Wake Up Call

So, this morning, Chris and I awoke suddenly, staring at one another wide-eyed as we heard what our fuzzy brains could only register as a fire alarm of some sort... but a little more distant than one would expect, considering we have an alarm in our bedroom.

What could it be, we wondered? The security alarm? No, in the many, many times Chris or I have accidentally set it off since we got it, it never sounded like that. Not my car alarm...

"Oh, wait!" Chris says, suddenly alert. "It's your cooking timer, I bet!" I roll over and check the time - seven what in the morning? My cooking timer? Huh?

He dashes off to go check and the silence that shortly followed confirmed his guess.

It was then that my sleepy mind began to roll back far enough... some 13-odd hours back... to the night before when Hayden decided she wanted to play with the kitchen timer. Because it beeps. And, apparently, because that's a fun trick to play on your parents the ONE MORNING we are attempting to sleep in.

Really, though, it's not all her fault. I could blame the one who's idea it was to hand it to her when she kept leaning and grunting, reaching for it (mine), or blame the one who forgot to check to make sure the damned thing was actually off and not set for 13 hours and 23 minutes of cooking time (ahem. CHRIS?!?!?)

I'm not sure what the kid was cooking, but I'm guessing she wanted it well done.

We've got mail.......box

After 6 months of concerted (read: totally disorganized) effort, we finally have a mailbox up at our new place. We moved in to our new home over Easter weekend, and now on the eve of Halloween and the other fall holidays, we have a new home for our mail to go.

It has taken 6... no, wait, 7 trips to Home Depot, 2 trips to Lowes, several hours of online searches, and many, many trips to the end of our driveway to complete this surprisingly complicated project. First we got the box. Then we had to go back to try to find the right post for the box. And go back again to try to find a post. And look somewhere else for it, then go back to the first place to see if we could settle on one of theirs. Then go back to the second, before finally determining the first one we saw would do the job just fine. Then there was the contemplation of house numbers. Oh, the agony. Finally, we found the right numbers but decided we'd need to stain the post for them to show up properly. Another trip - first for the stain, then back for a brush because we realized we couldn't find out paintbrushes from the move. And so on, and so forth.

We have had the post in the ground for about 5 months now, and have just been waiting on the right opportunity to stain it. Finally, I began working on the project in baby steps over my lunch hour a few weeks ago, and go us to the point of needing just the box.

After much ado (I'll spare the oh-so-exciting and gory details) (By the way, have I mentioned how well Chris and I work together? It's amazing we're both still alive after building this house, I tell ya.), we finally were getting the box set in place last night, just as a couple of the builder's guys drove by. They, of course, had to stop and congratulate us on completing this massive task, which they could have completed in under an hour if we hadn't been so damn cheap to want to save the $20 we'd have had to pay in contractor's fees. I seriously can't remember why we chose not to do that, and I'm electing to not remember that that was an option from here on out.

Hey, when you've got a 10 month old, a new house, 13 acres in dire need of maintanance, and you both work full time, you celebrate the small victories.

Who wants to bet the first piece of correspondence we get after all this effort is junk mail?

Babyproofed? Mostly. Childproofed? Not even close!

We had some friends over this weekend for a lunch after church, and it was quite a large crowd, including about 10 children or so. I love kids, and we certainly welcome them in our home, but we found out that while we might be prepared (on at least the most obvious levels) to let Hayden roam about, we are no where near ready for youngsters that are as mobile and wired and tall and HUNGRY as the kiddos that came this weekend.

For instance, I keep a dish of chocolates out on a table to satiate my occasional sweet tooth. I have a variety of the oh-so-decadent Lindt truffles to indulge in on those "nothing but a bite of chocolate will do" days. Although it took awhile for me to link the two, I eventually realized that the fever pitch of the children's laughter and activities was a direct result of the echoing emptiness of my chocolate bowl. Seriously, two of those things are like the equivalent of a full sized candy bar, and these kids knocked 'em back like a bunch of chocoholics that just fell off the wagon!

Also, when I saw two of the little 'gentlemen' bolt into our guest bathroom straight from the dinner table with a napkin-covered something or other in hand, I realized that Chris probably hadn't envisioned his Victorian-era high tank toilet being used to dispose of someone's unwanted veggies (at least I pray that's what went in there!). Thankfully the pull-chain flusher on the toilet did slow them down, at least for a bit. My mother in law noticed that one young fellow had been in the restroom an exceptionally long time, and called out if he needed help. He, of course, didn't want company and she fetched his grandmother to see if we could lure him out. His grandma asked him if he went potty... "yes"... and if he got his pants back up... "yes"... and if he washed his hands... "yes"... and if he'd flushed... "I can't figure out how!" came the plaintive wail! Once the chain was properly identified as the method of flushing, it became a source of amusement for the entire under-10 crowd, I believe.

