On the boat:
On Castaway Cay:
On Nassau:
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
New patio
Old patio:
New Patio:
I got the table from World Market, the chairs from Hayneedle and the rug from Homegoods. We put Soci Yukon pavers which always feel cool over the concrete and improved the grade of the patio itself so it does not flood when it rains, which had been a huge problem. Cleaned the glass on the overhead light/fan for the first time.
We got this steel firepit "snuffer" so we can use the pit as a table during the summer, but easily remove it if needed. The rocker chairs are super comfy from a very high class store called Big Lots.
We really needed to get rid of the sectional since rats were constantly making homes behind it and black widow spiders were always laying eggs under it. Yuck! The table is such a nice improvement, and Helaman did a great job stringing the lights. We are out here all the time, as there is plenty of seating and the kids like playing outside again if everyone is out here (and snacks and drinks are accessible). We also got one of those Dynatraps to get the bugs which has done a good job so far, though we are not at the peak of bug season. I still want to get a nice big artificial tree for the corner and a large clock.
New Patio:
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The kitchen has a sink, grill, Green Egg and a fridge. That counter height stool will have to be resold, it had incorrect measurements on Wayfair and is too tall for this counter. A shame since I really liked them and it was a great deal on an open box item. Still searching for my perfect stools.
We really needed to get rid of the sectional since rats were constantly making homes behind it and black widow spiders were always laying eggs under it. Yuck! The table is such a nice improvement, and Helaman did a great job stringing the lights. We are out here all the time, as there is plenty of seating and the kids like playing outside again if everyone is out here (and snacks and drinks are accessible). We also got one of those Dynatraps to get the bugs which has done a good job so far, though we are not at the peak of bug season. I still want to get a nice big artificial tree for the corner and a large clock.
Sunday, October 02, 2016
Happy Fall
A friend on the street is having a new baby girl, so we took the opportunity to get together to celebrate her! The ladies on my street are so fun - I'm lucky to have them closeby!
Fall may be coming. It has peeked into our lives this week with wonderfully cool mornings and evenings, so the boys and I have taken some bike rides on days we don't go to the gym. Trust me, it's a good workout. These boys are solid.
Graham didn't seem to be getting enough to drink at night, so I started giving him a bottle. He loves it. I love it.
I also enjoyed going to a ward book club this week. Lots of new families have moved in recently and it's been great to beef up our numbers and get to know some new faces. The girls went to a Daddy/Daughter hoedown at the church pavilion where they had a blast, and Charlotte and I went to the women's General Relief Society Meeting.
Elliott had a soccer game, and scored a goal! In the wrong team's net, but no matter. They are so cute.
The girls have started up the Silverton street choir in preparation for the holiday season.
Elliott had a soccer game, and scored a goal! In the wrong team's net, but no matter. They are so cute.
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Upstairs makeover
The clock came this week, so the room is officially done!
Before pictures:
After pictures:
The beanbag was not exactly part of the design; someone was just getting rid of it in the neighborhood, so it landed in front of our TV. The room is much more inviting and fun to hang out in for the whole family now.
Before pictures:
The beanbag was not exactly part of the design; someone was just getting rid of it in the neighborhood, so it landed in front of our TV. The room is much more inviting and fun to hang out in for the whole family now.
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Season opener
I joined the local YMCA to get Graham used to being babysat. It is close to Elliott's preschool and the girl's elementary school. The nursery workers there said he enjoyed himself. Elliott went with us on Friday and had a blast.
He also enjoyed himself sitting on the patio while I was vacuuming the couch, but was eaten alive by mosquitoes. His hair is reaching new heights and always attracts attention wherever we go.
Hoping for some cooler weather this week, I made soup for when the missionaries came to dinner. I bought an Instant Pot and used its slow cooker function, as well as my normal crockpot for a double batch. It was still pretty warm out but the soup was good. I also made a delicious cheesecake in the Instant Pot. I am a fan. The missionaries helped me re-position the upstairs rug, so it is almost ready for the reveal.
