Reached the Limit

     As I've been trying to catch up on posts - since October! - I came upon a bit of a snag. 

I've reached my memory limit for my blog! I didn't know that could happen. Not even one picture can be uploaded to a post.

     I'm using some Christmas money to print the earlier years into book. I hit a bit of a snag there as well with our older computer that doesn't meet some needed requirments.

     But, I'm working on it and as soon as I can make some books I can delete some early blog years and finally catch you up on what's been happening in our neck of the woods.

Let me give you a bit of a recap (without pictures):

* Robert's birthday passed without a hitch. The camera had taken a dive to the floor and the screen stopped working. You now have to go old school and actually look through the eye-hole (and I'm sure it isn't called that). We didn't know if it was working at all, and Robert was fine with no pictures being taken to document him being another year older.

* The kids had a great time choosing costumes and trick-or-treating and had a fun time at the trunk-or-treat at church.

* All fall sports ended successfully and with Natalie's soccer team winning the tournament for their division and Alyssa running at the state cross-country meet.

* Alyssa turned 15 and successfully passed her test for her learner's permit. She takes a turn at the wheel whenever she can and is getting better. 

* We enjoyed a fun Thanksgiving week with our friend Paul, who came out to visit from UT - a trip to the museum and deep fried turkey were part of that week. The kids would come home from school and run, calling, for Paul - completely bypassing whichever parent was home. Robert and I didn't mind a bit.

* The first half of the school year is winding down and the kids are looking forward to the Christmas break. They have been excitedly getting gifts, wrapping and telling each other what they got for other members of the family. So far all gifts have stayed a secret from those receiving them.

Look for me back in full blog-posting swing in the new year! Don't give up on me yet.

WHAT??!!

I can't believe that I, I!!, haven't posted in so long! What is with this crazy - but good life!

We have been busy and I think of the blog all the time (glad not too many other do or I'd feel really bad).

I will catch up and post soon - please be patient.

Another Decade Passes

September 21st marked my 40th birthday!

As I was looking though a scrapbook a couple of months ago, I saw pictures of my 30th birthday. Robert had decorated the whole kitchen in black - balloons, streamers, the works!

I realized that if I was over the hill at 30, I was going to have a party at 40!

I had a "Sweet! I'm 40" party. I made all my favorite desserts and invited a whole bunch of friends (lots who also brought their favorite sweets) and celebrated!

 Above is the main table, but there were a couple of other smaller ones around with more goodies on them! Every ate and visited and had a great time! I loved the whole evening.

A very happy birthday for me!

 To top it off . . . the area rug I ordered came 30 minutes before the party began (because it was also a new living room welcoming party).

 Robert had also brought back some of his benches and the side table, below, from an art show that had just ended. It looks great next to the chair and with his grandpa's pot on top.

We had so much fun - a friend of mine said I should turn 40 every year! But why wait until next year, my mind is already planning our next gathering!

Staying Busy

While I was getting my living room done, the rest of life continued on.

Sports have started - Alyssa in cross-country, Natalie and Logan in soccer, and Jake in baseball.

Soccer games started a couple of weeks ago - adding to the excitement of our time at the fields.

Logan is a young one on the team 

and having fun with all his new friends.

 One of his teammates is a friend from church and who is also just a grade above him at the same school. It great having someone he knows on the team and friends, his parents, for me to chat with during practices and games.

 Natalie's games have started as well - her's start later, but are only an hour compared to the 1 1/2 hour practices. Still a late night, but not as late which is nice.

She plays mid-field and is doing great - even scoring a goal in the last game!

 

We thought we might not have their first games (the ones pictures in the post), since the weather was threatening all day and into the evening - check out the clouds above the soccer fields that night!

 School activities add to our busy evenings and we try to go to as many cool things as we can.

The middle school had a science night and we were able to swing by before going to Natalie's soccer game.

They had a lot of stations with science things you could test out.

