I {heart} Faces Photo Challenge Pet Week

My beloved Steve. My heart smiles when I think back to the day our lives crossed, me-- a crazy busy college student. You-- a sweet, tiny, baby kitty with huge eyes and even bigger ears. Sitting on my doorstep as if you had been placed there by a sweet angel. I picked you up because you were so stinkin' cute and my heart will never let you go. For 15 years you have been by my side. Good, bad, ugly, move after move--never with tussle, always with a snuggle. You have made me laugh. You have been by my side when I cried. Funny toys, funny moments of retching up grass, great soccer games, stinky food and all.

I have loved you for every moment of your life. My heart will be forever etched with your face and the love we shared. I love you Steve, the Cat, and will miss you forever.
This photo was entered into the I Heart Faces photo challenge http://www.iheartfaces.com

Fun Giveaway!

I LOVE the blog The Maternal Lense! It is photography blog run by a group of really cool ladies! They turn 1 today and are giving away all kinds of goodies! Check them out if you like photography!

Garrett has been over the moon this year about sledding. He LOVES it. He would sleep in his sled if we would let him. He asks every morning if he can go sledding. Please. Please. Please.
Brian has been such a champ with taking him {a lot}. They have found some really fun hills and met some fun kids too. Garrett met one little boy who is just as crazy as he is! He calls him "my new friend Miles". I am not sure if we will see him again but Garrett talks about him all the time!
Yesterday we went to a great hill in Solon that is part of the parks system here in Cleveland. It was really fun and Garrett was so excited to show me how he goes over the 'jumps'. He is so brave! :)It keeps snowing so I am sure we will be going again soon.
Oh! and just for fun...this was one of Brian's trips down the hill...

Walking in the door the other day I over heard a conversation between Garrett and Brian. I had to stifle my laugh because to Garrett, it was serious...

Garrett: Daddy, do you mind if I call you Brian?
Brian: {pause} um, why?
Garrett: Everyone else does.
Brian: No. You can call me Dad.

Sometimes I wonder where this child comes from. His 'old soul' makes us laugh. I have been chuckling about this for days.

The life you have led...

I saw this quote on Ali Edwards blog today and thought of how true it rings for most of us. Between juggling life at home, life at work, friends, family, kids and more.

New Year; New Kitchen! Dormant No More!

Oh my! The time has gotten away from me! We finished the kitchen (shame on me) back at the end of November and since the very last stroke of paint was applied, we had family in town and the holidays upon us! Time just went and went and is still going!

Here are a few shots of the finished kitchen. I will have more...as my neighbor (who is a professional photographer) is going to come over and photograph it for me! Of course so I can scrapbook it and have a coffee table book made of before and after photos!!
Enjoy! As I am certainly doing each and every moment of every day! :)

Kitchen update

Phew! A lot has changed since the last post of pics of our kitchen. The cabinets are {mostly} in, the hardwood floor is down, and today the countertops went in! :) We're getting there. The appliances might be going in tomorrow! I can't wait!!

Garrett turns 4

The 24th was Garrett's 4th birthday. It was a fun day. When he woke up, he ran into our room and asked, "Mama, is it my birthday"? When I said 'yup', he ran downstairs singing {yelling} and stopped dead in his tracks{silence} when he saw the table piled high with presents! He was so excited! He turned to me and says, "Mama, did you do this?" in this sly kind of tone, like I was tricking him. It was so cute. He was shaking he was so excited to open presents. {It reminded me of my sister. When we were kids, she would get so excited on Christmas morning that she would throw up}
It was a weekend full of fun surprises. Grammy and Grampa arrived on Friday to start the fun, Saturday we went to the circus, and Sunday we had a party with his friends.

Some fun things about you at 4:
You are still really {really} LOUD
Funny, funny, funny
You love to say "fart" and giggle right after
Daddy is your biggest buddy
Your *smile* lights up the room
sooOOoo smart
learning to write and spell your name
Full of life and spunk
You love to explore and find out why things are the way they are
Talkative. Very, very talkative.
Love books
Still trying to be friends with Jack {the cat}
Daredevil
Love extreme sports -- skateboarding, snowboarding, dirt bikes
100% BOY

I love you Bud! Happy 4th Birthday!!

updates

We watched our old kitchen literally drive out of our drive-way this morning.

And then they got to work painting the walls. I just about freaked out with a panic attack when I opened the paint can on Friday but I like the color more today seeing it on the walls. What do you think? Chestertown Buff from Benjamin Moore.



The cabinets are coming tomorrow. Woo-hoo!

Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland Costume Set GIVEAWAY!!!!

Wow-zers is this lady super-dee-duper talented!!
Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland Costume Set GIVEAWAY!!!!

We have walls! and INSULATION

Lots going on this week. We have insulation and walls and a new window! It's been fun to watch the progress.




aahhhhh...insulation! Who knew I would ever be excited to see this kind of stuff! Times have changed from my Esprit clothes and Saab...onto warmer and better gas bill types of things! Oh my gosh...I am talking like an adult...eew!

No lights to Bright lights

The electrician, Joe, came in on Monday to start the process of roughing in the lighting. We actually decided to {well had to} update the whole electrical box if we were going to update the kitchen. There was only one 3-prong plug in our old kitchen and that was on the controls for the stove. I had to use my big mixer while balancing it on the coiled burners. A great feat in itself.
I was a little nervous watching Joe scope out the kitchen for where things are going to go...thinking the whole time that he was going to find something that wasn't right and it was going to cost us a lot more money. He worked hard all day and had it laid out and wires strung up throughout the kitchen by sundown. The can lights had looptie loops in the cieling and the outlets were waiting for a box to be put in place.


And today, Voila, we have lighting!


We did run into a little snag. Our upstairs tub started to leak through the kitchen ceiling, through the cabinets, through the light fixture, onto the floor to make a GIANT mess about a year ago. Yes, 1 year ago. We knew we would have to cut into the ceiling and if we were going to re-do the kitchen, why do that twice? We waited. Well, on Monday, the plumbing needed some fixing. New pipes. Re-routing. A big ol'price tag. BUT we can now use the upstairs shower and have 2 bathrooms that work! Yeah!

Day 3

I was at work when Brian called to tell me he was sending me a photo of the days progress...he told me to be sure I was sitting down.

The whole back wall of the house was missing!!!


But when I came home from work...this is what I saw.

Day 2

The next day they removed the stove, sink, countertop, and the rest of the cabinets.

Day 1 {Tuesday Sept. 28, 2009}

They arrived at 8:00am, coffee in hand, and smiles on their faces. Rick, Dan, and John. Ready for the tear down/out of our kitchen. It was puring rain and every time they went out to put something in the dumpster, they came back in soaking wet! {I felt really bad about this so I made more coffee. It's not like I could bake cookies}

Mission Day 1: Take out as much of the cabinetry and walls as they can.



I have been in love with the idea of a bungalow kitchen nook and the booths that go with them. They are sweet, charming, and so classic to the bungalow style house. What can't you love about them. While trying to design this new kitchen, we have talked and talked about having some built-in seating made to keep with the bunglaow style. Well, look what they found when they took off some of the wall...Why, I wonder, did they take those out?