Grand kid visit

First time in a LONG time.

Well I am blessed to have the grand kids again. We have been so busy in the past few months with the kitchen remodel, and then of course dealing with Zoe's sickness and of course her passing, that we have not had the kids for several months. I don't think we have had them since about March. I know I did not see them for my birthday in May nor for Mothers Day. Here it is the end of June so getting to see them is nice.

We went to see a movie yesterday, Toy Story 3. I had been warned that it was sad and a tissue would be needed. I had time believing that, but yes, it is true. I think it would only be a tissue alert for those of us that have children moving on, whether it is for college or just moving out to move on with life. For Andy goes off to college and must decide what to do with Woody, Buzz and the gang. What an adventure they have. I think it is truly nice when a movie for children can have such an in depth plot and story line to it. So if you are up for a cute movie I can recommend it but will tell you to take a tissue or get an extra napkin with your popcorn for the ending!

Caleb has asked us to find him a friend for when he comes here to visit us. I thought that was cute and honestly I have been trying to find someone around our neighborhood with a boy about 8 or 9 years old. No luck. But since we have gotten involved with church we have found a family that we really like and guess what??? They have a boy that is 8 1/2 !!! Caleb turns 9 the end of July so this is perfect. Yesterday was Joe's Half Birthday...He is born on Christmas Day. So his parents do a half birthday for him and I think that is AWESOME. I would feel cheated if my birthday were to fall on Christmas day. I have a hard enough time with my birthday being within 10 days or so of Mothers Day. Seems I get that combined gift instead of two separate ones...what a rip off. (I am just kidding kind of!) I just like to be acknowledged for both and the significance of them both. So we took Joe with us to the movie and he thought that was pretty special.

Update to this posting: Today is now Wed. 6-30-10...

The kids went home today. Boy it is just so hard on me to have them both at the same time. Allie is so cute, talking more and more. but still so hard to understand and life is so complicated when you can't communicate properly. Do I hear an Amen on that?

Caleb is growing up so much. He loves to sing our children church songs and I love it to. I can sing loud and out of tune and who cares? He never complains. The problem with having the both at the same time? One goes to bed early and one goes late, one gets up early and one gets up late.....And me??? I go to bed late and have to get up early. I can do that for a little while but after that I start getting really really tired.

Today I had a meeting with some ladies from church and I am being given the opportunity to speak on personal safety at church. We will have our program and then do a salad dinner. I am sooo excited that I can't hardly stand it. I have not spoke in front of a crowd since I retired three years ago. I am so looking forward to getting back into the saddle again. I will get to do an one hour program then we will go and eat!!! My two favorite things to do! Talk and eat!

Ok, that is my goin' ons here! Enjoyed the kids, getting ready for dear dear friends to arrive with their family of six. They are spending the weekend WITH ME!!! I have not seen them in FIVE years and I plan to spoil the kids ROTTEN. We will have so much fun. Cara is a photographer like me, well she does a lot more work and is better at it than I am, but I can at least say "like me" and hopefully not offend her! Her momma and I were dear dear friends, they have one of my puppy dogs (Zoe's babies, Rudy and Callie's Sister) and I have loved watching Cara grow up, marry and have her own babies. I have bought my fireworks, toys and fun things to do while they are here, and now I need to finish my grocery shopping. Then of course I have to clean the house for it is a MESS after having grand kids, and remodeling the kitchen. I still don't have things put all back together, and the kitchen still is NOT finish. I am determined we will not worry about it now. They will be here Friday. Then later this month my other dear friends from GA will be here for a few days. (ha ha ha, I first typed weeks and had to go back and change it!!! But I would love for them to be here for weeks....I am trying to talk them into buying the house next door. This is going to be a busy month too I think. But I am finding....THAT IS LIFE! Enjoy it to the end.

Kitchen Remodel

New Kitchen

When we bought this house nearly three years ago, the first thing we were going to do was clean out the garage and then have Scott remodel this 1970's kitchen. Even though the house was built in the early 80's it was caught up in the late 70's feel. I HATED IT WITH A PASSION. Three years later the same kitchen was in my house. Even though I had bought a new stove/oven, by now the warranty was up and it had not even been plugged in!!! hahaha.

While we were shopping with my parents for replacement doors for their rent house, we went into a cabinet store and I fell in love. Scott had said this was a discount store for cabinets and I had already drawn up plans as to what I wanted.....so the process began. I am not sure about the discount part, but I do know that the layout was what I wanted and I loved the cabinets.

