The Latest Happenings

Yea, yea, yea - I know, it’s been too long. What’s sad is I really have no excuse. I think I had it in my mind that I would really get moving on my blog once I learned a little more about my new computer. We paid for this “One-On-One” training thing at the Apple store....I just haven’t started yet. No reason. Just haven’t done it.

So what have I been doing? Hmmm. Well, let’s see....I suppose the most exciting thing to happen in recent events was the purchase of our new home! Now I’m really kicking myself for not keeping up with the blog the past few weeks. The sequence of events leading up to that was just mind boggling. Let’s retrace our steps:

1. Discover that we’re moving back to Dallas 2 years too early. Decide we should buy a house. Start working with a realtor.
2. Determine that we’d rather travel our little hearts out and rent an apartment for a year or so.
3. Move from Germany to Dallas and live in a hotel for a month and a half.
4. Pass by some beautiful townhomes and write down the website. Learn they are much more affordable than expected.
5. Decide that we’re crazy and squash that idea.
6. Drive by beautiful townhomes with Mom and walk through the model home just for kicks. Immediately fall in love.
7. Take Brad back for a look....he falls in love. Only problem - our balcony will back up to our neighbors giving each party a clear view into the other’s house.
8. Squash the townhome idea for a second time.
9. Spend all of Columbus Day looking at apartments. No luck.
10. Brad gets a half day the following day so more apartment shopping. Narrow it down to two....but can’t make a decision.
11. Make my pro/con list (because we all know I’m about as type A as they come) - still can’t make a decision. Both apartments waiting for our phone call to firm up the lease.
12. Phone rings. It’s the agent for the townhouse. She convinced she’s got the perfect place for us with no balcony issues...so we go for a visit.
13. Two days later we’re signing a contract and the house is ours!

Our families think we’re crazy because everyday for about three weeks we had a different story about where we’d be living. But I think in the end, EVERYONE is happy. Brad, who over-analyzes every tiny detail about our finances (which I love) is more than certain we’ve made the right decision.....so I am too. We move in the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Brad doesn’t know this yet but we’ll be moving in to the sound of Christmas music. It’ll be the greatest day ever.

I’m counting down the days until we’re in our own place and sleeping in our own bed on our own pillows. (Did you know I've been living out of a suitcase and sleeping in a bed that wasn't mine for 64 days now? But who's counting?) Fortunately, we were able to move out of the hotel and into a corporate apartment for the time being. It’s small but much better than living in a hotel room. That was only great for about a week; I have no problem making my own breakfast so the hotel life wasn’t really worth it. HOWEVER, since we stayed there for 43 days I’m already a Gold Level Starwood Member which means our trip to Sonoma in the Spring may be covered...well, the hotel part of it anyway. Be jealous.

Ok, enough about our living situation. I’m even bored with it. What else has been going on? Well, Brad’s best bud, Josh Mueggenborg, got married in Oklahoma City (Yukon, to be exact) on October 16th. The bachelor party was the weekend before so Brad has had his fair share of travel across the Red River these past few weeks.

We took our cousin, Aaron, with us to the OSU Homecoming game last weekend. It was my first time back since the big surprise last year and Brad’s first time back since the Bedlam game in 2008. We gave Aaron the tour of campus and even got him wearing orange for the game. This was quite a feat as he's grown up in a family of die-hard OU fans. I think he looks good in orange, don’t you?

Stella is loving living in Dallas. She has grandparents that adore her and spoil her rotten. I can only imagine what it’s going to be like when we have an actual child. This is just hilarious. She has spent quite a bit of time at my mom and Riley’s house where she gets to run and run and run to her hearts desire and Riley sneaks her cheese every chance he gets. She’s also made two trips to Oklahoma to my in-laws house; of the 30 stuffed toys she had for their beagle to play with - only 2 have any stuffing left. One word....rotten. But I love her.

For the most part, Brad and I are acclimated to being back. However, I still find myself wanting to call Walmart and Walgreens, Valmart and Valgreens. I still have Euro change in my wallet (or vallet) and I don’t see myself taking it out any time soon. I’ll occasionally say “danke schoen” to a cashier without realizing it. And I get frustrated when driving on the highway that semi-trucks are allowed in the left-hand lane....and that I can’t go as fast as I want.

I’m not going to lie, I have had moments where I wonder why on earth we ever had to leave Germany and that I’d give anything to just hit the rewind button. But all in all, it has been great moving back. I can’t tell you how excited I am to move into our new place. And I love that we get to see our friends and family as much as we do. (Peeps in Germany - don’t think we don’t miss you.) The only missing puzzle piece is where I’ll be working but I have faith that’s going to work out, as well.

Ok, my goal is to actually go to my “One-On-One” training at the Apple store and potentially revamp my whole blog....or at least post more than once a month. Baby steps, right?

Until next time....