SOLD

Hope you didn't get too attached to these little guys...Farmer T just reported that he sold them.

However, he did apologize for calling Seven worthless. Apparently Seven made a bit more $$$ than he had  predicted. (Of course, this was no surprise to me. I had a good feeling about that little guy...)

Bye baby NinetyFour.

Farming can be so emotional!

The Setback

When we began the whole 'house' process we mentally prepared ourselves to be held up by the different teams of contractors. All the home improvement shows warn of the rogue contractor that delays and sometimes ruins the whole process. However, we were not prepared for hold-ups caused by the supply company. The order for our windows and doors that we thought had been done a month ago, in fact had never been placed at all. Not only had they not been ordered, but the supply company is having some financial troubles, so they won't be ordered. We had to start from scratch with a whole new order from a whole new company. Now we'll have to wait three to four weeks. While we wait, piles of bricks and sand also wait in neat little piles.

You can kind of tell the color that house will be...

The electrician is getting started by installing the can lights.

This pile belongs to Mr. Heating&Cooling...

...he also got started the other day and installed the intake.

Future home of the washer and dryer.

While they also wait on windows and doors, The Fitzhugh's have started on Husband's storage building.

It is hard to believe that just a few months ago, this area was nothing but trees covered in briars and vines!

This was the street view from last Tuesday....

Check out the storage building now!

 We know that everything happens for a reason and are trying not to let this setback slow us down too much. While we're waiting to finish up the outside, there is still a lot that can be done on the inside. (Which is what I can't wait to start seeing!!!)

Fiesta

I've finally accepted the fact that I'll probably always be a little bit behind on my posts. So.....

Last weekend we went to a little fiesta at my friend Mrs. Jones' new house.

Mrs. Jones' and I go way back...we were in the same rush group, pledge class, business classes, roommates in grad school, and even bridesmaids in each others weddings. Over the years I've learned that she loves decorations almost as much as she loves Michael Jackson. Every event she hosts always has a little extra flair, so I should have expected nothing less when we arrived at her fiesta!

Needless to say, when we realized there were moustaches lying around, we all put them on.

The girls and I were all friends in college and this was the first time that some of our fellas had ever met before. There is something about wearing a moustache that really breaks the ice.

...and then, with a junior high flashback, it morphed into ear hair...

...Fu Manchu...

...and the unibrow!

We were so distracted by the moustaches that we forgot to take a group picture without them!

One Day...Two Babies

Last Wednesday, one of our close friends had a baby! Baby E weighed 7lbs 9 ozs and was 18 inches long. What hair she has is dark like her mom and big sister!

And I held her!

Yesterday we went by to see them now that they're all settled in at home. While I was holding her, she woke up and declared that it was snack time. Her mom handed me the doll-sized bottle and walked away. (What kind of mother leaves their new baby alone to be fed by me!?!?! Oh, and burped!!!) The good news is that I didn't break her and she is too young to remember any of the ordeal! Hopefully she won't be traumatized for life.

In other news...I fed another week old baby yesterday too.

Meet Cash.

He lives on our friend T's farm and was a twin. Apparently cows will only recognize one baby at a time, so this little fellow got the boot. Fortunately, T came to the rescue and he and his dad are bottle feeding Cash until he is big enough to join the others.

I mean, look at this face. What kind of momma cow could abandon this face??!

No worries, Cash. I shall help feed you!

He finished this bottle in 2 minutes flat!

...and then wanted some more!

FYI-cow tongues feel a lot like cat tongues.

I have also been promised by Farmer T, that Cash will most certainly NOT end up on a dinner plate. All minds can be at ease knowing that Cash will live a long and happy life...although he'll never be a bull, but that's a different story.

While at the farm, we took a tour to see how my other cow is doing. Let me explain...A while back I picked a cow to be 'mine' but that would still live on the farm. Farmer T would simply be responsible of keeping me updated on her well being. Number NinetyEight was my first cow, but her well being was always a bit vague. Then I discovered that my NinetyEight had been sold without my knowledge or a proper goodbye. Although it took some time to recover from the loss, it was finally time to choose her successor.

Meet NinetyFour...

But wait...what is this!?!? Another NinetyFour?!? As it turns out, I've got a package deal. NinetyFour-cow and NinetyFour-calf.

