A New Kid

Dutch's hair had gotten pretty long, but I was too afraid to cut it, because it had kind of become synonymous with him.  Everyone knew him by his bleach-blonde long hair. Finally the day came that Meezy and I just decided to go for it. We figured if we messed it up or hated the look, it would always grow back!  Here's the before picture:

We used Meezy's electric clippers and bribed Dutch with chocolate and an episode of Thomas.  He was very good throughout the whole thing and it didn't seem to bother him much.  After it was all said and done, I couldn't believe I was looking at the same kid!  He's still cute as ever, but the shorter hair makes him look even more like his Daddy.  You can actually see his widow's peak now, too!

Dashing down Greenville

Another 5K in the books!  This one was a little frustrating because there wasn't a shorter race option for walkers, so we had to bob and weave past them in the beginning. That slowed us down, but I ended up finishing fairly close to my 5K time earlier this month, at 32:14.  I feel like they're becoming less and less difficult, so that's certainly an improvement, even if my time doesn't reflect it!  In fact, I ran another 5K today with my sister around my neighborhood, and we talked the whole way and didn't struggle.  It's so nice to be getting back into the groove.  I've signed up for another race next month, and I hope to do another in May.  I look forward to seeing what my time is by then.

 

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall...you need to be changed!  I previously spray painted the gold mirrors in our master bathroom to a silver color so that they would match the rest of the decor and fixtures, but I still wasn't happy with them.  They just seemed too old-fashioned and not modern.  Here's what my short-term fix looked like:

This is really x2 because we have separate vanities. The other mirror was more of a simple oval, though, without the extra angles and curves.  I decided it was time to scrap them completely and buy something new. I can't even tell you how many stores I visited before FINALLY finding a style and color I liked.  The bonus was that Meezy actually agreed!  We ended up getting two of these Ivory Mother of Pearl mirrors from Pier 1. Now they match, and they're gorgeous!

I also needed some kind of artwork or wall covering for the area above the tub.  While I prefer a modern design, I wanted to pay a little homage to the age of the home. I went with these antiqued framed windows.

The main reason I chose these is because the door to this bathroom is very unique and custom. It's an antique wooden door with an etched glass insert.  I used to think it was a little strange, but I've embraced it and feel like it gives the house some character.

More to come, as this house is always a work in progress!

Project costs:
Mirrors - $400
Frames - $70

Be The Match Walk Run

A couple Saturdays ago, my family and I participated in the Be The Match Walk Run at Lone Star Park. I love supporting this organization, because it has made a profound impact on my life. I donated bone marrow four years ago to a young boy with leukemia, and he's alive and well today, thanks to Be The Match.  I would not have known about donating bone marrow, and we would not have found each other, without this registry. Donating to help a stranger was a profound moment in my life, because it gave me purpose.  If I do nothing else in this world, I've done that.  I know I'm a broken record about this Nelson Henderson quote, but it guides me: "The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit."  I hope my posts about the process have at least prompted a few more people to sign up.  (If you haven't, do it here).  Another reason I try to promote BTM is in memory of my uncle Pete.  He died of leukemia before I was born, leaving behind a wife and three young boys.  It makes me sad when I think about my cousins having to grow up without a father, and I wonder if things could've turned out differently for him if there had been a registry back then.  I can't dwell on "what-ifs," but I can do my part to ensure fewer and fewer people have to grow up without family members. Last plea: Donate to Be The Match, join the bone marrow registry, and spread the word!

I created the team, Hup Holland, when I signed up for the 5K and encouraged family members to join. I was thrilled when my husband, my brother-in-law, both my sisters, my mom, my niece, and my nephew signed up too.  I planned to ask for monetary support from friends and family, but didn't realize just how generous everyone would be. My bone marrow recipient's mother actually made an amazing donation, and she is a big reason for our team's success!  I'm happy to announce that our team came in third overall for money raised, and I was second on the individual level.  What a wonderful support system we have around us.  THANK YOU!

When I signed up for the 5K, I wasn't sure I'd actually be running. I haven't run a 5K in more than a year, thanks to all my back problems. I had been walking a lot lately, though, and even attempted 1 mile runs twice in the previous month. My back wasn't horrible after those, so I figured I'd give it a shot.  I could always make it a walk/run, or just walk the whole thing completely.  I didn't have high hopes, because my fitness has definitely been lacking lately. Once I started running, though, my pride took over!  I decided to force myself to keep running, just to prove that I could.  To my pleasant surprise, I was able to run the whole thing without stopping. It really is a mental, more than physical, challenge! My time was 31:54, which is quite respectable for someone who hasn't run that distance in ages.

