We have floors!

So awesome! And I think Zoe agrees:

Our floors (laminate wood-look primarily, with linoleum in the laundry) have been installed, and the house trimmed out. Painting soon, then plumbing fixtures installed. I am SO RIDICULOUSLY HAPPY to have that awful carpet gone. It's been in the house since we purchased it 7 or so years ago, we've power-cleaned it probably three or four times, but it was still so disgusting. You just can't keep that stuff clean with animals around. I'd much rather have area rugs that I can remove from the house to have professionally cleaned, or, worst case, gotten rid of if need be.

You may notice spots for TVs -

care to donate one?

Just kidding, of course.

Maybe.

Insulation, breaking through, and sheetrock

We finally have one big connected house. The exterior doors arrived, allowing us to insulate and put up sheetrock, as well as bust a whole through Zoe's old bedroom and into the new hallway. The 'new house' has heating piped to it, but the ducts are closed off right now to (supposedly - ha!) prevent too much dust from getting into the 'old house.' In reality, there is dust everywhere: our couches need constant vacuuming, floors dusting, return air filters changing. Soon, though, the new floor will be in place, which should cut down on the dust drastically. Looking forward to that point, when this will really start to feel like a complete house, instead of two different parts.

Mo is old

For my birthday this year, Kyle and Zoe made a donation to the Missouri state board of tourism, and in exchange got these wonderful t-shirts:

Thanksgiving 2010

We enjoyed this past Thanksgiving in New Braunfels with plenty of food and family fun. The night before, Pops, Preston, Kyle, Emmy, and I all went out to a honky-tonk to listen to some music and have a few beers. We ended up going home with a freshly fried turkey, thanks to Pops' bidding skills. Kyle suffered through the car ride back to the house, and the rest of us devoured it as soon as we got in the door. The next day after a wonderful meal where everyone pitched in, we were able to watch little Mark's football game on TV. They didn't win that game, however the team is still able to play in the Armed Forces Bowl on December 30th - keep an eye out for him! They've had a great season so far.
Zoe loved the weekend, primarily because she was able to hang out with cousin Emma the whole time:

Emma perfects her two-wheel biking,
while Zoe tries to catch her on foot

2 years old = 2 trips to the ER

Well, never a dull moment with a kid around.

About a month ago, Kyle was out of town the whole week. On that Wednesday nite Zoe's lying on the ground, w/o a diaper on. We've already very successfully and happily gone potty (yes! potty training has started!), brushed our teeth, and said good nite to Lola and Sophie. I'm already in my pjs cause it's sort of been a long day and I'm sore from lifting 600 pounds of bathroom tiles. I'm envisioning hot cocoa and some crap on TV, or the other book I just started (I can't seem to get anywhere on this historical fiction Civil War book). We're laughing and having fun. I pick Zoe up by her wrists and 'fly' her over to the dresser so we can put on a night-time diaper. She lands, looks at me confusedly, and starts crying. "Elbow! Icy!"
Again. I hate those unstable joints. Ugh.
Put diaper on Zoe. Put real clothes on both of us. Convince Zoe not to move her left arm during all of this. Call pedi nurse hotline. They call back one minute later and say to go ahead and take her to Dell Children's Hospital, thankfully only 5 minutes away. Ugh.
She was awesome in the car and the waiting room. Not crying at all, just watching everything and not moving her left arm. It was busy there - barely an open seat. She only started crying again when they wanted to weigh her and take her temp. Dr came in, did her rotating elbow magic, and said this will likely keep happening til she's about 5. Ugh.
Zoe said she didn't want to go home, she wanted to stay at the doctor's (the hospital).
We came home around 11pm to dogs that needed to pee, a daughter that wanted noodles (she got yogurt), and a bag full of odiferous diapers and human waste, which I had left in the hallway in my rush to get out. The next day was trash day.

Note that she did not in fact play with Aidan
the previous nite, but the previous week. Ah well.
Understanding time is hard.

Wurstfest 2010

Zoe sampling some of Mom's turkey leg while

Dad the vegetarian looks the other way

Though these weekends lately seem ridiculously packed, we were able to fit in a few visits to Wurstfest the first weekend and a Saturday day visit the second weekend. Unfortunately, this year on the first weekend I managed to completely forget my dirndl at home, on the bed, ready to be packed in the car. I remembered the petticoat, shirt, socks, shoes, but not the actual dress. Argh. Still had a great time, of course. We actually hired a babysitter that Zoe had never met before (a first) to watch her at Omi and Pop's house Saturday night. She certainly wasn't pleased with us, but thankfully was only awake for about an hour before crashing to sleep.