Poor FiftyTwo. The partial horn is giving her a bit of an identity crisis. Don't judge.

Then we have Numberless. He is small for his age and has been deemed unworthy of a number by Farmer T. 

But I think he has potential...and shall call him Seven. 

Back to School

Sadly, it is that time again...The end of the summer and the beginning of a new school year. I am an advisor for the Chi Omega sorority in my town, so this also means recruitment time.

Last week was full of late nights at the sorority house surrounded by the most energetic group of ladies. I had forgotten how quiet this town can be over the summer when they're all gone! It really was a fun time, although I'm still trying to catch up on my sleep.

We all waited in the 100 degree south Alabama heat and humidity for the newest members to run across the hill to the XO house. I will say, my new member educator picked out some cute bags for the girls...I've got my eye out for one of the extras!

 Waiting for the new members to get there was even more exciting this year. Husband and I both have cousins that will be freshmen this year and were going through recruitment. I was beyond excited to find out that they would BOTH be members of my sorority. It is a fun experience to share with other young women, but even more so to share with my own family. I know they've chosen a wonderful home away from home and will make so many awesome memories over the next four years.

My cousin (on the left) with her new "owl pal."

Husband's cousin and I manage to look cool in this picture...even though we were sweating like men!!!

All that action took place last week, and this week was the first week of school for our ladies. Diva is in the 9th grade and started her first year at the High School. G is in the 5th grade so this will be her last year in the elementary school. 

Their schools made the switch to uniforms a couple of years ago and I am a huge fan! Not only do all the students look nice and neat, but it makes our morning routine way easier! The girls had a great first week and enjoyed getting to see their friends after the short summer.

Sweet sisters! I hope they are always as close as they are now.

Updated tour

We have had so much stuff in neat, little piles around the house. Ask Husband and he'll tell you that I'm not a big fan of piles. It makes my heart smile to see everything being used and these piles gradually getting smaller and smaller. Here is a pile of roofing "stuff."

...and one of a zillion piles of shingles surrounding the house.

A pile of miscelanous pipe equipment stashed in the laundry room...

A pile of lumber stored in the garage...

A pile of sawdust on the kitchen floor...

I've finally uploaded the pictures from August 3rd! Let me take you on an updated tour. Fitzhugh widened and centered the mantel to make room for the TV that Husband is drooling over.

If you look past the tall wall above the mantel, you can see the girls' loft area.

We made a minor adjustment in our shower which resulted in a fabulous L-shaped bench.

The stairs look a bit more stable than the last time I showed them to you.

 

Thankfully we were able to get some functional windows in the guest room so that we can actually use it as a guest room! (Note: piles of scrap wood in the floor)

Now we'll have a room for visitors without having to boot one of the ladies from their rooms.

 

Again I'd like to point out exactly how high the Fitzhughs are when they are working. This balance beam of a 'floor' is what they use when working on this window 20-something feet in the air. (yikes!)

The next plan is to floor some of this attic space so that we'll have added storage.

Diva's room will have access space to the attic for her storage too. My favorite part of her room is the view. She will have a completely open view over the trees and a front row seat to some pretty amazing sunsets.

If you peek down through Diva's walls, you will see part of our closet (left) and bedroom (right).

Little G's only request for her room is to have a window that "opens out." She has spent most of her time at the house out on the roof. (Could this be a warning sign for her teenage years?!?!)

Check out the dining room! We'll have columns on each of those bases that look like chairs right now. This room has served as the sawing room for the framers and has been full of sawdust. I began cleaning it up the other day, but was cut short. We came out after work one day this week and the entire house was swept clear of sawdust, nails, and scraps. I thought I'd been visited by the house fairy!!! It was the best surprise ever! The wife of our husband/wife roofer team is not a fan of this roof. She feels it is too steep for her to climb on, so instead she spent the day sweeping. BLESS HER!!!

The foyer is a nice place to house saw horses, right?

 

The foundation is ready and the supplies have been delivered for the storage building.

 

I'll leave you with a two week old street view. We now have shingles on the roof and piles of bricks surround the house waiting to be put on the house. We also have a huge sand pile in the front yard. While the brick guys think this will be to mix the mortar, G thinks it is for her to play in!