Indiana

We left the second school got out for the summer and headed to Indiana to visit Greg's sister Janelle's family there for the first time. 

We made a rest-stop in Wisconsin Dells for supper and a little play time on the way.  We found a (FREE) Pirate's Cove playground.  It was wonderful!

 We got to stay on Grandpa Dan & Grandma Kim's farm (they're Janelle's in-laws).  I think it was the highlight of our children's lives!  We needn't do Disney ever again...the farm will do. 

 Sophie and Rowan, her new best friend, and visa versa.  Evidently no one has really cared much for Rowan because he was cranky to a more-beloved cat.  Sophie didn't know about any of that though.  She was always outside looking for Rowan.  Even after a few days when we discovered her runny nose and extremely itchy/stinging eyes were likely due to cat allergies (we'd never been around cats so much in our lives!)

 Sophie, Owen & Cousin Logan, getting ready to set up for the parade that the other cousin, Jared, was marching in.

 There he is!

 We even spent some time at the carney.  We got an elephant ear (it was my birthday, after all).  Why have I never had an elephant ear before this?!  Amazing.

 After the cousin bath.  Jared was not included.

 We had multiple campfires at the farm.  So good!

 There's Rowan again.  Sophie was trying to coax him onto her lap.

 There you can see the amazing camper that Dan & Kim let our family stay in.  We had our own space...beds, bathroom, fridge.  It was quite wonderful, actually.

 Milking a real cow!  Grandpa Dan did a wonderful job of explaining and then showing our kids where milk comes from.

 They all gave it a go.  I just couldn't do it, myself.  Been there, done that, if you know what I mean.  It felt a little too personal. 

 Grandma Kim led us around to see the calves and other cows as well.  The kids wouldn't let this little guy suck their fingers. 

 But they let these gigantic ones lick their hands.  Go figure!

 We spent a day at a touristy Amish town.  Lots of fun seeing the sights...and the Amish.  Our kids loved seeing buggies on the highways as we drove (me too!).  And they loved pointing out Amish people, as if they were a rare animal sighting..."I see an Amish!"   We took a carriage ride to make a fun, touristy memory.

 And then we ate Hawaiian food for lunch.  Really.  We were too cheap for sit-down Amish food, so this was the other option.  Weird.  But really tasty.

 On our way back home, we brought Jared with us.  We stopped over night in Wisconsin Dells this time, and we toured around town a bit.  We all decided we need to come back and do a bunch of fun stuff next time.  This time we were just passing through.

We had such a good time to, in, and from Indiana!  The road trip was enjoyable, the kids did great, and it was fun to have Jared along on the way home.  Our visit with the Indiana family was awesomer than super-awesome.  We just really had the best time.  Like I said, who needs Disney?

Memorial Day Weekend

We spent Memorial Day Weekend with my family.  The weather was a little iffy, so we spent some time at a nearby indoor waterpark. 

 The bad news is, upon returning again that evening, we got kicked out due to lightning (indoor/outdoor pools connect)...the good news is they let us come back the next day!  Two days of swimming for the price of one!

 This is Owen's birthday present...the coon-skin cap.

 We took a walk down to the lake to see if we could catch any critters.

 The kids tried and tried...

 ...but I think they only caught some weeds.

 Sophie, Aubrey, Owen, Jozie

 Sophie, Jozie, Owen, Aubrey + Adeline!  The newest addition to the family!!

Hello again

I've been told by more than one family member to get my act together, so I'm trying to catch up with the parts of our life I haven't been posting about.  Summer is busier than the school year, it seems!  How is that possible, you ask?  We went to Indiana the second school got out...literally.  We've been to Greg's family's for the 4th in addition to multiple other busy days.  Looking ahead...cousin camp, Germany and camping (fingers crossed!). 

This is from May.

Sophie's gymnastics program to finish off the year.

Warming up...

 Lining up...

 Her events...

 We were far away, so the flash didn't really help.  Sorry.

 The dismount...

 Floor routine...

 Receiving her medal...

There it is!  Notice the missing tooth...

 Some of her biggest fans...

