Week 6

Mark and I signed a contract on a house this week!  We will be renovating a house in Garden Oaks (near the Heights just outside the loop).  We're really excited and amazed that we're doing this!  We never would have thought we would be renovating a house, but it all worked out so providentially.

A couple of weeks ago we went to dinner at a friend's house on W. 42nd St.  We loved the area as we drove through, and we thought, "We haven't even looked up here!  I wonder what's available?"  Since we've had NO luck at all finding a house in Memorial, it was a possibility we were interested in looking into.  That night, they mentioned that their friend signed a contract on a house two doors down and it was a steal, but he's not been able to sell his town home so he could move forward with the purchase.  I jokingly said, "No problem!  Have him transfer the contract into our names and we'll go ahead and take it off his hands!"  Two days later, we got word that this friend's contract is running out and the house might go on the market.  NO!!!!!!  We jumped on the opportunity before it could be listed for a higher price!  As we looked into the house more, we realized the friend had already done bids on the renovations, inspections, etc.  This was a no-brainer.  Even better, Mark's commute to work is 12 minutes, our commute to our church is 8 minutes, and we have good friends on the street.  It really can't get any better.  We feel so at peace, and we know this is the Lord providing.

When we step back and think about life right now, we laugh that we are undertaking a house renovation.  Mark has started a new job with a new company, I have changed professions from teacher to mom, we've moved cities, we've changed churches, and we're now embarking upon a renovation project.  Oh, did I mention we have a children's book coming out in approximately 3 weeks!!  (More to come on that!)  We like to do things up big in the Brannan house!  The more change the better!

This week my brother has been on leave, so he's in Houston hanging out with us some!  It's great to have him around, and Zane loves having "Untle Dit" in town.

Zane experienced his first carousel this week at the mall.  He was a little dumbfounded by it, but when he got off, all he wanted to do was ride it again!  As much as he loves animals, he was not into these life-size plastic animals with rhinestone saddles, oddly enough.  Who wouldn't like a roaring lion frozen in time adorned with plastic feathers, beads, and leather?  Freaky.

Zane also got his first American haircut this week.  It cost 8 times as much as it did in Ethiopia.  Gulp.  He did well, but I still can't get over the price.  We left some curls on top, so he's looking pretty smooth...like D.J. Jazzy Jeff from "Fresh Prince".

We had a few cold days this week, so I pulled out a splurge purchase that I couldn't pass up for little Zaney Boy.  Unfortunately, he thought it was HILARIOUS that I would even entertain the thought of putting this on him, and this is the 2 1/2 seconds he actually wore the thing.  Oh well.

We had a trial run with our Halloween costume for the big Fall Festival coming up.  Zane LOVES it, and he wants to play in it all the time.  No spoilers, yet, though.  You gotta wait for the big night to see this one!

Texas Rangers are tied in the series right now, and the game is going on in the next room.  Hate to do it, but I gotta go watch baseball.  This is the only time of year I will watch it, and the Rangers?!  Couldn't be a better fall.