It is also consignment sale week, so I brought a bunch of items over there to empty out the guest room closet and let those mostly baby clothes and toys continue their journey with another family. I also have a few dresses that Olivia wanted to give to Abby and Alyssa.
Charlotte had her first swim meet on Friday night. She participated in the 50m backstroke and 50m freestyle. She did great, taking second place in the backstroke (2 swimmers in her heat) and first in the freestyle (8 swimmers in that heat). She really enjoyed herself, though it went a little long for the boys and me, who had to go home halfway through to get to bed.
The next day was stake temple day, where babysitting is provided for people going to sessions. We headed out at 6:45 am and arrived at the chapel at close to 9am where ours and another family were the only ones. Out of the whole stake! Due to the rains the previous night, the normal route from Midland had an area that was completely flooded and impassable. We had taken another route because Google said it was 6 minutes faster. However, after dropping off the kids, we went out to drive the rest of the way to the temple and the van battery had died. Some people were there cleaning the building and someone quickly gave us a jump.
We picked the kids up afterward and went to get something to eat... and the battery died again. This time it was not a quick jump. It took a while to get back up and running. But, we finally made it home in a peaceful manner, as all the kids fell asleep.
That night we were invited to a dinner welcoming a new hand surgeon to town. We had met them when they came to interview a year ago. The hospital recruiter held it at her home in Odessa, and the kids were excited to go in her pool with a diving board and the bounce house she had there. However, a tornado hit, literally, and made those activities out of the question. When the weather forecaster started advising us to hide under a mattress, we headed for home amidst an impressive lightning show. The tornado did touch down in Odessa, but then made its way south.
In other news, Graham was moved into Elliott's room. Elliott loves this development, and came in with tears in his eyes this morning to my room when he had awoken and discovered Graham already gone, as he had awoken much earlier and been taken out. So cute.
Hoping for some cooler weather this week, I made soup for when the missionaries came to dinner. I bought an Instant Pot and used its slow cooker function, as well as my normal crockpot for a double batch. It was still pretty warm out but the soup was good. I also made a delicious cheesecake in the Instant Pot. I am a fan. The missionaries helped me re-position the upstairs rug, so it is almost ready for the reveal.
It is also consignment sale week, so I brought a bunch of items over there to empty out the guest room closet and let those mostly baby clothes and toys continue their journey with another family. I also have a few dresses that Olivia wanted to give to Abby and Alyssa.
Charlotte had her first swim meet on Friday night. She participated in the 50m backstroke and 50m freestyle. She did great, taking second place in the backstroke (2 swimmers in her heat) and first in the freestyle (8 swimmers in that heat). She really enjoyed herself, though it went a little long for the boys and me, who had to go home halfway through to get to bed.
The next day was stake temple day, where babysitting is provided for people going to sessions. We headed out at 6:45 am and arrived at the chapel at close to 9am where ours and another family were the only ones. Out of the whole stake! Due to the rains the previous night, the normal route from Midland had an area that was completely flooded and impassable. We had taken another route because Google said it was 6 minutes faster. However, after dropping off the kids, we went out to drive the rest of the way to the temple and the van battery had died. Some people were there cleaning the building and someone quickly gave us a jump.
We picked the kids up afterward and went to get something to eat... and the battery died again. This time it was not a quick jump. It took a while to get back up and running. But, we finally made it home in a peaceful manner, as all the kids fell asleep.
That night we were invited to a dinner welcoming a new hand surgeon to town. We had met them when they came to interview a year ago. The hospital recruiter held it at her home in Odessa, and the kids were excited to go in her pool with a diving board and the bounce house she had there. However, a tornado hit, literally, and made those activities out of the question. When the weather forecaster started advising us to hide under a mattress, we headed for home amidst an impressive lightning show. The tornado did touch down in Odessa, but then made its way south.
In other news, Graham was moved into Elliott's room. Elliott loves this development, and came in with tears in his eyes this morning to my room when he had awoken and discovered Graham already gone, as he had awoken much earlier and been taken out. So cute.
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| The girls making use of Elliott's soccer training nets |
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