Matchmaker

Dear Family,

I apologize for making you wait 36 hours to find out where we are moving for Caleb's residency while we filmed, tried to upload, tried to edit, and tried to publish this little ditty, and failed miserably. All of our technology is ailing and in desperate need of replacement.

Thanks to our friends for letting us borrow their new technology for a minute to get this done. Worth the wait? Definitely not. But here you go.

Patio/Firepit

Thanks so very much for your encouraging and helpful feedback on the house.

Here are pictures of Caleb's patio/firepit project.

(When I told Caleb he was going to make the blog with this one, he just about died from joy.)

Our back yard, like most Pittsburgh yards, is on about a 35 degree angle, so this new patio is on the flat spot we had created for our trampoline.

Here it is:

No chairs

With chairs (thanks Barb and Doug. We like those chairs.)

We tried it out on Saturday night with a little inaugural fire, and it was pretty great.
Thanks, babe, for finding time to do this while working ICU shifts 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. Your rocking rocks, as do you, and you've earned yourself a blog nod, like it or not.

He also re-bricked our sunken walkway. Hero.

This Old House

*comments enabled for this post* *feedback much appreciated!*

Well, if you've ever wanted to see every nook of our little abode, this is your moment. (Even the yuck-o basement/our hoarding pit.) We'll be listing it as soon as we can read through the (copious amounts of) paperwork. I warmly welcome your thoughts, tips, and comments on these pictures and on the home staging (more light in that corner? that spot needs a houseplant?) as I plainly feel quite daunted by this whole process.
(All furniture courtesy of thrift stores, Ikea, Craigslist and generous neighbors who decided to upgrade just in time. We're not too proud to take secondsies.)

Main floor:

Kitchen:

 (Oh dear, that top drawer is skeewhompus and my sweatpant-clad legs are reflected in the stove window. Guess I'll be re-shooting...)

Basement:

(That is some super-classy-faux-wood-roll linoleum going on there. But a major improvement over the 1950's asbestos tile it covers.)

The bathroom:

Bedroom:
(Having the dangdest time trying to get wrinkles out of the bedspreads.)

Bedroom:

Bedroom:

And a close up of little cute faces (just for us friends to enjoy.)

And that's that. Caleb is working on turning our trampoline spot into a sweet fire pit patio paved in slate we harvested from the forest. Kinda makes me want to stay here. I'll post pictures when he's done.

Hope you enjoyed our home tour. Wish us luck.

Time out for Grapefruit

In a moment of personal brilliance, I knocked Caleb's laptob off it's perch and destroyed the screen.
So here I am online for the first time in a week. Emme is napping, and the laptop is plugged in to the tv screen,
preventing Olivia from watching "Super Why" while I type.
I have about 5 minutes before meltdown.

Our house is awash in packing boxes and I'm awash in paint touch ups and fixture replacements. House goes on the market next week.
22 days til match day, the day they'll reveal our next hometown. Weird feeling.
The kids are already tiring of life in "museum house," as they've dubbed it.
(Don't eat there, don't walk there, don't play there. . .)
It's a bit of a high stress time for all.


Nothing a heaping plate of grapefruit can't fix, at least temporarily.

Beautiful carnage.

 Ah, that's better.

Just a few more tidbits I want to jot down until the next time i get dibs on the tv:

Emme has started offering spontaneous kisses lately. She'll look sweetly into your face,
then lean over and plant one smack on your lips, "swak" noise and slobber and all.
And since she's indiscriminate with her kisses, we blame her that we're all now sharing another cold.

Last night Jane asked Caleb for a priesthood blessing to help her with the stomach pain she's been dealing with (side effect of arthritis meds.) She wanted us to listen in, so we all sat on the bed with her during the blessing. Half-way through, Caleb felt something touch his hand and looked down to see Olivia, head bowed solemnly, eyes closed, both hands on top of his on Jane's head. He retained his composure, to his credit, and we had a good laugh about it after.

Today I had to pick out a new toilet since our old one is leaking from the tank. While I tried to decide between two of the three options on display right inside the front entrance of Lowe's, Olivia decided the third option was best and had dropped trou and begun to wiggle aboard when I noticed her. She was also noticed by two entering mothers, their two toddlers, and a customer service desk rep, who informed me as I retrieved and reproofed my daughter that there was no water supply to the display toilets. It is my fondest hope that she was just being funny, otherwise I must look like even more of an ignoramus than I actually am.

I hope my dignity can survive this move. Please try not to think less of me.

Lub

"Lub" is how we're saying it this week, our pockets a'bulge with Kleenex.

(My Valentine shows his lub by taking on the majority of little-nose-wiping
since snot is my nemesis.)

On to lub day.

Lub day eve family card making:

Jane made a special card for Elliot, her true lub. she told me earnestly, "We're going to marry for ever and make all our dreams come true."
She dictated this card: "Dear Elliot, BE MINE. Have lots of hugs and kisses, from Jane."

 Lub around the house:

Pillows and bookmarks for little lubbies:

 Hearts:

Including one of Malan's love notes from a secret admirer this week. It says, "To: Malan, From: You know who. Here is a hint. I start with E. You are nice. You can read."
(Caleb bristled a bit at his little girl's first love letter, but had to give the lad credit for prioritizing personality and brains.)

 Lub in the kitchen:

I'll have no need to go out to eat ever again because Caleb has mastered all my favorites.
This go 'round it was fresh spring rolls (2 dipping sauces) and Thai pineapple chicken curry.
What?! so so good.

My dippy little card seemed a pittance after that feast, but tradition is tradition.
I dedicated this card: "To My Valentine, because when life gets crappy, you make me happy."
I am pleasantly surprised by my own wit.

Would you like a peek?

 Heart girl does not have a mustache. I just stink at art.

I guess Valentine's Day can seem contrived. But I tell you what, in our frantically busy life right now, it was SOOOO nice to have an excuse handed to us all to pamper each other. And it was sweet my friends, so sweet.

To all of you:
I value your niceness and reading skills.
Have lots of hugs and kisses.
Lub, Kate


More love here and here and here and here

Winter Weekend

It began like most weekends, with one, then three. . .

 . . .then four babes piled in our bed.

 Later, a little music. . .

Some art. . .

 Some eats. . .

 And a few fairies, as per usual.

A well-rounded, bountifully enjoyed weekend by my measure.
Though clearly, as witnessed by anyone (hello neighbors) who stopped by today, we did not get much cleaning done.

Worth it.

Hope you, too, have a mess to show for your weekends' happenings.

I've Seen it Both Ways

Emme prefers. . .

to wear her bib. . .

 as. . .

a cape.

Super.

Also of import:
Emme's hair is now long enough to sport a single pony and bow,
further discouraging unobservant folk from calling her a boy.
Super duper!

Buddy the Elf

Down the way, I want the girls to remember how their dad
snuck into our garage-turned-santa's workshop during the weeks preceding Christmas and, with
a pile of wood and his own bare hands, made their little dreams come true.

And then how he snuck onto my pinterest board and with his own bare hands
(and some help from gifted seamstress Mom Wilson) made my little Christmas dream come true.

 I'm beginning to be sure there is nothing that man can't do.

Well lucky, lucky me.