More Fun on Spring Break

They wanted to go to the very top!

Myra stayed home with me yesterday again.  In the afternoon we smuggled Lucy away and went and saw The Lorax.  Not a bad movie, but the fun part was just being with the girls!  (-:

Home With Little Bear

I always loved my Spring Breaks because I could spend some extra time home with the girls.  Now that Lucy is off at school, just me and Myra.  We had a fun day, playing Legos, stopping at the playground, and making Rice Krispie treats.

My Hockey Room Takes Shape!

How long have I waited for this?  And now I finally got to hang it in the hockey room!  So So So exciting!

Stadium Seats

Yes, those ARE genuine seats from the demolished Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.  My dad actually hauled some years ago, and kept these in his garage.  I said when I got a bigger house, I would take them.  And here they are!

Happy Easter!

Thankfully, as you can see, the Easter Bunny DID find the girls in the new house.  Lots of new hiding places for him to hide eggs in, but they did a good job finding them!

Easing into the New House

Things are starting to get back to normal in the new house.  Girls, as you can see, are enjoying their games and toys again.  I cut the grass for the second time yesterday. Kerry has been cooking and baking.  Got lots of projects (some, I am keeping for when you come down, Dad!), but we will just hit them as we get to them!

The Blur of a New House

Yeah, total blur.  Unpacking the PackRat.  Getting a U-haul and hauling the stuff from our old neighbor and the storage unit.  Cutting the grass.  Wow.  How in the world did we do it all last week?  Good news is we have both cars in the garage and the majority of things unpacked.  Even my Hockey Room is moving toward completion.

No April Fools'--We are Moved In!

Yup!  In the new house.  Although this picture was taken before all the Pack Rat and U-Haul stuff was added.  We unpacked enough to where we have one car in the garage now, but still got lots to go.  Got all the big furniture in, so that's good.

Mc BurgerKing

Lots of fast food recently due to the move (more on that later).  One thing I got was a Whopper and fries at BK.  And some GREEN ketchup.  Cool!

We're Ready!

Old house is empty.  Pack Rat full.  Will be leaving Monday for the last time.  Will spend two nights with the Flanigans, then new house on Wednesday! (-:  More to come...

Inspection and Appraisal--Check!

Looking out to the Backyard at New House

Yup, finished up the inspection and the appraisal this week.  Things are moving quickly.  Only 2 1/2 weeks until close for both houses.  Just starting to get a little excited.  This weekend we have been packing, packing, packing.  More of the same next week, then the PackRat comes the Friday after that.

My Crazy Daughter

So Lucy loves to use the camera on our tablets.  I will find the photos and see just all these crazy pictures she takes of herself.  She makes me laugh!

St. Patrick's Tradition

Boy has it been awhile since my last Shamrock Shake. Definitely 20 years or more.  I picked the girls up at school recently, and we headed to the new McDonalds near Triangle Town Center.  The girls had chocolate, but I went for Shamrock.  Not as green as I remember, and not as minty, but mmmmm...still good!

It's Ours!

Well, that sign definitely says it all.  One of the original houses we wanted from the start ended up being 'the one.'  We originally passed it, since it reported only three bedrooms.  After not finding one the weekend before, we looked more closely, and sure enough, 3 bedrooms and a bonus.  GREAT!  We really like this house.  Classic on the outside with a great backyard.  Huge crawlspace under the entire house that you can walk with your head up for most of the time.  Definitely very pleased.  Now just to do home inspection, finish off financing and close on the 28th.  Busy times!

Snow Delay

FINALLY!  A little snow, but we got some.  Now 70s this week.  Winter is probably done.  But at least a little!

Good News, Bad News

Good news: house sold
Bad news: all the houses we want are selling.

We went out Saturday, looked at a huge number of houses.  The one we wanted went to another bidder.  Looks like another trip Saturday.

Ready for A New Buyer

So the painters came Thursday.  Painted the kitchen, the bedrooms, and our bathroom.  We really like the China Doll (Sherwin Williams) color they painted upstairs.  Friday they came to take pictures of the house for the website.  So by COB Monday, we'll be officially on the market!  Next Saturday we will go with the buying agent to look at some houses out and aboot.

Yeah, We Like the Canes!

Lucy picked this outfit for Savannah when my folks were down.  Yup, we're all Caniacs!

More Housework Going On

Spent the day home today to have many, many rooms painted.  Phew!  I believe I may just be high on paint fumes.  So tomorrow they will come and take pictures, and officially put it on the market.  They put a huge for sale sign in the yard on Sunday.  Things are moving quickly!