I know this looks as if I am a horrible house keeper, well I am not the best, but this is the kitchen after ...AFTER we started packing things and Scott had already started tearing parts of the cabinets out. We had this old drop ceiling with the Plexiglass (?) where the florescent lights shined through. Do you know what I am talking about at all? I know its day it was the thing, but for me it became nothing but a bug catcher. I did not clean them, they looked nasty, and I was ashamed. Scott has them torn down already in these pictures thank goodness!

Let me describe this kitchen. You walk in and the sink is right in front of you. The stove is to the right of the sink on the bar area. To the left of the sink was the oven on the south wall, over by the refrigerator. The pantry was to the left of the refrigerator and was a nice size but hard to reach around and find what you needed in it.

Now with this new kitchen I decided to add a buffet/hutch style piece of furniture. I knew I was going to need more space for when we took out the stove I wanted the bar to be an open area to just open the kitchen up for a larger feel. This buffet area is where I plan to set food to get ready to serve or I could put the plates and glasses there with the food on the bar. Either way, I was thrilled to add that to the kitchen.


One of the larger expenses was the change in the electrical work. We had the house electric all upgraded. The panel was old and did not have replacement "stuff" for it. (don't know what it is called unless it is called breakers) So with the upgrade we installed canned lights (I love them) and the track light over the bar area. There is pretty much enough light now. We also put in a ceiling fan in the dinning area for the back part of the house is just so much hotter and we wanted something to just stir the air. I am so glad we did. We also had separate breakers installed for things like the microwave, trash compactor etc. no more throwing breakers while using the microwave, electric skillet and watching tv at the same time!!! Hip hip hooray.

Scott fixed the sink and plywood counter tops for me to use until the new ones arrived. He was very good to keep my kitchen functioning as there was a lot on my "plate" at that time with Zoe being so sick. I really needed to be able to fix her food, anything at all trying to entice her to eat. I was very grateful he was willing to do that for me. You can see in this picture the cabinets are in, as well as the appliance, but the crown molding is not in place. The cabinet to the left of the sink is the wrong size. It was to be a 15" but instead they sent a 12" cabinet. One of about a dozen mistakes, but I am very patient with them know that things just happen. Scott was extremely disappointed in all the mistakes and called them on them and luckily for us Kevin has made everything right. He has been a dream to work with and told us they are getting tons of complaints for the factory had laid off several people during the winter and slow times. Now that the weather is good, people are wanting to remodel the house and the company hired new workers....with no experience. They are paying for that mistake. Scott has not let them off the hook for any reason and I honestly am glad. He was harder on them than I would be, but he is a cabinet maker for Pete sake and will not put up with this junk. I am pretty sure we will NEVER be buying pre made cabinets again in our lives.....but I bet next time he will get on it quicker than three years. Ha haha.....

Here my granite counter tops are arriving. Oh I love my granite. We had it in Enid and I loved it there and wanted it again. Yes it is a luxury, but I did want it, got it on sale for a price I feel was very affordable, and I am a happy camper!
It took all three of these guys to bring in the slab for the bar area. They had to cut the granite into three different sections which I am not crazy about. But I will say this... the seams are pretty much invisible. I know where they are, but I bet you walking in the kitchen will not see them. You won't be looking for them and they do NOT jump out at you. So I am grateful for that.

The next day Scott was getting the plumbing all set up and he quietly hollered at me to come see. I walked in and he just looked at me and grinned. Both the dogs were there helping. Since Zoe has passed away there are now only two. Otherwise I feel pretty certain all three would have been right there making sure Scott did it right!


Here the cabinets are installed, the crown molding is up and the counter tops are in place. I had actually fixed dinner and was waiting on Beth (daughter) to come over and eat with us. We are still needing to fix a few things at the time of this picture, but I got that bull whip out and most of all the projects are now done.

This is the back splash, tumbled marble and I love it. the lines are really straight, it is just me taking a crooked picture. Good grief. But I have since got the grouting done, and the electrical outlets back in place. I think it looks really nice, but I have not taken a picture of the finished product. I now have stuff on the counter top waiting to be put away. Not sure where to put everything, it did not give me as much storage as I thought it was going to, and finding a home for everything has proven to be very challenging. I lost my hand mixer and we had to go on a hunt to find it. After quite a while it was found under the cabinet on the lazy Susan shelf. I told Scott it will be like Christmas every day in there...looking for the stuff and finding the "gift". Good grief!

