Stuck.

Texas and I worked our butts off this weekend.  Only to hit a wall today after a much anticipated trip to the hardware store.  We were so excited to buy our new pantry cabinets, bring them home and put them in.  Then we got them into our kitchen and I realized they didn't work.  It made the kitchen feel half it's size.  Texas took a lot longer to come around.  But after enough time had passed and he felt secure in bringing it up as though it was his idea, he's taking the pantries back and getting regular cabinets and counter top.

So here's where we are:

 Water line is in for ice maker.  Floor is kinda clean.

 Fridge moved over and ready to make ice!

cabinet installed above fridge.  Pantry's are going back.

KOMBUCHA!!!!

 I'm getting a little crazy about Kombucha.  I got a mushroom a couple weeks ago and this is my second batch.  First batch turned out pretty good, but it could have been better.  Now I'm planing to bottle it for a month to allow for more fizzyness and next batch I plan to add a little ginger and some juice.  
 

In the midst of our kitchen rehab today I've been bottling my batch of Kombucha.  I snagged two bottles from brother that have pressure release tops.  (sorry Charlie, but you're in Costa Rica and I tried calling).  Otherwise you can end up having a bottle burst on you, and I'm thinking that would be bad.  I'll let you know in a month how this batch turns out.

Lockdown Day 2

Last night Texas finished off the drywall mud for the kitchen wall.  Today's task: Sand and paint!

We tented off the wall for the sanding.

 After the major cleanup we took down the plastic and primed.

 Then using the left over paint from our bedroom, the walls are now drying.  Sadly I'm not wild about our bedroom wall color.  It's a little too light, but at this point I'm just so grateful it's done. 

Tonight we move the Fridge and hook up the ice maker!!!

Tomorrow we'll put in the pantry Texas got from the hardware store.

Back to the trenches...

 We've started and stopped our kitchen a few times over the last month, and I'm officially going nuts over the disruption it's causing my life.  Which means this weekend we are on family lock down and getting this wall finished!  I don't care what I'm missing out on. We're not leaving this house until I have my kitchen wall back.  Texas thinks its funny when I get this frustrated, but he won't think it's funny when I lock him in the kitchen with no contact with the outside world for a couple days. 

She EATS!

 We have been on a tireless struggle to get Elsie to start enjoying solid foods.  She has repeatedly puked, vomited, spit up and projectiled various foods at me over the last few weeks.  It has not been an enjoyable experience and often times I have been reduced to tears.   Alas!  Brown rice was he answer!  Thanks to my new favorite kitchen tool (which I've kind of had for a while, but been too scared to try) I can mill the rice to floor and cook it up super fast for little miss Elsie.

Don't be fooled by her perplexed/mad/frustrated little face, she loves it.  She has to, mommy's tired of being the only food source.

The bike!

 Annie has a new bike and it's spawned a new tradition of going for a walk after dinner.  I'm hoping we will continue to do this for years to come, because I love it.  With Annie on a bike we can walk a lot further.

Another cake

My brother in laws birthday comes right after Annie's.  You'd think this would help us all remember, but sadly poor Sam has been left in the dust several times.  But not this year.  My mother and I were determined to remember and celebrate the brave soul who married my overly talented sister. 
So I found myself making yet another cake today.  Scrounging up ingredients left over from Annie's cake I made one for Sam.  Sorry Sam, these totally aren't your colors.

Not my best work with icing, but it fits the occasion.

the overboard mama and a big thank you

 The cake was probably the only thing I had enough of for this party.  Some how in my head I figured if I went to Costco and bought big things we would just magically have enough.  The numbers would work out, and everything would be great.  Well I was way off.  We had 25 kids and 24 adults.   It was mass insanity.  I didn't think of how on earth one gets 25 kid to sit down and eat.  I was lucky that all my friends pitched in and helped me get the food served.  Not to mention our friend Tim ran to the grocery store for more hot dogs for us.

 The cake was a hit.

 We even got some decorations up before people got there.

 But then mom forgot the pinata.  After feeding all those people and finally getting the cake served I assumed we were done. Completely blocking out the 6 hours I spent the previous night gluing wads of streamer paper to cardboard.

 All the kids got to give it a few hits.

 But finally when every one had a few turns, we realized it wasn't going to open.   Thankfully one of the dads had the foresight to just tear it open and dump out the candy.

The kids went wild over organic fruit snacks and plastic toy jewelry.  And mom learned a lesson, don't use packaging tape to make a pinata.  That stuff really is strong.

 The kids all had a great time. There were a few times I thought people were going to grab there kids and run for safety.  But I'm super thankful to everyone who came.  It was exciting to see my little baby turn five and celebrate it with all the people who helped us over the last five years get to this point.    We couldn't have gotten to where we are now without all the love and support of so many wonderful friends and family.  THANK YOU.

Perhaps I went a little overboard

 This is the first year Annie is letting me make her cake.  I was SO excited.  She asked for a princess cake, and a wedding cake.   Thank goodness Aunt Heather was here to help because the cake just kept getting bigger and bigger in my head. 

So we have a three tired Princess wedding cake.  Chocolate with whip cream and fresh raspberry filling for the bottom and very top. Then lemon cake with home made lemon curd in the center.   The kids might not like it, but the adults sure will.  Up next... the transportation.  Please be praying we make it.  It's incredibly hot out and we have to drive pretty far.

Can I look in your bag?

 Annie got into Aunt Heathers bag of Yarnage and started trying on her one of a kind hats.  It was an adventure in yarn land that lasted for hours.  Annie even had own creative way of wearing them.

123 Pinata!

 Annie's birthday party is this Saturday.  Her one request? A pinata.  When out shopping I check out the prices.  $15-20 a piece?!?!?!?!   That's was way to ridiculous for cardboard and paper.  Solution: make one at home.  For just under $5 I got what we needed and headed home. Oddly the glue was the most expensive part, it ate up $3.47 of my budget.

 We picked the easiest shape I could think of.

 Using a cardboard box I found in the basement.

 And recruiting the help of my friend Heather who is staying with us for a two whole days!

 We made the fabulous pinata you see here.

It was actually really fun and I can't wait till her next birthday to do it again.  Only I might insist on different colors.  The pink and blue make me think it's for a baby shower instead of a birthday party.

House mess vs. people

I miss people. I miss my friends and getting to just hang out.  I think that would be my number one struggle since Texas and I took on this whole "Let's buy a house" thing.  What were we thinking?  I do love my house.  It's great when I get the chance to be here not scraping paint or figuring out what to do with too much stuff in a too small house.  Correction: how to get rid of my giant pile of stuff I don't need, so we fit in our perfectly sized house.  See?  It's a daily struggle.  Honestly I think I had this fantasy that when I got married I would have more time for friends and play dates with the kids.  Instead I work more, play a lot less, and need be way more intentional with my friends.
So last night I put my plan into action.  We invited a family from our church to dinner at our house.  Wow, was our house not ready, but thankfully my friend Amy and her super awesome husband and two kids could care less. The girls ran around and played and we all had a great time.  I survived, the bathroom which I will post a picture of didn't completely offend them.

 Up next: our first house guest!