The Next Two Weeks . . .

 . . .  well, they were filled with looking at houses and more exploring.  We were getting used to this little town we now called home.

Since my husband started his new job so quickly, Morgan and I were assigned the task to go look at houses with our realtor, and he was so understanding about me bringing a dog with me.  Most of the time she would stay in the car (with the air conditioner running, of course).  Or, on the days when my husband was able to go look at houses, one of us would go in the house and the other would stay in the car with her.  She was a trooper through the whole thing!

And then, there were the days when she and I would just go out and explore, mostly to get out of the hotel room . .. it was cozy, but it was small and both of us would get a bit stir crazy every now and again.

One of our favorite spots to go was to Lake Waco. . .

One weekend we went to an art festival down at Indian Creek . . . they had a bunch of tables set up for Kid's Crafts . . . it made my heart happy to see so many people there with their kids doing art!

It also made me long for my craft room . . . I did have some supplies with me, so I was able to do a little bit while we were looking for a house, but oh . . . how I missed all my crafty stuff.

I was very much looking forward to the day when I could unpack all those goodies . . . and little did I know, it wasn't too far away. . . because my husband came home from work one day and said that a co-worker knew a couple who was thinking about selling their house  . . . and gave him their number.

So, I called the gentleman and set up a time to see the house. . . asking for permission, of course, to bring my dog.  He was kind enough to allow it.

Off I went, with Morgan in tow, to check it out.

It was perfect.  Absolutely perfect.  Not too big. . . not too small . . .nice sized yard for our girl. Perfect.

I was pretty sure I had found our new home. . . but I wanted my husband to see it, and I also wanted our realtor to see it.

The following Friday, we all went back to the house to take another look . . . my husband liked it as much as I did . . .and Morgan . . . well, she made herself right at home and starting rolling in the grass in the backyard.

Yes. . . this was the perfect house for us to make our home.

An offer was made . . . and accepted. . .

(to be continued)

The First Five Days . . .

. . . were somewhat of a whirlwind. . .

On our fist full day, we met with our realtor and went and looked at a house. . . we really thought it would be the perfect house, but after much consideration, we decided against the super cute 2 bedroom house because, I really wanted a craft room. . . so off we went to look at a few more . . .nothing really caught our eye. . . .but we weren't in too much of a hurry, so that was okay.

The second day. . . well, my husband had to report to his new job. . . .so Morgan and I just hung out at the hotel.

The third day . . .more adventures and exploring. . .

We went down to the River Walk and Indian Springs Park . . .

This bridge takes you over the Brazos River

This is the Vietnam War Memorial

It's so nice to walk down there . . .there's a walkway close to the river, there's a lot of grassy areas and picnic tables . . .there's even a stage for the free concerts over summer.

 That Saturday, we went to the Farmer's Market . . . best one ever!  So many great vendors!

After we left the Farmer's Market, we drove just down the street to check out the Silos . . . you know the Silos, right?  Fixer Upper . . . Chip and Joanna Gaines . . . of course, you do.  They were still renovating at this time . . . just two months until they opened . . .

After all that fresh air and exercise. . .we were pretty tuckered out, so it was back to the "Home-tel" to rest up . . . .

. . . And that's where we stayed all day Sunday, too. . . .

That recliner became one of Morgan's favorite spots . . . especially if her Papa was there . . .

(to be continued)

Home Sweet . . . Hotel

Yes, hotel.

We pulled into the parking lot at around 11:00 am . . . got checked in, unloaded the cars . . . and we were surprised with TWO huge bags of snacks and goodies, sodas and bottled water in the fridge, gift cards for local eateries, Baylor shirts hanging in the closet, and a lovely "Welcome" card, courtesy of Mike's new place of employment.

Talk about hospitality!  I can't even express how grateful we were to be so welcomed.

 And Morgan . . . well, she was just happy to see a big bed:

After we got stuff (sort of) organized and put away, all I really wanted to do was take a long, hot shower and then take a long nap. . . but  I was so excited that we finally made it, I couldn't seem to settle down. . . so, we decided to go explore this new town that was now "home."

So we did . . .

We headed downtown first . .  . there are amazing buildings there . . .

Then we went down to Baylor . . . what a beautiful campus!

Then we drove through a residential area . . . the first thing I noticed (other than all the houses seemed to be brick) was most of them were flying Old Glory and the Texas Flag . . . 

After that somewhat quick jaunt through town, all three of us were getting hungry, so we went through a drive through and headed back to the hotel. . . besides, we really did need to rest. . . we had an appointment the next day with our realtor to look at houses . . .

(to be continued . . .)

The Final Leg . . .

. . . or was it?

Time change. I forgot about the time change.  So, I had to wait until 10:00 am to call the bank to get our debit card snafu corrected (not to mention, get our money back). . . . sigh . . . that meant we got on the road later than we wanted.

No biggie. . .  we were still okay on time. . . and it was only eight hours from El Paso to Waco.  We could do that.  Easy Peasy.

Or not.

Of course, eight hours isn't too bad,  but we had to stop to eat . . .and let Morgan stretch her legs and go potty . . .

By midnight, I was tired. . . I needed to stop.  It was dark. The roads were empty.  Cel service was sketchy. . . and I kept imagining that guy in a mask with a machete standing on the side of the road just waiting for one of our cars to break down . . . (okay, okay . . . I might have somewhat of an overactive imagination)

I called Mike and said, "We gotta stop.  I can't drive anymore."

So, we start looking for a hotel.  We found one. And you know that guy with the mask and machete?  If ever he was going to be at a hotel, this was it.  But it was cheap. And they allowed dogs.

It doesn't look so scary in daylight . . .

We took the comforter off the bed and slept in our clothes . . .and as soon as it was light enough, we were brushing our teeth and packing up the car.  Quick stop at a donut shop for coffee and we were on the road.

Within a few short hours, we were in Waco, Texas.

Finally.

(to be continued)