tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814529327980390282024-03-14T10:53:18.535-07:00Tales from GoshenTales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.comBlogger1261125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-84934846855490208182020-11-09T08:53:00.001-08:002020-11-09T08:53:37.880-08:00A Few Thoughts on Faith and Feminism<p>Recent events have triggered so many thoughts in my head
that, as one who processes through the written word, the line of thoughts
begging to be released has dissolved into an unruly mob threatening to roil out
in a primal yawp. The alternative is to remain silent, and I’ve done that for
long enough.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m going to try to rein in my thoughts and corral them into
something manageable and hopefully, useful.
The best words are those that reach into the mayhem of thoughts and
emotions and pull out solid truths that you can work with and build on. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The year of 2020 has been a doozy, to say the least. Since
it’s been a minute since I last posted on this blog, let me do a quick
catch-up. This year, I added a sixth
child to our family, a little girl named Anthem Reverie, and our brood is
rounded out nicely with a girl on either end of our 4 boys. Kyle jumped career
tracks to start his own design firm, Stature, after 20 years with
StoneWard. He now works from home while
I continue to homeschool the kids and work on a contract basis for DD&F
Consulting Group. We are also plugging
along on our project list for our old house, in case you thought that project
was complete. Not quite. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And that’s about all on the home front. The rest of the
world, well, it really needs no re-hash. We’ve been living it, or attempting
to, rather. As I write these words, it’s the Sunday after election week. The
trees outside my window are ablaze with yellow leaves, the ever-present sounds
of sirens filter through the solid plaster walls of my house, and inside, it’s
remarkably quiet because Kyle has taken the kids to run around the park. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Which leaves me with you and my thoughts. My thoughts are
heavy because the times are heavy. I honestly don’t know a single person who is
feeling particularly carefree about the state of the world right now, so you
might be feeling pretty heavy too. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In which case, let’s dive in. If you don’t already know this about me, I am
a follower of Christ. I’m not Catholic, Baptist, Jewish or any other
“denomination.” A faith in God does not need to be attached to a denomination.
As such, I have always attended a non-denominational Bible-based church, and at
the core of everything in my life is an unwavering faith in God and a clear
understanding that I am inherently a sinner.
Broken. Flawed. I believe there
is one, true God – who is a trinity, three in one: God the Father, God the Son
(Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit – and He created everything, including
humans. Rather than making automatons who had no ability to choose their
actions, He created us with free will. The ability to see, read, analyze and
choose for ourselves. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That free will very quickly led to a situation in which the
first humans were presented with the opportunity to choose between obeying clear
instructions from God or blatantly disregarding those instructions. They chose
to blatantly disregard the instructions, and instantly set into motion a chain
of events, beginning with an immediate recognition that something had changed,
and not for the better. Something was wrong. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you have children, you know the state of willful
disobedience shows up rather early, and even though a baby may not be able to
articulate what was wrong about their actions, they know something was. It’s
written all over their face. Or in the way they immediately hide from you. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A parent has an almost sixth sense when this is going down
and is able to show up on the scene pretty quickly. Unlike parents, God knew in
advance that Adam and Eve would sin, and He, too, arrived on the scene in short
order. After addressing the sin, he laid
out the consequence which was gut-wrenching in its impact. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Essentially, it was separation and death. Separation from
God (which equates to a spiritual death) and a removal from the Garden of Eden
plus the reality of an eventual physical death.
The consequences of their sin, because sin is what disobedience against God
is, may seem harsh to you. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Why the separation from God? Well, God is holy and cannot
tolerate sin. It’s like paper in the presence of fire. The fire will consume
paper. God’s holiness is a consuming fire. His kicking them out of the garden
was actually a kindness to them, because had they stayed inside it, they would
have been able to grab fruit from the Tree of Life, eat it and live forever in
a state of permanent separation from Him.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Why death? Because the consequence of sin is death. Again,
this may seem harsh, but when you’re dealing with absolute holiness, its
opposite is also extreme. And when you
create the universe, you get to set the rules. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Although God dealt with the sin and doled out judgment, he
also revealed a long-range plan to ultimately provide a complete restoration of
the broken relationship between God and his created mankind through a Savior. A
death that would cover the sins of all who chose to believe in Him. How could
that be? Because the one who died would also be the only person to completely
fulfill God’s requirements of perfect righteousness and sinlessness. God the
Father sent his son, Jesus, to the earth to be born of a virgin, Mary. He lived a righteous, sinless life, was the
fulfilment of all prophecy of the Messiah, and then was so hated by the Jewish
religious rulers of his day that they trumped up a host of false charges
against him and crucified him. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As gruesome of a death as crucifixion was, what happened to
Jesus was even more gruesome. He had,
heaped upon him on the cross, the sins of those who would believe on Him. The
full list of all sins ever committed and to be committed was attributed to him,
although he had never committed a single sin. He took on all the guilt, died
for it in a particularly horrifying manner and received the full unleashing of
God’s wrath on sin…on Himself…so that the full burden of consequence could be
absorbed in him with his death. He was the sacrificial Lamb of God who took
away the sins of the world.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Just when His enemies thought they’d gotten rid of their
biggest problem, he rose from the dead 3 days later, again, fulfilling
prophecy. Most importantly, he defeated
the death that had been hanging over us all since that first sin.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">His death and most importantly, his resurrection, became the
cornerstone of our hope. Of the faith of all who believe that Jesus was the Son
of God who came to take away the sins of the world.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The facts I just have just shared not only give hope to a
world that desperately needs it, but they give context to what I feel needs to
be said next. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoCommentText"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">The hope is that
although humanity is inherently flawed and will continue to sin, we are not
stuck in that position. We have the hope that God will forgive our sins if we
repent and put our faith in Christ alone. If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. That, it is by grace
you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves - it is
the gift of God, not by works, so that no man can boast. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Bible says we have this hope as an anchor for our souls,
firm and secure. These are certainly times when I am happy to have an anchor
for my soul because there are two types of people in the world: those who have
that hope and those who do not. The Bible says in Romans 10:9-10 that “if you
declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God has
raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you
believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your
faith and are saved.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you have this hope, then this has several practical
implications for you: 1) your hope should never rest upon a government or a
political party or any person other than Jesus Christ; and 2) the word of Hope
(the Bible) should be the standard by which all truth is measured. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These are dark days, my friends. Days when our enemy, the
devil, prowls about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. If you
sense that something more has been brewing in our world through all the
COVID-19 mess, the social justice movement, the political unrest, then you’re
right. The Bible tells us quite plainly that we are in the midst of a spiritual
battle. If you have no knowledge of God’s word, then you either won’t know or
won’t care, but you’ll still feel the effect of it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My desire is that rather than feel despair or fear, you will
know that there is hope to be found in the good news that Jesus Christ has
provided a way of salvation for you. A
true, lasting salvation – something far superior than any pending vaccine or
mask or social distancing plan, any government program, loan or movement. In fact, all the other things are just placebos
which do absolutely nothing to alter the state of brokenness in the world. The brokenness in you. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My desire is also that if you read this, and you’re a woman,
that you pause for a moment and give some serious thought to another issue.
Feminism. Interestingly, this is an issue that has its roots back in that
original sin mentioned earlier. I didn’t identify who it was that first made a
choice to disregard God’s commands, but it was Eve. She was deceived by Satan,
and she chose against what God had told her to do. Adam happened to be right
there with her, and he chose poorly too. The Bible says, Adam sinned. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When God created man and woman, they were perfect, without
flaw. But at the moment of sin and in
connection with God’s punishment (curses, actually), new tendencies emerged. For
women, it emerged as a tendency to jump in and handle things; For men, a tendency
toward passivity, to letting the women handle it for them. It’s often just
easier. This is obviously a generalization,
but I’m not too far off because God’s response was to tell Eve that her desire
would be for her husband and he would rule over her.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I can see your hackles raising up, but just hold on a
dadburn minute. That doesn’t mean, literally RULING over her. But it does mean
that women were going to have to fight the desire to control everything,
particularly men, because that was not God’s design. In fact, God’s design was
going to propel men to assume more of an active role than a passive role,
particularly in the family. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the way that God has of confounding our expectations and
of doing things in a completely different way than we would, God knew that,
after the Fall, men would be faced with the temptation to be passive. Women
would be faced with the temptation to boss and assume leadership over their
husbands, yet God’s plan for them was to back off and give their husbands the
opportunity to be the men God desired for them to be. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Before you assume this is some hegemony and patriarchal
master/slave relationship, you should first understand that God defines a
husband’s role as parallel to that of Christ – and Christ died for the church.
