A Visit With Cousins...

We had a fantastic weekend! Matt, Christina, Blake and Kendall all came to visit us! We had a fun time - really doing nothing - just hanging out - we loved every minute of it and didn't want it to end. I didn't take a ton of pictures and the ones I have - not so great. Christina had her camera and was taking pictures and let’s face it - she is awesome at it... as I am not. :)


Taco closeup... I don't know why I took these dog pictures...



Brewski...


Deer - we have tons of deer in our yard - all the time; however, by the time I grab my camera they run. I snapped these two...

On to more interesting pictures... Kendall - feeding her doll...

One day Blake will hate this picture - but I find it funny...I'm pretty sure my brother has the same expression when he watches TV.

Blake tricycle time...

I did the girl's hair...don't know what Matt is doing...

Heidi pretending to take her temp.

Close up!

How cute! Kendall waiting for our table at Melt.

The girls enjoyed Melt - so much they serenaded everyone...

Heidi got a new coat...

Now we are at the Great Lake Science Museum - a really cool place...

Chris.

Phase 1 of Paint....Done!

Heidi found her backpack and LOVES it - she puts all sorts of stuff in there. At one point I found my vacuum cleaner attachments...hmmm...

Okay - more house pictures - well not really - just of the kitchen, family room and morning room. We finished painting - now its a nice neutral just ready for decorating!!! Good thing Christina is coming up this weekend :)

Oh and I have had a couple people ask me the paint colors - the family room is called Heavy Cream - it is an Olympic color from Lowes - but we had them make it in the Valspar. The kitchen is called Pony Tail - which is also an Olympic color made in the Valspar and the morning room is something odd like - Au Lait Ole -which is a Valspar color...

I have found out Ohio is much like Nebraska - the weather can change quickly - one day - sunny - just need a light jacket - next... snow storm...

Side note - a BIG thank you to Chris and Leah Harry who came up this weekend to be tour guides. They took us everywhere in Cleveland and showed all the cool spots and also spots to avoid :) Now when we have visitors we can pretend we know where we are going :) We can't thank them enough for their help and I think we had some fun too! :)

Hodge Podge

A hodge podge best describes this post... So here we go...


First - Chris taking a nap and I found him on the couch spooning a stuffed animal... w.o.w.



Brewski...

Okay onto the house - first disclaimer - its messy - sorry - second disclaimer - I guess I didn't finish taking pictures - forgot the bedrooms and basement - but we can see those another time!

Here goes the tour... This is looking in from the front door. My lovely set up for work - and yes those are banquet tables - jealous? I thought so. You see the stairs to the right for upstairs and to the right of Heidi is the dining room.

Standing in the living room - looking into the dining room.

Standing in the living room - to the right is the entry, stairs for upstairs and the small hallway which leads to the family room and garage. To the left is the dining room and you can sort of see the walkway into the kitchen.

Another look at the front door.

Standing in the dining room looking back to the living room. Kitchen walkway is to the left.

This is on the other side of the entry way - straight ahead to the right is the living room and to the left is the garage. The door you see is a closet. The family room is behind me. The basement door would be directly to my right.

Looking more down the little hallway - the door straight ahead is the garage door. Left of the garage door is the small hallway with a half bathroom and the laundry room.

Small hallway with the half bath (on the left) and straight ahead is the laundry room.

Half bath and no I didn't take a picture of the toilet - you see one and you have seen them all.

Laundry room

Garage and Chris' new...ugly...car... hey it is a hybrid (he's so smug he smells his own farts) AND its 4x4 - so its perfect.... minus the color...

Okay continuing on...have I lost you yet? This is the morning room as they call it in Ohio. Please take note of the lovely color and fantastic curtains which have all been torn down now and this is the next room to be painted.

Another picture of the morning room. Kitchen is to the left and the family room is to my right. Ugly curtains straight ahead.

The kitchen. Morning room to the right, family room behind me, garage to the left and the dining room is through the walkway. Ignore the garbage...

In the kitchen, family room to the left, main kitchen to the right and the morning room is behind me. Garage door is straight ahead. The basement door is through the little opening and to the right.

Standing in the kitchen, looking at the family room. Morning room is to the left and the garage is to the right. Dining room is behind me. And if you notice more ugly curtains.

Don't worry, I know you were curious - here is a close up of the wallpaper... For some reason its a lot brighter in person... grapes anyone?

Family room - aka the dark dungeon... the paint is WAY too dark for the room...I swear it eats light...

Okay - back to the entry way - looking at the staircase - sorry - bad picture - I don't know what I was trying to catch.

Staircase looking up - that is our master bedroom straight ahead.

Hallway shot - first door on the right is a bedroom, then a closet, then the bathroom then the guest bedroom, another closet (awesome) and last on the left is Heidi's room. I didn't take a picture of any of these - so use your imagination.

And lastly on the tour looking out from the upstairs hallway.

Whew - onto the painting... Grandpa Jeff was super awesome and came down for a week to help with the removal of the wallpaper and painting of the walls. It was fantastic!!!

Say goodbye to the ugly paper! (Heidi is helping too)

I had no idea how much work it is to take down wallpaper - it really is a 3 day affair to take it down - get the glue off - clean the walls and prep them for painting... we wouldn't have been able to do it ourselves - knowing us - we would have tried to paint over it :)

Testing a much lighter color in the family room - figured out - we had to use a primer - boo...

Heidi! SOOOOO happy to see Grandpa!

Heidi wanted to help too - don't worry - it was just water and she didn't come that close to the plug - no I didn't electrocute my kid.

Grandpa showing Heidi how to climb the ladder...um... that's what grandparents are for - you show the kids something cool and let mommy and daddy explain why you can't do it... :)

Primer is up! And already sooooooo much better. (and yes we used the ugly curtains as drop cloths - wouldn't you?)

Professional painter - Grandpa Jeff - for hire - just pay with Diet Pepsi and maybe a burger or two...

Heidi cleaning our mess up - she loved it - and we didn't mind either :)

Wallpaper is done and the paint is up - excuse the mess - once we put our kitchen back together - I'll take nicer pictures... what do you think?

Can't remember what it was like before - which one is better?

Yeah! A nice calming tan that brightens the room!!! The new family room...

You be the judge - dark or light?

Grandpa Jeff was a tremndous help! Thank you - Thank you - Thank you! Plus it was nice to have a familiar face here to ride along and get lost. We have to still paint the morning room - which is this week's project. Once I get that done - things put away - I will take better pictures. Say goodbye to angry yellow and dark maroon!

Now I end with a few Heidi pictures... Heidi going shopping - should I be worried - she loves to shop and want to look nice to do so.

Happy Valentine's Day!