Guess What we have...

If you guessed heat then you would be right. The guys finished up just before lunch. I told them i don't know what I'm gonna do now that they are done. It's been a balancing act with the dogs and doing laundry around everything going on.
The pictures are of the new kitchen that i got to use for Christmas dinner. It was really nice. The huge counter in the middle is sitting on some of the unfinished cabinets right now but will be a huge table with a shelf under when done. I absolutely LOVE it. Xmas eve i was done wrapping presents so i was baking. It was great having a place for all the cookies to have some where to cool before i moved them. The pictures are Mike & Brandon sanding 1 of the draws. The others are Isabelle & Brandon helping Mike make dinner. Patrick was just standing there when i took the picture. It's nice to have another thing to check off our list.WOOHOO!!

Happy Holidays

I managed to get all the kids to hold a dog and everyone to wear a Santa hat. Aren't they so precious...lol

Happy Birthday Brandon

Today Brandon turns a big 10 years old. We had a small party for him yesterday. He was going to have a red velvet cake but i told him to find something that would more suite him. He loves to cook. So he came up with a chocolate layer cake with chocolate frosting and the middle layer vanilla frosting. It turned out so yummy. He got a huge RC Jeep and 2 PlayStation 2 games. I can't believe my lil boy is growing up. This morning i took cupcakes to school for his class.
Tomorrow is the last day before winter break. Where has the year gone?

Happy Holidays

We managed to get the outside decorated and the tree up with all that is going on. Next year we will go back to a live tree.

Oh i hurt!

Yesterday i decided to work on the bricks next to the front steps. Lets just say I'm paying for it today. I was out there with the sledge hammer, flat screw driver and a regular hammer just trying to get the mortar from the bricks. This is the mess i created. Now i need to find new bricks to rebuild it. These were so old they wouldn't of held anything up.
Back to work. Kathie

So disappointed

I was walking the dogs down main street like i do every day when i saw a neighbor was coming out of his store. I stopped to talk a few minutes and he told me our picture was in the paper from the parade. I rushed home to tell Mike and to walk up to the local gas station to get a paper. We hurried to find it and was so disappointed when we did. I don't know why but they cut off Marissa and Grace. (click on the picture to see it bigger)

We are so excited!!

The guys are here to start working on the heat/ac. We weren't sure if was going to be today or tomorrow because they had to get the unit. But they showed up at 8:30 this morning. WOOHOO!! We haven't need any heat the past few days. Yesterday was almost 80 but today it's only suppost to be in the low 70's.
TTYL
Kathie

Busy weekend

We have been re-arranging the house so the guys can install the heat/av units later this week. Plus cleaning up where we have been working. Our little town had it's 3rd annual Christmas parade on Sunday and Brandon was in it for his school. We (the rest of us minus Patrick) were sitting at the corner in our chairs and some guy was across from us taking our picture. He was from the local newspaper and said we would be in it sometime this week. I will post the picture when it comes out in the paper. The picture of Brandon is him in the parade. He did not want us to take it. He ran away from me when i tried. I also added a picture of Casey & Grace with antlers that we were wearing.
Also i cut Marissa & Isabelle's hair. Marissa now has a cute lil bob. (she would not let me post her picture) And Isabelle i just trimmed a few inches off. Marissa & Patrick got their interums today (progress reports) wow. They both brought their grades up. I was so happy.
Ok I should go start dinner. Have a great day!!

I just had to post

Brandon made Principal's list this quarter. Which means he got all A's. He tried to play a trick on me yesterday when he got off the bus. I asked how he did and he said not so good with a frown on his face. I turned over the paper and it said Principal's list and he smiled and said i got ya. Isabelle's report card was also improved. She has come so far. She reads books all by herself and most of the time has a pencil and paper doodling or writing. I haven't figured out what we are gonna do for the good grades yet. Daddy's bday is next week and Brandon's is the following week then christmas. Oy!

