MeMa is so excited! A baby girl is on the way.

Kelly and Chris on Thanksgiving Day. The final countdown is getting closer. February will be here in no time. WE are all so excited about our new family member arriving. She is so strong and active I am already looking for a heavy duty high chair for next Thanksgiving.
See, that is real reason my new house got larger, for more grandchildren!
This was another toast to our Thanksgiving this year, we are so thankful for our new cousin, daughter, granddaughter, and niece.

Last Thanksgiving on Haggin Grove Way !

Why is it we do 2 turkeys?

This is why I need the bigger kitchen

What's new on the outside

The latest look!

Work behind the scene's

I know, I know, everyone thinks I have been not doing much or rather lazy of late.

WRONG!

What I have been doing on the new house, does not show well in pictures: driving around town to pick out all the tiles, fixtures, color's etc. and not to mention, that after 28 years of being in my wonderful home that Randy and I built, it was time to get it ready to put on the market for sale.

I want to THANK my longtime friend of at least 45 years, "Auntie" Denise! What a friend,

with some reservation and tears she helped me sort, throw and pack up the house for weeks, to get the house ready to "show". The tears are from all the memories she carries with this home.

She was helping us move in and later was a permanent figure in our household for many years helping me with the kids, housework,and showering us with love! I keep reminding her we will now make new memories in the new house and the kids and grandkids are right next door, nothing will really change, she just will be driving a bit farther.

Also I want to THANK my kids. Kelly has spent many hours directing Denise and I how to pack and mark the boxes that go into the new home and I will be very organized during the move because of her expertise in moving. Also both Kelly and Ryan spent some fun and memorible time going through their bedrooms and sorting out the good from the bad they had left behind in all their drawers and closets. Many fine old treasures were found by both.

Then came the big day when I listed my house and it is on the market. That too turned into some fun. I am having my sister-in-law Debbie Oates Massie list the house. The day she came over for the house photos to be taken and for my signature on the sell document, I presented Debbie with a picture of her holding baby Ryan, then 2 months old and little Kelly 2 1/2yr and Amy 3 1/2 were standing near by. It was taken out in front of this house on move in day!

No front landscaping in yet and trucks of friends in the driveway loaded with all our stuff.

What a moment. She helped move us in and now is helping move us out.

Now that is memories.

Windows and Roofing August 2008

Exterior Shots end of June 2008

Days of Summer

More than a few of you have mentioned that I have not added anything new for a long time.

Remember the name of this blog: "keeping up with"; well sometimes I fall behind a bit.

This summer has been full of magical days. This summer has also flown right by.

The announcement that Kelly and Chris are having their first child took me by such suprise and excitement I don't remember doing much more than just smiling for days.

You must read about the way the grandparents found out,on their blog. A classic example of how creative those two are. Well that was back in June over Fathers' Day.

Next came Westin's 3 rd birthday; that included a real birthday party with lots of kids, then a family swim and bar-b-que day and his first bee sting!

A Personality is taking shape

Since it is a 66 mile roundtrip for me to get out to the house and back, I don't go as often as everyone else. What I like about that is everytime I drive up I am surprised and form a new feeling for the house. This last trip up, I was stunned! She has a Personality. Really, I can feel it, and now I am walking thru the hallways and rooms and getting the great relaxing feeling I had hoped for. My desire for this home is to be much like a soothing oasis, a touch of a spa resort, with a killer kitchen. I think we have done it!

I haven't shared much information about the interior yet. Well, I think it is my interpertation of a dream empty nester. It is two stories, but, I can live downstairs and never have to go up to the other two bedrooms, two bathrooms and game room. They were put up their for the overnight visits from the grandchildren, or, when a bunch of you come to visit me. Each bedroom upstairs has its own bathroom and private balcony with awsome views.

These are the latest pictures.

Time out for Mothers Day

We all had a chance to relax, swim and bar-b-que. Kids went swimming and Bella loves to have swimming partners, Westin discovered it was fun to throw rocks in the pool and watch Dad have to dive down and retrieve them all. This will be my last summer here, so many of my "last" events are starting to take place. I will forever miss this back yard setting. All the trees and plants are close to 30 years old, and such a great canopy of shade and lush surroundings. Lots of memories were made in this yard. A great Mother's Day to remember!

Always in Fashion

Many Thanks to Kelly for getting us the very official OSHA approved
Pink Hardhats! OSHA is very strict and will shut us down if we do not have our hats on. They don't care if your a woman, owner or visitor, you must have on your hat when the guys are working. Kelly made it fun for us and safe. I think the guys like it too, they can easily tell if there is a "woman on the job".

Framing begins

Everything is good to go, cement is cured and the electrical outlets in the floor have been placed. Of course I wasn't really ready to make my final forever spots for the placement of floor outlets; like I have had time to figure out where all the furniture and lamps are going! I see now that I do need some spend some serious time figuring out where everything in my kitchen will be going so I can work with the cabinet man and not make constant changes. The lesson I have learned so far is that one needs to be way ahead in the decision making, now they also want to know what kind of gutters I want. There is no rest for my weary mind.
The payoff, the house is starting to look like a home!

Lots of cement

It took most of the day, lots of pumping truck loads of cement, job well done.

Our wonderful job supervisor Mark was already on the phone ordering the lumber.

No more just dirt

Very exciting day, pouring the foundation. Ryan(my project manager and son) Kelly(daughter and next door neighbor) and Natalie (granddaughter) all came out to watch the pour.

More pictures

Now it gets moving along...

and approved by good friends!

Catching up with pictures

Grading the lot and rock walls were first. Lots and lots of rock walls! They go all across the backyard and up the side of the house. One small problem with the rock walls, rattlesnakes love them, so now rattlesnake fencing has to go in also.

I can see downtown Sacramento and at night all the lights from the city, out the front door I can see the Sutter Buttes. No neighbors behind me for miles (well, I guess a few critters).

By the way, Bella, my 8 yr. old Golden Retriever has been a major factor in many of the choices made, it will be a home fit for a dog !

Getting Started

Back in December 2006 , the Massie family started a new adventure. Six family members purchased lots within a few houses of each other. My lot just happens to be next door to Kelly and Chris and they will be living next door to Ryan and Monica. All three of us in a row, with Great Grandma Clara around the corner in the cul-de-sac and then back on the same street down a few homes is Rick and Debbie with Amy and Jeremy next to them. A family compound and we are not Italian!

Each home is very different and projects each families personalities.

My new home has a flair of resort, spa and leisure living; perfect for my baby boomer retirement years and enjoying my children and grandchildren. Of course it is California, so I do have my private spa patio complete with an outdoor shower!

I am a little behind on getting this blog started so I will share some of the pictures starting back when it was nothing but dirt and a dream.