It's been since Nov. when I posted last, but I wanted you to see how the fireplace turned out.This is our friend Jerry and Steve setting up our new tv. It was Steve's bday present to himself.

Here Steve has Jackie helping him put together a tv stand. I couldn't help, because I was trying to get the house together for the open house. Great timing.

This is Steve's over the hill cake I made him. It wasn't quite what I had envisioned, but I think it turned out okay. We had a great open house. Lots of friends and family came, and I think Steve enjoyed it.I picked out some granite from Rich Murray in Bartonville. They have extra pieces out in the yard discounted. I saved $500 from what KBL wanted. We had them cut 4 pieces to the size of the frpl, and Dad and I glued them on. I think it turned out beautiful.

We just need to finish the base around the bottom and it will be done. This was the last big project to finish. We still need to paint the columns in the spring, then most of the stuff on our list will be done.

Jackie made the vball team, and I think she is enjoying it. She was a little worried that she wouldn't get to play since she is a newbie.

She made one point on serve when she was put in the game for a couple minutes. I told her to be patient and practice hard, and she will get chances. I sat the bench for most of my athletic career.

Porches

It has been 2 months since my last post. School stuff has been crazy. Lots of homework. Still working on house stuff on the weekends. We have finished the trim around the windows and doors. All the base trim is done except in the pantry and coat closet. Now we are working on the porches. Front and back has a header. The front has to line up w/ the columns and the carpenters that put it in have it out of alingment. So we had to rip most of it out. A do-over! Grampa and Steve ripping out the framework.

Steve's using the saber saw.

Sat. was beautiful for raking leaves. They had fun filling the garden cart and taking rides in it.

It is frustrating to have to redo something that we paid to have done.

Last Sat. Dad and I did the back porch. It turned out nice, but the weather was cold. Gramps came back today, because the weather is so nice to be working outside and we need to get this done before the snow flies.

We waited for the columns to come in for about 3 months. It was well worth the wait. We just put it up there to see how it looks. Awesome! Next weekend we will set all 3 columns. I'm hoping for warm weather again. The columns and the header need to be painted white, but I'm wondering if this won't happen until spring. The next big indoor project is the fireplace. We ordered the mantel this weekend and I need to pick out tile for the insert.

I'll take a final outside pic when all 3 columns are set.

mini vaca( getting caught up on pics)

Picked Josie and her friend Hayley up at Girl Scout camp on Friday July 31 and headed for Wisconsin to pick up their sisters at YMCA Camp.

Love swimming in hotel pools. Had pizza and watched the Hannah Montana Movie.

Sat. morning we picked up Jackie and her friend Paige at Camp Edwards. They had a great week. Jackie wrote an article on wolves for the camp paper.

The four sisters. Jackie and Paige needed showers, so we headed back to the hotel.

After that we drove to the Jelly Belly Factory for a free tour. Yum!

I bought a big bag of Belly Flops, beans that they can't sell w/ the regular jelly bellys.

Jelly Belly Bug.

Then we drove to the Safe House in downtown Milwaukee. Cool restaurant w/ spy theme. Josie and Hayley are trying to figure out the password. To get back into the restaurant they had to do the chicken dance which is seen by all the restaurant patrons.

We know the password now. If we told you, we would have to kill you.

Milwaukee is kind of cool.

Ladybugs on a building.

Shooting a movie on one of the downtown streets.

We had a fun mini vacation. Got home Sunday afternoon and started doing about 10 loads of camp laundry. Milwaukee is nice and only 3 hours away. We might go back sometime.

Pocket door

I couldn't get these pics to download on the other blog, so I made another.  Here's the plate rack w/ the fiestaware.

We got 2 pocket doors done this weekend.  They turned out nice.  Only one left in our bathroom.

Cleaning the basement floor

Steve rented this scrubber to clean up the basement floor.  It is very dirty from being in the elements thru the winter.  Even the walls are dirty, so we bought a pressure washer.  After cleaning a section of the basement, we set up a family room area w/ tv and couch.  The kids have been spending time down there. The only problem is that it is under our room, so eventually when they have sleepovers, we're going to have to do some soundproofing.

Stevo's band played at the Prairie Air show on July 11 for an hour. We got in for free, and watched the Thunderbirds.
Look they put my name on the tail of that airplane under the flag.  Awesome!Hard to take pics of fast moving planes, but this was cool, because one is right side up and the other upside down.
Hard to zoom in, because I would lose the planes.  These planes are in a row.  How is this possible?
If you click on the photo, I think you can zoom in.
5 in a row.
These pilots are amazing.

The girls got to see their dad play and thought it was cool.  How many kids can say their dad plays a mean guitar?
The sisters are so close.  They love each other.
Monster truck ride!!
This is what our garage looks like.  Someday we will be able to park in the garage.  The wood has taken over my life.  I'm hoping not have to stain more trim, because it looks like we are low on the headers.  Tami, can you come down and help me stain?  Just joking!