MCP Actions

I am blogging about the great MCP actions contest!  You can win a camera from adorama!  Check out their blog.  http://www.mcpactions.com/blog

To Oceanside...by train!

Thursday's with Sadie! Oceanside

This week we decided after getting Sadie a new haircut, we would take the commuter train to the beach. I couldn't decide if we would switch trains after we got to Oceanside and head to other parts of the coast, but once we got there and looked around we decided it was a great place to stop.

Sadie looked for shells on the beach and found lots of little pieces, which we carried home in our pockets. We're hoping to do a little collage that reminds us of some of our outings from this year and we both decided that shells would make a wonderful addition.

The train was really neat. It was quiet and nice to sit and relax instead of driving us all over the place. It took about 45 minutes to get all the way to Oceanside, but I definitely enjoyed the ride. I was nice to have the excuse to have to walk everywhere, instead of taking the car.

The weather was beautiful, it's hard to believe it's January! Sadie loves chasing off the seagulls. There were plenty out today for her to terrorize!

We walked out on the pier, but she was disappointed I didn't have any

quarters for the "lookie thingy."

We had a wonderful time together, she even got to take a little nap on the train. Maybe our next trip we'll leave earlier and get a chance to check out some other areas we can get to on the train.

New Year...New Resolutions!

Of course I love the idea of a fresh start, who doesn't. But I hate to fail so it's easy to say I'm not making any resolutions I'm just going to be more (blank) or do less (blank). But this year I've decided to make some real resolutions. I want to be healthier and get myself to a reasonable weight, and get into better shape. This one I do every year, and sometimes I do better than others. I also want to spend more time doing fun things with my girls. Day trips and games even just little shopping trips to the mall. I want to get to know them all better. Madison will be leaving for college in just 6 years, God willing. I want to have an opportunity to know her before it's too late. This is my last year with Sadie at home two days. I have the chance to make this a special year for us. I also want to keep more up to date on this blog (little resolution) so I can keep track of my life and share it with people I care about. I'd also like to take better pictures and this will give me the opportunity to practice and share them with everyone who reads my...

Stuck in Utah

Day 108

Today I stop counting days because almost everything is back to normal.  We have most of the furniture back in place and things are much less hectic, except for the fact that's it's 11 o'clock and we leave for Montana in 5 hours.  So here are the pictures of the"finished" (except for the things that we haven't finished) kitchen.  

Here is where the sliding glass door used to be.  It was a small nook in the kitchen but now it's just part of the kitchen.  I love my door it makes me smile just thinking about it.

Here is the hallway into the entry (from the kitchen).  We caulked all the odd exterior wood paneling and it painted up real nice, it has some nice character.  This is one of the areas where we have changed our minds.  When we come home from Montana we'll be painting the textured walls in the entry the same yellow as the kitchen.  We decided it was too white.

This is the view of the former dining room, now craft room/office.  Jer drywalled up both of the former doorways, and made a wide opening on the wall in the kitchen.  Although this picture was taken at night during the day it's well lit because of this change.  He also replaced the window, added trim, replaced the baseboards, put in canned lighting, and added a beam to the entrance.

Entry way.  Here Jer covered the former door into the dining room, replaced the closet door, trimmed out the closet (and the toy room entry), replaced the baseboards, and added a couple of spots for sconces.  We will be painting the walls in here yellow, because the Swiss Coffee isn't doing it for us.  Actually putting sconces in the little blue holes.  And painting the door the same blue as my dutch door.  These were changes from the original plan, that's why we have to do them when we get back.

Another view of the entry.  We will be keeping the wood walls and ceilings Swiss Coffee, just painting the regular walls.  We also replaced the strange gold eyeball lights in favor of something a little less noticeable.

Here is the kitchen from standing just in front of the fridge and facing the entry hall.  

Here's the kitchen, pretty much done.  We did too much in here to list everything.  We still have to install 4 pendant lights (two over the sink and two over the island), put in the backsplash, and get some barstools.

Here's the dining area.  Jer replaced the window trimmed it replaced the baseboards and replaced the lights.  We still have to get a hanging fixture for over the table as well.  So short of a little tile, paint, and a few lights we're done.  When we get home in August, I'll be getting right on those things so I can have it all complete before school starts.  Then I can start of the decorating of my new spaces, once the kids are in school and I can shop with wild abandon!  I hope to continue posting while were in Montana, so keep checking in.

Day 91

Guess what this almost looks like?  A KITCHEN!

Today was a good day.  After spending the day at the kids end of the school year parties I came home to find that there were no painters cars in my driveway, and it was only four o'clock.  To my surprise look what I came home to a near kitchen.  I'm so excited.  I'm so close to washing dishes in a sink I can actually feel the water!  But for us now the crunch time really starts.  I can't tell you how long my list of things to do before the floor guys show up Wednesday morning.  There is so much left to do, but since the painter got out a day early (and fixed most of the overspray issues) we have an extra day to finish.

Can I just say check out that sexy sink!  As soon as the painters got out Jer couldn't wait to get the faucet fitted in place (it's not actually in yet).  He's pretty excited too!  I think I saw him smail...twice.  Oh well enough oohs and ahhs for me I need to get my kids in bed, and get to painting.  So many walls so little time.

Day 89 (almost caught up)

This is what everything looks like with the painter in doing the cabinets.  There are doors drying everywhere.  It's a little crazy.  Here's what our soon to be dining area looks like today.

Some days I feel like were almost there others I feel like were so far from done.  Today I felt far from done.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.  Jeremy and I are doing great and still agreeing on everything for the most part.  We especially agree that we want to throttle the cabinet painter.  He seems to be getting overspray on everything and were really worried that it will be up to us to get it back into shape.