All in all, (knock on wood) no permanent damage was done, and we learned that there's a little more than socket covers and door latches on our childproofing list!

Anyone else find out their house was not as childproofed as they thought it was through a similar experience?

Partied like it was 2009! Part I

This weekend, we used the excuse of our new house, our new baby, and a long weekend to celebrate with all our friends. In classic Chris and Bonnie style, we threw a Low Country Boil with absolutely no experience (except our annual trek to The Crab Shack for a massive helping of the delicious shrimp-y, sausage-y concoction), and very little preparation. And with classic Chris and Bonnie style, it came off like we knew exactly what we were doing, and we had an amazing time!


This was a true test for our house, which we'd spent years designing and building. We LOVE to have our friends and family gather in our home - hosting dinners, soirees, parties and pickin's are our cup of tea! My home feels alive, and happily full, when I have friends over, and Chris and I wanted a place that allowed us to bring as many in as we wanted, for any number of events. We wanted a place that Hayden can grow up and feel comfortable bringing her friends over to play and explore and eat and enjoy. This wonderful, wonderful house passed the test with flying colors. To me, a home is not the brick and wood that it is built with, but it's the family and love it can contain, protect and nurture. I was thrilled that the weather was perfect for opening the doors along the back of the house, and everyone was able to flow in and out amongst the rooms, around the porch and through the spaces easily, and without it ever feeling crowded, and without it being too loud from the merry making that was going on in our living room.


Speaking of merry making, and the baby grand piano that was being used to make merry... I like to pick on Chris about how he handles my lists, which I'm sure are an endless source of amusement for him in and of themselves. I'm a list maker. That's what I do. Going to the store? I make a list. Going to bed? I make a mental list of everything to do the next morning. Throwing a party? I make lists of the lists that I need - guests to invite, food to buy, things to clean, to purchase, to throw away... I love a list! Chris takes my lists in stride for the most part, and does a good job in helping me knock off the items on them. Most of the time. I also think Chris secretly adds his own items to the ends of my lists and decides to focus his energies there first.
That, my friends, is how we came to have a baby grand piano sitting in our living room the day before our party. Granted, the house was designed in part around having a piano there, and it was always part of the plan to move one in... I just didn't figure out until Thursday or so that Chris's plan was to move it in now. Before you go getting all impressed that we have a baby grand piano, you should know that it was given to us by our real estate agent, on the condition we get it out of another house she was trying to sell (it had been given to her by the owner, on the condition she get it out of the house). It's not much of a piano, and in terrible need of a restoration that Chris says we won't invest in for this particular model, but as I've mentioned before he has grander plans (no pun intended) for a piano.

However, no party would be complete (apparently) without a piano, so in the days, and hours, before the get-together, as I was scrubbing, sweeping, wiping, washing and cooking, Chris was cleaning up, dusting off, moving and tuning our PIANO. As you can imagine, he was high on my list of favorite people at the time. Thankfully for him, and our marriage, our friends Carrie and Joel came to save the day, and as Chris and Joel tuned each key, Carrie helped me vaccuum, move furniture and clean. All in all it made for a fun pre-party party, and we got it all done in time, so we were both happy with the results.

Playing in the dirt

Today our very good friends (now upgraded to great friends/saint status) Carrie and Joel helped us with the beginning of what promises to be a massive undertaking - landscaping this bad boy of a 13-acre yard. While never in any of our weirdest dreams do we imagine doing the whole thing - most of it will remain forest and pasture - just to get the area around our house, driveway and pond looking minimally decent involves way too many blisters, splinters, dirty knees and gazillions of plants to think about right now.

Joel has put together an amazing landscape for our "immediate yard", I'll call it, and it is truly something to behold. Granted, it may be years before we are far enough along for you to behold it, but it's a dream garden. It looks like Calloway Gardens, or will, in our yard. Spectacular, really.

Today we rose at the crack of dawn and went shopping for the foundation planting materials. We then headed to the house and began some seriously backbreaking work of getting the ground ready, digging many, many, too many to count holes, and carefully depositing the first of what will be quite a few plants.