The more impressive results were the fact that my 23 year old niece had never participated in a 5K race before and finished in 30:29. My 14 year old nephew finished 10th overall and 1st in his age division, with a time of 22:55.  Kick ass!

Way to go, Michael!

Before the race, they called up all bone marrow donors, recipients, and patients waiting for donations, to take a picture.  

Happy to be a part of this group

Enjoy some more pictures from this fun day!

Hup Holland!

Can't go wrong with balloon animals!

Good talk

The 5K girls

Proud of my niece!

Dutch with his cousin and Dad

My mom walked the full 5K, pushing Dutch.  Thanks, Mom!

In Memory

We were up WAAAAAY early for Dutch!

Another 5K in the books for the sisters!

All In a Day's Work

I met my client for the first time at the house I was showing him in Carrollton on Tuesday night. After we introduced ourselves and I met his family, we walked inside and started making our way through the house. As I walked down one hallway, I thought I heard water running.  I opened a closet door and discovered that the water heater was leaking water. It wasn't gushing, but it was a steady enough flow that the floor beneath the closet was already saturated.  I immediately got on the phone to the listing agent and told her what was happening.  She said she would handle it, and we quickly left the house.  It wasn't a great first showing, but it got me thinking about how many other crazy situations I've found myself in since becoming a Realtor.

I've watched Hoarders on TV, but had never seen a home like that in person.  That changed when my friends asked me to show them a house that was for sale down the street from their current house. They were curious if it was in good enough shape for them to buy and use as a rental. When we entered the house, the first red flag was the fact that the owner was home and wanted to give us a personal tour.  (I hate showings like that. It's so much better when my clients and I can walk through a house on our own, make our own observations aloud, and take our time).  But, having a host was nowhere near as bad as having to walk through a disgusting, cluttered house. Stuff. Was. Everywhere. There was a little open path down the middle of each room that we had to follow, because there was nowhere else to walk. Things were piled up all around us, sometimes higher than our head. When we walked into one of the bathrooms, there were layers upon layers of used toothpaste tubes on the sink.  It was craziness.  I couldn't even imagine what the floors and walls looked like, considering they hadn't been seen in years.  Needless to say, they didn't buy it.

One day I showed a house to a couple, and we had a weird feeling when we pulled up. We had received prior approval for our appointment, which means the seller had notice and agreed to the time, but there was a car parked on the street, almost in front of the house. We thought maybe someone was home, but hoped it was just a neighbor's car. I knocked a few times before entering the house, but didn't hear anything inside. When we walked in, the furnishings were very scarce.  It seemed like it had been staged, with no one actually occupying the residence.  We made our way through the living room, dining room, kitchen, and garage, making comments here and there. There was a closed door at the back of the house, which we assumed led to an office or bedroom. My client opened the door and gasped and then immediately shut it. She turned to me and had the most horrified look on her face.  Someone was asleep in the bed in that room! We made a beeline for the front door and got the heck out of dodge.  I didn't have any interest in startling someone in their slumber. No sale! 

One of the funnest parts of the home-buying process is escorting my clients through their final walk-through. They get to spend a little while in the house they're about to call their own. They check that the sellers have made repairs, take some measurements and pictures, and start to plan how they're going to personalize it. It's typically a very exciting event, because the closing is just a day or two away. One such walk-through was going well, until my client set her purse down and accidentally knocked over the owner's glass swan figurine. They hadn't moved all of their stuff out of the house yet, and this guy paid the price.  It shattered and we were all horrified. It appeared to be a dish soap holder/dispenser, but we weren't sure just how monetarily or sentimentally valuable it was. That wasn't a fun phone call to make!  Luckily they still got the house.

When I got the showing instructions for a house I was going to show a client, I did a double take. They said, "Protection masks are made available, so please wear them to minimize sharing anything contagious." Oh jeez.  Not even sure what to think about that.  Was I at risk for catching something contagious, or was I putting someone else at risk??  Either way, I wasn't feeling very motivated to find out.

Last, but not least, I recently took a couple to look at a home that had been foreclosed upon.  We knew it would need some work, but the price was good, so we wanted to give it a fair shake. When we walked to the front door, it was ajar. We realized it had been kicked in, and wouldn't even close properly anymore. Not gonna lie, I was a little nervous about entering. Was the intruder still there?  They weren't, but we didn't spend long there. The house felt creepy. No sale!

