Kitchen Tile

Here are some photos of the kitchen tile after it was all cleaned up. We still have to build a wall behind the new cabinets, stain the new cabinets to match the existing ones, build the frame and the deck for the countertop and tile the countertop. Not to mention replace the baseboards, stain and install new toe kicks and replace the cabinet trim we removed, and install the new pendant lights over the new cabinets. If it sounds like a lot - IT IS!!!



You can see by the photo of the front door that we have to replace baseboards there as well. Plus, we have to sand and re-paint the door. It is so nice to have a dog destroy something nice, isn't it?


We got some price options for carpet today. It will be about $5000 to replace the carpet in the whole house. We will be saving for some time...

But at least hopefully the kitchen will be done in a few weeks, and that will have some sort of completed feeling in that part of the home anyway.

Jenetta's Freebie Site

I don't know how many of you are aware of Jenetta's new hobby. Our current financial situation has forced us to be a lot more careful with our money. I think the discipline required by this has been a good thing for us to learn. We sure were wasting a lot on frivilous things when our income wasn't in question.

Jenetta has always viewed saving money as kind of an entertaining game for her. That game has grown into a blog that she updates daily. Maybe someday this will be a money-making enterprise for us. But for now, it is fun for her to earn a few extra dollars a day by seeking out and reporting on the good deals out there to be had. Check it out:

http://www.frugalfreebiesanddeals.com/

Kitchen Tile

One of my friends reminded me today that it has been a while since I've posted to the blog. I've been really busy and haven't found the time to get around to it. But I have been storing photos and thoughts for some time now. Here is what has been going on in our home:

Jenetta has been working a bit more lately. She is doing a lot of networking and has had a number of photo sessions for a variety of clients. She also told me the other day that she feels like she is "nesting." This has lead to the beginning of a project in our kitchen.

We made a decision a while back that we would no longer be going into debt to finish our home addition. If we didn't have the cash, we wouldn't do the work. Basically, due to our current financial situation, this has led to a whole lot of nothing. We have had ripped up vinyl flooring in our kitchen, carpet scraps around the couch and TV area and in our master bedroom, and unfinished concrete everywhere else. It was starting to get depressing - like we would never be able to make any progress again. It has also led to the scaling back on our plans (which is probably best for our home and the housing market anyway). Hardwood floors throughout was downgraded to hardwood only in the kitchen and dining room to hardwood only in the kitchen to tile. We decided to go ahead with the tile because we could afford it, and we could do the work ourselves. My parents decided to come down for the weekend. It was a lot of driving for them, and we really appreciated it!!! We could not have done as much as we did without them.

As you can see from this first photo, we finally added our peninsula cabinets. We went with stock unfinished cabinets that I am planning on staining to match. For the near future, I will make a tile countertop to match the other counters, and this peninsula will have pendant lights and some stools in front for a seating area. I probably won't have any photos of the finished product until June sometime. I still have to build a wall and cover it with drywall for the backside.

My dad did all the cuts on his tile saw. We kept the saw inside because it was about 1000000000000 degrees out on the deck!!!

My mom helped out with a lot of the cleaning. But here she is taking a break with the dog.

This is how I look after a whole day spent on my knees - pretty pathetic!

We also tiled the front entryway, and it looks really nice. I should finish up the grout tomorrow, and I'll post photos of the finished product when we are done.

The British Open

Last week was really busy for me after the infomercial week. A lot of my clients waited until I got back, so I actually did some normal work for most of the week, and I was able to squeeze in two pretty nice side jobs. But I was very glad that I was also able to make room for The British Open. David and Ryan are involved in a frisbee golf league. David even has a website for the tour: www.updga.com (The Ultimate Pro Disc Golf Association).

