Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were spent painting Kim's parents' house. The dining room got a second coat of paint (gray), and the laundry room got two coats of paint (celery). We also helped unpack several boxes upstairs, and we got all of the boxes out of one guest room.
On Friday night, Kim went to a bridal shower/bachelorette party for one of her friends at work. While she was out, Eric met a friend for dinner and watched a movie.
We spent Saturday helping Kim's parents move furniture around (Since the paint in the dining room was finally done, we could move in the dining room furniture out of the living room and family room. And that meant we could finally put away boxes in the living room and family room - phew!).
It also down poured on Saturday. Of course the storm happened while we were out running an errand. The sky just opened, and...bam. We ended up doing about 30 mph on the highway, and we had to take an alternate route off our exit because the street was so flooded. This storm, coupled with an all-day-rain earlier in the week, meant we got about 3 inches in five days. No drought here this summer!
Today was a lazy day. We worked on a few projects around the house, and Eric had an afternoon soccer game. The best news? They won their first game! The downside? There were no subs, so Eric played every second without a break. Needless to say, he's pretty tired tonight!
Current gas price: $2.44/gallon.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
He shoots! He scores!
Well, most of our week has been filled with home improvements. But for once, they weren't improvements to our house! Kim's mom and dad closed on their new house on Tuesday, and we've spent every day since helping them with the new house.
On Tuesday night, we pulled down really old (and hideous) wall paper in the dining room. On Wednesday, we scraped glue from the wall paper off the walls - since the previous owners must have had self-adhesive wall paper and then added extra glue on top of it, it was quite a nightmare. On Thursday, we put primer and the first coat of paint on the dining room walls.
Kim took Friday off of work to help her parents when the movers arrived. She was the "box checker", and fortunately, all boxes were present and accounted for. Kim also managed to flag down a landscaping truck that was driving by on Friday, so her parents were able to get four overgrown/dead trees in the front yard taken out. The front yard already looks tons better!
On Saturday and Sunday, we helped unpack boxes and clean. Eric also helped set up the new entertainment center.
This morning we picked up our new coffee table and end tables, and we just finished screwing the legs in. The tables look great, and we're so glad we got them. Now we just have to wait for Friday to roll around so we can get rid of all the cardboard packaging!
Eric also had his weekly soccer game today...and he made a goal! Though his team lost, he made the only point, so that was a huge accomplishment. We went out to a Mexican restaurant we hadn't tried yet for a celebratory dinner. The food (and daiquiris!) were delicious.
Current gas price: $2.29/gallon.
On Tuesday night, we pulled down really old (and hideous) wall paper in the dining room. On Wednesday, we scraped glue from the wall paper off the walls - since the previous owners must have had self-adhesive wall paper and then added extra glue on top of it, it was quite a nightmare. On Thursday, we put primer and the first coat of paint on the dining room walls.
Kim took Friday off of work to help her parents when the movers arrived. She was the "box checker", and fortunately, all boxes were present and accounted for. Kim also managed to flag down a landscaping truck that was driving by on Friday, so her parents were able to get four overgrown/dead trees in the front yard taken out. The front yard already looks tons better!
On Saturday and Sunday, we helped unpack boxes and clean. Eric also helped set up the new entertainment center.
This morning we picked up our new coffee table and end tables, and we just finished screwing the legs in. The tables look great, and we're so glad we got them. Now we just have to wait for Friday to roll around so we can get rid of all the cardboard packaging!
Eric also had his weekly soccer game today...and he made a goal! Though his team lost, he made the only point, so that was a huge accomplishment. We went out to a Mexican restaurant we hadn't tried yet for a celebratory dinner. The food (and daiquiris!) were delicious.
Current gas price: $2.29/gallon.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Same old, same old
We noticed they have school supplies out at the stores already. Guess that's a sure sign that we're on the tail end of summer already. Hard to believe!
