A sneak peak...

So, because of the Deer Killer incident, we had to buy a new vehicle. After a lot of back and forth last week, we finally decided on a 2012 Explorer! YAY! We then decided on the color and options we wanted. After an exhaustive search, our sales guy found one, but it was at a dealership about 2 hours south of Austin. That meant they had to transfer it and we couldn't get it on Saturday when we signed all the papers. 

Sunday afternoon, our sales guy called and said that the Explorer had made it safely. (He would know since he actually went to get it!) They would get it cleaned up and take care of a few things we needed on Monday and would deliver it to Brad's office on Monday. Well, late Sunday night, it dawned on us that our Explorer was sitting just miles from us (the dealership is 5 minutes from our house). So, we decided we needed to go visit it!!

The the dealership is closed on Sundays, so we snuck around their lot looking for it! It didn't take us long because they didn't have any other Explorers in our dark blue color. We were so excited! We took a few pictures...

Doing his best Vanna White impression...

Then it was my turn...

Sad attempt of a self-portrait. Decent picture of the brake light!

Thank you camera timer...

More Vanna... she makes it look so elegant.

So, it was delivered to Brad's office today and he will bring it home tonight after his softball game. I will have better pictures then. FUN!!! I can't wait to drive it!!!

New kitchen floors...

We tossed around our options for the kitchen floor for a while. 

Existing vinyl floors.

The idea of tile was very appealing, but the labor behind it was not appealing at all. Because of that, we had decided it would be some sort of vinyl flooring. Then one day we were in Home Depot looking at flooring options. We found out that they had drastically dropped their per square foot pricing for tile installation. So much so that it made it affordable enough for us do it! It was very exciting to get tile floors and even more exciting that we didn't have to do the labor!!

To save us some money, Brad did all the prep. He worked really hard ripping up the vinyl flooring. He moved all of the appliances and worked really hard. By the time the tile guys came on Friday, all they had to do was walk in and start laying tile. 

The installation would take 2 days - a Friday and Saturday. So, I took Friday off work to be there. My main objective was relax and to finally go through the wedding pictures and order prints! The install got off to a bad start. When the installers arrived, they went over a few things with me and then had me look at the tile to verify it was correct... and it wasn't. In fact it wasn't even close. Wrong size and very wrong color.

Our selection is the smaller tile on the bottom.

After several phone calls back and forth, the installers went back to Home Depot to help find the correct tile (I showed them the sample I had at home). It took forever to hear back... in fact, I was in my car with my sample and on my way to Home Depot when I got the call that they found it and were on their way back. Sigh. 

Once they finally got started, they moved quickly. Brad brought me lunch since I couldn't leave. by the time he stopped by, they had quite a bit done. 

 Beautiful porcelain tile!!

A couple of hours later, they were packing up to leave and it looked amazing. They would return the following morning to do the grout. 

That evening proved to be a bit of a challenge keeping pets off the floor and dealing with our fridge in the living room and stuff everywhere! We knew it would ultimately be worth it.

Since we didn't know how long they would be there on Saturday and we couldn't prepare any food in the kitchen, we set our alarm clocks and headed out at 6:30 that morning for a yummy breakfast at Cracker Barrel. When we we returned home, we were soon followed by the tile guys. The dogs and I went up stairs and went back to bed. When we emerged a couple of hours later, we were met by grouted and beautiful floors!!

 

I love it!!! We had already painted the room a light green and I think the tile really goes well with the wall color. I will have more "after" pictures once the furniture and appliances are back in, the curtains are hung and the decor in place!!

"Deer Killer"...

That is Brad's new nickname at work. And to celebrate his new name, his co-workers left him a gift on his rental car...

 

We are fairly certain that his car it totaled and that we will be car shopping very soon. Which is about a year sooner than we anticipated! 

"I never even saw what hit me..."

Brad is fine. The deer and his car are not. :o(

A vacation that was Made-Right...

After a good night sleep in the travel trailer, we emerged hungry. We loaded up and drove to Marshalltown, Dorothy's hometown. Ever since I married into this family, I have been hearing about "Maid-Right" in Marshalltown. It is a tradition for them and something you won't find anywhere other than Marshalltown. It is also known as the place that 4 year old Brad had his first slice of pumpkin pie and became a life-long fan. 

This is basically the entire place. The station where they assemble the food is surrounded by bar seating.

They were right - these are unlike anything I have had... its not a burger or sandwich or even Sloppy Joe. It is a bunch of loose hamburger meat in a bun. with mustard, pickles and onions. It is just Maid Right. They don't do fries - only chips. And the chocolate malt... oh my, it was good!