Below is Logan trying to control a foil circle with a static electricity wand.

 It tries to get away from him, but he got it.

 They had a star lab and "guess that smell," a hover craft, and more.

It was the first year the middle school put it together and we're looking forward to it again next year!

Natalie has been spending a lot of time baking - to "encourage" her fellow classmates in her homeroom. First to vote for her for student council (she won) and then to provide incentives for the first fundraiser.

Chocolate chip cookies work great! 

School work and projects, church activities and cub scouts round out our busy schedule.

I often say it's crazy busy, but good crazy busy and I'm glad we don't have anything else in the mix right now.

Once Envisioned, Now a Reality

 Four years ago I saw a picture of a living room and I loved it! 

Yellow on top, red on the bottom, split by a chair rail.

This summer, I planned to transform my living room once the kids were back in school
- 6 weeks later it is DONE!

Here is before:

 And after!

 

In between was a lot of work, some waiting, and some frustration, ok more than just some frustration. But the room is done and it makes me happy every time I look at it or walk through.

Below is the in between stuff, if you want to read on.

 I think taping is one of my least favorite and most time consuming parts, and taking off the tape is one of the most frustrating - but it must be done, right?

 Once the priming gets going I get in a groove and become excited about what the room will be.

Since the crown molding was also painting, I had the added joy of repainting that as well. I do like it painted, though, so it was worth it.

 Below the room is primed and taped for the color divide. 

I also have the crown molding done.

 

I must have just taken a deep breath once I got the color done, because I didn't take a picture of that part except for this one when Alyssa wanted me to take a picture of her wearing a t-shirt her friend from Sweden sent her (the American flag t-shirt is very popular over there).

 I waited a long time for the chair rail - this was the most frustrating part to me. Almost there, but not quite finished.

The local Home Depot (where the chair rail I liked was) kept NOT having it in, even though a truck came twice and it was on order. I finally drove an hour each way to the next closest Home Depot where they did have it stock!

I got it painted and ready to go. Putting it up involved having a free evening along with Robert having a free evening - that took over a week as well.

 Robert and I went on many searches for furniture - our couch with the stuffing showing through the arm was exiled to the basement! We went back to square one with furniture a few times and I know where every furniture in a 60 mile radius is!

I finally made the purchase of the couch and accent chair (the green recliner will move downstairs once we get another chair to put there). I was so excited to have it delivered!

The chair rail went up this past Monday and and I finished final paint touch ups Tuesday.

 Things are back up on the walls and curtains are up!

 My area rug comes tomorrow, just in time for my birthday!

I'll add that picture later.

 I gave myself my birthday as my deadline to have the living room done! 

Deadlines are good.

Happy Birthday to me!

New PR

 Alyssa has been thoroughly enjoying cross country this year.

Last Saturday was the UGA Invitational - a huge meet with university and high school teams.

This picture of the starting line for Alyssa's 5k race shows only just over 1/2 the whole line.

You can actually see her in the group of blue runners (her team).
I marked her with the arrow.

 She ran strong the whole race . . .

. . . and kicked it in at the end for a new person record of 21:55!

Rain, clippings, and second plantings

We've been having a lot of regular rain. We even had a wonderful slow rain for a whole day - my yard has loved it and has greened up again after the hot days of summer.

Unfortunately, the rain has been such that I haven't gotten to cut the grass very often.

After mowing the lawn, the last time, I was amazed at how many clippings there were.

 The rain has also been great for the garden.

I had to pull a lot the garden out after the very hot weeks we had and then pouring rain.

Some of the tomatoes were bursting on the vine because of the sudden rain in July and I could only scoop up tomatoes off the dirt and toss that vines. There were obviously many seeds that were missed as you can tell by the new forest of tomato plants I have growing in the garden!

Even in the rocks of the terracing.

 I did plant some tomatoes on purpose and those are starting to produce my second harvest - I'm so excited! I got the first ripe tomato off the vine yesterday!