Harvest Time

Well it's been a while since I last updated. Two reasons. 1) How does life just travel by so fast and I don't realize it's been 2 months since I posted? (Ok that was a question/observation) 2) We got a new camera and I'm still learning how to take pictures with it.

So here are some pictures to entertain you with the comings and goings around here. Except I am realizing there are no pictures of us in this group. Oh well.

 

Here is our sweet little niece Hannah during a field trip to the pumpkin patch!

 

Brayden being a MOOOOOO cow. 

 

Playing with the little chicks. They were so cute :)

Can't you tell Hannah is impressed?

 

Grammy and Hannah (who is tired of pictures).

I shot all of those pictures in auto mode on the camera because trying to figure out all the settings manually that day was getting me all flustered. 

This next group of pictures I messed around a lot trying to practice using my camera to it's full extent. 

I didn't go over board with my fall decorations this year. Mostly centered around the fire place. 

 

My cute little dollar store scarecrow, corn and last years homemade pumpkin craft making another appearance. 

 

The mantel. I bought that chalk board at an antique store a couple weeks ago with the pumpkin already drawn on it. That is not it's final resting spot, but that is where it landed for the fall season because I liked the pumpkin so much. 

 

 This is the other frame I bought that day. These will actually flip flop with this frame going above the mantel and the chalk board going on this wall. Eventually. The house is a work in progress.

 

Here is the detail of the frame. Isn't it gorgeous? It was such a steal too compared to similar ones I've fallen in love with and refuse to pay the price people wanted for it.  

 

Oh and here is a close up of the pumpkin drawing. It makes me happy every time I look at it. 

Soon I'm going to round up some punkin's from Mom and Dad's garden and carve them up so our front porch can be all festive for the trick-or-treat fun next week. 

Long absence. Ho-hum post. I'll try to liven things up around here a bit for next time.

Organized Chaos

Where to begin? 

Oh, okay, pictures of Bailey first.

 

Steve and Bailey bonding. Please ignore the whole in the shirt. It's a work shirt. We've been working hard lately. 

 My turn to cuddle.

Next up. Locks of Love. 

My hair grows fast. Once again I found it was long and I needed...something. A cut? A trim? A new style? Well as I pondered the destiny of my hair, it kept growing.

And growing. 

Until it became this.

 A friend had mentioned considering donating her hair to Locks of Love and it got me thinking. 

I couldn't decide to do with my hair. 

It was fast approaching Rapunzel length. 

Perhaps donating it was my answer. 

So I just chopped it off. 

In the end 12 inches were donated and 2 more were lost in the styling and trimming process. 

 Here is the hair after. 

I have a picture of the ponytail that was cut off, but honestly, it's kind of gross. Or maybe just an odd thing to share, so I'll spare you. 

You still can see the end result. 

 This is Bailey looking in. I can't help but think she must be thinking "What in the world are you guys doing to my world?" With the house layout changing daily/hourly with LOUD pounding and banging from nail guns and hammers, things around here haven't really be relaxing.

Here is the main entry through to the back door. 

Here is what makes my blood pressure rise. Clutter. There has been lots of deep breathing around here. A little retail therapy. And a vacation from dusting. 

It's gross.

But I just had to let it go. It's been a month free of housework!

And a month full of the stove traveling into the family room. 

Trying to find room to serve dinner amidst the old school boom box, clutter, and the duvet that needs returned before it gets lost in the mess. 

And we are currently in the midst of the FINAL STAGES. We are living in our bedroom, patio and garage. Here, we have the convenience of doing laundry and making dinner all in one location! 

Do you think it'll be the new thing in house design?

Need to dress up? Obviously the first place to look for a dress is in the garage to the left of the bandsaw and behind the kitchen/laundry station.

Outside, we have what a friend at work referred to as Glamping. Gourmet camping. I like it. 

The rolling island is our counter top. The BBQ my savior (prepares hot meals with no dirty dishes, bliss!)

The refrigerator WITH filtered water and ice machine hooked up. 

*SIGH* This makes me so happy. 

 

And just because we are living outside (thank you Oregon for another week of summer sunshine) does not mean I have to go without a beautiful bouquet of dahlias from the front yard. 

Seriously folks, do we know how to camp at our own house or what?

Since the master bedroom really isn't all that big, Bailey found her way to the bathroom, and was content being there for the evening. 

Classy.

 

 But I tempted her out for some cuddles. 

What a little love bug.

Oh, and for those of you actually interested in the actual flooring project, here you go. 

This is the transition from the carpet in the bedroom, then a sliver of the old existing wood, into the newly sanded floor covered with latex filler.

They ran out of filler. They'll be back for more tomorrow. 

UPDATE as of 9-6-12

This is how we've been able to enter the house lately. Different, but Dave Ramsey approved rather than adding the cost of a hotel to the project budget!

 

Here is the latest progress. The final coat goes down tomorrow.

SOOOOO looking forward to moving back in and having life back to normal.

The good news is we are SOOOO happy with how things look! Can't wait to see it all put together with furniture again:)

Operation Hardwood Floors

So while we had FUN on our July vacation, we knew when we got home it was going to be time to get down to business with this summer's big project. Two years ago it was window installation. Last year was the shed. This year it's hardwood floors. 

