Quite the Day

Today was a very unusual assortment of activities around here. First off, my girls helped my friend at church with her float in the Puerto Rican parade downtown. Here they are ready for the festivities:


I spent the better part of my day hanging out with a group of my cousins (and one cuz-in-law) on my mom's side. What a fun time we had!! We were supposed to be at the beach all day but decided to stay local b/c the weather was on the cool side. We went out for lunch and did some shopping.


Imagine my surprise when I came home to this in my driveway:


I knew my uncle was coming to dig today for the footers but my brain thought a "footer" would be a smaller dig, not some gigantic crater beside my house!! It's so exciting to anticipate what this will become.




The kids had a ball playing in the dirt. Aaron showing off something he found












Dirty, dirty baby. The kids were all so filthy, they all needed 2 baths tonight. A hose down and then a scrub.


Morgan was so excited to show me this little garden that she planted with the remnants of my shredded perennials.

New Layout

I should have posted this a few days ago... but this is the new layout of my kitchen! Yes, it is still a mess and there is some furniture that has yet to make its way to the basement awaiting a new home, but here it is. It feels so huge, it's amazing. Other than finishing up some electrical, the big part of the kitchen is done. There is still the island to build, mudding to finish up, painting, and the new floor to lay, but things are functional like this. Next week we are going on a retreat with the pastoral team and then we start the addition! Can't wait.
FYI... there were certain individuals who thought we have been living with a big hole in our house for days (Quay Hanna). Steve filled that in the day he ripped it out, just in case anyone else was worrying their pretty little head about it.

Generator

History was made today in our neck of the woods. Two 510 ton generators are being moved from Maryland up to Three Mile Island (power plant). Today's part of the journey was just a mile from our house. One of the benefits of homeschooling is being able to take the kids to something like this during the day. We all had fun watching it travel, it was a pretty impressive sight.

Our first view of the generator coming around the corner




This thing was controlled by a remote and had 200+ wheels


They had to construct a new bridge for it to cross over

Parade

In keeping with tradition, we got to watch the parade in Quarryville tonight. It certainly was not ideal parade weather (COLD and misty) but everyone still had fun.




Hanging on the playground before it started




Greta and her new eskimo coat. Kept her warm!

Today's progress

My hubby has continued to work very hard at getting our kitchen in its new order. This weekend proved to be very productive. He had to remove a window and move a door which will enter our new garage. This was the view from the living room this afternoon:


Shannon, here is the view from the steps that you requested (yes, that little wall will soon be an island.


Part of the new layout (yes, it is a mess!). The microwave is only temporarily in that spot. Don't you love the bulldozer by the wall. I think maybe Aaron thinks he is helping with the demo??


Good-bye window, hello door to garage






Greta's new shoes. 25 cents at a yard sale!


For only the 3rd time in 2 months Aaron "did his thing" on the potty. He got a helicopter today. He carried it around in his mouth while scootering. And no, my children are not normally outside in just their undies. Let's just say I'm a little behind in housework (no clean shorts) given the project that's going on!

Lover Boy

Last weekend my good friend, Jolynn and her family were here from Florida to visit. Their little boy, Jaden, is just a few weeks younger than Greta. Aaron sure does give the love.

Destruction has begun!!

It has been about 6 1/2 years that Steve and I have lived in our home here in PA. It's been a tremendous blessing to us in so many ways. It is our first home, we had always lived in small apartments. When we moved here this small little house felt like a mansion!! We have always talked about a desire to add on, mostly just a garage. The last few years things have gotten a little more snug as we have added more kids. We never really thought that adding on was an option b/c of finances. Fast forward to this winter when the economy got bad, interest rates went way down. Steve began proposing the option of being able to add on and actually being able to afford it. We were able to refinance our mortgage and borrow a little more and we are going to add on! I am extremely grateful to have a super handy man for a hubby. He will be doing (with free help from some other talented family members!) all the work except the HV/AC.
Things have finally come together for us with the bank and permit and all. This past weekend Steve began the destruction. He ripped open the wall between my kitchen and living room and will turn that into one big dining/kitchen area. We are adding on 2 sides of the house, a garage on one end and a new living room on the other side, and above that another upstairs bedroom. We will have a porch and someday a patio out the back. I am so stinkin' excited I can hardly stand it!!
It has been a mess around here, but it's working. The girls have been super helpful in doing dishes in the bathroom, eating off the floor, etc.
In 2 weeks, members of Steve's family will be coming to start the addition. I'm sure I will continue to have lots of pics and updates!!

Steve working hard to move the window 1 foot so it will be over my sink. What a view I will have!


The knocked out wall


Playing in an empty cupboard


School in the middle of construction


Aaron has had the kitchen sink and counter sticking out of his bedroom all week. There's no other place to put it!