Speed Bump

When I look at the house before and after, side by side, I realize just what we've accomplished. It was not easy, but I am so incredibly happy with the results. We did it! And so many memories in the process.. .

Life at Modern on Meadow is still a work in progress. The port-a-john is gone from the driveway and the floor grates have been installed  - so we no longer have large holes in the middle of the floor in which kids can drop small toys. Temporary lights have been removed and replaced, the refrigerator panels were installed - finally. The exterior steel columns and deck rails were painted, as was the garage door. Progress. There is still much to do. The basement is not yet usable - with tile that needs replacing, framing and closets that must be put back together. The walls need to be painted, cabinets need to go up in the laundry room. Hopefully we can make the basement space usable soon, and then getting it where we want it will take time - we will get a new couch and tv eventually. The office space will get spruced up with new shelves and my wallpaper ! We're waiting on the glass wall for the master closet, the sliding closet doors in the kids rooms don't have any hardware ...

We went to the lake this past weekend with my family - all 17 of us! We figured out it is probably our 8th year of going together as a family. Pre-dates my children, my husband. The weekends are the most fun because of the cousins - it is fun to see their relationships with each other evolve each summer. I didn't take any pictures because I wanted to just be in the moment and soak things in this weekend. Sounds great in theory, but now here I am with no pictures... I have a picture from the beginning and and a few from the end of our trip. The weekend started really well and we timed our drive to the lake to coincide with the kids' afternoon naps...evidenced below. The end of our trip did not go quite as planned. Our last morning, Sunday morning, I decided to say yes to Charlie's repeated requests to get in the hot tub at the rental house. We turn down the heat and, since it is located on the deck, the kids love to splash around in the hot tub while watching boats go...

A few months back I wrote this post about my struggles to lean in both at work and at home. I've figured out a way to improve both my happiness at home and my effectiveness at work. Curious? I found two extra hours in my day, and it was surprisingly easy. I took the two least productive hours of my day and made them count. The least productive part of my day was 7-9am. These two hours typically went something like this: kids wake up, lots of whining ensues, milk and coffee are distributed; someone cries outside the shower door, small hands pull at my legs while I put on makeup, cuddles on the couch; the blender whirs with frozen fruit and kale, lunches are made, time-outs are threatened; Ryan and the kids shuffle out the door with loveys, raisins, and goodbye kisses; collect stray socks, sippy cups and legos; make beds, throw in a load of laundry, down another cup of coffee; head out the door and at work by 9am. Now, I leave the house before 7am, before the kids wake u...

Another season has come and gone as Charlie had his last tball practice/camp this past weekend. He participated in the pre-K tball camp through JoCo parks & rec, 8 Saturdays for 45 minutes and they learned to catch, throw, hit and run the bases. It was just right for his age and although there was a lot of whining and resistance, I do think he learned from the experience. Charlie has always shown so much interest in sports, wants a ball or a bat to play with every time we're outside or at a park. We were sure he would be thrilled with the chance to play soccer and tball this Spring. Wrong! Maybe 4 is still too young for organized sports? (Would love opinions on this!!) He still loves to run and kick the ball, etc. but on his terms and without guidance or rules. Despite his dislike for tball, he has already asked to play basketball this winter. Fool me thrice?? I love to bake and, in theory, I love to bake with the kids. The reality of baking with the kids never goes ...

We've been living in Modern on Meadow for a little over a week now. It is still very much a work in progress. The Punch List is a mile long! (This is the list of items that still needs to be completed as per the original design/construction contract - everything from outlets that aren't working, to putting the walls back in the basement). I had this idea that I would bust out my 'real' camera and take some fancy images before posting, but that's just not going to happen. So instead, here are a few iphone pics taken around our new digs...starting with the entryway and our bright orange mailbox! The master bedroom is full of natural light with windows along one wall and above the bed. I love how peaceful this space feels. And believe it or not, we have been sleeping great in the new house. We have reclaimed the master bed for adults only, and though I've have to spend a few uncomfortable hours wedged into a toddler bed to make that h...

We spent the long holiday weekend in our new home. We didn't do much for the 4th, just relaxed and enjoyed summer - finally. The 4th of July marked Roxie's 11th birthday (last year we celebrated her birthday in a big way - with a dog party! ). Poor dog is just miserable on her birthday every year - terrified of fireworks and all the loud noises. She got through the day(s) with lots of hugs and tugs from her small, two-legged friends. She now has a big, beautiful deck from which to perch and watch the world go by...I think she is going to love the new house. Saw this house in Leavenworth over the weekend and had to stop and take a picture. True Americana. Our new neighborhood had a 4th of July kids' parade in the morning - we decked out Charlie's strider and he fell in line with what had to be 100 kids. Our block is full of kids! And many are the same age and will go to kindergarten with Charlie. Fun days ahead. We hit the pool three times in one week...