Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It really bothers me that people just want to skip right over it and get to Christmas. Is it really that hard to take a moment before an entire month dedicated to Christmas and just give thanks for what we already have? Not what we will buy for others or what they may buy for us, but just to realize how much we already have. I don't think that is too much to ask. And that is why Thanksgiving is so important! So, of course, here are some things I am thankful for this year:

• My family. Not just my little family of Jeff and Guen, although they are the greatest, but our extended family as well. My parents and siblings and neices and everyone. We are very blessed to have all of you in our lives.
• Our home, of course. It is so easy to get caught up in the things you don't like sometimes. Oh, how we would like a second bathroom, etc. But we have a home, and it is a nice home. It keeps us warm and dry and, most importantly, it is filled with love.
• Our health. This is another thing that is so easy to take for granted. When I hurt my knee this summer it was really a wake up call that you don't realize how important something is until it is gone. Like being able to walk! So I am very glad that we are healthy.
• Our jobs. Not only do we both have jobs, which is something that everyone should appreciate in this economy, but we both have good jobs that we enjoy (most of the time). Here's hoping for another great year at our respective companies. I think we have both found places where we would like to stay for the long haul. (knock on wood)

Our mantel has arrived!

Our mantel arrived this week. We still have to paint it and get the tile and get everything installed, but here is what it looks like!

Living room project is DONE!

We finally finished removing the brick from our living room wall. Here is the before photo, from when we moved in.

Here is a progress photo while we were removing bricks.

Here it is after all the bricks are down but the mortar is still up.

Then we removed all of the mortar, sanded the wall, sprayed on some new texture, and painted it. Here is the finished product!

Cutest Duck fan ever!

New Project!

So I was cooped up in the house all weekend, thanks to the rain. And Jeff was off golfing, so I thought I would start an indoor project. We've been talking a long time about taking down the brick facade in our living room. So phase 1 is now complete. We removed all of the bricks. Now we have to remove the mortar, which will be more difficult and messier, but that is for another weekend! Here are some photos!

Hawaii!!

View from our hotel balconey

Jeff at the beach

Jeff at the pool

Me at the beach

At the hotel

Me in the helicopter!

Hawaii!!

We are going on our Hawaii vacation soon! It is very exciting, so I chose a new background.