Catching Up

Whew, it's been a wild two months since I've been here. No excuses, really, but the craziness of summer vacation with a 6 year old, parties, family picnics, a visiting sister, and oh yeah, a full blown kitchen remodel have kept me from this sacred space. Oh, and I don't want to leave out the annoying electronic difficulties that seem to happen in this house. Several times the computer would just not run, the fax refused to turn on, the ice make quit, and the power interrupter was on the fritz. But now, inexplicably, all are working just fine. I may need to light a candle or something to the technology spirit that lives within the walls of the house.

So July 4th has passed and we are now in full summer vacation mode. A sense of urgency nudged me in the back, as if to say "get those activities done, now!" We have many "want to" things on the list: visit the zoo, swimming, amusement parks, visits to Grandma's, oh the list is full. It has been difficult to choose, but because of the cost of things it was easy to rule out the big ones. So far the aquarium, museum and butterfly exhibit have been under $30 for Erica and I, thanks to discount coupons. It's the gift shop that kills the budget every time.

I'm working on the "kitchen remodel experience" and hope to have it ready to post soon, with pictures especially. I love the outcome (who wouldn't, considering the horrible kitchen I had... I'm sure those of you who had been to my house would agree) and the best part is that while the big things were done by the pros (I will say the The Home Depot and the contractors they use were AWESOME!), Mark and I have put in our share of work on it. This week I'm painting and getting the baseboard and window trim up. I would love to post the finished result by Friday for you all to see! Considering we started the process in mid-April, I think we've done well, with scheduling the work, waiting for cabinets to be built and delivered, plumbers, electricians, and hvac, flooring and everything else that we never anticipated.

So, here's to summer and getting the fun on!