I will try to get some pictures of the final project, I am happy as a clam right now with this new kitchen. I feel my home is now a modern, more appealing place to entertain. I can't wait to have company, or a church party here at the house. I am very proud of what we have done, feel good about our home and it even encourages me to keep the dishes done!!!!!

Marge, this posting is mostly for you since everyone else follows me on facebook and has already seen the pictures. But I remembered you have not so I had to post this "just for you". Plus you have seen the before in real life, now you just need to come see me again and see the after product. I think you will be very pleased with what you see.

love to all my girls,

Lisa

Short Update

Sad News

I just wanted to let you know, those that do not follow me on facebook, that Zoe passed away Friday June 4th, 2010 at 12:24 pm. I have never cried so hard in all my life. And when I was feeling very shallow for crying SO hard over a "dog" (my four legged child, friend, loyal faithful companion) I remembered, I have never lost anything that I was so attached to. In all my life, my 50 years on this earth, I have been truly blessed to have not lost many in my life. Yes, I have lost my grandparents, and that was hard. But I did not live close to them, saw them rarely, loved them dearly, but distance did make it different. Same with losing my aunt and uncle. When you do not have a connection with someone, when you don't ever see them, the relationship is not as strong. So this death has been very difficult for me. I am fine. I am sad, but fine. I am still grieving very much, cry at weird times, and yes, I am sad, a lot. But I know I am going to be fine. I do look at the big picture, I know that Zoe was not going to be here forever, 10 years and 20 days. I was not ready to let her go, but I have said before ....this is not about me, this is about my special girl. She finally told me the last week that she was tired. She had a hard time getting around, she would not eat, and I tried EVERYTHING. When she looked at me for the first time with those eyes and I saw not really sadness, but tiredness, I knew it was time. When she had a hard time getting outside (and she NEVER had an accident in the house, even during this sickness!) she looked lost, I knew the time was close. I prayed a lot, I prayed that God would just take her, please don't MAKE me make the decision. That is the part I have the hardest time with. I know I know, everyone says it is the "humane" thing to do. Well I don't see it that way. I see it as taking a life. I took her life. She did not die, I took her life. That is the hardest part for me to get over. I miss her. I miss her not greeting me at the front door, or at the gate. I miss her not sitting by me and putting her head in my lap. I miss her. I just miss her. A LOT. How is it that some people get really attached to dogs, or pets in general. How come others don't? What does that say about me....or others? I have always said that I in fact have a bit of attachment disorder. I have said about myself often that I can give things up and give things away with little emotional distress. But when it came to Zoe and her offspring, I have never NEVER never had this type of feelings towards anyone or anything. Now I truly dread the end for Rudy and Callie. I do not want another dog, I don't want any other pets, that might change, but right now the pain is just too raw.

But on to happier things.....the kitchen is getting nearly done. There are still a few things waiting to be completed. One 15" cabinet is not in yet, four doors need to be replaced or installed, the back splash needs to be installed and then finish painting and cleaning up. I am gaining on it. but boy howdy, in the mean time, my yard is sure being neglected...oh my goodness. So we still have much to do. We are moving Beth ONCE again this weekend. It did not work out for her to rent from my elderly cousin and without taking sides, I think it is best the Beth move on to another place. She found a house two miles from her work so that will save a ton of money on gasoline since she drives an SUV. She is paying out the nose on utilities so hopefully this house will be better in that respect. It is a newer home, more sound, a bit smaller but I think it will be a much better place for her. It also has a 6 ft wooden fence all around it and hopefully will be much more secure for her dogs. Please keep Beth in your prayers that she will be successful in this home...for I do not know what she will do if this one falls through. But I think she will be so much happier in her new home, I really do. The town is a wonderful little town that is growing by leaps and bounds, but does not have the traffic congestion of a big city, plus it boarders Tulsa so she can still go to Tulsa if she "needs" to. She will really do good in Owasso.

I will close for now. I am fixing dinner in my almost completed new kitchen. I will post some pictures one day here pretty soon. I just love the look and feel AND function of this new kitchen. One bright spot to be thankful for and I am. Besides all my friends. Thanks you all.