Curiousity better not kill the cats...

I really didn't think I would be one of those people that blog about their pets but here I go. First of all, whether it be a cat, dog, or any other animal; my pets are always a big part of my life. I think that have more spunk, personality and love than alot of people I know! Luckily, I am engaged to a man who loves animals too. We won't be the crazy ones with 80 animals but our home will always have animals.

Greg and I got so lucky with our cats. In January, we adopted two older kittens (3mo) from BARC. I swear they are the most adaptable and sweet cats. I am also so glad that we got two...they always have a playmate and are never alone during the day while we are at work. While having two of them is great 95% of the time, they also tend to find trouble easier when there are two of them.

This first set of pictures is of their first long road trip. We took them home to my parent's with us for the garage sale. The trip is 4-41/2 hours and they did great. They love their carriers but we just put a towel down and let them sleep in the backseat. They didn't cry or anything...for 8 total hours in the car!!

The next set of pictures is of them exploring the new house. There are vaulted ceilings, a loft, tall windows, skylights and lots of places for kitties to explore. They have successfully found them all! I walked in the bathroom the other night while Greg and I were watching a movie to find Tanner chilling in the bathroom sink. The next day, he and Claudia were playing and suddenly she was gone. There is a hole (pictured below) that is the size of a double wall outlet that Claudia jumped into. Tanner couldn't fit. We found her in a little cubbie that was once used to light the fireplace. The fireplace doesn't exist anymore...all that remains is this little door with about a foot of cat napping space inside the wall. We closed it off for now until we can make sure it is safe for them. The other pictures are of Tanner seeing his first squirrel in the tree window and them enjoying the new pappasan chair.

The first picture in the collage resulted in me getting a ladder to get him down...goodness, this will be a challenge!!

The house is looking great although it will take awhile to get everything painted. Even the rooms that we aren't painting completely need major touch ups. It has been so fun though and we love it. I will post pictures once I get the rest of my furniture.

Garage Sale

Well we survived the garage sale! My parents have an unused apartment behind our house that they have been gracious enough to let me store my childhood memories and, later, all my furniture in. We cleared half of that out at a two day garage sale. I was determined to get rid of some clutter and free up that space for my parents. Mission accomplished! We probably will have another one in October or anytime when it is cooler. The whole family came out and we actually had alot of fun. Peyton was pretty happy that she made $45 dollars! She sold some of her toys and set up a little drink stand. She was able to buy two DS games for herself.

My mom, sister and I have this strange talent of attracting people who want to tell us their life story. This was certainly in full force this past weekend. At some points, I thought we weren't going to be able to get rid of some of the people at the garage sale. They just stayed and chatted! People recognize my sister's caring heart immediately and depend on her kindness. It sometimes makes for funny situations but it reminds me that I have an amazing family. My mom and my sister have taught me so much in this world and it makes me sad to think that not everyone is as lucky. We can drive each other crazy, but at the end of each day I am thankful that God has blessed me with my family. I promised not to post the pics I took at the garage sale. We were not exactly looking our best...so I decided to go with some of my favorite pics instead.

I really owe a big thank you to my mom and dad. They worked hard to make this happen. When I think about it, they work hard at anything that will make me, my sister or my nieces happy. They have always put their children before themselves. My dad can barely walk and lives in constant pain yet he was out there working hard to help me. My mom loves a challenge is also is a very hard worker. I can only hope to continue to learn from them and someday be the kind of parent that they have been. I don't say it enough, but I really don't know what I would do without my family.

I will post pictures of the house soon. We are still putting final touches on everything. There is alot of painting to be done. The cats love the new house. Because of the vaulted ceiling and the loft, there are lots of places they can play and perch. It makes me a nervous wreck but they are having a blast! They made the four hour trip home with us this past weekend and were perfect. I swear they are the most adaptable cats ever. I will have to post some cute pics I took of them in the car too!

How much can you cram into one week?

This definitely a week of chaos and utter insanity. We moved into our new house (rented) that I showed a picture of in my first blog. I love, love this place! It has so much potential and is so unique. Saturday was our moving day. It was one of the hottest days we have had here in Houston, our old apartment complex was painting the walls and the stair railings while we moved and I hit the apartment carport roof with the 17 foot Uhaul I was driving. Despite all that, the move went pretty smoothly. Some of Greg's Coast Guard friends helped us move and were so awesome. They had us out of one apartment and into the new one in less than three hours. Thanks to Baron, Matt, and Walt...we couldn't have done this without you!

Since then we have been painting up a storm and doing other minor improvements. The previous tenants did the worst paint job I have ever seen. There are brush strokes all over the ceilings and baseboards. In other areas, you can still see the previous paint colors because they didn't feel like painting difficult areas. We are slowly but surely fixing it all. I did paint a chocolate brown accent wall in the living room that I am very excited about. We are getting rid of all the khaki one room at a time!

On top of moving, I also had 8 hours worth of presentations that I had to give to high school students on Sunday night and all Monday. It was a great time and an honor to be asked but really was a struggle in the middle of moving.

This week we are going home to have a garage sale at my parent's house. Most of my belongings have been in storage for the last 20 months from when I moved to Italy. I honestly don't remember exactly what I own, but I do know that I don't need it all anymore. It is funny how well I have adjusted to not having all my things around me. I still am sentimental and want to keep certain things but have learned to let go of others. I don't need to keep every single item in my life to keep the memories I have...and that has been a hard lesson for me to learn. I also think that is it easier for me to let go of possessions now that I have found that one thing I truly needed in my life...and I will never get rid of him!

I am exhausted so I will close for now. I will post pictures soon of the new place...once I remember where I put my camera!!

Star Wars and Design on a Dime

Greg and I made a trip up to Wichita Falls this past Fourth of July weekend to visit with one of my best friends Debbie and her family. Greg knows all about the Neely family and their importance in my life but had not had the opportunity to meet them yet. Little did I know the bonds that would be forged over the four days we visited!

I had told Greg that Luke was introverted like himself, while Aidan has never met a stranger yet. They boys had not seen me in a year so I was prepared that there might be some adjustment time. To my surprise, there was none and after what seemed like a few moments, Greg and the boys had bonded. We brought some of our Wii games and remotes with us just in case we all decided to play. Greg and Luke played most of the weekend except when we dragged them out of the house to eat and watch fireworks! Aidan loved watching them play so Debbie and I had some quality time! While my popularity with the boys didn't even come close to Greg's, I was grateful to have girl time with Debbie. We fixed up Polly's room, organized the boy's room, ran errands and went wedding dress shopping while our boys were saving the galaxy. It was a very productive weekend for all!

I had to make two collages of pictures so you can see that Debbie and I actually were there this weekend!!

We had so much fun and it served as a mini vacation from hectic Houston. Our friend and wedding photographer Kelly Trimble was generous to let us stay at their house while they are on vacation. I was sad to not be able to see them but so, so grateful for their hospitality. They have an adorable house which made the weekend pleasant as well.

After we had to say goodbyes and turn off the Wii, we headed to Shelia's house for dinner. Shelia has been another mother to me since I was eighteen and I cherish her so much. After raising her four grown children, she and Robert and now raising three more children all under the age of five! They have their hands full but it is so obvious to see how lucky Payton, London and Braiden are to have them. The kids are so happy and truly adore the Henderson family. We ate great food and watched the kids play outside. All in all, it was an amazing weekend!