Joel and Carrie stuck with us all day, saved Chris and I from what would surely have been a much less fun task alone, and made enjoyable, if not quick work of all the digging, tilling, raking, hauling, unloading, digging, strewing, planting, covering, and digging.

We unwound with a quick but yummy dinner - the first at our new house! on my new stove! that now works!! - then headed off to a Big Chicken barbershop concert, where Martha's Finest performed and Hayden got her first-ever song dedication, "Daddy's Little Girl". It was a tear-jerker, for sure, and Hayden loved hearing her Poppie sing to her!

There is life out there!

We have internet, people!!! AT. OUR. HOUSE. Seriously, I am sitting here in my master closet/office (whole other story entirely) typing to you on our brand spanking new wireless internet connection. Who needs jewelry, or cable, or ice cream??? I have INTERNET! After 8 1/2 loooooonnnngggg, dry months, we're back online! Wooooo freakin' Hooooo!!

We're pretty jazzed about it. I'm just sayin'.

Martha would be proud

At some point, I swear I'll get some pictures of the house now that we're (dare I say it?) finished, or something pretty close to finished.

For now, I am excited to present my new kitchen. We finally have the finishing details completed, which includes the big light, the light that cost Hayden her college tuition, the light that ET boarded at the end of the movie, the light I thought we were crazy for getting, but am SOOO happy with now that it's up. THE light.

The only thorn still in my side for this room is the stove. This, you may remember, is the second stove we bought for this room (by the way, I have a gorgeous new Dacor perfect for someone who has natural gas - willing to sell VERY reasonable!), and when we got it installed, it started tripping the circuit breaker. Grrr. The joys of a "floor model - sold as is." Eh, life's a crap shoot... A service call later, I don't know any more than I did, but the very nice repairman promises to be back at my house next week with a part that should, should, fix my stove. So, barring any more issues, which knowing us, we're bound to have, we should be grilling steaks on my gorgeous new grill as I bake a lovely souffle by next weekend. And those of you that know me well know that is about as likely to happen as Chris getting over the antique car obsession. But we'll probably slap some wienies on there and call it a night. Hey, live big!

This is, all jokes aside, in many ways my dream kitchen. I have a walk-in pantry, a huge island - love my island! - an amazing convection oven and great stove, a beautiful centerpiece of a light (did I mention it is BIG?),a great refrigerator, tons of storage space, and even a pot filler! Oh, and one of my favorite features, a mixer shelf! Right there in my island - I can just whip my mixer out anytime the baking bug hits and voila!, we can have cake! or pie! or cream cheese icing (just for you, Chris)! All without me having to lug my big heavy mixer out of a cabinet somewhere. It will just appear as if from nowhere! That's the dream!!

Come on over. We'll do dinner Martha-style. I'll crack open a box of mac and cheese, grill a few dogs, and we'll use my handy-dandy mixer to whip some ketchup for a gourmet flair! (Hey, just because I have the kitchen doesn't make me any better at using it. One thing at a time, people.)

Things that go *bump*, *beep*, *crash* in the night...

Last night, our second in the new house, we were awakened several times to play the fun new-homeowner game of "What was that noise?" Actually, more accurately, Iwas awakened by the sounds; Chris was awakened by me.

First off was a loud crash as we were drifting off to sleep. Never truly figured out the source of that one, but we think it was our new oven vent damper. Maybe. Hmmm...

At about 2 am, we were awoken to a shrill, intermittent beeping noise that sounded suspiciously like our smoke detectors. I got up and followed the sound to the kitchen, thinking that perhaps it was an alarm on the stove or refrigerator. I got into the kitchen just in time to hear it beep again and realize it wasn't coming from those appliances, then it stopped entirely. Weird. Back to bed I go, and just as I'm drifting back off, BEEP. Seriously? This time, I made Chris come with me, because I was getting pretty jumpy (those of you who know me well aren't at all surprised by that, I know). I told him it was just too suspicious that as soon as I walked into the kitchen, the noise stopped, and as soon as I got back in bed it started again. Coincidence? I think not! Chris agreed. He told me that it was a device and plot hatched specifically to push super-paranoid overly anxious women (or their husbands) over the edge. He said they probably sold a kit. Nevertheless, the came with me, and we were able to track it down to the dining room - where there was NO smoke alarm - before it stopped again. See? I'm not crazy after all. Then I remembered the carbon monoxide alarm I stuffed into a box as we moved out of the old house that probably was getting low on batteries about now. Okay, so maybe I am crazy... Mystery solved, now I just had to find the darn thing in one of the boxes. Half asleep. At 2:30 in the morning. Piece of cake.