We started Monday night with fish and chips and beer at Churchill's pub in San Marcos. Every time I drink Guinness, I think, "I really don't enjoy this. I guess I should, but I don't. So why did I pay six bucks for this?" So, I asked the waitress for something for people who don't like beer. I had a cider drink that was very sweet. Everyone mocked me for ordering a girlie drink. But at least I enjoyed it this time!

Andrew informed us that he had just come from asking Amy's dad "The Question." Those of you at GVC know how that turned out. We were really happy for him and we toasted his forthcoming nuptials.

Tuesday morning was the first two rounds. Here are some photos at the first tee in round two. Almost all of us did a lot better in the first round. I was surprised how tired I was after 36 holes. Richard is not featured in these photos because he had to leave after round one.

The final round was played on Wednesday. I had to work, so I only made it to the awards ceremony which occurred right between two jobs for me. Cris O'Bryon and Doug Kyle played in the last round, and David won the event with a solid par over the three rounds. Ryan placed second, and Geoff finished third.

I enjoyed the experience even though I really suck at frisbee golf. Basically, I need to figure out how to throw the stupid thing farther. Everyone out-throws me by about 50+ feet or more. That distance adds up. But I improve my game a stroke or two each time. It is a lot of fun. Come play with us next Tuesday morning!

Nordic Walker Infomercial

I was able to work on an infomercial the first week in May. The product was Nordic Walker, or Nordic Trek Power Walking System. Basically, it is ski poles with special straps that allow for a cardio workout while walking. They seemed like an interesting product. The people who used them had a lot of nice things to say about them.

I worked as a production coordinator, which is very different from the AD work I've done before. I was responsible for helping out with the logistics. (Where are we going? How do we get there? What do we need to have in place when we get there? etc.) I had a lot of fun working with the production team, but felt a little strange to be so removed from the actual shooting. A lot of the time, I was in the production RV or running errands in my car. If someone were to ask me how the shoot was going, I honestly didn't have an answer. But the director and his team were able to get all the shots they needed despite only having one sunny shooting day that week. They were happy with our efforts, and the clients were happy with what our team provided for them.

I enjoyed the work, and I would enjoy doing it again. Production work is totally different from the work I've done before, but every time on a film set, I learn a lot, and enjoy the camaraderie with the people I work with. Here are a few photos from the third day of shooting:

Adoption Picnic

We've just returned home from our day at a local adoption agency event. We were able to see about 40 kids that are available for adoption right now. We got to interact with many of them, but we spent the most time by far with a family group of three: a boy, 7, another boy 4, and their sister, 3. They were so sweet, and it was beautiful to see how the 7 year old really looks out for his siblings.

Sadly, we do not have room for three, and the adjustment for us would probably prove too much. After 15 years of no kids around, just one will be a huge change!

But we did feel that there was a real possibility with two situations in particular. One is a four year old girl who is an only child. She will turn five in June. One thing that interests us about her is that she is connected to an extended family who love her and want to be involved with her as she grows up. We have been wondering about how our adoption opportunity might open us up to meeting people we never would have met before. We think God wants to use us in that capacity somehow - maybe as someone who reaches out to an extended family with acceptance and love rather than blame and rejection.

The other possibility is a group of two little girls aged 5 and 4. They seemed really sweet too. They have a lot of dental work because their teeth were neglected for so long. But their adult teeth should be protected as they grow in. Right now, they have these kind of cute metal-mouth smiles.

Basically, our process is to communicate our interest for more information for these girls. We will do that this weekend, and then it is all in God's hands after that. There were about 70 parents present at the picnic, so I'm certain others will also express their interest. My biggest prayer for the day was definitely answered, though. I still struggle with feeling sad about not getting the other two girls last month. Even though they are placed with a loving Christian family, I still feel sad about that loss from time to time. My prayer for today was that God would replace those thoughts (which are really pointless anyway) with feelings of love and possibility for others. That prayer was answered in abundance. Several times today I felt that any of these kids would be welcome in our home. They all need families!

So we wait.

Thanks for your prayers for us!