'Hey Dad! I want a try!'

getting every last kernel

On Sunday, like the previous day's activities at Tour de Fat, we were able to meet up with the Walters for a slight overlap pre-nap time, and there was amazingly gorgeous weather. Yeah for fall in Texas! Headed back to Austin during nap-time after a very busy weekend.

happily trying on her new dirndl,
courtesy of Elke and Christian

The second weekend we were able to try on Zoe's new dress courtesy of Christian and Elke's recent trip home to Germany. We also met up with them on the Wurstfest grounds. Again, gorgeous weather, but much more packed - I think everyone was finally realizing that it was the last weekend of Wurstfest.

a really happy Christian and Elke

round two of Zoe vs. The Corn

Meanwhile, this year Wurstfest introduced a local brew to the tap wall: Shiner Oktoberfest. Kyle spoke with one of the Wurstfest Opas, and apparently Shiner and Wurstfest worked closely together to make sure that it was a true to original Oktoberfest. They certainly have done a great job; the beer was awarded a gold medal at a European beer event. And best of all, a pitcher costs the same as the other domestic brews such as that mass-market beers made of rice. We didn't have to spend on the imports this year, and were able to enjoy Shiner, which is a great brew anyways.

Windows and Exterior Painting

yes, it looks like a cedar log cabin right now, but just wait...

Construction continues! Windows arrived, just in time for installation before a small bit of rain. Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC rough-ins, as well as framing, are all complete, primarily awaiting inspections (boy, does Austin have a crazy amount of inspections!). Exterior painting; we chose not to choose, and just matched the existing color. So goes it. Exterior doors should be finished soon, and then we can make that break through to the existing house and insulation and sheetrock can begin!

Ta-da! No more log cabin

In search of the yellow brick road

How many Dorothys do you know with two black dogs?

posing with a mummified teddy bear

For Halloween this year the Rodeo Gang dressed up at the foursome from the Wizard of Oz: Aidan was the Tin Man, Fletcher the Lion, Quinn the Scarecrow, and Zoe was Dorothy.

the Rodeo Gang

We were able to get them together twice to try for some group shots, though now that they are all two with minds and opinions of their own they're not as willing to follow their parents' every wish. It was really a cute group of kiddos. Now to brainstorm for next year!

Hey guys - where did the lion go?

Ah! He got the witch for us!
Maybe he'll defend us against the flying monkey as well...
now the girl never leaves home without
her red shoes and Toto

Thank you for your help!

getting ready that morning

With help from a lot of very generous people, we were able to raise nearly $1000 this year for Austin's Race for the Cure! What an amazing amount of help this will be towards treatment and support for those affected by breast cancer in Central Texas. Zoe was awesome race morning - she was convinced that pink was the color of the day, from top to bottom, including our special Race for the Cure leggings. And though we did lose one of the shoes on the walk (shoes rarely stay on her these days since she's learned how to put them on and take them off herself), it was a very successful outing. We again joined the Luthers, as we have for the previous two years, and continued our tradition of heading over to Waterloo for breakfast afterwards.
Thank you again to everyone for your help and support to this cause!

Zoe and me pre-race

Return of Tour de Fat

Again this year we attended New Belgium's Tour De Fat stop in Austin. Absolutely perfect weather for the event. A slightly different schedule than last year, to accommodate the Bird's mid-afternoon nap, though we were able to meet up with the Walters for a bit of an overlap.

Pink!

Here Zoe is last year:

and the year before that:

Now it's time for her third Race for the Cure. I'm horribly behind on fundraising (maybe because of this? Or this? Or, I suppose I could just be lazier this year, unfortunately), but we would both certainly appreciate any help you may be able to provide.

With your help, I've raised quite the money over the last 5 or 6 years towards this effort. And it's not just about finding a cure. It's about helping and supporting all of the people affected by this disease. Approximately 207,000 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and nearly 40,000 will die from it. Funds raised during Race for the Cure help these people, as well as their families and loved ones. Please support us in whatever manner you can. We really do appreciate every little bit!

Celebration

Remember this guy?

Well, he's hitched! The ceremony was gorgeous and moving, everyone was beautiful, and a fun time was had by all before, during, and after.

Zoe and Grandma waving at the farmers

playing with Grandpa's hat

hanging out on the front porch

We decided to drive out there this time, as Zoe's hit that magical age where she no longer flies for free. Who has the money to buy three airline tickets? Certainly not us, the Renovators. She's probably flown more in the first two years of her life than she will the next ten. So for the price of one airline ticket, though considerably more time, we drove there and back. On the way there we started right before bedtime, and drove straight on through morning.

Ugh.

Let me repeat.

Ugh.

Us drivers could not wait for that sun to show it's pretty little head, in the midst of Memphis traffic. (Which, by the way, the bridge over the Mississippi on a major interstate? It's down to one lane, only 11 feet wide. In both directions. Yipee. Try doing that on no sleep.) Zoe did decide to sleep from about 9pm to 2:30am. After that, though, pretty touch-and-go on all fronts. Thus, the plan of the non-driver sleeping while Zoe slept did not work. We were thankful to get to Grandma and Grandpa's house, and even more thankful for naptime.

