Warren's 6, Start of Kitchen Remodel, finishing the Living Room

The birthday boy. His teacher aways makes a big fuss about birthdays. It's great fun!

Thanks to Amber for the idea for the easiest birthday cake ever. It made great cupcakes for class too!

My sweet Six year old!

I can't find any really good pictures of the ceiling before we started so this will have to do. Yucky, grease covered flouresent lighting. Here's the lights we tore out.

Demo begins.

And keeps going. I thought I could handle anything. And I did for the first few weeks, then it got old. I'm still cleaning up drywall dust. It got into every cupboard!

But it was so worth it! We put in this awesome crowne molding and strung lights up behind it. It so soft and nice. Plus Greg and Dad put in canned lighting in the rest of the room, so now I can actually see while cooking! Greg made the opening much larger than it had originally been.

Ain't she pretty!! I'm a spoiled woman. Now I just have to remember that until we have time to fix everything else!!

And just when you think you're finished..... Greg decided to patch the hole from the old gas line into the kitchen and we found more than a hole. Water had been leaking in through the exhaust vent and running down the wall. Oh, Joy! Don't ever say what next.

Before the kitchen project, we finished painting in the living room. We had painted backwards, bottom first because that was what I could reach by myself. I made Greg take a picture to prove I actually helped. Frightening. If I just looked out those windows at the deck on the other side I was fine. But kids climbing on the bottom of that ladder was just terrifying!!!

The finished project. At least one room is done. It's my favorite right now.

Living Room remodel and Kindergarten Road Rally

Warren's school had a road rally today. It was so cute. It was my volunteer day so I got to help set it all up too... way fun! James enjoyed the ride too and went all around with Warren. I was overwhelmed by some of the parents creativity. There was a plane with a prop that turned and some of the cars had functioning lights. Our instructions said to keep it small, so we did. But some of the kids cars were huge!

We are finishing up the projects in the living room! YEAH! We installed new baseboards this week and Greg has been painting the upper story of the room. Really glad he volunteered for that job! Seems he has been doing all of the high elevation jobs lately. Right before Christmas our roof cap ripped off again and he had to go take it off. He almost fell off the roof in the process! Enough with heights!!!!!

Here is the corner Greg just finished. We brought up the tv
and we haven't left the living room since. It's the warmest room in the house and now there is something to do.Now if we ever get the furniture we ordered the room will look finished. One down... lets not talk about how many to go!

Step 1 Demolition

We can't make an omlete without breaking some eggs. We decided we needed something in a little better shape in the spot the hot tub was occupying. So, we bought a pool from craigslist and started trashing the place. Boy am I glad. We had looked at the hot tub and decided that it was to cracked to use. When Greg starting cutting it up we discovered that it had been made into the home of our earlier invaders,

They had scratched out the insulation and made a home inside the hot tub! Yummy. Greg decided that this was our grossest project yet! I'm so glad it's gone.
Greg's favorite part of the whole project was having an excuse to buy a sawzall! It cut through the hot tub like butter.

Now, onward with the work. And sometime this summer, a pool!

More fun this summer has included swimming lessons for the boys. James got to join the fun this year, and good thing because last year it was all I could do to keep him out of the pool.

The best parents in the world!

Yes, I am the proud daughter of the best parents in the world. My very patient father has been letting the boys help him mow. Notice I said he is mowing. He loves my new toy and is the only other person who has had a turn so far. He has come over two weekends in a row to "help" with the mowing. Tonight when they left my yard looked so nice. Who knew grass could make a person so happy!

Then there is my mother who went shopping with the boys and I for hours today! My goodness she is a saint! She has had more than her share of time helping here too. What would I do without you two!

Ruth and the girls drove all the way from Oaklahoma. Ruth is amazing. David is in the Middle East and she came up for the summer to visit friends and family. It was awesome having them here and leaves me with a pain because they live so far away. I wish we could see them more often.

We love you!

A little light remodeling......Hmmmm

Well, the demo has begun and we are living in our mess. We've done multiple projects. Here are a few pictures of our journey.

James and Warren helping Daddy stain the new window frame for the window that was damaged after we moved in.

Daddy's work crew.

Our slate hearth pad Greg laid for the new wood stove.

Greg building our first fire.I AM WOMAN. SEE MY FIRE ROAR.

After smoking the house out the first morning, I have finally redeemed myself tonight. I'm almost too hot. Just had to document this for posterity!

Greg is tearing out the gas fireplace and is going to build a bench and shelving into the shell that is left. I can't wait to have a place to put the fire wood away.

My project for tonight was to tear out our old carpet in the living room. We are having it install downstairs tomorrow morning and new carpet will be installed in the living room on Monday. We don't want to get bored!