Making room for what's important

At 2:22 AM, the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for our immediate area, siting funnel clouds in a nearby town, heading our direction at 45 miles per hour. Shortly thereafter, tornado sirens began wailing throughout our little city. My first thought, as I fought through the sleepy fog, was that some horrible accident must have occurred and the hospital near our house was experiencing a higher than normal volume of ambulance traffic. A couple of moments later, I realized it was the severe weather warning, but I thought it must be a mistake because it wasn't even raining. At almost the same instant that thought entered my mind, the rain started, and I sat bolt upright and grabbed my phone to check the weather. Jeff asked me what was wrong, and, as we both realized we already knew the answer, we jumped out of bed and hit the lights. One flickering of the electricity was all it took for us to start collecting sleepy children from the other bedrooms.

This house lacks a true safe room, so we made the split-second decision to put everyone in the master closet, following the tornado rules we've memorized as long-time Texas residents. I began literally throwing shoes and other clutter out of the relatively small space, in order to make room for my people. It was then that I realized I just have too much stuff.

I have been trying to live a minimalistic lifestyle ever since we got rid of everything and headed off on our RTW trip. But, suddenly, my stuff was getting in the way of my people, and it just seemed like too much. I was wondering how it even all got there and how I hadn't noticed it piling up before. But I hadn't noticed it before because it hadn't interfered with the safety of my family, and I had just been lazily letting it accumulate.

This morning, I woke up bound and determined to make room in my closet--and my life--for what's truly important. I'm not saying I'm happy we all had to gather in the closet in the middle of the night or that I want a repeat performance, though I'm ready for it if it's forced upon me. What I can tell you is that everything that's important to me was in my closet last night, and it darn sure wasn't my shoes!

Weekend

On Friday, we celebrated the first real fall-feeling day with lunch at La Madeleine, a place we never eat at unless the temperature outside requires outerwear. After lunch, I took Clay to the dollar store because he had some birthday money burning a hole in his pocket, and he was dying for some dress-up clothes. He bought up all the boy choices they had and left so very happy. He loves that he can be a ninja-firefighter-chef, while still maintaining his Batman persona. Plus, he has all the weapons. So, don't mess with him.

Weston had a game yesterday, which ended in another Rebel victory. Woohoo! Then, the Aggies managed to give every single one of their supporters a long, slow heart attack but ultimately put another mark in the "W" column. We are all thankful for the bye next week, so we can recover.

Today, we decided to take in some of the local culture by attending the FloMo Food Truck Fest, which was such a great way to spend a beautiful fall day. We enjoyed lobster rolls, BBQ, pizza, hot dogs, and ice cream, along with craft vendors, bouncy houses, live music, and free tchatches.

And the crowning achievement of our weekend was that, after living in this house for two whole months, we finally got some decorative things hung on the walls, put our house numbers up, and got the boys' loft beds delivered and set up. Because we can be regular, normal, non-nomadic people.

Ninja or Ninja Turtle?

#99 with the catch in the endzone for 2!

FloMo Food Truck Fest

New Beds

House Number Helper

My favorite additions to the house

Before and After

Our move back to Texas has taken my breath away...and my words right along with it. I'm hopeful that my voice will eventually return, but, in the meantime, perhaps you'd like to see some before and after shots of our remodeling project. (The "before" shots appear on the left. Click on photos to enlarge.)

New paint outside

The view from the front door:
Sunk-in living room to the left, dining room behind that, wine bar to the right

Looking back towards the front door from the dining room

Wine Bar

2nd Living Room

Kitchen

Home Owners

Yesterday, we officially became homeowners again. We've done this many times, but this is the first time we've immediately started a big remodel job on a new house. In fact, I'm not even sharing any pictures of the house, because, by the time we are finished, it will hardly resemble the house we bought. It's interesting and exciting, and we can't wait to see how it all comes out. We will be moving in next week, and hopefully the plastic will be removed from some of the surfaces by then and I can share pics.

