I am back on the farm after a week in Peoria. It was great fun seeing Drew and Kayley begin their school year as a Kindergarten and First grade student. They both did so well getting on the bus and through their first day! Of course, now they have gone an entire week so I will assume all is still going fabulously.
This past week has been busy, hectic and rather frustrating! The good news, the outside of our home is entirely finished and the bay window set and stained and looking majestic. :-) It truly looks like a brand new home although I am having to get used to our gable color choice, as it is a bit redder than I recalled from the sample but it still looks great compared to what was "dangling" up there!
The frustrating part has been our flooring. It was supposed to be finished on August 3rd and would have if we hadn't started finding flaws in the tiles. They started pulling damaged ones, replacing and re-grouting and ordered more. So we waited another week to get them. Upon arrival, many of those were damaged and we told the installer to forget it, I was going to go have a visit with Joe Redecker, the owner of the store. I should have gone with ceramic tile but I have read so many great things about luxury vinyl tile and how easy it is to care for, etc., that I wanted that and it is a bit cheaper, too. They told me to go look at the Armstrong tile display (I had Mannington....don't ever get it) and brought some tiles home. Mark and I selected one and had him order it. The installer was going to come by some evenings, when he could, and do the floor. We told him we wanted a full crew and to get this done, not piece by piece. Another visit with Redecker's and we now have a full crew coming this Wednesday and they will be done Friday. Please make it be true. We have toilets sitting out on our front landing for days. If this were Phoenix, those pots would have been long gone but thankfully they are still there in all there glory.
Enough of all that! Mark and I will welcome our Labor Day visit to Lake Okoboji and our great friends Nancy and Jim. I cannot wait to see them, it has been too long. Megan and family are joining us there, as is Matt, so a great family time for us all. Nancy is a saint to put up with us all. :-)
I had some left over pics and videos from my Peoria visit so will post them now. The first video is our visit to a Japanese restaurant with the kids. Drew's face is fun to watch.
Perhaps the following video is only funny to Grandma but I thought it pretty hilarious. Kayley wanted to read a book to me "in Spanish" after her very first day of Kindergarten and having her first spanish lesson. Drew and I chuckled but we told her to go for it. Drew and I actually sat there rather dumbfounded listening to Kayley's "Spanish". :-)
Beautiful day to swing!
Am I excited for my school meeting tonight?
At Monkey Joe's for some jumping
More Monkey Joe's
It is finally here! Our first day of school.
Everyone thinks he smiles all the time.....
Most of the time
Ryan loves to be outdoors
East side of the house...new door and windows
The board is for our deck. Note nice new deck lights!