He gives wives the role of the Church – the bride of Christ. In no way was God asking husbands to do
anything other than seek the best for their wives, at the cost of their lives,
if necessary. If you’re not sure about
that, please look more into it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Since those first days in the Garden, Satan has had it out
for Eve. For women. It should be noted that Satan really has it out for God and
desires to cause as much pain and destruction to men and women because he knows
how much God loves us. Women are just the target I’m particularly addressing
right now. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Satan targeted Eve’s desire for knowledge and equality with
God from the beginning. He challenged her understanding of God’s instructions
and asked if, in fact, what God really wanted to do was to hold her back. Keep
her from her full potential, essentially.
The temptation to desire equality with God, and anyone else, continues
to be put forward by Satan. Devious
though he may be, creative he is NOT. And why should he get terribly creative
when we women take the hook time and again? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I include myself in this accusation. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Understand me clearly here, my fellow women. There is never, at any point in Scripture,
any hint or allegation that women are not intelligent, capable creatures. There are direct references to physical
differences between us and men that do exist. They are not constructs. They are
biological in nature, like it or not. Very few of us can bench press as much as
men, and why is that not ok? We were made in the image of God, is that not good
enough? It ought to be.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Every time the message from the world is that we need to be
better than men, or that we ARE better than men and it’s time to prove it….what
we as believers ought to do is pause for half a second and run that line
through our memory. It’s just a twist on Satan’s original lie: you are being
told you’re not good enough…you’re being held back from your full potential by
God…by Man…..so prove it that you’re really not just as good, but better. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Rather than taking the bait, back up and reassess. If you think God gave us the raw end of the
stick by making us women, then consider that women are given the incomparable
gift of bringing new human life into the world. We are tasked with the
unbelievably precious responsibility of raising our children, and that is a
HUGE thing. (The proof is 1 Tim 2:15). Throughout the Bible, God further
demonstrates the value He places on women – a woman served as a judge for the
children of Israel (this was a responsibility of great importance, before
Israel ever had kings); he chose a woman to give birth to his son, Jesus; many
women were key in the early church…I could go on and on. The point is, God is not diminishing the
value of women. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Feminism, on the other hand, does diminish the value of
women. It does so by placing more of a
burden on women than God ever intended for anyone to have. It attempts to strip us of what makes us
women. Feminism posits that not only are women equal to men in all areas, but
we can do it all. And should do it all. And men should do nothing. Because we
do it better. Talk to any woman who thinks she’s doing it all, and she’ll tell
you she isn’t. Or she isn’t doing it all well. Or she’s pretending. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The pervasive lie women believe is that a strong woman is a
woman who breaks barriers and bests men.
As a woman who could reasonably called “strong” and “strong of will” and
ambitious and type-A, and all those other qualities which women are encouraged
to exhibit and forge ahead with – I can honestly tell you that I have wrestled
not with any messaging from the world, but from my own desires for
success. To do it all. And I can also
tell you that it’s not possible. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hear me quite clearly on this: the Bible does not say women
are supposed to just sit at home, pop out babies and keep the meals coming. Although,
for married women with children, there is no greater calling than raising your
family. But if you have never read
Proverbs 31:10-31, do so. The passage
describes a woman who is quite unbelievable in her capacity. She is equal parts
mother, business-woman, wife, friend… She is generous, kind, hospitable,
capable, strong, faithful, wise, industrious, praised by her children and her
husband, and most of all, she is GODLY. THIS is a woman worth lauding and holding up
as our standard. She fears the Lord. This is key. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Too many women right now in our society, even believing
women, have been sucked into the mentality that women are being oppressed and
must therefore, assert themselves as more than an oppressed party – <u>at all
costs, at any cost</u>. Too many women
right now are seeking to hold up high some version of a standard that
represents overcoming that oppression – breaking those barriers. And the
Biden/Harris political ticket has given you a chance to do just that – by
proclaiming victory for all women everywhere in the form of Kamala Harris. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As a believer, I call you out on that right now. Not because
I have any issue with a woman aspiring to the position of Vice President or
President, but because of the values she upholds. There is nothing wrong with achievement,
accomplishment, holding office or sitting on the Supreme Court. I would never
disparage a woman because she was successful or accomplished. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As believing women, we should never place more value on
women holding positions of power than we do on the values held by the women
themselves. The values of your standard are far more important. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you are seeking a standard – then look to Proverbs 31. Do
not accept as your standard anything less than the standard God sets for you.
Further, consider the wisdom of aligning with the feminist movement at
all. It is a movement built upon a lie,
a deception, a ploy, the whisper that you’ve never been recognized as you
should have been…that you’re being held back….
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This movement will never elevate women in a satisfactory way
because it’s rooted in a mistruth. God
is not suppressing you. He has created women with incredible value and capacity
(see Prov 31; and consider the fact that they’re made in His image). He
designed you for a role that will both satisfy, challenge and uplift you. The feminist movement historically has done
the opposite. It has raised the bar to an unsustainable level, stripped women
of any of their natural gifts, mocked their innate desires as insufficient and
set the task of being all but a god yourself. That was never God’s intent for
women. Or men. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There has never been a more critical moment to view the
present circumstances through the lens of a godly worldview. There is an agenda
in the works that goes deeper than socialism or communism. It is an agenda
designed to destroy the very foundations God set up for our good – and I’m
referring to something deeper than politics.
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I realize these are challenging times for everyone, particularly those seeking to follow Christ. But do not grow weary in doing good or proclaiming the truth. Test all things by the Holy Spirit. Do not glibly raise a banner if it is not worthy of the throne, and do not place your faith and hope in a system that will never fix the brokenness of this world. Only God can do that.</p>Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-81164805695047339172017-11-09T17:17:00.003-08:002017-11-09T17:17:19.102-08:00Inspiration to Condemnation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every so often, my mind begins to mull something over, creating a mental itch that won't stop until I pause and take a moment to scratch it. Unfortunately, conditions in my daily life rarely encourage such introspection. If anything, the things in my life <u>discourage</u> introspection. </div>
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Being the mom of 5 kids, homeschooling them, dealing with the myriad decisions/complications/situations that arise with ownership of a 126 year old house, managing/investing in friendships and neighborhood relationships, cleaning house, planning and cooking meals, working out, finding time to sit down and have a quiet time with the Lord, possibly engage in something moderately creative like knitting or drawing or painting....well, it all adds up to a very full day. Not an overwhelming day, just a day nicely and neatly filled up. Ok, occasionally overwhelming. </div>
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If you noticed I didn't include my husband in my list of things that discourage introspection, it's because Kyle is one of the best things for me in that regard. He is so good to be a sounding board for my thoughts, to draw me out, to encourage me, to kick me out the door to run, to be a listening ear or a ballast for my tilt. Without him, yes, things would quickly overwhelm.</div>
