Finally Home...

We left Kansas City around 6am yesterday morning. There was a fast blowing tail wind that followed us to at least the state line. It was a nice sunny day and a good day for driving. We really only hit traffic in a couple of places. We thought we could make the Pennsylvanian border before stopping for the night. It seemed like we made some pretty good time and hit the border around 8pm. We stopped for dinner and talked about driving the rest of the way home instead of stopping for the night. We were both feeling pretty good and decided were could make it. So off we went. We finally made it home around 1:30am, but were glad we pushed on. We played with Buster a little while then off to bed. We woke up around 8am, but did not get out of bed until 9:30am. We had some breakfast and sorted the mail. We had some lunch and Beth had to go over and see how her aunt was doing since she lost her husband earlier this week. I started a load of laundry and had to go to the store. I got back home around 3:30pm and was done for the day. Beth came home around 5pm. We went to the nursery to get some coco liners for the baskets out back and decided to take Rylee flower shopping tomorrow. Dawn and Jo have a one day softball tournament tomorrow and it is suppose to be 90 degrees. Too hot for the princess to be outside all day, so we get to watch her. So we will be showing her the fine art of selecting and planting flowers. I want to get my tomato plants in & planted also. We went to dinner as Beth was craving steak. After dinner, we stopped at Lowe's and had to get a leaf vac. We had high winds and all the little whirl birds fell from the trees and need to be vacuumed before they take root. I am glad to see them now as the pool is still covered and easy to collect. The pool is to be opened on Thursday and we are hoping for a fast warm up of the water. The drive home seems to be catching up with us and we are both ready for bed. After reviewing out electric bill we have decided to not open the hot tub for the summer. It seems like it cost us 70 - 100 dollars a month to heat. So we will look at our options before winter is here. It appears they are skipping spring for the next few day and will have 90+ degree temperatures. I hope this is not a sign of things to come for summer. There is no picture tonight as we are still unpacking the car and need to find the camera.

A day of rest...

We slept in til 8:30am this morning. We helped Teresa with a few things around the house and then went to breakfast at IHOP. It was really good. We then went to World Market and found some sticks for the vase we will put in the bathroom. We went by my old house and took a few pictures. All the trees and plants have really gotten big. It looked like someone was there looking at the house. We then came home and rested the rest of the day. We went to Smokehouse for dinner and had left overs. After dinner we came back and began packing the car. We sure have a lot less room going home than we did coming out. We are packed as much as we can and will be leaving around 6am in the morning. Not sure how far we will get before calling it a night tomorrow. We have had a fun time and have eaten at all my favorite places. It is now time to travel home and wait for our next vacation in 8 weeks. Thanks so much to Teresa for letting us stay with her while on our vacation. Today's picture is of Teresa's dog Gypsy.

Great Visit...

We had to get up at 7am this morning. The direct TV guy called and said he would be here at 8am. So we jumped up and hurried to get showers done before he got here. After he left, we helped Teresa get some more stuff out of the attic, so she could sort through them. We then headed over to Shelly's house. Our first stop was to Wal-mart. It was another cool day and a sweatshirt was too warm and a t-shirt was too cold. So I got a long sleeve Chiefs shirt and Beth got a button down. We then headed to lunch at Manny's. It is the awesome Mexican place that had been around forever. Beth and Shelly had a picture of margarita's. We spent about an hour and half there. we then went to crown center. We hit several of the shops there and made one major purchase. It was a Mickey Mouse nutcracker signed by the artist. They only make a Disney one every other year and only certain stores carry them. It is all wrapped up and ready for the travel home, so we will post a picture later. We then took Shelly home and visited with her for about another hour. We left around 4pm and headed to my aunt's house. It took about an hour to get there and I did not get lost. It was great visiting with my aunt and looking at our Alaska pictures. Julie, sorry we did not get to talk more. You will just have to come out and visit. We headed home around 7pm. We were both tired and it had been a long day. We did see the baby birds this morning and there were 4 of them running around. They were so cute. We did get to see the sun today, but it was not warm. Tomorrow is our last day in Kansas City. We will head home Thursday morning at 6am and should be home Friday afternoon some time. So we will spend tomorrow doing any last minute things and then load the car tomorrow evening. It will so sad to leave, but we had a nice visit. Today's picture is of Gypsy Teresa's black lab, she is a great dog and is helping with our Buster withdrawl.

