New beds

In our move back to our house we changed rooms around.   When we were here before we were all in the two bedrooms upstairs, us in one room and all the kids in the other room.  Well now that they were a bit older we decided that we would take the much larger room downstairs and then the boys could have one room and Carlee could have the other.  We still do not have a spare room so we also decided that we would put Carlee in our old queen bed.  That way whenever we do have guests they would have a decent and comfortable place to sleep.

We bought twin beds for the boys and then I bought new bedding for all the beds and added the I spy quilts I made for them. I was thrilled with the sheet and comforter set for Carlee's bed - so cute! I think they all liked their new beds!!

Spring Green

Here we are going on a hike and having a picnic at the nearby swamp.  Ben made Mimi very nervous on the bridge.  I think she was worried she would have to go in after him if he fell in..yuck!

I just love that fresh new green color of spring, don't you!

Renovation Part 1

Here is a couple photos of the bathroom when we moved in.

Eventually I painted it...

However there were still many issues that needed to be fixed.  Painting the bathroom was a bit like putting a mini bandaid on a gaping wound.  There was a big hole in the flooring where they made the door frame bigger and the shower and vanity simply needed to be replaced.

At some point hubby & I were at Lowes and he spotted some corner shower units.  We figured that would sure make a huge difference in the layout of the bathroom and we could solve all of the big issues.  Only problem was that the whole wall would have to be removed and the shower plumbing would need to be moved to another wall, plus the shower drain would probably need to be moved as well.  Yikes!!!  That seemed to be too much to take on, and too expensive to hire a plumber to do all that work.

But then, my dad decided to come for a visit and I joked that he would be able to do the plumbing for the bathroom renovation.  The joke turned into a reality and he even brought some plumbing tools with him!

When he got here he had a good look at what I wanted to do and decided that it could be done.  The demolition began and so did the problems.  Of course problems are too be expected, but as they are happening sometimes it seems a bit much!  Here is the progress so far:

Step one: Tear down wall and remove shower. 
Problem:  Apparently the house was built around the shower because it was too big to fit through the door.  Hubby had to cut it into pieces.  Anyone want a used shower? slight damage, but real cheap LOL

Step two: Remove sink and toilet
Problem:  No major disasters!!  Well except the poor sink was chipped when a tool fell on it.

Step three: Remove old flooring and damaged subfloor
Problem:  When removing the section of subfloor from near the sink a pipe broke and we had a water fountain in the middle of the bathroom.  Now as much as I like water fountains I certainly did not include one in the plans for the renovation!
Bigger Problem:  The only main water shut off that we knew about was in the ground at the street.  Hubby ran out to turn it off and I soon saw him digging handfuls of dirt out of the hole.  I ran to help him and we soon discovered that the shut off valve had no handle.  CRAP!!  I ran back to the house to get a wrench and on my way I tripped over a Tonka truck and crashed into the edge of the carport cement.  OUCH OUCH.  Nothing serious just a big scape and bruise and a whole lot of whining.  Anyway, we got the water turned off and had enough plumbing parts to fix the pipe.  PHEW that was crazy!  We since have learned where the shut off valve is at the house.  Probably a good thing to know about prior to starting any work in the bathroom or kitchen!

Step Four: Replace Subfloor
Problem:  A tight fit means several trips back to the saw

Step Five: Move shower plumbing
Problem: Moen has the worst ever instructions I have ever seen in my life!  Still don't know if it will be right??
Bigger Problem: While the plumbing was being worked on we had the water turned off.  Then I discovered that the chicken we had defrosting in the fridge had leaked all over the bottom of the fridge.  YUCK.  I cleaned most of it up with Clorox, but I wanted to wash the glass shelf with soapy water but the water was shut off so I left it balanced on the sink, not noticing that the taps were wide open.  When the water was turned back on the kitchen water went all over the counter and floor.  What a mess!
Even Bigger Problem:  When the water was turned back on there were no leaks in the plumbing that had been moved, but another pipe started to leak.  Another trip for plumbing parts and that should be fixed up soon - I hope!  My parents are only here for another day!!

