It's been a long time

After all the excitement from 2006 (breaking my leg, remodeling the house & the European vacation) I sort of slowed down on the old blogger. It's time to get back to it, although we have had a pretty uneventful year (thank goodness). Here are the past months recap...

As soon as the kitchen was completed (12-20-06), my mother-in-law Louise, cam e to stay with us for Christmas. And I mean as soon as - she came the afternoon of the 20th right after the grout sealers left. I barely got my XMas tree up and then hosted Christmas day to approximately 20 family members.

Lauren Lauren turned 14 in late January and we had a fun filled day which included a limo ride, scavenger hunt at South Coast Plaza, pizza dinner at Northwood Pizza and a movie at the Spectrum with 8 of her close friends. 8th grade and middle school was a great experience for her - See graduated with the same friends in June. In the summer she went through soccer camp at the high school. Yes she made the team. As of September of this year she is now a freshmen at Northwood High School, in all honors classes, on the soccer team at school, still playing club soccer and she has started her 1st year of confirmation. Her progress report came home with all A's and 1 B. You may think that this is over load - we do too. She likes it this way. This is her personality - an over achiever who wants to get into the best college possible. But we'll be keeping a close eye on her.

Jordan We had tumultuous time with Jordan in 7th grade. I don't think he was quite ready for the responsibilities of middle school. His grades plummeted and trying to find the key that would unlock Jordan's enthusiasm for school became virtually impossible. Trust me - we tried everything. Luckily the summer break helped him mature and so far 8th grade has been wonderful. I think the key was "maturity". He just turned 13 last month and got to spend the evening with friends at a place called Howies GameShack in Mission Viejo. He had fun - boy this is when your glad you have Dad around to pull off this one. He is in musical theater in school and will begin guitar lessons if his progress report (due out next week) proves worthy of him handling more. He has begun skate boarding and has found acceptance with a new group of boys - which is what I think he's been wanting all along.

Adam Adam is in his 2nd and final year of his masters program. The toll of studying and a promotion this past summer is beginning to show. One more year and he can relax - I hope. In March he will have the opportunity to travel to China with Pepperdine. We were all hoping to go - but with the issue of keeping Jordan focused (the trip to Paris derailed his schooling) and Lauren's exceptional course load we don't dare. I'm hoping to get a trip to Italy after he graduates. Adam is still at Edwards Life Sciences - I think this is the place he has been the longest, going on 7 years now. I'll be keeping my eye on him too. Oh and he turned 50 in June - though he wouldn't let me do anything for it. He said we will celebrate his 50th when he graduates next August...good way to have everyone leave you alone.

Anne As for me this past year has been emotional. The company I worked for, Index, for more than 17 years finally closed its doors. Being the accountant for Index, I had been watching the financial down fall over the past 5. On June 30th they closed the doors. It was like leaving a family. On the flip side - because of my position there, the insight helped prepare me to get out on my own. I have successfully been running my own accounting & bookkeeping services out of my home office for almost 4 years and it keeps growing. It also gives me the flexibility to be home with my kids when they are - which I think is even more important now that they are teens. With keeping the home fires burning and trying to keep Adam's involvement at a minimum so he can focus on his studies, I'm feeling every bit of my 46 years (2 weeks from now). LOL.

We did manage to squeeze in a trip to New England this past summer to visit with family. We made it through MA, CT, RI and into NYC. Oh and we had a new patio cover built in the back yard - now that was a nightmare but I'll just leave it at that. Adam and I celebrated our 17th anniversary in September and our 20th anniversary of dating in August.

The neighborhood kids keep asking if I'm going to do another haunted house this Halloween, but with Adam away at school for another session and the friends who helped me last time now down in Mission Viejo I said no. BUT... I think I will do something...possibly a fortune tellers tent with a very scary crystal ball? Perhaps.

Yes, I am insane.

Finale!

As promised my kitchen was completed in time for Christmas!!!

What week is this?

GRANITE
The cabinets are finsihed - the granite is almost finished (today) and the floor starts Friday. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

European Vacation

Happy Thanksgiving.

