Progress Report

My sinkSome fabrics I like, I need to reupholster a couple of chairs and make some pillows

Knobs and pulls I like, I need 48 knobs and 5 pulls!

My faucet, it's polished silver (or something!)

I

I really like this sectional and it's a bargain! And would hold up to the G-kids.

I am looking forward to a big week as far as the house goes. We should be getting the windows and sliding doors in, the sink should be installed as well as my oven and dishwasher, the house painted, flooring brought in, knobs and pulls delivered, electricity connected, cabinets completed (molding and kick boards) and crown molding and baseboards put in. Hopefully the fireplace will be recovered in the stone, my neighbor is going to do it. I am also going to be doing some painting of my old furniture and accessories. I am going to paint my bakers rack, which doubles as my bedroom tv stand, black with some gold leafing. I am also doing my bench and my book shelf. We have to take up all of the carpet and clean the cement. Big, big plans.

Over The River and Through the Woods

Tonight we will make the short trek to Brandon and Cheri's house for Thanksgiving. My favorite time, cooking with my kids, playing with the G-kids and relaxing. The food is always the best! And a day set apart, where gratitude for our many blessings are observed. God has been good to us!
I hope all of you have a very Happy Thanksgiving with your loved ones. Be safe if you are travelling...over the river and through the woods...
p.s. We will miss mom, Steve and Grandma Helen, she fell and broke a bone in her shoulder and cut her lip. Poor thing, and she couldn't get up and called the neighbor for help. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers and visit if you can.
Feel better soon Grandma, we love you!!

Laurie and Nick's Kids

Ethan in his Halloween costume, showing how old he is now.
Is he trying to show three fingers with his claw? What a sweet face.

OMG! I could kiss that face right off!

Big Brother

Baby Sister, looks like she found her fingers. Notice the birthmark on her knee.

Precious Baby Girl.

I love this one!

Gettin It Done!

Ta Da!! This is it!It looks a little darker in the photo. I think it's my best choice.

All I wanted was a nice picture of us shopping.
BFF"s

Me forcing her to take a picture of us.

(My best "Lynn Face")

If you want something done, take Jess. She is no nonsense. She had good taste too. Patti talked to me last night at length about my granite and shed some light on issues I hadn't thought of. My daughters are the best! Patti brought back full circle to what I originally wanted in my counter tops. You start looking at the granite and it's so pretty and your tastes start changing. You think you want something dramatic, it's the WOW factor kicking in. She reminded me that it would compete with my cabinets and my decor. I saw the wisdom in that and Jess and I made one more, final trip to the granite yard and picked it out, put it on hold and called my stone cutter. He will pick it up and do his thing. It's scary, but I have to put it out of my mind.

After that, she and I went to look at knobs and pulls, another ordeal. I did get an idea of what I like and will shop online for a good price.

Then we went looking for bedding for her room so we could buy paint. She didn't like the shabby chic at Target or the other 3 stores we went to, so she'll have to do some online looking too. We went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and got some storage stuff for my kitchen. She strong armed her dad over the phone for that!

I had to make her take this picture of us. She doesn't look like she's having fun in the picture, but she was. We had a fabulous, productive day! I will sleep better tonight, but still in Andy's room and not with that cranky man.

P.S. I also saved so much $$$~I got two pieces for less than I was going to get one for.

Whoo Hoo!!

All Creatures Great and Small, The Good Lord Made Them All

Why, why did He make some of them? Potato bugs are the worst, ugliest, creepiest creatures ever! What are they for? What do they do? And good gall where do they come from, where are they before we actually see them? I had one in my bed as a child and I stepped on one in the garage a few years ago and it stuck to my sock, half squished, but still moving and I couldn't shake it. I have chills writing about it. So sickening!

The only thing I think they are good for is being a cat toy. Lady Danger is not called Lady Danger for nothing, she took that ugly thing on and tossed it to and fro for all it's worth. I had to leave so don't know what became of that hideous being and I hope I never find out.

Count Your Many Blessings, Name Them One By One

Just because of the last post, I feel compelled to be thankful for what I do have.

