This Old House - Downstairs Part 1

In May of 2008, about two weeks before I even met Chad actually,  I closed on my  first piece of real estate.  Not having a significant other, nor family (obviously) at that point in my life.. My criteria for my first home was pretty simple.  Bigger than my 800 sf, one bedroom apartment... A garage to protect my car from all the freak hail storms and crazy weather we can sometimes get.. And something very low maintenance.  It took awhile...but after several weeks of searching, I finally found this old house.  At 1788 sf, it was plenty for little 'ol me.  Lots of charm, cute older neighborhood with huge trees and grass I didn't have to maintain myself!  Perfect!  Right from the start, these walls have seen my life unfold in the best possible way.. 

On May 25th, Mr. Kelley walked into my life and right from the get go.. (knowing almost immediately that he was "The One")... I reeled him into house projects.  It's almost like I could already see my future in that house with him in it.  He helped pick paint colors... (and of course...I put him to WORK right away!).  He helped paint, pack and move me (and all my 800 SF worth of stuff) into what would soon become OUR new house.  It was perfect for us.  

Now before you look at these "before" pictures and think... "WHAT THE HELL WAS SHE THINKING?!?".. let me just say that this house was a foreclosure.. and a STEAL!  A deal I couldn't pass up.  I knew I could make it mine with a little elbow grease and some vision.  And because the price was so great.. I knew when it finally came time to move on to the next house, I'd make a little somethin' extra for the savings account.  ;)

With plenty of projects to tackle, and LOTS of imagination...

Our house went from crazy fun house-land...

To comfortably OURS...

Not everything is perfectly set up for pictures.. these were just snaps I took randomly one day.. 

From YIKES....

Obviously a BEFORE picture...

To very much US...

Kitchen tile is a bit YIKES for us.. but.. hasn't really ever been a priority to change..

Same goes for the cabinets.  That and our budget hasn't stretched that far.  ;)  

There's obviously more to the downstairs area but due to the packing process we are in right now.. more pictures of our current house will have to wait.

Here's a looksie around the front and back of our townhome though taken back in 2008 when I moved in..

Community Pool and Clubhouse just steps away.. :)

View from our back patio... 

Water Bear

If you live in Texas, you know that there are only a few ways to get through the scorching summers.  Sit inside and "wait it out" ;), live in a pool or head to the beach.  

Yvette usually hunkers down inside....traveling from one air conditioned space to another. ;) Although growing up in South Texas afforded us the luxury of spending our weekends at South Padre Island (where my parents parked their travel trailer every summer), I still wasn't ever a big fan of getting into the water.  I hate being hot.  I hate sweating.  I don't like the ocean.  Sand in hard to reach places?  No thanks!  Needless to say, water and Yvette have never really been friends.  Mere acquaintances at best... but best buds we are not.  

Enter Chad Kelley.  Growing up in California with beautiful weather year round, living and growing up on the beach...practically swimming from birth...his idea of summer was a little different than mine.  And his love of the water is still a mystery to me.  I knew though, from the moment we got pregnant with Everleigh, that I wanted all our babies to love water.  Or at least be comfortable in it...and absolutely know how to swim.  So once this summer rolled around, the first thing I did was buy my bear a swim suit.  A cute one at that.  Then we waited.  And waited.  Til Chad and I were free (and our neighborhood pool wasn't busting at the seams with people).. 

Then.... It happened.  The pool was EMPTY?!  Could it be true?  On a GLORIOUS day no less when a VERY unusual cool front had come into town.. (in JULY?!).  SCORE!  We were on it.  ;)  

Our Bear's first swimming pool experience... in pictures ;)  And yes there are TONS.. because this new mom wanted to capture our bear's first time "swimming" for posterity.  :) 

No paparazzi photos please!  ;)  

Rainbow Bear :)

Took her two seconds to realize this was MUCH more water than she was used to during bath time. :)

And LOVED IT!

 

Mommy cute little water baby! :)

Then she wanted to drink it.  :)

 

Not quite sure how she was feeling about The Daddy Disappearing Trick.  ;) 

Didn't dunk her head all the way in.. 

Just got her hair wet...for now.  :) 

 

 

   

More tongue action ;) 

So serious.. 

Just lounging with Daddy.. :)

 

   

 

And we're spent.  Super tired baby after a fun time in the pool :) 

(And yes... mommy did take two different hats to the pool for one baby.. ;)