Before & After

Ever since we moved into our house seven years ago, we have wanted to change out the flooring. The timing hasn't been right for one reason or another, but then in February we were ready to bite the bullet. We had planned to have the floors replaced right after spring break ... then COVID happened. We had to push it back, which turned out to be the best thing because we changed course and ended up going with a local company versus a big box - so lots of wins. Here are our before pictures (with most of the furniture/decor already out):

 

 The crews started on July 3rd and finished on July 8th. We did our best to stay/play/work between the backyard and the master bedroom. We were on top of each other and really sweaty, but we made it work! During:

 

 

We are so happy with how the floors turned out. It was almost 1400 sq feet of tile/carpet removed and replaced with wood. It changes our whole house! After:

 Then, in the midst of our big changes, my mother in law suggested that our front door would look good in black. So I tackled that project today!

 I love the way it turned out! It changes the whole front of the house. Sara and I were proud of ourselves for installing all the new hardware, too!

That's probably the end of our big projects for a while. We'll complete this round with a new dining room table in the front room, which has been both play room and then piano room over the years. Now we're ready for it to just serve its purpose. The girls are still hounding us to making the informal family room more of a game space with a foosball table ... but that sounds like a job for Santa!

MN Road Trip: Summer 2020

Our MN plans were finalized last-minute this year, for obvious reasons. Between COVID, Jim's snip-snip, and the fact that I only have a few days truly off of work, we had to get creative, but we made it work! We hopped in the car the morning of June 20th, determined to be in Ames for the night.

 It was a long car day, but everyone did very well. We treated ourselves to dinner and ice cream at Hickory Park, an Ames staple.

 Sunday morning, we spent a couple of hours walking around campus. The buildings weren't open, of course, like they usually are, but it was a nice day and there were lots of people out walking the campus. We had a good conversation about the legacy of Jack Trice.

Regardless of whatever else is going on, this place is always beautiful. We love sharing it with our kids.

 It was Jim's first college visit! Although the main union book store was closed, a t-shirt shop across the street was open so we did our annual load-up before hitting the road for MPLS. The girls and Jim had frappuccinos from the Starbucks next door while Steve paid for the new goods.

 We rolled into Melissa and Adam's, welcomed by a heavy rainstorm, in time for a fun Father's Day celebration. Sara spent much of the evening counting how many times she could hook the ring.

I had to work here and there during the rest of the week, which was a bummer. But the beauty (?) of our current state of affairs is that really the only thing on our MN agenda besides being with family was being on the boat. And we made plenty of time for that!

 Of course Big Mable was, once again, star of the show! We all had some great rides. I was remembering that last year, Emma was scared to go out of the wake. This year, she did everything in her power to pull Big Mable outside of it and was constantly yelling, "FASTER!"

 

There's no fighting on Big Mable; only love and laughs!

We also enjoyed a couple of hot, peaceful afternoons floating on and around the lily pad!

 

 This picture makes me laugh. Three of us were posing for a family lily pad pic, while Emma fell right over the side (very likely on purpose).

 

Conveniently located just minutes from the boat is the Boathouse Bros. Brewery, which we visited almost everyday of the trip. The girls got ice cream from across the street, so delicious refreshments and good company were enjoyed by all.

 

The girls did take turns feeding Cal, but judging by Emma's face in this pic, you wouldn't know it.

 Really, who can honestly say that they don't love lake life? Not possible.

 

 

 As usual, Emma had to get in some band time. Unfortunately, we had to hit the road before the Saturday night neighborhood socially distanced gig. 

 Of course the highlight of all the highlights was spending time together and with baby Calloway. He's gotten so big! He loves to laugh and smile, and we are all in love with him. 

 COUSINS!!

 Can't forget the canine cousins! These two had a great time together.

Auntie had the girls spend an afternoon helping her make baby food, and they were rewarded with some slip-n-slide time. 

My whole world is in this picture. Love these people.

