kitchen update

in case you've been wondering about the kitchen, no it's not done. people keep asking me that, and it's a little like being asked if you've had the baby yet when you're close to nine months pregnant. annoying. (to clarify, the people asking aren't my blogging friends, just random people - and now that i'm rereading this, it sounds pretty accusatory. really, i'm the one who's frustrated that it's not done, and that's why it sounds mean, because i wish it were done already.)

anyway - i'm still tiling, which i started last tuesday. i'm close to being done, which i'm glad about. it was pretty stressful this weekend when dan was gone thursday night through sunday morning. everyone else is having barbecues for pioneer day and i'm hiring a babysitter so i can tile. fun. i think i'm going to wait to show you a picture because it will just look so much better when it's done. i'm excited - it's starting to look REALLY nice! and i cannot wait to make some real food in the new kitchen! (still a few more weeks i think). i'm SO sick of fast food/freezer food. and the grill isn't working. if i weren't so stressed out i probably would have gained 15 pounds by now. (this is your cue to pile on the encouraging words.)

silly guys

the other day while in the car dan was calling everyone "cookie-head jenkins" (if you know what movie this is from you are a long lost sibling of dan's). the kids thought it was hilarious and were getting giggly. sam - sitting in the way back - says (laughing), "it just keeps getting funnier and funnier every time you say it!"

the other day after my grandma's funeral jack turns to dan and says, "dad, when you pass away i want to get guitar hero so i can play it and then i can give it to my kids." what a wonderful family heirloom.

another silly sleeper

we have several large-ish boxes from the cabinets (which we were planning to use to make a big castle or something, but don't have anyplace to make it) so the boys brought one upstairs the other day and had lots of fun with it. they jumped on it, they climbed into it, they threw it back and forth to each other, drew on it, poked holes in it, and when it was time to go to bed sam decided he should sleep in it. here's how we found him.

also - last night when i helped charlie to the bathroom (while he was asleep) i couldn't see his pillow or blankets or anything he slept with. jack told me (because he's a night owl and was still awake) that it was in a big box in one of the storage rooms. i didn't take a picture because i had to get crying charlie back in bed, but he had 3 or 4 blankets in it, his pillow, and 2 packs of pull-ups. everything you'd need for bed i guess.

in other news . . .

bagpipes

also at the funeral was my uncle jamie playing the bagpipes. he played a song (not sure which one) while they brought the casket from the car to the burial site and then these 2 songs while the casket was lowered. i'm not sure what the first song is but the second is amazing grace twice.

my grandpa was scotish and my mom and aunts always did highland dancing growing up. i'm not sure if any of the other uncles learned how to play the bagpipes but this uncle actually went on his mission to scotland (after already learning to play bagpipes). my grandma and grandpa also went on a mission to scotland in the early 80s and that's where my grandpa died.

quingie

i know it's a weird name, but that's what we've always called my grandma.

she was a gardener, a mother of 12 kids, a very hard worker, and a writer.

i didn't know her very well until i moved here a few years ago. she called every once in a while to check up on us and stopped by for 5 minute visits sometimes.

she lived for over 89 years. i'm glad she can be with my grandpa now who died in 1982.

photo taken by jonathan canlas

boston

we drove up to boston one day to visit nancy and ronan (nancy is my friend from high school). we hadn't seen each other in 11 years! it was so fun to stay at her place in the city, eat lobster and crab, walk around boston a bit, take the T, and eat some good samiches in the north end.



the view from one of Nancy and Ronan's windows (they had many lovely views)



a tree on Hahvud campus



Katie - are you still looking for a summer job?

Nancy pants and me (we look just the same as we did 17 year ago)

Samuel Adams' gravestone

not sure if this was Paul Revere's gravestone or a monument

is this not the best graffiti you've ever seen?

Nancy and Ronan's apartment building from one of the entrances

sneak peak

check us out at a little sussy!

other photos from the trip

doylestown trip

we left for doylestown, pennsylvania on july 1. the flight was hellish to say the least. eric and anabel (dan's dad and mom) offered to pick us up in newark, new jersey (over an hour away) so that we wouldn't have to rent a minivan for $1800.

highlights of the trip included:

getting stuck in a torrential downpour (literally!) and bringing home a turtle crossing the road (he was safely returned to his home the next day),

going swimming with gma and gpa,

playing at kid's castle (thank you for not naming it kid's kastle),

dan and i going to boston (separate post to follow),

finding a froggy friend,

playing with little Libby (the wiener dog),

going to a Trenton Thunders baseball game (complete with fireworks),

playing Rock Band and Guitar Hero,

and getting to watch fireflies at night (sorry - no photo).

the countertops

i picked out a really simple granite (you should have seen some of those pieces, they looked like vomit or head cheese) and it turned out exactly like i imagined! i love it!

all those stacked up boxes are the tile! the next project (and the last big one).

the cabinets

i was in such a rush to get these done because i wanted them to be making the countertops while we were gone (since they take 2 weeks and that's how long we'd be gone). they came to measure for the countertops the day before we left and we got the last 3 (of 17) cabinets installed the day before that. man was that a stressful job and time-line!

i'm back

i've really been missing blogging lately due to several things that have been going on . . .

we've been gone for two weeks to pennsylvania where i was hoping to catch up on some blogging but wasn't able to upload any pics,

i attended the funeral of my grandma (my mom's mom) yesterday where i got to see her entire family (a rare event),

countertops were installed wednesday! (the day after we got home),

i've been stressing out about what to wear for family photos by Nicole Hill tomorrow morning,

and trying to finish the kitchen!

pictures and commentary for all of these things will come soon . . .

haven't been blogging much (as I'm sure you know)

because dan picked this up the other day. (and it's awesome!)

checking in

for those of you who are fans, you may be wondering what has happened to me lately. have i just given up entirely because of this ?$^%* kitchen project?

last week, just in the nick of time, i finished installing the cabinets. i wasn't really planning on doing this, but that's just what happened. my bro-in-law carl showed me how to do it the first two nights, but then had to work some overtime and couldn't make it over. dan helped some one night and my bro andy and cousin dan helped me another night. with the counter-top guy coming on monday, dan and i got the last 3 cabinets in just before then.

the countertops will take 2 weeks at which point they will be ready for installation. during this 2 weeks i will be taking a little break - from everything kitchen related. maybe reading a little, doing some sewing, playing with the kids, you know - my normal life.

unfortunately, i'm having trouble posting pictures right now, but when i get a chance i'll get some cabinets up for you!