The Cupboards Are Bare

I left the fridge and freezer stocked with meals that Brad could heat up easily. All by himself. Yes, you should be impressed :)

Well, this is what I came home to last night. Eggs, 3 kid yogurts, and rancid milk. I guess I should go to the grocery store this afternoon?

Plenty of Houston pictures will be up soon. I promise, they are much more exciting than my empty fridge.

A Year of Pies -- Month 5

I got brave this month. I incorporated the fruit from our pear tree into one of Brad's monthly pies. I had never heard of a pear pie before, but decided it was worth a shot. I found a recipe for creamy pear pie and made it since it got pretty good reviews. It wasn't bad -- definitely needed vanilla ice cream (Blue Bell would have been the best!). I probably won't make it again, but I'm glad I tried it!

One Month...and Home!

It's been one month since we moved. I've been trying to decide if it feels like it's been longer or shorter than a month. But really, it feels like it's been just that -- a month. We were used to seeing our families multiple times a week, so being away from them is definitely the hardest part of living here. Fortunately, Natalie and I are headed down to Houston for a visit this week! We'll arrive on Wednesday and stay through Tuesday. I can't wait to see family and friends again!

Sweet Ride

I just found this pic on our computer. Thought you'd like to see what Brad's parents drove across the country for us...a 22' truck with Brad's car being towed behind. Thank you, Mamaw and Papa!

Creepy Crawly

I walked into our bedroom tonight to find a large, scary looking bug on the floor (click here for a pic -- if you are squeamish, don't look!). Instead of trying to conquer it myself, I ran down to the study and interrupted Brad's reading...isn't that what any good bug-fearing graduate student's wife does? It managed to hide behind the radiator for a while, but Brad refused to be taken down by a 2-inch, 28-legged critter. I snapped the postmortem picture so I could go online to identify it. Turns out it is a "house centipede" -- no danger to humans. Still gives me the heebie jeebies, though!

Pear Sauce: The Verdict

Several of you have asked: Did Natalie like the pear sauce? Unfortunately, the answer is no. It tastes really good, but it doesn't have the same perfectly smooth texture that store-bought applesauce has. And if you know anything about Natalie's eating habits, you know this is no big surprise. She has major texture issues and eats probably only 8-10 different foods (yes, really). So, I'm back to buying applesauce at the store...but I will enjoy the pear sauce!

Two Thumbs Up

We turned the heat on in our house last night for the first time. It was in the lower 50s outside when we were getting ready for bed, and we knew it'd only get colder from there. I will admit that I was skeptical about the radiators...just didn't have any experience with them and didn't know if they'd actually do what they were supposed to do. Well, they proved me wrong! We were toasty and comfortable all night. Natalie even slept 30 minutes later than she usually does...maybe because her cold toes didn't wake her up :) Two thumbs up for radiant heat!