Spring Break 2017

     We started Spring Break with General Conference and this was how the first session went. Having candy out was the key to keeping them plugged in for a lot longer than usual.

     In between sessions on Saturday we drove up Provo Canyon to pick up some free firewood and also put a deposit down on a reception facility. (WHAT?!) And as an added bonus we had a quick visit from my Aunt Gayla and Uncle Craig.

This sweet gentlemen was awesome and bore his testimony to us three different times in the best ways. Good stuff!

     These pieces of wood were far bigger than I realized. Our neighbor wasn't deterred though and was more than happy for a little more firewood to add to his pile.

This is how these boys 'play' together.

    We also did a little dog sitting for a few days and all the kids really loved having this pretty husky here for a visit. Unfortunately our dog wasn't a big fan but we made it work.

This was the only safe way for Charlie to walk the dog, in the back yard.

     McClane finally lost his other top tooth!

    And of course Greg had plenty to keep him busy with the basement bathroom. Thankfully he had the whole week off so a lot got done.

Here's a few before photos.

The shower is complete and now on to the floor!

     This was the start of the fun stuff we planned with the kids, a movie! We didn't see the movie in the photo but we did see "Boss Baby" and everyone liked it.

    And we even splurged on a little lunch at In N Out.

    Our second fun activity was a trip to a trampoline fun center. This is a great way to wear the kids out!

So much FUN!

    And to keep Greg and myself from going completely insane and to give Greg one last little 'hurrah' before work gets crazy we took a minute to relax in Tahiti! (Ok, so maybe it's a theme room at a nearby B & B but it was still fun.)

There was actual sand on the floor and an aquarium built into the 'deck'. 

    Now back to work!

The floor tile took a lot less time than the shower tile. I LOVE it!

    And our last fun activity, swimming!

    While we were swimming Greg kept working and made a ton of progress. There is a bright light at the end of this 'remodel tunnel'. Just a few more finishing touches and this bathroom will be done!

     It's sad to see our Spring Break coming to an end but I do think we made the most of the week, which is why it went so quickly. Lets hope Greg is ready for work/water season. And lets hope the kids can survive the rest of the school year, only 35 school days left!

Very little

    Not a lot to report. 

When your day is done you just need a fun night mask to put you out.

     These three boys had a master class/piano recital at the local assisted living center this week. The handsome boy on the right is a friend and neighbor who was performing as well. I hear they all did well but I unfortunately couldn't be there. (Thankfully I've listened to them practice a few million times so I'm sure I didn't miss much.)

     Here's the progress on the shower. The tile is just a few pieces away from being complete. I'm hoping by tomorrow it'll be done, including the grouting. I think it looks pretty great!

    We've also been doing a little 'wedding talk' around here and for the 2 or 3 people who are reading this keep your day open on August 15th because it's promising to be a big day for a certain someone! I'd give you a sneak peek of the reception facility we're planning on using but I'll save it for another post. Who ever thought this phase of life would get here so quickly?!

Tile, wind & wardrobes

     We went on a bike ride out west and it was WINDY! I definitely need a new helmet!! We made a small detour and drove up through Ophir City, a little town I fell in love with last summer and it's still as cute as ever. I can't wait to see it in a few more weeks when spring really makes its appearance. 

Little bit of history.

Lunch wasn't that great but it was nice to get a break from the wind before heading home.

     Thankfully the wind was far less severe on the way home. And here's the progress made on the shower this week.

This was earlier this week.

    And the princess had a little shopping spree for a new summer wardrobe and she's a typical girl and was happy to try every outfit on once we were home so we could take a few photos and make sure everything fit just right. She's a little spoiled and this is one of the main reasons I was excited to have a shot at another little girl.

    And this is the progress in the bathroom as of tonight and Greg is ready to work on the last wall tonight and tomorrow. The only bummer is he has not one, not two, but THREE burials to do for work tomorrow, which is pretty insane and really not ideal for anyone involved but some people just don't understand the real 'behind the scenes' of burials. This will make 6 Saturdays in a row that there have been burials and Greg has had to do five of the six.

    And a side note, the kids are counting down the days until summer break. Apparently there's only about 45 days of school! Bring on the heat!

Spring!!

     Last weekend was fun and the final basketball game for Carter and his team. It was actually a really good game but unfortunately they lost by 2 points.

      Greg spent a little time polishing up this beauty and then he took me for a ride.

Best way to start the spring motorcycle rides, banana splits at Dairy Queen.

And then, for good measure, we rode up A.F. canyon after church on Sunday.

The boys had fun stacking their hammocks across the deck. 

Here's some video of how they manage to climb in.

She put herself in here and I told her to look sad, so she did. She told me she was a sad puppy. Silly girl.

     Remember how much I hate shopping!? This photo does not do justice to the true pile of stuff in my car. The 12 gallons of milk are buried under here and my Target items are in the back out of sight but this is my bi-weekly shopping haul and it's always a nightmare unloading and putting it all away and I thought I would document it because 10 years down the road, when I no longer have such a gross quantity of food, I'll need this reminder.

Charlie wanted a photo of her jumping.

     And here's the progress on the basement bathroom. He's finally got the hardest part done now hopefully the rest goes quicker!

     So that's the fun week we've had. With more warm weather promised I'm definitely counting on another motorcycle ride or two over this weekend. I'm so HAPPY spring is here!!

New

     Here's how the shower was looking at the beginning of the week. Greg had a portion of the hardy board installed and the floor is in but not grouted yet.

