Christine and I have spent the last two weekends getting the house in a livable condition.

Our first task was to paint the second bedroom. We only changed our minds on the color scheme once (okay, maybe twice)… After two (or is it three now?) weekends, the room is painted, and we’ve moved the furniture into it.

I finally got around to installing the water filter on the line running to the ice-maker on the refrigerator. But, after installing it, I realized that the brass pipe running to the fridge was a) connected to the hot-water (bad according to the filter paper-work) and b) was crimped, meaning the pressure through that line was too low. So, after two or three trips to Home Depot, I finally got all of the pieces that I needed to tap a new line into the cold-water, and run a new line to the fridge filter… Good news: we have filtered water and ice again.

As spring rolls around, I’m looking to get a ton of top-soil or so delivered, so I can spread it across the yard… The yard is generally in great shape, but there are a few bare spots in the back under the trees, and I figure a good coat of new top-soil will help the grass grow in better this summer.

The house is finally taking shape, and feels like a home (instead of a small old house filled with boxes). We still haven’t found our silver-ware, and so, we’re eating with plastic forks and knives, but they work, and they’re pretty easy to clean up.

One last thing we’ll have to do soon is buy some dainty ‘grandmother’ type furniture for the front living room… the house just seems to want an antique couch or chair in the room.

Average Rating: 4.6 out of 5 based on 265 user reviews.

Chip and Christi had their baby last Friday (February 20, 2004) at 6 p.m at 6 lbs. 10oz and 19.5″long. I talked to Chip today, and he sounds like ‘the proud papa’ that I know he is. Mom is doing well, and Grandma and Grandpa were in town for the festivities.

Chip sent two pictures and a movie for all to enjoy…. update Chip sent along a second movie, this one taken 5 minutes after the first.

Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 239 user reviews.

Received this email a few days ago, just now getting around to posting it:

From: James Teaff

To: Family

Date Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2004 12:45 PM

Sorry for the mass-email, but I need to run out and go buy a couple of items
we had no idea we actually “needed” for the baby.

Matthew James Teaff was born yesterday at 2:17pm of a c-section. Caro was in
labor for 12 hours, but the doctor made the call at the last minute because
the kid was having trouble fitting through Caro’s cute, but small pelvis.

Matthew was 7 lbs 15.6 oz, 21 inches long, and a head and chest of 13
inches.

Thank you all for your well wishes, and we expect we will be telling you all
how beautiful, smart, friendly, non-crying, helpful around the house Matthew
is in the next week or so. If we begin to make you all nausious with all the
“my kid is the best” notes we will be sending, let us know and I will take
you off the mailing list… jejeje.

James

Congratulations James and Carolina.

Photos posted here.

Average Rating: 4.8 out of 5 based on 258 user reviews.

Christine and I moved into our new house this weekend…

We’re both pretty tired, even though we hired movers… we both had really busy weeks with work last week, and then we stayed up until 2:00 am on Friday night packing for the movers (they showed up at 8:00 am on Saturday morning).

We were about 98% moved in on Saturday and got the rest of our stuff thanks to Josh and Elise (and her use of El Arroyo’s CMV). We now have a house that was built in 1949 and is full of boxes… We’ll get around to unpacking everything that we need over the next couple of weeks (I hope).We’ll have a house-warming party in the near future I’m sure…

Average Rating: 5 out of 5 based on 155 user reviews.