Joy in the journey..: 2013

Life is good.. but sometimes ya just need to stretch out and take a little siesta!!

Daniel.. aka Lil' Scruncher.. worms his way even further into Aunt Amanda's heart : )

Good thing he's smiling! Dad packing some heat on the beaches of Northern Indiana..

This guy is going to be a heart breaker!! Bright blue eyes, blond curls, and that winning smile complete with dimples! Everybody loves little Cole. (Indiana Dunes)

Git 'r done!!

Patiently waiting.. and hopefully watching the bobber..

..and it WORKED!! Hurray for our little fisherman!!

An epic shot.. little boys.. on the old swing.. wearing age old cabin hoodies!

Surprise birthday parties don't often turn out as such! Yes, you can PLAN on it being a surprise.. and you can still have a fun party.. but usually the intended victim is tipped off ahead of time! But oh happy day.. we plotted a surprise for Miranda.. and it WORKED!! She was pretty stunned.

Irish Lane.. junky focus.. but I love the picture anyway!!

Quintessential tourist shot in Boston.. Acorn Street. Blog post to come (hopefully!!) on this fun trip to the East Coast.

The bathroom situation at my house has been sketchy at best. The main floor facility only had a tub.. no shower.. and was WOEFULLY in need of a cosmetic update. The Eureka YG was scheduled to invite company for Memorial Day.. and I realized that I really wanted things to be improved before we hosted a bunch of people. As usual, it seemed like a relatively inexpensive and hassle-free situation to correct.. but then reality hit!! The project started in February.. and literally ended the Saturday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend. Our guests showered in the new shower before Amanda & I did!! But, as the pictures at the end of this post show, it turned out well.. and I am loving the new and updated version!!

Old blue tile.. wallpaper that had seen better days.. an icky vanity.. and worn vinyl flooring..

No turning back now!! But many times I was nearly sick as the tile came off.. along with a signficant chunk of the underlying plaster. Enter Greg Post..and his drywalling skills!!

My original shower plan .. in the interest of keeping costs down and keeping things "simple".. put up a shower surround. Alas.. my bathroom wasn't having that.. Dad quickly realized it wasn't an option. So Plan B. "You know, Lis.. I think it might be kind of fun to try tiling a shower myself". Oh.. I am SO thankful for my Dad.. he's very careful and methodical.. but we bought the book.. and he got it done!! And it looks great!

Cutting into the wall so that Uncle Ed could run the plumbing up for a shower head.

My phone was FULL of pictures of options for vanities, bath fans, lights.. spent lots of time at Target and Menards!

We are getting there!!

I love every minute with these boys!! Travis & Blake

There's nothing quite like walking through your yard, and realizing that you suddenly have a very large hole that just.. appeared. Here's to no more sinkholes at my house!!

Big bro and lil' bro inspecting the latest catch!!

I decided to try a pumpkin plant and a white goard.. the pumpkin produced ONE.. the goards about a dozen! I'm enjoying them gracing my fall mantles as we speak : )

My sweet mother.. not only does she share her garden bounty.. but she does it with love!
Definitely made me smile when I got home from work that day!

Fresh garden basil.. I made this batch into pesto.. and LOVE it!!

Trader Joe's balela... cannot say enough good about this stuff.. it is AMAZING!! Garbanzo beans, black beans, mint, parsley, onions.. I've been trying to recreate it at home.. but nothing comes even close to the TJ's mix!!

I am continually thankful for my Dad.. and his chainsaw. I bought my house after drooling over the large backyard, complete with lots of trees. Then reality sets in.. and you realize how very neglected those trees and brush had become over the years.. and how many of the trees were not intentionally planted!! See Exhibit A. Tree, growing through old wire fence.. stump in my yard, but mostly leaning into the neighbors'.

It took some creative maneuvering.. some convincing Dad that it was absolutely not necessary for him to CLIMB it .. and his F250 to convince the this tree that it really DIDN'T want to fall into the neighbors' yard!!

I ate more than my fair share of cherry tomatoes straight off the vine! I tried a yellow variety this year.. lots of fun with some different color!! (Excuse my dirty Crocs and equally dirty legs!) Travis and I seem to attract dirt in equal shares!

It was a long hard day out in the dirt for Trav!!!

Little boys.. a loving and patient grandma.. and some good books.

Hurray for seeding a lawn for Mark & Danielle.. we were out for the weekend, and Jon came for the day to lend his expertise! And of course, Trav & Blake were ever ready to "help"!

I joined the ranks of Sunday School (as a teacher!) this summer. The 4 year olds are adorable.. and I'm especially partial to having my sweet Logan in my class! I'm definitely re-polishing my cutting and coloring skills though!

Jaunt to Chicago.. Amanda & I enjoyed a couple of nights in Chicago with Amy & Rachel.. shopping, drinking coffee.. and hanging out! Austin was off big-game hunting in Alaska.. so the girls decided we needed some fun too!! We had a great time.. even though I took some flack for snapping the picture of the coffee dispenser at the hotel.. : ) AND, since Rach & Austin have the little twinners on the way.. we needed one LAST fling!!

Cheesecake Factory

Bittersweet for sale at Whole Foods.. LOVE the look of this stuff!!

Much fun was had by all.. but alas.. upon returning home.. Rachel's tire was FLAT. Time for a minivan : )

I have always known that I have a thing for neutral colored items.. but my purchases at IKEA definitely confirmed it!

One beautiful morning.. Marla, Amanda & I went to Tanners with all of the kiddos in tow. I had been dreaming of a cider donut.. and they didn't disappoint!!