Happy Turkey Day

I love this time of year - family, food, and fun. We were happy to have all our kids with us for the weekend. Thanksgiving was a great start to the holiday season. We ate with John's family this year at Julie's house. Poor Johnny woke up sick with the flu and didn't eat a thing all day. He had to wait two days to have a little turkey dinner. Here are a few photos from the day:

Poor sick Johnny. He gave me the flu two days later. Yuck.

2-year-in-our-house anniversary

This month marks two years that we've been in our house. We love it. John has accomplished a lot in two years. I'll give him the credit since it's all his hard work. I've been supportive and fed him, etc. but he's really done it all (with a little help from his family).
Let's start with the outside. When we moved in, we had lovely green grass everywhere. This is a view from the back porch looking left and right.

We've made a few changes. We planted 20 arbor vitae trees across the back fence to give us some privacy. The left side of our yard now has a green house that houses our hot tub. John covered it with lattice for privacy. The right side of our yard now has a 10'x20' shed. We did have someone else build the shed, but John insulated and wired it, and hung wood siding inside. He'll build shelves on one side and leave the other side open for a workshop. He's a happy camper. The place where the grass is cut out is where our patio will be extended next spring. We'll also be extending the driveway on the side of the house.

Now for the inside of the house. When we moved in, our basement was completely unfinished. When finished, we'll have a family room, storage room (completed and in use), bathroom, billiard room, John's office, my craft room, and a bedroom. John has spent many hours downstairs. He hopes to have it finished this winter. He has done every single step. First came the framing, wiring, and plumbing.
Next step: insulating. Thanks for your help Jake.
Next step: hanging sheetrock and taping.
Next came texturing and finish work. John is doing some cool crown molding, chair rail, base board, and boxes. Each room will be unique. He has started painting the first two rooms: his office and my craft room. Then we'll add carpet and furniture. I can't wait.
This will be John's office (above) and my craft room (below). I'll have lots of shelves and a few cupboards plus a large table top to scrapbook, sew, whatever I want to do. Very excited about that!
I'm so grateful for Johnny's talents and skills. His forethought has been incredible - it's way out of my realm of thinking. We love our home and look forward to enjoying it together for the rest of our lives.

Lunch with friends

Yesterday I went to lunch with my friends (l to r): Barbara, Carrie, and Christie. We all taught together at Manila 11 years ago and it was always a party. Three of us have birthdays in July so we usually get together then, but we missed it this year. We definitely need to get together more often. Friends and food, a fabulous combination.

Baby Anne

Last Saturday I spent a few hours at my sister Tanya's house. This is her baby Anne. Isn't she a doll!

Facebook

A few weeks ago, at the suggestion of my sister Jill, I created a Facebook account. After all the bad rap about My Space, I have to say I was very wary. And now, I'm a Facebook junkie. Well, probably not a junkie, but I'm always curious to see who I can find or who has found me. I've reconnected with people from years and years ago. I find it very interesting. I'm not sure how I can keep up with a blog, Facebook, e-mail, voicemail, and U.S. postal mail. Maybe one will have to go. Hmm.