It was a pretty productive week for us. On Wednesday night, we decided to go check out some local furniture stores. Our kitchen table, coffee table, end tables and recliner are all hand-me-downs (some of them hand-me-downs several times over!) and are on our list to upgrade at some point. Our first stop was at an unfinished wood store, and while the pieces were very nicely crafted, they weren't quite our style. On a whim, we stopped at another store on our way home. There, we found a three-piece table set (two end tables and a coffee table) we liked for half off! Score! We somehow timed that stop perfectly as the week-long sale ended at closing that night...so we signed on the dotted line and are now waiting for the new pieces to come in (hopefully by next week).
The weather was pretty nice on Thursday, so we decided to take Peanut to the dog park. Apparently a lot of other people had the same thought, so the park was filled with dogs. Peanut really enjoyed playing with a goldendoodle, and he also defended Old Yeller's twin. (Apparently a dog was growling at Old Yeller, and Peanut stepped in between them and barked at the old dog to go away. Which is doubly hilarious given the fact that Peanut is about a fourth of the size of Old Yeller!).
It poured all day Saturday. We got about 1.5 inches in four hours. Surprisingly, though, our yard is not a swamp today. Guess we needed the rain! This morning, we met Kim's parents for breakfast (they'll officially be our neighbors in two short days - hard to believe!) at a hole-in-the-wall diner. Both the omelets and pancakes were delicious! Eric then headed to his soccer game and got to break in his new cleats (and he has the blister to prove it). This evening, we made chicken Caesar pitas (mmm) and played ladder golf. Not a bad way to end the week - though we wish it weren't over quite yet!
Current gas price: $2.31/gallon.
It was a pretty productive week for us. On Wednesday night, we decided to go check out some local furniture stores. Our kitchen table, coffee table, end tables and recliner are all hand-me-downs (some of them hand-me-downs several times over!) and are on our list to upgrade at some point. Our first stop was at an unfinished wood store, and while the pieces were very nicely crafted, they weren't quite our style. On a whim, we stopped at another store on our way home. There, we found a three-piece table set (two end tables and a coffee table) we liked for half off! Score! We somehow timed that stop perfectly as the week-long sale ended at closing that night...so we signed on the dotted line and are now waiting for the new pieces to come in (hopefully by next week).
The weather was pretty nice on Thursday, so we decided to take Peanut to the dog park. Apparently a lot of other people had the same thought, so the park was filled with dogs. Peanut really enjoyed playing with a goldendoodle, and he also defended Old Yeller's twin. (Apparently a dog was growling at Old Yeller, and Peanut stepped in between them and barked at the old dog to go away. Which is doubly hilarious given the fact that Peanut is about a fourth of the size of Old Yeller!).
It poured all day Saturday. We got about 1.5 inches in four hours. Surprisingly, though, our yard is not a swamp today. Guess we needed the rain! This morning, we met Kim's parents for breakfast (they'll officially be our neighbors in two short days - hard to believe!) at a hole-in-the-wall diner. Both the omelets and pancakes were delicious! Eric then headed to his soccer game and got to break in his new cleats (and he has the blister to prove it). This evening, we made chicken Caesar pitas (mmm) and played ladder golf. Not a bad way to end the week - though we wish it weren't over quite yet!
Current gas price: $2.31/gallon.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Happy 4th!
Wow, it's July. And with as busy as June was, we were both so thankful for a long weekend! And of course, very thankful to all of the men and women (past and present) who dedicate their lives to serving and protecting our country.
On Friday, we worked around the house (mowed the lawn, pulled weeds in the garden, you get the idea).
Then we headed to a local cement place to look at samples of their stained and stamped cement. Since we gave up on our idea of putting a wood deck out back (stupid slab construction), we're thinking about installing a stamped concrete patio. The new patio would be about 10 x 18 - and it would be stamped to look like a pattern of large stones/pavers. In other words, waaaaay nicer than what we have now. And thanks to the Internet, here's an idea of what we're considering:
Friday night, we headed to a cookout with Kim's coworkers. We had a great time, and the food was delicious (as always!). We hoped we'd get to see some fireworks on our drive home, but we were about 10 minutes too early as we drove through downtown. Figures!
