On Your Mark, Get Set...

Start with the long list of updates! (I'm just jotting a list for you becuase I have been and continue to be so busy with school, homework, and well...everything) Sorry it's been so long!

• We've finally settled in to the house (no more boxes!) The walls are still bare, but that will come with time. Sitting in the wonderful box-free office typing this.
• We took a day trip to Nashville (Brown County) over fall break last week. Good times. Beautiful scenery.
• Master's work is in full swing. the semester is a little over half over, and I'm all the way over it.
• Survived parent-teacher conferences. No mad parents. A success in my book!
• Searched, and searched, and searched for a rug for our dining room. Finally found one at Target of all places. Love it.

Finally, a more serious update on our lives. If you could, please say a little prayer for my sister-in-law, Leah. She was in a very serious car accident Friday night/Sat. morning in Cincinnati with her boyfriend and two friends. She has some serious head injuries: bruising and bleeding on the brain, and some short term memory loss. We went down to visit her today. She has improved a lot and they don't think she will need surgery, but she can use all of the prayers she can get!

Still Here...and still unpacking

Actually the unpacking is almost complete. Yeah! We finally got up the energy and tackled all of the extra bedrooms today (we haven't had much energy after school and master's work is complete during the week). It had been a busy first few weeks. The first weekend was spent moving all of the things from my parents in, putting the kitchen together, and we underwent a massive cleaning operation.

Last weekend the blinds we ordered finally arrived so my dad helped us hang them. We went shopping for some household necessities, and epoxied the garage floor. It looks really nice, I can't wait to get to park my car on it (it had to dry for a week)!

This week we had an interesting experience when we turned on the furnace for the first time. apparently the people who put it in didn't totally clean it out, so when we turned it on all of the dust got forced through, creating a burning smell (no fire-thank goodness!), and set off all 7 off our smoke detectors. How scary-especially since I was home alone! Thankfully Jacob and Jay got it cleaned out, and we have heat (without the annoying beeping) now!

Today we worked on the bedrooms and bought a water softener. Jacob is planning to install it tomorrow. Hopefully that process goes smoothly. We are learning all sorts of things about being homeowners!

Helloooooo New House!

It's official! We're finally home owners! As of 4:00 today (the third rescheduling of our closing this week) we were signed, sealed, and delivered. As I type this I am sitting in my spacious, beautiful, new bedroom!

After a week (well I guess more like three years) of anticipation, let downs, and what seems like forever, I can't wait to get up in the morning and take a shower in my brand new custom tile shower. My parents helped us move our bed and dresser in tonight, so we still have a lot of work to do, but I can't wait (Yes, you heard right, I can't wait to get to work!)

That being said, I am opening the title of my blog for suggestions. KP from the APT just doesn't fit any more. Thank goodness! Send any suggestions you have my way!

Now that I've bombarded you with exclamation points, I'll close with an invitation. Stop by and see us at 1470 Bontrager Lane!

We're Still Here...

at my parents. Yes, I know we were hoping to be moved two weeks ago, but you know how construction goes, well that and the banking world. The house is almost totally finished, just a few finishing touches like cabinet hardware to finish, so now we are just waiting on the formal stuff. The yard and trees are in (Parmer Landscaping does wonders!) and it looks like a real house, but since I am using my parents computer I thought I'd hold out the pictures and make you come and visit us to see the final product!

The inspector came last week and cleared us, the plan commissioner gave us the a-okay, tomorrow the appraiser will come back and make sure the bank isn't loaning us too much, and then after they send everything to the bank, run our credit again, maybe, finally we can move in! Sheesh! In other words we hope to be in by the end of the month.

Not much else has been going on. School has been busy, and we're back into the swing of master's classes. While we've been living here my mom taught me to crochet, so I'm in the beginning stages of a fabulous potholder (Yes, I'm 90 years old). Other than that we're just sitting around waiting for a house!

Packing Stinks

And that's all I have to say about that! Needless to say, we are in the midst of a packing weekend, and I am already over it! I thought I had a good jump on it, but boy was I wrong. We just get to move some of our big furniture in the garage (whatever will fit) this weekend, and then we'll have to find places to store the rest. We'll be staying with my parents for the next week until the "official" move in date.

