Dude Has Got Accessories

First Fruits Of The Garden

I love that you see the garden in the back of this picture

3 Guesses On What We Are Building!!

New Additions

Yes we are the proud new owners of a dirt pile. Our very own pile of the earth. Gracing my every return with this tower of childhood joy; reminding me that I am nothing but a cranky old woman that just wants a flat green yard.

In case you are wondering where we are going on vacation this year....... It was last weekend, we took a visual trip 20 feet into our yard to watch a new lateral line run out our yard and into the street (noting it was NOT broke in our yard but under the street on my neighbors side where our line matches the main line.... yeah ours is the only St Louis city that doesn't cover this)

But David is one happy big boy as he escaped the pile creation weekend in lieu of testing out his new toy :-)

Can You Guess????

3 HINTS:
   --- Its worth over $7K but we didn't pay a penny for it
   --- The thermostat reads 39 degrees at the time of the picture (that is IN the house)
   --- In less than 4 hours all of it was gone and we were left with nothing!

We were in charge of cubscout pizza sales again this year.  Garrett sold so many this year (but still not the most in his pack!!) that we forgot to buy some for ourselves!  The pizza's come frozen and we open all our doors and turn off the heat and turn the main room into a freezer box until all the scouts can come and pick them up...... It's not coincidence that pick-up is mid-Feb!

Grandma and Grandpa Haley's Nativity Scene

I could not be more blessed to have this special family hierliem.  I have a nativity set in every room of my house (yes including the restrooms).  Some as small as a candle holder of the young holy family but all representing the special celebration of our Lord's birth.  My grandparetns (all of them!) were so devoted to their faith and it is not lost on me the blessings that has been passed on as a result to me and my children.

The Tree Is Growing!

Framing is up!

Latest Addition

The garden is 99% done :-)  It is the cream of the crop of a family garden - amazing!

The seeds are popping up everywhere!

We still have to stain it (the weather has just been killing us!)

The chicken wire needs to be tightened and stapled completely (just tired of working in the rain!)

And the strawberries still have to be planted

But the tomatoes, onions, peas, cucumber, 5 varieties of peppers, 3 lettuce varieties and many herbs are all on their way to serving up delicious meals for friends and families!  YEAH!!!

Garden Progress

Before........

After help from our Dads

Notice particular attention to keeping all the little animals out of the garden when it is full of yummy's!

Really?!?!

I don't beleive we are ever going to get the posts in for the new garden and the treehouse!

Delivery........

Imagine my surprise!

I have been eyeballing these leather chairs for a year :-)

I think they are stunning - thank you David!

Same Old Same Old........Something New?

Seems like the same old same old going on here.....
   Swimming lessons
   Karate lessons
   Cub scouts
   PSR teaching
   Auctioning for a new house tomorrow

....Got anyones attention?

UPDATE on the house.... There was a house in our subdivision, actually I could see it out the kitchen window that went up for auction.  Quite a rarity in our neighborhood, actually the neighbors said it was the one and only.  So we talked and decided we would bid on it and flip it.  We have been talking ever since the kitchen finished that we feel more comfortable with the home renovation process and we will be starting in on the flipping endeveours (of course sub contracting much more than what we did in our home!).

But alas, it was a cash only purchase and it went for 55k higher than what we had.  On one hand it is nice, it went for 40k more than anyone would have thought and it is a testiment to our neighborhood (it is the smallest house in the subdivision).  But on the other hand, we are a bit bummed as we would have been much more comfortable for our first flip.

The Joy of the Chalkboard

I am having a lot more fun with the chalkboard than I ever could have imagined - best can of paint I ever bought :-)

Appreciation

I have never really appreciated how beautiful the seasons are where we live.  I am so thankful for my mother-in-law who just loves fall for teaching me to appreciate this time (even though I am usually fussing because I am cold!).  This is our backyard, it is truly as beautiful as any beach or mountain scene, we are very blessed.

It Rains, It Pours

Leaves that is!  It is unbelieveable how many leaves there are in our backyard (now in 43 bags out front!)
David and Garrett did the entire yard alone this year.... as I unloaded boxes upon boxes labeled "bar" and "kitchen" --- moved the kitchen from the basement upstairs and created the entertaining kitchen (that is what non-drinkers call their bar!!!) downstairs.   What fun!!!!

Kitchen - Before & After

There are just a few odds and ends to finish up, but we are pretty well done with the year long project to gutt and rehab the kitchen and hearth room.  It is beautiful, stunning and perfect for us!  I am so incredibly proud of David and so grateful for the endless hours of work by him, advice and help by my father and mother and tireless support by our dear friends.

BEFORE --- odd shaped cabinets and a little over 2feet of counterspace.  Ohhhhh and don't forget the 1950 burnt red stove!

AFTER --- beautiful cabinetry (thank you Uncle Robert for making these for us!) to match the cabinetry we put in the dining room the first year we moved in (2007).

(The Dining Room --- The transition and painting of the garage door is one of the last things we have left to do......so pretend that it looks finished!)

BEFORE --- Wall between the hearth room & the old kitchen

AFTER --- No wall, beautiful island instead.

BEFORE --- The wall between the kitchen & the dining room, closed in and boxy.   The wall between the hearth room and the living room/foyer --- wwwwaaaahhhhoooo the pretty paneling is gone :-)

AFTER --- open everywhere except the fireplace stack.   The fireplace is reversed into the living room (gas now instead of wood.  The basement fireplace remains wood).   The old fireplace side is now home to a TV.The island cap is actually the ash tree that we had removed from our back yard (Garrett is allergic to ash and it was wavering in the wind dangerously close to the house!)


BEFORE --- Useless hearth room --- aka a passthru to the boxy kitchen.  I dont have a picture of the back of the house probably because it was completely useless wall that we could never really use.

AFTER --- the left window was replaced by a slider to the deck that we put in 2010.  The right window was replaced by a shorter window so that there was enough room to put in base cabinets under the window.  Now the kitchen wraps in an L-shape around the island instead of the semi-galley layout.

 (Hanging the drapes is one that short list of things to still do.....so try to envision the drapes :-)!!)

I am still in amazement!  I catch myself just standing there staring at it thinking we are so lucky to be blessed with such a light open and comfortable space.

Babies

They are here!