Ten things...

You know it's time to update your blog when your husband comes home and makes the comment that there hasn't been anything new for awhile.
So, here goes...ten things I'm loving right now
~
1. The end of tax season in roughly 43 hours!!
2. Volleyball...there's nothing quite like a well-matched, 45 minute game...sweat pouring off of you and a grin on your face.
3. Report cards that confirm you're doing what you need to be doing.
4. When your five-year-old uses words like "deduce" and "conveniently" in a sentence and it actually makes sense.
5. The end of tax seaon in roughly 42 hours and 45 minutes!!
6. Mornings when the sun is pouring in the eastern window with the promise of a beautiful day.
7. Looking out the kitchen window at our newly mowed lawn...with flowers and trees a-blooming!
8. Quality time between grandparents and grandchildren...times that they'll remember forever...not because it was something exciting but because of who it was with.
9. The feeling of accomplishment achieved when I FINALLY finished the downstairs today.
10. Yep...the end of tax season in roughly42 hours and 41 minutes!
~
I think I may have cheated. :)

Facelift

This is our living room with a sad, poor paint job.

When we moved in, this wall had three very large, very dark brown shelves running the length of the wall. Personally, I think that they looked terrible. We took them down and had roughly thirty new holes to fill.

If you look closely at this wall, you can see where the prior owners
did some touch up with a different shade of white. When we first moved in, I spent
a bit of time scrubbing this before I realized that it wasn't dirty...just a different color.

I enjoy painting, but I had neither the desire, the tools or the experience to tackle these walls.
This is looking down near the entry way into the house. The wall that's over the stairs as you come in is very high. I tried to photograph it to show the height, but it took two and 1/2 verticle photos to get it all in. So, we hired a painter and, for a very reasonable price and "green" paint with very little smell, we had a face-lifted living room in one day.

This is looking from the living room into the eating area.

We love the new color and the cleanliness of the

"alabaster" on the other walls.

Looking towards the kitchen from the far corner of the room.

I love how it looks now looking into the kitchen.

This is the view now as you come in the front door.

"Welcome!"

Spring Break 2010

~swimming cousins~

~DS time~

~relaxing~

~learning new games~

~funny faces with our new cousin~

~time with Grandma~

~cuddling with Paul~

~teaching Paul soccer~

~dog piles...lots of them!~

~new best buds~

~new mommy~

~new family~

~first time in a pool~

~Uncle Max's birthday~

~true personalities~

~dodging the new remote controlled helicopter~

~Annie Oakley~

~perfecting his aim~

~coloring eggs~

~Easter morning~

~golfing in Uncle Max's backyard~

~egg hunts~

~puzzles~

~color!~

(more on that later)

~thrifting scores~

~black polka-dotted dress for me~

~twirling~

~dress-up hat Nana found~

~sweet smiles~

~Emma's totally thrifted outfit...total spent...$5~

(boots were hand-me-downs)

Time well spent

Boys' Weekend

The weekend before last, Ryan had his Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby.

Bob was able to leave work at noon to join Ryan at the race.

The weigh-in. Exactly 5 oz!

Emma stood in line for Bob's car until he arrived.

There were some amazing cars!

Bob and Ryan learned a lot from looking at the

cars the other boys had made.

Dad was being so patient with Emma while she messed with his hat. :)

At the finish line.

Neither Bob nor Ryan won this year, but they have BIG plans for next year.

Hop and Emma have plans too...there might be a pink car in the race!

After the derby, Ryan, Bob and Dad went go-cart racing.

This was Bob's first time. I love this picture

of Ryan helping Bob on with his helmet.

Buddies!

All ready to go!