- Fair Family -

Another year has come and gone and Harper's old promise came true: off to the county fair for some family, fellowship and food!

Scarlett was old enough to partake in the rodeo action this year...

...and of course, the livestock barns are always a hit!

The county fair queen came to the kids' daycare last month to read books and paint rocks, and we found Harper's special rock on display!

THEN...drumroll..........we bumped into the beautiful queen herself!  And NEXT, a few days later, Harper found all her momma's old county fair queen attire in the closet at Grammy and Papa's house.  If the crown fits... ;) :)

The family that "fairs" together stays together! I love this simple yet rich little tradition we have! :)

- Soffit and Fascia -

Amidst all the craziness of July, we hired this guy [Bosso? Bosco? Bronco? We'll never ever know.] to sneak in and throw up the soffit and fascia around the outside of the house. He was only there for a few days, so I didn't get many pics [totally cramping my style!]; however, the house finally looks finished from the outside and this is something to celebrate! 

[July 2019]

If you're gonna roast your bootie off on a black roof in the middle of July, you might as well get a good tan doing it.....#amiright?

[Many a days] after the gutter guy rolled out, Brian skipped up the ladder to shingle up the eave returns.

[August 2019]

Hello, house!  :D 

- Packing and Moving [Round 2] -

The long story short goes like this: after the house sold, we had 30 days to turn around and pack all the rest of the stuff we originally left inside to "stage" it for showings.  And oh my GOSH, [a very sarcastic] cheers! to! moving! again!  I literally cannot BELIEVE how much sh*t we've acquired over the past five years of living here, and I think know I could live the rest of my life without ever needing to tape up another large cardboard box and stuff it full of junk..... *gag*

Thankfully, we had some good little helpers... 

...and a few late night trips to Jack in the Box to put some pep in our step [fried tacos have a way of getting us through our worst times!]...

...because mannnn, oh man, packing and unpacking and arranging and rearranging F-O-U-R trailer loads of junk from the old house to the storage unit made for some exhausting evenings!

Alas! We finally loaded the last truck-full and pulled away with no regrets! 

Never looking back! 

Hasta luegoooooo, baby!

We officially have this listing/selling/packing/moving chapter behind us, and let me just say one thang: IT FEELS SO GOOD! :D 


 

- D to the R to the Y-WALLZ! -

Literally hours after the spray foam/insulation was finished, this amazing drywall hanging crew rolled in and rocked our socks off.  [Oh, but should I mention that this was the SECOND crew that Brian had to line up to work??! The first group of guys got sick of tapping their toes forever and ever awaiting spray foam dude to show up and spray, so they finally and rightfully threw in the towel and scratched us off their schedule. Rawr.]  

But ANYWAY, one full weekend of work + a few hours of finishing-up work the next weekend and...ummm what's that you just said, sir? You're ALL DONE???  YES!  Ahhhhh, it just rully feels RULL GOOD to be back on track with the contractors who show up as scheduled and get down to business as soon as they arrive.  And the work looks great!  Thanks, guys!  You 'da bomb diggity. 

Then! Just hours again after the hanging crew finished, the mudding/taping crew swooped in.  They put their noses down and got right to work, too, but HOLY bags of powdered donuts..... I think I spotted a new bag in each room each time I visited, so either someone is speeding towards diabetes or mayyyyybe a sugary snack is the secret to success? We will never ever know.

Alas, when you add a couple weeks of solid work  with a little help from the mini mudding/taping evening crew...

...all the sudden, it's donezo!

Weeeee for D to the R to the Y... We have DRYWALL!

- Going, going, GONE! -

The i's are definitively dotted and the t's are completely crossed; we sat inside the title company for FAR too long this morning to close, but it's officially a done deal!!! 

This ole' shack is going...

...going...

...GONE!!!  

Couldn't. Be. Happier. !!!

We also couldn't have been more pleased with how the whole process unfolded, and the biggest "THANK YOU!" goes to our amazing realtor.  He was the most relaxed guy imaginable, yet he laid out and executed a flawless plan and had the house under contract in <24 hours after it hit the market.  Thank youuuuu so much, Troy!  We appreciate your professional recommendations and expertise and truly enjoyed working with you! 

Lastly!  I got a [tiny] bit sad driving away last night knowing we'd never again step foot in this little house that so quickly became a home!  I know Brian and I both will forever cherish the days we lived here as we spent our newlywed years under this roof and also brought our two sweet baby girls home to thrive inside these four walls.  This humble abode has seen countless laughs and a whole lot of love! 

So long, sweet home... Thanks for the memories!  :)

- BOOM POP BANG! -

Happy 4th of July from our firework-loving family to yours! We celebrated in the usual style: family BBQ + fireworks on July 3 and a laid back day throwing Pop Rocks on the deck and catching some local fireworks on July 4.

Happy birthday, America!  Cheers to another year of friends, family, and freedom!