Day One

Today is the first day that the guys are away and my master bathroom project really moves forward.
I began some of the painting behind the sink area before Kevin left so I could get him to change out the old, ugly, builder stock light bar.  He had already taped and textured some spots on the wall that needed it. 

Sink area before

Sink area in process - base color and ragging begun.

I've managed to paint all the walls the background color which is a Satin Finish paint called Creamy Buttermilk by Glidden from the Home Depot. After I complete this with a couple of coats I will do a rag process using another satin finish paint called A Beautiful Beige, by Better Homes and Gardens I purchased a pint of this at Walmart since a little goes a long way with this technique.

Before- sink and tub areas

Before- tub and linen cabinet

Before- another sink and tub area shot

I'm hoping to finish the ragging process by tomorrow morning.  Then will start taping, lightly sanding and painting the base coat in what will be a multiple layering process for painting the laminate surface on the counter.  I've decided to try this rather than replace the counter.  Have done a lot of research about the effectiveness, the process and the how tos of this.  Think I'm ready.  If all else fails I'll just replace the counter which was the first thought for changing things out. I also plan to give the cupboards an update with paint and removing the hardware.

The girls stayed busy doing crafts and watching movies.  Needed indoor activities today as it was hot again outside.  I ventured out this afternoon to water the plants in the greenhouse and garden, and was quite happy to get back in the cool of the house.

Kevin and Cameron made it safely to their destination.  They got a chance to meet our realtor for the first time face to face.  Until now we've only dealt with her via emails or phone calls.
They walked the new property to find the markers left by the surveyors.  Then decided what they needed in the way of supplies for the work they plan to start tomorrow.   After dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's they called and we Facetimed with them before they headed to Patrick's house to get some sleep. Patick's driving in and will be arriving late tonight from Pennsylvania.

So Day One is almost done for us and it's been a productive day at that.

Journeys

Tonight we say farewell for now to Kevin and Cameron as they head out to Florida to check out the new house and get a few things done there.  After tucking Lauren in for bed Kevin spent the last couple of hours trying to keep Hannah consoled as she was getting upset anticipating their departure.

Finally the time to say goodbye came and it was sad seeing her so upset.  She just wears her heart on her sleeve and is so attached to dad and big bro Cam.

Once they had left I asked if she wanted to watch a movie.  Having just read the book Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm she chose the old Shirley Temple version of this story.  So we watched and she settled into life minus the guys for the next week.

Will have to have Amber over as she's alone for awhile too.  Eddie is with a leadership group touring several sister churches in Europe.  I grabbed a few shots they posted of the first stop in Feltre, Italy.

Eddie participating in their worship service

Photos around town

Will have to keep busy around here so the time goes quickly for us.  I began today on the master bathroom makeover to keep me busy.  It's not a radical one, just a much needed facelift.  Will post photos as I progress.  That's life here for now.

Bicoastal

We are officially a bicoastal family today as we close on a house we've purchased in Florida.  We've been property searching for some time in anticipation of where we would locate when Kevin retires.
We had several key things to consider in our search and this location met those.

The State needed to be retirement friendly, homeschool friendly and a temperature we thin blooded Californians could handle or adapt to.  So as we looked Kevin's brother Patrick kept telling him to look at Florida as they had bought a home there several years ago for vacationing and eventually retiring to.  Then a few months ago Kevin's mom and step father bought and moved to Florida. All in the Deltona area.  So we began researching properties and taking it as a family to prayer.  When we all made our list of what was most important to us it seemed the path to our new home just made itself clear. It's on 5 acres, but 3 of those are part of a lake so the just under 2 that are high and dry will be ready for landscaping and gardening.  I love that it has a lot of mature trees and gives a lot of much wanted privacy with a sense of seclusion though we're close enough to town for the kids to be able to participate in activities. Plus within just a few miles of family, Grandma and Grandpa are very excited about this.

The process seemed to come together rather quickly as we got serious about this particular location and today it became official as we closed on our new home.

Kevin and Cameron are heading out at the end of this week to check it out and begin the process of removing some really awful wallpaper in the kitchen and bathrooms.  Patrick and his son PJ will be going there from Pennsylvania to take the last of Grandma's stuff down to her and will be able to help get a few things done around our home.  It will be a great time for them all to visit too.

Our new house

Kitchen wallpaper that needs to go!

Our move there as a family is still some time off, but the market currently made the timing of this purchase truly worthwhile.  It also gives us a destination to focus on and begin to move towards.

Keeping Busy

Life seems to be moving along at a fast clip.  Cameron returned home from my parents much to the delight of his dog and sisters. It's good to have him back.











Have been busier with stuff inside as it's been HOT lately!!  So outside activities happen early then it's inside to keep cool unless we venture out to swim.

We've all had out turn in the dentist chair in the past month and a half.  Today was Hannah's turn.

July is flying by. Can't believe it's half over. 

Homemade Ant Bait

With the really hot weather we've had lately we have been dealing with ants making their way inside in search of water and food.  Hate these things!!!  They are so small that keeping them out is a losing battle.  So what to do when they get in?  I've been using my vinegar cleaner to spray and clean up their trails and try to discourage the scouts.  However, when I opened my pantry the other day and found a trail of them running the entire back side and covering a jar of maple syrup trying to get inside that was it, it's war!!

