Embrace The Camera: June 16th

It's been a while since we have done an embrace the camera Thursday. So here is a recent pick of Miss C and I surviving 102 degree heat at the San Antonio zoo. We love the park train!

now it's time for you to embrace the camera.

so, are you ready to embrace the camera?

here's the nitty gritty:

1.  take a picture with you and your kids/spouse/family member/friend/whatever.

2.  blog about that picture and include a link to The Anderson Crew

3.  link your blog post up on mr. linky.

4.  visit the other embracers...give each other lots of compliments about how good we look with our greasy hair andsweatpants velour jogging suits on.  cause yah, we need a little boost when it's been days since our last shower.

5.  have fun!

Send me a comment if you embrace so I can come visit your blog! 

How to make moving go faster

How to make moving go just a little faster! Ok maybe not faster but more fun for sure. Let me just point out that the lady in gray busting a move is about 6 months pregnant!

Miss C and her boyfriend J "crazy boy" as she calls him, love Justin Biber the movers... not so much!

Suburban, Urban and somewhere in between

The house has been packed and unpacked and we are making an attempt to get settled in to our new place. There are till some loose ends to tie up but over all we are moved in. 

We took the BIG leap to URBAN living! We choose to rent a apartment right smack in the middle of Down Town Austin. I couldn't be more excited, I love living close to everything. Sure I have to walk my two dogs several times a day in 102 degree heat and sure I don't have a back yard but babe I got Austin back!  I learned a big lesson, suburbia is not geographical it's a lifestyle. Although my suburbia was only 19 miles from the city center it was a 1000 miles away from what Austin culture stands for. I have been sitting here 20 minuets (shhh don't tell Mr. T cause there is piles of laundry on our bed to be done) trying to think of the words to describe what it is about Austin that I love. I thought of a column I read last week by one of my favorite locals, Kristin Armstrong. The column was titled The Plague and talked about the horrible "plagues" that come down on Austin each year: cedar, pollen and all the other things that make us feel nasty during our many allergy seasons. Kristin proposes that "perhaps God understands that without regular plagues, far too many people would relocate to the fine city of Austin, rendering our hometown overcrowded and overrun with outsiders. He understands our need to keep Austin weird- small, and comfortable, and just the way we like it." I read that and said AMEN! Really? I love this city so much that I too feel I need to protect it from outsiders and find the silver lining in allergy season? Yep it's true, this farm raised, small town, stanch republican East Texas girl has grown into a true Austinite. Not that I mind people relocating here BUT leave your big box stores (except you H&M your welcome) LA attitudes and those awful strip malls in your old city! 

So here is my new motto I am applying to my life! 

If the way Austin is going makes you mad, don't get even. Get odd." 

- Dr. George Greer

So after 11 years in this fine city I am proud to call it home. I'm excited to watch Campbell grow up in a city that is so wonderfully WEIRD! I want her to take advantage of everything the city has to offer.  

So I know living Urban won't work for us forever and we will buy another home soon but I will not buy in another "big box" home & live on scrapbook island. I'll be much less concerned about the fancy house and focus on finding the perfect little "weird" Austin home. Hey I might even go watch roller derby and get a pair of Birkenstocks! ok that pushing it, Austin I love you but I am NOT wearing Birkenstocks. 

So you can find me,

Some where between Suburban and Urban 

I'm one proud Mama! Miss C's 1st dance recital

A little R&R before the show with a mani/ pedi

Hair and Makeup begin 

Ballet Costume

Beautiful flowers from Great Grandma Freddie 

Ganny, Nana, Pika & Mr. T

notes from the suburbia pool

Mom, to another mom: We should come here tomorrow while the kids are at school.
Other Mom: "The pool doesn't open until after school gets out."
First Mom: "What? Why?"
Other Mom: "Because they don't want to pay the guards to watch people drink too much in the middle of the morning."
First Mom: "Ooooh, someone has been getting drunk here during the--- oh, you mean us, don't you?"



Boy, to friend: "Are you doing swim team this summer?"
Friend: "Yeah, my mom is making me."
Boy: "Carly is on swim team. Alex told me."
Friend: "Really?" [pauses] "Still, it's so early. And it's not a two piece."

Princess and the Wii

The 21st century princess has a Wii rather than a Pea!

forgive me blog for neglecting you

I have been feeling guilty for neglecting my commitment to myself to blog at least once a week. I am so attached to my little "digital scrapbook" It's the place where I store all our family memories and here I am not documenting all the craziness going on around here. The post I have made are so short and choppy I will have to go back and rewrite them. So the reason it's been so crazy around here is we got an offer on our home. Actually we got the call from our agent while we were in Vegas for my birthday and probably in no condition to be working a deal! 

See I told ya, 

REALLY SHOULD NOT BE DOING A DEAL

But in this market you gotta do what ya gotta do! So via telephone, text and the help of our awesome real-estate agent Laura we managed to get it done. By the time we landed back in Austin we had countered and settled on a price. If you have ever sold a house you know that is JUST THE START.

After the reality set in that I was going to be MOVING WITH A KID and had no idea where we were moving, other than out of suburbia, panic came in full force! We have decided to rent and take our time shopping. I thought no big deal there are 100's of great apartments & condos downtown. WRONG! Turns out almost every apartment & condo is between 94 & 97 % full. So my choice of floor plans and locations was limited. So I spent 3 weeks shopping for a place to rent. 

But the real work was going on back at the house. Turns out the buyer is a details kind of guy and after the inspection was done I hand my hands full of repairs. Keep in mind my house is only 3 years old and in fabulous condition (if you met or know Mr. T you know this is very true). So long story short I had to deal with Stucco repair, roof tile repair and some kitchen & bathroom stuff. (Also if you know Mr. T you know he is not a DYI guy so I was left holding that ball or in this case a caulk gun)

Now after over a month we have made it threw all the stages of selling a house and are waiting on closing. You know what that means? 

PACKING

packing 2 adults, one toddler & 2 dogs

moving with children takes packing and planning to a whole new level

Our attic alone scared me. It looks like Ann Frank lives up there. I guess it was the only room Mr. T got to decorate so he really outdid himself up there. 

Here s 1/2 the attic moved to the garage 

The thought that I actually have enough stuff tho fill these boxes scars me!