Working on the kitchen

The mud isn't drying because it's cold so I was using the heat gun to dry it. The second picture is where Mike was filling the top of the wall with dry wall. After it's all dry and sanded we can start painting. YEAH!!

pictures of the animals

These are pictures of most of the animals keeping warm today. The current temp at 4:15 is 46 degrees. The first 2 pictures are Abbie the chug under Mike's heavy sweat shirt. She loves sleeping on the couch under it during the days. The 3rd picture is Lillie and Grace in their sweaters. The next is Casey under Isabelle's sweat shirt. The next is Max and Lola the cats and in the back round is Lillie and Abbie. The next is Abbie with Lola sleeping on top staying warm. The last is Casey & Lillie. Those are our 2 love birds. They are always next to each other. I hope you enjoyed some pictures of our animals.

We have walls....

Well kinda...lol Mike got the dry wall up in the kitchen area and taped and is working on mudding the last layer. He put the new door in last week and it looks wonderful. We found it at a Lowe's for only $31. It was a special order that someone returned and they sold cheap. It was just what we needed. We have smaller doors then normal.
I was planning on showing pictures of Mike putting each sheet of dry wall up but someone that will remain nameless erased them. So all i have are before and after they were mudded.The cat is the newest one to adopt us. His name is Georgie and will be fixed right after the holidays. He is the only male cat and the rest are female.
We may have the heat/ac start to be installed next week. We got about 4-5 estimates and found the best for us. TTYL Kat

can't find camera to update

So i have to wait for Patrick to get home. But Mike and I went to Lowe's this afternoon and took the dogs with us. Abbie (the 20lbs chug ((chihuahua/pug mix)) wanted so badly to get on Mike's lap while he was driving. The other smaller dogs are allowed so she thought why not her. So i snapped a pic of Abbie & Mike.

be back in a bit for major update.

Kat

Talk about crazy!

Things have been crazy with thanksgiving, school,working on the house, getting bids on a heating system, dogs, kids, laundry, cooking and so on and so on.

This was the first year we have ever had a holiday at our house. It was just Mike and I and our kids. I did a turkey breast on the rotisserie. (see mom we do use our Christmas gifts). I also cooked candied sweet potatoes, stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, corn and rolls. For dessert i made a sweet potato pie, a pumpkin pie, an apple pie and a pear/cherry cobbler. It was nice to all go around the table and say something nice about each other.
The next morning Mike & I got up and out of the house at 3am for black friday shopping. For the house we got the under cabinet microwave, extra washer, coffee pot, a 7qt slow cooker and a cordless drill(mike's was stolen out of his car when we lived in Chesapeake). I was disappointed with the kids toys they had on sale. This year the older kids want new mp3 players. Patrick's has basically died and they both want ones that hold a lot more stuff. Brandon has picked out a skate board that he want and Isabelle wants a Bratz mansion. We have gotten a few things so far. Mike & I decided not to get anything, our gift is the house that will keep on giving to us for many many years.
As well as working on the house I've been trying to decorate alil. So far i have a blow up santa and snowman on the front porch. I bought some garlin to wrap the columns in the front but i need to get lights to wrap too. I'm waiting for Mike to get the flooring and marble counter top out of the living room so i can put the tree up in there. This year we are putting up 1 of the fake ones we have, but next year we are going back to a live tree.
This weekend is the tree trimming in town and next weekend is the christmas parade. Brandon is so excited because he gets to be in it with his school.
Well it's almost time for the kids to come home and i have doors to strip and laundry to finish.
Have a wonderful day and stay warm.
Kat

The New Kitchen is...

coming along!!

The Wednesday before thanksgiving the building inspector came and inspected what was done. He gave us the go ahead for the next step. DRY WALL!! Mike wanted to get this awsome deal but it was a lot of dry wall. We need a lot but have no where to store it right now so we got what we need from a company in vabch. They delivered it for free and put it in the house. It arrived this morning. So Mike and I ran to Franklin because the new Lowe's opened today! You don't know how happy we are for that. We got the things needed to hang dry wall (screws, tape, compound,& sandpaper)

Mike is wiring the new microwave we got on black Friday. It's an under the cabinet and we got it for $35. I would tell ya'll about some of the other deals we got on black Friday but my kids read the blog and i don't want to spoil their Christmas. TTYL Kat

New windows!!

