This week and weekend have FLOWN by. I had intended to post the pics of the house reveal and of Dan's Lake Tahoe trip and I just ran out of time. I will take care of all that later.
I have back surgery in the morning so please add me to your prayer list. I should be home from the hospital Tuesday afternoon. I will be on complete bed rest until Labor Day.
Talk to you later :)
Our conversion and homeschooling ride.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Remodel Day 2
We are going strong over here on the Reeder house remodel. We were blessed today to have the whole work crew here. Chuck and the guys came over around 9 and worked all day. We also had myself, Kim, Hayley and then my dad this morning and Dianne this afternoon. Friends and family are truly a blessing from God!! And employees too ;)
Now that the day has ended I am sitting in a newly painted living room!!!! Woo Hoo - I've been dreaming of this for YEARS (since the day we looked at this house for the first time). We still have to put the room together and hang pics and all that type stuff, but the walls are done. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE the color. The foyer was also completed today and looks great. No more mauve wallpaper when you walk into my entry way. The hall bath is coming together nicely - a little touch up paint in there tomorrow and doors back on cabinet, hardware on walls, etc. Kim is making me a custom designed shower curtain to go in there. She is so talented!!! She pieced it together or whatever you call it LOL tonight.
The room that made me say "oh pickles and fishpaste (as David and Paul would say) was the kitchen. I think I mentioned that this house was built in 1980... well the wallpaper was put on fresh sheetrock almost 30 years ago!!! We had 2 - 3 people in there ALL day - 8 hours. At quitting time tonight the paper is finally down and the walls have been mudded. Whew! Chuck skipped church tonight with his wife to stay late and finish it. THANKS Chuck!!! Tomorrow the sanding of the mud and then the painting will be going on in the kitchen. Can't wait to see color in there.
Here are some random pics of the color and chaos (and Hayden LOL).
Now that the day has ended I am sitting in a newly painted living room!!!! Woo Hoo - I've been dreaming of this for YEARS (since the day we looked at this house for the first time). We still have to put the room together and hang pics and all that type stuff, but the walls are done. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE the color. The foyer was also completed today and looks great. No more mauve wallpaper when you walk into my entry way. The hall bath is coming together nicely - a little touch up paint in there tomorrow and doors back on cabinet, hardware on walls, etc. Kim is making me a custom designed shower curtain to go in there. She is so talented!!! She pieced it together or whatever you call it LOL tonight.
The room that made me say "oh pickles and fishpaste (as David and Paul would say) was the kitchen. I think I mentioned that this house was built in 1980... well the wallpaper was put on fresh sheetrock almost 30 years ago!!! We had 2 - 3 people in there ALL day - 8 hours. At quitting time tonight the paper is finally down and the walls have been mudded. Whew! Chuck skipped church tonight with his wife to stay late and finish it. THANKS Chuck!!! Tomorrow the sanding of the mud and then the painting will be going on in the kitchen. Can't wait to see color in there.
Here are some random pics of the color and chaos (and Hayden LOL).
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
A Surprise Remodel, an SOS Call and a Great BIL
Well Dan headed out today on his Father's Day trip to Reno/Lake Tahoe. He's en route tonight and I expect to hear from him sometime later. Hopefully he had uneventful flights and all that jazz. I loaded his Ipod up with movies and such so he should be good.
The remodel started today. We are doing the foyer, living room, kitchen and hall bath. Stripping wallpaper, painting, a few new pieces of furniture, new pillows, shower curtain and artwork. I can't wait to see how it all looks when we're done. My personal design consultant, by BFF Kim, has helped me pick out some fabulous things.
All supplies and decorating items are purchased. We started by stripping the kitchen wallpaper and emptying all the walls and filling the nail holes. The "surprise" so far is the kitchen walls. Since my house was built in 1980 wallpaper was the "thing" and it was put directly on the sheet rock. So when we started stripping it today it went all the way down to the brown rough part - UGH. The whole room will have to be Kilz'd, mudded and then sanded and then painted. Or at least I think that's what they said.
Well that put a little damper on my plans. I already had my time packed out and since I have a bad back (surgery coming this Monday) and my BFF has MS - we are quite a pair LOL. So we made a few SOS calls. My dad is going to come by in the morning and offer his help and 2 cents and Bill came by this evening and worked in the bathroom. And my BIL Chuck came by this afternoon to see where I stood and what all had to be done so he can get me some help from our apartment business work crew. It's nice to have family and great friends.