Our 'Baby' Is FIVE

Unbelievable that Myra is now five.  So she will start kindergarten in just a few months and Lucy will go on to SECOND GRADE.  How old am I getting?

Myra received a scooter for her birthday.  Already riding it pretty well.  Our nice spring in winter has allowed for lots of those opportunities.

And it Starts...

New carpet was installed today.  A lot of work going up to it, moving furniture and stuff.  Then afterward, moving everything back, or into storage.  So why storage?  Yup, we are putting the house on the market and will look for a new, larger one.  Finally, somewhere to put my hockey items!  Updates to come!

Planting Seeds

One of the things I love to do with my girls...we had a bunch of left over seeds from last year, so we decided to plant them.

More Myra and Lucyisms

Anytime we pass a Sheetz--
"Sheetz alert...sheetz alert...whoop...whoop
--
Myra, this morning, as I drove them to Grammie's house and the car was icy, while we waited for the defroster to work--
"Go Kia Go...Go Kia Go"
for about 3 miles...

More at the Shearers and Novaks

Yeah--look at all the red and black--they're closet Caniacs! 

Sweet with Aunt Cheryl

Santa brought me Google TV--So Surprising!

Myra's Wrestle Buddy

Santa, Reindeer, Lucy, and Myra

Christmas at the Novaks

Another Good Looking Crew!

Christmas with the Shearers

Lucy and Nana 

PapPap and Santa's Helpers

They look up to no good!

Canes vs. Pens

Not a bad looking family!

Christmas at the Flanigans

Mark received a pack of mega gummy bears 

Playing with a World Puzzle

Sharing mind powers with Aidan

Grandpa and his girls

Sue used Christmas marshmellows in the sweet potatoes--yum!

Christmas Morning, 2011

 So after Christmas Eve service in Wake Forest, the girls settled in for a mid-winter's nap.  Kerry and I woke up first, as the girls have been sleeping in until 7 every morning this break, or even later.  Lucy finally did wake up on Christmas morning a little before 7.  We told her to go wake up Myra, figuring this could be trouble, as groggy as she can be sometimes.  Not today.  She FLEW down the stairs, and dove into her stocking!

Home Theatre

Ok, I had a little fun with this one.  I was waiting for my Sony Google TV/Blu Ray player from Santa, but we wanted to watch Mickey's Christmas Carol.  So I hooked up my little Pocket Projector, put it on a tripod, hooked it up to my laptop, and we watched it on the wall.  Cool!

Boots...Finally...

Santa brought the girls all kinds of great things--including these fashionable boots.  They were ADORABLE Christmas day!

Christmas Came and Went...

Let's Bowl...Let's Bowl...Let's Rock and Roll...

GREAT time though.  Just so quick.  The girls and Kerry go back to school tomorrow.  I go back Tuesday.  One more day of cleaning out.  Did kitchen drawers and garage today; attic tomorrow.

Had lots of fun memories, bowling with the Flanigans, nice hike at Hidden Lake, hurting my foot (of course not a fun memory), the Pens game with my Dad, and all the great times with family!

Macbuntu

Yup, finally got Ubuntu on the old (5 year old) Macbook Pro.  In fact, I am using it right now.  It has made an unusable Mac usable again!

New Vibram Day

Wanted to do more trail running, and possibly run the Falls Lake 12 Mile Trail Run in April with Kerry.  Tried running in my regular Vibram, but all the rocks, roots, and such made me walk the majority of the time.  Enter Vibram Treks.  Got them for 1/2 off...lots of tread on them, and the mesh covers my foot.

Hockey Night in Raleigh

 Got some last minute free tickets Thursday, so Kerry's dad and I got to the Canes game.  Good game, they ended up beating Vancouver for a hugely needed win.  Pretty sweet seats too, 107, row Y!

Louisburg Christmas Parade

Last week I served as a parade organizer through the County's Chamber of Commerce that I serve as Director on.  Pretty neat--seeing how things are organized on this end.  I was very surprised at all the horses, including this one!

Happy Birthday, Kerry!

My wife turned another year older, or another year wiser I will say.  I am blessed to have her in my life as wife, mother of my children, and best friend!

Skating Downtown

Never had the chance, until yesterday, to skate in a Downtown outside.  Yesterday, that changed, as we went to the Downtown Raleigh Winterfest and skated outside, in the shadows of skyscrapers.  So much fun!  We had not been skating since two years ago, I believe, so this was a lot of fun.  Girls did good, picking it up pretty quickly!