Last night we headed to one of the many local fireworks displays. We were worried it was going to get rained out, but fortunately, it switched to a light drizzle around 8 p.m. There weren't nearly the crowds we thought there would be (thanks to the weather?), and we enjoyed listening to live music before the fireworks started. The fireworks displays were over a large pond, and the poor ducks and geese went crazy. As soon as the first "boom" hit, about 5 dozen birds flew off the pond in a panic. And then they would nervously run back and forth among the crowds each time the fireworks went off. It was equally as entertaining to watch the birds as the fireworks!
Today, Eric and Kim's dad went to see Public Enemies - the consensus was that it was pretty good. While they were out, Kim did a little shopping and found some picture frames for the guest room (finally!). We also bought a console table for the entry way (to be delivered next week) and looked at some new lighting fixtures for the dining room. We found one we think we like, but we haven't bought it yet.
Current gas price: $2.43/gallon.
On Friday, we worked around the house (mowed the lawn, pulled weeds in the garden, you get the idea).
Then we headed to a local cement place to look at samples of their stained and stamped cement. Since we gave up on our idea of putting a wood deck out back (stupid slab construction), we're thinking about installing a stamped concrete patio. The new patio would be about 10 x 18 - and it would be stamped to look like a pattern of large stones/pavers. In other words, waaaaay nicer than what we have now. And thanks to the Internet, here's an idea of what we're considering:
Friday night, we headed to a cookout with Kim's coworkers. We had a great time, and the food was delicious (as always!). We hoped we'd get to see some fireworks on our drive home, but we were about 10 minutes too early as we drove through downtown. Figures!
Last night we headed to one of the many local fireworks displays. We were worried it was going to get rained out, but fortunately, it switched to a light drizzle around 8 p.m. There weren't nearly the crowds we thought there would be (thanks to the weather?), and we enjoyed listening to live music before the fireworks started. The fireworks displays were over a large pond, and the poor ducks and geese went crazy. As soon as the first "boom" hit, about 5 dozen birds flew off the pond in a panic. And then they would nervously run back and forth among the crowds each time the fireworks went off. It was equally as entertaining to watch the birds as the fireworks!
Today, Eric and Kim's dad went to see Public Enemies - the consensus was that it was pretty good. While they were out, Kim did a little shopping and found some picture frames for the guest room (finally!). We also bought a console table for the entry way (to be delivered next week) and looked at some new lighting fixtures for the dining room. We found one we think we like, but we haven't bought it yet.
Current gas price: $2.43/gallon.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Summer lovin'
This weekend seemed to be the perfect summer weekend. We had so much fun...and it's hard to believe it's time to go back to work already! But before we get to the weekend, here's what the rest of our week looked like:
Tuesday: Kim organized a puppy play date for all the office dogs (and their owners) at one of the local dog parks. Of course, it was 87 degrees on Tuesday, but there was a decent breeze, there was shade at the park, and they finally installed a doggie water fountain. Peanut had a good time playing with Doc, Duke, Ninja and Bailey. At one point, he "disappeared", and when Kim went to find him, he was taking a cat (dog?) nap. As soon as he realized Kim was standing there, though, he bolted across the park - as if to say "Mom, I'm not ready to go yet!"
On the home front, Eric was working with our favorite HVAC guys on the a/c. Yup, it still wasn't working correctly. It's a long, boring story, but the short of it is that after spending an hour in our sweltering attic they identified and solved the problem, and it's working like a charm now. The problem was apparently original to the house; it just never got caught until now.
Wedesday: After work we had our friends Mike and Katie over to grill out and play cornhole. Unfortunately, we lost. Guess we'll need to have more BBQs so we can practice!
Thursday: We met our friend Danielle for dinner. Since she's been busying studying to take a bar exam for a neighboring state, and we haven't gotten to see much of her lately.
Saturday: Ran errands in the morning, and did exciting home projects like cleaning out our dryer vent (you know you're jealous). Then we headed to Mike and Erin's to hang out, eat delicious pizza from a local pizza place and play Wii.
