Monday, July 05, 2010

a very happy 4th

Our 4th of July celebration actually began the night before... my sister Rachel, her hubby John and little Naomi, moved into our back camp for their week of vacation. It is so much fun having them in our "back yard"... and was a perfect way to begin the holiday!!!! I am so very grateful that I live in the United States and am very thankful to the folks who keep our country safe!!!!















Once everyone was settled, we fired up the "cooker" and had a feast of s'mores!!! Abby didn't need to have her marshmallow cooked... or add the chocolate or graham.... just "plain" was good enough to her!!!!









But the "older kids" (including me) had to do them right... my goodness, they were yummy, and I fear that I had way too many!!!!











We celebrate the "real" 4th with a big cookout that included family and friends!!! It was such a wonderful day and again, I am truly blessed to have such a great family and the joy of being all together with everyone.....














We had.......





lots of good food!!!!











and many dogs (10 all total)....























babies!!!!









and kids!!!!


and of course, lots of swimming in the lake!!!!






Last year, it was rainy and cold... I remember we sat around the cooker wrapped in quilts... so this year, the warm temps and sunny day made everything "perfect"
and it is my sincere hope that all of you enjoyed your day as well...
Happy 4th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!









missed the date..

Well, we had hoped that the fourth would have been our move in date. That didn't happen.. but we aren't too many weeks away, and the work in the house is going very well. We will definitely be in by the end of this month, just don't know exactly when. All the hard wood floors are done and they are beautiful, Ed is working on the baseboard trim now. That, along with trimming out the last of the windows and my painting.. will finish the rooms quickly.





Brother in law, John, is doing an amazing job with the stairs (plus he has also done several other jobs as well for us) and has "volunteered" to do whatever else might need to be done so we can get in. Here the railings are being put into place....










And then, with the help from my little niece, Naomi... he is getting ready to do the ballesters. I understand that there are 60 ballesters in all, and guess what.... they all need to be painted!!!! I think I am getting tired of this "painting job" that I have been "assigned" to do!!!!!
















By the way, I could hardly bear to take these pictures, seeing John and Naomi so close to the edge!!!! (I have trouble walking in the hallway!!!) But they "worked" together, and both seem totally at ease with it.....









And, the carpets are in!!!! They really made a huge difference in all the bedrooms...



Abby has brown to match her pink walls...









Sadie has a dark green - matching her green walls....












And we have... well.. NOT the color that I ordered!!! I had ordered "garnet".... I wasn't there when the carpet came off the truck (had to wait for an repair man at the camp), and it was 3/4 installed when I got back to the farm. Ed came down and said, "I like the color you picked, but I didn't know it was a grey"... I told him I didn't order "grey".. I ordered kind of a "cranberry"... so, up the stairs I went and said to the installer... "that' not the right color". Poor guy, he about passed out. He called the owner (who is Steve, the guy that put down the hard wood) and told him we had a "problem". Well, what happened is the word "garnet" got mixed up and became "granite" some where in the ordering or shipping process. Steve was (is) very upset about the whole thing. But, Ed and I talked, he really likes this color, and it matches fine with the wall color... I haven't bought any curtains...so, guess we decided to just go with it. Steve still wants to find out where the mess up happened, and will more than likely "do something" for us.... so, one little glitch that we'll just go with. It's only carpet, and actually, it is beginning to grow on me.

That's been the only "big mistake" that has been made in the whole building process, so I feel pretty luck about that. We're going to take some time "off" over the fourth (next blog) and enjoy the time with family and friends, but it's straight on work from here until we begin the move!!!!