Our First Big Home Improvement Project

For Valentine's Day Patrick and I got to work putting in new laminate hardwood floors in our downstairs. We sent the boys up to my parents' house where they were in grandchild heaven filling up on fun, sand box time, Coco, and delicious food only grandma's can make. We had about 550 square feet to do. We got the kind of floors that snap in so I thought the hardest part would be the prep work but that turned out to be the easiest and quickest part.

Before

I spy Grant playing cars. 

Prepping: Carpet removal.  Front door floor removal.

Sink and Toilet removal. Bathroom floor removal.

Dips filled. Creaks fixed.

On to day 2... start laying the floors. We worked from 9am to 11pm taking breaks to eat and run to Lowes for random things that either broke or were forgotten the first time around when we picked up the floors. I seriously thought the floors would go in like a piece of cake, and actually they did, but it was all the measuring and cutting that took so much time. We accomplished the front door area, hallway, bathroom, and part of the living room.

                     

Day 3 was a long one. We figured the rest of the living room and dining room would go quickly and for the most part we made good time. But then we got to the kitchen. Oh, the kitchen. We knew the floor hand to come up (it was built up with particle board to be level with the carpet). What we didn't think about was that the cabinets were built on top of it.

We got to work cutting up the floor and pulling it out and then realized we'd have to chip away with a hammer and crow bar what was left along the cabinets. Lucky for us there wasn't much to do but it took a good hour of chipping to get it even enough to lay the floor. While I did that Patrick layed floor in the pantry.

There's no pictures of me but I swear I helped! Patrick did the cool stuff that was worth taking pictures of.
Also, I had no idea how much construction dust we would create. The picture above gives you a good idea of what gets kicked up and lands on everything and sticks to everything which is why I suggest removing refrigerator magnets and covering anything you don't want to clean later.

It was almost midnight when we had about 12sq feet left and we were down to our last few boards. Our bodies were done. We were thisclose to being defeated. Patrick had work the next morning and I had to get the boys. How would we finish this when they're here? The stove wasn't even back in place, how would I cook? Do we even have enough boards? So, we took a deep breath, picked up the tools, made a couple more cuts, and laid the last boards with one board to spare. ONE. We put the stove back and went straight to bed.

It was super nice to work on something with our full attention. We ate at crazy times because we didn't have little ones tugging at us for food. We ate dinner at 9 every night. The last time we did that was when we were first married. We missed the boys but didn't miss being interrupted every few minutes.

Things I learned laying floors: It was dreadfully painful on our knees, even with knee pads, and I'm pretty sure I did about 100,000 squats. I loved that I learned something significant in home improvement (painting doesn't quite cut it). I learned how to remove and install a sink and toilet, fill dips with mortar, fix floor creaks (use screws not nails!), how to measure (sort of, those 1/8 and 1/16 of an inch measurements get me when you have to reduce!), use a chop saw, remove underlayment, and install laminate (of course).

New trim added and freshly painted. Excuse the walls that need a little paint TLC.

I also learned: when something goes wrong don't dwell on how annoyed you are about it, fix it and move on. Sitting there being annoyed about a board that got chipped as we hammered it in wasted time. It's better to take it out right away and move on. I learned that Patrick and I work well together. We didn't fight or bicker the for the duration of the project. I also learned that home improvement is a lot of work but a lot of fun. Especially when it's over. Thank goodness we're done.

On to the next...

Snow Day

 

We loaded up the car on Saturday morning and headed east. After over 4 years of living in Olympia we finally made it out to Mt. Rainier. It was about a 1 1/2 hour drive complete with a total meltdown from Miles by the time we pulled into the parking lot. Maybe he was nauseous from the switchbacks? Who knows, but he was pineing for home for the last 10 minutes of the drive.

Grant soon caught onto the meltdown mode as we forced layers of snow clothes on his little body in "A Christmas Story" fashion and the whole mountain was serenaded by shrieks and screams. We coaxed them to get over it with bribes of sledding and brownies and hot chocolate and unicorns and rainbows. Thanks to the people in the parking lot the whole ordeal didn't go without a few funny remarks.

Anyhoo, we made it. Got up to the bunny hill with our saucer sleds and had the boys test out their first run. Success! They loved it! The long drive and crying were worth it. They weren't scared to go down the hill alone which I thought Grant might be. He wouldn't even hang on over the bumps.

We did that for a while and then decided to have lunch in the snow back at our car. I was surprised that Miles was even hungry because he ate half the snow on the mountain.

After lunch and hot cocoa we played in the snow and went back to the bunny hill again for more sledding. We left by 3:30 and had a quiet car ride home as the boys slept. They were tuckered out!

