Many updates..... so hang in there........please.....thank you

I know I have been very delinquent in update this blog lately. First I was sick. Very sick. Then there was life. And that's always number uno on the priority list. I was still very tired and just took it slow and easy for a good part of 2 weeks. I have been walking silly dog every morning this week. And I tried to run on Monday but huffed and puffed too much so was not ready to start again.


House:

Cabinets are all in. Waiting for counter top to be installed on Monday.

This is the garage. packed with boxes and stuff. There are a few walkways to get here and there.
Kitchen cabinets looking toward the sink and the gap where the dishwasher will go.
Ahh, storage bench. The kids love sitting on it. I will make a cushion to go on top.
The desk and pantry. I love the pull out shelves. So much storage room.
And this is great, a lazy susan in each corner. No more crawling into the cupboards to dig for something that got pushed to the back.

Tile floors in the kitchen and bathrooms are in! Love them! Love them!

Last Saturday my mom and I spent a good part of the day in the kitchen. My mom taped and masked and hung plastic over the cabinets while I sanded parts of the ceiling (oil based paint does not like water based paint) and primed the ceiling and walls. Later that evening I painted the ceiling and gave the walls 2 coats of paint. When the tape and plastic came down Sunday it really looked great.

What's coming up: counter top and splash to be installed. Appliances to go in, flooring in the house, baseboards in, moving furniture around, unpacking and painting kids rooms. It's almost done. I give it 2 more weeks. I just can't wait for at least one room to be done. Even though the kids think it's fun to have the fridge in the living room, I want it back in the kitchen. I want to be able to use my dishwasher and sink rather than washing what little dishes and utensils we do use in the bathroom. I want to cook on a stove.

Ok, here is what it looks like when you walk into the house. Lovely. But it will all change....soon.
Easy access to the fridge while sitting on the couch.
Bathroom tile. And a new toilet. The baseboards will go in later.
Tile in the kitchen. It's at a diagonal. Makes the room look bigger.


Family:

Tom and Evelyn enjoyed another AP camping weekend last weekend.


Last Friday (10-3) I surprised Greg and got tickets to the Angels play off game! I told him to get jeans on and a sweatshirt and get in the car. He knew we were going someplace but I didn't tell him where. He kept asking and I gave no hints that he could figure out. When we pulled off the freeway then he asked me if we were going to the Angels' game. Boy was he excited to hear that we were. We got there early but unfortunately were not able to go down to the dugout like we normally do before games. So instead we hiked it up to our seats and enjoyed our dinner of hot dogs and nachos before the game started. It was packed, loud and so much fun! Too bad the Angels didn't make it farther. But we still have the Dodgers to root for!

Finishing up batting practice. This is the view from our seats.
Hey Vladdy! Sorry your photo is so dizzy. We had to catch you with our super spy lense.
Hey, it's Rally Monkey. He loves the game too!
Calling all Angels. It's warm up time. Can't tell you who is who.
The Fire Dept. color guard carried out the flags for the National Anthem. Of course there were fire works and the military helicopters fly by.
Here is Greg enjoying the game. It was crowded in our seats. No room to spread out. Oh well.
Glad I'm not on that freeway tonight.
It's a sea of red. Everywhere you looked.

Greg's team won both their games last weekend. In Sunday's game Greg scored a goal in the first 30 seconds of the game! He normally plays center defense but his coach sticks him in at forward every now and then. Greg's team, the Gunners, are undefeated!

When you look at these photos of Greg, check out his arms. All over. I've got to ask him about that. He's running with the ball, defending, corner kick, goal kick and penalty kick.








Two weekends ago Evelyn was in her 2nd horse show. This was the third in a series of shows. Evelyn was not in the first 2. After the first show she was in earlier in the summer, her trainer said that Evelyn could be in this show if she wanted to. Evelyn didn't place as well as she did in the first show as she was riding against more experienced riders. But she did great! And every show is more experience for her. Evelyn rode Jessie who is a very sweet gal. She is a retired barrel racer so was very anxious to get through the speed courses.


Evelyn and Jessie waiting their turn.
Making sure Jessie is already. Another girl also rode Jessie. They were in different groups. Check out those sparkly spurs on Evelyn!
Jessie doing her dance in the arena. This is not a speed event. It's trailing, where the rider takes the horse through as series of obstacles and has to know the correct pattern. The riders were given the pattern prior to the show. They had to study it and know it as they were also judged on doing the correct pattern.
Jessie is off to a jog. Made it through the gate, over the bridge and not jogging to the poles.
Evelyn is all smiles during the horsemanship event. The riders are judged on how the ride and look on the horse and how they do their pattern.

Yee-Haw! Giddy up and go! Jessie taking off for the poles. This is the first of the speed events.
Rounding that last pole. No poles knocked over!

This weekend:

Soccer game Saturday morning. House stuff.

Sunday we are headed to Yucca Valley for my mom's dad's side of the family annual Family Reunion. It's always so much fun to get together and see family and chat and just have fun.


I hope everyone who is sick is getting better.


Oh and a huge shout out of good luck to Julie and Joann who are running the Long Beach Half Marathon this Sunday. Good luck gals! You will do great! I'm cheering for you even though I won't be there to see you run through the finish line. I hope Charming gets good photos.