Sunday: Eric headed to his first soccer game (they lost) while Kim went to her parents' new house to help her dad unload some boxes. Afterwards, we jumped in the car and headed to the river to meet up with some friends for a 3 mile canoe trip. We had a blast! I definitely think that's an excursion we'll plan with friends again. Then Julia and Tony invited us to their place to grill out and go swimming. Needless to say, we're a bit tired tonight!
Current gas price: $2.43/gallon
Tuesday: Kim organized a puppy play date for all the office dogs (and their owners) at one of the local dog parks. Of course, it was 87 degrees on Tuesday, but there was a decent breeze, there was shade at the park, and they finally installed a doggie water fountain. Peanut had a good time playing with Doc, Duke, Ninja and Bailey. At one point, he "disappeared", and when Kim went to find him, he was taking a cat (dog?) nap. As soon as he realized Kim was standing there, though, he bolted across the park - as if to say "Mom, I'm not ready to go yet!"
On the home front, Eric was working with our favorite HVAC guys on the a/c. Yup, it still wasn't working correctly. It's a long, boring story, but the short of it is that after spending an hour in our sweltering attic they identified and solved the problem, and it's working like a charm now. The problem was apparently original to the house; it just never got caught until now.
Wedesday: After work we had our friends Mike and Katie over to grill out and play cornhole. Unfortunately, we lost. Guess we'll need to have more BBQs so we can practice!
Thursday: We met our friend Danielle for dinner. Since she's been busying studying to take a bar exam for a neighboring state, and we haven't gotten to see much of her lately.
Saturday: Ran errands in the morning, and did exciting home projects like cleaning out our dryer vent (you know you're jealous). Then we headed to Mike and Erin's to hang out, eat delicious pizza from a local pizza place and play Wii.
Sunday: Eric headed to his first soccer game (they lost) while Kim went to her parents' new house to help her dad unload some boxes. Afterwards, we jumped in the car and headed to the river to meet up with some friends for a 3 mile canoe trip. We had a blast! I definitely think that's an excursion we'll plan with friends again. Then Julia and Tony invited us to their place to grill out and go swimming. Needless to say, we're a bit tired tonight!
Current gas price: $2.43/gallon
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Happy Father's Day!
Wow, here we are nearing the end of June already. Not sure how that happened so quickly!
Kim's parents were in town on a house-hunting mission last week. As it turns out, their search was successful, and it's likely they'll be our neighbors next month. Well, not technically our neighbor (or even in our neighborhood), but that's a minor detail. We enjoyed spending some time with them last week, and are looking forward to seeing them more often when they get settled. (We'll also get to see plenty of them next month as we've already been recruited to do some painting and tiling!)
This week, the weather finally decided it wanted to feel like summer. So on Thursday night, we decided to suck it up and finally turn on the a/c. It kicked on, we went to bed, and thought nothing else of it. Until we got home from work on Friday and it was hot in the house. And we mean HOT. Air was coming out of the vents, but it was lukewarm at best. Not a good sign. We called the guy who installed the new unit for us in the fall (a friend of a friend), and he suggested replacing the fuses in the a/c. So we ran to the hardware store, found the right fuses, came home, installed them, and waited. No dice. Fortunately, between the fans going full blast and the "cooler" night time air, we were able to fall asleep.
Saturday morning, we call the a/c guy back, but the earliest he can come over is after dinner. No problem. Kim worked in the flower bed and yard while Eric worked on some projects inside. Then we went to see The Hangover at the movie theatre. The movie started off on the wrong foot as all of the previews were for freakishly scary horror movies (No really, even Eric thought they were bad.). Who goes to see a comedy and wants to see trailers for scary movies? Shortly after we got home, the a/c guy came by. Unfortunately, he had an idea of what the problem was but wasn't equipped to fix it. He promised to send a co-worker over in the morning.
