Wanna See?

Blasen has the trim back up and we started installing upper cabinets today. Wanna see? I think we're starting the floors tomorrow. This should be exciting...right?

Working, Working

I have lots of things I want to put up, but little time. The toy room looks like a bomb exploded and I can't take it anymore. All the kiddos are taking naps this afternoon at the same time...miracle, I tell you!...so, I need tackle that room. We've been busy lately with painting, staining, throwing up, migraining, potty training, and lots of other gerunds I can't think of right now.
I took advantage of the beautiful weather last week and did yard work and work on the front door. Folks, are you ready for this? Can you handle it? After almost two years of hard labor, the front door is almost finished. And by almost, I mean it just needs a few touch-ups, a coat of poly and the weather stripping and we're a done deal. Wait, wait...you may think that is a lot, but if you only knew what it looked like before. I'll have to dig up a before picture just so you can get a feel of what it was like. I'm actually thinking of adding some kind of clause in our contract whenever we have to sell this house that states this door can never be painted.

Here Blasen is helping out with the staining. Don't let him fool you...that's all he did.

It's hung, and the house is coming together. I even painted the mailbox to match with the new paint colors.

In addition to the door, the kids and I worked on our small front yard. I cleaned out the flower beds and trimmed the hedges. Now, I just need to get that bedroom door finished and off the front porch and we won't feel so white-trashish. I now think it was worth the work, but won't be doing that again for awhile.
The top picture are some pretty trees next door. Our neighborhood is just beautiful this time of year...colors everywhere. Here is my tree. We get the large oak, which is beautiful in the spring and summer, but not the fall. The only color changing it does is from green to brown, no in between. Then it litters those THOUSANDS of tiny, ugly, brown leaves on my front yard.

Kitchen reno is on it's way. We're done with what I call the "dirty" work...that is the work that makes a mess of dust and such. Now we're on to more aesthetically pleasing things like

paint.

I love this color. It's called "clothesline fresh" and I love it. Did I mention that I love it? I like clean looking colors for baths and kitchens. Two places that need to feel clean and crisp to me. For instance, one of our bathrooms is a color that makes me think of baby poop or vomit every time I look at it. It's not a bad color somewhere else in the house, but it just doesn't belong in the bathroom.
Here's the over the fridge cabinet. Granted it's on the floor right now, but it's getting there. We're putting up upper trim and upper cabinets this week before we start installing the flooring this weekend. Folks, this kitchen looks like it will be done before Christmas! Yeah!

Quick-Crete and Adirondacks

I'm sitting here, in gym clothes, starring out the window at all this rain, grateful that Isla is napping so I don't have to go to the gym quite yet. I've lost my motivation to get to the gym lately. Looking in the mirror should be motivation enough or the tight fitting waist bands, but no. However, I will get there today...the treadmill is anxiously awaiting my arrival...I just know it.

So, on to one of those blog post topics that I mentioned before. You know, the ones that come to me when running on aforementioned treadmill and the sorts. I've been thinking a lot lately of my husband and his resourceful nature. It can be called resourcefulness most times, but others it's just plain ol' cheapness. I can not judge him. You know the saying..."birds of a feather flock together"...that's us.

Before falling asleep the other night we were laughing about my sweet little Honda Accord that I just loved and loved. It has long since been in use by my husband, and I previously had the gas eating Jeep and now my lovely minivan(did not look forward to this day, but I'm here and enjoying it...something's to be said for pushing a button and a door opening). This was my first official car. Previous cars were shared among siblings, but this one was mine that I got in college. So now that you understand my attachment to this car you can understand my sadness as I see my lil' Honda which now has over 210k miles, paint peeling, dents, scratches, and a cracked windshield. It probably is mad at me, because most of this trauma occurred after I forsook it and got married. In addition to these things, my husband uses it as a locker for his rugby gear, as a garbage receptacle, and as a truck to haul all types of construction and remodeling equipment.

So what does this have to do with his resourceful nature? Well, that night in bed he tells me of a time when he was picking up supplies for the shed project. He's in the Honda, but needs to get stuff for the shed which includes quick-crete. Once he calculates what he needs, it's more than what he originally thought. He starts loading this stuff into the Honda and watches as the trunk gets lower and lower to the ground. He decides to disperse all the supplies over the car instead of having them in one area...physics, you know. He puts quick-crete in the back seat, passenger seat, and hey, why not the driver's seat. Yes, my sweet Mr. Resourceful, drove home sitting on a bag of quick-crete and one at his feet. I could just seem him...hunched over from being too tall, dodging any bumps that would put any extra stress on the shocks, definitely no speeding that night. Yes it was dangerous, but I just had to laugh. He said he had to, using the laws of physics as his defense...and he didn't want to return all that stuff he likely spent hours getting together. (If you didn't know, there is a minimum 2hour shopping requirement when a man enters Home Depot or Lowe's...regardless of what they tell you or how much they need.)