Step six:  Replace and repair drywall
Problem:  Part of this step was already done and a sheet of drywall is already up on the wall.  This shows an interesting discovery.  Where the wall used to be they used 1/2" drywall on the right and 5/8" drywall on the left.  Worked fine when there was a wall there, not so good when we are trying to make a nice smooth wall to put a shower onto.  Not sure how we are going to solve this dilemma yet!

to be continued....

too funny - man in the moon

Tonight while I was out my mom, Mimi, put the kids to bed.  As she was telling them good-night she said something about the man in the moon.  They had never heard about the man in the moon and for some reason it really scared them.  Mimi had to do some quick thinking and tried to explain that in her imagination she saw the moon as a big happy face.  Well, Sam did not like this at all and told her "Mimi, please keep your imagining in your brain!"

an update

Life seems to be getting in the way of blogging...again!  Hubby is working in Maryland this week while the rest of us are moved back to North Carolina.  We are mostly unpacked and have a destructed bathroom.  My parents are visiting right now so I put my Dad to work renovating our bathroom.  It is a good thing that he seems to enjoy it because it is a big job and unfortunately it is a small bathroom so I can't help him much. 

Anyway, while that is going on I am making trips to Lowes for him and of course still unpacking in an attempt to get my house back in order.  It is quite challenging moving back to a house we have already lived in.  I have the opportunity to move things around and be better organized, but I also have to resist the habit of putting things where they used to go!! The biggest change is that we are now all in different bedrooms so that has been hard to get used to.  We all used to be upstairs, now it is just the kids up there, but that hasn't seemed to stop some of them from making their way into our room at night!

Perhaps soon I will be able to get back to blogging on a regular basis....Until then I am still searching for a normal routine but fear that I will never find it because I am really not sure what normal is supposed to be!!!

Will the World End in 2012? By Raymond C. Hundley, Ph.D

Will the World End in 2012? By Raymond C. Hundley, Ph.D

So what’s with all the hype about the world ending in 2012? Is there any validity to any of the popular theories? That’s exactly what this book sets out to determine. Ten theories are briefly analyzed and conclusions are made.

The book is subtitled “A Christian Guide to the question everyone is asking”. This is an unfortunate subtitle because this book is certainly not only for Christians. The analyses of the ten theories are relevant for everyone interested in the subject. After reading this book my concerns are not that the world will come to an end, but that life could change drastically from devastating solar storms, earthquakes, and volcanoes.

I chose this book because I was curious about the theories, not because I fear that the world will end in 2012. I personally believe that the end of the world cannot be determined because the Bible says that “no one knows the day or the hour” that it will happen (Matt 24:36). With that said, I also believe that before Jesus returns this world will see much greater devastation. The Bible says in Matthew 24:7-8 “The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come.”

It makes me want to do three things:
• Study my Bible more so that I can better explain to people why I have absolutely no fear for what is to come
• Listen to my hubby when he says we need more survival gear
• Go see the movie 2012, although I’m pretty sure that my hubby will think this is a training video which will then increase his chatter about needing more survival gear!



Disclosure: Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their  BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.

Hanging out

Hanging out til the neighbors dog leaves...LOL he was up there for hours I was beginning to worry.

A tip for staying at a hotel with kids

We spent a couple nights in a hotel - really long story why and not all that important.  Just sharing that you don't need to take a bunch of toys along with you when you stay at a hotel, just borrow the luggage cart for awhile LOL

Here is just 30 seconds of the fun they had for a really long time with that cart!

Spring has sprung!

I love spring in North Carolina!  Not like in Canada where it is still winter - nope, here Spring actually happens when it is supposed to!  here are some of the photos I took this spring in Maryland and in North Carolina...

This was taken in Maryland on Mar 11 -crocuses already!  I think in Saskatchewan the snow hasn't even started to melt yet!  Like I said - here, spring comes when it is supposed to.

This was taken in Maryland on Mar 11 -crocuses already! I think in Saskatchewan the snow hasn't even started to melt yet! Like I said - here, spring comes when it is supposed to.

And just a few days later - simply gorgeous!

By Mid April we were back in North Carolina to see my tulip tree in bloom!







Just look at the blooms dripping off this tree!



Dogwoods are beautiful, but I had not seen a pink one! 



 

 

By the end of April everything is green, especially at the swamp just a few miles from our house.

Easter

This year we attended two Easter Egg Hunts...just in case you were wondering about the different clothes :)

I think they didn't know quite what to expect.  Check out Sam & Carlee holding hands.  That must have been for an extra dose of bravery HAHA

When we went back inside to see what was in the eggs I took this short video

yes I had a tear in my eye...

So then we went to the next Easter Egg hunt and can you believe it had warmed up enough for shorts!  This was the beginning of April!!!

Here is Sam & Carlee waiting patiently for the Easter Egg hunt to start...

And this is Ben's version of waiting patiently...

And here they are all dressed up for church.  Probably the most beautiful day for an Easter Sunday I have seen!