Movie Monday - Shake Your Booty!

Building Back Up

This is what the kitchen looked like on Tuesday evening...

Honestly, I've been a little, okay a lot, stressed about how this is all going to come together.  Because this renovation hasn't gone smoothly.  I didn't really think it would, but I also didn't think we would pretty much have to have the entire kitchen rewired, which is what ended up happening.  Ugh.  But, that's all behind us now (um, other than the bill...double ugh).

By Wednesday evening, the drywall was up, holes patched, and I couldn't see through my wall to the dining room anymore.  Yeah!!  We were still unable to use the stove, so we ate out once again.  We've been mixing it up a bit: Chinese, P@nera's, and a place with good wraps/pizza.  All very good, but we'll be glad when we're able to use our kitchen again.

This morning, the first of the new cabinets went in.  I love love love them!!!! 

woot, woot!  floor-to-ceiling pantry!!

(and that's the old dishwasher; it's not staying.  the guys put it there to look at spacing.  the new one will be black to match our other appliances)

Cabinets are in!!

They'll be back tomorrow to do finishing touches and the crown molding.  The electrician should be coming as well to finish up his stuff, including an outlet at the work island, which was on my must-have list when we started thinking about this project.  And a different guy will come to measure for the countertops that should be here in two weeks.

It's coming together.  Phew!

Kitchen Demolition

Since we have no plans to move out of our house anytime soon, we decided that it was time to finally get it updated...down to the studs!  So last week, I packed up all the kitchen cupboards and drawers and on Saturday, Chris and I tore out everything in the kitchen, with the exception of the stove and refrigerator.  There is no turning back now.

And I am so freakin' excited!

And nervous.

I just hope everything gets done without too many issues cropping up.

If it does, we should have our kitchen back to (almost) normal by Wednesday afternoon.  Yippee!

We'll still have to wait a couple of weeks for the countertops to be measured, cut, and installed (along with the sink), but at this point, that's minor.  At least on Wednesday, the major part of the kitchen will be back in place and we'll be mostly back to normal other than having to wash the dishes in the bathroom sink.  The payoff's gonna be worth it, though!!!  Now for some pictures to show you the "before" and the demolition:

someone's saying "hi!"

This is the point where Chris and I finished and most of the rest will be the contractor's work.

The last two pictures show where the contractors have removed the soffetts from around the kitchen area.  Very messy!  Can't wait 'til it's done.  I'll post "after" pictures later this week!!!

Happy Referralversary!

REALLY??!!

has it really been THREE YEARS since we saw your first sweet pictures??

so much has happened in the last three years...

and we are so thankful to have you in our lives.

at about 5 months old...

...and now!

you are such a special little guy and we love you so, so much!!

Friday Film: Puzzle Pieces

Boo and I got together with my older sister and her boys at our parent's house this past weekend.  Even though I have many more pictures and video of our weekend, I wanted to post this sweet video of Boo "teaching" his younger cousin how to put a puzzle together.  I love to see their interaction when they are so focused on each other!  I just wish we lived closer so they could see each other more.

Enjoy!!

Movie Monday - Hodgepodge

Boo can finally reach the pedals on his tricycle and has enough oomph-power to make himself go!  We had a fun time with my aunt and uncle when they visited (and they also made a very good finish line for Boo to ride to!).

Man, we do. not. like it when the whiny voice comes out, but at least in this video the topic makes it adorable!

Love the grin at the end!!

"I wanna stop crying."
Um, okay...stop.

And again, the grin at the end kind of makes you forget the whiny voice from seconds before.  Do you know how hard it is to say "no" to this face????

Special Trip North!

So I'm going to skip ahead on our summer trips to a more recent one that was very special for us, for more than one reason.  At the beginning of August, we went back north to go camping and guess who came with us?

Grandma and Grandpa T!!!

They stayed at a hotel on the river in a town about 30 minutes from our land.  We got there on Friday, set up the camper, and proceeded to cook burgers over the campfire.  Awesome!

Saturday morning we picked up G&G and went to a zoo nearby where Boo had a great time!  The first part of it was more like a petting zoo that you walked into when you open the door.  Fun to see goats, tortoises, and rabbits among others, just walking around with all those people.  I don't know who had a better time, Boo or Grandma, getting to know those animals.

The budgie bird aviary was a huge hit!!

After that, we did a little shopping and I found a meaningful piece of stone art and just had to buy it.  It has a giraffe on it stretching its neck up to reach some leaves on a high tree, which is what caught my eye.  Since Boo's been home, he's fed two giraffes at two different zoos, one time with Chris holding him and the other time with me.  The saying on it is what sold me on the piece:

"Nothing is out of reach, Life is a miracle unfolding."

How very true.

That giraffe is now ours.

The next day, we went go-karting in the morning and Boo was tall enough (and old enough) to be a rider on the double go-kart!!  He was t-h-r-i-l-l-e-d.  Daddy drove and they raced Grandma around and around the track.  Daddy and Boo won, but not by much!

Then we went back to town and rented a pontoon boat for the afternoon.  We had a late lunch on the water and just missed being able to have the boat lifted over the dam to another set of lakes on the other side...maybe next time.

The next morning, G&G drove back home.  We stayed at the camper until mid-afternoon and then had our second "special-ness" of the weekend.  (And this deserves the coining of a new term, special-ness, so there. you. go.)  We drove to our friend's house who had just brought home their first son, C, from Korea three weeks before.  This was the first time we met him and he did not disappoint.  He and Boo took to each other immediately.  And even though C is 16 months younger than Boo, he is just about the same height as our boy...tall kiddo, but perfect for his family as his daddy is tall also.  It is amazing how everything works out...truly a miracle.  Anyway, enough words; here are some pictures of these two boys who will hopefully be lifelong friends:

Thank you, Jay, Jessie, and C for opening your house to us so soon after coming home.  You guys are wonderful friends and so special to us.  We have been honored to have met you at the beginning of your adoption journey and supported you throughout your wait.  And now we are thrilled to finally see you as a family of three and witness the joy you get from being parents to your adorable little boy.  We also see the strong bond he has formed with you in such a short time and it is truly amazing.

Congratulations!

And enjoy every second...this is definitely worth the wait.  :)