Salmon and Sinks

Our two older children are just ending spring break. They really enjoyed being able to sleep in and take it easy, although I did hear complaints because their friends were either out of town or enrolled in camps/sports practice. I tend to waffle between the two schools of "It's not my job to entertain you" and actively planning fun things to do during our down time. I guess you could say that we're sort of a mixed bag. Either way, I told them that soon enough they too would be out of town.

One event we took part in over the break was the Kokanee Quest http://www.govlink.org/kokanee-quest/ with my youngest son's Cub Scout den. It's a geocaching treasure hunt to help raise awareness about our local salmon population (unique to our area alone!), the Kokanee. This quest began at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery http://www.issaquahfish.org/ and we were treated to a class about how the population began and how it came to behave like it does. When our training was completed and we had answered the questions, we went on to find the cache. It was a lot of fun and I highly recommend looking into it, even if you don't live in the Puget Sound area.

As of today (since I'm a day late in posting. Sorry about that!) we have 69 days until we launch. We've been checking things off my checklists to make sure we're where we need to be. As the date gets closer, things get a bit more stressful. We are looking forward to the day when we head out of the driveway with the knowledge that everything is safely stored and the house is clean and ready for the new tenants. Then we can exhale and fully embrace our adventure. The kids are coming around. They're still not thrilled about leaving their friends for so long, but I have every confidence that once we're on the road, they'll be as excited as we are. Especially since they are going to help plan our side trips.

One house project I've been teasing you with is our upstairs bathroom remodel. Well, today is the day you finally get to see it! The hardware is still missing, but with the busy week my husband has had, that's totally fine with me. I'm going to show you anyway!

This is what the bathroom looked like before. My husband took these pictures with his phone. It was dated and just didn't flow well. The room had a door that separated the shower/toilet area from the sink and I had been counting the days until it was gutted. What a thrill when that day finally came!

Down came the doorway. Out came the old tile and cabinet. Out came the floor, until we were left with nothing but the skeleton. Then, the magic happened. The tile that we so meticulously selected from the tile store went up. The new, sleek cabinet and sink were installed. The sliding shower door was set in place. Then we just stood in awe of the new room. Is it weird to be so excited about a bathroom? Well then, call me weird, because I totally am! I find myself walking down the hallway and pausing just to look in. Our house is very Northwest-y and now the bathroom in in step with everything else. This is what it looks like now.

 

 

 

I couldn't be happier! It feels much roomier and is now a peaceful place to be. My husband did a great job. It's so nice to have this project checked off the list. Now on to packing...

 

- Jen

 



Renters and Quilts

We've found a renter! That means that we'll be leaving in 77 days no matter what. I had mixed feelings about showing our home. On one hand, it meant that we had to drop everything and let strangers walk through our house. Our sanctuary. They had the opportunity to criticize and comment on the home we love. They had access to our personal space and possessions. It's a bit of a vulnerable spot to be in. On the other hand, our whole family had to work together to make the house consistantly spotless and show-ready. It was really nice to enjoy it at it's best, with everyone pitching in to keep it that way.  Now that it's spoken for, we're back to "Whose day is it to do the dishes?" Oy!

I've been on Craigslist this week, selling all kinds of things that we don't need anymore. I love how it makes space in our home and also puts money in our pockets for things we might need or want on the trip. Our oldest son has a few items he's selling because wants to buy a certain laptop to help him with movie-making. He's a pretty responsible kid (proud mom!) and I have no doubts that he'll reach his goal. I love watching his process when making a big decision. He does extensive research on the item he wants and then looks for all the options to get it. Which brand and model are best? Does he want a new computer or would it be just as good to buy a refurbished one? Who should he buy it from? Is it really worth the money? Oh, if only we all (myself included) were that discerning about what we spent our money on! I only pray that he continues to use such wisdom in all his life choices.

We pick up our trailer at the end of the month and I'm just itching to get my hands on it to make it "ours". Like I said, we'll be packing only the bare minimum, but there are personal touches we can add to make it more comfortable (and fun!). I bought some trailer fabric to make pillowcases. It's the little things, people.... ;-) It's flannel and so soft!