Ah, the joys of new home ownership!

Daybreak

Our first morning in the new house - Easter morning. We were greeted with a gorgeous sunrise, one of God's reminders of his love and power, which we soaked in from our bedroom and from the back porch. How good it is to be home.


You know, I can't see a beautiful sunrise or sunset without wanting to call my mom and share it with her. Growing up, on road trips when we'd travel overnight, she'd wake us up in the morning to peer out the rear window at the fiery colors exploding across the sky. On nights there was a full moon, we'd shuffle outside in our PJ's to see it's glittery brightness, and if there was ever a meteor shower or other celestial event, we'd drive out to a dark field somewhere, climb up on the car and huddle together under blankets to count the shooting stars.


Somehow it seemed fitting to wake up our first morning in this new house, with the beautiful rainbow of colors streaming into our room. I turned to Hayden and told her to look outside at this wondrous morning God had created for us to enjoy and celebrate, and I thought of Mom. I love that I have a daughter now to continue that tradition with, and I know that no matter how old I get or how far away I am from my mother, she'll always be close by me at least twice a day - when the sun rises and sets. I love you, Mom. Thanks for all the memories. Good times, good times...

Moving Day

Today was moving day at the Padgett household. My folks and our nephew Kyle pitched in and helped us haul all our MANY, MANY belongings from the Woodstock rental to the new residence! Chris's parents took babysitting duty and kept Hayden amused while we lugged stuff, and they made an amazing barbeque lunch for us all (complete with a banana pudding!). We earned it, though. With one major Uhaul load from the house, and two from storage, plus the 100+ year old butcher block from Chris's parents' house, we were WIPED when we finally got finished! Then, Chris and I had to go fetch the doggies from the rental, for our first night together in the new house.

Thanks to everyone who helped us move - we could not have done it without you.

Now, seeing all the stuff we toted into the house, it looks more like a garage sale in here than a new home. I may just have to have a yard sale to get rid of some of this junk! Where did it all come from?!? I swear, I think all our stuff just multiplied like rabbits while we weren't looking! After 8 months in the rental with just a fraction of our belongings there with us, I have to say, we can definitely make do with less.

Oh, and one other thing we've decided we can do without a bit longer - TV. We've not had cable since we moved to the rental house, and we've decided we don't miss it. We have a TV in our room for the occasional movie or DVD of Friends (my one TV addiction), but we don't want one in our living room. In part because we don't want to waste the money on cable, in part because we don't know where to put it, and in part because when people come to visit, we want to spend time with THEM, not sitting shoulder to shoulder letting the cable wash over us in hypnotic waves.

One thing we can't do without any longer: the Internet! Our new addiction! That's one I'll be happy to have back!

For now, good night and sleep well (I know we will!).

Fingers Crossed

Breath held, 4-leaf clover in hand, lucky stars counted, prayers said - we're supposed to close this afternoon! I am trying not to get my hopes up just yet, but if all goes well, we'll be the proud new owners of a brand new bank note this afternoon! Oh, and a house about 30 years from now!

What is the boiling point of brain?

We are working fervishly on the final figures for our house, to get everything set up for closing, which is currently scheduled for Thursday, but I'm now being told may get postponed to give the bank time to figure out what the heck we've just sent them... putting our locked in, wonderful mortgage rate at risk!!! ARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!

Deep breaths, deep breaths, deep breaths. We WILL get through this, we WILL get through this....

The difference between a man and a woman

I am sure there are a vast number of differences between men and women, and specifically Chris and me. These differences are usually highlighted when we are attempting to move, or perform some joint physical task. That seems to be the area where Chris and I have the least in common, and are most prone to friction.

Yesterday, we went to pick up this cutie pie little rocking chair for Hayden,along with two adult-sized versions for our new porch. (Have you seen this porch?! It could hold a dozen rockers; our budget unfortunately, will not)

We went to load our 4Runner, which we weren't entirely sure would hold all three rockers and all three passengers, but we were game to try. I held Hayden as I watched Chris try to push and contort the rockers into various combinations, including one that had the back of a rocker balanced precariously over Hayden's carseat, all to no avail - the legs or the rockers or the arms stuck out the back of the vehicle too far to close the hatch.

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Me: Here, hold Hayden a minute.

Chris: There's no way you're going to get those in, Hon. They just won't fit. We'll have to come back for the other one.

Me: Here, just hold her for me.