Well as if remodeling wasn't enough stress we decided to take a trip to Paris and London during Thanksgiving. Adam had school (he left 11/6) in Lyon, FR - see we capitalized on his frequent flyer miles and the kids & I left for Paris on the 15th to meet Adam on the 17th. Jordan was sick with a temp of 101 they day we left. I drugged him up with OTC's and we left the house @ 4 am to LAX. Surprisingly enough he got better and the trip was GREAT! Here is a link to our pictures on line: http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=fbind31.akmi1m8d&Uy=i7990h&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0&UV=453511625675_521026472109

week 11 day 4

OK - here is the beginning of the staingin and painting. The entertainment center looks better with primer on it than it did before. They have added the "highlight" color to the cabinets - like an ocre yellow. It's already starting to bring out the cabinetry detail. And then there is the picture of my "corbel" under the counter - which you can see when you walk into the kitchen from the entry. I like the detail to the base he put in - but I'm not sure how much my floor guy is going to like laying around it.

week 10 day 7

Lots of progress this week - the cabinet installation is almost completed - A few decorative touches and it will be complete by Tuesday. Good thing, because the cabinet finisher will be in on Tuesday to begin beautifying the woodwork. We were going to have the floors installed beginning the 14th - but the advice from my designer is to wait until the finisher is done and the granite is in. So it looks like the first week in December. She promises me that we will be done BEFORE Christmas.

End of week 9

OK - we have progress and I am so excited. Cabinets are going in - YEAH!!! Here are some basic pictures of the cabinets - keep in mind the detailing won't start until next week and the finishing the week after - but that's ok...

week 9 day 3

I can't believe that 3 1/2 weeks have gone by - behind the scenes work has been completed; drywall, inspections, painting, buying granite and cabinet making. Cabinets were set to go in today - then it moved to Thursday and now Friday. I was told that they will be installed on Friday, Sat. and Monday (possibly Tuesday too), and the granite guy comes to template the counters and back splash and the finisher comes to stain and finish the cabinetry. We will also have the flooring guy in taking his final measurement. So, you see, it seems like nothing is happening but a whole lot actually has - and starting Friday it starts picking up pace.

This makes me nervous for the fact we are leaving on the 15th to Paris - and that's when a lot of things will be happening - my mantra is "let it go - it's all good". At any rate. I will be updating with pictures come this weekend.

On the flip side - Lauren strained her peroneal tendon sheath on her left ankle and has been pulled from sports for a few weeks. This will have her healed for the trip. My brother Ron is coming out this Sunday - it will be good to see him. My parents had their 51st anniversary and I had my 45th birthday (ugh!). Time just keeps marching on.

week 6 day 5 - Stairs are done!

YES! The stairs are complete and absolutely breath taking. I would recommend Williams Wood Works in Santa Ana to anyone. They are punctual, curtious, personable and best of all - are great craftsmen. Take a look at what they accomplished...

week 6 day 2

Here we are in week 6 - a month and a half. They have taped, primed and sanded the wainscoting over the past several days and can begin the final painting tomorrow - yeah. My cabinet maker and designer were here today taken any last measurements necessary and construction on my cabinets will begin immediately - double yeah! Installation of cabinetry will start in a week or two - triple yeah! This means that my job of painting is going to becoming up fast - and luckily for Adam he leaves again for the Dom Rep and PR on Sunday for a week.

School Pictures 2006/07

Here they are - my little darlings and their school pictures for 7th and 8th grade.

week 5 day 3

Haven't had much to blog about lately. They did some plumbing last week for the new frig and this week they've began the "finishing" of the stairs. So far we have the stain on (3 days). They've been doing it in sections so that it will dry enough for us to use at night. I also put a heat lamp on it (one they left) to help the drying processes. This is what we have so far...

Happy 12th Birthday JD!

YES everyone, my baby is 12 years old and in 7th grade (urg! - I'm getting old - but today is not about me is it?). He woke up to a happy birthday breakfast and 2 candles on a donut. He even got to open his presents before school started. Tonight he's taking a friend and Adam with him to a Ducks game courtesy of Uncle Del's season tickets and yes Uncle Del is going too. We have to put off the birthday party until Saturday the 30th to which he gets to take a few friends to Dave & Busters for gaming and then to Cheesecake Factory for dinner - poor kid, yeah right. At any rate - we are very proud of him and think he is doing a fine job growing up...so far ;-) .

week 4 day 1

Let's see now - Jordan's play wrapped up it's 10th and final performance yesterday (I saw 7 of them). Lauren had 2 soccer and 2 basketball games this weekend to which they won both soccer games and won 1 basket ball game and lost the other. Oh yeah and Adam came home from his trip. We were really glad to have him home.

They finished up the contruction & wainscoting of the stairs today. Next is a call from the finisher to paint and stain them. Then when he's done they come back to install the the ballustrades (wrought iron spindly things). Also the GC is back and installing that door - yeah.

But the best news of all came from my friend whose infant granddaughter was under going recontructive surgery today and it was a success! Way to tough it out Hailey Maz!

Congratulations Jordan!

Jordan was voted as ASB reprentative for his class - that's Active Student Body. He was so happy!