The Current Obsession

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The kitchen remodel plans have begun and I'm obsessed. From what I can tell, this is a completely normal condition for anyone who is embarking on a project that costs boat loads of money and is relatively permanent.

And it's not just new cabinets. No. In addition to that, we're ripping out a wall to make room for an island, installing hardwood throughout the kitchen, dining room, living room and hallway. We're also building a custom banquette in the dining room with floor-to-ceiling cabinets on either side, replacing the bay window, and resurfacing the fireplace.

Whew! It makes me tired just thinking about it. CRAZY.

This is a drawing of the new space we've designed. It's tough to see, but basically it's an L-shaped kitchen with a square island that includes room for four bar stools. We cut two of the corners off the square island to enhance traffic flow, and, well, because we thought it looked cool. We'll also have three pendant lights hanging above the island, along the the diagonal.

On the other side of the room is the dining area, where we'll be adding the bench seat or "banquette" under the window with floor-to-ceiling cabinets on either side. A small oval or round table will be placed directly in front of the banquette with a few chairs for additional seating.


And this will be our new hardwood floor, which I L.O.V.E!! It's hand-scraped, distressed, wild walnut with a natural finish. Sooo pretty!!

Now we're in the process of selecting the granite for the counters, tile for the back splash, new appliances and custom cabinets.

At this point, we're pretty sure the cabinets in the kitchen and next to the banquette will be a caramel/honey colored wood, similar to the light wood in the floor. The island will be a contrasting wood similar to the dark veins in the wood floor.

We're also selecting the stone for the fireplace, the design of the bay window, and working with numerous contractors to pull it all together.

It's a crazy, maddening, super fun obsession.

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Summer is in Full Swing

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Summer in Southern California! There is nothing like it. (The same is true of January in So. Cal. too, but let's stay focused.)

The girls are in swim lessons



Alex is just now learning to ride without training wheels



And vacation time has arrived - The first was Grandpa's Birthday Bash in Tuscon. (click the "x" in the upper right hand corner of the slide show window below if photos aren't showing)

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75 Incredible Years

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Many times I've wondered out loud about my dad's life. I've often said that he lived more by the time he was 35 than I (and most in my generation) will ever live.

At 35, with a flourishing career, I had just gotten married and was living with DH and our dog Ollie in a beautiful, simple little condo in a nice part of town. My greatest losses could be counted on one hand: my treasured dog, Taffy, who had died when I was just a young girl; my grandfather, who died in my arms when I was 11; my one great heart break in my mid-20s; and the loss of my beloved grandmother. All seemingly normal rights of passage on the path to adulthood.

But in the same number of years, my dad's life experience was marred by much greater loss, and conversely, consisted of much more profound events and accomplishments.

As an adult, I can now step back and see him more fully. Maybe not completely, but no longer in the one- or two-dimensional way that a child looks at a parent. My vision of him now includes a new appreciation for his life experience—both good and bad—and all the weight he had to carry as he raised four young children.

We recently took a short trip to Tucson for my Dad's 75th birthday. It was a great trip, with all the siblings, spouses and grandchildren.

As a part of the celebration, I was able to give him one of the most special gifts I think I've ever created. It was a photography book (professionally bound) of his life. Starting with photos of his mom as a baby followed by his first 75 years.

All four kids contributed photos for the book and I put it together, scanning more than 250 images. Its an amazing tribute to an amazing, complex man who, in large part, helped to shape the woman that I am today.

The inscription reads:

This little boy grew to be a man, a marine,
a husband, a father,
a stepfather, and
a grandfather.
He weathered many storms, laughed and cried, prayed and cursed along the way. He served two tours in Korea, one in Vietnam, suffered great loss and achieved great triumphs.

He is our father and we love him.

And the closing note reads:

Happy 75th Birthday!!

With love and best wishes
for many more happy years to come.
Jim
Jane & Dave
Cindy & Carl & Kyle
Debby & Dave & Alex & Rachel
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And one more thing, Dad, that I didn't say...,

Thanks.

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Kidlet Quip

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"Mom?"

"Yes, Alex?"

"You know those bumps on your tongue?"

"Yeah?"

"They're taste bugs."

We burst out laughing and Alex just looked confused. "They're taste bugs," she insisted. "They're for tasting food."

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A Father's Day Note

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Sometimes you find the perfect card...,

"After all these years together as husband and wife, the most important thing I've learned is that love is a whole lot more than flowers and candlelight. (Though, flowers and candlelight are always nice.)

It's sticking together during those times when you're short on money, patience, and confidence.It's taking turns getting up with sick children, sacrificing something you want for something the family needs, and always being willing to listen.

We've been through a lot together and yet we've always emerged closer and stronger than before. I don't know if I could have made it through without you there by my side.

You're my lover and my friend, and no matter what life holds in store, I can handle it as long as I have you."

Happy Father's Day, with all my love,

Casey

The Little Nest

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Once upon a time there was a baby bird that hatched out of his egg when it was breakfast time. It all happened in the dark woods and the momma bird was not around.