The week went fast and the goodbye was hard, as always. We headed southbound on the 27th, and allowed ourselves one more stop in Ames. We couldn't pass by without some Great Plains pizza. They were open for dine-in at 30% capacity, and because it was way too hot to leave Jim in the car, we sort of snuck him in. We sat upstairs (first time ever!) and were one of two dine-in tables. We're pretty sure the workers saw him, but they didn't say anything. Yay for summertime college workers!

 We made it to Joplin by Saturday night, then got up Sunday and headed the rest of the way. I always wish for more time, but also appreciate how even a few days with my people - not to mention the welcome change of scenery - help me recharge. And for those wondering if Jim is a good road-tripper...

...he assumed this position for most of the hours. We rolled into the metroplex under the same hard rain that greeted us up north, which meant all the road trip bug guts were gone by the time we pulled into the garage. So, yeah, MN Road Trip: Summer 2020 was successful on all fronts!

Is it already/still June?

A few weeks (months - who knows?) ago, Emma decided she was into origami. We ordered some origami paper and she went crazy making origami everything. Then she took a box from the garage, painted it, and made a little "under the sea" origami diorama. After it sat on our fireplace for a while, she was ready to throw it away ... but I had to take a picture first! I love her creativity.

 Calloway is 7 months! We can't wait to see him very soon. This *keeper* onesie has been waiting for him for SO long. Can't wait to squeeze and spoil this boy!

 The girls and I had to pick him up a new toy when we were at Target the other day. We went after Emma's scrimmage - three things on the list, spent a long time browsing, spent way too much money. It was a fun girls' shopping trip!

 Last Friday, we decided we could practice social distancing at the bowling alley. The girls each brought a BFF, and we had SO much fun. We bowled for a couple of hours, had some popcorn and pitchers, and then came home to swim and grill. We all laughed a lot and had the best time. It's so fun to watch the girls with their friends - especially the ones they've had for years!

This weekend, we are headed out on our MN road trip. I'm disappointed because I have to work quite a bit next week, but it's still my only "off" time this summer, so we are going to take advantage of it. We plan to get out on the boat and spend quality time with family ... plus enjoy a change of scenery. I cannot wait! Plus it'll be Jim's first road trip ... wish us luck!

Summer

Summer is bringing some sense of normalcy. Steve and I are both still primarily working from home, but the girls are in summer routine. We've had living room nest nights, lots of swimming, and even a lemonade stand today (they made $10!). 

 The girls decided they wanted to learn to skateboard this summer, so my mom sent them skateboards. They've been practicing daily on the driveway and the path behind our house.

 Of course they had to cover their boards with stickers!

 Steve is still busy grilling on the flattop. His set up is evolving...

 While we are living in times that are crazy on top of crazy, I think I enjoy the simple things even more. These two fight all the time and push my patience, but then sometimes they just toss balls and giggle. Those are the golden moments.

On Saturday, Emma went to a friend's house to celebrate her birthday. I went back and forth on it, but it was a very small gathering (Emma was the only friend invited), and I knew Emma was needing some social time. She ended up staying and playing for over four hours! In the meantime, Sara and I went to Target to browse. It was the first time Sara had been to a store since spring break - and also Emma's first outing since spring break.

 Sara had a giftcard burning a hole in her pocket. She bought these glasses, some scrunchies, and a plant for her room.

We've been doing a lot of living outside and loving it! We installed a new fan on the porch which works a million times better than the last one, and it's just so pleasant to change our scenery (even if it's still in our yard).

 Emma really wanted to take some selfies last night... 

  Sara has been back at the gym for a couple of weeks now, for just an hour at the time - all independent conditioning and practice, no spotting, stunting, etc. Tonight Emma had her first softball practice since quarantine, and she had the best time. It totally confirmed what I already knew: that 7-year-olds have no concept of social distancing. But it's fine. We're all doing the best we can, trying to make the best decisions for our families, and at some point, we all need normal. The last few days have given us a little taste of that. We won't push it, but we are enjoying a few of our regular pieces falling back into place.