My favorite thing about the house is the mature grapevine covering the back porch

Several pretty big things

• Today, I drove a car for the first time in over a year. Part of that driving happened during a pretty major thunderstorm. But, I'm happy to report that I have not forgotten how to drive, and I got us safely to all our destinations (including taking shelter at a Sonic to protect our new car from falling tree branches and what felt like could turn into a hail storm).
• I got a much needed haircut this morning and am so happy with my new cut and what is sure to become my new salon.

• I bought a pair of denim shorts for about $5 at a cool little thrift store, because it is hotter than blue blazes here in Texas, and I don't have appropriate clothes for that. I passed up sweet deals on two pairs of shoes, though, because I don't have room for them in my bag, and I don't really need them. (And because I'm not quite emotionally ready to say good-bye to the shoes that have literally carried me all over the world, even though they seriously need to be replaced.)
• We signed a contract on a house today, in what may be one of the fastest real estate deals in history.
• We found the local Mexican food restaurant closest to our new house and gave it a try, because this is an important part of our option period. Anamia's definitely passed the test, so it looks like we'll be able to move forward with the purchase.

Timing

We put our house up for sale over Labor Day weekend. For the first couple of months, we wondered aloud and silently what we would do if the house sold right away. We had a great many lookers and a few serious ones. But nothing worked out. Then the months wore on, and as the time of our departure rapidly began approaching, we wondered aloud and silently what we would do if the house didn't sell at all. We knew for sure we were going to go ahead with our trip, but we didn't like leaving this large piece of unfinished business. We needn't have worried. About a month ago, a couple came to see the house and fell instantly in love with it. They said it was everything they were looking for. They presented us with a full-price offer and didn't make any demands. It was all so easy, we began to feel like it might be too good to be true. But, today we signed the papers and collected the money, and everything is official. And now, we can walk away truly unencumbered. This is the first time since 1999 that we have been completely debt-free and completely homeless. It is a great feeling! And, the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

One Week

Tonight is our last night in our house. The house we built, and have loved, and have created so many memories in. We will spend the next few days with family and wrap up a bit of unfinished business. And, then, one week from today, we will turn the page on a new chapter of our lives. I'm not going to lie, change is hard, and leaving a world full of mostly knowns for a world full of mostly unknowns is a great challenge. It has already been a tearful week, as we've said good-bye to some amazing friends and neighbors, activities, possessions, and the here and now, and as we've looked forward to an uncertain future. There are so many emotions: fear, excitement, nervousness, elation, sadness, curiosity, et cetera, et cetera. And, so many questions: Have we truly prepared well? Do we have everything we need? Do we have more than we need? What if...? What if...? What if...?

As we've shared our travel news in the preceding months, we've heard that we're brave, that we're adventurous, that we're crazy, that we're ALL GONNA DIE! (People haven't come out and said that last one in words, but sometimes it's not hard to read between the lines.) The truth is, we are a little brave and a little adventurous and a little crazy. But, isn't everyone? Just to face each new day, with whatever personal challenges it holds for us, we all have to possess some quantity of each of those qualities. Your brave and my brave may not look exactly alike, but it is brave just the same. And, sometimes, the line between brave and crazy really is a bit blurred. The Watts aren't completely brave or completely adventurous or completely crazy, but we do have just enough of each of those qualities to face what's next for us. Just like you. Here's to the future! Let's do this!

Where in the world are the Watts?

I told Jeff the other day that it would probably be enough for me to homeschool the kids. Or to be a CC director. Or to try to sell the house. Or to plan an around-the-world trip. But sometimes trying to do all of those things simultaneously is a bit much, and I feel the crazy threatening to take over. I just keep reminding myself that all are rewarding and totally worth it and that I won't always have all these things on my plate.