 

We'll definitely do this again! Aside from the meltdown we really enjoyed the drive. It reminded me of driving up to Mt. Baker. Basically the same scenery. It was clear up there with a high of 62 degrees too so the view of Mt. Rainier and the surrounding mountains was amazing.

A Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! What a Christmas it has been. What a December it has been! Patrick and I were just talking about how quickly December went by. I think we packed in all that we could starting with Thanksgiving.

We spent a nice long weekend with our good friends and Miles' godparents in Vancouver. The boys and I had many walks outside bundled up in the cold and hot cocoa to warm up with after the walk. As a family we went on an evening walk to look at Christmas lights in our neighorhood, and another night we went for a drive to look at more. Patrick took the week off during Christmas so we could spend extra time with our families and that is where I'll pick up from here with loads of pictures.

We started out our week going to Bellevue Square with Patrick's mom, brother and his girlfriend, sister and her boy friend, and nephew. We got Santa pictures, went ice skating, ate dinner at Red Robin, and watched the Snow Flake Lane parade complete with drummers and fake snow. This was our second year going to it and I look forward to making it a tradition and especially when the boys can actually skate instead of dead-leg it all over the ice.

Helping Austin skate.

That night we went up to my parents' house and spent the next three-ish days there. We went bowling after mass on Sunday for Owen's 4th birthday and ate sandwiches and supcakes after.

Uncle Zach teaching Miles how to bowl.

Cutest shoes ever.

Grandma Di with the youngest granson, Eli (3mo).

Monday was spent visiting my Grandma and Grandpa John out in Deming. It was special because we rarely see them outside of family functions so we were able to spend quality time together. Miles even went on a tractor ride with Grandpa. Grant was too afraid.

 

Monday night Mitch and Erica (and almost 5 month old baby in Erica's belly) arrived from Nashville. What a great Christmas gift to see them and a baby bump. We celebrated them being back for Christmas with drinks and Jenga. I forgot how fun that game is!

From left, Owen, Isaac, Eli, Liam, Aidan, Grant, Miles picking his nose and Coco photo-bombing.

 

Nono and Eli dressed for Christmas Mass.

Santa arrived early on Christmas Eve morning per Grandma Di's special request. Uncle Mitch donned the Santa costume and came bumbling in complete with a very low hanging stomach and Southern Accent.

 

The kids, and adults for that matter, tore through paper and bows to some wonderful and thoughtful gifts.

The day was spent talking, playing, and eating. Later, we attended the Children's Mass at Sacred Heart. Although the boys were being difficult since mass was during their normal dinner hour, it was fun to see the Nativity play and hear Fr. Joe's message spoken so the children could understand.

On Christmas morning Patrick and I packed everything up said our "see ya laters" and headed south to his parent's new home. It is techincally still in Everett but only a couple miles (if that) from Mukilteo and practically on the water. What a view they get to wake up to every morning!

Picture was taken on my ipod so it's not doing justice for the view.

We opened gifts with his entire family in the afternoon and ate dinner together that night. It was a relaxing day and so nice to spend time visiting.

The next day we hung out with Jason, Patrick's brother, and his nephew Austin (6yrs). We walked to the nearby park by the water and let the kids run off some energy. We were tired from all the fun so the afternoon and evening were spent playing monopoly and relaxing.

On Friday, Rhonda offered to watch the boys while we got out for lunch. I insisted we go to P.F. Chang's since Patrick hadn't ever been there. It was delicious as usual. We got some Cold Stone and walked around the mall for a little bit before heading back.

Some relatives from Canada came down for dinner that night. I just love his relatives. They're so fun, friendly, thoughtful, and we share the same values and faith so I feel like I can really connect with them. It was even more special because Patrick's cousins came all the way down from Barrhead, a 13 hr drive with their kiddos Jordan and Isla who we hadn't seen since our wedding 4 yrs ago. You might remember Isla as the flower girl from our wedding. Well, she's in second grade now! They're so well behaved and such sweet kids.

Chris, Megan, Jordan, Isla, David, Rhonda, and us.

Saturday was our day to head home. I can always tell how much fun I had by how happy I am to be home. Usually, if I go out for a bit or a short weekend I don't mind whether I'm home or not, but if I'm gone for a while being busy and having loads of fun I am super ready to be home to unwind from it all. That's how I felt on Saturday. I felt fulfilled by all the family we spent time with and everything we did together.

What a Christmas it was!

And Happy New Year!! Blessings and prayers to you all in 2014.