We are all healthy in this flu season
I do have a roof over my head, even though what's under it is chaos
I do still love, love my cabinets
I have wood flooring coming
I have beautiful, working appliances
I have a holiday candle that can somewhat mask the stench that has permeated the house
I can still drive and walk to look at all the things I am supposed to coordinate
Andy is sleeping on the couch so I can sleep in his bed and not my own
Patti who has helped me so much to get this endeavor started and has given good advise along the way

Not Having Fun Any More

My house is thrashed
Dishes are piling up in the bathroom
The house stinks like a mix puke and buttered popcorn from the plastering
My contractor hasn't been here in a week and a half
I didn't get my POD
I can't decide on granite
I can't decide on paint
Everything depends on me to get the other above items
Money is almost gone
And needless to say, Barry and I are no longer driving or eating together!

An Early Thanksgiving Feast

Patti and Randy are taking the kids and heading north to his sister's house for Thanksgiving so they invited us over for an early T-day feast. It was the first big dinner that they have fixed in their new beautiful kitchen. Barry and I sat at the bar area and watched both of them in the kitchen working away, a full on effort at a delicious dinner.
We had a nice sit down dinner at their new dinning table. Emma said a sweet prayer. It was so good to have a home cooked meal, since its been awhile for us. Nothing but take out lately. They sent us home with plenty of left overs and we want to send them off on their trip with all of our love. We will miss them but are glad that they will be with their family that they don't get to see very often. Have a wonderful, safe time.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Wish I would've taken pics :(

Other Stuff In My Life Besides The House

I do have a life other than the remodel of the house. Dustin and Brandon tease me by calling to see if I am still alive or if one or the other has heard from me. I feel bad devoting so much of my time to this project, but it does require most of my free time and it's on my mind a lot, I don't like the pressure of so many long lasting, expensive decisions. Can't wait till it's over and we can go back to enjoying more time with my kids.
I did take some time off from it this weekend. I went to Brandon's Saturday night and spent the night and Sunday with him. Dustin, Heather and Kadence were there too. I haven't seen her since Halloween! She is a darling little thing. Such a smart and loving baby. She calls me honey, and remembers so much of what we have done together, like smelling flowers, eating grapes, and that my glasses are mine and hers to share. I wish they lived closer to me.

It's always nice to spend time with the kids and I had a relaxing time away from my mess at home.

We share glasses
He was really teething so Brandon gave him a pacifier. It did the trick, he left our arms and legs alone.
The boys playing xbox and Kadence right there in the middle of it. She would rub their legs and their feet while they played.

Such a happy little thing, can't you just see it in her eyes?

Laurie brings the kids over and I get to see them a lot. This was last week. Abby is getting so big and Ethan says all the time, "I just love my baby sister".

Shopping Till We Drop

Three times last week I went out to Anaheim to look at flooring and granite. Each time I found new stuff I liked and got very confused and left with a few granite pieces on hold. The next day when I went to see it again I found that my taste had changed and that I was getting more and more bold about the granite style and now I am into the "exotics" which of course are more expensive. I am going out again tomorrow to actually purchase some and look no more. We did pick and pay for our wood flooring and it is just right, I hope. I feel driven though to check into it once more before picking it up.
Harley shopped with Barry and I on Saturday and he was a champ, no complaining. He walked many a granite yard and leaped with joy when we bought our flooring and called it a day!

Hooray! We made a purchase.Harley likes this granite.

This is our wood floor, the left piece, a little darker than I wanted, but I like it.

Come on Harley, just one more place.

This is the granite I like, now if I could just remember where I found it at!

Nice, too.

I'd like to get something like this behind my cook top.

It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better

This has been the worst part so far, we had the walls and the ceilings re-textured last week and had to move all of our furniture and belongs to the only room done already (the kitchen/den) or outside. It was exhausting, packing and moving and we will need to do it again when we do the floor and the painting.
Not only that part was bad, but all of my things are so old, dusty and in ill repair. I don't want to put any of it back. I wanted to rent a Pod, but it was vetoed by the CFO in order to save $300.00 precious dollars. I will probably be glad to have done that after this ordeal of a mess is over, but right now I just want it all out of my house.

Poor Harley doesn't know where to go for some peace. Notice the white stuff, it's everywhere!
Some of my bedroom furniture in the front yard.

The living room.

The garage.

Jessa's room.

The living room.

The living room.

The den/kitchen area.

The back patio.

The den.