Just When We Downsize, the Girls Move with Us

I don't mind; I just find it ironic. We decide to downsize to a town home and the girls decide to move with us. This necessitated a basement finish ASAP as the girls were sharing a bedroom. That room was FULL of clothes, shoes, books, sewing stuff, etc. It's a good thing it was a big room with a big walk-in closet.

Dale Triptow, my friend Jamie's dad, was our contractor. It took just shy of 3 months to get the basement done. We finished a living space for Melia, which includes 2 closets and a full bath. It also has a storage room. It's a great addition to the house. Dale and his subs did a great job. Mel is thrilled with her new studio living space. We even found a couch and love seat on sale for $499 at a furniture store that's losing its lease.

It's a great place for her and Allie and friends to hang out. It was a big investment, but well worth it. We also put in a half bath on the main level of our town home. It took a small portion of our garage, but it's so worth it. It's so nice to have a bathroom for guests to use without them having to walk downstairs or upstairs. I must admit, I didn't do well with the construction. I don't like messes and limbo. I was so happy to get all settled, to get Mel moved downstairs, and to be able to spread out a bit.

Mitty loves the new place. He likes that he can move around again.

I got this silver tray as an undergraduate Home Economics student. It was an award. It stayed in the box, in a closet since 1988. What was I thinking? I got it out. It was pitted and horrible looking. One leg was broken off. I was able to polish it up and glue the leg back on. I use it in the kitchen daily now. 

Repurposed the red hutch from our old place. I love it. 

The bathroom is coming along nicely

DONE! I'm in love with these removable wall decals. 

Here's the space the bathroom took up in the garage. Not bad. I can still park my car. 

When you don't have a coat closet, you make a cute nook for shoes, bags, coats, etc. I actually love it. 

Re-covered the cushions on our patio furniture. Keenan loves to sit outside. 

I love this corner of our master. My kids. 

It's been fun to have the girls here. It's been difficult to manage lots of shoes and bags, but we're making it work.

Just this week, though, Allie moved out. She got a job teaching in Spanish Fork this upcoming school year and has moved in with mom and dad so she has a nice short commute. I miss that girl already, but she's in a good place. Instead of student teaching, she'll be an intern. She'll teach clothing, teen living, and foods at Diamond Fork Junior High. She's really excited and is working hard to get ready for the school year. I've had fun spending time with her getting her classroom ready.

Allie and me at a BYU FCS Alumni event. 

Allie on her way to her last day of school on campus. 

From 923 to 328

It was in September 2018 that I had a feeling that it was time to sell and downsize, as Keenan and I had always talked about. I called my friend Lissa Lott, a great realtor, and she listed the house for us. I thought it would go quickly. We all thought it would go quickly. It went relatively quickly, but it always seems long. We got an offer in October and closed on December 5. We got a big fat check. We paid off that mortgage and deposited that check. We used it to buy our town home in Saratoga Springs. We also had money left over to buy furniture and to put toward finishing the basement and adding a bathroom on the main level. Who designs a home without a bathroom on the main level? Thankfully we were able to see an example of how it's done and our contractor, Dale Triptow, made that bathroom a reality.

So the fall was very busy: cleaning a house, selling a house, working, teaching Instant Pot classes in the house, getting ready for Melia's homecoming, and preparing for a wedding.

Santa Lucia breakfast at Grandma and Grandpa's house

Our last picture in front of 923 East 1520 North

Poor Mel comes home to an empty house and a lot of boxes

The new place

The "Wall of Boxes": everything that will eventually go in the basement went in our master bedroom. I do not do well with clutter.

KC Cook, Starlyn, and Jenny help us move some stuff. 

The day we bought the house. We also moved in that night.

I did this wall. I was pretty proud of it. Mementos from missions, weddings, Bass Lake, kids' art, family history, etc. 

Mitty loved the wall of boxes 

Christmas Wrap-Up in the Lab

We had a great time the last week of the semester. We all wore Christmas wear. Allie wore a fantastic and tacky shirt she made in her clothing class. It was a really ugly pattern, so she decided she might as well make it a shirt she would use. It's pretty great. She'll be the favorite teacher in that awful shirt. Cats and Christmas and candy canes.

So much fun: Amanda Gardner, Starlyn Hjorth, Courtney Schultz, Cheryl Taylor, Karen Johannsen, Dia Ramos, Ashley Oldroyd, Karina Jones, Annalece Webber, Me, Amanda Arnold, and Allie. What a crew!

Makei Tupou took the class. So did McKay (in background and from the PG Manila Stake)

Our Razorback Came Home

Friday, December 7, 2018 was one of my most memorable last day of the semester. My cute Mel came home from her mission. I went to work in the morning and enjoyed Magnificent Meals with my morning lab. Then I headed to the airport to see Melia get in around 1:00 pm. I love that girl.

All of the street youths came and it was so fun. Allie ran straight to Melia and Mel ran straight to her, pushing her rolling carry on into the crowd. I caught the bag and let the girls hug. Then we all got our turn. Melia is doing great. When she came home, we had already closed on the house. In fact, we moved into mom and dad's basement the day after she came home. When she spoke in church, we had friends and family over to the Watkins' home for refreshments. Bless Jen and Burke. They really are like a 2nd family to Melia.

Mom and dad were kind enough to let us bring Mitty with us. We had 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, and a hallway to use. Mitty was confined to those few square feet. He was a trooper. Uncle Mike was there as we all spent the wedding and Christmas together.

Melia and Levi Patterson

Melia and Grandpa

Melia and Kaleb Greening

these fine young men helped us move: Parker Shelby, Makei Tupou, and Levi Patterson

Sisters!

Of course, we went to Taco Amigo after the airport: Parker, Levi, Kobi Watkins, Makei, Kaleb, and Melia

SY Girls: Kobi Watkins, Melia, and Megan Woodward

Aunt Jen and Melia

driving "Home"

Starlyn, Allie, Makei, Kamiko, and I leaving BYU on the last day of Fall 2018 semester

Mom and dad

BFF's reunited

Family

Proud brother!

A girl and her kitty reunited

Brown sibs: Melia and Makei Tupou

Adcocks together again

I'm in Saratoga Springs

Ok, it's July 14, 2019. I haven't written in almost 6 months. Even at that, the last post was about Kamiko and Bekki's wedding. I have not written about any of the following:

1. Melia's return from the Arkansas Bentonville Mission
2. The move to mom and dad's basement for 2 months
3. Closing on a town home in Saratoga Springs
4. Finishing the basement and building a bathroom on the main level of our new place
5. I went to North Carolina for the first time

Should I begin with the most recent or the least recent? Hmmm. Maybe I'll start at the beginning. December 7, 2018.

Playing Pickle Ball with friends from the old neighborhood: Keenan, me, RaDawn and Dave Mehr, Kim and Rich Blight. This new park, Patriot Park, is just a few steps out our back door.