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There was a time when I regularly followed a few design blogs, home school blogs, cooking blogs or life blogs that inspired me.... until they stopped inspiring me. They became mirrors held up in my face as proof that I wasn't doing it right. I wasn't doing enough. I wasn't switching out rugs or paint colors or holiday decor fast enough. Or buying a new couch every few months. Or spending the right amount of time or money on activities for my kids. Or feeding my kids the right amount of anti-gluten or farm-raised graham crackers or Amish-smushed peanut butter. I wasn't building water features for the purpose of allowing my kids the developmentally appropriate "tactile" play.</div>
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Inspiration morphed into condemnation.</div>
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It became toxic. So I pulled back and said, enough. These bloggers are people, too; they just adjust the filters on their photos to take off the dull light that we all live among sometimes. They appear to have time to put on full makeup every morning, and let's be frank: I have neither the time nor inclination to EVER do that. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpQAVfCXh-syIz8qstJ3SneFFkqO-EmVJP0qxR2cLEKqQo8gmBpiZrpNNIsAcZJc1Jhm3gYwIGlvwMqGq08hKTx72YJazfaqolAOuFMX2V9euj4mRrPsYFJOdeSMZfLNc7EVE644hEmfT/s1600/IMG_2021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpQAVfCXh-syIz8qstJ3SneFFkqO-EmVJP0qxR2cLEKqQo8gmBpiZrpNNIsAcZJc1Jhm3gYwIGlvwMqGq08hKTx72YJazfaqolAOuFMX2V9euj4mRrPsYFJOdeSMZfLNc7EVE644hEmfT/s640/IMG_2021.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Not only that, they have SPONSORS! They change out their houses and furnishings and every other little thing because they have people who pay them to or give it to them for free! So there's that.</div>
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Of all those types of blogs, I lean most toward design blogs because I love good design. It feeds my creative soul. And I only recently started messing around on Instagram, simply because I have a few friends I follow on it. Plus, if there's a beautiful moment that springs up in my life that I think needs to be shared, I can do that using Instagram whereas I may not be ready or able to do a blog post. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOQSqspc4_28bC2KH2ea9q0miH4MChZ4Lw-tWH0DRYkIK5ftdCpiLr6TCS-Jf3qb9iWYM2APAEBTitLDJThPojEgDZX4_9qo4-9R-izotwq_04bYAeMTZUZSy0nbosIZFKwz9JRVZBd-U/s1600/IMG_2625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOQSqspc4_28bC2KH2ea9q0miH4MChZ4Lw-tWH0DRYkIK5ftdCpiLr6TCS-Jf3qb9iWYM2APAEBTitLDJThPojEgDZX4_9qo4-9R-izotwq_04bYAeMTZUZSy0nbosIZFKwz9JRVZBd-U/s640/IMG_2625.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The thing is, I've fallen back into the same traps, I think. </div>
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On the plus side, I've found many amazing people out there, posting some amazing content and somehow finding hours in their day to do Insta-stories with lots of crazy notes and graphics all over them....with a gazillion followers. (I'm amazed there are that many people in the world who care about all the things everyone else is doing.) They are definitely inspiring! And often encouraging. Yet...in my own humble opinion, painting a pretty unrealistic picture of life for everyone else. I wonder again, what things DON'T get photographed. Lots of real life, I bet. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3E8VesdhLJYd9BcPkbtu2uxFJlOR1D3z-uVJayinbjqC6i2Q-DJok2hv2YbRdXrzBiOB1aNtebAXDcYJqWKJ_O9tlpGM0nlCJJzHlWIvNrx93RQ7wB1oVSOIbKXIylfJ8Li6mLr1Fcrf/s1600/IMG_1999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3E8VesdhLJYd9BcPkbtu2uxFJlOR1D3z-uVJayinbjqC6i2Q-DJok2hv2YbRdXrzBiOB1aNtebAXDcYJqWKJ_O9tlpGM0nlCJJzHlWIvNrx93RQ7wB1oVSOIbKXIylfJ8Li6mLr1Fcrf/s640/IMG_1999.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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On the negative side, I see all the endless perfection and beauty and perfectly styled rooms and these husband and wife design teams who can devote their waking hours to DIYing together...and it seems all a bit TOO perfect.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpQfCgpj0MOCIF2z1V7NRd1dw1GV1aWGgNAhjCf41QjL49g8OA_nPOo1ADU4xEu_KOMRWTHr2P05kZGP1q4fCEld92VvPdUqsMNqA6zl8ITOQP8_laAQ3VfIYpdUuYJIHEwAGQ0iX5gBn/s1600/IMG_2593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpQfCgpj0MOCIF2z1V7NRd1dw1GV1aWGgNAhjCf41QjL49g8OA_nPOo1ADU4xEu_KOMRWTHr2P05kZGP1q4fCEld92VvPdUqsMNqA6zl8ITOQP8_laAQ3VfIYpdUuYJIHEwAGQ0iX5gBn/s640/IMG_2593.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I'm a runner, and I discovered all these other runners out there who daily post pictures of their run times, paces, mileage and they're actually running mid-photo...who TAKES these photos? I don't understand!! It's not enough to feel like my walls aren't painted the gleaming white everyone else's seems to be (although I'm not an all-white kinda girl)...now I have to feel bad that my 4 mile run wasn't at a 6:50 pace? </div>
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I'm not saying Instagram is bad, except when I fall into the hole and realize that it's really really late and I have to get up in the morning. And run. Hehe. But I do think it feeds the Beast.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86ec3wNDh6J-2jsg3bjSaORtAmExFpkPjQjxDop36daSocBsx2P4lgxOrQnN-tw5zKo7HaXaFSF56OFgDC5TP6ZXXSQxR1NwDyip0rG2FJ6U6uTjIajd0huoUvp3o7a6YMFTxPwyJPtmk/s1600/IMG_2334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86ec3wNDh6J-2jsg3bjSaORtAmExFpkPjQjxDop36daSocBsx2P4lgxOrQnN-tw5zKo7HaXaFSF56OFgDC5TP6ZXXSQxR1NwDyip0rG2FJ6U6uTjIajd0huoUvp3o7a6YMFTxPwyJPtmk/s640/IMG_2334.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The Beast of "Not Good Enough." "Not Doing Enough."</div>
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The Beast of Discontent.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqx36ZSYz_IFNTHZ5Dk8bxW_1HX0ew7y_SgK3VUd2yRK9C7lj_hXuNQN4fixwURxAqQGp0xCgAdxTnlzcErxhEkFrDf-basbtQBQLVZZ4Djgw1O2eICTvt0HZUipPQh15t5XlEZ9ZDMls/s1600/IMG_2461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqx36ZSYz_IFNTHZ5Dk8bxW_1HX0ew7y_SgK3VUd2yRK9C7lj_hXuNQN4fixwURxAqQGp0xCgAdxTnlzcErxhEkFrDf-basbtQBQLVZZ4Djgw1O2eICTvt0HZUipPQh15t5XlEZ9ZDMls/s640/IMG_2461.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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As the owner of a 126 year old home in Chicago, I am all too aware of how expensive it is to turn a fixer-upper into the beautiful "after" images we see in our head. I daily walk on floors which seriously need to be sanded and refinished and can give you a splinter the size of a Sequoia if you're not careful. I take a shower every day under the ugliest shower fixture you have EVER seen, and I would love to change it out to something black and simple and beautiful, but that's low on my priority list these days. I have a kitchen with more wood than a forest, but not in a good way. Plaster walls that are cracking and need attention, but can't be attended to just yet. I have a roof that needs to be replaced, but the saving fund for it just got redirected. I have a back deck that was landscaped quite....curiously....and I'm thinking that's a few years away on the timeline.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfhm99QXmQR8KwKMsWnVim_0NQCZYz1dRbn_ailQ4JxBu4vLtFbQh7uOoeaJnrMq3FOPfehhvtsMq98wWd5wEnBFMNs9CnYKvKwbOO-Nms5bCOeTreaoXB_Ub7uqJBDa1BZRl9dRJ5egd/s1600/IMG_2132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfhm99QXmQR8KwKMsWnVim_0NQCZYz1dRbn_ailQ4JxBu4vLtFbQh7uOoeaJnrMq3FOPfehhvtsMq98wWd5wEnBFMNs9CnYKvKwbOO-Nms5bCOeTreaoXB_Ub7uqJBDa1BZRl9dRJ5egd/s640/IMG_2132.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I posted a picture on Instagram today of the kids and I making No-bake peanut butter cookies. They were delicious. What I can't get a photo of is the smell emanating from our basement because something is going on with our sewer pipes. This will be the second time in 2 weeks we've called a plumber out. Thankfully, there is nothing leaking or seeping up from our drains, but there is clearly something amiss because we should NOT be smelling what we are. </div>
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In other harsh realities, we walked the first contractor through our house last night with the list of "required mitigation" given us by the Chicago Health Dept because the flaking lead paint on our windowsills and filtering down from the flaking topcoat of plaster in our closets....caused Wilder to have an elevated lead level in his blood. So the City came out and inspected our house, and told us exactly what has to be "wet scraped and painted"....just all the baseboards, door frames, window sills, etc. all over the house. By a city licensed contractor. And we would qualify for financial assistance if we made a little less money. But if we made a little less money, we'd be starving. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRMl2r_iyt-8EBQytZ3DbXDq86JdHdcJRSDlXYkFGZT_Ig6G3EUVODcb4wXs3doKZEh8EWvUQYq00PAwutW6A-kkzH-fJn5K2bGsRrYZgKGzw06sdWA53HQJOVgPmnIafcmTHxjh7z6Co/s1600/IMG_2070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRMl2r_iyt-8EBQytZ3DbXDq86JdHdcJRSDlXYkFGZT_Ig6G3EUVODcb4wXs3doKZEh8EWvUQYq00PAwutW6A-kkzH-fJn5K2bGsRrYZgKGzw06sdWA53HQJOVgPmnIafcmTHxjh7z6Co/s640/IMG_2070.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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So far, HGTV hasn't volunteered to help out.</div>
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It's one of those things that I have yet to see pop up on a design blog. Which is curious because it's a thing. A serious thing. </div>