Aren't you jealous you don't get to walk in your front door and see this?

Well...that's all for now...more boxes await!

Little by Little...

things are starting to come together.

This week:

**They installed our mailbox. (For those who have been asking, our subdivision is right across McKay road from the Lakes'. You can see our house from the "new" road that goes to Wal-mart)

**Bricklayers were back to finish the job. They even put in a cool address brick-it was a great surprise!

**They finished texturing the ceilings.
**Paint everywhere! They still have another coat to put on the darker walls, but I think it looks good. We had to go with something neutral since we still have the red sofa. It might look a little blah now, but hopefully the color will really complement the floors. The fan is a little low, they are supposed to install a shorter rod this week.
The master bath matches the bedroom color. The shower is on the left, closet in the the middle, and you can barely see a corner of the tub on the right.
**Lighting-most of the lights were installed (they ones we had purchased anyway). We had to make a couple more trips to get a few last minute fixtures.
**Knobs and locks-all the outside doors finally have knobs and locks, you have to be special (or know where the key is) to get in

(the door really isn't crooked, just my photography skills)

**We bought two new area rugs-one for the living room and one for the dining room.

**We bought two new TVs-one for over the fireplace and the other for our bedroom. Our bank account is exhausted and we haven't even closed on the house yet!

On the to-do list for next week:

Doors anyone?
We were hoping to get into the house by the end of the month, to prevent two separate moves, but alas the cabinet truck did not cooperate. The cabinets didn't come in on this weeks cabinet delivery, so the earliest they will be in is this coming Friday. They can't lay the laminate wood floors, and then install the appliances, or put down the trim until the cabinets are in so it looks like we'll be camping out with the parents for a week. Hopefully they'll get the carpet in the bedrooms and at get at least part of the laminate done next week. They are also supposed to finish bricking the garage so my dad can start on the landscaping. Here's hoping everything else stays on track!

What a Difference a Week Makes

The house has gone from this:

to this (with insulation):

to finally this (we have walls!):

To sum up all progress of the past week:

**they sprayed foam insulation in all of the outside walls

**garage doors were installed
**dry wall was hung and sanded down in the house and garage

the dining room

coming in the front door

**all ceilings were textured

**siding was put up on the back of the house

yes, that's my reflection in the patio door

We hope they get started painting tomorrow. Less than two weeks 'til the end of the month!

My New 'Puter

My computer fried itself a few months ago, and we finally got around to buying a new one yesterday. With the start of the my next set of master's classes in another week, we needed to return to the peaceful household of two computers. Here she is in her brand-spankin' new white glory. It looks like we'll be getting to know each other well in the coming weeks, months, and hopefully years.

Java Jams

Last night the Shively family band got together at Benjamin's Coffeehouse (also owned by the Shively's) as the live music for the evening. They just started having music on Friday nights at the coffeehouse. Ben was solo last week, and then Ben, Jacob, Leah, and Jay took over playing duties last night. They also have some local musicians slated for the next few Fridays. Between the musicians and Ashley and Cathy serving up drinks to the customers, I was the only Shively left to relax and enjoy the music. It was nice to see them get to play together as a family. They play together at church each week, but many others play with them. They played a lot of songs they play at church, some Jacob has even composed himself. They are one talented family! (And smart they didn't ask me to add my musical talents!)

Ben, Jacob, Leah, and Jay

Sorry about the lighting-the sun wasn't doing me any photographic favors.

The two brothers play a few songs together at the end of the "show".

House Update #1,000,000

I promise (hopefully) only a few more house updates to go. Sorry this one is so late, the start of school distracted me a bit.

Not too much on the outside has changed since that last post, but busy bees have been working hard on the inside!

**They installed the furnace and of the heating ducts (it looks like there is gigantic spider in the attic).

**The electrician finished wiring and putting all of the outlets, lights, and switch boxes in.

**They put in the tub in the master bath.

**We had it prewired for satellite and cable.

**They poured the porch, driveway, and sidewalks. **We finished buying light fixtures (we hope!).

**We finalized the choice for the tile in the master bath.

**They framed where the fireplace will sit.

**We started packing so the move would be easier since school was starting. The APT looks like a maze of boxes!

Everything had to be inspected before they were supposed to start putting insulation in today. Hopefully drywall and paint isn't too far in the future!

one down-179 to go

I survived another first day of school! Hooray! The start of school really crept up on me this year. I seems like just yesterday I was saying goodbye to my soon-to-be second graders, and today I welcomed a new group of first grade babies into my "nest". Its hard to believe this is my sixth year. Man I'm getting old! Today actually went really well, I just hope the goodness continues when everyone comes back tomorrow tired from the first day!

