HOMELESS and CAR-LESS

More correctly, we are really just HOUSE-less and only 1 car less. 

Long story short: We did NOT BUY THE HOUSE. We backed out after the inspection report came back to us. We started feeling worse about it anyway after getting the Flood/Wind insurance quote back for it- which is on an Island the was destroyed 4 years ago by a hurricane. Being in a flood zone is no good for the price of house insurance, and we weren't prepared for the "high-risk" flood zone price- at all. We also would not have been prepared for the possible risks that the inspection report posed either, had they ended up being real problems.

We sold our 2nd car, the Civic, two days after putting it up for sale. It drove away from us on the 4th of July, the same day we decided not to buy the house. Suddenly, our "home" no longer existed and we were back at square one, with less than a month to figure out from Kansas City where we were going to live in Galveston, and having already made the trip down there. It was quite depressing. I felt so helpless because now that we sold our car, we weren't guaranteed to live close to campus anymore. The housing options down in Galveston were slim-pickings when we were there in person- it's even worse from almost 800 miles away.

But, as promised, THINGS WORKED OUT. I was relieved of that desperate, helpless feeling after only a day and a half. Everything came together in a way that we couldn't have planned better ourselves. Instead of being tight on money and in a house, we are going to be tight on space (about 1/2 the space of the house) in an apartment, but have a little more money. I'm grateful for that circumstance because sacrificing space is more worth it to me than sacrificing so much more money- that honestly, we didn't really have. There's still no doubt that it will STILL be tight for us until he finishes in 4 years, but we will be much better off financially this way.

It's a little 3 bedroom apartment, the same place where the people lived that we stayed with when we went to Galveston to look for a place- So only by default did we get to check the place out that we otherwise would have never seen. We are so lucky to have called the very day we did, b/c the 3 bedrooms are almost never available. It was perfect timing. The exciting part is that it's a nice place in a nice area, really good price for the island (all utilities included in the rent) and it's only 1 mile away from campus (located at the north end of the neighborhood we were going to buy in).  So the fact that we sold our second car became a blessing again, Scott's bike and the free moped we inherited from a friend a few months ago will be very useful again, as well as the city bus that comes right by (and is free for students).

We feel very blessed, grateful and relieved that things are working out the way they are. I know we will be much happier in this situation, however long it may last for. For more reasons than I have mentioned, it has been a good learning experience, with only a minor price to pay for it.

Just for some viewing pleasure, here are some 4th of July pics- mostly of Syd in her cute garage sale dress ;) Call us ghetto. I LOVE (good) garage sales!! :)

 Playin' a little Croquet- A Fourth of July TRADITION in our fam :)

The COLOR RUN, GALVESTON trip, TWINS

 The last two weeks- 

I'll start with the most recent...

THE COLOR RUN Kansas City

Who needs teeth whitening?! Just paint your face darker!

My sisters and I and our husbands have had this 5K run on our calendar for months now. No, we didn't really train for it, and no, it didn't really matter.
          It also didn't matter that we ran the "race" with my 8 1/2 month PREGNANT sister, and it didn't even matter that she cut a quarter mile or more out of the race by cutting across fields and other possible corners so that the rest of us could actually break a sweat to catch her. It was hilarious to see a big pregnant lady waddle-running by herself through the huge field very clear for all to see.
          There were 30,000 people that did the run in Kansas City, 15K of us on Saturday and the other half on Sunday.

Preparing for our super intense run 

There's a reason we registered as Team A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

 The START. See how FAST everyone is movin'?

We are FLYIN!!! 

 "You the man"

The first attack. "I surrender!"

 Let's just take a break in middle of the race for a picture..

Running to the finish line

"Wait! Where's Scott!!?!!" 

I went across the Finish line for the Kansas City marathon as well holding

my sister's hand and not Scott's. I WILL hold HIS hand across a finish line someday!

At the finish line everyone released their packet of color-it was a little hard to breathe for a moment. Mike got a little of it on video.

(Jeff's famous for these thigh shots)

Compare,

and contrast.

Thanks, Mike, for chasing strollers down hills to capture 

these moments on camera for us :)

My new favorite pic of us :)

haha

Shirtless for the ride home. 

Though, I don't think it helped much to keep the car clean ;)

It was a blast, in more ways than one. 

GALVESTON-  HOME HUNTING TRIP

We dropped Sydney off in Dallas with Scott's parents and cousins on our way down to Galveston to find a home to live in for the next 4 years while Scott's in med school. 

Those TX cousins sure know how to make a cousin feel special!!! I think they treated her like a queen- always on some kind of throne with her cousins surrounding her haha. 

 At first she didn't know what to think of all the attention from all the young people.

And then she loved it.

We got to spend some time with (my oldest sister) Sarah, and Eric and their kids too while we were in Dallas and got some fun pictures. Check out their sweet water-bounce house slide!

 Soccer lesson 101- foot on ball

Syd loved sitting in that chair in the pool. You'd think she was in time-out :)

GALVESTON

The beach, just down the street from our new home. 

Hazy morning- It was the hottest week of the summer so far.

 That's the Pleasure Pier in the distance.

          We didn't have any leisure time while there except meal time, which I thoroughly enjoyed, as always. When we found the house and didn't need to stay any longer, we realized we hadn't been swimming in the ocean yet and it was a must. So we drove way west (to check out that part of the island) to a secluded beach almost in the middle of nowhere and were there only 15 minutes when it was time to leave, take showers, and hit the road.
          Scott took one last dip and got stung by a jelly fish which I saw floating right next to him after it happened and we both ran out of the water. He had blistering bubbly welt marks on the back of his arm which burned throughout his whole body for the next hour.
We'll stick to the public beaches next time.

 This was moments after the sting. I should have gotten a picture of it!

TWIN WEEK
Two weeks ago, Scott, Syd and I made Michelle and Jeff's house ours for the week while we took care of Madie for them while they were on vacation. It was a little vacation of our own, and I got a tiny taste of what it might be like to have twins (Syd and Madie are only a month apart). The most noticeable difference from only having one: I was a LOT more tired at the end of the day--and I had Scott there with me all week to help!

What was more, my cousin Daniel, who is a twin, and is dating a twin, was in town with his friend who is also a twin. I mean, seriously??? The thought crossed my mind- Is this some sort of a sign? Am I going to have twins next and that's why I'm getting a little longer break after Syd? ha ;)
Here are the highlights from that week, including Father's Day dinner the Sunday before. :)

Those two boys are twins, but not with eachother. 

Dan, my cousin, is the one to the left holding Syd.

  We met some people from church at a park for play group...

...and then got MCDONALDS after!!! My dream as a kid; we NeVeR got MICKy D's! ;)

 After-dinner dip at the pool

 Silly Girls!

Costco

Best Buy. And trust me, they were most definitely NOT

in the carts the whole time. Bad idea!!! 

 It was a fun little week :)

The rest are from Father's Day weekend, or thereabouts

I always loved eating at "The Kid Table"

Such a big girl! (With pig-tails) :)

Hey, when you want water and there's a straw closer than a cup,

you do what you have to do

She was so proud to help wash the cars :) Great little helper!

Have I mentioned yet that her #1 most used word is "SHOO"? 

She is OBSESSED! And I know JUST where she got it from :)