The New House...

Extended version is here - skip to the * below if you don't want the long drawn out story!

One night I let my pups outside and smelled something funky in our back yard. I asked Javier to come and smell it - and he loudly says "looks like someone's smokin weed" ~ 2 things with that made me uncomfortable. 1) How did I really not know what that was - sad and shows how sheltered I truly am... and 2) Most people that know me know I HATE any and all drugs - I know everyone has their own opinion on the issue, and I will never try to change your opinion on it~ but I have my reasons to be so opinionated.

The next morning I went out to go to a softball lesson and my car had been gone through. I can't say broken into because it wasn't locked, but my glove compartment and console thing were emptied, and the stuff in the back seat was all moved around and dug through. I felt so violated - and fortunate. NOTHING was missing, nothing taken, nothing broken - but still, someone else had gone through all of my stuff. In a typical Tiffany manner, I reacted strongly and told Javier we were moving ASAP. ~ looking back and listening to Javier, the neighbors were probably high and someone said "go get this out of the car" and they went to my car on accident and did not find what they wanted or realized they were in the wrong car and left. BUT I talked to my mom & she agreed - it was time to move!

I had been looking, not obsessively, but looking for another place to live, but didn't want to go through the effort of moving bad enough to actually do it. Well, mom called me after my lesson and said that she talked to dad and they were going to pay us x amount of dollars each month so we could get out of that area and into a nicer neighborhood. Well, that just upped what we could afford thus opening up a whole new level to what to look at! Javier and I spent that day out driving around looking at duplexes and houses and driving up and down streets lookign for signs in the yards. We both had seen a place we liked for lease in Bryan, so we headed that way after lunch. It was about double what we could afford - even with my folk's help... but we drove around the neighborhood anyway. We turned down one road that had a HUGE house on the right and a good size house on the left with a sign in front - I said "it'll be too much, but i'm going to call anyway!" It was EXACTLY the same rent as what we were paying for our duplex. I set up an appointment to see the house that afternoon. We both LOVED it right away, but they did not want to have dogs - much less 2 pretty not small dogs. So we kept looking. I found a duplex/town home thing that was huge and newer that i liked, but it had a tiny yard. But by that point we were exhausted, so we called it a day. Mom and Dad came up the next day and we went around looking some more. Found a few houses that we liked adn then called the "cute old house that didn't like pets" one more time to see if we could look again. The guy came and said that his aunt - the owner - said she'd allow the pets since he liked Javier and I so much!

SOOO LONG STORY SHORT*** We signed a lease that evening and started moving in that Monday. The house is a 1943 2 bedroom 1 bath with an extra little room, and an awesome big dining/living combo room with original beautiful wood floors and more charm that I've seen in a home in decades. There is a 2 car garage - detached - with a good sized workroom on the side of it. It is sitting crooked on 1/3 an acre with no fence. Beautiful aged trees and a carport. The windows are fantastic and the fireplace is eye-catching (well, it is now that we painted the baseboards). OOH and the mailman actually comes to the door and delivers the mail in a cute little box by the front door!

No, we did not buy a house -but we sure do LOVE the place we live. Its the first time we'll be able to entertain and actually have room for all the people we invite. The neighborhood is old and established and SO much closer to work. The dogs are in heaven, as are we.

My folks - who LOVE a good fixer-upper - want to do so much to the house. I'll be surprised if they don't try to buy it to fix up! Dad came in this past weekend to help with the base board painting and as he walked in the kitchen said "ooh, we could put the washer/dryer there and the fridge, redo the counter tops and close in this area and finish the countertop, I'd love to make these floors old tile and the walls and cabinets can be refinished in the same style. Yup, this has potential" I could not agree more - this place is so fun! The landlord is so open to things and is even going to split the cost of refurbishing the yard (our previous land lord wouldn't even return my call/email when I mentioned the flooding by the front door!)

Timing however - could have been better. We started moving the week I had to report back to school - not smart. Fortunately though I decorated my class already and for the first time EVER was ahead of the game on day one of school.

Speaking of school - I LOVE MY JOB! I know I say that all the time, but these kids are so fantastic its unreal! I love seeing my babies from last year - i love the hugs (even though I grunt and prentend to hate them while they're happening)~ I love the pop in "Hi Miss Haines" moments - and even more i LOVE that i am now officially Mrs. Lopez! We have new district leadership and I FINALLY feel like the district is making changes to promote student learning. With the new big guy promoting better teaching and learning - our campus leaders are in the same mode... what a breath of fresh air! I had a great feeling about this new guy when I read about their hiring decision... I sure am still impressed so far!

I'm in a new home, a new school year - and a brand new excitement about the difference that my district can make! What a way to start a year!!!

** Side note - being married is fabulous and Javier is doing well! (since that is the first quesiton most people have asked me these days)