In & Out

No, not the burger joint.  Instead, this is a post about the comings and goings of the various contractors it takes to overhaul our kitchen.

I thought I'd document the schedule for each step of our kitchen overhaul.
This is no tutorial.
This is no DIY project.
We are paying cold, hard cash for an entirely new kitchen (minus the refrigerator).   Some things are worth paying good money for :-)

As a side note, we are using Discount Floors Superstore to coordinate the whole shebang.  They were running a kitchen special over the holidays (which I think is still going on, if you're interested).

Thursday, Feb 2: Demo Day!  Cabinet, backsplash, countertops, flooring...all ripped out.  Electrician and plumber came by to move wiring and water lines since we are moving the fridge and dishwasher as well as reconfiguring our lighting.

Friday, Feb 3: New cabinets installed.

Tuesday, Feb 7: Tile laid throughout the kitchen and laundry closet.  Final measurements and template constructed for the granite countertops.

Wednesday, Feb 8: Tile grouted in kitchen and laundry closet.

Thursday, Feb 9: Walls and ceiling repaired, then mudded and textured.

Friday, Feb 10: Sink and granite countertops installed.

Saturday, Feb 11: Tumbled stone backsplash installed.

Monday, Feb 13: Plumber returns to install garbage disposal and hook up the sink and dishwasher.  Electrician returns to install 6 can lights in the ceiling, under cabinet LED lighting, and 2 pendants over the counter-height bar area.  The electrician will also install our new range and over-the-range microwave.

Tuesday, Feb 14: I will rejoice over a beautiful, fully functional kitchen that I've dreamed of since day 2 of living in this house.  I will enjoy every second of planning out how to most efficiently fill our new cabinets!

Kitchen Remodel, Part 2

Kitchen {DURING}

New Kitchen {CABINETS}

Kitchen Remodel, Part 1

Kitchen {BEFORE}

Slow Down

Today I tried to enjoy being still and in the moment.  After I picked Caleb up from school, we got out of the car and spent some time at the school playground.  I visited with a couple of the other moms and nursed Norah while Caleb played with some friends.  We took our time.  We stuck around for almost an hour.  I enjoyed the slow pace and the warm weather.

When we got home, we went on a walk to find a rock for Caleb's homework.  They are studying rocks and soil this week.  Sarah was so cute holding my hand all the way around the block and trying to keep hold of 3 or 4 rocks in her other hand.

I have run out of quality food to make for dinner, but we had a few breakfast items to put together instead.  A slow, but good day.  Thank you, Lord.

Our Day - {January 20th}

6:40 am - My alarm goes off.  I walk to Caleb's room and turn on the lights.  I steal his covers and lay down in his bed, kicking him out to get himself dressed.

7:55 am - I drop Caleb off at school with a hug and a kiss.  I love that little man!

9:30 am - I throw some chicken a BBQ sauce in the crock pot for dinner.  This recipe was delicious!

10:00 am - I try to accomplish a few household chores.  Laundry, washing dishes, etc.  I get stressed out.

12:45 pm - Jadie, Sarah, Norah, and I arrive at the neurosurgeon's office.  I nursed Norah and talked with Sarah about pictures in magazines.  The receptionist commented on Sarah's large vocabulary.  I cuddled both girls and played with Sarah for almost an hour.

1:40 pm - We were finally called back and Jadie had his staples removed from having back surgery!

2:15 pm - We return this mop to Target.  It broke after a single use.  I'd say it was more useless than useful.  I wish we'd have done a little research ahead of time.

3:05 pm - As Sarah sleeps in the car, we arrive at the elementary school to pick up Caleb.  We let the kids play on the playground for about an hour.

4:00 pm - I begin working on dinner.

6:00 pm - Our friend, Sheena, joins us for dinner.  We enjoyed this:

And this:

And these:

And these:

8:30 pm - Jadie and I watched "Courageous" with no interruptions.  I almost can't believe it!  What a great end to a long day.

I hop you had a great day, too!

Nanna's Clock

I ran across this scrap of paper recently.

I wrote this down as I walked through my grandmother's house after her funeral.  The stove was the first thing I looked at when I walked through the door.  Nanna was always cooking up something delicious.  I pictured her standing at that stove, boiling potatoes or cooking up some Velveeta Shells & Cheese.

As I stood there, the clock on the stove caught my eye.  I can't remember if it was a digital or analog clock, but that's not really important.  I just remember being caught off guard by the time displayed on the clock.

3:16.

The clock was no longer ticking.  It had stopped keeping time, just like Nanna.  I was taken aback by the grace of God.  As far as I remember, my Nanna was a believer.  A feeling of excitement came over me.  This small, insignificant detail brought had me joy and peace.

And it still does today.

Norah Beth- {3 months}

She's such a strong little baby!  She can:

Hold her head at 90 degrees when on her tummy.

Scoot herself upward when on her back (by arching her back and pushing with her legs).

Sit in the Bumbo (even though it says not to use it until she can sit alone).

Smile.

Laugh.

Babble with "oooohs" and "aaaahs."

Sleep at least 6 hours at night.

Put herself to sleep.

Chew on her fingers.

She's still snorting and she still won't take a pacifier...or a bottle for that matter.