Kitchen Renovations

We are hoping, sometime in the next decade, to move to a new house.  This house has been good to us.  It's our first one, you know.  But we're feeling the crunch of four people in a two-bedroom house.  To prepare for the inevitable, we (meaning, mostly Greg) have gradually been doing projects to prepare for re-selling.  The most recent project was the kitchen.  This was a project I could finally help with.  I'm the painter in this family.  Greg does everything else (doors, floors, demo, installation...). 

 (I'm posting these for Janelle's benefit!)

Light fixture and drop ceiling, before

 Appliances (I can't believe I had that much junk on my fridge!), and weirdly covered wall

 More drop ceiling and really old light fixture

 Greg had already removed the baseboards at this point, so that doesn't really add to the specialness of the floor.  How did I live with that floor so long?  I know.  I was content.  And happy to have shelter.  And too frugal to spend money on a perfectly functional floor when there were other "needs" to attend to.  It sure has been a treat to have a new floor, though.  I kind of want to lie on it and do floor angels.

 It always gets worse before it gets better.  This was after taking down the drop ceiling.  There was a strip of awesomely-bad wallpaper above it that needed an intervention.  The rest of the splotchy stuff looked like spray paint.  I didn't understand it.

 Again, worse before better.  Under two layers of weird wallpapers, Greg discovered this copper tile backsplash along the whole wall.  He popped about 2 off...then decided we'd just cover it instead.

 

 New appliances.  Our realtor recommended stainless, so we obeyed.  It would not have been my first choice, but we're really happy with them.  There's quite a story to tell about the appliances.  I did a lot of research and got us a really good deal.  And got initiated on Craigslist with our old stove.  There's the painted bead board backsplash.  So much better!

 New light fixture.  So much prettier and brighter than the last one.  And the ceiling!  White and smooth!

 And there's the floor.  Greg laid the floor.  I heart the floor.

 And here we are...done! Light gray walls, new curtain, new chairs (the old ones would have scratched up the new floor).

Next project....the basement (I think).  I hope painting isn't required.

Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window...cloudy and dreary, and I think it's windy and cold.

I am thinking...about how I am going to provide food for my family when my kitchen contains neither a fridge or a stove right now.  Or a floor.

I am thankful for...a husband who tries his best to be a do-it-yourselfer.   It makes him crabby, but it saves us a lot of money!

From the kitchen...anything we can microwave.  Or perhaps cereal night.  The kids love that.  Greg does too.

I am wearing...my purple pajamas and cherries robe.  I got up with the chickens this morning because I couldn't sleep.

I am creating...a plan for breakfast this morning.  Perhaps a picnic on the living room floor.  Last night we dined in the kids' bedroom.

I am going...to Ikea to get new kitchen chairs today so that we don't wreck our new (coming soon!) kitchen floor with the old ones.

I am reading...just finished "A Tale of Two Cities" by Dickens last night.  I often found it hard to follow, but by the end, I got really into it.  It didn't help me that I could only read 10 minutes at a time.  It often took me that long to figure out what was going on again. 

I am hoping...to have a functional kitchen (floor, stove, new refrigerator!, usable chairs) ready to go by next weekend.  We're hosting Easter here for the first time!  Yikes!

I am hearing...some morning-commute traffic muffled in the distance.  Sometimes I miss commuting.  These days, I rarely drive anywhere alone.  And I only get to listen to the radio for 5 minutes.  Or the Imagination Movers.
Around the house...Since the kitchen (and therefore, the breezeway, living room, hallway and kids' room as well) are completely a shambles, I am determined to have a sparkling clean bathroom.  And clean laundry.  Now that our water is turned back on.

One of my favorite things...coffee.  Really good coffee.  Really good coffee that I don't have to make myself.  For free.  Ahhhhh....

A few plans for the rest of the week...overnight company (my parents!), a meeting at church, attend a baby shower for my sister Cassie, work in the 5's Sunday School room, read scripture in the service, provide a main dish and salad for a potluck gathering for visiting friends (With no stove.  Can cereal be a main dish and fruit snacks a salad?).  And that's just the next 3 days.  Send help.
Here is picture thought I am sharing...Spring has arrived...at the conservatory!

 The kids enjoyed the Koi pond.

 Owen was uncooperative.