Projects Galore

Things have been pretty busy around hear over the past couple weeks.  We kept going back and forth on places to take a week long vacation to before school started and we just weren't coming up with a plan.  We also knew that we had some projects that we really wanted to get done ASAP and Keith is usually really busy with work.  So I brought up the idea of just staying home and doing some fun things together as a family and working really hard on a couple projects.  Really, it started with just getting the backyard done.  Keith worked so hard to shovel and move all of the rock that filled half of our yard.  It was a ton of work.  Our eight year old nephew helped a little, and Grant did a couple shovel-fulls with his plastic beach shovel, but Keith did the rest.  He worked his tail off and got super dirty.  I'm so proud of him.  Tomorrow  morning a crew is coming in to improve our existing sprinkler system and extend it over to this other half of the yard that will be home to some new grass and a putting course.

 Grant & Brett had fun splashing around in the shade while Keith slaved away in the sun!

Just in case the backyard wasn't enough to do, we decided to redo our fireplace!!!!!!!  I was surprised when Keith mentioned doing this, but I'm sooooooooooo beyond excited.  I've been looking at fireplace mantels online for a long time.  We narrowed down some of the ideas and then when we both agreed on one my brother came to do his magic.  (Remember, he's the one who installed our family room cabinets.)

After ripping off the old pop-out surround thing from the fireplace, he set up shop on the back patio and got to the fun part.

He really has put a lot of his talent into this mantel.  My dad came over today and helped paint the final product.  Before I was born my dad was a professional painter.  He's knows what he's doing and I think he had fun helping with this little project.  They both signed the back of it so if anyone ever rips it out (they would be crazy!) they'll know who built it and painted it.  Tomorrow the hearth will be set in place and then soon after our granite friend will come place a pretty piece of granite on top of that.  Then the mantel will be set in place.  Then it will be done!  I'm so excited!  I feel so lucky to have such an awesome thing being made for our home.  And I'm thrilled to have a mantel for Christmas!!!!

Meanwhile, Keith and all the boys had a trailer full of pavers arrive that needed to be unloaded.  They all (even little Brett) worked for over an hour unloading the pavers and stacking them on the ground.

I thought my little guys would get tired or bored after 15 minutes, but they loved it and worked hard till the last paver was out.

Brett was in charge of the small pavers.  He really got into the grunting and making a hard-working face while lifting.

So now the rock is gone and the fireplace is almost done.  We had a guy come fix the drywall around the fireplace and in a few other spots in the house.  I've spent today sanding the drywall and cleaning up all of the dust from that.  Tonight the primer and then the paint will go on the wall around the fireplace so that it's ready for tomorrow.  

Whew, all of this makes me tired!  And I'm mostly supervising!

First day of school

He's off!  I have a feeling he's going to do great in his last year of preschool.  He has the same teacher as last year and she's fabulous.  I trimmed up the sides of his hair this morning and trimmed his nails.  He was all clean and dressed and excited to make his little sandwich to take for lunch in his new dinosaur lunch box.  I can't wait to hear all about his day!

A quick picture

I'm a busy Momma today and don't have time to sort through all the 4th of July pictures I was going to post today, so I chose another picture that I thought everyone would enjoy the most.  Sorry if it's blurry.

This little dumpling will be arriving in the middle of January.  We should be finding out the gender in a few weeks.  We're so excited!  And we're excited that I'm not nauseous anymore.  The past few months have been tough around here.  And Grant is excited to see my tummy get big.  He asks me almost every day if my tummy is big yet.

A few things

Brett likes to scream.  He does it out of excitement, but it's REALLY loud and high pitched.  

Grant is a really great helper.  And he's proud of himself for it. 

Ice cream can be really messy...

...and it's best shared with a brother.

Grant's Swim Lessons

Due to some technical difficulties with our computer I haven't been able to download the pictures from our camera.  Keith came to the rescue last night and now I have my pictures from July!  

Here's Grant at his swimming lessons at our local pool.  I started teaching him earlier in the summer, but it was too hard to get to the pool without Brett in tow so that we could have one on one time.  Plus, Grant got to the point where he needed a teacher that wasn't Mom, so that maybe he would be braver and listen better.  I will say that his kicking skills are much better now and he's starting to try to use his arms.  He loves to swim around under water and I'm hoping that with more practice he'll learn to come up for a breath now and then while he's swimming.

He loved his teacher from his first session of lessons.  The kids called her Ms. Mickey.

While Grant was waiting for his turn, he'd often be watching the water in the drain around the pool.

One day Grandma Jackson came to watch a lesson and we got to go swimming at her house afterwards.

Grant and Brett's hair got sooooo blonde this summer.  A couple weeks ago we buzzed their hair and I seriously had to hold back tears.  Hopefully it'll grow back fast so it can go blonde in the sun again before summer's over.

from around the house

We picked some apples last week from my parent's friend's tree.  We still need to do something with them all.  I think an apple crisp will be in order for dessert tonight.

 Grant entertains me with a puppet show.

Because it's too hot to run around outside, Grant has me put on "basketball music" and he and Brett run around the outer edge of the family room super fast.  See the umbrella too?  I brought that inside as a dust storm swept through our area last night.  Too bad it was HOT wind.  And see the trampoline?  That's how I get my cardio in.  And see the new draperies?  

Here's a better view of the draperies.  We love them.  I love the color and interest they add to the room.

And I love how they make the fireplace scream, "Remodel me NOW!!"  I'm not sure where on our list that project falls, but I'm thinking it should get bumped up to first or second place.  :)