So that ends day 1. If I'm up to it I'll fill you in tomorrow night on where we are. I didn't take before pics because I forgot and Dan took the good camera on vacation with him. I will post after pics though. To imagine my house decor currently think 1980's, fruit and paisley - UGH!!!!!
My back is KILLING me and it was only about 6 hours today. Pray that I get a good nights sleep and my back holds up through the week. I won't be able to move either way next week because of surgery...
Oh before I close my "most favoritest" ;) cousin in the whole world is pregnant with her 2nd... well turns out it is her 3rd too. Identical twin girls - how cool is that! Congrats Rob & Sid and Violet - we love you guys. And it was great talking with you today.
The remodel started today. We are doing the foyer, living room, kitchen and hall bath. Stripping wallpaper, painting, a few new pieces of furniture, new pillows, shower curtain and artwork. I can't wait to see how it all looks when we're done. My personal design consultant, by BFF Kim, has helped me pick out some fabulous things.
All supplies and decorating items are purchased. We started by stripping the kitchen wallpaper and emptying all the walls and filling the nail holes. The "surprise" so far is the kitchen walls. Since my house was built in 1980 wallpaper was the "thing" and it was put directly on the sheet rock. So when we started stripping it today it went all the way down to the brown rough part - UGH. The whole room will have to be Kilz'd, mudded and then sanded and then painted. Or at least I think that's what they said.
Well that put a little damper on my plans. I already had my time packed out and since I have a bad back (surgery coming this Monday) and my BFF has MS - we are quite a pair LOL. So we made a few SOS calls. My dad is going to come by in the morning and offer his help and 2 cents and Bill came by this evening and worked in the bathroom. And my BIL Chuck came by this afternoon to see where I stood and what all had to be done so he can get me some help from our apartment business work crew. It's nice to have family and great friends.
So that ends day 1. If I'm up to it I'll fill you in tomorrow night on where we are. I didn't take before pics because I forgot and Dan took the good camera on vacation with him. I will post after pics though. To imagine my house decor currently think 1980's, fruit and paisley - UGH!!!!!
My back is KILLING me and it was only about 6 hours today. Pray that I get a good nights sleep and my back holds up through the week. I won't be able to move either way next week because of surgery...
Oh before I close my "most favoritest" ;) cousin in the whole world is pregnant with her 2nd... well turns out it is her 3rd too. Identical twin girls - how cool is that! Congrats Rob & Sid and Violet - we love you guys. And it was great talking with you today.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Oops More Water Park Pics
Forgot I had more of these. I think they are all David, Emily, Hope, Hayden and EJ.
Back to School
Well as many of you experienced yourselves, last week was the start of school for those of us here in Alabama.
Emily started on Monday the 10th. She is in 8th grade at Millbrook Junior High. Her mom has her for school nights so I don't have any pics to share of her that first morning. She's pleased with her teachers and which friends she has in her class this year. Loves her PE time - 9:00am, but hates her lunch time, 1:00pm. Her dance team practices started back this week so she's fully into the swing of things now.
David started on Wednesday the 12th. He is in Pre-K at Holy Cross. The first day we both went for opening chapel and blessing of the students and then Thursday was his first official day by himself. He loves school already. He wanted to know could he spend the night. He loves his teachers - he has 6 to get to know, not counting librarian, extended day, priests and administrative faculty. The 6 are 2 in his classroom, 1 spanish, 1 music, 1 PE and 1 computer.
I have already met quite a few of the parents and had breakfast and coffee with a handful of the mom's on Thursday morning after we dropped them off. Great group of people and I can't wait to get to know them and their kids over the next several years.
