Familes are like fudge, mostly sweet with a few nuts







remodel update

Well, it is almost the end of February and the house remodel is not done - but it is close!!!
The painting is finished except a few touchup spots and some molding, and this past weekend David, Kyle and Josh put down the kitchen diningroom floor. It looks great! Tomorrow they will install my carpet. Then I can bring in my new furniture. I am sooooooo excited!
I decided to go with the green. I know it has always been some shade of green, but I'm just a green person I guess.

The guys did a great job!

My house is a mess!

Okay. We've been remodeling since the week after Christmas. It is going slow but it is great fun. (I can say that because I just do the desgin work and David (and the kids) do the real work).  We started by pulling off the wall paper in the dining and family rooms. Then we pulled up the carpet which of course means that all that furniture is now in other rooms of the house. So, though the remodel is in the kitchen, family and dining room, the mess is throughout the entire house!  I love it!  Change is fun.

I removed everything from the walls and we pulled out the furniture to get to the wallpaper. 
David removing wallpaper



When we got the paper off the wall we could see the paint underneath. You can't see it in the photo, but there was even a little of the original bright lime green. Do you remember my lime green kitchen? It was so bright and fun!!!

 Under the Familyroom wallpaper the walls had never been prepared for painting so that presented a new problem.

 
The boys removing the carpet

Todd helped Dad put up the new moldings and wainscotting
It took Dad and I a lot of internet research and trips to building stores to decide what wainscot I wanted and how to do it. It looks very simple (which I really like) but it was anything but simple to do. I think Dad and Todd did a wonderful job. I kept the simple lines around the windows and doors too.
 After the wainscot was done we textured the walls above the wainscot. Josh and Shanalee helped with this job. Josh also painted all the ceilings.
 
 Right now our hold up is the back door. It needs to be replaced because it is so dented and rusted, but because it is 24 years old all the "standard" sizes have changed and it is now a "custom made" door. It has been on order for 4 weeks. We can't finish the waiscot or framing until the door is in!

The other hold up is that I can't decide what color paint I want. Starting with 25 colors, I have narrowed it to these two (I think).
I know I want the wainscot painted off white so Dad and Josh put on the first coat of paint in the Dining room a week ago. I have to decide my other paint color by this Friday. 
My old kitchen counters and sink
After a huge fiasco involving a bad case of the flu, glue that was not delivered on time, a dead horse and a snowed in trailer, I finally got my new counters installed last week. I also got a new sink and faucet. I like it all but it will take some getting used to.  (In case you were wondering, it was not our dead horse)
my new sink and counters!
I'll post more photos as we get more done. Hopefully it will be done by the end of February!!!

January fun

I spent a weekend at Nancy's cabin with friends.  I got to ski again - on a "ski-do". It was great fun. Then we celebrated Todd's birthday - He's 25! How could my baby get so old?

Nancy, Heidi and Alesia


Heidi and I

Wheeee!!

We didn't get snowed in - but we tried

I made a snow angel for the first time in years. I made it in the side of a snow bank so I didn't have to lay down on the ground.


Bethany made a wonderful carrot cake

Bethany, Taylor and Todd

Picture a Christmas

Since this Christmas did not get blogged I decided instead to share a sprinkling of the fun times we had this holiday season. (I especially like the "kids" playing with the legos.)
Not too big for Santa

Wiseman with his camel

Mary, Joseph and the Donkey



to the rescue

10 "kids" playing with legos

beautiful!

Santa Came!
Christmas morning
Christmas smiles
You can't find me

Modeling our Christmas PJs

We loved have the Flamm family here!

One imporant event and one fun event

So, with Shanalee's help I am back on the blog. Here are two events I thought should be documented. 1. Todd graduated from BYU Idaho in December. CONGRATULATIONS!!! (We really are very proud of you) 2. Shanalee was crowned "Game Champion of the World" at our annual New Year's Eve championship game night. MiKell, last year's champion, was here to crown her. What excitment!

Another darling baby

Andrew is growing so fast. He is getting chubby and starting to smile and laugh. I thought I would share these photos from his blessing day several weeks ago.





Dancing with the Stars

The men were practicing the song they were going to sing in Sacrament meeting that morning, and Elden and Hailey thought it was good dance music.  I was quite impressed so I got out the camera. (Or course!)
Move over Fred and Ginger!