Friday, March 11, 2005

Jan and Feb

After Bobby and the family left we had time to start considering our future plans. One thing that we realized was that the house was bigger than we really needed for the two of us. We wanted a smaller home with less responsibilities which will give us more free time (when we're here). We also wanted to not have to drive anywhere if we could help it. Just imagine it - being able to walk to shops, restaurants, bars, the grocery store, a short walk or bike ride to the beach. Yep, it sounds like we have to move to the city! We started looking for condos and finally found one in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. We've gotten used to funny looks from people...yes, we are down-sizing (2000sf to 1200sf)...and yes, we are moving south and not north. So, we're not the norm! The new condo is off of Las Olas Blvd - 2 blks to the shopping district, a block to the Art Museum, a block to the Library, a block to the New River, 2 miles to the ocean. We're excited to move in, but we dont have a date yet...you know how it is with new construction. We were suppossed to close in early March, and we're still waiting on the word.

We were fortunate that selling the house wasn't a problem. Three offers within 36 hours of our first and only Open House. We may be living in the RV sooner than we thought, considering we close on our house at the end of March!

Andy took a little trip in late January to ski in Breckenridge, CO for a long weekend with his brothers, Joe and Jimmy, and his nephew, Nick. It was a "boy's weekend" so I stayed home and contemplated our recent decisions, the home sale, and all of the 'what-in-the-world-am-I-doing' thoughts that cascaded through my mind. I do love my butterfly garden and my backyard that attracts a variety of butterflies, birds and squirrels. We will miss our backyard, that is for sure. I may just have to volunteer to get my gardening-fix.

In February my Mom visited for a week. I told her to come soon while she still had an opportunity to visit the house. I was thrilled she could make it.

At the end of February we joined some of Andy's family in a trip to Dublin, Ireland to celebrate our niece's 21st birthday. Rosie is our oldest niece and is studying abroad this semester in Dublin. Carol, Andy's sister, her daughter, Stephanie, and Chris, Andy's brother, joined us. We had a great time shopping, walking the streets, visiting several pubs (ok, maybe more than 'several'), touring the Guinness brewery, and the such.

See Pictures of Ireland

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