Phew... ahead of schedule!

I would like to pretend that it is because I'm a Superstar that we are finished ahead of schedule. In reality, things just lined right up and fell into place. The workmen all went home on Tuesday, and I was left with a hefty to-do list to finish things off.

The Kitchen is Done!
Before:
After: Notice new hardware, faucet, appliances, counters, and the cabinets have been polished and in some cases refinished.

I learned some valuable lessons along the way.
1. Cookies taste MUCH better from a new oven that has the perfect temp!
2. Don't schedule workmen on Saturday. It's too stressful for the whole family... (ahem.. Mr. Man) I don't have a picture of Mr. Man stressed, so a picture of AK who fell asleep standing up will have to do. 3. I'm incredibly grateful for my dad who put some hard labor into the plumbing after a tearful panicked phone call.
4. My Dad is far too popular in this house to work alone.
5. Nana was helpful too... as was Grandma who had a "Super Mega Ultra Sleepover" for Nathan. (Nathan's terminology, not mine)
Other shots to come... the deal I made myself was that I couldn't take pics until the room was scrubbed clean. Kitchen done... Bathroom and Bedrooms to go!


Then, just because....I saw these cute Sandwich Cutters at Target, and have LOVED them. We ate almost strictly sandwiches for a week. However, cut into Dino Shapes or Hearts, the kids LOVED them!

I needed this today.

Someone sent this to me, and it was so good to hear an old friend tell me "I like you just the way you are." And give me hope for the future.

Thank you Mr. Rogers, for being my neighbor.

Randoms...

I have a fantastic handyman helping me with the house stuff right now. I would totally recommend him. Clean, friendly, and reasonably priced! We came home to find this cool box in the family room. The handyman intercepted it from the plumber, took out all the staples out, and pronouced it perfect for the kids! Nathan loves his "new house" and has slept in it every night since. We tried Pigtails for the first time on AK! They are a little messy, but pretty cute!
And without a working kitchen, I was a little desperate for Sunday dinner. So we improvised and made "Naanburgers". SUPER Delicious! A Vegetable Masala Burger Patty wrapped in a Garlic Naan with some lettuce and our favorite dressing. Took about 5 minutes to make, and was so good we had it for lunch AND dinner.

Farewell Dishwasher....

This dishwasher... *sigh* it has been a blessing and the bain of our existence. I have mixed emotions as I bid it farewell. Part of me says, "Good Riddance", the other part of me wants to say "Thank you, dear old sweet gal, for running well beyond your use, and running on faith rather than proper mechanics".

Those lovely slate floors you see in the kitchen, are one of my favorite aspects of this house. Gorgeous Floors. However, the people who owned the house previously, didn't really follow the Home Depot How To manual on how to do things. They wanted a new floor, so they put one down. Right on top of the old floor, and well.. tiling in all the appliances. The stove we could get out... no problem. The dishwasher... Noooo... that thing was stuck. We either rip out the floor or the counters to get it out. We love the floors, and the counters I hated, so we decided to put in new counters when the dishwasher died. Almost a year and a half ago, it died. We got bids on new counters, and then magically the dishwasher started working again. We put it off, because between tax season, and the constant doc appointments I didn't have the time to pull it together. Finally, I was ready, only to find out my surgery was going to cost an arm and a leg (well not literally). The dishwasher rattled and hummed along, so we put it all on hold until the bills came in, and I felt better. The latter took a lot longer than I thought it would... I'm still a bit bitter about my lung infection. Over the years, the door started to fall apart, so we duct taped it together. In the last year, the door latch failed and you had to pull, shimmy, and tug downwards at the same time with both hands to open the door.

Two years ago, the soap dispenser stopped working, and you had to set a timer for 23 minutes and add the soap into it manually. Then there was the stupid paneling that would fall off every 10th time you opened the door. The last time I ran the dishwasher, the door did this during the cycle. I swear it's mocking me with that crooked grin.

So, when Mr. Man asked me... why are you splurging on a dishwasher in a house that we aren't going to stay in.... I looked at him... and said.. "23 FLIPPING MINUTES for 2 FLIPPING YEARS" He quietly handed the nice appliance man the credit card, and said, "When can you deliver the fancy dishwasher."