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I promise, I'll tell more about that situation at a later date. It is an ongoing saga in which Ashley and Kyle daily struggle to rejoice in tribulations as they build patience, character and hope. (Insert brave face smile!...there is no emoji for that).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlz2VIgkFHssl6KhSlHm8MMs-o00XIbmpT5Ytiye5D1M2GGD5g6sB9HSSX4fkAD_HJecUBBuQYksm55kQxGiM7WDRlFeqjFZqgtCF5IZQWJM2U4XojMy_z6Om-VbTXkOPUc07_piTDmJ8/s1600/IMG_2539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlz2VIgkFHssl6KhSlHm8MMs-o00XIbmpT5Ytiye5D1M2GGD5g6sB9HSSX4fkAD_HJecUBBuQYksm55kQxGiM7WDRlFeqjFZqgtCF5IZQWJM2U4XojMy_z6Om-VbTXkOPUc07_piTDmJ8/s640/IMG_2539.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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My thoughts lead me here....All of our natural desires to create beauty in our homes, to raise godly children (for those of us who desire that), to love each other and live our lives in meaningful ways...those are good things. But when coupled with social media in all its infinite forms (most of which I'm blissfully ignorant), it has the effect of yeast feeding on sugar. Before you know it, you have a bubbling cauldron of fermenting stuff which takes on a life of its own. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zk9HUk-JEs84G1ewxa60R4NPUYZaO1syNJUURIpNXc91LWcPdP0PgLf9QFDOGJHflarVhkRmu1mgaek1qmSA-wVcC4kVrpHmKED9SM8j3WeM7O0ZMxHlc0qVUEeDVfwXsHcVuLCuMKJr/s1600/IMG_1360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zk9HUk-JEs84G1ewxa60R4NPUYZaO1syNJUURIpNXc91LWcPdP0PgLf9QFDOGJHflarVhkRmu1mgaek1qmSA-wVcC4kVrpHmKED9SM8j3WeM7O0ZMxHlc0qVUEeDVfwXsHcVuLCuMKJr/s640/IMG_1360.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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If left unchecked, your focus on the rest of the world and its "lovelies" swings back around to you and all your "unlovelies". It begins to eat at you destructively...to further the metaphor, it feeds on comparison and breeds contempt and covetousness. We stop seeing our world with gratitude and joy and start wondering why we're doing it all wrong. Why our lives don't lend themselves to such beautiful photos every moment of every day. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKaDuRimJ_3vaYHMPgWGlB3xJTm6vObZkAP1ef5nERnsXP0uwrAPQraF1ZefXzomVJ_3VpLHXtCZzQlzr02iU4BhWRgGNUTPsAReALLWeqb0nrxDEXiwNyiZ0MblsgNhGzALhMtLYUIJb/s1600/IMG_2100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKaDuRimJ_3vaYHMPgWGlB3xJTm6vObZkAP1ef5nERnsXP0uwrAPQraF1ZefXzomVJ_3VpLHXtCZzQlzr02iU4BhWRgGNUTPsAReALLWeqb0nrxDEXiwNyiZ0MblsgNhGzALhMtLYUIJb/s640/IMG_2100.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Yeast is a beautiful thing, but it needs to be put to good use. It gives life <u>within the right context</u>. It needs to be added to flour, given some time to eat more and grow more, and then....be pounded back down. That pounding is critical, although a royal pain. It puts things back into perspective. It allows the molecules to interact and change. Without getting all scientific, the yeast is necessary for development, but it does its best work when combined with other things and pounded a bit. Then, all that mess needs boundaries: a container in which to be baked. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRp0KtXl4ALj6neGxKLugduYyKySo5QaHHph0-L7VTUSnDTyXvsMDFOgJDIP2RH5Q9sl8r4UbIcMx13qZZ4aUYJRw2CmzTBy7OfY1ybVCZwuTI6fCfl2xi-3ZdDLPqixNupvjNr-k6SCPn/s1600/IMG_1362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRp0KtXl4ALj6neGxKLugduYyKySo5QaHHph0-L7VTUSnDTyXvsMDFOgJDIP2RH5Q9sl8r4UbIcMx13qZZ4aUYJRw2CmzTBy7OfY1ybVCZwuTI6fCfl2xi-3ZdDLPqixNupvjNr-k6SCPn/s640/IMG_1362.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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We need beauty. We need to be inspired. We need to be encouraged and reminded that life is beautiful, even amidst the bad stuff that happens all around us and to us. We need to take the beauty and work it into our lives in such a way that it grows and fosters development and creativity in us. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlof53O8_0-iq2tURY74x334sdRp1opuQk7i6k97jZzCQH2EXw8sA7jpW_YAkcLv6o3jUwf9qRH8yKFyAUJpgjq90iE5v-6O_2vVNct0AUhAuMC8_1LpGbziUGY-hWqNu5tbnOW6NgrAx/s1600/IMG_1471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlof53O8_0-iq2tURY74x334sdRp1opuQk7i6k97jZzCQH2EXw8sA7jpW_YAkcLv6o3jUwf9qRH8yKFyAUJpgjq90iE5v-6O_2vVNct0AUhAuMC8_1LpGbziUGY-hWqNu5tbnOW6NgrAx/s640/IMG_1471.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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There will also be the ugly, hard, real-life things that do happen and will happen to us. Things that aren't Instagram-worthy, blog-worthy or sponsor-worthy, but necessary. The lead paint situations that you don't anticipate. Money issues. Job troubles. Health problems. All those things are the poundings, the kneadings, the hard slaps onto the countertop. They will mix in with the beauty, the ideas, the "potential" - and will work their magic in me. </div>
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More precisely, as it says in Romans 5: "And we also have joy with our troubles because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope. And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. God gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given us." </div>
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And the boundaries. We need to remember that all is not as it seems in social media world. We need not feel pressure to live lavishly. We need not feel pressure to style our homes in a thoroughly unlivable way. We need not feel as though where we are now is not good enough. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXv4FjhfPkZ3Rc_-DkgeV2E-0EFSFkenqcM973t4fWi7Dx-3JOYuPlr4dJTwDrxPEBebbuqDvFpXpJZdmEsyjL9UGByOuSPNb1elb8MZC91tEKosMKA5ReEYwrSCkXAxOyTo8rgxy5iFYe/s1600/IMG_1364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXv4FjhfPkZ3Rc_-DkgeV2E-0EFSFkenqcM973t4fWi7Dx-3JOYuPlr4dJTwDrxPEBebbuqDvFpXpJZdmEsyjL9UGByOuSPNb1elb8MZC91tEKosMKA5ReEYwrSCkXAxOyTo8rgxy5iFYe/s640/IMG_1364.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Where I am now is exactly where I'm supposed to be.</div>
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This is my container. These "problems" are working something beautiful and lasting in me.</div>
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I am within my boundaries. </div>
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Here I will grow and create something beautiful.</div>
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Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-48087973700667065662017-10-19T23:22:00.001-07:002017-10-19T23:22:38.992-07:00The Chicago Triathlon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YCQiA4oHwbmCPgEKLlDIzv5BuVApM7SPl751aRzhqVE3vlLJVf6KAZtvfQTG1O_nP-ly3Ms-Hgb4C44TaA-MNFr1q9JHzflkMJTeY48rtPeuYuNEqW2x8WqWdSLn7cK5WBHHtZQoxFv9/s1600/IMG_1503826097310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YCQiA4oHwbmCPgEKLlDIzv5BuVApM7SPl751aRzhqVE3vlLJVf6KAZtvfQTG1O_nP-ly3Ms-Hgb4C44TaA-MNFr1q9JHzflkMJTeY48rtPeuYuNEqW2x8WqWdSLn7cK5WBHHtZQoxFv9/s640/IMG_1503826097310.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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As a total spoiler, I threw that picture up there as proof that yes, I did the triathlon! </div>
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It was a total blast! Here's the story...</div>
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Kyle and I moved to Chicago 3 weeks after I gave birth to our 5th child, and the whole process of settling into a new city and life with 5 kids in that new city created a certain level of chaos. To bring order and sanity to the chaos, we both needed a goal - something to focus on over a period of months to motivate us to stay fit and active when it would be easy to fall off the fitness wagon. </div>
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Rather than enter our 4th decade and throw it all to the winds, we opted to do precisely the opposite. To work hard to achieve something physically challenging, together, in our new city! </div>
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This was not our first triathlon, nor our first Olympic distance tri, but it was our first Chicago triathlon. And this was a good reminder that no two triathlons can accurately be compared unless it's the same one year after year. </div>
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I should also throw in here that I managed to convince two of my neighbors, Jill and Susan, (both triathlon newbies) to participate in this with us! They were both runners, but it was a leap to sign up for a triathlon, much less an Olympic distance one. The fact that they did; that they trained, competed, finished and had a blast is a testimony to their endurance, character and adventurous spirits! </div>
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I mentioned in a previous post that this triathlon fell the weekend after my 40th birthday, and that my parents were coming in town that week to help take care of our kids so we could actually do the event! </div>
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It is no exaggeration to say that without them, there is NO way we could have done the triathlon. I am SO thankful for their support and help! </div>
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To kick off what was a super crazy weekend, we had to head downtown on Saturday to pick up our race packets, and drop our bikes off at transition. In a smaller town, this would have been a piece of cake. Not here. It meant finding parking, walking and walking to the hotel, sitting through a half hour mandatory athlete meeting, walking through the Expo to pick up our packets and then, once finally free, to get our bikes from the parking decks and walk them a few miles away to the transition area. </div>