My plug for a trusty product.

Sadly I was out of a precious tool for fighting these critters.  It's Terro Ant Killer.  I like it because it's nontoxic and effective.  Needing it NOW and not wanting to go to the store for this only, I did an online search.  I know it's a Borax based product so I thought I could find something similar that would work.  Came across and made this:


Homemade Ant Bait

Combine 1 cup of sugar, 1 Tablespoon Borax and a 1/2 cup water in a saucepan.
Bring to boil and boil 3 minutes.
Let cool completely.  It will thicken as it cools.

To use you need to find where the ants are coming in and be able to place this bait on a piece of
foil, or shallow lid so that the ants can come and feed off it a day or so.  This way they carry it back to the nest and it kills off the colony.  It's the only way to keep these pesky things from constantly coming back in new locations and invading more products.

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After having them chew through a brand new bag of Raisin Bran Cereal a few days ago and ruin the entire contents I am anxious to clear these out of here. Once I located an entry on top of a cupboard of all places I cleaned the walls with vinegar to wipe out their trails and placed a lid with this bait in it and let them feed.  It is pretty gross to see the loads that line up to feed, but you know it's working as the numbers begin to thin, then disappear all together. 

Ants feeding on bait left on aluminum foil. I borrowed this image as I couldn't get a clear shot at the top of my cupboard.

This recipe proved as effective as the store bought product and with the price difference I don't know why I didn't do this sooner!!  Today was the first morning not to have at least a few scout ants running around. Since it only takes a few teaspoons of this stuff to do the job, I placed the rest in a jar and marked it "Ant Bait".   If they do show again, I'm prepared !

Hannahisms and Advice to Lauren

Over the years I have kept a list of what we refer to as "Hannahisms".  These are Hannahs version of what she thought she heard you say versus what was actually said.  Some are cute, others are really funny and I have a long list written down.

Just a few examples are the noisemakers she used at a friends birthday party.  She came home all excited telling dad about the "blow noisers" they used.

Overheard her telling Cameron one day when we were going to pick up In-N-Out Burger for lunch, "Yay, we're getting Inside Outside Burger".

Describing the condensation on the side of her water glass, she showed me the "consolation".

When she was little and Cameron would say something she was about to say she'd put her hands on her hips and say "hey, you stealed my talk!!".

I was reminded of all these this morning that was spurred on by a scary incident yesterday at lunch.
We've had a whole retraining program for eating with Lauren because of the way she would inhale her food.  The only thing we can figure about this behavior is maybe it wouldn't be there if she didn't finish it fast at the orphanage and the amount this kid could shove in her face at one time was unbelievable!  While in China we were shocked when she shoved an entire boiled egg in her mouth and then struggled to chew it down to a point she could swallow.  We realized then we had some work to do.

So for health and safety sake, as well as teaching her manners we have been working on cutting everything into small bite size pieces and making her put her fork down and completely chewing her food before adding another bite, all in an attempt to retrain her into slowing down and enjoying her food. 

Yesterday she and Hannah were having lunch and I was busy putting dishes up from the dishwasher. I turned back just in time to see her try to take a drink to get down the obviously oversized bite of hot dog she'd taken when my back was to her.  In the process it was clear it was stuck and she was seriously choking and couldn't get air.

I grabbed her out of her seat and before starting asked "can you breath?"  She shook her head no, so I got to work getting the food dislodged using the Heimlich manuever.  It took several good thrusts before I was able to pop out a huge chunk of hot dog that easily would have choked me.

After a few deep breaths she began to cry.  I held her and gave a hug and then lectured her stearnly that no food was worth choking like that over.

So now to another Hannahism.  This morning after showing Hannah how to perform the manuever herself,  Kevin heard her advising Lauren to eat her breakfast slowly, take small bites, but don't worry if she choked "I know the helmet movement".  I just love it.

Missing their Boy

It's funny what routines you get into in life and don't even realize what creatures of habit you are until those same routines change.  Fortunately these weren't the result of some outside circumstance thrust on us, but our choices for a temporary change.  I'd mentioned in my Travelling Kids post that Cameron had gone up to my parents to visit, help with projects and their VBS.

While he's gone the rest of us are stepping in to do what has traditionally been his "jobs".  That was expected and planned for.  What wasn't planned for was the strange emptyness that accompanies various times in the day when he might wander in to talk as he's hanging out again by the refrigerator for yet another snack.  : )  Or his entrance to share some joke, article or drawing he's made. In general, his interaction with each of us including the dogs who also miss his time and attention.  Bea our bassett hound with serious abandonment issues has been moping around terribly, she's taken to sleeping on his empty bed. 

Sad girl with those pathetic eyes and groans.

His sisters really miss having him around as he's a great big brother.  Hannah has taken to following me around like some lost puppy dog in his absense. We've been in regular contact and what has helped the girls has been to be able to see him as they talk to him on the iPad as we facetime in the evenings.

The girls talking with big bro after a swim to burn some their energy.

I'm glad for his opportunity for some time away and to visit with my folks, but I will be happy when he returns and the house seems to be back in order.  At least until the next occasion for changes in our routine!