Jesus loves big screens

A church near my house recently added a giant screen on the road-facing side of their building. It plays 24/7 with blindingly bright images and comments about Jesus and upcoming events at the church. However, every time I see it I start to reminisce and think "I really want to go to Vegas again". Somehow, I'm not convinced that this is the reaction they were going for.

Progress in pictures

Anyone want to guess how we're spending Memorial Day weekend?

Mommy-to-be

More kitchen pictures are coming, I promise. My parents are in town and we've been working extra hard. My mom, in particular, is knocking it out. Happy Mother's Day! What? I took her to brunch this morning before I put her back to work. 

Speaking of mom, it seemed like a good time to post pictures from our recent trip down to Houston for Nathan and Kelly's baby shower. The twins are expected to make their appearance next month, so it was time to throw a party. 

First, for the cast of instigators:

My mom, volunteerer of space, and supplier of beer (co-ed baby showers demand beer):

Lesley, party planner, chef, and balloon wrangler extraordinaire:

And Emily, party planner and maker of so many things adorable that you're going to want to hire her for your next party:

Need an example? What do you think of this?

Or maybe these?

Pre-party, Nathan and Peter were drafted into balloon decorating.

Lesley and my mom were laying out the snacks.

I was melting chocolate. But that story comes later. 

It was time to party! There was the normal party mingling, well wishes, and baby terror stories. On a side note, Kelly is about the cutest pregnant woman ever. She carries her weight in her belly the way every woman hopes they will before they inevitably spread out all over. Also keep this in mind: the two teeny twins on this date had a combined weight of a healthy baby ready to be born. She is definitely a champ.

As I was saying, there was much mingling and merry making. Then it was time to gather for some serious business: baby shower games.

These mostly consisted of trivia and sometimes garnered creative responses. 

We also learned a few things. For instance, I learned how many diapers a typical child goes through during the first two years of it's life. I've forgotten the specific number, but let's just say that my guess was off by several thousand. Terrifying.

Presents were gathered up while the group recovered from multiplying that diaper number by two. I think a few people may have shot looks of combined awe and concern at Nathan and Kelly. 

The almost parents got a good haul of baby stuff. Nathan was a huge fan of the collared onesies. I have a feeling the world is about to add some pop-collared kids to its ranks. However, it's hard to compete with the camouflage onesie complete with ruffles and a bow for their daughter that Kelly's parents gifted. This is Texas after all, and Kelly has some hunting trophies of her own.

Rob and I got them this little gem. I'd never heard of a wee block until it showed up on the baby registry, but once I saw it I knew we had to get it for them!

Think about baby boys and the control they must have over certain directional skills. Yep, that's precisely the problem this little gadget solves. 

Remember that chocolate I was melting earlier? Well I was disqualified from the last game of the day due to my insider look (pun fully intended) at the chocolate filled diaper guessing game! The basic gist of this game is simple - melty chocolate looks like poo. Have a glance in each diaper and write down what kind of chocolate you think is the filler. 

I wasn't sure how many people would be into this game. It is pretty gross after all, but it wound up drawing quite a crowd.

The competitive spirit also pulled people into a practical strategy, catch the scent!

Yes, this is my dad nose-deep in a diaper. Looks like grandpa is ready to babysit. 

Of course, there's always one person that takes it a touch too far.

Happy Mother's Day Kelly! I'm sure the twins will be a piece of cake after reeling in my baby brother these past years.

Kitchen Revision

Things have been a little nuts around here lately. In the never ending quest that is updating my late 70s home, we've recently entered the no man's land of kitchen remodeling. Of all the things I've wanted to change in this house, the kitchen has been the one to stare me in the face. 

From the original cabinets, complete with super shiny varnish,

to the faux butcher block counters, complete with burn marks,

to the dropped ceiling complete with the world's ugliest lights (one of which only worked when it felt like it, both of which let off a mind-numbing hum),

to the blue? grey? green? tile adding to the overall cave decor...  

Well, I was ready for a change. Thanks to my mom's love of a good house project, not to mention her willingness to supply funding for this crazy endeavor, we were ready to go.

And done. Let's go get a drink. 

Hmm, I'm not sure the cats approve of the new aesthetic. Thomas is such a perfectionist. 

Did I mention we do our own demo? By which I mean we arm my husband with a sledgehammer and tell him not to break anything he's not supposed to. 

I got into the act a little bit this time. Let's say, hypothetically of course, that you've been a teensy bit frustrated at work lately. A sledgehammer, some safety goggles, and some ceramic tile that's just begging to be busted up is a surprisingly healthy way to deal.

Just don't blame me for your sore arms and back the next day.

As with everything, though, Rob prefers a power tool. He took over the tile removal the next day with this:

As you can see around him, he enjoyed himself in a most productive way.

After that it was time to call in some professionals. Remember that giant mess we made?

We had an A/C guy replace that duct, a plumber reorganize some pipes, and an electrician rewire almost everything and add some outlets. Then a handyman came in to put up drywall as needed. This is how that process looked:

As you can see, we couldn't get rid of the drop ceiling entirely. We compromised with a 2 inch drop instead of the previous 2 foot drop. My mom has since closed off that opening and floated over it. 

Since we were replacing tile, we carried it out into the hall. 

This is the closet under our stairs that I'm planning to repurpose for larger pantry items.

Time for the first run of new tile. But wait, first I have to tell you about my brilliant idea and why people shouldn't listen to me. I was watching HGTV (this is how it starts) and I saw a kitchen remodel where they found linoleum under the ceramic tile they removed. Rather than rip up the linoleum, they adhered hardiback (concrete boards) to the floor and put new tile over that. Hmmmm, less scraping of linoleum pieces, leftover thinset, and remnant adhesive? Sign me up! The downfall to my plan has been that we, of course, have to cut the hardiback to fit each space. It took my mom and I an entire day to finish the hall. Stupid closets with your corners and small spaces! So here is what the tile looks like after you cover up my brilliant scheme.

I am so repainting the front door. The industrial grey is killing me. Actually, I want to repaint the walls in the hall and living room to coordinate with the new tile, but I'm told I have to finish this project before I plan the next. Do you see how I'm always being held back?

Onward, to the install of cabinets! Here are (dark, taken at night) pics of the first side to go up:

Oh, how I love that cherry color. Plans still to come include install of the granite countertops we ordered, picking and installing a backsplash, picking and installing handles on the cabinets, retexturing the ceiling, finishing the floor, installing the new light fixture, and generally putting things back where they belong. I'll post more pictures soon. In fact, the second half of my cabinets are being installed as we speak. 

In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy the wonders of eating out, microwave meals, and the convenience (maybe) of having my refrigerator set up in my dining room.