Chris: Hayden, let's watch Mommy. She thinks she's going to engineer a solution here...

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Thirty seconds later

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Chris: See? I told you it wasn't going to g-

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I close the back hatch with inches to spare

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Chris: I am NOT believing you got those all in there.

Me: Told you. (because sometimes, you just have to say it.)

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Granted, my talent for efficient packing of boxes, cars, suitcases, pretty much anything has, on the rare occasion, been a, well, let's say a bit of a challenge to our relationship (read: Chris has threatened to leave me standing with the frickity-flippity-frickin pile in the middle of the driveway on more than one occasion). I think of it as a gift. You give me some dimensions, an empty space, a container that needs filling, and I will find the way to cram as much stuff as neatly, efficiently and organized-ly as possible. No matter that it may take me an hour or more to get it just so, but it will be a work of art when it's finished, and I dare you to find the package or parcel that will slide out of place on even the tightest corner turn.

Chris, on the other hand, despite being a bona fide Georgia Tech engineer, has a knack for fitting the absolute fewest items into the space as possible. And they are guaranteed to turn upside down and spill into every crevice of your vehicle at the first pot hole. To give him credit, though, he is probably the fastest packer in history, next to his brother.

His brother is a whole other brand of fast. And it's not so much packing, as moving in general. When we got to the house yesterday to show Randy and Abbie, we had a small load of items in the back of the 4Runner that I was going to carry to the attic. As we were showing them around the house, I went out to the car and grabbed a couple boxes. By the time I got to the attic, I heard a noise behind me and there was Randy, arms laden with our stuff, asking me where to set it. I swear, it's a compulsion for him. If there is moving to be done, he's gotta do it. That's some efficiency there - I have to admire that about him. I haven't witnessed him pack a car, but I imagine that his packing could rival my own.

The point of this story is not to say my way is right, or Chris's is right, but to say, please keep us in your prayers as we begin moving this week.(Yes, you heard me right - we are going to MOVE!!!! FINALLY!!!!!) Due to our different moving styles, I fear for our marriage, our sanity, or both. Actually, we survived moving into the rental house while I was 5 months pregnant and not allowed to lift a thing. I think our marriage will survive the move, but our sanity is definitely in jeopardy.

And she said, "Let there be tops"

And behold, there were tops, and she saw that it was good.

Lookie what I found when I went to the house at lunch today! Yippie!



The granite is a Brazilian rock, called Giallo Ornamental, and although Chris swore he'd only want dark tops if we did granite, we are both so happy with this color!


Master Bath vanity going in...

I'm lovin' it!

Kitchen Update

We went by the house yesterday evening, and were so thrilled to see all the progress that was made yesterday. The kitchen cabinets are mostly installed now, the slate hearth and fireplace surround were going in, as were the living room stair railings, and the front steps were getting ready to go in. WOW! This was a mega-Monday, for sure!

I can barely contain my excitement now that we're so close, and am loving each new detail that is completed!

Here's a left hand view of the kitchen, with the refrigerator surround and island in place. You'll have to ignore the light - that's where our Tiffany lamp will go, but the shade is put up for safe keeping. I think I'd have a coronary if someone put a ladder through that glass... Ouch. It hurts to even think about it!

Right hand view of the kitchen with the wall cabinets in place.

This is a close up of the cherry cabinets, which will be the feature around our stove. They go perfectly with our floors, and the wood is so beautiful! I could marry these cabinets, I'm so in love!



Here's a non kitchen-related shot of our stairway in the great room. They're working on the wrought iron railing, and it's another piece we've been itching to see fall into place.

*sigh* Okay, break's over... back on my head.

Progress!!!!

At lunch today, I took a little drive over to the new digs to see how things were going, and lo and behold! there were cabinets being installed in my new kitchen!!! After a little happy dance with the cabinetmaker out in the driveway, I went inside to see these little beauties settling in to their new homes...

This is a shot of the left side of my kitchen. These creamy, ivory cabinets run along both walls, with a gorgeous stained feature in the center of the room, which will surround my stove and oven in a fireplace facade.

The right side of my kitchen, where my sink and dishwasher will live.

My kitchen island. This is a pretty daring color scheme for me - ivory, cherry and GREEN, but it really looks soooo lovely, and I can't wait for my beautiful granite countertops (in Giallo Ornamental, a cream/gold color with brown striations) to be installed on them! The island is sitting in the dining room in this picture, but it will eventually sit below my gigantic tiffany lamp.

I can just taste the C.O. (certificate of occupancy), we're so close now!