Next week I'll show you the completed bathroom project. My husband has the before pics on his phone and I want to make sure you can really see the transformation. All we have to do now is add the hardware to the cabinets, which will be done this weekend. Instead, I'll show you pictures of the quilt tops that were finished this week. I'll be dropping them off at the quilter in a few minutes, which leaves only one more to finish before we go!! Hooray!!

This quilt is for my new nephew. I bought the plaid homespun blocks at my guild's annual show this year. I've been a member for several years and the members are seriously talented- like international show winners talented. Sometimes little orphan blocks end up in the boutique. Who am I to say no when they are calling my name? So, they came home with me and this is what I did with them. I think he'll like it. Plaid is always so homey. Plus, it works as great camouflage in case of baby "accidents".

I added some Moda graphic prints as borders. Dots make everything more fun!

This Alexander Henry print has been "maturing to perfection" in my stash, as Nan from Pots and Pins www.potsandpins.com would say. I love these cowboys! They're perfect for the back. I'm a big fan of Alexander Henry and their novelty prints.

This top is for the daughter of a dear friend. When her oldest was just a baby, he was diagnosed with brain cancer. It was a really hard time for their family and she walked through it all while pregnant. I made a quilt for her son during the hardest days to add what little comfort I could. I'm thrilled to say that he's healed and going strong today! In his honor, I'll encourage you all to make an appointment to donate blood or platelets. If this little guy can go through what he did, then we can handle a little bit of discomfort now and then. You might just save a life like his!

Now that that chapter is over, I thought it high time his little sister received her own quilt. Rainbows are so joyful, don't you think? This pattern is called "Tangled Tracks" by Kristin Gassaway for Connecting Threads. It was fun to put together. I see days of picnics on the lawn, blanket forts, super hero capes, and many other activities ahead for this little quilt! I'm so thankful that they're now able to enjoy the fun days- together. <3

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

- Jen

Double-Digits and Counting...

The fact that I'm a day late should tell you how this week went. I feel like I've been running from one thing to the next non-stop!

Cookie season is winding down for the Girl Scouts, so our daughter has been busy with site sales. Their troop leader is a cookie season dynamo and made sure the girls were organized and ready. If you haven't bought your cookies yet, make sure to pick some up quickly because this is the last weekend!

I love how the girls decide what to do with the money they earn. I wasn't in on the planning meeting this year, but last year they were able to buy over $300 worth of supplies for a local animal shelter- on top of paying for a trip to Great Wolf Lodge! It was amazing. They loved being able to make the calls on where their money was going. That's the whole point of cookie sales. The girls learn how to set goals, run a business, learn how to deal with rejection, budget money, and then plan where their money will go. All valuable experiences to prepare them for the future.

Our youngest son and I were invited to the retirement community where our new friends from the pool live. We were generously treated to a tour and lunch. It was fascinating to find out that the woman who gave us the tour was a doctor before retirement, and was the only woman in her class. We take so much for granted these days. Did you know that women didn't even earn the right to vote across the United States until 1920? That's less than 100 years ago!! What a wealth of knowledge and experience we have in our older generations. It's a shame we don't spend more time with them. My son was most amazed by a man who is 100 years old.

House improvements have been going full-steam ahead. When my husband isn't at work, he's in the upstairs bathroom grouting, or sealing, or scraping, or something. It should be complete within the week and is looking fantastic! I can't wait to show you! Below is a small peek.

The vanity counter was installed yesterday, and as I type, my dear husband is installing new glass doors for the bath/shower. The cacophony from drilling and the guys on our roof cleaning out the gutters is deafening. A small price to pay for the progress being made!

We reached a milestone this week. 100 days. We now have less than one hundred days until we hit the road. A little scary, but I have every confidence that we can be ready in time. Our first walk-through from potential renters was this morning. It's getting more real every day!

- Jen