Living Today

I like today. Today I am excited about a new move and a beautiful new home. There are details galore, and a tiny bit of fear that it all won't happen in time and we'll have to scramble to rearrange our move time. But those details give me extra purpose in my day, and plenty to think about. So I'm enjoying today more than usual.

I'm notorious for dreaming about the future and commemorating the past. I love photo albums and special dates and lists of goals and daydreams about what my children will look like in ten years. But I think life is best lived today --- I'm just not that good at it. Except right now. I'm loving today and relishing all the anticipation and fun of putting together this huge moving project.

Today is a visit to the pool supply store and Sears to choose appliances. Today is taking my nieces' left-behinds to the post office. Today is choosing grout color and an alternative tile since our earlier choice isn't available for another week. Today is quick lunch and grocery shopping and calling my parents and friends for meals after the move. Today is kids playing together and watching Pink Panther and "The Muppets Take Manhattan" and going for another swim - the sixth in a row since we got the new house key. In fact, today is now mostly over. I packed more boxes, checked on the paint (both kids' rooms have their first coat), and made baked pasta for dinner.

Whether tomorrow brings successes or failures toward our upcoming move - or something totally unrelated, I hope I enjoy it and thank God for every second. And whether I dream or reminisce, I know I'll enjoy even that - but most of all the "now". It sure doesn't last very long.

And speaking of not lasting long, here's a photo unrelated to my post - but cute nonetheless and capturing John in his brief stint as a two year-old.

Paint Fumes? Or Pure Joy?

I can't tell if I'm feeling deliriously happy because I've been sniffing paint, or because I'm watching our new house turn into OUR new house.

Today was day three of home-ownership in Nevada (let's not forget we are still homeowners in California). I began day three by walking to the new house around 6:30 a.m. to shop-vac wallpaper scraps and climb a ladder in the downstairs bathroom to scrape MORE wallpaper border off the ceiling. It sucked. I'm sore. But it's done, hallelujah.

The nicest painters in the world appeared at 7:22 a.m. and went right to work. I am glad to report that the once-golden-barfish-brown loft is now a pleasing Rustic Taupe. And the lighthouse-border bathroom, stripped of its lighthouses, is Alaskan Skies. Our master bedroom, devoid of the burgundy chair rail, is Magical Mauve.

After some price-comparing that put a lot of miles on our car and minutes on our phones over the past weeks, we chose our carpet/tile company and put a deposit on the flooring this afternoon. Plus Kevin spent a little time online researching his "school room" vinyl floor project which has to happen early next week before the new carpet arrives. I'll take photos of that for sure.

To conclude, some progress photos of the plaster.
First, the "before" photo:

Next, I photographed a little of the mess. I do mean a little. It was much larger, but I had to sweep frequently so the little blobs of damp plaster didn't stick to the wood floor. I was using a squirt bottle, a wood chisel, and a rag to scrape this stuff off. You can see, if you look closely, how badly I gouged the drywall. I am relying on the expertise of my formerly drywalling husband and the skills of the painters to cover up my violence. All the damage running horizontally beneath the pattern is where I tore off the chair rail.

Finally, I enlisted Kristi's help toward the end of my job. I should have hired her MUCH sooner. This photo makes it look almost pleasant and fellowshipy to chisel plaster. I assure you, it isn't. I should have had Kevin take a picture when my forearms, pants and shoes were covered in white dust.

More tomorrow! I feel like HGTV, and that's pretty fun.

Work!

There's something to be said for manual labor once in a while. At least I sleep really well when I work!

Woke up at 5:30 knowing I wouldn't go back to sleep. With a pool fence installer, a painter, a floor measurer and a locksmith due at the new house within hours, I showered and dressed ridiculously earlier than normal.

Now, many many many hours later - I am proud of all we accomplished today. I'd post a photo, but I left the camera at the house.

The two highlights were scraping plaster frou-frou decor off an entire wall in the living room and wallpaper off the exceptionally high bathroom ceiling. Do you know very many people who put wallpaper border on a ceiling? I don't.

Last night, Angie and Kristi were my heroes for joining me in wallpaper scraping and chair rail demolition.

Bright and early tomorrow morning, a professional painter and his crew will start the home makeover. I can't wait!!! It seems wondrous we'll have a house that will be so much our taste.

I'm listing the paint colors we've chosen - see if you can guess which room any of the following colors will paint.

Bunny Tail
Alaskan Skies
Magical Mauve
Midnight Garden
Rustic Taupe
Bachelor Blue
Plum Wine
Red Red Wine
Fresh Thyme
Frosted Garden

We're In!

Just got the keys a little after 3:30 - hallelujah and praise the Lord!

As soon as Kevin gets home, we're going swimming!

Nervous & Anxious

Instead of worrying, we are to pray about everything. I'm praying a lot these house-buying days, but I'm still nervous and anxious. Both Kevin and I barely slept last night. We are supposed to get the keys to our new house today. I think I will cry if we don't, and I'm sure I'll cry if we do.

I got us out of the house to Target this morning. Bought some pool stuff for the kids (and some swimsuit cover-ups for me - I plan to start LIVING in those things).

Just talked to the realtor and she said the key handoff won't be before noon, but later this afternoon most likely.

There are drywall supplies in the back of our van, and painters and locksmiths and carpet measurers standing by. All I'm thinking about it pulling down chair rail and wallpaper border. Bring it on!

I Shoulda Guessed

In 12 years of being married to Kevin, and four years of friendship and dating before that, he has never criticized any of my clothes.

Last Saturday, as I suited up to take our kids to a splash park with friends, I put my new shorts on. They were six dollars at Target, are BRIGHT green and have a pink stripe down each side. Kind of preposterous from a fashion perspective, but they were cheap and I purchased them expecting to only wear them running.

He cornered me in the closet and told me as gently as he could that he didn't like them and wanted me to change.

I found something else to wear, but it caused me a few tears. It seemed so unlike him that I thought I must have looked exceptionally terrible.

Less than half an hour later, we arrived at the park and it seemed like nearly everyone I've ever loved was standing in a group and shouting, "Happy Birthday!". Friends from past and present, near and far. It brought tears to my eyes, and readily explained the issue with the shorts. I'm guessing he didn't want me to look too "Target Clearance Rack" for a surprise gathering of my 100 closest friends. (Unfortunately, my Henderson Libraries 5K t-shirt passed his inspection, so all my party pictures are taken in that sloppy article of clothing.)

Kevin's parents served a scrumptious meal, but I barely tasted it because I was so emotional. It was VERY bizarre to sit at that splash park and look around to see friends I haven't seen in YEARS mingling with current buddies and other folks. I loved every minute and it was over far too soon.

Now, over a week later, I'm still glowing. And still trying to decide whether to scrap those Clearance shorts. I shoulda guessed something was up!

I love my husband.

There are lots of pictures, but these two capture some crucial moments.
Here I am after seeing all the friends lined up at the edge of the park. I promise I wasn't just emotional about being dressed too dowdy -- it was mainly all those great faces!!! I couldn't believe they all came to celebrate with ME!


Kevin (with lots of contributors) made me a beautiful scrapbook for my birthday. I never would have thought he'd tackle digital scrapbooking before me! I enjoyed looking at some of it at the party, though it made me cry all over again. The crown is compliments of my sweet friend Janice who came from Yucaipa! And yep, I wore it nearly the whole party.

FORTY!

Today is the day! I'm forty years old today. Life is amazing.