Martha's brother rehearses holding a bouquet

A few days later, the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner (and drinks out with cousins and the groom), and the following day the wedding and reception. I had the honor of standing next to my brother as he and Martha said their vows. The ceremony was performed by someone they had known for over 10 years, which meant it was meaningful and specific to their lives. I think everyone watching cried at some point. Thankfully, my dress had pockets, which meant that Matt was able to get a tissue for his own tears. A neighbor from our old house was able to watch Zoe during the ceremony, which allowed Kyle and I to both able enjoy the ceremony. In the rush and emotion of everything, though, we of course forgot to provide her with snacks, which meant during the photos post-ceremony she was a bit cranky. Nothing that PB&Js at the reception (can you tell there were a fair amount of the smaller-age set anticipated to be in attendance?) couldn't help.

a beautiful bride and her handsome groom
(and us too)

Zoe wearing her second dress of the morning.
Yes, I'm glad I brought two!

And then the newlyweds were off - a classy hotel downtown and a beach-side week-long honeymoon. The rest of our extended family gathered at Grandma and Grandpa's house for a huge bonfire, dinner, drinks, and merriment.

there was a fair amount of cheering
over the Wisconsin game that night

On the way back we opted to drive 1/3 of the way, stop for the night around midnite, and then continue on the next morning. Little One, however, was completely out of sorts when we stopped at the hotel, proceeding with a fit for about a 1/2 hour, followed by delirious happiness and really wet kisses for an hour until sleep finally met us halfway. Mom, Dad, and Zoe slept in the formation of an 'H' in a king bed Kyle drew the short end of the stick with Zoe's feet stuck in his back all nite, but we survived. (Thankfully) Zoe was getting sick so she slept for about half of the remainder of the ride the next day. We were all glad to be home, and she perked up a few days later, back in her routine.

A truly memorable weekend. Congratulations Matt and Martha. Thank you for sharing your day with us.

Framing! Sheathing! Skylights! Oh my!

Well, we left to celebrate (next post).
When we came back, someone had dropped a house in our backyard!
Zoe was thoroughly confused as to where the slab went, but now she's climbing through walls like they've always been there. This is of course the part that seems to happen the quickest, magnified by the fact that we were out of town. It's pretty much slow-going from here on out, with small things that are hard to actually see. The next big jump will be the sheetrock on the inside - we're all looking forward to that.

checking out the shower, just like last time

What we're not looking forward to: the actual connection with the existing house. So far we've been relatively lucky as there's been little impact on the interior of the home; we've just been reduced to a 2-1 with no study (or, the study has been moved to the kitchen table). Once the connection happens, though, our other rooms will get tighter as we have to shift items back and forth to allow for finish materials in the new portion, as well as in the existing. Not to mention dust, dust, and more dust. But, all towards a goal, I keep reminding myself...

Skippin' School

A couple weeks ago Zoe had to stay home from daycare. She had a temperature the previous afternoon, and they won't let you back in until it's gone for 24 hours without meds. Kyle stayed home with her pre-nap, and we switched off during nap time. She of course was feeling fine the whole day, so they were able to go out and enjoy the beautiful weather we've been having. Here are a few shot from the Zilker Zephyr. It's a big hit with the toddler set.

Plumbing prep, slab pour

our new vehicle?

As part of the addition work, we're replacing our sewer line. Since we moved into the house, the sewer line has backed up/overflowed into our bathroom twice. That stuff is gross. This was in thanks to it's make-up (yup, that's basically glorified cardboard) and the proximity to the large pecan tree in our front yard.

swinging in a construction zone

a construction find - an old Coors pull-tab can

Since then the beams for the new slab have been dug, the slab was framed out, rebar placed, plumbing roughed in, and Monday this past week concrete was poured. Zoe usually asks where the workers have gone, and we have to explain that they have to go home to see their own families and sleep in their own beds. She thinks they should bring their beds here and sleep in the new house. I'm not so sure they would agree, what with there being no walls or roof.

Zoe checking out the shower with Dad

we'll have some grading to do...

Second Birthday Party

she ate the frosting

off of only three cupcakes

This year we opted for a combo party with all of our rodeo crew. Last year we had four separate birthday parties on two weekends. This year we went in together to rent out a place on a Sunday morning, have them cook for, and clean up after, us. This year's planning (in large part thanks to Valerie and Dallas) definitely wins. I think all of the kiddos had a good time, as did the other kiddos in attendance. And thanks to mimosas and beer available, I'm pretty sure all the parents did as well.

most of the kiddos in attendance

balloons are so pretty

wait, they float?

bring them baaaaack!

This group of babies
and this group of toddlers
are now this group of two year olds.
Wow.

Oh. I nearly forgot to mention - we had karaoke. With this footage, how could I forget?