Little Babies...

We were up around 8:30am this morning. We helped Teresa with moving some stuff from upstairs to downstairs. Teresa's dad came by and they notices the nest of Kill Dear eggs had hatched and the 3 little baby birds were running around. We went down to look at them. They are a strange bird. The lay their eggs in a gravel road in the open. If anything comes close to them one of the birds will run in the opposite direction and act like it had a broken wing flapping on the ground. As soon as you go to look at it the bird will run away. It is very strange to see. But we did not fall for it and got close to the babies. They are so cute as you can see in today's picture. After watching the birds for awhile, we went back inside and finished up. We left around 2pm and headed north. I had to stop by the cemetery and put flowers on my dad and brother's graves. After that, we drove around awhile and noted all the businesses that have come and gone. It is amazing how much things can change in only 2 years. We then headed over to Strouds for dinner. We meet my aunt, uncle, and cousin for dinner. We had great fried chicken and good conversation. We spent 2 1/2 hours at dinner and it did not take that long to get our dinner. It was another rainy gloomy day today. We are hoping to see the sun at least one day before we leave. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

Big Mistake...

We slept til 8:30am this morning and boy was it nice. We had left over donuts for breakfast and they were just as good. We talked with Teresa and looked at the Alaska scrapbook until noon then headed over to Jennifer's house. Jennifer is my good friend and programmer from my DST days of working. It was good to see her and we loved her photo books of her Utah trip. We went to lunch at Jack Stack and it was great. After about 3 hours, we let Jennifer get back to her work. We look forward to her visit in June. As we headed back home, we decided to stop at Heartland Nursery. Boy was that a big mistake, As you can see from today's picture we purchased several plants. OK, yes Pennsylvania does have plants, but I have never seen these colors before. So yes we did come all the way to Missouri to buy plants. After about an hour of picking out plants, we headed back to Teresa's house. Boy I hope we have enough room in the car going home. It was another rainy yucky day today. We are hoping for sun shine tomorrow. We ate dinner at Teresa's. She made this awesome dip that will have to have for our next party. It is a hot chicken wing dip. Yum Yum. We are meeting my Aunt Omi and her family tomorrow night for dinner at Strouds. The best fried chicken ever.

I'm in heaven...

What a day we had today. We got up at 7am and headed out the door by 8:15am. Our first stop was Krispy Kream donuts. We got free samples of the donuts just coming off the glazing machine. Oh my god were they good. We headed to the city market. I do miss going to the market every Saturday. We were able to find the Beef master tomato plants I was looking for and a low acid one for DJ. We saw the biggest tomatoes I have seen in a long time as seen by today's picture. We went to Planter's and I stocked up on spices. Next we went to Achiever's. I love that place for scrap booking materials. We spent about an hour and a half shopping for paper and stickers. Next it was lunch at Steak and shake. I had the 5 way spaghetti and Beth had a burger. It was starting to rain harder so we headed back to Teresa's house for a rest period and watch some more of the NFL draft. We left for dinner at Arthur Bryant's BBQ. I had the combo of beef and ham sandwich and Beth had the short ribs. I forgot just how good they tasted. We headed home stuffed and very happy.

First stop for scrapbooking

We were up at 7:30am this morning. We wanted to be at the hospital by 9:30am. I forgot how long it takes to get around in the city. We had stop and get gas first and then we were on our way. Aunt Pat looked well and we had a great visit with her and Julie. She suppose to be released tomorrow, but she has been running a fever for some reason and they want to get that looked out. After we left the hospital, we went to Genghis Khan for lunch. It is a Mongolian bar-b-que and is really great. After lunch, we went to Old Time Pottery and found a few things for the outside at home. Then we made the first stop on the scrap booking tour. Hobby Lobby moved to a new location and a bigger store. It just so happened that all stickers were 50% off and I made a killing. We then went over to the Bass Pro Shop and Beth was able to get a new pair of clip on sunglasses. We came home for a quick rest before meeting Shelly for dinner. We went Long John Silver. It may not seem like much, but if you don't have on near you and you love the chicken planks it is a big deal. We had a great visit, and will get together again with Shelly later in the week. We are going to the city market in the morning and are so looking forward to that.

We made it to KC...

We left St. Louis around 9am this morning. It was a nice drive except for the last hour of the drive, it started to rain. We stopped along the way at a local winery and picked up a case of wine. We made it to Teresa's house around 1pm. We visited until 3pm and headed north to have In-a-tub tacos. They are the best ever. We then headed to Riverside Red X. It is a giant warehouse of beer, wine, and liquor. Beth was so excited and bought another case of wine. I did help in picking a few bottles. Even though I don't like wine, but I loved the bottle. We had an hour left before we wanted to be home. I forgot how long it takes to get from place to place in the city. We stopped at smokehouse for dinner and made it home right at the first pick of the NFL draft was made. We are now watching the draft and I am not happy with the eagles first round pick, but we will see if it works out. It rained all day today and is suppose to tomorrow also.

On the Road..

We left at 6am, right on time. The weather was great all the way here. We stopped about every 3 hours to switch drivers. Beth was bored when not driving. She could not believe how flat the land was and there was nothing to see. That is the Midwest for you. We got to St. Louis about 7:30. We stopped at the Crown Candy Kitchen. The were featured on Man v Food for having great milk shakes. They closed at 8pm so we just had shakes and they were great. I had a banana shake and Beth had a wild cherry. We left there and really tired. Trying to find a hotel was a issue. We got lost a couple of times and St. Louis is not the place to get lost. We finally found a Comfort Inn and grabbed the last room. We did get McDonald's for dinner. We were both really tired and were in bed by 10pm. We will leave around 9am or so and head to KC. It is only a 3 1/2 hour drive.

It all got done...

We were up early thing morning as we had a lot to still finish. After breakfast, I started cleaning the kitchen and Beth went out to cut the grass. She needed to weed whack first, but was having a hard time keeping it started. We both agreed that it was time for a new one, so off to Lowe's I went. Beth started cutting the front yard. Kim came by around 12:30pm to pick up Jojo's Disney book, so Beth stopped cutting the yard. After Kim left, Beth started cutting again. Dawn came over with Rylee around 3:30pm and we had a very nice visit. Dawn left a little before 5pm and I had to go to CVS to get a prescription and them to the grocery store. I got home around 6:30pm and Jess was here to get the key. I saw that Beth had not started cutting the back yard or the weed whacking and knew it was going to be a late night. We had dinner and Beth went out to finish. I finished packing a few things and started taking them to the car. We figure if we forget anything we can buy it there. So the house is clean, the grass is cut, and the packing is done. We will be leaving around 6am tomorrow morning and hope to make it to St. Louis Missouri before stopping for the night. Beth would like to see the arch and we will get a good nights sleep before heading to KC. Today's picture is of one of the 3 hot air balloons that went over tonight. We usually see them this time of the year.

Run Run Run...

We were up around 8am this morning. We knew we had a busy day ahead of us. After breakfast, I headed to Wal-mart and Bed Bath and Beyond to return some stuff. Then headed to PetCo for some treats for Buster and then to Target for snacks for the trip. Beth had to go to the bank, the post office, and get Bust some dry food. On my way home I stopped and washed the truck. It was dirty from the winter and all the pollen we have had. As I pulled in the drive way, I saw Maggie's SUV and Payton running around. So as I got out, I was told Payton had pink eye and could not go over to Maggie's mom. They came to get the spare TV we had for Payton's room. So we chatted for a few minutes and they left. We had a quick bite for lunch and began working on the list. Buster had a grooming appointment at 5:30pm, so Beth dropped him off and got fried chicken for dinner. I had made a pasta salad with the colored spiral noodles and added tomatoes, peppers, zucchini with an olive oil dressing. It was really good. We worked on the list some more and finished what we could tonight. Only a few things left for tomorrow, so we are in good shape. I did Buster's bedding and went to get gas for the grass cutting tomorrow. Beth went to get Buster as he was ready to come home. It has been a long day, but a productive on.

Clean Up...

Beth picked me up after church and we went to breakfast at the diner. After breakfast, we came home and began the clean up process. I had to put all the stuff we took out of the vanity back into the vanity in an organized way. The storage bins were a big help and I was able to get most of the stuff put away. The remaining stuff goes in the drawers which are being painted. Beth's brother Charlie came by for a while. After Charlie left, Beth went to her parents for a visit. I stayed home and did the laundry and began cleaning the house. Beth came home around 4pm. She began making the lines and painting them on the doors. I made stuffed peppers for dinner and they were really good. After dinner, Beth went back to painting and I put the laundry away and began packing for the trip. We still have several things to do before the trip, but at least the bathroom will be done and we will not have to do anything else to it when we get back home. By that time it will be time to plant flowers and tomato plants. Spring is here and I am ready to plant. Our early spring plants are blooming nicely and yard is dotted in color.

Happy Birthday Jo....

We had a mission today, FINISH THE BATHROOM. So after breakfast we started. Beth began caulking and I went to Lowe's to find switch plate covers. We found some there when we were doing our bathroom, but they had nothing. So we just went with white for now. I went to Bed Bath and Beyond to get more storage units for under the sink. Once home, I started sorting all the crap that was under the sink from before to determine what we have. We will never have a buy another band aid for the rest of our lives. Beth finished the caulking and moved on to the towel hooks and I hung the shower curtain. We finally finished around 3pm. We just have to put the storage units under the sink and put the strips on the doors. We headed on to Dawn and Jo's house. Today was Jo's 39th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JO. We had a great time visiting with friends and playing with Rylee. We watched the Phillies lose and they looked bad tonight. Only 3 more days until we leave and I am not even close to being ready. Hopefully tomorrow will bring and end to the guest bathroom and I can move on to packing and getting ready to go.

Amazing...

After breakfast I started to tackle the guest bathroom sinks. It did not take long to get the first one done and with no leaks. So I moved on to the other one and it did not take that long to complete. The both have no drips at all. Amazing what dealing with new pipes can make. So all my plumbing tasks are completed. We still have paining, caulking, and hardware to do. We are hoping by end of the day Sunday it will be completed minus accessories. Beth worked on cutting the grass and the weed whacking. We had lunch and I left to go run some errands. I was back home around 3pm. Beth had to leave at 4pm. Her and her mom are going to Reading to see a ice skating show. So I was on my own the rest of the day. What will I do???? Today's picture is of Rylee having fun with us.

Why did the drain run so slow???

We were up early this morning as we wanted to get a start on the guest bathroom. We had a quick breakfast and off we went. We started with the toilet first. It was a little hard trying to line up the bolts but we finally got it done. I had to run to Lowe's to get a shorter water hose. I only needed a 6in piece and all we had was 20 inches. So off I went. Once there I found everything I needed. Beth started painting the doors the blue color. It looked really cool and so tropical. We got the toilet all hooked up and turned on the water. Finally a project that does not leak. Beth is so happy to have the toilet up and running. So I moved on to the sinks again. The right one had one little drip but after some plumber's putty the drip stopped, but it seems to drain out very slow. On well at least it is working and no leaks. About that time Dawn came by to drop off Rylee. She had a class to go to and then would be back. No problem. We love watching the princess. She played in the exercise saucer for about an hour, She was able to turn it all the way around even thought she did not know what she was doing. She was starting to get a little tired, so we tried rocking her and walking with her get her to sleep. She was having no part of that. She started to scream and cry real tears. It was so sad, so we made a bottle and she only drank about 3 oz. before falling asleep. Dawn called to say her class was cancelled and would it be alright if she went to the mall. I told her no problem and to take her time. Rylee seemed to have baby bad dreams and would cry but her eyes would be closed. We laid her on her normal spot on the couch and she was fine. Dawn came by about the time of first pitch of the Phillies game. So she stayed to watched it with us. She had ball practice and had to leave around 4:45pm. Rylee was still sleeping, so we gently put her in the car seat and off they went. After they left, we watched the Philles lose and worked on the bathroom so more. I drilled the holes in the tile to hang the curved shower rod. I was so happy that I did not crack any of them. So one more thing completed. So back to the sink. After one more taping and tighten. I found the pipe was fine at the joints, but had a crack in the side of the pipe. Just great. So I had to unhook all the pipes and turn the water off. The pipe is the one that goes into the wall. It was easy to get off, but to my surprise I found out why this sink also ran slow. As you can see from today's picture the pipe is 3/4 the way clogged with crap. No wonder is runs slow. I am guessing that is why the other drain is slow also. So off to Lowe's I went to get a new pipe. I ended up getting 2 and once the one sink is fixed and all done I will pull everything out and check that pipe. I want to get it done now and hope to never have to do it again. So Beth painted the vanity front and I will fix the drains tomorrow. We did replace the shower head. So things are getting done and the end is in site. Guess these things happen when you replace 40 year old things. I hope to have both sinks completed tomorrow. Then it is shopping time for accessories.

What a day..

We had to get up early this morning as Dawn was bringing Rylee over at 8:30am. She had a meeting and a class to go to and then we were meeting for lunch. So when Rylee arrived we feed her squash and prunes. She loves the prunes. She only took about 2 oz. of the bottle and was ready to play. We set her in the exercise saucer and she loves looking at all the toys, She can bounce a little and touch a few things. After about an hour she was ready for a nap. So I walked with her for about 5 minutes, then rocked her and she was out. She assumed her normal position on the couch and sleep until Aunt Beth woke her at 12:30pm. We went to lunch at The Brick house and had good food. We came home and worked on the bathroom a little. I have one sink all hooked up but it still has a little leak. I am hoping it will seal and I don't have to do anything else with it. The other side is a real pain in the butt. I may have to put the old J trap back on it, but will look at it again in the morning. Beth was able to cut 3 of the 4 brackets off. We think we can use some epoxy to glue the new brackets in place. The toilet will go in in the morning and I am hope to have one project with no leaks. We are getting down to the wire and need a working bathroom before we leave. Kyle had his first home baseball game today. He did not start but was able to bat and drew a walk to keep them going. They lost in the end but played well. Today's picture is of Kyle at his baseball game.

Minor setback...

For some reason we slept in late this morning. We finally got up around 9am. We had some breakfast and then Dawn called. She had just finished taking Rylee to the doctor and was not ready to go home so she was coming for a visit. We got dressed and waited for Dawn. Rylee did good at the doctor's office. She had to get 2 shots and was not happy about it. She is doing well with her height and weight and is a growing healthy girl. They are still a little concerned about the breakouts on her face and have a couple of things to try. So we played and talked with Dawn for an hour or so, then Rylee was hungry and sleepy. So I walked with her for about 5 minutes after her bottle and she fell asleep. So we laid her on the couch and talked some more. She only took a brief cat nap and was ready to go. Dawn left and we began working on the bathroom again. Beth found the old towel bracket were set in mortar and not set with screws. So it is not like you can just pull them out. I began to attach the faucets to the sink and add the drain. We found that the pipe did not match up right. So a minor set back in our plans for the day. I had to leave around 4pm as I had a hair appointment. As I was coming home I was trying to think of how we could fix the 2 problems we had. Once home, I told Beth that we could take a hack saw and cut the brackets off and then screw the new ones next to it. I was able to change the J pipe a different direction and able to get the drain pipe together. We hooked up one and it is leaking a little so I will work on it again tomorrow. Beth cut one of the brackets off and we now have a plan. So things were only a minor set back and we will move forward tomorrow. But not too much as we have Rylee at 8:30 in the morning and then are meeting Dawn for lunch. Kyle has his first home baseball game, so we will be going to that. I sure hope things go better in setting the toilet. It was a rainy cold day today so I made a pot of ham and beans with cornbread for dinner. It was sure good. Today's picture is were the toilet will be placed tomorrow, hopefully.

Car is ready to go...

We had appointments with Dr. Bill this morning. You can tell it is spring as everyone is in with back problems. We drove separate cars this morning as I went to the grocery store when we were done. Beth came home and started cleaning the guest bathroom walls and ceiling. After the grocery store I went to Petco to see if they had an anti-gobble bowl for Buster. He is eating his dog food way to fast and we need to slow him down. They did not have one, so we will have to order it out the catalog. I can home and put the groceries away. Beth was still cleaning, so I started laundry. With summer, I don't have to do laundry every 5 days. You can get a lot of shorts and t-shirt in the hamper before it is full. I fixed lunch and Beth had to leave. The car needed to be inspected and checked out before we head to KC next week. I continued doing laundry and had to clean the fan vent in the bathroom. Since Beth is the project manager, I get all the crappy jobs. My friend Shelly called and we talked awhile. Beth texted and said the car needed new brakes and it would be awhile. We had steak again for dinner. We were suppose to have it last night, but we went over to DJ and Maggie's for dinner there. I need to start on the lists of packing next week and what needs to be done before then. I am going to practice drilling holes in the tile tomorrow and try and get the new shower rod up. Beth wants the toilet set tomorrow as she does not like having one bathroom upstairs. So that will be on the list for tomorrow also. (No picture since I forgot to post this on Monday night.)

Bye Bye Toilet...

Beth was up at 7am and went to church. I took a shower and got breakfast ready. After breakfast, we removed the toilet from the guest bathroom. It did not take long and is now sitting by the road waiting for a ride by the trash man in the morning. There was no trace of a wax ring which tells us it has been a while since it was replaced. Kinda explains why it wobbled. We went to Lowe's to get another can of paint for the vanity top. We were able to find the colors for the vanity front and doors. Things are really starting to come together. We hope to have it done in the next week or so. We went over to DJ and Maggie's for dinner. It was great and we had a good time visiting. Today's pictures are of the newly painted counter top, it isn't a smooth surface like Formica but more of a hammered metal texture. Sorry FaceBook friends for using the same pictures but it happens.

Progress...

We were going to get up at 7am this morning and hit some yard sales, but when the alarm went off we were both too tired. So we went back to sleep until 8:30am. We got up and headed toward the pool store. They had all pool stuff on sale and we needed a bunch. On the way we stopped at Jake's flee market and walked around. We got there late, so most people had gone and it was cold and windy out. We bought a couple of things and headed to the pool store. On top of the chemicals we needed, we had to buy filters this year, so that set us back a bunch. We came home after the pool store and had some lunch. We then dry fitted one of the bathroom sinks to make sure it was the right size and it was. So Beth started with the prep of the vanity top. Buster and I headed down stairs. It was a really strong smell of paint flumes. As you can see from today's picture, Beth was all prepared. We had all the windows open and the fans going. She put 2 coats on it, so we will see how it looks tomorrow. It is still better than what was in there. I fixed chicken for dinner since most of the ham is gone. We are watching the Phillies trail by one to the Astros. We are hoping for a win but you never know.

Couch Potato...

We had to get up early this morning as the plumber was to be here between 8 and 8:30am. I took my shower and headed to WAWA for some milk. By the time I got back the plumber was already here. He was here about 10 minutes then had to leave to go get a shutoff value. When he returned he was only he about an hour and we have 4 new shut off values. Jo came by a little after 9am to drop off Rylee. Dawn had a class at 11am and then they were going to do some running around. We played for about 3 hours and then she took a bottle and went to sleep. We put her down in the guest room but she was wide awake. So Beth came back to the living room with her and she fell asleep. We put her on the couch and she slept for 3 1/2 hours. She is our little couch potato as you can see from today's picture. We guess it was too quite in the guest room for her. We did take advantage of her long nap and removed the 2 sinks from the bathroom. So Beth is now able to move forward with her project. Rylee was up around 3:30, we changed her and she was ready for another bottle. After her bottle, she played until Dawn and Jo came by. We ordered dinner and Jo rocked her and she went to sleep. So back on the couch she went. She slept for about an hour and was all smiles when she woke up. Jo fed her cereal, squash, and her bottle. She then got her PJs on and played for a little while longer before leaving. We had a great day with her and love her very much.

No Show...

We were up at 8am this morning. We had a lot to do and the plumber was to be here early afternoon. I started trimming the back yard and Beth cut the grass. I finished the back and only had a little to do out front. I was about 1/2 finished when the clippers died. I came in side to get a shower and Beth moved on to the front yard. It was around lunch time by now and still no plumber. Beth took a shower and I fixed lunch. After lunch, I went down stairs to work on some scrapbook and it is about 15 degrees cooler down there. The plumbing company called around 2pm to say the guy was stuck on another job, would tomorrow be alright. Well no, but we had no choice. I wanted them here early as we are getting Rylee tomorrow. They said it would be between 8am and 8:30am. So we will see. Beth was not happy, but again there is nothing we can do about it. We watched the Phillie's game and had dinner. They lost by 1 run, but it was a good game. I spent the rest of the evening printing picture for more scrap booking. We are suppose to get rain this evening and then a lot cooler the next few days. It will be a nice change from the 80+ degree we have been having. Mom the money was there and thanks. Two weeks from today we will be in Kansas City. So much to do before we leave and not a lot of time to do it. Today's picture is of the little princess that is coming to visit with us tomorrow.

Feeling Hot Hot Hot...

Boy does it sure feel like summer already. We were up around 8am this morning. I wanted to get out in the yard before it got to hot today. I was able to get all the peat moss on the flower bed and the rubber mulch on the low areas. I even pulled all the weeds from the flower bed by the mail box. It looks like plants are going to survive up there, so now we have to decide what to plant. It needs some more dirt, but I can do that later. Beth was able to call and get the pool opened on May 6Th. We did find a plumber and he will be here tomorrow afternoon, so we will be able to pickup working on the bathroom from there. As soon as he leaves, we will pull the sinks and toilet out. We did find a shower curtain we both like today and is colorful. So we will try to use one of the colors in it for the cabinet color. We spent the afternoon at Target since it was so hot in the house. We opened the basement door for Buster to go down stairs where it was cooler. I was able to finish the twins scrapbook today and will now move on to a few other folders and hopefully get a few more done before going to KC. We are suppose to get rain tomorrow night and then only be a high in the mid 50's all weekend. It will be a nice change from high heat it has been the last few days. Today's picture is a little reminder of what happened only 2 short months ago. My how the weather can change.

Hot day...

We were up early this morning. I wanted to start making a few things for our Easter dinner early. It had rained a little last night, so I decided not to work outside today. I was glad I did. It was 88 and very sunny today. Beth had a hair appointment at 11:30am and stopped to get lunch on her way home. Kim was coming by around 1pm. Jojo was missing Aunt Beth and wanted some time with her. They were here about 30 minutes and the electricity went off. We called and they said that it should be back on by 4pm. Well that did not go well for the plans I had in having dinner around 4pm. Kim and Jojo finally left around 3pm and the lights came back on at 3:15pm. I hated turning the oven on when it was so hot out, but we wanted ham and scalloped potatoes. So on it went and everything went in the oven. We finally ate around 5:30pm and things were great. We will have left overs for days. After dinner, we went down stairs to turn off the water to the guest bathroom sinks and toilet. What we found was that the shutoff valves do not work. So now we will have to call a plumber out to put shut offs values on the bathroom sinks and remove the old ones. If only I could solder copper pipes. But we knew things would not go well and are glad we started doing things early. Hopefully we can get someone out in the next few days. This kinda put things at a stand still. Today's picture is of all the god parents and parents of Rylee.

Busy day...

After breakfast, I began taking the bathroom light apart to see what we could do. Beth worked on changing out the plug in the hallway that was on the same circuit. I found that we are not going to be able to change out the whole light. The housing is attached to the frame inside and we can not get to it unless we tear down the wall. So we will try to change out the light and the trim. We also determine that we should paint the doors and the cabinet facing. We are now looking at a bold color for it. So off to Lowe's we go. We looked at light and found something we thought might work . We looked at some color samples and grabbed a few and then headed to get some new paint brushes. Our final stop was to pick up 6 bags of peat moss for the back flower bed. So we first worked on the light. The opening was a little small so Beth went to grind it down and turn the electricity back on. But each time she turned it on, the breaker kept tripping. Oh great, did we pull a wire loose when we were messing with the light or did Beth wire the plug in wrong? Never do 2 things at once, cause you never know what caused the problem. So I started with the easiest fix first, the plug. And sure enough it was wired wrong. So I rewired it and we tried that. Yea it worked. So next on to the light. We were able to get the new light trim on, but it does not cover the hole. So not sure what we are going to do next. I will have to look at it again in the morning. We had the first round of left overs for lunch and watched the Phillies opener. They beat the Nationals 11-1 and it was a good game. Then we had to watch the local sports report and get the scoop on the McNabb trade. Sure hope it does not come back and bite us in the butt. Beth wanted to have a early dinner and begin cutting the grass. So after round 2 of leftovers for dinner, she cut the grass and I went to BJ's for rubber mulch. It was 3 dollars a bag cheaper there. They only had 9 bags, so we will have to try another place to get the rest. We have decided to prime the front of the cabinets and paint the counter top first before we pick a color. It is too hard to tell when so many other things are changing. The weather was really nice here today. In the low 80's and very sunny. I am going to get the the peat moss and rubber mulch down in the morning and then start our Easter dinner.

Happy Easter...

We had to get up at 7am this morning. I took first shower and then put the cinnamon rolls in the oven while Beth took her shower. We had breakfast and left at 9am. We had to be at the church by 9:30am for a run through. Rylee was very tired and hates to take a nap. Dawn was able to feed her and she went right to sleep. Of course, she was still asleep when it came time to put water on her. She was not happy at all, but did fine the rest of the service. After the service, we went to Jo's parents house for dinner. We had pasta and it was really good. We left around 4pm to head to Beth's parents house. We had dinner plans with them at 5pm. We were still kinda stuffed from lunch, so we skipped dessert. We got home around 7pm. It was nice to finally relax from all the events from the day. We are moving our Easter dinner to Tuesday as we have so many leftovers we want to eat first. Today's picture was taken at the Baptism.

Scrapbooking All Day...

We were up and had breakfast before 9am. I went down stairs to begin scrap booking and Beth went out to begin sanding the bathroom doors. We stopped for a while and had lunch outside on the the patio. It was another warm and sunny day. After lunch it was back to our tasks. I did have to stop and go to Lowe's as Beth was out of coarse grit sandpaper. I was able to get the twins pictures done. I am looking for a couple more pictures, but will add them to the book on Monday. Beth was able to get all the doors done and began the staining process. We have a busy day tomorrow and don't expect to be home much. As I was doing the twins picture it was interesting how much they had changed in 15 months as seen in today's pictures.

Shorts and T-shirt weather...

What a great day. We were up around 8am this morning. The spa guy finally showed up around 9am. He was able to fix the spa, but we are not going to turn it on until we get back from KC. We figure it will be a good test to see how much electricity it uses. We had breakfast, and I headed to the grocery store. We are having our Easter dinner on Monday and I wanted to get my shopping done before then. I did not realize how many people had off today until I went to the store. It was packed. Beth was starting on the bathroom. She removed all the stuff from the cabinets and began taking the doors off. I started laundry and went down to scrapbook. The bathroom is not big enough for 2 people and she had a goal for it. So I will do the plumbing work and then stay the heck out of the way. Beth did empty out the water in the spa so it would not turn green. We had pizza for dinner and the place was packed. I had to park across the street, but was worth the walk. It is sure nice to be wearing shorts and t-shirts again. It makes do the laundry easier also. It was in the upper 70's with bright sunshine all day. I know it will not last but we will enjoy it while it does. Today's picture is the group coloring eggs last year. Beth wand I will be doing this tomorrow all alone, but it will be fun.

The beginning...

We slept in this morning and did not get up until 9am. We really must learn to go to bed before midnight. We had breakfast and then headed to Lowe's. We were in luck. They had the toilet, sinks, faucets, shower bar, and paint we needed. We are going to update the guest bathroom as much as possible. We then went to BJ's for a few items. It was way past lunch time so we stopped at the new hot dog place next to the theater. They were not bad, but we don't have to go there again. We headed home to unload the truck. Kyle finished packing his stuff and went out to whittle on his stick some more. I am not sure what he is going to do with it, but it gets him outside and doing something. We had to drop him off at the eye doctors today. He is going to get contacts, so we will see how this process works. We then had to go to the mall for Easter cards for the kids and a christening present for Rylee. We had steak for dinner tonight. Beth always likes to have beef before no meat Fridays and tomorrow is the last one. We are going to do a few project outside tomorrow and then start on the bathroom. We think we can knock out most of it before going to KC. I have to remove one of the lights first before I can get replacements for them, but we have everything else. Hopefully it will look better than it does now for our guests. Today's picture is of Rylee in her Christening dress, it is from the sitting that Dawn picked up yesterday.