Philo File: Gulf Coast Living Oh La

I can't even remember without looking the last time I wrote, so I'm going to give a little overview of what's been going with us the last few months. I really, truly do want to keep updating this blog since many of my good friends are hardly, if ever, on Instagram (where I'm most active), and I want to feel connected still.

So. In February we bought our first house! Or rather signed our names on a mortgage to live in a house. We are loving it. We have lived in some awful places over the years and have moved an average of twice a year or something since we've been married. So yeah, a more permanent home was much needed.

This is not our house. It's near our house though.

In our new yard, divining for water

Unpacking in the kitchen, as an "aksronaut"

Also near our house

Also in our yard.

Also, also near our house

It's a 3 bedroom 2 bath house with a yard and a garage and is in a good part of Texas City within walking distance of a huge park, the bay, some new friends, and walking paths. I really love where we live. It makes me happy every day. Oh, and 25 minutes' drive from our favorite beach isn't too shabby either!

In March, I think actually on St Patrick's day, we got a kitten and named her Queequeg. She's very playful and cuddly but I'm afraid she's Brozhy reincarnated. She bites a lot. We are doing our best to start all the training and diversion techniques early and she's been doing a bit better. I hope she continues to improve because other than playing too rough she really is a very sweet cat.

The day we brought her home. As small as a potato

Her eyes aren't blue anymore but she's still cute

She does a lot of sleeping

We all love her

A lot of sleeping

We had some family visiting a couple weeks ago and it was just so nice to finally take a break from going double time like I have been the past few months. I was really getting burned out and having guests and being forced to sit around and do fun things was exactly what I needed.

Running amok

Cousins

At our favorite beach in Galveston (the one 25 minutes from our house...cough)

I promise they were holding hands

The only visitor we had that Remy wasn't afraid of was his cousin Ollie.

Playing at the water table

I finally finished transcribing all my grandpa's war letters and am now moving into the next stages of the book. I hope to have it all finished by June. Which is now only a month or so away! Ah!
The rest of our time is spent hanging around enjoying our time together or working on house projects (which I enjoy), and have put up shelves in our living room, put in a fancy pants pantry, updated the yard, etc.

Our new pantry "before": a 1920s pie safe

And a very bad picture of the after. I promise it's much prettier in person.

Working on the shelves for our living room

And after they were mounted.

Building a garden bed out of wood from cupboards we took out.

Also, in March the kids and I got Coxsackie virus, an experience I never hope to repeat and one I would NEVER wish on anyone. My feet are still recovering.

Quarantine activities

One of the fever days

Popsicles for mouth and throat blisters

Ok so this was supposed to be for my mom's eyes only, but it's so creepy I had to scare you. This is my hand at the post-blister peeling stage. It's the stage my feet are still in. Still. Six weeks later.

Hm...we went to San Antonio for a day over Spring Break and to New Orleans for Easter Weekend. Anybody want to see pictures from these things? Ok. here's a few:

Not impressed with the Alamo

I was, though, even if everything is smaller in person

San Antonio River Walk

French Quarter, New Orleans

Jackson Square, New Orleans. Sam's Grandma used to paint water color paintings and sell them in the square. She lamented to me that nowadays it's all modern art.