      Repairs/adult problems must come in threes!? First the fuel pump goes out in the car, then the garage door breaks and then the washing machine died! I knew the washer was on it's last leg but I really hoped I had a few more months of use, but no such luck, I had to bust out a few more hundred from our tax refund, in addition to the money I had stashed away so we could purchase this 'bad boy' Saturday evening. Thankfully we didn't have to wait to have it delivered but we were able to drive out to the RC Wiley Warehouse and pick it up. It would be a nightmare if I even went two/three days without a washer so I was grateful to have our old one replaced in one day. So far this machine is doing great and it's even a little larger then my old one so that's very helpful.

Who knew how entertaining watching clothes being cleaned could be.

    Our princess got to wear her new 'spring' dress this past Sunday and she was happy to model for us. She absolutely loves 'church' day! I wish all my boys were as excited as Charlie is to get ready for church every Sunday.

      Thursday Mark was finally eligible to reinstate his drivers license. Here's hoping he makes the most of his second chance/fresh start.

    And as of tonight this is the progress on the shower. The floor is grouted, all the hardy board is installed and the next step is sealing the floor, caulking the seams and painting on a waterproof solution before Greg moves on to tiling. The progress is slow but at least there's progress!

      The weather sure has been nice this week and it only seems to be getting nicer. Spring and summer can't get here fast enough. McClane tells me this is the longest 'holiday'! He means winter but he's got winter and Christmas confused. He also told me today that he really likes summer because you can ride your bike and play outside and do more stuff. I couldn't agree with him more!!

Fashion, decor and a little more.

     Isaac is winding up his basketball season. He hasn't loved it but he's a handsome ball player nonetheless.

    Sometimes the princess gets herself ready to go outside.

She was so excited to get outside to be with her dad.

     With the basement bathroom project in progress we've made a trip or two to Home Depot. McClane and Charlie were happy to accompany us for the latest trip. We had to buy hardy board so Greg could get going on the next step in the shower. 

     McClane had a breakfast like no other this morning; salt and vinegar chips with a side of Nutella and cinnamon sugar on a slice of bread. Breakfast of champions right there!

     It may not seem like much has happened in the basement bathroom but the shower floor is a three step process and that's what got done this past week as well as the installation of a light in the shower ceiling. And please don't mind the messy bathroom, it's a teenagers domain and I rarely demand it be cleaned. The bottom photo is a sneak peek at the floor and wall tile we've chosen. Hopefully by next week the shower will be done or close to done then Greg can move on to tiling the floor and repainting the walls. I did a little accessory shopping this morning and found an awesome mirror for a fabulous price as well as a few other little things we need. (I also found a few things I didn't need but the deals were good and I had the funds.)

    This is a clock I found while shopping that I felt was a perfect size and color to go with our reclaimed wood fireplace. I think it's a good match with everything and it was only $25! I'm so happy!!

    So that's the latest. Greg is really being a good sport about doing the basement bathroom and I'm so happy with every small step that Greg takes. Kayli and Mark are a little more anxious to have their shower back to full function but there's only been a few squabbles over shower time. I'll never know how my aunt and uncle survived with 10 kids and only one bathroom?!

Spring tease

     I don't know what the weathers like where you are but here in good old Alpine we've had some warmer days and it was so NICE!! Of course the warm days are just a tease of what will come and winter reared her ugly head just days after these photos were taken and we're back to having snow all over the lawn but it was fun while it lasted. Spring can't get here fast enough!!

Now this is an activity I can get behind. This is way better than playing xBox all day.

These two couldn't be happier being outside enjoying the warm/spring like weather.

     So our basement bathroom has been a sore spot for me for quite awhile. We did a quick update on it when we first moved into our house 11 years ago but it's never really been updated properly so the time has come. We've bought the majority of the materials and Monday Greg ripped out the shower and thankfully there was no mold. The only issue was the drain hadn't been properly installed so there was some water build up under everything that wasn't so pleasant and a horrible smell permeated the basement for a few hours but I'm glad that was the only real problem and the drain was going to be replaced anyway so no further expense is required. We're going to probably do things in steps, starting with the shower. Hopefully we'll never have the toilet out of commission for more than a few hours but for now all 9 of us are using one shower but so far no major fights have broken out.

This is just the beginning of the tear out.

  Brock had his last basketball game of the season this past week. He's had fun learning and playing with his team and I'm sure he'll want to sign up again next year.  

Brock, over all, had a fun basketball season. This was his last game of the season.

      Mark's truck is parked in the driveway a lot lately and someone must have felt the need to say hi in a fun way. He's actually been frustrated because we've had to borrow his truck quite a bit this past week. Tuesday my fuel pump went out on our Yukon so we were without a vehicle for a couple days while Greg did the repairs needed. Then today my garage door wouldn't open (The spring on the garage door has busted so that's going to be a fun fix.) and I had to borrow it again.  I guess the universe heard my tax refund is here and so now is the best time for things to really fall apart around here. I am glad the funds are available and I'm really glad the car died just a few yards from home so I wasn't stranded far from home and had to deal with the hassle of having it towed home. I was actually able to get it back home without having to push it but it did die three different times so that was a small miracle. And I'm really glad I have a handy husband who can fix so many things, but there's nothing fun about car troubles.

Mark was more annoyed than flattered by these cute notes, weird kid!

     Hopefully my next post will have some photos of the new shower coming together!