Disney World

Last month we surprised Aidan with her first trip to the one and only Walt Disney World! We woke her up in the middle of the night on January 30th and headed for DFW Airport. She kept asking if we were tricking her, she cried from being confused and half asleep, and finally just decided to go with the flow. I thought, for sure, she'll figure it out once she realizes that we were headed to Orlando; however, not once did anyone ever say "Florida". As we were boarding the plane, she glanced down at her boarding pass which read "Orlando MCO". MCO being the airport code. She looked up at me and said, "We're going to Massachussettes???". I then looked at Troy, then back at Aidan and said, "Yes, Orlando, Massachussettes". Ha Ha! She didn't put it all together until we were walking up to the Disney desk in Orlando. She was so excited and shocked! We all had an amazing time! It really is a magical place!

Major Renovation Project--Master Bathroom

Our new fixer-upper is undergoing it's first major renovation as we are installing a master bathroom suite complete with tub, separate shower, toilet cove, double vanity, and walk-in closet. The space we are using is the original bathroom, laundry room, and one of the downstairs hallways. This past weekend we ran into some electrical that needed to be updated pronto! Adrian (our friend and construction expert) found some hot knob and tube wiring (the oldest form of residential wiring). Pretty dangerous considering this wiring conducts a lot of heat and was resting on insulation. Nice, huh? Anyway here is what we've done so far...
Before (Old Bathroom) Don't be jealous of the purple carpet ;)

Laundry Room and Old Hallway

So far we've knocked out the wall between the old bathroom and old laundry room to combine into one space.
Under Construction...
New Stuff

View from New Bathroom Door and New Closet

I know it's kind of hard to picture, but it is really starting to take shape...so exciting!! Stay Tuned!

Starting From Here...

Okay, so I have really slacked off for the past 6 months! Instead of trying to catch up and risk burning out on blogging, I'm just going to start again from here and pledge to be better. We'll see how long that lasts! Over the weekend, Aidan and I competed in a Tae Kwon Do tournament. It was a super long day and I'm glad it's over. You can see her compete in forms in the video above this post...
1st place-Forms

Aidan did such a great job and we are very proud of her for doing her best!

My Sister's Wedding

So, it's been forever since I've posted anything new on here....well, I'm really going to try and be better about this. Things have been crazy busy, between buying a house, trying to sell a house, my sister getting married, Aidan starting school, Aidan's birthday, my mom coming to visit, and the appraisal business staying super busy (deep breath). So, to catch up, I am going to start with Carrie's wedding. My baby sister married her sweetheart, Brian, on August 29, 2009. We flew into Charlotte the Thursday before and had a lot of fun hanging out with my entire family. Friday, the girls went for mani/pedi's and the boys went golfing. Jeremy and my dad got a good laugh when Troy, who had been golfing really well, accidentily chucked his club. Of course, as they're telling me the story later in the afternoon, I turn my head and look at Troy with disdain, thinking he threw it on purpose out of frustration...that made them laugh harder.

Us girls had a great time pampering ourselves and spending time with Carrie. The rehearsal dinner was held at Del Friscos in downtown Charlotte, and then the girls (minus Aidan) headed to the hotel for a slumber party. Wine, girl talk, and hair coloring...haha. So many laughs and silly pictures.

The wedding ceremony took place at St. Peter's Catholic Church and was BEAUTIFUL! My sister was the most gorgeous bride ever. The reception was held at Bentley's on 27, which, like the name suggests, is on the 27th floor of a downtown highrise. The views of the city were spectacular and the atmosphere was just perfect. Lots of dancing and memorable moments. We are so very happy for Mr. and Mrs. Brian Reid....(still so wierd to say that). :) Anyway, enjoy the pictures!

Finally....The New Old House

Well, June went by in a flash, yet dragged on at the same time. We closed on our new (old) house on July 1st after a 2-month-long fiasco with our mortgage company. For those of you who witnessed and heard all about the roller coaster ride that was buying this house, I will not recap the process. Plus, I'm just tired of talking about it. Bottom line...we have our new home and we are so excited. It is a 1920 Craftsman 2-story on 1.32 acres, detached 2-3 car garage, guest house, and in-ground pool! It was a foreclosure and we got it at a crazy low price. Woo-Hoo! We will be listing our current house this week so we have been busy moving a lot of stuff over to the new house, staging the old one, and trying to work and spend time with Aidan at the same time. Plus it has been so hot here with several 100+ degree days...ugh! So far, we've finished the pool...new pump, filter, drained, mucked, acid washed.