Then we'd like to believe we might give ourselves a break from huge summer projects. We'll see.

 We returned home from vacation August 3rd. August 4th, operation hardwood floors began.

 That weekend we got all the carpet, linoleum, and particle board ripped out. According to the scales at the dump our house was now 1680lbs lighter. 

 

After ripping out the floors we kept hearing water running. I guess our plumbing is the next item on the "to-do" list. 

Our old thinning pipes broke through when Steve was snaking them out to fix a clog. Turns out the clog "clears up" real well when water can escape out holes in the bottom of the pipe.

Temporary fix in place, we forged on with the floors.

 Getting the first of the boards installed. 

 Then the first row.

 

I tried to be a good helper bee! I learned how to use the floor nailer and the chop saw.  

Somehow I failed to get a picture of Steve using the nail gun, but he actually did most of the work on that section of floor. I laid out the boards, Dad chopped, Steve nail gunned. Then we'd switch to try to salvage our backs. 

We got most of the living room installed. That's the progress so far. We'll keep you updated :)

Black Butte Ranch

I love this place. 

After a whirlwind week cleaning up from MFC and working a full week of early mornings, I was READY for a full week off. We both had been so busy we were looking forward to leaving reality behind and relaxing. We still packed in tons of family fun though and it was great to go back to a place that holds SO many childhood memories and enjoying it again with our larger and different family unit. (We've added two extras, as Grammy Faye would say, speaking of Michael and Steve. And there's the two littles too...

Brayden

 

Grandpa sharing a bowl of cereal. 

Hannah

 

Grandpa teaching Hannah to blow bubbles. 

I don't have pictures of Steve or Michael eating cereal or blowing bubbles, so you'll just have to look for their faces later in the post.

 THE MEADOW

 

We took a family walk (almost 3 miles in the end) across the meadow and to the area of the ranch where we stayed when Lisa and I were little. Things look so much smaller now than they did 20 years ago. 

Wow. 

How am I old enough for something to have happened 20 years ago?

 As we crossed the meadow, Bailey saw the cows and did her best to act just like one. Our little pup has a somewhat confused identity here as she munches the grass. 

Moooooo, Bailey.

 

Most of the group hanging by Paulina creek where all the cousins used to spend HOURS playing. 

 

All that excitement wore our little sweetheart out. 

Side note: Since we returned home 5 hours ago, the pup has lifted her head a couple times to acknowledge Steve or I leaving or entering a room. Otherwise, it's been the longest nap of her life. I guess she had fun on her first trip to BBR.

HAPPY HOUR

 

A very pretty margarita at a cute little Mexican restaurant in Sisters. Los Agaves was THE BEST Mexican food I've had since Ponco's burned down. I highly recommend a visit if you find yourself driving through. 

 This is a pretty beverage my mom introduced to me. Huckleberry vodka, Sprite and ice. 

Sooooo refreshing. 

And blueberries are good for you too. 

So it's a healthy happy hour!

SHOOTING

 The teacher

 

 The student

.22LR

I don't know what that means. 

But it was a cute little rifle to start my first shooting lesson with. 

Yes, I just called a rifle cute. 

And yes, again, this is the first time my dad and Steve probably had to endure a photo shoot out at the range. 

That is what you get taking a city girl to shoot. 

I thought they meant "shoot" photos with my camera! ;)

 

I didn't do half bad! 

Although I think I cheated using the lead sled, I am still proud of myself. 

 The Big Al

Don't know what he's shooting here. 

 

BEAUTIFUL view from the cinder pit. 

 See one...

I'm told this is a Kimber. 45 ACP

 

...Shoot one

 Move on to another one.

 .308 

I'm fairly confident I'm glad I had the sled shooting that one. I should have tried it without, but I think I might have ended up on the ground. 

Next time.

BIKE RIDES

Riding around the ranch with Papa.

 Another action shot.

BABYSITTING

 

Here is auntie holding down the fort. Got Hannah in my lap so Mama Lisa can get ready for the day and Bailey is standing by assuring Hannah will not be disturbed. 

This is hard work people. 

I guarantee I am watching the Today show catching all the Olympic highlights of the morning.

THE POOL

 

After all that hard work babysitting, I needed some relaxing time at the pool. 

Here are Dad and I cooling off in between catching some rays. 

 

Mom and I catching some rays.

Dad and Hannah sitting in the shade watching the rest of the family frolic at the pool. A happy pair they are. 

THE OBLIGATORY COUPLE SHOTS

 

Before date night in sisters. 

Antique stores, pizza and Bi-Mart. 

 lol

Great date night. 

After breakfast at the lodge.

 

Family shot right before we had to end vacation to come home.  

 RELAXATION

Bare feet with my nose in a book. It's how I spent a great deal of vacation.

It was fabulous. 

I'm ready to go back. 

Thanks Black Butte for so many wonderful new memories. 

If Bailey could rouse herself from her nap she'd say the same.

But we'll just let her keep sleeping.

Signing off, dreaming of the next fun vacation getaway. 

Anyone have any ideas?

I'm open to suggestions.