We are in Houston

I couldn't let the day pass without also updating you on the move to Houston.

Yes, we are here!

We moved the week of August 16. It has been a long and arduous process for us, and I am just now getting my head above the mountain of things to do back in San Diego and here.

Everything got here in one piece, and we are grateful to the army of folks who came out in both San Diego and Houston to help load/unload the truck. We had that monster unloaded in less than 3 hours! Then we started the hateful task of unpacking our lives again, starting with clothes and things to eat.

We are still unpacking, but are fully functional once again in the house we are renting. The mosquitoes are truly a force to be reckoned with, and I have been unpleasantly reminded how common cockroaches are in this city. We are lucky enough to have the flying variety in our backyard, thanks to our next door neighbor's banana tree.

I have been spending almost every single business day in Dallas, so it has made the adjustment more difficult. Unpacking boxes has been a painfully slow process, and I am at the point now where I don't feel like doing it anywhere. I hate that in-between state.

Alberto has gotten back into full time work and Liz has also found a full time job. Dudley has adjusted to the new house, and has even started to 'take ownership' of the front and back yard. Basically, he acts like it's his yard now, not like he's in someone else's territory. He still enjoys laying in the sun whenever we go outside, which is very rare now due to the heat and the aforementioned mosquitoes.

I'm looking forward to fall, when the temps will cool a bit and we can go to the Renaissance Festival!

We miss everyone in California but are grateful to spend more time with our friends in Houston.

We'll be back online to post some photos soon, of the house and also of the progress of my pregnancy (I am 25 weeks this week!).

Houston-bound

As most of you already know, we have decided to relocate to Houston, TX. This was a really difficult decision for us because we absolutely love our home and being in Southern California. But with a baby on the way, frequent travel for me was becoming troublesome, and we'd also like to be nearer to family for support.

So, we made the big decision to make the move to Houston this summer!

The move will be made easier by the fact that I'll continue to work as normal for my company, ePartners. My boss has been very flexibl and considerate in finding a way to make the move happen for us. With my employment situation all lined up, we've been able to focus on how we would transition Alberto.

We've also contracted with a Property Management company to rent out our house here in San Diego. That way we'll keep the property...who knows, we may come back one day!

In preparation for the move, Alberto and I just spent a week in Houston. We drove one of our cars there (1,500 miles and 21 hours!) to leave in Houston so we wouldn't have to worry about transporting with the rest of the stuff. Then we spent the week doing a number of things:

• Looking for a place to live
• Looking for work for Alberto
• Looking for a doctor for baby+me

We got some excellent referrals on all three important tasks from our friends - thank you everyone! Because of all of the help we received, we managed to accomplish all 3 of our goals!

So, we'll be moving to a cute little house in Hyde Park (Montrose/W. Gray area) that was built in 1910, has all hardwood floors and a garage apartment in the back. Dudley will have a little yard in both the front and the back for sunbathing, and a wooden porch outside of the kitchen to watch the squirrels from.

Alberto got some great referrals and and after a few days of calling, finally got connected with a tile company that was so eager for him to get started they actually asked for him to start work the very next day. He managed to wiggle out of that one, but has a standing arangement to start with them once we get into town for good.

Finally, I found a great doctor in the medical center for me and the baby, thanks also to a great referral. Dr. Samuels is a very straightforward and no-nonsense woman who has over 20 years of experience delivering babies. One notable about her in this Olympic summer season is that she is also the doctor for Mary Lou Retton :)

We also had a great time getting to know the area that we'll live in and meeting up with friends for meals and entertainment. Thank you to everyone who was able to share some time with us!

As we were waiting to head back to San Diego on Sunday evening, Alberto and I chatted about how well the week had gone, and how good we feel about the move. Now that everything is in place, and now that Alberto has had some time to get to know the city and what it's like and what it's potential is, we both feel like we're ready for the big event.

We'll be spending the next few weeks packing what we want to take with us and selling the rest. Garage sales are happening this weekend and next, so feel free to stop by and see what we've got!