There are things we live with each day, that we just put up with, rather than fix. Oooo... that could apply to so much more than just our homes.

Would you like a sneak peek of the progress?

My Favorite Valentines Day...

Some will say... I'm bitter. Some will say... I'm wise. Either way, it doesn't change the fact I don't like Valentines Day. I'm not a big fan of forced affection, or tokens of love that are done out of obligation. And in Jr. High, and High School Valentines day was awful... a reminder of the fact that I was the object of no-ones affection.

Mr. Man has gotten me flowers the last three Valentines Days more because he knows it annoys me, and I think he finds that funny. Or it might be...I'm getting more moody in my old age and he has no idea what I'm thinking, so he might be covering his bases to avoid my wrath.

Anywho, this brings me to my favorite Valentines Day of all time. This is my friend TK, we met when I worked for Deloitte . We were at a client in a small town.They were a lumber yard, and we worked in a conference room that overlooked the warehouse. It was a man's workplace. Lots of men, lots of fart jokes, and lots of cavemen-like behavior. I have brothers, so does TK, so we were unphased.


It was in the small conference room in the middle of a small town, that I knew I got to know TK, and realize that I wanted to be her friend until the end of time. She cracked me up, and we talked, swapped stories and got our work done. She is a riot, so smart, and one of the nicest people you will ever meet.

There was one guy at this lumber yard, who probably didn't get out much. He drove a forklift and every time I came down the stairs from the confrerence room he was right there, and usually escorted me to wherever I was going. Most of the time he didn't get off his forklift, so it was him... driving along side of me, awkwardly trying to go at my pace.

He always asked me one question and would stumble trying to think of a follow up. Our conversations went like this.

FLG: (short for Forklift Guy) "Oh hi. Uh. Um. Do you like dogs or cats?"
Moi: Hmm.. Both
FLG: Oh wow! Me too! uh....
*awkward silence
FLG: I can't have a dog, my landlord won't let me.
Moi: That's too bad.

Then I'd reach the office and go in to get make a copy or something. He'd be there when I got back.

So Valentine's Day, arrives, and TK & I are still together, working away at the lumberyard. I descend from the conference room and FLG is about 800 yards away. He sees me, starts gunning the Forklift as fast as it can go to try and catch up to me. He finally catches up to me and acts like he wasn't racing over to come and talk to me. He tries to act like Mr. Casual... and fails miserably.

FLG: So, it's Valentines Day....
Moi: Yes, it is. Happy Valentines Day.

*akward silence*

Moi: Well, I gotta go speak to JimBobJoe, so I'll catch up with you later
FLG: Yeah, I'll be right here.


Oh, FLG was so sweet, and so awkward. He made me laugh, it was nice to be doted on. No one likes the nerdy accountant girls, especially when you are there to audit their company. Anyway.... my favorite Valentines Day was hanging out with one of my favorite people TK and being doted on by a guy who never got off his forklift. I'm simple like that.

Really... now.. I need to settle down and stop obsessing

There is SERIOUS progress happening. Everything is ahead of schedule by 2 days, do I dare say that outloud?

And.. I'm still not sleeping, because I'm too excited. I'm in love with the dishwasher I posted previously, and can not wait for it's arrival. I splurged on it, big time. I must post pics of my current dishwasher, and the story behind it. I had the best laugh with my friend Steph about why I splurged. She has been my house buddy, for 7 years. Consulted on every paint color, furniture piece... and listened to me dream of 1000 house ideas, that never came to fruition. She has also listened to me curse the unexpected surprise costs that come with life, that prevent fabulous home improvements from taking place. Everyone needs a Steph in their life!

I MUST sleep tonight, but I'm too excited for the counters to arrive. Everyone is yelling at me to post more pics. I'll post one more hint, but y'all need to promise to come over and see the finished product.

Can't stand it......

Shelled out some serious serious cash today on sparkly shiny things for the house... picked out granite... and I am currently procrastinating getting my desk moved for the contractor who should be here early next week to work on the office and bedroom.