The good news is, some of the work is already paying off, and I am excited to report that our travel plans are really coming together! We now know, and have confirmed, where we will be staying all the nights from the time we leave Marble Falls on May 4 until we leave Africa on July 24. In case you're curious about where in the world the Watts will be during those months, here's a schedule so you can follow along:

When	Where
May 4	Dallas, TX
May 5	Airplane (from Dallas to Frankfurt, Germany)
May 6	Windeck, Germany
May 7-13	Rijinsburg, Netherlands
May 14	Hamburg, Germany
May 15-16	Berlin, Germany
May 17-19	Prague, Czech Republic
May 19-25	Vienna, Austria
May 26-27	Mako, Hungary
May 28-29	Deva, Romania
May 30-31	Bran, Romania
June 1-2	Bucharest, Romania
June 3-4	Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
June 5-6	Sofia, Bulgaria
June 7-8	Estias, Greece
June 9-12	Athens, Greece
June 13	Ferry Boat (from Greece to Italy)
June 14-27	Naples, Italy
June 28-July 2	Rome, Italy
July 3	Airplane (from Rome, Italy to Livingstone, Zambia)
July 4	Livingstone, Zambia
July 5-6	Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
July 7-14	Cape Town, South Africa
July 15	Train (from Cape Town to Johannesburg)
July16	Nelspruit, South Africa
July 17-18	Draasloot, South Africa
July 19-22	Kruger National Park, South Africa
July 23	Johannesburg, South Africa
July 24	Airplane (from Johannesburg, SA to Rome, Italy via Cairo, Egypt)

We will also be updating the world map and local time clock, both located on the right hand side of the blog, as we travel, so that will give you another way to keep up with us. We are really looking forward to watching that percentage of countries visited number go up and up and up!

A crappy way to start the day

I went to bed early last night, but around midnight I woke up and thought it certainly did seem hot in the bedroom and I needed to make an adjustment to the temperature. Because of where our thermostat is located, our room gets extra warm when we run the heater and extra cold when we run the air conditioner. But then, that feeling of heat I was experiencing changed to a wave of nausea, and instead of worrying any longer about adjusting the temperature,  I did a quick about-face and headed for the restroom, where I became the second household victim of a mild, but no less unpleasant, tummy bug.

Around 3:00, Clay appeared, announcing that he needed to go potty. I took him to our bathroom, and after he took care of his business, the potty made an odd "glub, glub" sound, but it seemed to flush okay, so I took Clay back to his room and sleepily stumbled back to my bedroom, where I experienced the need to use the facilities myself. The toilet seemed to flush just fine, but, after a moment, I realized that the water level was rising. And then, it was overflowing. I trotted off to the utility room to fetch a plunger.

As I stood there plunging, Jeff, who had taken himself to the hall bathroom, since ours was occupied, appeared in the bathroom doorway and proclaimed that the hall toilet was also stopped up and the water level was rising there as well. He took over the plunging duties and was going back and forth between the two bathrooms. I was wide awake by this point, so I was following him around, offering moral support. I was standing in the hall while he worked on the powder bath potty, when I noticed that a small river was flowing out of the utility room. I hollered at Jeff to stop plunging, while I went to inspect. We have a floor drain in the utility room, which is suppose to carry water out of the house should the need arise, but, in this case, it was bubbling like a spring and a steady stream of nasty water was flowing into the house.

Meanwhile, Jeff had stepped into the kitchen, to find that the two floor drains in there were delivering similar rivulets, so that a large portion of the floor in the middle of the house was being soaked in sewer water. I quickly gathered up a handful of towels and old blankets to soak up some of the mess and quietly thanked the Lord that we do not have carpet, but the water continued to flow and the towels and blankets were not making any difference. Jeff shut off all the water to the house and called a plumber around 3:30. The plumber said he could be here around 6:30. We both felt disgusting and disgusted, but we tried to get a few winks before the plumber showed up. He arrived at about a quarter to 7:00 and went right to work.

The problem seems to have been taken care of, and my plans for the day now include mopping the floor, disinfecting various surfaces and washing loads and loads of soiled towels and blankets. It really wasn't a great way to start the day. Still, there is much to be thankful for: my emesis went down and didn't come back up, the tummy bug was very short lived,  we don't have carpet in any part of the house, the water flowing into the house was not stinky or discolored, the plumber was able to get here so quickly.

