Where We At? What We Doin'?

Randomness at its greatest in this post...

First, is this picture not funny and pretty good all at the same time?  These "program" pictures always make me chuckle yet this one turned out pretty good.  Of course, at this point in my life, any picture where everyone is looking at the camera and no one is crying is a success. 

Look how big the boys are.  Mercy! 

 

 

Second, I just realized that I never gave my last homeschooling post... our completion of Hunter's 1st grade year.  I will get that together and post it next week.  Basically, we finished up a couple of weeks before we moved.  It was perfect timing. 

Third, speaking of school, it starts August 21.  I will have a 2nd grader and Kindergartener!  Craziness I tell you.  They will be at the same school.  Everyone says the schools here are amazing so I am pretty confident that they will thrive.  They will miss staying in their pajamas until 11! 

Fourth, my to-do list is feeling manageable and not all at the same time.  One-  I need to get pictures/ photo books/ baby books up to date.  Why is it always so hard to get this "chore" started? 
Two- I am planning on painting my den/ hallway next month.  That will be a big job as the room is pretty big.  No fancy finishes just paint.  Havent picked a color yet but it will be subtle.  The room is stark white right now.  Even though we have only been here 6 weeks or so, if you have kids, then you can guess how many finger prints/ food prints/ smudges are already all over the wall.  My kids are animals.
Three- I am starting to work on this ginormous yard.  It is a bit intimating there is soooo much grass. But mom and GrandmaDean keep telling me, just take a little section at a time. so that is what I am doing. I bought myself a new backpack--- one of those big Round Up backpacks!  I love it- I am quite the beast with it on... really though it is a great investment.  Next up will be trenching some beds and softening the outside of the house a bit.  Speaking of yard work, I had my first experience using a riding lawn mower.  We had to buy one for this yard.  Chad gave me a lesson and off I went.  Definitely not a pro at it but Shep and I had fun cutting.

step 1-  two layers of Round UP = dead grass ( I hope)

continued view of bed.  I have a bed about this size that I have started in the backyard too.  Dreading the trenching that will come next.

Fifth, I have had workers in my house since last Monday doing some renovations --- mainly knocking out the windows in our den and replacing with French doors.  It makes such a big difference and after I paint I will show pictures. I love it--- it was more expensive then I wanted it to be but totally worth it!  They also made an extra master closet out of a hallway closet.  The projected time to do this was 3 days... it will be totally done next Monday (2 weeks).  My room is a DISASTER as all the stuff that was in the closet is in my floor. 

Sixth, my parents came up last weekend and we had a great time.  Love it when people come to visit (especially  my mommy and daddy)  :)  Dad helped me fix/ rip out the screen that Molly destroyed.  I loved the finished product.  So thanks Molly for destroying it and thanks dad for your brains!  Mom and dad hung out with the boys and me on Friday, took us out to eat twice.  It was a great weekend.
Here are some pictures of the screened in area that dad fixed.  I really like this room but it is odd... basically it is a screened in porch that looks out to the garage with two big windows that look outside. 

This whole section- from floor to ceiling was screen.  Molly had created herself a dog door and ripped a huge hole through the screen.  We bought the paneling at Lowes.  I like this finished look a lot better

View from the outside.  Painted the door that pretty green. Hunt helped me pick it out.  I love the splash of color.   Funny story.... The back of this paneling was brown. I was painting it yesterday and after the first coat I put the paint can and brush on the steps.  I did not hammer the lid on... do you see where this is going?

 

 

 

Yep, on the floor...  1/2 a gallon of paint.  The paint on the floor was so think I just stuck the brush in the puddle to apply the second coat.  Don't know who or what knocked the paint can, but if I had 4 guesses I would get it right.  Oh and this is the cleaned up version.  Thought about having the boys put their footprints in it with the date we moved in.  Cute or no?

 

 

Just for grins, here is the inside of the "porch."  Got the rug at the Capel Outlet.  The rocker at Target--- love this rocker!  The picture was my Great Aunts (GrandmaDeans sister)  The table in front of the window was made by GrandpaGordie a long time ago.

View from the other side.  Fell on the bandwagon of buying the Ikea shelf and turning it on its side for shoe storage.  Going to get matching shoe tubs for each cubby when I found what I like.  Don't like the cushion... tried to do it the cheap way of just buying a bench cushion.  I guess I will just buy some foam and fabric and make a cushion for the bench.  This corner is still a work in progress 

Seventh, we still haven't found a church yet.  The one we visited this past Sunday was definitely the best so far.  We will probably visit again though we both want to talk to the pastor.  It is technically non denominational, but they split (in a good split) from a Southern Baptist Church.  They meet in the high school cafeteria.  But it is a possibility.

Eighth, obviously, by the picture above... football season has officially started.  Chad seems to love his job.  Hoping that the season will be a decent one. In my opinion, not much is worse then having your husband gone 80-90 hours a week to have a horrible season.  I am much too competitive for that mess.  So win!

Well that is where we are at and what we are doing.  More later.