I can NOT wait for 3 weeks from now... (well.. maybe 6 weeks.... because nothing runs on time). The kitchen... is going to be AMAZING. I have not been sleeping well, because dishwashers and granite colors have been swirling in my head. Decisions are done... money is spent.. no turning back. WAHOOOOOOOO!!!

The anticipation is going to drive me mad. I must send out a heartfelt thanks to those who have listened to me drone on and on about "cast iron vs. stainless", and talked me down from the ledge when I couldn't figure out if I could mix metal finishes in the kitchen. It's trivial dilemas and last year I didn't get to fuss over such trivial details. Instead it was a lot of talk about masses, tumors, infections, and treatment plans, so this is a welcome change.

One more...

Because these two...... crack me up. I swear I'm gonna be checking on Mr. Boy throughout the night to make sure he isn't sneaking out to play with his little lady friend.

One smitten kitten....

Some of our favorite pals are spending the day with us...

I heard Mr. Boy say"Grace, I'm gonna marry you when I'm older, do you like bunk beds?"

Tagged... My Lover and I

Tagged by my friend Carly....

How long have you been together? 13 years this month... forever and a day

How old is he? 37

Who eats more? Mr. Man, hands down, especially if it's Ice Cream

Who said "I love you" first? I'm pretty sure it was Mr. Man.

Who is taller? Definitely, Mr. Man, I wish I was tall.

Who sings better? Again, Mr. Man. He has a great voice, but chooses to share it only with the kids, and when we are in the car.

Who is smarter? I am, by far ;) I'm a member of Mensa for goodness sakes.

Who does the laundry? Mr. Man does, and I love it. He took over a few years ago. I do a random load during the week, but for the most part it's Mr. Man. It's his Saturday morning chore.

Who does the dishes? Usually me, but he loads his dish and at least one of the kids dishes in the dishwasher after dinner.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Mr. Man

Who pays the bills? We both do. We have his and her bills.

Who mows the lawn? Shin, our fabulous Gardener.

Who cooks dinner? Trader Joe's does usually, but I reheat!

Who is more stubborn? Gosh, I think Mr. Man is stubborn, but he would for sure, say that I am the most stubborn out of the two of us. I blame my Norweigan roots... we are a stubborn people.

Who kissed who first? Ahem, that's a mighty personal question. I did, but gosh he was such a gentleman, taking his sweet time, and frankly I got tired of waiting around wondering if the guy liked me or if we were just friends who held hands.

Who asked who out? Hmm.... I invited him and his roommates to a party, and that's where we met, however, he initiated all our dates after that.

Who proposed? He did, and because he is wonderful he had a photographer taking pictures. The top picture is where I said.... yes... and the picture right below is him asking me the big question.Who is more sensitive? Oooo I am. However, he definitely has his sensitive moments.

Who has more friends? I probably do.

Who has more siblings? Same on both sides.

Who are you tagging? If you are reading this, you have been tagged.

A Few Pictures....

On Saturday, the kids and I went up to visit my parents and my brother. My mom and the kids put on a Puppet Show. Mr. Boy and my niece did a GREAT JOB putting it on.

Trying to pick out Granite, totally fun. Spent an evening with Mr. Man at Home Depot picking out stuff for the house. I can not wait for the house to be done. It will be fabulous. These dogs crack me up. Every morning, Mr. Man gets up and takes a shower. He closes the door, and I hear the pitter patter of Skoopi walking to the bathroom door. She whines, and the door opens to let her in. Three minutes later I hear Sandy shuffling to the bathroom, she scratches at the door and the door opens to let her in. I am not sure why it is, but these dogs must be in the bathroom when you are taking a shower. Mr. Man usually lays two towels down on the floor so the dogs can lie comfortably. This routine has been going on for 11 years, and it makes me giggle every morning to hear the door open twice. AK has figured out that if she is holding food, Sandy will be her very best friend. She finds it amusing.
Our English Neighbor bought this Tartan Plaid dress for AK, because she just couldn't resist it. AK looks adorable in it, and had a wool hat to match.