And then a dark shadow came upon the bird. It was the owl and it was trying to eat the bird. But the owl couldn't eat the bird because a big swoop of wings covered the bird, and it was momma bird.

~ Story as told by Alex Hart (Her first) ~
~ Hand-written by Mommy ~
~ Typed by Alex Hart ~

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Preschool Graduation...,

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Graduation Day...,

Alex was in her element. She loves to sing and perform in front of a crowd. She was so excited her head could have popped off right there in front of everyone!
So proud to receive her first diploma. She wants to frame it and hang it on the wall--just like mommy and daddy.

(Grammy & Grandpa Ace with Rachel and Auntie Jane)

And although Daddy was forced to miss the celebration, Alex had her own personal cheering section.

And, surprisingly, not a single tear was shed.

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Treading Water

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Life is what's happening when you don't have time to blog, and that's been my life these past few weeks.

After the marathon and a small media "issue" on Monday, I set off on a "work trip" to San Jose. (NOTE: When a group of four has that much fun, I'm not sure it should really be called "work." Great team!) But following three days out of the office, I'll be playing catch up for the next five. It's strange how that works.

And this week, Dave is out on a week-long business trip. It couldn't be helped, but the timing couldn't have been worse. He's missing preschool graduation and the preschool Father's Day celebration. (I get to play Dad!!)

In the midst of all this, our Condo is undergoing a slew of repairs as we get ready to place a new tenant, and we're trying to plan our kitchen remodel. It's C.R.A.Z.Y!

But life does go on and, regardless of how hard I try to stop it, the girls continue to grow up. It's times like these when I look back and appreciate all the time I had when I was home with the girls. Before going back to work, life was a lot less harried.

It's sort of a sad situation. With mom staying home, we had all the time we needed for lessons and activities, but not enough money. With two incomes, we have the money, but not enough time.

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Daddy Rocks-26.2 in 3:53

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Was there ever any doubt?

Daddy rocks!! He shaved off almost one minute per mile, coming in at 3 hours 53 minutes!! And, although this year was smooth sailing for the girls and I, Daddy's run was rough.

The girls and I had a much easier time this year, with a little help from people around us who took pity on the poor mom trying to wrangle two small kids in the midst of the chaos. And, once I told the story of last year's "incident," (oh yes, I milked that little saga) two people we now call our Trolley Angels took us under their wing and conducted crowd control along the way.

The girls had a grand time, telling me again and again, "Mommy, there are a lot of people in 'Daddy's marathon.' " They're convinced this was all about Daddy and everyone else, well, there were just tagging along. (He is so clearly their hero.)

We were able to find Daddy at mile 9,

(Hi-fives for the girls)

Mile 21

And mile 23!!

He looked great each time we saw him, just a little more sweaty, and he was sooo happy the girls were there to cheer him on, "GO DADDY!!" "HURRAY DADDY!!" "DADDY ROCKS!!"

After the run was over, we went to the predetermined meeting place and waited. We made several calls to Daddy's voice mail and waited. When Dave finally called, I said, "Where are you?"

"In the medical tent," and the hair on the back of my neck stood up, I took a breath.

"Are you OK?"

"I am now. Can you come and get me?"

Apparently something happened early in the race and Dave got a stitch in his side at about mile 13. And, true to his character, he kept going, determined to achieve his goal of finishing under 4 hours. From that point forward, Dave said, the run was pretty miserable.

At the end of the marathon, his electrolytes were so low that he became fuzzy headed. He said his tongue felt swollen and he couldn't complete a thought, much less a sentence.

Dave knew he wasn't in any condition to come and find us, so he went to the medical tent. They threw salt in his mouth, told him to lie down and, after what seemed like an extraordinary amount of time, finally gave him liquid and a banana.

As he was lying there, his legs began to cramp up so severely he was cursing at the pain. By the time we arrived at the medical tent, the pain had begun to subside, but not entirely.

(That's a grimace, as Dave fights off the pain.
Rachel and Alex were more than
a little worried about Daddy at this point.)

Once the girls sat with him and hugged on him, and looked up at him with worry in their little eyes—Dave gathered up all he had left, pulled it together amazingly quickly, and was up, pretty much recovered. (Evidence of the healing power of children.)

Once he stood up and walked out of the medical tent...,


I knew he was 'OK.' I hugged him and shed a few salty tears, intently aware of how much I love him and can't imagine anything happening to him. And, at the same time, soooo proud.

He did it—in 3 hours and 53 minutes!!

The next day, other than being tired and amazingly hungry, Dave was back to normal. No extreme soreness or injury. He actually felt better, after the fact, than last year.

But he's done with Marathons. At least for now...,

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Smooth Beginnings

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Is the second time a charm? Could be.

The drop was smooth sailing. From last year's experience, we learned NOT to follow directions and travel with the mob heading to the start. As locals, we found a better (READ: faster, stress free) route.

Dave's now at the starting line getting ready to embark on what I can only call insanity. We're home for a quick shower, breakfast and then off on our point-to-point adventure to find Daddy along the way.

Good luck Daddy!

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