Kyle's New Ride

The '97 Honda Accord (with 187,000 miles) has finally been retired and replaced with a brand new 2007 Chevy Z-71. Kyle has looked forward to having a new truck for a very long time, so when the old car began acting up more than usual we decided to speed up the process. It was an exciting day.

Here is the old car with the truck in the background.

Dinner Celebration

Tonight was the first time in a while that Kyle wasn't on call, so we took the opportunity to celebrate his test results. We tried Iguana Grill on Lake Travis for the first time, where we enjoyed the gorgeous view, live music and good mexican food.

Kyle's Big News

We are excited to announce that Kyle PASSED the written board exam!! This is a huge relief for him. There is just one more major hurdle, which is the oral board exam next year. Thanks to all who were praying for him during his months of studying, and during the test.

Summer Fun!

Acie and Abbie have had a fun-filled summer. Before moving to a new house, they spent a week with Melanie's parents at "dog camp". Since the move, they have transitioned very well into the new environment and into being outdoor dogs. We had an invisible fence installed, which keeps them in the yard but off the back patio and out of the garden. It was amazing to see how fast they learned where their boundaries are. The new backyard is nicer than the old one, which means no more mud pits and no more digging, but it is still more fun to play in than the old place. There are cows to look at, a slight hill and steps to climb, and lots of crickets and grasshoppers to eat. Above all, their favorite thing is drinking out of the sprinkler heads and the hose. We are only 5 minutes from Lake Georgetown, but haven't been able to enjoy it yet. The lake is still closed due to flooding early in July. This picture was taken a few weeks ago when we went to check it out. The dogs enjoyed getting to go too!

This is Abbie after being punished for digging around one of our new plants. She went to that spot and stayed there looking so pitiful for about 10 minutes. I took the picture from inside.

Here they are drinking from the hose. We waste so much water with this game, but they are so funny we keep letting them do it. Plus, we are training them not to drink from the sprinkler since we have already had to replace 3 of the heads that they broke.

The Move from Houston to Georgetown

Here are some pictures from our big move to Georgetown last month. We still have some boxes to unpack and organizing to do, but we are mostly settled.

It is unbelievable how much stuff we have. We managed to fill two-thirds of this big 18-wheeler!

Kyle wasn't too happy with Acie and Abbie for digging holes in the backyard and for making the side yard a mud pit. It was funny to see the puppies right by Kyle's side while he worked hard to make the yard look better before we left.
After a long day of packing, moving, and cleaning, we were all finished and ready to leave.

Here is a snapshot of the disaster that our new house was for about 2 days. We had company coming the 3rd day we were there, so we had to get everything in order quickly. At times it was a bit overwhelming, but we did it!

Going Away Party

Our friends, Rusty and Jennifer Woolley, hosted a going away party for us in their new home on Saturday night. The theme was "Kyle and Melanie are 'desserting' us" so they served a variety of yummy desserts. It was a great chance to see our friends before our move to Georgetown. Kyle had taken his Board Exam earlier that day, so it was also a celebration that it was behind him.

Rusty & Jennifer


Kyle with Jennifer, Jamie & Kuy

Paige & Phil

Aaron, Stephanie & Caleb

Kimberly & Madison

Gina & Clint

Adam & Jasmine

Last Day at O'Neill Hill

After 3-1/2 great years at O'Neill Hill and Associates, it was time to for me (Melanie) to say goodbye at the end of June. Being a designer at the firm was a wonderful experience for me, and allowed me to grow in my career and gain valuable knowledge and training in corporate and healthcare design. Some of my favorite projects include St.Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Columbus Children's Hospital, the offices of Freeport LNG, People's Energy, and several others. When I started in January 2004, there were 10 employees, and now there are 30. O'Neill Hill was my home away from home, and I will miss the projects and the people I am used to seeing everyday.
On my last day, almost everyone was able to go to my farewell lunch. Kyle was invited to share in the occasion too. The group surprised us with a gift certificate to use towards a new grill, along with a bucket filled with grill-related stuff. What a thoughtful gift we will definitely enjoy in our new home!



Mollie Hill and Jim O'Neill

The studio

A shot of the main hallway in the office

Here are some photos from one of my corporate projects: