Kitchen Reno....day ?????

So I went on a trip (pictures to come) with my mom, sister and our girls.  When I got back the kitchen had undergone a lot of changes....which I didn't get pictures for so you'll just have to wait.  hehe


Then we got to the last (and most dreaded) section....the sink.  So once this is out I have no kitchen sink till the counters are ordered and it can all be installed....

Turned the water off to the sink and cut the lines....and the drain lines.  We are now without a kitchen sink

Old cabinet is out.

The existing plumbing.  We cut the trap and all out of the drain....it will all be replace.  There is a pipe running toward the fridge for the icemaker (which we do not use) and another heading the other direction for a dishwasher which we do not have.  Those both need to go so we can cut SMALL holes in the bottom of the sink cabinet to get it into place.  We do not have this plumbing

So I apparently measured wrong and there is 6 inches too much cabinet.  Thankfully this little wall is the only thing in the way so we can create the wiggle room we need.  More demo.

The paint line behind the fridge is where that wall was....Gonna have to do something about that.

The sink cabinet (and friends) as close to in place as they can get until I get parts tomorrow.  Hopefully we'll be able to order counters and the sink by the end of this week.  

Coming home from a trip with the bar and electrical in place was AWESOME!  Pulling the sink and hitting snags was discouraging.  Hopefully we'll be able to get back on track tomorrow night.

Right now I am sitting on my couch and looking at the kitchen....and I can SEE how great it is going to be!  We aren't on the coasting downhill stage yet but I can see the top of the mountain at this point.  Getting ready to order counters is TOP on the list right now (no sink till we can get counters).  Up next, while we wait for counters, is pantry shelving, shelf paper in all the new cabinets, lighting and putting things away.  Bring it!

Kitchen Reno days 3-5

Well, I haven't had time to get pictures off my card and onto the computer....and I don't have much time today. Once we start a project we don't mess around and we've been BUSY!  This post is picture heavy

All I did on day 2 was remove the cabinets that were along this wall. 

Day 3 started early (before 630) and we started by putting up "stiff legs" on either side of the stud wall coming down (the 2X4 in the foreground of the photo are 2 of them.  Then we took after the stud wall with pry bars and the big splitting maul.  Everybody who wanted got in on the action.

We added a 2X6 header (center board in this picture)  at the very top since this is the "seam" where the 2 sides of our modular were joined.  All the other lumber you see is part of the stiff leg set up and is temporary.

After the 2X6 header came three 2X6 on either side (which are hard to see) that are the posts....Then two 2X12 boards that were screwed together into a beam goes across the top on edge as a support.  That sucker was HEAVY but we got it.

Then out came the stiff leg.  The wall is out and the ceiling is still up.  Oh happy day!

I pulled all the paneling off the wall pictured above while the guys were doing the beam....

We took out a small section of the above wall that is the same width as the master closet on the opposite side of that wall....

We popped the wall back a few feet taking about 1/2 of the master closet (that was bigger than necessary)....now I have a walk in pantry (well 1/2 of one....still needs the stud walls and door on the kitchen side)  But that will have to wait for another day.

M helped daddy put one of the sheets of paneling inside the new pantry.

It is hard to stop now.  We are on such a roll but we've got other things we have to do.  Hopefully we'll be able to get the pantry completely boxed in this weekend....but I'm not sure we will.  I will be ordering cabinets on Monday (1-2 weeks for delivery) and getting paint for inside the pantry (we're using paneling we salvaged from different rooms and they are 2 different colors so I'm painting them all white) and chalkboard paint for the pantry door.  We have the lumber to trim out the beam but I will be staining those before we install them.  And pantry shelves to put in and food to put on said shelves.  So I'll have plenty to keep my busy while we wait for the cabinets to arrive.

It is so cool to see the vision in my head actually coming together as I'd hoped it would....

Kitchen Reno Day 1!

This has been a long time in the making.  I've been dreaming and planning and waiting and saving (and nagging) for a new kitchen for a couple years.  In the last few weeks we've been pricing out options and figuring things out and today the work began......

The Before of what used to be the living room and will be the dining room now.  I am standing at the front door

My totally gross, cluttered kitchen.  it is so hard to know where to put things when you are doing demo....and finding time to do the demo AND clean up the mess is hard.  Demo won today.

From the sliding glass door into the wall that we are working on today.  cabinets doors are open because the cabinets are empty  (except the 2 that you can see that have just fallen off)

First step....remove base cabinet....all by myself.  Fun stuff

G gets in on some removing trim with the pry bar action...

A steps up to get some more trim down

M could not be outdone
(yes he is wearing swim goggles---actually Minion swim goggles to be more specific --He couldn't find his safety glasses)

The little closet had to go.  May have practiced some side kicks on the paneling....
My good friend came over to help.  If we ever need jobs we are going to start a demo business (maybe we'll learn how to rebuild too) called "I'll just do it myself"

Cabinets, closet and all paneling is gone.  Ready for this stud wall to come out on Friday....need help from the King and my dad.  Have to put in a 16 (ish) foot header so the ceiling stays put when the wall comes out.  

Now I need to go rest and ice (do something)to my hammer swinging arm so that I can make it thru TKD tonight.

Hopefully I'll have good pictures of the studs gone and the header up in a couple days.  

Stitch Fix #3!

So I missed blogging about fix #2.  I really should hunt up some photos of what I got but realistically....not gonna happen.  But here is fix #3.

And again....I am so so awkward at posing.  blech.  Just look at the clothes.  And I don't have ANY summer shoes....and my kids leave crap on the porch.  Seriously, just look at the clothes.

Liverpool - shorts ($58) - These shorts are AMAZING!  Perfect amount of stretch and a length I like!
Skies are Blue top ($48)  - Never would have pulled this shirt of a rack.  It is off white and very feminine with embroidery.  Not my usual.  It is so comfy and I love it with these shorts.  Sometimes its good to get out of the box.

Skies are Blue ($48) - This shirt is right up my alley.  Exactly something I would grab if out and about shopping

Pixley ($64)  Ok, so I still ahve mixed feelings about this skirt.  It has a really pretty cut out pattern that is not easily visible in the picture.  It is a pretty green color.  But it isn't my favorite piece.  I don't have any shirt to wear with it but will grab something when out shopping with a friend later this month.  It is a great skirt....just not my favorite thing.

Skies are Blue ($44) -  I pulled this dress outta the box and thought no freakin way.  I tend to avoid things that cinch at the waist...And purple, especially THIS purple is never something I'm drawn to) Then I put it on and it skims, it twirls, it is awesome.  I LOVE it!!!!!

So for anyone who is unaware of the awesomeness that is stitch fix this is how it works.  

• Visit stitch fix   and sign up for an acct.  (I get credit, which I REALLY appreciate, if you click thru this link)
• fill out the lengthy survey so they know what you like.
• then when you are ready you pay $20 for a stylist to pick out 5 items to send you.
• You get the items with cards to give you a couple ideas on how to wear (dress up and dress down) each item.  
• You have 3 days to try on the clothes with things in your closet.  If you send things back, they go in a postage paid envelope and into the mail....easy peasy.   
• YOu log back into your acct and pay for those things that you decide to keep.  and leave detailed notes as to what you thought of each item.  
• Then you try to wait a reasonable amount of time to order your next one so your husband doesn't put a clincher on your fun  ;)

Things to note.  If people sign up thru your link you get a $25 credit the first time they order.  AND if you keep all 5 things you get a 25% discount on the total order.  With those 2 handy dandy things I was able to snag all 5 pieces in my fix for $126.50. 

 I might have sent the skirt back but it cost the same amount to keep it.  I did make a note that it wasn't my favorite thing when I checked out.  I do like it.  I just don't love it and it was the priciest item they sent....so it wouldn't have been worth keeping.  My mom however, loves it and she got a really cute denim pencil skirt in hers....we might swap!  ;)

Quarterly Update

Back at the start of the new year, I did a blog post on potential....read it here.  I thought since we are into March now might be a time to revisit the goals I had set....

Here they are....

1. Improve physical fitness with strength training and stretching  (Starting Bikini Body Mommy again on Jan 5th)

• Bikini Body Mommy and I did not hit it off this time.  I REALLY wanted to love her as much as I have in the past.  I did not.  I have since gotten a kettlebell and workouts from a friend.  I like kettlebell.  It makes me feel strong but I haven't fit it in as much as I'd like.  

2. Continue to "eat clean" after a time of detox from holiday junk food (I'm eating a frozen snickers bar as I type this-sigh)

• Well, this hasn't gone particularly well either.  But I'm continually trying to improve.  Easter was horrible.  I ate so much candy despite the fact my mom made really good and healthy food.  I had a serious sugar hangover yesterday (we had easter dinner Saturday night).  So yesterday I started a 21 day no junk food detox....I expect to be fairly grouchy for a few days.....but then feel much better

3. Get debt free!  (This is a HUGE goal for us!)

• YES!  As of last week, we paid off all our loans apart from our mortgage.  It feels SO great to be debt free.  And to know we can do some upgrades we'd like to do around the "homestead" and pay cash straight up to do them.  So thankful!!!

4. Remodel the kitchen!!  (Oh please let this happen!  PLEASE!)

• Since we are in fact out of debt we are progressing on this goal.  We've done some shopping at Menards and are looking at the same ideas.  We are on the same page.  So we are working towards this big project this summer.

5. Break wood in taikwando.  (still have to work through 2 more belts before I get a chance to try.)

• Last weekend we all tested and passed to our purple belts.  We plan to test again in June for red belts at which point we will be starting with board breaking.  I really should get those kettlebells going because I think they will help with this goal as well.

6. Daily Bible study both alone and with the kids.

• This one is hit and miss.  I try to get up early and read alone.  Some days it works and some days it doesn't.  I've done lots of Bible studies with the kids with marginal success and this year we started reading the actual Bible.  We started in Matthew.  We read a section (usually half a chapter) aloud all together and they pick a verse or section of the story to illustrate.  It is going very well.  

7. Improve my calm parenting skills and be a happier mom.  (class starts at the end of January-Woot Woot)

• Class was 4 weeks long and great!  I am so happy to have been able to facilitate it.  And I'm thrilled with the number of parents who participated.  As far as how its going at home.  It all depends on the day.  We are trying....hard.  Some days are just better than others.  :)  (I'm not sure that will ever change)

8. Continue to declutter the house (think I'll try this calendar)

• Totally not using the calendar.  But I have donated or thrown out several garbage bags of stuf.  Any chance I have to declutter something I do.  I wish I could just get it all done in a big swoop but slow and steady is gonna have to do.

9. Have a booth at one craft show with knit and sewn items....with a friend or two.

• not yet.  I was offered one but had to turn it down because I was already double booked for that day....seriously!

10. Keep track of menu plans and good recipes so I can remember them and don't have to reinvent the stinkin wheel every month.

• I'm not keeping track of menu plans very well.  Frankly, we've been chasing our tails so much that they aren't working all that well anyway.  What I am doing differently is when we find a new recipe we really like I write it on a card and put it in my vintage recipe boxes....that way I can find it again.  So that makes me happy!

11.  Less facebook and more facetime (actually real life facetime-not facetime on the ipad-HA!) This one will be harder than I 'd like to admit and I need to make it more concrete....but I gotta work it out.

• Yeah.  Not doing well with this one.  Maybe a little better....but I really just need to turn it off altogether for a while and I just don't wanna.....

12. re-implement and actually use a weekly cleaning schedule.

• HA!  Totally not happening.  Although I know it would be better if we could make it happen cause I've done it before and it was totally great!

So there we have it.  A quarter into the year and things are moving along.  I didn't expect to get them all done right at the start and although I wish I were improving faster on a few of them....I am pleased with the successes we have had.  Potential is still there....Gonna harness it!!!

I think I might be a jet setter now!

So I'm a stay at home, homeschooling mom.  I like to go places and see things but I am not a jet setter.  And then my sister, who lives in Perth Australia, calls and says "Hey I wanna fly you (and mom, and H) to Salt Lake City.  I need to be there for work and we can meet early, hang out, and shop for my wedding dress."  That was about a month ago.  And we did it.  We flew to Utah for 2 days for shopping (and a little sightseeing).

I haven't been in an airport in 10 years.  I hadn't been shopping in a real store for things not on clearance since I was buying maternity clothes....and I haven't been pregnant in 7 years.  But thankfully, I found stitch fix and we squeezed in a shopping trip to buy things to wear on our shopping trip (Yes, I see the humor in that) before we had to catch a plane.  I mean I figure I could have worn something that I had already....but I thought this trip called for something beyond pajama pants and stained t-shirts.



And we had a great trip!!!  Pictures tell the story....

Fresh faced and ready to FLY!

Ok.  So for me travel is about 75% about the food.  We ate at this Brazillian buffet and it was superb!  Just so so good!

Had some pedicure appointments after a day of travel

cute toesies.

Spent some time at Temple Square.  This is the temple.  

Mormon Temple

In the alcove where the statue of Joseph Smith once stood at the Temple (We asked permission before taking these)
PS.  That is a stitch fix sweater and scarf.  The kick butt coral pants are from Old Navy (NOT on clearance-look at me all stylin)

The steps to the temple!  -Raf was already gone  :( 

All 4 of us outside the Temple.  Wish raf could have had more time with us!  (my shirt and sweater are stitch fix-I love that shirt....this is not a great picture)

ready for our second day of shopping/siteseeing

More food!  (I did eat more than these 2 meals....but these are the only ones I remembered to take pictures of before I dug in-HA!)

Less fresh faced on the trip home!  Overnight flights are not for those only pretending to be jet setters.

Thank God for those moving walkways....soooooo tired!

We had such a wonderful trip!  And she did get her dress (which they kindly did the little alteration needed while we had lunch).  But I can't put pictures of the dress online....that would not be cool!  :)  

I am so thankful that we were able to take this little get away!  It was fun from start to finish!!!  And I'm ready to go somewhere again....but its back to real life this week with school and kids with fevers....and I'm back to wearing pajama pants all day!

What. Is. Happening?

There are moments - often fleeting, sometimes not - that I wonder if I will survive the raising of 3 boys and a daughter.  Moments when I feel like I am flailing about in vain and if I can just keep them out of prison (particularly the boys) it will be nothing short of a miracle.  Moments when all the calm parenting techniques we've learned and are truly trying to put into practice just don't fit the bill.....and I scream till I give myself a headache and send them all to their corners , er beds while I calm myself down and they do too.  Moments when the whole great day we just had go up in smoke and ashes....and I just want to curl up into a ball and cry because I don't even have the slightest idea what I'm supposed to do.

Honestly, today this isn't even about L....she was just a wide eyed observant to the "trainwreck to hell" that just occurred in our house (I think I coined that phrase in the midst of it).  

So here is the story.  In short great day...good school, lunch was kinda a mess, play with a friend, much needed rest time, and then a walk in the beautiful sunshine.  The boys rode their bikes so they beat me back to the house.  I walked in to WW3...over a lego.

Apparently, G took A's lego and A HAD to have them back.  Apparently NONE of the approximately 4,367,512 other legos we have were going to work.  It HAD to be those exact ones.  A was relentless.   I calmly told them to work it out.

 I got our "ponderosa" dinner (what we call it when we clean out the fridge and everyone eats whatever from that pile) on the counter, called G in from the bedroom to make his plate and told him he could pick out a movie to watch while they ate.  

At which point M (who has been playing nicely till now and could have joined L in wide eyed observer status) comes in totally bat crap crazy cause G gets to pick a movie and not him. I mean it!

BAT. 

CRAP. 

CRAZY.  

In .02 seconds, the kid went from wide eyed observer to star of the really angry freak show.  

He screams some random nonsense at me in the kitchen while I look at him blankly.  He storms from the kitchen and KICKS the wall.  My head jerks to look because I know there is going to be a shoe size 3 hole in the wall...but there isn't.  There is a two second silence while we just stand there in utter shock (for me) and then we hear the glass shatter.  He kicked the wall SO hard that the pictures on the other side of the wall fell off and shattered.  

Enter psycho mom.  I screamed and sent everyone to their beds.  Except A who had to go to my bed because there was shattered glass all over his bedroom floor.  

Oh, the sobbing.  

Oy, the drama. 

M hates this life.  He doesn't deserve to BE!  We should just make him leave.  

I call my sister (who has had a rough day) and tell her the story cause you know how misery loves company.  I tell her the story...And M hears me tell her that my house is like a "trainwreck to hell."  M thinks I say HE is a train to hell.  Hysteria intensifies.  

I clean up the glass and make my supper and cut them loose on the leftovers on the counter.  As they eat all things settle back into "It's all good" status except for me.  They are laughing and being friendly again which annoys me to no freakin end.  I ignore them all and don't sit at the table because I feel like I've been hit by a truck and their laughter frankly pisses me off.  M starts singing a song about how he kicked a wall and shattered glass.  Psycho mom makes another brief appearance.  

Now the king is home from work (he stayed late) and everyone is going to be all happy....but not me. It effects my outlook on the entire day.  A day worth of success is ruined by 10 minutes of really really bad stuff. All the good, happy feelings are gone.  Luckily for M, he only has to buy a new picture frame and not replace my wall.  

For me, I have to try to figure out what I'm going to do when his foot actually goes through the wall....and wonder if we shouldn't start saving bail money (cause its possible one of us is going to need it). 

 And apparently, I should put all the legos in a box in the attic....since there aren't enough in there to share.