Why I love my husband!

There are so many reasons why I love my husband. So many I can' t even list them all but I was reminded again today at how lucky I am. We met for lunch today which we do almost every day during the week. Yes, I know that is rare but we love spending time together and it works in our schedules at this stage of our lives. Well we met at the park - ate something really quick and then took our blankets and found a nice place on the ground. (well this is easier said than done) The first place had the sun shining right in Troy's face, the second place was by the trees in the shade and we were attacked by a million nasty bugs, however, the third place had our faces in the shade provided by the tree branches and our bodies in the warm sunlight. PERFECT! We laid there trying to take a power nap (ok he was trying to take a power nap) me - I just stared at him. Thinking - he sure is handsome and he is ALL mine. :) So I suggested we just snuggle and talk - he laughed at me and asked me what I wanted to talk about. We talked about the house - our evening plans - what are we REALLY going to do with the slant of our floor and then we ended up looking at the clouds and sharing what we thought they looked like. It was so nice to just lay there - be still - cuddle and enjoy each others company. I am a very lucky gal - to marry my best friend and a man that has such a desire to please God in our marriage and life. Thank you baby for taking time for me - for meeting my needs and wants - for striving to be the best, Godly husband you can be and for being my knight in shining armour.

Pictures!!

This will be our eat at countertop that is the bottom level of our kitchen.
This is the front view of our cabinets and its countertop. There will be an exact replica on the other side of the stove.
This is the top of the countertop on the side of the stove. It hasn't been sanded, finished or sealed yet. Freshly popped out of its mold and ready to be worked on.

Concrete Countertops!

Ok…so we’ve not been on hiatus, we’ve just been working solely on countertops since Labor Day weekend. And, quite honestly, I didn’t want to share a whole lot until I knew whether or not the idea of forming our own concrete tops would work or not. Of course, we’re not finished and they aren’t perfect, but I think we’ve resolved ourselves to the fact that they are our own and we’re going to make them work.

However, it hasn’t been without adventure. As most of you already know, Sherry and I are just kind of figuring this stuff out as we go. Having curved counter tops is probably not a real good starting point for beginners. But we’re learning and both of us come up with different ideas as we go. And, I think when we’re all said and done, the final product will be respectable. If nothing else, they will be original and serve their purpose.

We’re also learning about safety as we go. Hmmm…where to start…lets go with common sense. Rule #1) When working with concrete slabs, shoes (maybe even boots) are a pretty good idea. Sandals…not so much. One near trip to the hospital for the 4x8 sheet of plywood that fell on the my right foot, a trip to the Immediate Care facility for a Tetnus shot after a nail went though the other foot, and I’ll be wearing shoes or boots from now on. Rule #2) When using revolving tools such as drills, make sure the attachments are secure. For example, I decided that to give the tops a nice polished look it would be a good idea to buff the surfaces with an electric car polisher. In my first attempt, the buffing pad (which was rotating at somewhere near one million revolutions per second) decided it would be fun to fly off in my general direction and see how well I sound as a soprano. I’m doubled over trying to catch my breath, and with all of the compassion my wife could muster through her muted laughter she’s wanting to know if it’s ok tell others about my unfortunate and somewhat embarrassing moment. The outcome…we will stick with the matte finish on the countertops. Rule #3) Concrete slabs are heavy and moving big ones requires the help of good friends…Thanks for your help, Stephen!!!

The nice thing about pouring concrete and finishing it the way we have is that there is a whole lot of drying time. Sherry and I have been able to spend more quality time with each other and in the Word the last few weeks while the concrete and poly-acrylic sets up. With one bathroom done and the financing squared away, I don’t think either of us is feeling the pressure that we were a month or so ago. We’ll keep plugging away and update you as we make some more progress.

My heart overflows!!!!!!!

I have just so much to be thankful for and I think so often we go through life not recognizing how much we truly have. We have a God that did the ultimate sacrifice of His Son for us and he continually blesses us, guides us, protects us and loves us. The next incredible gift I have been given is my husband - you know you are blessed when you marry your best friend and there is no one I would ever rather be than with him. He made my birthday amazing in so many ways - going above and beyond surprising me with gifts - letters - cards - emails and time with old and new friends. We even travelled all the way to TN to see my dear college friends from Chattanooga. It was so nice to just get away for a couple days - relax and even sleep in. For those who know my husband you understand how that is a huge thing. :) I love you baby! My parents and sister came last week and were such a huge blessing in so many ways....there is something about family that is so comfortable. Troy and Dad were able to work so very hard on the house and get lots of stuff done and my mom and sister and I saved lots of money by going shopping. Here are some pictures of my family spending time with the Bolton's - yah I think this only encouraged the grandbaby itch they both have. So with all that - I encourage you to be thankful for we all have so much that we have been blessed with! And....go one step further....tell those you are thankful for that they mean so much to you.

Life is Busy!!!

What a whirlwind the last few weeks have been. Sherry’s “Nana” from England made a spur of the moment trip to spend a few days with us. Then her parents and sister made a similar trip this week. We hosted the dessert portion of the progressive dinner last Sunday night with probably 80+ people. And, last night, it seems that we pulled off a successful surprise birthday party for Sherry with probably close to 50 friends and family members.

While the family was here this week, Dad S. and I were able to spend some time working on the house. With the bathroom pretty well completed, we turned our attention to the kitchen area. We were able to get all of the framing done for the eat-at counter top, the cabinets, and the dishwasher. And while I was getting ready for last night’s surprise, Sherry’s dad made a built-in cabinet for the opening above the fridge. With her dad’s help, we’re ahead of where we thought we’d be at this point. We’ll start trying to figure out the countertops next week and work in electrical and plumbing as time allows.

For those you interested in last night’s surprise…it went off without her knowing about. I’ll let Sherry fill you in on the details from her perspective when she gets time. But I want to thank all of you who helped make Sherry’s 30th memorable for her by your notes, cards, and presence. Her birthday isn’t even until tomorrow, but she’s already had a pretty good time I think.