Mike has replaced almost all the windows. The first picture is the side of the house where we removed the porch. The top left window has not been replaced, the other 3 have been. The second picture our bedroom (top 2) the lower 2 is the dining room have been replaced. The third picture is the back of the house. All the windows but 1 has been replaced. (1 in the grandma suite hasn't. upper right window) The back is where Mike keeps all the junk. The fourth is the work room windows. (right side of the front porch) The fifth picture is the 2 front windows in the living room. The sixth picture is the inside of the new kitchen. New windows, insulation, electrical & plumbing. We may have a kitchen soon. The seventh is Casey, Abbie & Gracie looking out the window of the eat in area of the kitchen. The last picture is the closet under the stairs where we keep all the new lighting fixtures. It looks like the light department at Lowe's. LOL

I will write more later when i have a few more minutes.

tata

Kat

We are the animal house

What other kind of animal can we find in our house....

So far... the unteen bird nests, the mommy squirrel and 3 babies, a tree frog, a bird flying around, and the numerous cats and kittens that don't belong to anyone. So far we have caught 3 cats and found homes for 2 so far. The latest 1 was last night so she hasn't found a home yet.

We are still working on the house everyday. Yesterday we took the older kids to the orthodontist because they need braces. The evaluated them and took inpressions. Then we hit every Lowe's in the area. Got some really great deals. Then had to rush home because the 1/2 half of windows were being delivered. (20 of them) When we pulled up the lowe's truck was waiting.

Yesterday Isabelle said something funny. She was complaining that today was friday. When we asked why she was complaining she said because you make us work on our 2 days off a week. lol

Later Tators

Kat

When is it warmer outside than in??

When you live in our house. But it hasn't been to unbearable. We all wear slippers and sweat shirts in the house. Marissa & I were out on the front porch Sunday morning in our pj's getting warm. We have been so busy lately trying to get so much done. We spent Sunday organizing the house a bit so it doesn't look so cluttered. Mike is still working on getting the electrical & plumbing done so it can be inspected so we can move on. Then he can replace the floor joists in the hallway by the water heater and in the laundry room.(it's the room we are using as a kitchen right now)
Today i am off to get a pot rack for the kitchen that someone is selling for only $5. I'm so happy. Things are coming together slowly but they are coming.

Oh if anyone has tried to call my cell phone and got no answer it's because i miss placed it in the house. Call the house phone or Mike's cell.
TTYL
Kat

Email addresses

I was asked about our email address so people can email us directly. Mine i know is under my profile but Mike's isn't. So here they are

Kitikat469@aol.com

Irishdadx4@aol.com

Since my last entery

What has been going on. Let's see...Dogs & kitties are fine...Isabelle & Brandon are done with the dentist til their cleanings in February. (they each had cleanings and fillings) Marissa & Patrick also had cleaning and fillings this past week plus they need braces. So we go to the orthodontist at the end of the month. (all the way back in Chesapeake) I finally made it to Courtland to get Abbie a license.
Friday Mike & I went to Lowe's to get a quote on the final windows we needed. The were having a sale so we got $300-$400 off. But that went only until Sunday so Mike went back on Sunday and order them plus the wood to redo the front porch and the water heater.
Saturday Mike, Isabelle & me went to the Habitat for Humanity store in Emporia. It was ALOT smaller than the one in vabch but we got some doors. We need a total of 6 exterior doors (minus the front door we already replaced & the dining room door that we aren't). Most are smaller than the average size. (30" and 34")
Sunday the girls and i went to hampton rds for the day. I am a Craig's list freak. I love finding free things but next to nothing is good too. The deal i got was 10-15 pairs of shoes for Isabelle for $10.(they were converse, vans, etnies, some sandals and dress shoes) Isabelle loves shoes and changed about 6 times before we got home. We also went to alot of the local thrift stores.
Well i must being going grocery shopping now. Have a great day everyone!
Kat

Look what we got

If ya know me I'm always getting things from free cycle & Craig's list. Well yesterday i checked Craig's list before we left to go to grandma's and someone was offering tile. So i emailed them and left Mike's cell number. (when we aren't home we don't have email access) So while we were at grandma's doing a few things for her the person called and said we could have them. When we got there there were more than i expected. Isabelle, & Patrick helped load then in the truck. While Mike brought me bigger stacks he loaded in a box and i unloaded. The couple that were giving them away their 2 young sons helped us load them too.