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Our friend, Jill, saved the day with parking. She works downtown and gave us parking passes to her garage which was a few blocks away from the hotel/Expo. Her passes saved us over $50 in parking! </div>
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Still, all our walking that day was over 3 miles.</div>
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There were over 9,000 participants in the triathlon. That's a lot of people. A lot of bikes. </div>
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Triathletes were assigned a wave number based on age and gender, and that wave number directed the racking of bikes in the transition area. Transition was a large, grassy hill overlooking Lake Michigan. Once you were cleared to enter the area, you located the flag for your wave and squeezed your bike onto a rack in that section. It was a really tight fit! Particularly for my wave.</div>
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Transition area was open for bike racking Friday afternoon and most of Saturday. It would also be open early Sunday morning, but would be closed by 5:45am as the race kicked off at 6:00am. Most people brought their bikes early. However, ONLY bikes could be dropped off - no other transition items could be left. Which meant that all athletes would be required to be there well before 5:45am in order to get their whole transition set up ready. Eek.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6LTnshGxLHusnkTx1BjLiYs_bo_j4KwSt4ZN8lxHBi3Iyu0Ku87TBzGoH5WiS0Q28qTcKhcLy1Fbmq8rWw7-Scqza-w33cc3kx-MERDIto8WIV9BsU8YM8P-u8PUsQYgJXtHgwH9NPdj/s1600/IMG_2217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6LTnshGxLHusnkTx1BjLiYs_bo_j4KwSt4ZN8lxHBi3Iyu0Ku87TBzGoH5WiS0Q28qTcKhcLy1Fbmq8rWw7-Scqza-w33cc3kx-MERDIto8WIV9BsU8YM8P-u8PUsQYgJXtHgwH9NPdj/s640/IMG_2217.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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There was security in the transition area. Good thing. There was a gazillion dollars of bikes racked on that hill. Not my bike, in particular, but it's not uncommon for a tri bike to cost around $10,000. Crazy, huh?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkN6WWKz6EkWW6yF5SWyq1_DC9RZRx9L-wKRHZcEr6I6ZKUWogAj0922CEdOvtBM9d57VSXNpqbv7JfwqEZrgz7VUa_DXoK7EJiZ_ZOL-jnij2Z6VGm5Q2SJW9HV_HR1wnKN6e7i8N3Iw/s1600/IMG_2219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkN6WWKz6EkWW6yF5SWyq1_DC9RZRx9L-wKRHZcEr6I6ZKUWogAj0922CEdOvtBM9d57VSXNpqbv7JfwqEZrgz7VUa_DXoK7EJiZ_ZOL-jnij2Z6VGm5Q2SJW9HV_HR1wnKN6e7i8N3Iw/s640/IMG_2219.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The layout of the event was very sprawling. Not only was there a significant amount of walking required just to GET your bike to the transition area, but on race day, the swim exit was 1/2 mile away from the bikes. So you hike down the shore to enter for the swim, then upon exiting the water, jog/run half a mile to your bike. It was not going to make for the fastest transition time ever.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09XWH19Nil9cr_nOmqT8w8bB2CgoJ-EEh5D-y-Blrc4GzJM_KTbBRBnkbcV26ZntN2rXvhnFjBt4VdK5kNUiS1Ya2vkE2dhdchynT78iwDW_HnPJllmU_6sGhW92VPsy7duqBtRj9ERlB/s1600/IMG_1758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09XWH19Nil9cr_nOmqT8w8bB2CgoJ-EEh5D-y-Blrc4GzJM_KTbBRBnkbcV26ZntN2rXvhnFjBt4VdK5kNUiS1Ya2vkE2dhdchynT78iwDW_HnPJllmU_6sGhW92VPsy7duqBtRj9ERlB/s640/IMG_1758.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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That's ok! Kyle and I were ready. We got our bikes there and set up and prepared for Sunday.</div>
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We collaborated with our friends, Jill and Susan, and figured out that in order to get to the race on time Sunday morning, we would need to leave our house at 3:15am. SERIOUSLY.</div>
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I've never gotten up so early.</div>
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It required going to bed equally early. Which was hard to do as jazzed up as we both felt! </div>
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The other tricky thing was going to be Wilder. My concern was two-fold: 1) He sleeps with me, so my mom would need to slip into my bed once Kyle and I woke up and hopefully trick him into staying asleep! My experience with getting up early and his staying asleep has been hit and miss. I was just praying, that's all I could do. 2) I'm nursing him. So he would need to take bottles from my mom, which he NEVER does. And I would be going HOURS without nursing, so I would be in PAIN by the end of the day. I planned to bring my pump (and did...but forgot a key component, thus rendering my efforts wasted...) So yes, I was in pain.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHDOweSSIoQLpHqO-ewfH_hRVElP9j7Rvch4lBSRoraBSuqzScGOwxinF-5T1J7QwS33JGQSylwcFKSmILh_dp9bovo0-cSjg5BzgLO6hJ67ORHKHDQG9B39IWRJATLFEbq65fXUapQxb/s1600/IMG_2224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHDOweSSIoQLpHqO-ewfH_hRVElP9j7Rvch4lBSRoraBSuqzScGOwxinF-5T1J7QwS33JGQSylwcFKSmILh_dp9bovo0-cSjg5BzgLO6hJ67ORHKHDQG9B39IWRJATLFEbq65fXUapQxb/s640/IMG_2224.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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That's my white Orbea and Kyle's black Specialized!</div>
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I knew Kyle was going to rock the bike - he commutes to work every day on his bike, so he has gotten very fast and strong on the bike. I've had to make do with a few long rides downtown by myself, but mostly using an indoor trainer at the gym. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGU4uQ8gqLJYCwqD9jplcA0uz_nyRz936yESUFS95KVbaSlCVkP-kq3C1Di7ed-rn2XKyJ8620P4NYCXIjZfAdvVaqfAXYJx7qaKjyaUYsAGRFS4AkeJbyirZneUQIm8vkl-ds4hkPhM13/s1600/IMG_1503816764250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGU4uQ8gqLJYCwqD9jplcA0uz_nyRz936yESUFS95KVbaSlCVkP-kq3C1Di7ed-rn2XKyJ8620P4NYCXIjZfAdvVaqfAXYJx7qaKjyaUYsAGRFS4AkeJbyirZneUQIm8vkl-ds4hkPhM13/s640/IMG_1503816764250.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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Race Day!</div>
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We managed to get out of bed at 3am, successfully sliding my mom into my warm spot in the bed with Wilder none the wiser. We get downtown, driving through the pitch black morning, as the race crews slowly drive down Lakeshore Drive, blocking off lanes with cones - the lanes we would be riding our bikes down in a few hours!</div>
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We park in Jill's parking deck, hauling our backpacks with our gear and then trek our way to transition. It was a surreal experience. The city was dead, except for a growing stream of athletes walking or guiding their bikes down the road to the race. There was a sense of camaraderie, half-asleepness and a sense that we were all a tad nuts. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh806OUlJneICsmeY3RJOCE9RjKpdX6uWaQAy5ZrasAtT8mqDee3LzF6m1qNLKmpMltHsISPpC1Pw0QUrec_5eETTytXn6yq-XmRpeZDpSYtnmiUmDj_zEIi47jpvUUeJ7S5WxEui1kaFpg/s1600/IMG_1503816864310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh806OUlJneICsmeY3RJOCE9RjKpdX6uWaQAy5ZrasAtT8mqDee3LzF6m1qNLKmpMltHsISPpC1Pw0QUrec_5eETTytXn6yq-XmRpeZDpSYtnmiUmDj_zEIi47jpvUUeJ7S5WxEui1kaFpg/s640/IMG_1503816864310.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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Once we finished up in transition, we all went our separate ways. Jill and Susan were in the same wave, as first time triathletes, and Kyle and I were in different waves. Kyle's wave was set to go in the water about half an hour before mine. (He's disgustingly photogenic in his cap, goggles and wetsuit). Each wave had different colored caps, too. Kyle was grey. I was purple.</div>
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There were rows and rows of porta-potties, and everyone walks around with their wetsuit waist-high, because nerves drive you to the potties with alarming frequency. </div>
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It's a strange feeling, milling about barefoot with thousands of strangers, trying to remain calm and steady. The swim is usually everyone's least favorite leg, and there is no shortage of chatter about the temperature of the water, the degree of chop, etc. It's like labor stories - everyone wants to tell you the horror stories. I find it best to tune everyone out and just be alone and relaxed.</div>
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It was interesting to watch the men who'd already started the swim. Everyone handles it so differently. Some people swim steadily. Others you can tell are scared to death and keep flipping over on their backs to rest. Some swam from lifeboat to lifeboat, hanging on while mustering up courage to keep going. I saw one lifeguard go in after a swimmer! Some people resort to back-stroking because they can't put their face in the water. Others breast-stroke the whole way!</div>
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I'm not a super speedy swimmer, but I'm relatively strong, I have endurance and I've trained myself to love swimming. I train in a pool, but I did swim a few times in the Lake just to be prepared. I'm so glad I did. My first experience was horrible. </div>
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I picked a day when the waves were crazy high and it was so rough I couldn't put my face in the water. I treaded water for about 15 minutes trying to talk myself into it, but was almost totally panicked. I couldn't get my heart rate to level out. I backed out and didn't swim at all and thought, uh oh. This is not good.</div>
