Kitchen Counter Chaos, Part One

As promised, I am chronicling our counter replacement. This Saturday was demolition day! And let me say, it was a day of discoveries. Steve and I dumped the kids with my sister-in-law and then made a big mess. The photos don't show up in the order posted so you will have to figure out which is which. Photo 1 (below) is the before photo. What you don't see in the photo is that we also have a counter next to the fridge that was destroyed as well as a wet bar area in the family room. Photo 2 (right) shows our big discovery: there was 1 1/2" of cement slab under the tile. Whoa!! Not Good!! So we now had twice the amount of "stuff" to chisle off the counters...meaning twice the time!! Photo three is the BIG hole Steve put in the wall behind the stove top. Oops...How much spackle do you think we need to fill that one? Just kidding! We put up new wall board. Granite is going up that whole wall so it doesn't have to be pretty. Photo 4 is of our good friends, Doug and Danielle Adams, coming to the rescue! Thank the Lord for such sacrificial friends. They saved us a lot of time and sweat. And the last photo is of all the tile, cement, chicken wire, and particle board gone. We currently have plywood down and holes cut for our new, HUGE sink and our cooktop. The granite company comes on Thursday and I will hopefully have some pictures from the installation as well as the finished product which will probably be Monday-ish. Stay tuned for chaos updates. I must go corral my children and keep them away from power tools, sawdust, and stray nails. So much for child proofing. And don't forget living without a kitchen sink! I do my dishes in the downstairs half bath!! This better only last for one week!

Welcome Lynda and Wendy!!

I was so excited to see that my two college roomies and bosom buddies said hi that I just had to give them their own posting!! I look forward to keeping in touch in the blog world if not in person. And Wendy...there is always room up here in the East Bay and plenty of jobs!! :) Keep us posted on Steve's job hunt! I'm sending butt slaps your way...

The Munchies

Steve and I are back on the South Beach (SB) diet. It really hasn't been too bad to make the shift again. I think that is because we were already half-heartedly doing it so we only had to change some of our habits. The biggest problem is snacking. We get the munchies in the evening and really have nothing to eat that is SB appropriate. The "snacks" we have currently are sugar free: pudding, jello, cocoa; low sugar ice cream, veggies with hummus (flavored of course), peanuts, and cheese sticks. What we really want is popcorn, chips, pretzels, crackers, anything bread-like or salty. Since that isn't a good option, we are looking for ideas. If you come across a low carb snack idea, let me know... we also love getting recipe ideas to try. We are putting out an S.O.S. ~ Save Our Snacks!

I am going to use my blog to help me keep accountable on this diet. Last week I lost only 1 pound but I also started my period...you know what that means!! Bloated, fat, fatty, fat...so I am hoping next weeks weigh-in will be even better... I was a very good girl this week and would love for the scale to show it!

Still goofing around with photos

Well, I thought they would all go down the left side of the page but I guess not. I am still just playing around here. Here's some photo info for you...

Obviously, Emma is holding Andrew at 1 day old in the hospital. She LOVES being a sister and he is completely in love with her. He lights up more for Emma than for anyone else.

Emma is playing in the leaves in our back yard mid-November.

Andrew is giving us the best cheesy smile. He used to do this on command. Now he just looks at me with a blank stare when I ask for the cheesy smile as though I am a crazy woman or something!

This is great!! Since I love taking pics, you can expect to see photos on my blog often...

My first photo test

WOW! That was easy!! Now I can share fun photos with my friends as well!! Thanks for pointing this out to me Krista. This is a picture of Andrew and I at his first birthday party at our house. Not a particularly good one of him but an okay one of me. For those who haven't seen me in a while...I cut off my long curly locks!!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Well, Krista posted this on her blog and I just had to copy it. Here are some questions to answer for fun!
1. 4 jobs you've had in your life:
La Comida waitress, Chevys waitress, Beverly's craft store, 7th grade teacher

2. 4 movies you could watch over and over:
Pride and Prejudice (the 6hr. A&E version), Titanic, Forest Gump, Shakespeare in Love

3. 4 places you've lived:
Salem OR, Roseville CA, Pleasant Hill CA, Clayton CA

4. 4 TV shows you love to watch:
Survivor, 24, Lost, Amazing Race

5. 4 places you've been on vacation:
Ireland, Italy, Hawaii, US road trip

6. 4 Web sites you visit daily:
dorelinn.blogspot.com, my blog, hotmail.com, ebay (not quite daily)

7. 4 of your favorite foods:
anything potato!, chocolate, Starbucks peppermint mocha frappuccino, Chili's chicken enchilada soup

8. 4 places you'd rather be:
ANY quilt store, snuggling Emma on the recliner, reading to Drew, watching a movie with Steve

9. 4 albums/artists you can't live without:
Point of Grace, Gaither Vocal Band, Avalon, APU University Choir and Orchestra

10. 4 magazines you read:
BHG American Patchwork and Quilting, Keepsake Quilting (I only get two)

11. 4 cars you've owned:
88 Toyota Corolla, 94 Honda Civic (it's really Steve's), 96 Ford Explorer, 96 Ford Windstar (sadly, the last three are still in our possession and it is a race to see which dies first...it better be the Honda!)

How would you answer these?

I'll be back

I promise to blog very soon. My mom has been in town and we went out of town. It just doesn't seem right to say, "Mom, hold that thought...I gotta go blog!" So I'll chat at y'all soon!

Your temperament

to find out your temperament go to: http://www.blogthings.com/whattempermentareyouquiz/
I did mine, see the next entry...

You Have a Choleric Temperament

You are a person of great enthusiasm - easily excited by many things.Unsatisfied by the ordinary, you are reaching for an epic, extraordinary life.You want the best. The best life. The best love. The best reputation. You posses a sharp and keen intellect. Your mind is your primary weapon.Strong willed, nothing can keep you down. Your energy can break down any wall.You're an instantly passionate person - and this passion gives you an intoxicating power over others. At your worst, you are a narcissist. Full of yourself and even proud of your faults.Stubborn and opinionated, you know what you think is right. End of discussion.A bit of a misanthrope, you often see others as weak, ignorant, and inferior.

What Temperment Are You?

Your Eyes Should Be Violet

Your eyes reflect: Mystery and allure What's hidden behind your eyes: A quiet passion

What'>http://www.blogthings.com/whatcolorshouldyoureyesbequiz/">What Color Should Your Eyes Be?