summer recap: moving, sightseeing and a lovely house

With summer just about over for us and because projects are moving super slow at the new house (think painting ALL the beige ceilings white and then painting ALL the beige walls after you’re done with the beige ceilings), I thought I would take this opportunity to recap our summer and provide some house eye candy. Sound good? I thought so. Let’s go!

So if you have been following along, you already know that we sold our Texas house last spring and were busy making plans to move back to the PNW, where we are originally from, to be close to our families again.

In June, my mom and dad flew down to Texas as we were packing the house and were nice enough to drive a car home for us back to Oregon. It was a bit of a whirlwind but we managed to leave the house for good the day after the kids were let out of school for summer break. We had a few Texas tourist attractions to check off our bucket list before we left and then we headed for the Grand Canyon.

After the Grand Canyon, we headed to Arches National Park and although it was crowded, the sights did not disappoint. Whoa, this place is beautiful. The trails within the park are not stroller friendly and I was so smart (NOT) and packed my baby carrier in a box somewhere in the moving truck so we had to stick to easy trails but if we were going again, I would wear the baby (put that cute little guy in his carrier) and try for some of the more advanced trails.

We also stopped off in Flagstaff and Salt Lake City. We kept our schedule flexible because of the kids and baby and would stop whenever a little person needed a break. We had a great time and are already scheming on some road-trip ideas for next summer.

When we arrived back in the Northwest, we knew we wouldn’t be able to close on our new house for almost four weeks. The sellers of our house needed some extra time since it had been their vacation home and wouldn’t be able to move their stuff out right away. But lucky for us, my parents’ were happy to let us invade their house until we closed. After being gone in Texas for three years, spending a few weeks with family sounded like a vacation to us! We had the best time. So many yummy meals (that we didn’t have to make!), and lots of late nights up laughing and talking.

Right around the same time we were moving to Texas, my mom and dad sold their house because they were retiring. They had lived in that house for thirty years and me and my four siblings had all grown up there. Sniffle… Anyways, they needed a smaller place and my mom was craving change, so off they went!

I am completely OBSESSED with their new house. It’s smaller with little maintenance which gives them the freedom to hit the road whenever the mood strikes. Perfect for them!

Cute, right? When they bought the place, the exterior was painted a salmon color. Yikes. The new color is such an improvement. Originally, the house didn’t have a garage so they built one to match the house.

The house was built in 2006 on twenty acres of forested land that has a nice stretch of river frontage. When you are there, it feels like you’re on vacation with all the quiet and peace. During our few weeks there, the kids had so much fun spotting deer and wild turkeys that wander the area.

Ok — are you guys ready for a tour of the inside?

Cozy. Check. Comfortable. Check. With all the windows, there is no shortage of natural light. The house was definitely designed with the views in mind. With the kitchen, living and dining room all in the same space, it really keeps the spacious and airy vibe going strong.

My mom ditched a lot of her old decor and furniture when they bought the place and she started over. I am such a fan of how she introduces a nice mix of objects both old and new. It’s such a talent. Her stuff isn’t too matchy-matchy but it all feels layered and inviting.

Every nook and cranny of the house is cute. Even the little laundry room…just LOOK.

There are two bedrooms in the house; one upstairs and the master on the lower level. How great is the master bedroom with that planked ceiling?

The loft has a second living space, the second bedroom and a bathroom. I’m having a serious moment over that coffee table. My mom found it at a local antique shop that also carried a few pieces of locally made furniture.

Before the house was ever built, the property had a small hunting cabin on it. My parents kept the structure and converted it into a bunk house for grand kids or overflow from the house since we have such a big family. My dad lined the walls with fresh pine planks, built the deck, and my mom got busy furnishing/decorating with a cabin theme in mind.

I don’t think our kids slept in the house for our entire stay. They love it.

So there you have it! Our summer recap and a bonus house tour! I will update the blog soon with some new pics of our house. I have been painting like a maniac. It’s starting to take shape! Happy Back to School!

A BIG House Update

Hi guys! Oh my, where has the time gone?! I guess time flies when you’re having fun…or packing everything you own and hauling it from Texas to Oregon with two kiddos and an eight month old baby. Anyways, I am finally back and have lots of updates for you. Hooray!

Last time I posted, we listed our house for sale and hoped for the best. We weren’t sure what to expect but, we had multiple offers and it went under contract on the first morning it was on the market. We were even able to negotiate a moving date that coincided with the last of school for the kids. It was a win win.

Leaving Texas was bitter sweet. We made some great friends, the kids loved their school and we had the most amazing neighbors (Hi Chuck and Laura!) that anyone could ask for. We will miss it. On the other hand, we have had so much time with family and friends since we’ve been back! My heart is full and I know we made the right choice. The trip home was loads of fun and we took some time to explore the Grand Canyon, Arches National Park and Moab. If you haven’t been to these three places, then go right now. Seriously. Go.