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Fortunately, I went out again the following weekend with my friend, Susan, and the conditions were completely different. The Lake was calm, lovely and I swam a mile easily and it was wonderful. The Lake is so clear that even in areas where the water was very deep, I could see straight to the bottom. Having that experience made me feel prepared for the swim on race day. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCC5JBDW9GQTrzEC3dj4TkITHmrlNaLfCxH4NTLsohPwnitybQqdFKBnJP_S07EF4_p7Bpl4uvg61E2rgobyluVK2NIeXCUAvOs1F12I2i_aDIYE7QMScfMkPR37IpQMwCZYGD9tZANIsq/s1600/IMG_1503822641430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCC5JBDW9GQTrzEC3dj4TkITHmrlNaLfCxH4NTLsohPwnitybQqdFKBnJP_S07EF4_p7Bpl4uvg61E2rgobyluVK2NIeXCUAvOs1F12I2i_aDIYE7QMScfMkPR37IpQMwCZYGD9tZANIsq/s640/IMG_1503822641430.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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I was a little nervous, because I knew it would be crazy with that many people in the water. Even though they sent us out in waves of about 100, the water gets busy. You have to pick your placement - up front and you have to be fast or get run over. At the back you can be more leisurely. I positioned myself at the back. I was also nervous because I'd only trained once in my wetsuit and it's pretty constrictive. I didn't like having it zipped all the way up my neck, which meant it rubbed my neck raw...but that was better than feeling like I was choking. I had more than one person try to help zip it up the rest of the way and I kept assuring them I liked it as it was.</div>
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Once my wave was told to enter the water, my mind calmed and everything slowed down. We treaded water for about 5 minutes and then they sent us out. We swam down alongside the shore towards the museums, circled a buoy and then switched directions and swam north for a total of 0.9 miles.</div>
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The reality of the swim is that everyone freaks out for about the first few minutes. Then, you have to rein it in and just do the work you've prepared for. I am happy to say that I was able to put my face in the water right away and just swim. I forced my heart rate to slow down, I made myself breathe normally and next thing I knew, I was just swimming. I was passing people and I felt great. The only trouble was that I kept bumping into people and having to look up and navigate around bodies in order to keep moving. I feel like I could have whittled minutes off my swim if I hadn't had to do that! </div>
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Towards the end, the waves picked up and we were being tossed about a little, but I played a mental game with myself and made it fun. And I wasn't scared or worried...I just swam and boom - it was done. Out of the water and on to the longest part - the bike!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnBaOLjvypi-d8ZkArfwGYco2kWESrDnNSzxvxsKl7AbE8Lia3A2NuBlBN3n8N0iEbfj4lvN9VQ70MR7flKaE7-0fjy6dD-faEEDJX__x65UkWKCPuuv_dYJYszYADwszzdTI8vksndOR/s1600/IMG_1498545830410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnBaOLjvypi-d8ZkArfwGYco2kWESrDnNSzxvxsKl7AbE8Lia3A2NuBlBN3n8N0iEbfj4lvN9VQ70MR7flKaE7-0fjy6dD-faEEDJX__x65UkWKCPuuv_dYJYszYADwszzdTI8vksndOR/s640/IMG_1498545830410.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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I never saw Kyle once we kissed goodbye at the swim, but I knew he was gonna blow my time away on the bike. And I was right! He beat me by 15 minutes on the bike!!!! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgcgiM9ABE8fwQT1VTvLoMfCeV7c-c_6HyNTieHN-qN6Tbz0w-zrRhxlSvQXb3rQhkAm-2mzdxx1IofmLYeSUPcdp3DdLYuVvN4RQJZct_WAZRLFBslp6vQ37uWrziTOxB3RqWn6_tqQK/s1600/IMG_1503819814110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgcgiM9ABE8fwQT1VTvLoMfCeV7c-c_6HyNTieHN-qN6Tbz0w-zrRhxlSvQXb3rQhkAm-2mzdxx1IofmLYeSUPcdp3DdLYuVvN4RQJZct_WAZRLFBslp6vQ37uWrziTOxB3RqWn6_tqQK/s640/IMG_1503819814110.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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The bike course was fantastic! Approximately 26 miles. Once out of the water, you run along a carpeted path a half mile to the transition area, strip off your wetsuit, cap and goggles and throw on your bike shoes, helmet and sunglasses. Then, run your bike up the hill and over to the road. Once you cross a certain line, they tell you to get on your bike and then it's a different form of physical and mental strategy. This course was so much fun - we rode up Lakeshore drive to the beginning of Rogers Park (where we live) turned around and came all the way back down and then headed into some underground roads that were used in the filming of Batman. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCjn8ZP8sRChRwZKtYwJWhj5bh114gdshT_p4q2sFrCWY-g7R03f3-FAoXHgKggv53sox18imJCFU_sD8svPsDIts7je161fj4I7xkRiO_HrHMvx9ZVpmTk_OSDpvqWSETtY1KWI6EWzW/s1600/IMG_1498549336680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCjn8ZP8sRChRwZKtYwJWhj5bh114gdshT_p4q2sFrCWY-g7R03f3-FAoXHgKggv53sox18imJCFU_sD8svPsDIts7je161fj4I7xkRiO_HrHMvx9ZVpmTk_OSDpvqWSETtY1KWI6EWzW/s640/IMG_1498549336680.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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Everything about the bike was fun. I felt strong and confident, the day was beautiful, the temperature perfect. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxN_DBbGUESb8uKw1bnzIuMq_YjhLseWAZu62TwuAEFSOgjEu_YCad09Qeta9p9BW1TS9-0Haxy3h6SiiBy_HMw3tgVz5K1MOjDfAoZyo7S0MBqy88JVZiiykZH4JbMu-QGtiSGc_lxf3/s1600/IMG_1503823308120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxN_DBbGUESb8uKw1bnzIuMq_YjhLseWAZu62TwuAEFSOgjEu_YCad09Qeta9p9BW1TS9-0Haxy3h6SiiBy_HMw3tgVz5K1MOjDfAoZyo7S0MBqy88JVZiiykZH4JbMu-QGtiSGc_lxf3/s640/IMG_1503823308120.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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Once we hit the underground roads, it was exhilarating! The wind whipped through your ears, but otherwise it was silent. You felt FAST. It WAS pretty fast. I hit my highest speeds on those roads and it was pure joy. I had so much fun! (Kyle did too).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1yPlPuUSUBjYLhtz_2rntIlB_ll7wmpfYm2s00yIuAKsSjDzBNXvRzWcufVg0eTBUTQbEV6soyEG8oxbbAFyF-KuTo2gH9Icd5sobi6ahfUDT20MneIt-_B0aUyaogDnlC7ZqEE57psS/s1600/IMG_1503826141240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1yPlPuUSUBjYLhtz_2rntIlB_ll7wmpfYm2s00yIuAKsSjDzBNXvRzWcufVg0eTBUTQbEV6soyEG8oxbbAFyF-KuTo2gH9Icd5sobi6ahfUDT20MneIt-_B0aUyaogDnlC7ZqEE57psS/s640/IMG_1503826141240.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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The smile on my face in the pictures wasn't just because I knew there was a photographer there - I truly was having a great time! I used the time on the bike to pray, too. Especially for Wilder! (Those prayers were answered: he slept until 10am! And was wonderful for my parents! Praise God!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSq51TfAahp7x_4-Ww_Vk8NvZ9aX89f_RAH4fErV0Sgg5q3g4nzt7ZcreI6wzGHoBmvZUwvySuQd8sW5pqNCSPonUUsCAm6Xgw7JDxeRIFYXQCoNF5OIVnE2bYYoRMn6az4NJf2mtHtYA/s1600/IMG_1503824589410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSq51TfAahp7x_4-Ww_Vk8NvZ9aX89f_RAH4fErV0Sgg5q3g4nzt7ZcreI6wzGHoBmvZUwvySuQd8sW5pqNCSPonUUsCAm6Xgw7JDxeRIFYXQCoNF5OIVnE2bYYoRMn6az4NJf2mtHtYA/s640/IMG_1503824589410.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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After the bike, we had a 6.2 mile run down through the museum campuses, along the lake edge and then around into the city a teeny bit. The run was what worried me because my last triathlon, I got a stitch and couldn't get rid of it! I was determined NOT to do that again.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpFUauc-CX_8fufQT8SAgkqpQreQ_ABlY20Uj2ySLxfmhCAP4n-m086qR7dNRkGMenEeCg5QYUEo-CH_P5B86jOlcvwhYNsRfBY0b6v_Znj521v1HzASqDlIZodeLAtzItohSQoJX2-kN/s1600/IMG_1503827608550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpFUauc-CX_8fufQT8SAgkqpQreQ_ABlY20Uj2ySLxfmhCAP4n-m086qR7dNRkGMenEeCg5QYUEo-CH_P5B86jOlcvwhYNsRfBY0b6v_Znj521v1HzASqDlIZodeLAtzItohSQoJX2-kN/s640/IMG_1503827608550.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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Kyle obviously finished before me, and finished strong! He did so well! I am really proud of him.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLXb6GPMtXIOc0O2AsovDjRBt-i5sOwVjItmbLiehqqipMlkT0PkfZuqKD7QmwhxYCImYXlKDdx45QXppZN2iXpo_N8DBXhqjUDV5ui8AkP3NQTB4RnhLoqxi7Y5WcvrF6OcTBdIJY_3y/s1600/IMG_1503827643810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLXb6GPMtXIOc0O2AsovDjRBt-i5sOwVjItmbLiehqqipMlkT0PkfZuqKD7QmwhxYCImYXlKDdx45QXppZN2iXpo_N8DBXhqjUDV5ui8AkP3NQTB4RnhLoqxi7Y5WcvrF6OcTBdIJY_3y/s640/IMG_1503827643810.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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There were plenty of photographers at the finish, and best of all, they gave us the photographs free! Unheard of in athletic events!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zAm7dnKUBR88m0w1LQWPVXyntk0cDD_NRb1Q8jXfjvIJBaxr9Z2rjoIMi4V9kRVaVzwrgX1ZfU-5-jPuP5JhHpn-YhEGzhBHI4v4BsllaxkIhlbLIBEpFVhmAZQQ4YYqmMbtD9W4bpYm/s1600/IMG_1503827645590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zAm7dnKUBR88m0w1LQWPVXyntk0cDD_NRb1Q8jXfjvIJBaxr9Z2rjoIMi4V9kRVaVzwrgX1ZfU-5-jPuP5JhHpn-YhEGzhBHI4v4BsllaxkIhlbLIBEpFVhmAZQQ4YYqmMbtD9W4bpYm/s640/IMG_1503827645590.