Yes, we still exist. No, we did not die in the summer heat or get bit by a big, nasty rattle snake. Nope. We weren't killed by Shamu or any of his friends nor plunged to our demise in the beautiful Riverwalk. None of that. Just living in the chaos that comes with moving to the other side of the country.
How to best catch you up to speed? I think I'll break it down by month. Buckle for safety, here we go~
June:
1. On our way down here Ash contracted a nasty virus in her throat which led to multiple doctor visits before the right diagnosis and meds were prescribed. :(
2. We found our new home on the second day in town! Went through all the inspections and crazy loan process with the help of our AMAZING Realtors. They truly were incredible to work with and so friendly and knowledgeable!
3. The four of us slept in one room. Our friends graciously opened their home to us for the weeks in between arriving in town and closing on our house. I'm sure they were as happy as us that we found the house quickly and they closed within weeks! They also have two children (who are amazing!) so the girls transitioned pretty flawlessly.
4. Found that the San Antonio area is very efficient when it comes to roadways and I love it!!
5. First friends booked a trip down to see us which was so awesome to look forward to!
July:
1. Closed on our new home before 4th of July but had to wait until the weekend after to have the movers move us in.
2. Enjoyed going to a small town parade and fireworks on the 4th!!! This is a tradition that Greg and I love to do and I'm so glad that we were able to continue it with the girls this year!
3. We found that lizards coming into the house were about as common as house flies. Crazy at first, but sadly now I'm used to it.
4. We went to Sea World at least a dozen times. Never gets old. It's only like 10 minutes down the road which is AMAZING!!! Especially, on hot days to go chill out at Aquatica Water park. Love, Love, Love!!
5. Our first guest came and we were able to do a bunch of touristy things like the Riverwalk boat ride, caverns, downtown, Sea World, North Star, etc. So great to have friendly faces from home here!
6. Ash tried her hand at beauty school on her own head. Not so great. She now has bangs. ugh.
7. OUR TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!! Luckily, our friends who came down saved the day and extended their trip and switched their plane tickets so Greg and I could go out for dinner and a night on the town. Other plans fell through, so we are going to make our eleventh anniversary a "ten year re-do"! :)
8. Kay turned SIX!!! Hard to believe! What a great little lady!
August:
1. Another great friend came down for a visit for a couple of weeks and we got to do more touristy things in between some everyday chaos.
2. Registered Kay for FIRST GRADE! Crazy. I was blown away that there was no registration or textbook fee. None. Ever.
3. Kay got glasses. Love them on her and she gets compliments on them all the time.
4. Lots of time at Sea World :)
5. Picked up a dresser out of a garbage pile and made it into our entertainment console. Love it!
5. Kay started first grade. Loves her teacher and is making friends! She is doing really well in all areas which exciting for her as she is a bit of an overachiever already.
September:
1. Greg started the month out with crazy hours at work. One week he had put in 82 hours. Absolutely insane. Praise God he is salary with overtime pay as acquired.
2. Labor Day weekend ! Caught up with some new friends and relaxed then spent Monday at Sea World!
3. Kay joined the cheer team at her school. It has been great for her coordination and memorization skills. I think she is doing quite well as a first grader!
4. Ash started preschool and apparently keeps her teachers laughing for three hours straight. So that makes one overachiever and one class clown. Awesome.
5. The girls participated in a cheer camp held at the high school. They loved it. They learned cheers in the morning with a short dance and then preformed on the field that night with the high school cheer team. What a hoot!
6. After several weeks and episodes of Kay being very sick and having severe stomach pains, she had an upper GI scope done. Her esophagus is quite inflamed and it appears her gut function is not up to speed. So, they took a few specimens that are being tested for a variety of things and she is on a routine of three medications as well as avoiding dairy for now. :( Looking forward to the answers soon!
7. We ended the month going up to Dallas to check out the state fair. They say it is the largest state fair in the country and I believe it!!! It was awesome and so much fun with the girls!
October:
1. Celebrated my 24th birthday, again. Great day! Greg took the day off and took me to a cafe he's been wanting to try out. They had delicious coffee!!! oh my! Then we went up to a huge outlet shopping center in San Marcos, which we have been to a couple of times, but it was so nice to go during the week. Then we picked up Kay from school, took her to cheer then out to dinner at the Tower of the Americas. It has a revolving restaurant at the top with breath taking views of the city. The girls were mind blown by it!
2. We are enjoying the mid 80's with an incredible breeze. So nice to be able to still wear shorts and sandals!
3. In the mornings it has been in the 70's. The locals are layering like it is in the 30's. I'm going to just have to get used to this. And I apologize to the little boy I laughed at (inside my car) who was wearing a winter hat the other morning. But really people...that is just not needed when it is 70 degrees out.
If you made it this far, congrats and thank you for sticking it out with me!!
Monday we headed up to the German town of Fredricksburg and had a traditional German lunch. After we filled ourselves with great food and traditions, we cruised over to President LBJ's Ranch. It is a National Historical Park and for very good reason!!! It is coined as the Texas White House as he spent much of his presidential term at the ranch. He said that he felt confident and at home there and he would bring the big wigs there, on his turf, to make things happen. The house has been remodeled to the original decor from the years of his term in office. Lady Bird still lived there and it was considered her permanent address up until her death in 2007. While they did remodel EVERYTHING back to the 60's, Lady Bird had told the planners before she died that if they put shag carpeting back in the house that she promised she would haunt them. I love the sense of humor that they appeared to have had. 
