ward is small but such nice people. And I think it will be fun that way so we that we really get to know everyone. That's how it was when we lived in Glendale and some of the "older" ladies became some of my really good friends! There are a few fun younger moms though so I think I'll have friends to hang out with. I already met up with 4 of them on Thursday for a mom/kids lunch at Chick Fil-A. They just about died when I said I'd never eaten at Chick Fil-A in my life! It's a different place here.

That afternoon the rain let up a bit, so we showed my mom the sights and headed south to Austin....
UT (University of Texas) campus; home of the Longhorns:
The state capitol once again. I never tire of stately architecture:
Austin: The Live-Music Capitol of the World (though we kinda wonder if that can be quantified...or is it qualified....? Casey?)
We headed down to the river and walked the lush banks:
Seriously looks like a fake backdrop:
No bat sightings this time but we walked under the Congress Bridge where they anxiously hang out inside the cracks. And it was groddddddy. You could hear their high-pitched squeals and smell their rodent bodies.
I had no idea what a bat smelled like before this but just thinking about it grosses me out. It's not that the smell is so dreadful. It's mostly the thought that that strange stench is a mass of millions of bats all hiding out above our heads. We couldn't see them. But we knew they were there. Sick.
There were people running/walking/dog walking all around us. There were even water stations set up with free water cups and water coolers.
We stopped for dinner right next to campus and found this guy. Hard to tell but he's huge. Owen is as tall as his leg.
We ate at a local hang out, Texadelphia (philly cheesesteak sandwiches). Not sure why Lucy's doing Hiel Hitler?
And since Gram was wise enough to bring her trusty air mattress, the kids spent the rest of the night jumping on her bed:
FINALLY, on Monday morning, our moving truck arrived!!!
We were able to unload almost the entire thing with the three of us. And later that night a guy from the ward came over to help with the fridge and other large items.
So, little by little we're getting there. It doesn't feel as overwhelming as it did the first day. But I still walk from one room to the next and find a pile of homeless items. It's funny, we have a lot of space but it almost feels harder to find a spot for it all. We just bought a cool desk/sewing table for me tonight off craigslist so I'm excited to get that room put together. But, baby steps. I can't expect it to happen all at once.
Casey has the whole month off from work (sabbatical) so we hope to get as much done on the house as we can. It's hard with kids around (mostly Owen). But thankfully they're getting used to the loud sawing, drilling, and air-compressing. Hopefully this room will look much more put-together next time you see it:
In the mean time, the kids have been loving the space. Lucy dances every day (with her princess dolls or, a bath rug. Why not?)
Owen is in absolute heaven with his little bike. He speeds around the house; it's so cute to watch:
The kids finally have a table to sit at and eat. It still needs a final coat of paint. But I look forward to real family dinners!
And though the backyard is no frills, I mean NO frills....just a cement block and grass....the kids have used their imaginations to make it fun.
Sometimes Lucy will go outside and just yell funny things. On this day she was announcing the circus, "Ladies and Gentlemen....."
"I give you Owen, The Great!"
They sure keep me laughing. I'm glad we're all Home.