Saturday, June 27, 2009

Home Improvement

We have been very busy for the last few weeks. We have been working on the house inside and out. After 3 or so years of talking, thinking, budgeting, and getting bids... we finally got a fence. We are really loving it. It really makes our back yard cozy and private. It looks so clean and tidy. We also decided we better finally plant something in our flower beds. So we got some starts from my awsome green thumb cousin Rachel and we bought a few things at a local nursery too. We still have some filling in to do. But it is hard to know how much to buy because most of the things we got are going to get much bigger and fill in in the next couple of years.

Here is the inside portion of our improvement. This is the view of the dining room from the doorway. We still need a light fixture and I am going to do some vinyl wording in one area, but that can wait. I had andy do the wainscoating last summer and now I finally finished the rest.

New pillows and the bench I love that andy made out of a bedframe. We had it outside for a couple of summers so it has a real aged look.

This is the view of the living room from the back door. I am loving the rug and pillows. What can I say..... simple pleasures.

I know Andy wanted to make fun of my green chicken. He really thought about it and asked me where I got it. But he didn't. I couldn't resist. It fit in with my "sort of french country style" too well and was on clearance.
Obviously I updated the living and dining room and some of the kitchen. I still have a few projects left for there. I am still loving the green. But I changed to black, white, and silver with a little bit of brown as accent colors. I had andy make me another little bench that I painted black. I put the three metal bins under it. Each of our kids has one with their shoes, so they can sit on the bench and put them on before they go outside. Ok, maybe not peyton yet, but you get the idea.

I am really loving photography lately so I really wanted to make a little gallery area to display the pictures that I love to look at. They all look a little crooked to me, but I used a level on each one, so I know they're not.

The view from the front door.

It is hard to see what all we have. They are little now and seemed scattered. They will all fill in eventually I think.
I really wanted to get a fountain for this area under our bedroom window. I think it will be awesome to hear it at night when our window is open. Andy said he never pictured himself having a fountain in his yard. But he let me get it anyway.

Some views of our yard with the fence. I love that it defines our space.

We planted three clemantis on the far end. Eventually I plan on filling in the rest of the fence line with flowers and vines, but that may be a project for next summer.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

12 Year Anniversary

Andy and I celebrated 12 years of marriage this last weekend. He surprised me and arranged a trip for us to Denver. I was really surprised. I was planning dinner and a movie. We actually went with another couple and met some other friends there. And I was exctied to see Mandy and her cute little belly too.
Somehow our trip happpened to fall on a series of Mariners/ Rockies baseball and we had tickets for both games.

It was rainy the whole trip. On Saturday we were actually under a tornado watch for most of the afternoon. On our way to the game we got caught in a big down pour and had to hide in a window sill till it blew over.

Andy thought Curt's geek squad van was really fun so we had to get his picture in it.

Me and my baby sis. Her belly was so cute. She only has a few weeks left. It was really fun to see her. We actually got to go to a baby shower for her. She got lots of cute baby stuff.


Our Denver friends had season tickets and were able to get reservations at this restaurant. It is up by the luxury boxes so you are away from the field a little, but it is really spacious at a table and you don't have to stand up and move everytime someone needs to get by. That is the only way to watch a game.
We had such a great time. Thanks to Justin and Leslie and Ryan and Stacy for helping with the kids and for Mandy and Curt for the taxi service.

Swimming Lessons

The kids started swimming lessons last week and will finish this week. I have laughed every day it has rained and the weather forecast is for rain each day until they are done and then it is supposed to be warmer and sunny.
It really hasn't been too bad (easy for me to say). The pool has been warm and the kids have done really well. Stockton has made tons of progress!!!! I am so proud of him. He has overcome a lot of his fears and is working really hard. Unfortunately he got my coordination and swimming ability.
Abby is really liking her class too. They sing a lot of songs and have little names for all the actions. She is jumping off the side and going under. She comes up and the teacher helps her swim to the side. She is not acting afraid at all. I am proud of her. Last summer she wouldn't even put her head in the water.

He has been so afraid to be on his back in the past, but is doing so much better.

We got some goggles to see if that would help. I think it has.

Jumping in

Abby practicing her robot kicks.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Stock's Birthday

Stockton just celebrated his seventh birthday last week. I cannot believe how fast it has gone. We talked him into taking a few friends to Chucky Cheese instead of having a big party. The kids had a great time. Then we came home and opened his family presents. And finally on Sunday we celebrated again with aunts, uncles and cousins. What a great time!




I was all ready to make a big dino cut out cake. But he decided at the last minute that he just wanted one like this with toy dinos on it. So that was great. Very easy.