Extreme Home Makeover

You've seen the pics from my adventure last weekend in Austin. Kyle seems to be making a habit of tackling big projects while he's home alone and this time, he actually took some photos to share! He built a cabinet in the garage to help keep us organized. Every last inch of space is critical in that garage, given that we've packed in a boat, motorcycle, a bike and two vehicles.

My weekends alone usually consist of a trip to the movie theater and a little (or a lot) of shopping. This time, I decided to "pull a Kyle" and tackle a project. And boy did I tackle a project!

Remember those pictures of Kyle and I painting ... and hating every minute of it?!?! Well, we still haven't called anyone to finish the job, but still wish we had color in a few more rooms. So, since my poor husband is traveling for work yet again (because I moved us to Arkansas,) I decided to surprise him with a freshly painted dining room!

As we already know, I'm not a very patient person, but I knew a half-ass job wasn't going to cut it. So instead, I purchased an edger and corner tool and will NEVER again paint without them! I didn't have to tape anything and edged the entire room in record speed (and high quality results!) Best $15 I've ever spent.

Welcome to our "Beachwalk" dining room! I absolutely LOVE the color and will definitely use it again in our next house. (It'll be nice to finally invest time, money and energy into a house that will be our home for more than a few years when we get back up North!)

I hope you like it, Kyle! You are all invited to join us for a good home cooked meal in our new, cozy dining room ... just say when!

Baby Mulhausen Road Trip

Kyle is the king of long drives, as he's made the 10 hour trek between Minneapolis and Arkansas more times than we care to count. Learning from the best, I jumped in the car last Thursday for an 8.5 hour road trip to Austin, Texas to visit Jeff and Kathleen for the last time before they become parents. Aside from driving past Fort Hood 30 minutes after the shooting, the trip was pretty uneventful and actually went by pretty fast. I will say that Arkansas is much prettier than Oklahoma or Texas, though.

Here are my favorite parents-to-be. Aren't they cute?!?!

Austin is a GREAT town. It has more character in one city block than all of Northwest Arkansas, that's for sure. Here are a few "only in Austin" moments that I was able to catch on camera...

A dude riding his scooter, with his dog going along for the ride in a cardboard box! That can't be safe ...

A Rooster delivery truck ... made me think of the dog car in Dumb and Dumber ...

I didn't have my camera with me when we witnessed unicyclers practicing in a parking lot, Brazilian dance fighters performing in the street, and someone in a bear costume meditating in the park. Yes, they like to Keep Austin Weird, and I love it!

In addition to good restaurants, bars, shopping and great weather ... I was able to attend Baby Mulhausen's baby shower!! This kid is going to be spoiled rotten. I refuse to have it any other way. Here's some of the Gmills gear I bought for him ... one has Lil' Sprout on it and the other is a Cheerios giraffe. The sock monkey is pretty awesome too.

We also celebrated Kathleen's birthday at an amazing Italian restaurant and finished the night off at the Cupcake Trailer. Kid you not, food trailers are big in Austin ... they have ones that sell tacos, cupcakes, pies, pudding, etc, etc. We weren't about to deny a pregnant lady on her birthday!

I had a blast in Austin, as always, and can't wait to go back with Kyle in January to meet our new little nephew. 7 more weeks until he joins the family! Thanks to Jeff and Kathy for hosting me for another great weekend in Austin and for taking the pressure off of Kyle and I to have kids any time soon! We love you guys!

Happy Halloween!

Finally, some gorgeous fall weather! Kyle spent the afternoon fishing, while I got things done around the house and treated myself to a mani/pedi. Tough life we lead, I know.

Rather than passing out candy, we decided to head over to Melissa and Jeff's place for some dinner and drinks. As a little trick-or-treater, I remember hating the houses with their lights off and no treats, so before we left, I put a bowl of candy on the porch. I'm not here to make any enemies.

We had a great night hanging out with the Toliver family, little Bella and Jake certainly entertained us on their sugar highs ... they even made us costumes to celebrate Halloween.

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The newest addition to the family, Maggie, a 3 month old Jack Russell, really stole the show. She showed off, doing her best Superman impression, practically flying out of Kyle's hands.

Kyle showed off some of his tricks too. I'm so proud.

I think someone is going to make a great Daddy ...

Dear Melissa and Jeff - Thanks for helping my cause. I think I'll have a puppy in no time!