Summer Vacation at the Beach
One of the reasons I haven't posted in a few weeks is due to vacation. Me and the kids and Hope (my BFF's daughter) went to Biloxi for 7 nights. We met Leslie and kids and Jennifer and kid down there. Our condo was quite possibly the nicest place I have ever stayed in all my years of traveling in and out of the country. It was huge, 2300 sq. ft. and had 3 bedrooms and 3 baths. The decor was amazing!! I want that same condo every summer :). The beaches down there were so nice and quiet. It is obviously not the spot to go for your high school or college spring break, but for families and kids this was the best spot. There were no crowds - hardly anybody on the beach or at the pools. The water was very shallow like a bay (even though that is not actually a bay). The kids could walk out forever and not be past their waists. We loved it!!!! On the way home from the beach we met up with Bill & Kim and took all the kids to the water park in Gulf Shores. I knew the big girls would have a blast, but wasn't sure about David. He loved it too and did fine. He is such a great swimmer and loves the water so much that is was really a non-event as far as worrying goes LOL.
Leslie caused a scare for us with her pregnancy and had to leave early to come home. Praise God that all is ok and she and baby are doing just fine. We really enjoyed the short time we had with them and were sad they had to leave.
Jennifer & Paul stayed with us the whole time and the boys had such a wonderful time playing. We are so sad that the live in Houston now, but it warms my heart that we are still able to get together and watch our boys play. We are planning to vacation with them once a year so the boys will always know each other and so we can hang out!!
Emily and Hope had such a good time and were such big helps on the trip. Give these girls food, a comfortable place to sleep, Internet access and a look at a cute boy every now and then and they are content LOL.
Here are tons of pics.
Leslie caused a scare for us with her pregnancy and had to leave early to come home. Praise God that all is ok and she and baby are doing just fine. We really enjoyed the short time we had with them and were sad they had to leave.
Jennifer & Paul stayed with us the whole time and the boys had such a wonderful time playing. We are so sad that the live in Houston now, but it warms my heart that we are still able to get together and watch our boys play. We are planning to vacation with them once a year so the boys will always know each other and so we can hang out!!
Emily and Hope had such a good time and were such big helps on the trip. Give these girls food, a comfortable place to sleep, Internet access and a look at a cute boy every now and then and they are content LOL.
Here are tons of pics.
Back Surgery Part 2
Well I think the last update I gave you guys I was heading to the surgeon to go over my latest MRI and decide what the next step would be. Well that next step is surgery again. I know many of you are saying - what - again? Don't do it, etc. So let me give you a little info.
I knew that this time the pain felt different. It was as intense, but just in a slightly different area and different sciatic nerve reactions. The first surgery was to repair L5, which had a herniated disc and broken piece was pressing the sciatic nerve. That surgery worked - that problem is still fixed. I mean it will never be what a person with a healthy back has, but for me it's fixed :)
As soon as doc and I sat down to go over the new MRI he said, you did a really accurate job of describing how this is different and you are exactly right. The problem this time is L4. Same deal - herniated and broken piece pressing sciatic nerve. So - we have to go in there and get that piece off the nerve.
The MRI showed us that L3 also looks really bad. The Degenerative Disc Disease hard at work. Sadly - there is nothing he can do for that until it actually breaks. We are going to work very closely together after this surgery recovery to try and insure I don't herniate this one. But I would assume at some point I will be having that one repaired as well.
My surgery will be done on Monday the 24th and I'll stay in the hospital 1 night. From what I went through last time I won't be going into this surprised by the level of intense pain that follows surgery. It was horrible, but it does end (after a couple of months). And then things are so much better.
I knew that this time the pain felt different. It was as intense, but just in a slightly different area and different sciatic nerve reactions. The first surgery was to repair L5, which had a herniated disc and broken piece was pressing the sciatic nerve. That surgery worked - that problem is still fixed. I mean it will never be what a person with a healthy back has, but for me it's fixed :)
As soon as doc and I sat down to go over the new MRI he said, you did a really accurate job of describing how this is different and you are exactly right. The problem this time is L4. Same deal - herniated and broken piece pressing sciatic nerve. So - we have to go in there and get that piece off the nerve.
The MRI showed us that L3 also looks really bad. The Degenerative Disc Disease hard at work. Sadly - there is nothing he can do for that until it actually breaks. We are going to work very closely together after this surgery recovery to try and insure I don't herniate this one. But I would assume at some point I will be having that one repaired as well.
My surgery will be done on Monday the 24th and I'll stay in the hospital 1 night. From what I went through last time I won't be going into this surprised by the level of intense pain that follows surgery. It was horrible, but it does end (after a couple of months). And then things are so much better.
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