A New Outlook

With all my back problems over the past year, working out has fallen to the wayside.  I have a hard enough time walking for long distances, let alone trying anything beyond that. As such, I gained about 7 pounds.  It really affected my self-esteem, not to mention my ability to fit into my clothes!  Gaining weight is kind of a vicious cycle.  You gain weight, which makes you feel bad about yourself, which makes you eat unhealthily, which makes you gain more weight.  A couple weeks ago, I finally decided I needed to change.  I contacted a friend who sells Advocare and bought the products necessary to complete the 10-day cleanse.  I wanted a clean slate and rules to follow to make me focus on my eating. I'm happy to say, it worked!  After the 10 days were up, I had lost 4 pounds.  Now, the weight loss is probably more related to the strict diet rules I followed, as opposed to the Advocare products, but I'm not going to knock the process!

I'm really happy I did it, because it helped open my eyes to just how poorly I was eating. I'm a lot more aware of what I'm putting into my body, and I'm making a conscious effort to make better decisions every day.  I haven't had a soda in more than 14 days, and I plan on keeping that up.  Water and flavored water (with low quantity of sucralose, not aspartame) are my drinks of choice now.  I used to crave something sweet almost every day, and that was just so detrimental to my health. Desserts and sweets are no longer a staple in my diet.  I've made a new rule that I can only have dessert once a week.  I had half a piece of cake the other day, and I felt really bad afterwards. It showed me that the enjoyment I think I get by eating it is just not worth the calories and sugar.  It was eye-opening, and I'm so glad I can realize that now.

I started riding the stationary bike last week.  It's something that my body can handle, without causing me too much pain, and I can do it any time of day.  I'm hoping this exercise, combined with my healthier eating, will continue the weight loss.  Wish me luck!    

Oregon - Day Three

Day 3 started with a stop at Dutch Bros. Coffee.  I don’t drink coffee, but how could I not go to a place that shared a name with my son?

From there we went to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse to check out the tide pools.  It’s hard to pick a favorite thing from my amazing weekend, but I think this might’ve been it. We climbed down to the beach so we could see what wildlife was there while the tide was out. Maybe I’m just easily impressed, but I was seriously amazed that I could be around these animals in their natural habitat.  I saw more starfish, mussels, anemone, urchins, etc, than I could count.  I was able to touch anything I wanted to. 

There were also seals sunning on the large rocks in the distance.  I really kicked myself for not bringing my professional camera. As we were about to leave, a seagull flew overhead with something in its mouth.  Then we saw it release the animal from its mouth, from a considerable height, so that it would crack open on the rocks.  We hurried over and found a broken urchin.  Smart bird!  We took a pic and then walked away so that the gull could return for the fruit of its labor.  (I should probably mention that Iris is about to finish her degree in Fisheries and Wildlife, which means she knows a ton about plants and animals and was able to provide me with so much insight into what we were seeing).

After that, we headed over to the lighthouse.  We couldn’t go inside this one, but we used that as another lookout point.  Sure enough, we saw more whale spouts! 

By then it was time for breakfast, so we went to Pig ‘N Pancake before heading to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. This isn’t a huge aquarium, but it’s fun because it has both indoor and outdoor exhibits.  There is a touch pool there that we spent a lot of time at.  I had to say I felt a little proud, though, since I had already touched many of the same types of animals in that tank out in the wild earlier that day!  We checked out the rest of their exhibits and then started the drive to Tillamook, OR, where we met her mom and step-dad for lunch at Pacific Restaurant. I really enjoyed catching up with them, since I can’t even remember the last time I had seen them. Next on the agenda was a visit to the Tillamook Cheese Factory.  Since it was Sunday, there wasn’t a ton of production happening, but we got to see the production process and sample different types of cheese.  We also pounced on the opportunity to get some of their famous ice cream.  It didn’t disappoint.  I did a sampler of three flavors and Grandma’s cake batter was the clear winner.

After that we headed to Banks, OR so that Iris could stop by her mom’s house and pick up a few things she needed for college.  Their house is atop a hill and has amazing views. We encountered 6 deer on the road up to her house, including 2 impressive bucks.  (Side note – the drive from Tillamook to Banks is gorgeous.  You don’t have cell service for a lot of it, which is a little scary, but the surroundings are neat). It was getting late in the day, and Iris was still going to have a 1.5 hour drive back to her campus after dropping me off, so we decided it was time to get moving.  Iris brought me to my hotel right by the Portland airport, where I’d be departing from super early the next day. It sucked to say goodbye, but we made a lot of great memories that weekend, and added a few more inside jokes to our repertoire.  Gosh, I love that girl.  I hope she gets to come visit me in Dallas soon.

TLDR: Portland is very Portlandy.  I was under-tattooed, under-crunchy, and definitely didn’t have enough flannel in my wardrobe.  Newport is awesome. If I lived anywhere near there, I would definitely vacation there. Driving along the Pacific Coast Highway is a must. I would never get tired of that. You should visit friends who move away, especially when they move to/near good vacation destinations.