Kurt Must Be Nesting

So we took the plunge and added color to our dining room and kitchen today. The dining room took the majority of the day, starting at 11 am and ending about 4 pm. After all our hard work we went out for dinner, came back home, put Maddie to bed. I (Jayna) was quite tired, but Kurt seemed to have gotten his second wind. He was bound and determined to finish the kitchen tonight. Is it just me, or does Kurt seem to be nesting?

Choosing Your Battles

A few days ago I was bound and determined to finally get the kitchen in order before lunch. I'm notorious for letting dishes stack up. Besides my own procrastination, Madeline is also a little obstacle when it comes to cleaning house. She loves my one-on-one attention. To keep her occupied, I put in a Blue's Clues DVD (one of her new favorites) and went to work on the kitchen. Maddie was very quiet and enjoying her DVD, and I was just glad to get the kitchen done. However, as I was just about finished, I peeked in on Madeline to find her engrossed in not only her show but the tissues she was ripping up. You'd think we have a cat! At that point I decided to let her finish off the tissues so I could finish the kitchen. She wasn't in physical danger or ruining anything of value, and she learned that making big messes takes longer to clean up. I held the trash bag while she picked up (almost) every piece of tissue and threw it away!

Ahhh, Clean Kitchen!

Catching up on Pics from Oregon

Below you'll find more pictures from Jayna and Madeline's time in Oregon. Enjoy the view!

Family Fun

On our last evening together as a family, we enjoyed the summer evening on the porch while the kids enjoyed the pool and other water sports. Michael and Matthew had a blast with Papa when he brought out the water hose to spray them down and give them a challenge. Mark and Maddie weren't so keen on that game.

Story Time with Grammy and Cousins

Fun on the Swing with Grammy

Picking (and Eating) Bluberries with Papa

Pics of Grammy and Papa's House

Check out all this space! During our time in Oregon, Madeline had a blast running around on the grass with bare feet. I think her coordination skyrocketed while we were there!

Dad's Dream Come True

My (Jayna's) dad has always loved creating a beautiful yard and landscape. After years and years of hard labor and changing sprinkler settings, he has finally arrived. He has installed a system into their landscape that automatically waters the lawn and every shrub, tree and plant according to the zone it's in. In this picture, there are two small tubes from which small streams of water come out and water this plant for a programmed amount of time. Now all Dad has to do is kick his feet up, sit back with a cold glass of iced tea an enjoy the view!