In honor of my Mr. Resourceful...and Adirondack chairs everywhere... I thought I'd add this recipe for Adirondack Beans, that he loves. I think men everywhere would love this. It can best be described as hearty. It's easy and you can throw it in the slow cooker. This is a camping recipe, but as I said, I put it in the slow cooker on low while we were at church and it was ready when we got home and likely ready before then. The only thing I would change would be to cook the bacon and hamburger separately, allowing the bacon to crisp better. Bon Appetite.

Adirondack Beans

1/2 lb. hamburger

1/4 lb. bacon cut into small pieces

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves Garlic

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup catsup

1/4 cup molasses

1 tsp mustard

1 can pork and beans

1 can chili beans (drain and discard excess liquid)

1 can kidney beans (drain and discard excess liquid)

Fry hamburger, onion, and bacon together in bottom of Dutch oven. When meat is brown, drain excess grease. Add all remaining ingredients, cover, and place hot coals under and on top of the oven. Bake for one to one and one half hours, stirring occasionally.

All Kinds of Construction Going On

So, I've been playing with my blog today...finally. I think about blog posts often. You know, times when I'm not near a computer. Like when I'm in the shower, running on the treadmill, or grocery shopping. I'm taking note of a few that I hope to get up here this week. Meanwhile, I'm finally somewhat content with my design.
I was going to show the new hardwood floors we picked out for the kitchen, but I cannot find them online anywhere. We found them at Lumber Liquidators in Huntsville, and they are being shipped from a store in Virginia. Weird thing is, they don't show them on their website. The name is Dark Sand Beech. They match the dark edges of our cabinets (remember we got them in China?). They get here this week and then we can install them after they sit for a few days. As for the rest of the kitchen the drywall has been sanded and mudded several times now and should be ready for primer and paint soon. Lights were installed this weekend. We changed out the main light for an island light that was originally in our master suite. Blasen added the can lights and they'll be on a dimmer switch. Also, there will be under cabinet task lighting. I think I will finally have enough lighting in a kitchen.

Here you can see the drywall...exciting, huh?

The island light will hang lower. Blasen just temporarily raised it so he wouldn't continually run into it.

The next thing to pick out will be paint color and I'm keeping it light since the cabinets are dark and now the flooring is dark too.

Update: Blasen came home and as quick as a wink found a link for our flooring...of course.

BOO!

Bliss the Dragon and Zade the Lion

So here's the obligatory Halloween post. My children allowed one picture, yes, only one picture to be taken of them before trick-or-treating. Blasen missed out on the festivities as he had church meetings on that night. I know, inconvenient, but out of our control. He did get to join us for the Trunk or Treat at the church earlier that week, but I forgot my camera then. Anyway, I took all three kids out and it was a little more difficult at first, then I got a better plan. I first started with Bliss and Zade walking with Isla in the stroller. Bliss was running everywhere and Zade was just strolling along. So, I decided to carry Isla and push Zade in the stroller with the hopes that Bliss would stay close to my side. Beside the one time I hit an uneven spot on the sidewalk which thru Zade out of the stroller (I went for convenience and didn't buckle in or attach the tray all the way) it went lots better this way. We even got home in time to pass out some of our candy, which the boys enjoyed just as much as trick-or-treating. Bliss remembers Halloween from two years ago amazingly, but this was all new to Zade. China does not have Halloween, obviously, so Zade wasn't too sure about all the dressed up people. They sort-of freaked him out. He quickly caught on that if he accepted the weird costumes he'd get candy. Miss Isla was content the whole time just chewing on her costume. She chews on everything these days. As for me, I was just a mom. The boys wanted me to be a princess. I considered it. I even had my sister bring me an old bride's maid dress I wore in college. I was pleased to see the skirt still fit...just a little snug. There was no hope for the top. It would have been a tad on the X-rated side. Needless to say, my top is on the bigger side these days. All-in-all, we had a great night and Dad even brought home corn dogs for everyone.

Miss Isla the Jack o' Lantern...or is it Jill O' Lantern?