kitchen finishing

I can finally say that is is so nice to have all my tile up and the 48 drawer & cabinet pulls installed throughout the kitchen. It was a long day measuring and taping everything off, a nice Jack Straw's lunch ordered by Jason, picked up by us & a trip to HomeDepot during a flood sent us to Ace, but one day & another 12 hours later, the kitchen project is finished! So nice, so excited...now to figure out what glass to select for the glas cabinets.

June 2010

This may be the one and only for 2010. It's been such a long while since I have posted any activity and nearly have forgotten all the work that kept everyone up-to-date on the house and happenin's. Well this might be all I've got left in me!

We may or may not have air conditioning this week. I plan on officially selling the floor unit we have knowing that, maybe soon, we will get the real deal installed & the giant, cluncky piece of machinery that produced beautiful little snowflakes inside can go make someone else happy (as long as they are strong enough to carry it)

The kitchen tile & all 47 pulls should be installed next week before my school party. It should look fabulous!

And well, the exterior, I would have to say, looks pretty good right now. With a little more time (and money) hopefully we will be fully landscaped, with a patio off the back door & steps. When the house turns 100 next year, hopefully it can rest because all the odd things have been crossed off the list.

Saugatuck, MI

I think this was the 3rd annual birthday we have celebrated with our friends & neighbors at their house in Michigan. We always have a blast eating, drinking, and carrying on in some way. We even made it down to the water, to Crane's orchard for apple pie, the vineyard for a tasting this year, and to town to shop....well, all in a combination of the last 2 trips I guess. I was lucky enough to buy a cute little desk where I type now for our office & my school computer.
The weather was about 20 degrees warmer than last year, so we ventured down to the park so the kids could ride the "wheel o death."The ladies convene for a self timer Friday night.
And surprisingly, we pulled off a self timer Saturday night in the wee hours of the morning!

York visit- November

The last weekend the water taxi was running in Chicago was a beautiful, yet chilly afternoon. It was fun to ride the Metra and water taxi while still being able to see the Marshall Field's (or is that Macy's) Christmas window display/story. We also saw the Cantigny home & grounds on a Sunday afternoon tour.

Halloween 2009

Hummm. To post something from so long ago is almost challenging. What do I remember about Halloween? It was soooo cold, the tractor was exciting and took many of our trick-or-treaters on a different path, pizza always tastely and great company from the neighborhood later in the evening! The tractor wins all votes for the most exciting part of the evening. Who would expect this in a cozy little burb like ours? What is so fun is that now Jim takes it out and around the block on Sundays just to keep it running now that it is all fixed up!

Natalie is our most frequent visitor! Atlas likes her a lot & she is very good to him. He likes to listen to her read him stories from books that mom has given me!

Here is Jim stealing away some of the kids. Only parents who needed a beer or a pit stop came later in the day. Strategy was important to making the evening good for all!

Big bad birthday weekend

Wendy came up to celebrate her shared September 21st birthday with Mike, 5 years apart. I believe 32 & 37 are their ages this year. Instead of tequila or keg stands, we sat around the neighbors fire Friday night, went shopping and dining Saturday, and saw a car show, IDEA garden, and strolled through stables & an equestrian center Sunday before mellowing out for some surf & turf, wine, football, and Cranes apple pie.

Of course it would not be a real visit without a 4 footed friend, cousin Daggot. Atlas & Daggot get along pretty well until Atlas starts to throw some right hooks or tries to steal a ball just to be a trouble maker. He's never really been taught to share, but I think he truly likes having somone smarter & wiser around him!

Most precious dog in the world

Atlas after a long day outside while we stained the deck. He had absolutely zero interest in going back in the house after about 7 hours ouside---note the wide caps on his ears as he got a little too close to the deck staiN! oops!

Here, Atlas is prioritizing his balls from favorite to "can be my favorite if the multicolor goes missing"
And, maybe if I sit at the door and cry long enough, someone will let me outside in my unfenced yard!

Sshhhh, I am sleeping. being a dog is very hard work & I must get my beauty rest!