(all of my students names ended up in the knothole of the tree)

Take Me Out to the Alumni Game

Today marked the first ever alumni game baseball at Shelbyville High School. A few of Jacob's friends/teammates from high school were going to play in the game, so he decided to also. He had a really good time, but I think he hit home that he missed not playing or coaching over the past year.

My Little Slugger-Doesn't he look like he is having a blast?!

Wisdom-less?

I thought you were supposed to get more wisdom as you get older! Yesterday I subtracted some... on purpose for goodness sakes...actually I don't think my wisdom teeth had nothing to do with my intelligence (or lack thereof), at least after having all four out yesterday, I certainly hope not!

Yes, I finally took the plunge on Friday and had all four of my "third molars" out. Dr. Smith has been telling me for almost ten years that I should get them out. And the stubborn person I am put it off, and off, and off. So after having it in the back of my mind for so long, I decided to go for a consultation in Columbus. After meeting with the surgeon on Monday, I had the woman at the scheduling desk looking up dates near Labor Day for their removal, at the last moment I decided to ask if she had anything sooner, and she said Friday! I said, "I'll take it." Even thoug I am a few days out from the start of school (2), it seems to actually have worked out for the best. I don't have to miss any school or make sub plans, Jacob didn't have to take off work to take me, and now I have peace-of-mind that the teeth can't get infected. I didn't want to be 40 years old and have infected wisdom teeth, and I figured if the cost was stopping me, it wasn't going to get any cheaper!

If you're into the gory details, all four teeth had erupted through my gums. The bottom two (#s 17 and 32 to be exact) were partially through, but the backs were impacted. They weren't infected or anything, but could be a little sore when food got stuck in them and would rub on the inside of my cheek.

So far my recovery has not been bad at all (knock-on-wood). All I am feeling is a little soreness in my right jaw, but then again, I am on painkillers! The worst part has been on eating soft foods, and coming home numb for about 5 hours after the surgery Friday. I was sedated for the whole procedure. The last thing I remember is the doctor putting the medicine in my IV, and saying I'd probably feel a little dizzy-like I'd had a glass of wine. I told him I could already feel it, and then the next thing I knew I was awake in the chair with a giant white ice pack wrapped around my head, getting ready to be wheeled out to the pick-up window for Jacob to pick me up. He has been my little nurse taking care of me all day, running to get my prescriptions, making me jello and soup, and stuffing my mouth with gauze.

So, currently I sit on the couch at 2:30 in the morning with my wonderful ice pack wrapped around my head after taking my scheduled medication. Jacob took a picture of me this afternoon in my full get-up while I was napping-but I'll spare you looking at that wonderful picture! Hopefully I'll be fully recovered in time for Work Day Monday! I have to work on getting some of that wisdom back!

30 Days and Counting

Well, the old saying "great news on the homefront" has taken on a whole new meaning for us this summer. This week the great news got a little bit better. On Wednesday the contractor informed us that he hopefully be done with the house in the next 30 days. Yahoo! We're hoping they stay on schedule, we put in our 30 days notice that we'll be vacating the APT before September 1st, so if we don't close on time we'll be homeless...maybe some kind souls (or parents) will take us in. Just think...only 30 more days squished into this apartment...I can only imagine! We are coming down to the wire on many of our cosmetic decisions and they keep getting tougher. Even the little decisions seem to be a challenge for these two indecisive perfectionists! Good thing we have an understanding realtor to help us!

On to the weekly happenings:

**We chose paint colors for the entire house.

**We made preliminary tile selections for the master shower (well see how much the quote comes back as before we make them final selections).

**We bought ceiling fans for the great room and master bedroom, pendant lights for the kitchen, and outdoor lights for the garage, front porch, and patio.