I am so glad they humor me and take touristy pictures in places! I even got a t-shirt!

Notice the sign? They call cokes, "Pop"!

After stuffing ourselves silly and taking a few pictures, we drove around Dorothy's hometown for a while. Then we went back to Ames and drove through the ISU campus for some reminiscing of college days for Larry.

Dorothy's tiny childhood home.

One of the things that Iowa definitely has that we don't? Fall colors. It is just beginning there but it is still more than we will ever see in Texas. 

 

We went back to the trailer, packed up and began another 3 hour drive to Sioux City where Brad's Grandparents live. They were unable to travel for the wedding, so this would be the first time I would meet them and I was really looking forward to it. 

This is the closest we got. These things are MASSIVE.

The rest of the trip was family time around the house and I enjoyed getting to know the grandparents. Unfortunately our last couple of days went quickly and it was already time for to make the 2 hour drive to the Omaha airport and head home. Before we left, the whole family headed to the food court at the local mall for lunch. We ate, snapped a few pictures and we said our goodbyes. 

Longhorns and Corn Fields...

Last weekend Brad and I made a trip to The Heartland! This is something we had been planning for some time because his Grandparents live there. Both of Brad's parents are native Iowans and they happened to be planning a trip up there this fall as well, So, we coordinated our schedules and went the same weekend! Unfortunately for me, this happened to be a particularly long quarter-end at work so I worked late the night before our early flight. After getting out of work at midnight, getting home and packing, I got ONE hour of sleep. UGH. Oh well... the rest of the trip was great!

This would be my first time to this area of the US and it lived up to what I had always heard.... lots of farm land, lots of cows and LOTS of corn fields! It was beautiful though and that beauty was visible as we made our initial decent into the Omaha airport. It looked like a huge patchwork quilt of farm land.

Small town

After we had booked our flights for this trip, I realized that not only was that the same weekend of the UT vs. Iowa State football game, the game was IN Iowa! We got online and managed to get tickets for us and Brad's parents. We would be sitting on the Iowa side but it was still exciting to go... this was the first conference game of the season for both teams and it was expected to be a sold out game. So, after we got our rental car, we drove 3 hours to Ames, Iowa, home of Iowa State. The drive was very pretty and I quickly learned of another strong industry in Iowa, other than corn... "wind farms".

Brad's parents were just outside of Ames in their travel trailer (which would serve as our hotel that night). After we gathered them up, we headed to Larry's alma mater - Iowa State. And yes, I was the ONLY burnt-orange-shirt-wearing fan in the group!! I was also only one of about 4 orange shirts on the Iowa side. He, he, he... Brad wore a Texas Tech shirt but it was red so he blended in with the Cyclone red and yellow.

Pre-game, tailgating madness!

YAY!!!

For the first couple of hours we were there, we sat facing the sun which wasn't too much fun. However, all of the pre-game fanfare sure was!!! And although I still think the introduction of the Horns at a home game is better, the ISU Cyclones had a pretty cool one. There is the sound of a tornado siren and an announcer voice that sounds like an emergency broadcasting station with a severe weather advisory... it warned all Longhorn fan to seek immediate shelter because the CYCLONES WERE COMING!! 

Pre-Game show

Horns making their entrance.

Taking a quick break for dinner. Yes- I am eating roasted corn - a must!!

Going into the half, Iowa hadn't scored - at all. So, I was a happy girl watching the half time show. And as a former high school band geek, I love half-time anyway!!

 

The small traveling UT Band and section of orange shirts.

 

At one point Iowa began a drive to score and an excited Sorority Chick behind me stood up to cheer... apparently losing control of the 100 oz beverage she was holding. Where did it go? All down my back... in my hair, on my jacket and all down the back of my jeans. It was a quite a shock - especially since it was now near 50 degrees outside! A nice gentleman dried off my seat so I could sit. I thanked him and commented about I wasn't excited about smelling like beer for the rest of the night (and it was the only pair of jeans I packed for the trip!) He smiled and said, "Well, that is interesting since they don't even sell beer inside the stadium." Hmmmmm....

The UT flag... a sight seen MANY times that night!

The Cyclones finally showed up during the fourth quarter so it wasn't a total blowout but the Horns still prevailed! We left tired and cold but having had a GREAT time!!! We headed back to the travel traveler and called it a night. There would be more family, new foods and lots more driving ahead. And LOTS more cornfields...