So let me get on with it already and move on to the pics of the new house! We moved in three weeks ago and the house is still chaos. Hehe. Just don’t examine the pics too closely.

The house came with its own Texas star. We thought it was kismet that we managed to find a house in Oregon with a Texas star since we were moving from there.

Nate and I have only ever lived in old ranchers before this house. Our last place in Texas was built in 1980 and we always joked that it was practically a new house! This house was built in 2006 and had only been used as a vacation home since it was built so it really does feel brand new. But, we are so excited to make this baby ours and you might notice a shift in our projects from old/ugly to less builder basic/beige.

Do you recognize my “hello” sign? I almost forgot it in Austin and threw it in the trunk of our car at the very last moment.

Please excuse the mess. I took pictures while the boxes were being unpacked so yeah, it’s messy. When you walk into the house, you can either head up the stairs or continue through (past the little half-bath) to the kitchen and family room.

There are bamboo, wood floors on the first level and carpet everywhere else. I am already making plans to get rid of the carpet. I’m not a carpet person…some people like the coziness of it, especially in the bedrooms. I can appreciate that but, its still a no for me.

My first order of business; painting the ceilings white. For whatever reason, this house has beige walls and beige ceilings. Excuse me for a moment while I gag. In my humble opinion, in this particular house, the ceilings need to be a good ol’fashioned flat, white paint. And this beige paint is so bad. It has pink undertones and my mom says it reminds her of a bad foundation color.

If you’re wondering why there is suddenly snow on the ground and all this furniture that doesn’t belong to me in these two pictures of the master bedroom, they were taken when the house went on the market during the winter. I’m too embarrassed to share the current state of the bedroom with it’s stacks of unpacked boxes and piles of laundry. Can I still use the “I have a newborn” excuse? Even if he is almost nine months? Hope so.

Let’s go upstairs, shall we?

Nate’s office is at the top of the stairs in an open area on your left. Don’t worry, I ordered him a chair that’s on the way. I’m excited to decorate his office. When he wasn’t working at home in Austin, he was always asking to come in to his work to decorate his office and I never got around to it. Now that his office is in our house, I guess I won’t have an excuse not to get in there and make it pretty.

If you keep going past Nate’s office, there is a bathroom straight ahead, a bonus room on your right and the other two bedrooms on your left.

We started calling this big space the bonus room. It feels so spacious! We bought a big IKEA sectional for this space and plan on using it for TV watching, playing, doing homework and reading. I am thinking about creating different zones and adding shelves somewhere for toy storage and books.

On to the upstairs bedrooms. For now, Nolan and Grey are sharing the bigger of the two bedrooms and Urban is in the smallest bedroom. These beds were left by the seller and we have been using them until we decide where everyone is going to be living permanently. Nolan has asked for her own room so maybe she will go solo into the smaller bedroom and our two younger sons will share the bigger bedroom? Before any of this moving around happens though, Momma needs to get her nine month old sleeping through the night. Does that make sense?

And lastly, here is the back of the house and the backyard. Our lot is just over a half acre and it backs up to a little piece of canal frontage off of the Deschutes River. We have been having so much fun on the water. The kids are obsessed. We have been out kayaking, canoeing, and paddle boarding just about every day since we moved in.

And that’s about it! It feels so good to be back and to be finally moved into the new house. What do you guys think? You think I can de-cookie my cookie cutter? Anyone else just move a long ways and live to tell about it?

Our House Is For Sale!

Guys, I can’t believe it. Our house is for sale! Can someone pass me a paper bag?

But let’s rewind for a second and I’ll fill you in on all the details that led up to this big decision (don’t worry; I’ll keep it brief). Back in 2014 (that doesn’t sound brief, but I swear it is), Nate was offered a job here in Texas (we’re from Oregon and we were living in Portland at the time) that he accepted. Off we went to Texas and Texas has been good to us. Since we have been here, Nate scored an even better job, we bought our first house, we had a baby, and the kids started school at the best elementary school ever. We have been very happy here. A couple of months ago, Nate’s company gave him the option to start working from home if he chooses. And this “home” could be anywhere. With all of our family back in Oregon (I miss my mom and sister so much that it hurts), we were feeling a strong pull to go back, to our home.

And here we are. The kids get out of school on June 1 and hopefully our house will sell before that. So if you are in the market for the most special home in all of Central Texas, then I have just the spot for you!

This process feels really crazy and stressful but a major perk was that our house was photographed in preparation and I wanted to share the lovely photos they took of our house. This most definitely will make my regular photos on the blog look horrible, but they are too pretty not to share.

All images by Travis Baker via

I can’t wait to dive in and start sharing more about the whole process, so stay tuned! Until then, feel free to reach out to me if you’re interested and I’ll pass along all the info!

Wish us luck!