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Woo hoo!!! Please note it did not take him 9 hours and 53 minutes. That's just what time it was. Those times are confusing as you cross the line. Plus, everyone has staggered start times, so it's not even like you're "racing" the next guy running in. It's a very individualized type of race.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zI3nodwLNc1ZU42AQI93Mybgv2f3bmGgCE4bZFNJOvb_HLSh0HC6bhzr7LeZ1KLOi6Eeix0FQ3c3DkKSwTASyrAdNMmsnFNzWx_3Euy8cLCPr8k8RJVti_-P1OnZ6dPbRw8rog2PtP8i/s1600/IMG_1503831969330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zI3nodwLNc1ZU42AQI93Mybgv2f3bmGgCE4bZFNJOvb_HLSh0HC6bhzr7LeZ1KLOi6Eeix0FQ3c3DkKSwTASyrAdNMmsnFNzWx_3Euy8cLCPr8k8RJVti_-P1OnZ6dPbRw8rog2PtP8i/s640/IMG_1503831969330.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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I was decently happy with my run. I always want to have pushed myself harder, and this was no different. This part of the race is the toughest for me, mentally. I'm just worn out by now, even though running is my favorite thing! And in this race, I had to pee SO bad. I am not so committed to triathlon that I will just pee on myself.....so I did duck into a porta-potty even though it cost me some time. And it's hard to run without music, because when I train it's either with music or with a running buddy. I have neither on race day. I suppose a wiser person would train that way....</div>
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In any case, my goal was to stay running - no walking - and to beat my previous run time. I accomplished both. I think my pace was about a 9:30 min/mile which was slower than I wanted, but I can live with it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTgm-PnWqIrVpHsyFqX60U-s6IsoYDIpCh_tsyOTXQXOQp2hJyLlaVrzZVM0Ts4q1iLqmm06UbOzLHWCssKieROUTf2z9bv5l2VUjLFHHS9haj7pgbf63XnbTSNcbhrOIqhzziGULH02h/s1600/IMG_1503832119600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTgm-PnWqIrVpHsyFqX60U-s6IsoYDIpCh_tsyOTXQXOQp2hJyLlaVrzZVM0Ts4q1iLqmm06UbOzLHWCssKieROUTf2z9bv5l2VUjLFHHS9haj7pgbf63XnbTSNcbhrOIqhzziGULH02h/s640/IMG_1503832119600.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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There I am, a finisher!</div>
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Total time: 3:15</div>
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So happy to have accomplished this goal!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKHtb9g9OwaHiOsQePqhhRX6DczCclBklwqLFhsASATKhq3D99455PYLpcvczsOmR5gBb0AwlkIJS6_8oso_NqizNGl0Yve4Oe0P5t_PtAUohG-LZqKFg9nf-MxpLC5P9nJEUmUigWy0M/s1600/IMG_1503831956420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKHtb9g9OwaHiOsQePqhhRX6DczCclBklwqLFhsASATKhq3D99455PYLpcvczsOmR5gBb0AwlkIJS6_8oso_NqizNGl0Yve4Oe0P5t_PtAUohG-LZqKFg9nf-MxpLC5P9nJEUmUigWy0M/s640/IMG_1503831956420.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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Well done, Kyle!</div>
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There was a huge after party just beyond the finish line, but I really didn't get to enjoy much of it. I wish I had, but I needed to find Kyle in the crowd and then get home! </div>
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We managed to meet back up and exchange our stories, then get packed up!</div>
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Man, post tri = not pretty. </div>
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But I earned that medal!</div>
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So proud of us. Not a bad way to celebrate turning 40!</div>
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It was the perfect finale to a great birthday month!</div>
<br />Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-60125447089339566252017-10-16T06:00:00.000-07:002017-10-16T06:00:26.153-07:00Turning 40 - Part 2<div style="text-align: center;">
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I already told you about my blissful visit from my best friend, Emily, but that lovely experience was just the beginning! As the 40th IS a big birthday, you do feel as though you need to mark it in some way. </div>
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After very little consideration, Kyle and I signed up to do the Chicago Triathlon! The race distances included super sprint and sprint, but the primary race was the International Distance, which is what we signed up for. This was our second International Triathlon. Basically a mile swim in Lake Michigan, 26 mile bike ride up and down Lakeshore Drive and through some underbelly streets downtown, and a 6.2 mile run along the shore of Lake Michigan. What's not to love??</div>
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However, you can't commit to an event like that without some serious support, which is where my precious parents came in. They offered to come to Chicago to help me ring in my 40th and watch the kids for us the day of the triathlon. It was an all around fabulous idea!</div>
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What my kids didn't know was that when my parents came, they were going to bring Sawyer and Gage with them - two of the cousins who have been particularly sad to lose my boys to Chicago. It was a lovely surprise for my kids, although they barely reacted when the boys clambered out of the car. Kids never react the way you expect them to. But they definitely definitely loved seeing the boys.</div>
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My birthday fell on a Thursday, and Kyle worked that day, so I hung out with the parents and the kids. Sawyer and Gage had never been to the beach before, so we introduced them to ours! It was freezing and the waves were again, quite rough, but the kids didn't seem to mind.</div>
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I watched those waves, knowing I was going to be swimming out there in a few days and was a tad nervous. Hoping it would be calm early in the morning...</div>
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While the bigger kids got wet, Wilder dug around in the sand and found delicious rocks.</div>
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Then dropped them.</div>
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It involves Maple Seeds, splitting the seeds open and letting them stick to the bridge of your nose. I love it! </div>
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The Unicorns found some chairs in front of a neighbor's house and rested their "weary" legs before walking the remaining few feet to our house. Then, Kyle took me out to dinner that night! </div>
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A real date. Just the two of us. No kids. No high chairs. We hadn't been on a date since February. It's not as bad as it sounds - we get time together to talk and be grown-ups together more than you'd think and we work out together -so stop scolding me.</div>
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He picked a restaurant that he thought I might like, a farm to table place called Homestead on the Roof, and it was possibly the best meal I've ever eaten. So amazing. It was also in a different neighborhood than I'd ever been in, so it was fun to see a new part of the city! </div>
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I ordered a sweet pea risotto that was possibly straight from heaven. </div>
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Kyle had grilled eggplant with a whole lot of other things that I can't remember, but that were amazing.</div>
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Happy Birthday, Me!</div>
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They gave me a sparkler on my dessert! Much better than candles!</div>
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We each got something different to split. </div>
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Kyle got a Key Lime Trifle thingy which I can't remember details about either. This is why ideally you post about these things immediately!</div>
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Mine was some fabulous chocolate concoction that speaks for itself, really.</div>
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As the sun set, it got quite chilly! They turned on these heaters which made the whole place glow!</div>
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It was a lovely evening, and I could not have picked a better restaurant or a better date. My husband is amazing. </div>
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The next day, Kyle stayed home and we took all the kids to Lincoln Park Zoo!</div>
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Here, the kids observe a camel family!</div>
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It's a great zoo. I'm not a zoo person, but this zoo is my exception.</div>
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Aside from being FREE, it is really fabulous. </div>
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Wilder agreed.</div>
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The most magnificent tiger paced mere feet away from us, giving each of us observers a healthy sense of our mortality.</div>
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Wilder gasped as a manatee swam past him!</div>