Bright and early this morning, two more a/c guys showed up. And an hour later, our a/c is working. Hooray! The problem had to do with the fact that it was a new a/c and sometimes too much pressure (?) gets in the line the first time it gets used, causing something inside the unit to trip. At least, I think that's what they said. But no matter...it's working now, and that's what counts.
We spent the rest of the day doing odd jobs around the house (recaulking around the sinks and bathtubs, cleaning the baseboards and other random things). Eric's at his first soccer game right now, but when he gets home, we'll be grilling steaks and enjoying the last few hours of the weekend. Happy Father's Day to all the dads, grandpas, and uncles out there.
Current gas price: $2.59/gallon
Kim's parents were in town on a house-hunting mission last week. As it turns out, their search was successful, and it's likely they'll be our neighbors next month. Well, not technically our neighbor (or even in our neighborhood), but that's a minor detail. We enjoyed spending some time with them last week, and are looking forward to seeing them more often when they get settled. (We'll also get to see plenty of them next month as we've already been recruited to do some painting and tiling!)
This week, the weather finally decided it wanted to feel like summer. So on Thursday night, we decided to suck it up and finally turn on the a/c. It kicked on, we went to bed, and thought nothing else of it. Until we got home from work on Friday and it was hot in the house. And we mean HOT. Air was coming out of the vents, but it was lukewarm at best. Not a good sign. We called the guy who installed the new unit for us in the fall (a friend of a friend), and he suggested replacing the fuses in the a/c. So we ran to the hardware store, found the right fuses, came home, installed them, and waited. No dice. Fortunately, between the fans going full blast and the "cooler" night time air, we were able to fall asleep.
Saturday morning, we call the a/c guy back, but the earliest he can come over is after dinner. No problem. Kim worked in the flower bed and yard while Eric worked on some projects inside. Then we went to see The Hangover at the movie theatre. The movie started off on the wrong foot as all of the previews were for freakishly scary horror movies (No really, even Eric thought they were bad.). Who goes to see a comedy and wants to see trailers for scary movies? Shortly after we got home, the a/c guy came by. Unfortunately, he had an idea of what the problem was but wasn't equipped to fix it. He promised to send a co-worker over in the morning.
Bright and early this morning, two more a/c guys showed up. And an hour later, our a/c is working. Hooray! The problem had to do with the fact that it was a new a/c and sometimes too much pressure (?) gets in the line the first time it gets used, causing something inside the unit to trip. At least, I think that's what they said. But no matter...it's working now, and that's what counts.
We spent the rest of the day doing odd jobs around the house (recaulking around the sinks and bathtubs, cleaning the baseboards and other random things). Eric's at his first soccer game right now, but when he gets home, we'll be grilling steaks and enjoying the last few hours of the weekend. Happy Father's Day to all the dads, grandpas, and uncles out there.
Current gas price: $2.59/gallon
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Whirlwind Weekend
The highlight of last week was our weekend - and our visits with family. Rather than use up a lot of words for this blog, we'll just share our weekend in pictures.
We left our house early Saturday morning and met Matt and Morgan for brunch at a quaint little cafe. Both the food and the company were excellent (Mmmm, berry crepes with chocolate).
Then we drove to see Eric's family, and got to spend a lot of time with our adorable little niece. Kim got to have a photo shoot with little Addison and ended up taking a LOT of pics. (With such a cute subject to work with, can you blame her?!).
On Sunday, we went to church and grilled out with family for lunch. Then all the girls attended Julie's baby shower while the boys...well, we're not quite sure what they did.
Current gas price: $2.65/gallon
We left our house early Saturday morning and met Matt and Morgan for brunch at a quaint little cafe. Both the food and the company were excellent (Mmmm, berry crepes with chocolate).
Then we drove to see Eric's family, and got to spend a lot of time with our adorable little niece. Kim got to have a photo shoot with little Addison and ended up taking a LOT of pics. (With such a cute subject to work with, can you blame her?!).
On Sunday, we went to church and grilled out with family for lunch. Then all the girls attended Julie's baby shower while the boys...well, we're not quite sure what they did.
Current gas price: $2.65/gallon
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