A Really Cool Seahorse

 

Spring Break Trip

This picture is a little out of order, but all three kids are smiling -- something that is hard to accomplish -- so I thought I'd stick it on anyway. We visited an aquarium. 

Isaac and friends from school

Isaac's class went to a local botanical gardens for a field trip. They had a great time and the weather was perfect! 

Avritt and His Friends at his party

Avritt invited a few friends to a local place with go-karts, laser tag, bumper cars, and video games. They had a lot of fun during the three hours. Their favorite activity was laser tag. 

The Birthday Boy

 

Avritt and the Darth Cake

Avritt decorated the top of his cake. Darth is ready to use that light saber to cut all the candles down.

 

Avritt's Birthday

Avritt celebrated a birthday a few weeks ago. Here is his requested birthday meal: hamburgers on the grill, a huge plate of cantaloupe (half of a melon) and cake. He ate all the cantaloupe -- and enjoyed that almost more than the cake!

 

Our Recent Guest: a Racoon

We awoke one morning with some insulation on the kitchen floor (it had fallen through a hole for a reccessed light that isn't installed yet). That was our first clue that something had inhabited our attic space. Later than evening, more insulation had fallen through. Mike finally decided he would have to go up there to investigate, armed with goggles, gloves, and a tennis racquet. As he climbed up, Ginger noticed a tail and some nose and eyes poking down through a hole in the soffit over the deck. This racoon decided to climb up into our attic space through a small opening in the soffit created by the deck job. The plastic covering the hole was ripped off in a storm a couple weeks ago, and the racoon found it before we covered the hole back up. We think the racoon spent a day sleeping up there. Mike was able to scare it down and this picture shows it climbing down the side of the house to escape. It was bigger than a cat. It created some entertainment on an otherwise dull evening. Needless to say, Mike nailed some screen over the opening and we had our siding guy come and fix the hole the next week.

 

Emily and the Bunnies

 

The Deck Railing

 

Our New Slate Floor!

 

Memorial Day Update

Well, the dust has mostly settled from the drywall work shown in the last several pictures. We have a minimal living room set up right now. Things are at a manageable level of chaos.

We have had two new projects on the house: finishing the decks and having a slate floor installed int the entryway. The front deck railing is up, and all that still needs to be done there is the top handrail and repositioning of a gutter. The slate floor is installed, and will need to be sealed in two weeks.

I absolutely love the slate floor! The texture and color are really why we chose the slate. The color varies from dark to light blueish gray and is accented by shades of rust. We have chosen natural materials like stone and wood and reed to incorporate in the house.

It is almost unbearably hot here this weekend. I am so thankful for the air conditioning that came as a part of the remodel. Yesterday we took down an exterior door to paint, so we couldn't use the A/C and we were all irritable. Today the house is a cool 77 degrees.

The last month we have been busy running to baseball and softball games. Isaac is getting weary of being a spectator. Next year we will be running to three kids' games and practices. Isaac says he would rather play soccer than t-ball, so we'll see what happens.

School will be out in a few weeks. Ginger was done teaching in early May, so she is enjoying the few days left of quiet at the house in the afternoons when all three kids are in school. Isaac is enjoying a gymnastics class once a week.

It has been a beautiful May here, and we have all enjoyed the plentiful sunshine this spring!