**We bought a new comforter cover for our bed.

**Brick-laying began, they made it around one side and a third of the front.

**Shingles were put on. The house is officially "under roof"!
**We chose the colors for the garage doors

**They ordered the cabinets, vanities, and countertops.

**The electrician started wiring.

**The gas company installed the natural gas line.

Home Construction 101

It's time again for your weekly house post fix!

A few highlights from the past week:

**They finished prepping the trusses and decking (I'm learning all of these great construction words!) for shingles.

**The plumber continued working on rough end plumbing inside.

**We finalized our choices for floor coverings. I'm going to keep those a secret until the final reveal :)

**They poured the concrete for the garage and patio.

**We continued negotiating the cabinet price.

**They installed the windows and doors.

**Bricks were delivered and are ready for mortar!

We hope we are in the home stretch as far as construction goes. Hopefully they are done and we are moved in by the middle of September. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the rest of the way goes smoothly and maybe even quicker than we projected!

Pomp and Circumstance

Well, it's finally happenned...my little sister is all grown up. She is now officially a graduate with a master's degree in Speech Pathology. We went to Muncie today to witness the official handover of the degree she's been working on for six years. I think she is definitely ready to start her life away from BSU-six years is enough! She already has a job she is very excited about. Last week she got hired as a speech language pathologist for Johnson County Special Services. She will work with kiddos at Eastside Elementary in Edinburgh four days a week and at an elementary in Greenwood one day. We are very proud of her!

I don't know how we all coordinated with the black and white outfits-great minds think alike I guess!

Of course graduation marks the end of another semester for me and six more credit hours under my belt. (Only nine hours left-hallelujah!) Now I have a whopping two weeks to start thinking about school starting and all the preparation I have to do for that!

Jacob is next on the graduation list. He only has six months left until he's finished.

Spain: The Grand Finale

We've finally come to the end of our Spanish tour. The last two stops of our trip took us to the southern coast. We visited a white-washed town on a hill side and then stayed on the bus until we made it to the Costa del Sol. Its name pretty much sums it up: The Sunny Coast. Got to spend our last day and a half relaxing on the beaches of the Mediterranean. It was a nice ending to our trip.

The first beach I've been to with mountains in the distance.

Our group plus our tour guide Fiona (in the jeans and tank top) on our last night in Spain.

The trip back was much smoother than the trip there, and we actually made it back to Indianapolis on time. I am so glad we got to go. I learned a tremendous amount about Spanish history and culture, but I was still glad to get home and sleep in my own bed!

The tour continues...

I thought it was about time to continue our Spanish tour. So off we go...

After visiting Sevilla we travelled by bus to Granda, home of the Alhambra. The Alhambra is a massive palace/fortress the Muslims built way on a hilltop back in the 1300s. The Sultan lived there with his many wives. It was voted in 8th place in the "new seven wonders of the world" contest in 2008.

The Alhambra is known for its beautiful fountains and gardens. You could walk through gardens all day if you wanted to.

All of the fountains are caused by natural water pressure underground. No motors here!

Since we visited the Alhambra on our anniversary we had to take a third anniversary self-portrait.

Later that night took a tiny bus up different hill to see the entire palace lit up at night. My photography isn't great, but hopefully you get the idea of the massive size of the complex (there is another palace off to the left that wouldn't fit into the picture).

Until next time!

Another week...Another house post

You couldn't wait for your weekly house construction progress report could ya!

Well, here it is!

This week...

**we bought all of our kitchen appliances

**we did more pricing/negotiating on flooring and cabinets

**we chose countertops

**we chose the shingle color

**they put the trusses on and started with the decking (see pictures below!)

**they started putting in rough-end plumbing

**we took a roadtrip to go furniture/paint/lighting idea shopping with my mom at Ikea in Cincinnati. (if you have never been there-you should go-it is an amazing place!)

After Monday-notice a few trusses on the back

Tuesday: they kept working on trusses. They used an old firetruck to lift the up on the roof. On guy stood on each end and one in the middle. Not a very safe operation if you ask me!

Check it out from inside

After Wednesday: finished trusses

After Thursday: beginning stages of decking. Next stop: shingles!

After Friday: decking is almost finished and started plumbing inside. My mom and Jacob are checking out where the porch is supposed to be.

future home of the washer and dryer