Alpenrose and Nguyen Family Visit; Year 2

We had another great weekend spending time with our good friends and Miles' godparents Tuan and Sara. We headed down to their house in Vancouver Friday night for a fun-packed weekend. I think it's best to tell the story of our weekend mainly through pictures...

We started out our weekend the moment we arrived, around 8pm, by caravanning to the Oregon Zoo for Zoo Lights. We were a bit late and had to take the shuttle from the overflow parking lot but it turned out to be an extra surprise because the shuttle was a school bus. Miles has been talking about riding the school bus a lot lately so he was on Cloud 9 from the moment he saw it. We forgot the camera for Zoo Lights so there aren't any pictures but it was pretty neat to see so many lights. Tuan and Sara packed hot cocoa and which we sipped as we walked. The boys loved it and still talk about the bus they rode.

Saturday, the boys woke up rather early so we were a little slow getting ourselves together. Sara made a delicious quiche for breakfast and I had made banana bread too. After downing a couple cups of coffee we jetted out to Alpenrose Dairy Farm to visit their Christmas Village like we did last year.

There was a train room where a train club has a whole village scene set up. That was a big hit for the kids.

Tuan and Xavier (2yrs)

Later, Patrick bought us some fresh milk and cookies from their store that we all enjoyed as we waited in line to walk through their Storybook Lane. 

Even Kolbe (5mo) got a little taste of the cookies!

Afterwards, we watched an Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas episode in the old theatre and walked to the car with more hot cocoa.

When we got back the boys went down for naps. They had snacked to much that they weren't hungry for lunch. I made clam chowder and rolls, Tuan made a toasty fire, and we enjoyed it all without the kiddos running around and with a nice cold glass of Tuan's beer he had conveniently on tap in the dinning room. That was probably my favorite part of the weekend; good food, even better beer, and great company. It was awesome to sit and talk without having to get up every 2 minutes because of the kiddos.

That night Tuan and Sara offered to watch Miles and Grant so we could attend Patrick's company Christmas party in Portland. It was a beautiful party with great food. The theme was New Orleans so you can imagine some of the spicy food we tried, everything from Jambalaya to Cajun Fried Chicken and Bananas Foster for desert.

The next morning we went to mass and came back to watch the Seahawks. It was a pretty relaxed day and felt great to just hang after doing so much over the past day and a half.

Do they look like they had a good time or what!? They're watching Monsters Inc. Looks like we'll be getting that movie too!

Thanks again to Tuan and Sara for having us and watching the boys so we could get a date night. We always enjoy spending time with you and look forward to making this a tradition.

(you can check out our trip here from last year here)

From the Mouth of Miles

Miles, and Grant for that matter, have been doing and saying some pretty funny things lately. Today, the boys rode in the obnoxious race car cart that's impossible to steer. They can sit side-by-side. Miles had a bag of cereal and was sharing with Grant by feeding him. As I strolled through the store I'd notice people smiling at how cute they were, a brother feeding his little brother. I'd keep going and look around to see if anyone else noticed my cute kids thinking 'is anyone seeing how cute this is? I have cute kids!'

I had my back turned as I decided on canned clams (for chowder) and turned back around to find Miles had chewed a hole in the baggie and spilled cereal all over the floor. I took the baggie away while saying 'are you kidding me!?' A lady who saw and heard everything passed by with a horrified look. I was too embarrassed so I quickly took off. 

Awesome. Now, everyone that had seen my "cute" kids feeding cereal to each other will know that they spilled it everywhere and the mom didn't clean it up. That'll teach me to think my kids are cute in public.

A few little jewels have made it past Miles lips lately...

Me: do you like what St. Nicholas brought you?

Miles: yeah, and Jesus teach me about how trains work underground.

Me: ...... ??

Grant doing something naughty:

Miles: Gant, no, you get spankin' and big timeout!!

Miles: (pointing at a toy) I want that! *machine-gunned at me x1000*

Me: We'll put it on your list.

Miles: (said in a high, happy voice) And that means I don't get it!

Me: well, it means we know what you like but doesn't mean you get everything on your list.

Miles: Gant's poop smells like a mushroom farm!
(If you've ever smelled a mushroom farm you'd agree)

I told Miles that a friend was going to have a baby...
Miles: ... and she have baby tomorrow, and we go to church and they baptizing baby.
Little cousin Eli's baptism must have made a big impression on him!

Miles is great at reminding us of things...
Patrick is leaving for work:
Miles: don't forget your lunch!
We're getting in the car:
Miles: don't forget your phone and your purse!

And from Grant...

Grant pointing at Joseph in all nativity sets: DADA!! DADA!!