Happy Monday!

Since Monday

We officially put our house on the market. Within 24 hours we had an offer.
It was a ridiculous offer, but getting the house ready to show and
thinking about the repercussions of a quick sale,
as we waited for it to come in, certainly got our blood pumping.
If you know anyone looking for a beautiful custom home in the Texas Hill Country
(or if you'd just like to see photographic evidence that this house has ever been clean),
please tell them to check out MLS #129052 in the Highland Lakes MLS . 

This stud had his first scrimmage on Monday

First Grade is exhausting

Dad made dessert

The boys and I have been reading the delightful Stories of Don Quixote for History,
to go along with our study of Spain. We have decided to add the region of La Mancha
to our list of places to visit in Europe, in hopes of putting ourselves in Don Quixote's very shoes.

Someone gave himself a haircut

 This child has become completely obsessed with using
his magnetic scoop to pick up any and all magnets.
It has given us many hours of unprecedented and much appreciated silence.

Our Aggie contingent, ready for the first game of the season

Max came in and reported that our trampoline was missing.
And, sure enough, it was certainly not where we had left it.
It had been mysteriously relocated at least 100 yards toward the back of our property--
from where it sits in the picture to the furtherest stand of trees.

House never cleaner, hubby never happier

Today, my daughter said to me, "I love when we are trying to sell a house, because it is always so clean!" And, my husband fairly squealed with delight when he saw that I had removed all the appliances from the counters in the kitchen and toiletries from the counters in the bathroom. (This reaction is, of course, an exaggeration, but not all of you know my husband personally, so I thought I should clarify. He does not, under any circumstances, "squeal with delight.")  Technically, we have not put our house up for sale yet. We are simply trying to get some pictures taken that look like we don't really live here. Which is super hard. Because, we do, in fact live, here. And, work here. And, school here. We are here all the time, except when we are running kids around to various activities. Southern Living, it's not, folks. I do truly wish I could produce this level of joy in my family members all the time. (The ones that care, I mean. Because there are those, it seems, that actually prefer the mess. Or, at least, they work extra hard to ensure that the messiness is a constant.) But, as there are still only 24 hours in a day, and as I can only do so much, I guess we can simply be thankful that we move as often as we do, so that there are a fair number of days that the house is truly clean and clutter-free.

Finished Project

Some of these are very similar to other pictures I've posted, but I wanted to show the whole finished project together in one place. The tour will take you from the front, all the way around the house, moving around to the left.

front walk

front walk, from the "parking lot"

stone work

lower patio

bar

stairs

upper patio

grill area

upper patio, from the other direction

functional

the "beach"

bed on the kid's side

less glamorous but very important slab for future well house

after dark

all lit up

Progress Report

From the kitchen door

Grill Station

Stairway to Heaven
(See those little square "stones" in the middle of each step?
They light up! This just makes me happy!)

From the lower patio

Bar (and Grill)

The big picture
(Kitchen door on the right, grill in the middle and lower patio on the left)

The front bed

Front walkway, leading to the garage

Best Day

Well, I don't normally do two posts in one day, but this day just requires it, because it was quite possibly the best day ever. It was the first day of spring, and our little part of the world celebrated by acting truly spring-like. I wore flip-flops today for the first time in months (even though I am badly in need of a pedicure). Our bluebonnets have come out of their shells and are starting to show off. Great progress is being made on our landscaping project. And, our palapas for our man-made, non-quite-finished, private "beach" arrived today, and that just pushed us over the edge of happiness. We popped the tops of some chilled Mojitos, turned on the ocean sounds app, pulled the grill around and had our first official patio party. I'm pretty sure this is what Heaven is like.

front retaining wall and back decorative stone wall

view from the bottom patio looking at the back of the house

back of the house, with the palapas peeking around the corner

The "Beach" in the back

retaining wall along kid's side of house

First lovelies of the season

Palapas!

enjoying our own little piece of paradise