Floorplan to the new house

Okay, this picture is a bit microscopic so you might have to use the 'zoom' option to look close. This is the house we are having built in Round Rock, Texas and the lot we have bought. It will be ready in late August / early Spring. We are really excited about it! Jared & Scott picked this house from a model they visited when they were in Texas a couple of weeks ago. As you can see we'll have plenty of room for guests (you!); your bedroom is labeled Bedroom 4 on the 2nd floor.

Dillon, Madison and I are making a road trip to Round Rock on Tuesday so we can select the details for the house and then construction will begin. We will also see the kids' schools and drop off registration materials fro enrollment.

AAAAAHHHHHH!!! I'm so excited!!

Scott's back problems...

Yesterday we had an appointment with the nero-surgery clinic who performed Scott's back fusion in December.
The good news is Scott did not break any of the new instrumentation (pins & rods) in his back, nor did he knock anything out-of-whack when he fell last week. The bad news is he has torn some of the muscles that has been tenderly rebuilding since the surgery, and now he has to wait another month before released to go back to work. His recovery has been set back about 2 months.
We are so thankful that the damage from his fall is only muscular and will simply take time & TLC to grow back. TLC.... can I find that at Walgreens?

Friday the 13th

I like to think of Friday the 13th as a novelty more than a superstition... until this year. We have had more than a DAY of bad luck, it's been a good week of bad luck now. I'm ready to wear a garlic necklace or walk backwards under a ladder or whatever it takes. Listen to the following:
1. Last Tuesday (the 10th) I took Scott to the airport to make a return flight to Austin, Tx. The day before we left I had my car washed at one of those expensive places that washes the car inside & outside (plus wax). It rained the entire way there & back. And Jared spilled half a strawberry milkshake on the floorboard in the back seat.
2. Wednesday night the boys moved all our furniture into the kitchen/dining room (see previous post) so we could have the carpets steam cleaned. I decided the couch was too close to the patio door so I gave it a little 'scooch' to move it over. I RIPPED THE BRAND NEW VINYL FLOORCOVERING. Granted it is only as big as a dime, but it is in a VERY obvious spot.
3. The new wooden blinds (from JCPenney) were installed last week, they look wonderful! They must taste wonderful too because Macey decided to gnaw on a corner of one of the lower slats. She must've gotten tired of the dozens of chew-toys laying around the floor.
4. Four hours after the carpets were steam cleaned an overwhelming pet urine odor filled the living room. I called to complain because I had paid $40 extra for deodorizer. I was told I should have ordered the 'special' enzyme treatment for the urine problem (which I didn't even know I had until after the carpet was cleaned!) and a return trip plus fees would have to be scheduled. Basically I paid $203 to have my living room smell like urine. Thanks Stanley.
5. Dillon & I decided to tackle the urine smell ourselves by dumping (by the bucketful) an over-the-counter pet odor treatment from the pet store. I dumped while Dillon squeegeed the liquid across & into the carpet. I thought this was a wonderful idea and it only cost $36. UNTIL the next morning when the carpet dried & the concentrated product left LARGE BROWN STAINS everywhere I splashed the liquid. Whoops. Major whoops.
6. My glasses have a tendency to come apart about every 5 weeks; my glasses decided Friday was time to visit LensCrafters again for a repair (out of warranty, otherwise I'd get a new pair). It only took about 8 minutes and I was back on the road. BUT immediately I noticed something different (you glasses-wearers will relate...). The technician must've put the glasses into a vice because there is a distinct scratch pattern on the left lens. Talk about distracting...
7. Saturday night we noticed a big puddle coming out from underneath the toilet. The guy who installed the vinyl must not have put the toilet back correctly! Oh no! What else could go wrong...
I wish Scott were here.
8. My printer actually ate a 2-page copy today. After 45 mintues on the phone with Canon I can now explain to you the internal workings of the imageClass MF8170c printer/fax machine. And I can tell you all about Jim the technician who lives in South Carolina and has 6 grandkids, a cocker spaniel, etc, etc.
9. While planting grass seed & raking the ground in the back yard (where the trampoline has killed the grass) I inadvertantly injured my thumb joint. My hand has swollen & I am having problems using it. Maybe sod is a good idea.
10. LAST but not least... The Grand Doosey of the Friday the 13th Legacy...
Tonight Scott & Jared stopped at a hotel in Kansas. After traveling 10+ hours they decided to go to the hot tub. Because Scott is not fully recovered from BACK SURGERY he used the hand rail for support getting into the tub; which was BROKEN and caused Scott to fall. Jared drove to the hospital which confirmed he has severely sprained his wrist and stretched & torn ligaments in his back... the same area of the surgery. I'm sure he has suffered a set-back with his recovery from surgery. The hotel has offered a free complimentary breakfast tomorrow & no charge for the room. We'll see what our attorney says tomorrow.
CAN IT GET ANY WORSE????? I don't want to know.

Toast or No Toast?

Today we are having the carpets steam cleaned by Stanley (even though the guy's name was Mack) Steemer. To get the best results you really have to clear the entire room of it's contents which means EVERYTHING has to go into the kitchen & dining room or bathroom.

I thought I would have some toast this morning before the cleaners got here, but here's what I had to tackle to try & get to the toaster.

snow in APRIL?!

It started raining here Tuesday night, then it changed to freezing rain yesterday morning, then it became a blizzard by noon (schools released early!). This morning the deck looked like it was December!

This is where Scott is right now... in TEXAS!! Yipee YEE HAWWWW!

windy day

It is so windy here this morning that the hawkeye 'wind catcher' thingy is embedded against the tree! (Notice the string in the foreground to the bird feeder is not moving!)

First Timer

This is so exciting!! It is my first blog entry and I have so much to say... any of you reading this and know me personally... really, I'll try to keep entries to a minimum. :) Try was the key word. I've had a busy day & vowed I was going to bed early but here I am at 11:45pm. So g'night and I'll give this another go tomorrow.