CHRISTMAS DAY

We have been out of our house for awhile I wasn't able to post the Christmas pictures up. I had made the kids their PJ's and it was fun. The kids loved it and it was a nice time with all that was going on.

Here are some of the Christmas Pictures that morning. Family Gift was the "Guitar Hero Bank set" Damn wanted more Dinosaurs, Mindi wasn't more pillows and a mirror for her room, and Devon his skate board was what he really wanted. They each got a new Wii game and we exchanged names from our own family and bought each person something. It was a lot of fun. They said it was the "Best Christmas Ever" Hey.

Our House Update

BEFORE PICTURES OF THE
KITCHEN

During Construction this was our Kitchen and granite corner that was broken


Our new Granite Counter top

We have moved into our home a week ago now. We had to have a new color of granite picked out due to the batch of Vientien Golds being to "Pink" when it is normally a cream color with maroon in it. So Ben went down to the Design Center and picked out a gray, black color that looks great next to our stainless steel appliances. It looks like a whole different kitchen now. When they were installing it they were two inches short when they cut the slab so they had to do it again and was installed last Monday. On top of that every piece of furniture down stairs came off the

EACH OF THESE PIECES ARE BROKEN AND RUINED

moving truck and into our house BROKEN!!!! Yes every piece of furniture in which was bran new and hard to find, due from purchasing it in California or one of a kind and looked perfect in our home. Now its just stuff.....We are in the process of have the insurance come this week and look over the damages and well as what the out come will be. Lets just say that its a heavy price to pay back. On top of that the tile they redid looks so bad that you don't want anyone to come over anymore, grout lines are thick to thin any piece of tile you step on sounds hollow. Our banister to our stairs are still not fixed and will have to all be done sense it was hand stained. You can't do one and not match the other. We will be looking over that this week as well. I thought in back of my mind that having it all done would actually be better then the first time but I had to high of hopes that it keeps getting worse then better for us. I was able to get my car repaired recently so that doesn't look PATCHED back together. Although when they looked under the hood there was a lot more damage then we thought looking at it from the outside. We were with out two cars for almost two weeks. We can't even put pictures or decor back together unknowing what is going to happen and why sense we have to furniture in any of the rooms anymore. We still are in the process to see if our new TV will even work sense they stored it in the Office where there is 6 inches of dust. Just do it right the first time. It has not been a Dream come true in purchasing a home that you thought you would be in love with. I am realizing that there are times when you don't even care and want things to be simple and looking nice. Our home dose not look like that right now. The good part is that the kids appreciate their things and their rooms a lot more knowing that they didn't have them for 3 weeks. We want to thank our friends the Underhills for taking us in when we weren't sure where we were going to go. They have been the best. Thank you

We are still out of our home

Well there has been so much going on since Christmas. I haven't posted anything sense we had to move out of our house. I can't down load any pictures yet. We have been out of our home for two weeks now. The builder Richmond American Homes is fixing our floors that were sinking. There has been so many things that are broken and need to be fixed while they were working on the house so it became a bigger nightmare then when they started. Our granite was broken off on two corners of our Kitchen so we need all new counter tops. Our cabinets are scratched and have holes in some of them. The walls and corners have dents, scratches and some bashed in. The stair railing and side of our wall was completely hit and almost taken completely off. The railing is wood, and hand stained that is all scratched and will need to be fixed. Our pony wall was hit and is completely off. The tile that was to be installed had 8 boxes broken and needed to order more through LA and never showed up yet. The house is completely full of dust and the carpet has about 8 layers in it to be cleaned. So we are not sure when that will be completed. We have been staying with our friends who live around the block and the kids still able to get to and from school. Its been a challenge but we hope to see the end of it all soon........

More and More Snow

This was my drive way just to start shoveling. My Shovel even got lost in the snow.

We were told that 4-8 inches of snow was to come and we sure got it. The afternoon turned into these pictures. There were neighbors and other cars stuck in the snow. Push and pulling people out. They still haven't cleared the roads off through our community. Ben got really sick with a virus the flu so he was in bed all day. I went to the store for him to get some 7-up and medicine but in order to do that I had to shovel the three days worth of snow off the drive way to even get our truck out. Two hours later I was able to drive it out and an hour later come back from the store that was only maybe three blocks away. There was so much snow and traffic and of course it was around getting home time from people working. Today he is feeling a little better but not much. I just hope he can rest it off and sleep through the night tonight.

The boys were playing with the neighborhood kids all day for over 8 hours in the snow - CRAZY

Mindi in the drive way

The boys and Mindi walking home all wet from playing

This is the driveway as I just started to find the bottom of it.

The boys used the trampoline as a igloo and it was pretty warm inside. We thought the trampoline had to be put away but they used it for winter wonderland as well as the summer of bouncing.

Devon & Damon on top of the trampoline

This is Damon on top of the snow piles we shoveled. They went sledding down it

This is the driveway after the shoveling

Damon playing with the neighbors

This is in front of our house "We love the snow" Not, we miss the sunny California weather.

Another 4-8 Inches of Snow

We were going to go sledding, do some running around, or even spend some time with the kids while school break is out but then the storm came and will be here until 6:00 tonight. We are to get another 4-8 inches today. Ben woke up sick with the flu so I am hoping its the 24 hour bug. The kids are out playing in it, building forts and playing with the neighborhood friends. So we are in doors watching movies and staying warm. Here are some beginning of the day pictures.

Cinnamon Rolls for Christmas

We make Cinnamon Rolls every year for Christmas morning. The kids helped out and couldn't wait to eat one. They turned out really good and having a double oven I was able to cook them all at once with no waiting. We made 6 pan fulls so we will have them for a couple of days. Yum Yum they are good.

Caught Edgar

So we caught Edgar Saturday night after being at our friends house. He tried pushing himself off the sticky Matt. Yesterday afternoon while we were eating dinner Ben found another larger one so we are on the look out to get this one out now too.