Settling In

Well it has been a while since we last updated everybody, so here we go.

We are finally moved it, however there are boxes still stacked throughout the house and many little projects to start. We can't thank the crew of family that came down to help us move enough. Special shout out to each of you.....Mom, Dad, Chris, Ginger, Conor, and of course Amanda.....Thank you!!!

Amanda after busting her butt to move us in!

We are both thrilled that we have our first home and seem to be making the adjustment from apartment life to home ownership just fine. Both Oliver and Kingsley seem to love the fact that there is a lot more house to explore and Kingsley definitely loves the fact that he can chase the tennis ball back and forth across the yard.

Oliver exploring the top of our 42" cabinets in the kitchen

We've already experienced our first appliance malfunction when the dishwasher decided it didn't want to work Becky. Kingsley, being the always watchful and vigilant watchdog, jumped when water and soap started to cascade out of the dishwasher. After cleaning up the mess and draining the little bit of water that was standing in the basin a phone call was made to the home warranty people. Four days later the appliance repair dude discovered a small clog had lodged itself in the drain as it drains into the garbage disposal, several minutes later, it was fixed.

This month has been filled with NASCAR related events. May 11th marked the Grand Opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. It was a promise the construction team made to the Owners nearly 3 years ago, and they came through on that promise. So Lee got to go tot he Grand Opening and rub elbows with some big time stars. Probably the most important person (especially to all Redskins fans) Lee got to meet was Coach Joe Gibbs. Coach Gibbs was very gracious to even take a few moments for a picture.

Grand Opening



Lee and Coach Joe Gibbs

We also spent an evening at the Time Warner Cable Arena to see the 2010 Pit Crew Challenge. It was an awesome time and in the end, the #11 FedEx Team won! After the event was over, Lee was able to slip past security and get down on the floor to meet and take a picture with his favorite NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin (#11 FedEx).

Final Heat - Go FEDEX!

Celebration!



Lee and Denny Hamlin

Finally, we had some of Lee's family come down to visit us last weekend. Bob, Robin, Juli, and Logan (the dog) drove all night to get here in enough time for us to spend time with them before heading off to the All-Star Race. That's right; Becky and Lee have finally gone to their first race! Outside of it being hot and humid, we had a blast! Becky enjoyed the people watching, and got to experience the absolute definition of the term "Red Neck" that day..........only comment is OMG! The weekend was capped off by attending the Inaugural Induction of the 2010 NASCAR Hall of Fame. Some of the coolest features of the Induction was getting to walk the "red carpet" and seeing the inductees rings featuring the ribbon (the ribbon is the part of the Hall of Fame that Lee managed during the construction process and takes great pride in).

Enjoying our first race



mmmmm....bownies

2010 Hall of Fame Induction Class and Families

Richard and Kyle Petty





Richard "The King" Petty

Thanks again to everybody who has come to visit us and help us move in. We love you all and feel free to book a room in the Dryden Hotel!

9 MONTHS!!

This blog is dedicated to "ahem ahem Annie ahem Bruen ahem ahem!"

There comes a time in life when all of us have to make a decision on whether or not to expand our family. Lee and I are proud to announce that we have decided to move forward with expanding our family...

MEET KINGSLEY!!

We got him Friday from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Shelter. We had found him online and then went to see him this past week. He is a 9 MONTH old chocolate lab mix. He definitely has a lab face, but we are not sure what he is mixed with. He is a little shy at first, but warms up to people very quickly. He is a very friendly dog and enjoys walking outside on a leash and playing fetch, so he'll enjoy the new backyard once we put a fence up. Oliver (the cat) is letting him know who is boss and for the most part they could really care less about each other. They'll be buds in about a week.

So it is official, I am definitly out numbered in the male to female ratio in this house, but I love all of my boys very much!

Our Home

Our first 6 months of marriage have been wonderful. We are learning each others quirks and antics which we did not know before we got married.

As you know Lee is working on the NASCAR Hall of Fame and getting ready to turn that over in a month, so things have been busy for him. Becky is still looking for a job and has put her resume into a few places, we're hoping that she gets an interview at UNC Charlotte for an Associate Directors position. Oliver (the cat) has adjusted well to having Becky in the apartment since she lets him outside on the balcony and run he runs to the door like a dog when the blinds come open. With the weather being nice he loves to sit in the open windows and look at people or meow at dogs and want to play with them.

Now onto the big news...WE BOUGHT OUR FIRST HOUSE!!!

We had been looking at houses for the past two months and thought we had found a house in Mint Hill, but we too late on putting an offer in. So, we got a little bummed, but continued to look and remembered that "everything happens for a reason." We went back and looked at a house that we had decided against on pictures alone, but gave it a walk through and found out there was more to the house and yard than what the pictures showed. We looked at the house last Sunday with Becky's parents and then went back by ourselves on Wednesday. That evening we put an offer in on the house. The owners came back with a counter offer and after much research on the property and the easements around it, we countered their offer with less than what they bought it for and THEY TOOK IT! We received a phone call this afternoon with the great news. The plan is to close April 28th and move that first weekend in May.

The house is located in Indian Trail, NC which is southeast of Charlotte in Union County. It's at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac with a small creek in the backyard on almost 1/2 an acre of land. It has an open kitchen with 42" cabinets, a breakfast area and a large family room with a gas fireplace (we had to temporarily give up a wood burning fireplace). There is an enclosed sunroom, more like a sitting room off the family room with vaulted ceilings. Out back there is a deck that overlooks the wooded backyard with a storage shed. It's a 3 bedroom, 2 and 1/2 bath with a bonus room above the garage which is outfitted to be a 4th bedroom. It has a very open and inviting lower level that made us feel like home and that's what we were looking for in a house.

Master Bedroom

The finished bonus room (over the garage)

Kitchen
The dining room is through the door


Bedroom #2

The pull down attic is in this room (you can see it at the top of the picture)

Bedroom #3

Dining Room (kitchen is to the right)

View of the backyard

View of the back of the house with the deck

Family room (view from the kitchen)

Breakfast Room

View of the backyard from the deck

Keep checking back for more updates as they come in!!!