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And we all had the most amazing experience watching families of gorillas tromp about. They were engaged in a masculine display of "I'm bigger, so MOVE" and it was downright scary. The biggest of the males stood up and basically roared at a younger male who quickly scampered off and then Big Daddy swung around and sat down on his haunches right in front of me and Wilder. He let out a bellow and then turned his head and locked eyes with me. I kid you not. It was crazy. He just stared at me for a full minute, eye to eye. Then finally he looked away and went back to bossing everyone else around. I shared a moment with a gorilla. Another birthday moment I'll never forget.</div>
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Later that evening, everyone sang Happy Birthday to me and I opened my birthday presents. It was a great time!</div>
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Extra special because I am so thankful for my Kyle, my precious children, mom and dad, and Sawyer and Gage. Next post: Triathlon Day!</div>
Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-63999121159028790942017-10-14T15:01:00.001-07:002017-10-14T15:01:31.601-07:00Turning 40 - Part 1<div style="text-align: center;">
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This is the year I turn 40. Well, actually, I already did. August 24th. </div>
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I realize this is a monumental birthday that has the potential to carry with it some pretty serious emotional hits, but for whatever reason, it didn't bother me. I did some soul searching to make sure, but nope...no sadness, no grief at leaving my 30's, I don't feel suddenly older, I'm not going to stop and let myself go... </div>
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It doesn't seem to make much sense to get upset about it, particularly when it doesn't feel OLD or anything. Or maybe I should say because I don't feel old! Now, when I meet a 28 year old, I officially think they're young, but come on - they are! :) </div>
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40's the new 30...right? Just kidding. I hate that phrase.</div>
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It's just the next number in the sequence. </div>
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I wonder if people in their 70's are saying 70 is the new 40? </div>
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I wish I could say I felt different than I did a few months ago, but I don't! </div>
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I hope I have acquired a certain amount of wisdom over the years; I certainly do pray for wisdom.</div>
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If life experiences are like books filling up a bookshelf, then I feel confident in saying my library is growing, but hopefully far from complete. The complexity and depth of those life experiences is certainly increasing, as I hope is my approach to handling them. </div>
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I do feel that I am able to look at younger women, particularly younger moms, and have legitimate experience with which to counsel them, advise them, encourage them. I have been there and am still there, but I have learned so much about what it is to be a mom, a wife, a woman, a sister, a friend.</div>
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It's complex, this life we are living, and yet somehow so simplistic all at the same time.</div>
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Particularly when you're passing over big milestones.</div>
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Rather than fretting over the increasing number of gray hairs I find on my head (which, yes, was alarming starting a few years ago), I choose to accept that time passes and every year we are granted is a gift. </div>
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I most definitely did not want a party for my 40th, and my husband knew that. My best friend, Emily, who also turned 40 this year, chose to help us both celebrate and came to spend several days with me in early August. I have to say it was a pretty spectacular gift to spend that much time with her. </div>
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One thing I can say I have learned in the past 40 years is that true, deep friendship is a rare and wonderful thing and when you find it, you are very blessed indeed. Emily is such a friend for me. </div>
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Thanks to the Voxer app, we actually keep in communication with each other on a much more regular basis (daily) than we did when we lived a few miles apart in Arkansas. How crazy is that?</div>
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My moving cross-country has had the effect of drawing us closer together. We share the minutia of our daily lives with each other, cry together when life throws us tough situations, pray for each other faithfully, hash through our quandaries, struggles, questions, concerns...it's absolutely wonderful. I know I can be totally vulnerable and honest with her and she will listen, then give me wise, godly words in response. Christ is truly at the center of our friendship, and therefore the bond that much sweeter and tighter. </div>
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When she came to visit me, the kids were still in camp during the days, so we had some normal days we shared, plus we went downtown one evening. It was so lovely. </div>
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I had raced around to get the guest room as ready as I can at this point, and it seemed pretty cozy!</div>
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After dropping the kids at Summer Camp, I showed Emily our favorite beach.</div>
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It was a gorgeous day with some really crazy waves.</div>
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We walked around in Rogers Park so she could see the neighborhood.</div>
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We did NOT plan our matching blue t-shirts that day. </div>
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Unloading the stroller back at the house.</div>
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We ate lunch at one of my favorite spots in Evanston - The Lucky Platter.</div>
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Wyeth chose this moment to make a particularly lovely face.</div>
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Then we walked across the street to a Belgian Chocolate shop which makes all its chocolates on sight. You can imagine the smells...</div>
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One of each, please! Ok, maybe not. Maybe just one.</div>
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Then, because you only turn 40 once and life is too short to not splurge some, we also stopped at Hoosier Mama Pie Cafe and got some chocolate pie. Back to back. We're insane!</div>
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It also decided to start pouring outside at that moment, forcing us to sit there and eat our pie. Dang. We really had INTENDED to save it for later.</div>
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We got deep dish pizza for one meal.</div>
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And one evening, we took the train downtown - just the two of us! </div>
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I confess it was my first time navigating the trains all by myself and it was a success.</div>
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We had so much fun! </div>
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Even though it was August, our weather was strangely chilly, hence the jackets and jeans.</div>
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Once downtown, we hit Michigan Avenue. Hello, Hancock Building!</div>
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Garrett's Popcorn is a Chicago thing, and something neither of us had tried. So...now we have!</div>
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Caramel and cheese is the combo they're famous for, and it was actually pretty good. But the cheese was really really greasy, so next time I'm probably going with just caramel.</div>
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The Lush shop was a very hands-on experience and so entertaining!</div>
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These dogs are everywhere. Every. Where.</div>
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We did quite a bit of walking that evening. Starting on Michigan Avenue, we walked south and crossed the Chicago River and went all the way to Millennium Park to see the Bean.</div>
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The River is one of the most beautiful places, in my opinion.</div>
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I love that it winds through so many skyscrapers!</div>
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The Bean is always lovely, too. I marvel at how many people flock to it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyx8SmldA_A6qfWWyv9kE-QVMfjLE-fPy3ZYXagSppz-dKq3pma2fByKbUTgPgGcSWST6WxhxdjZaZP7EIqy0WElOjZljsU0ohDzo6Wjq1JJ68Rld3tuFkF0Dr7PQ1xW_xOS3SAmyvPkbW/s1600/IMG_3012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyx8SmldA_A6qfWWyv9kE-QVMfjLE-fPy3ZYXagSppz-dKq3pma2fByKbUTgPgGcSWST6WxhxdjZaZP7EIqy0WElOjZljsU0ohDzo6Wjq1JJ68Rld3tuFkF0Dr7PQ1xW_xOS3SAmyvPkbW/s640/IMG_3012.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Gotta do it! Gotta get a picture!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopDHj8XkRbCoQM8SKXRmyHPTgA1-fkdcEgsffPWhMFTVl-xKZLJ730vEw4Nrymvbdg1XKEYR58t-sGL0QdZ6jexKQzlr88Mq9rBsUnagikI6DM8MOCSOmgiM-MWD0SZURXE9-YZPtPv6g/s1600/IMG_3024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopDHj8XkRbCoQM8SKXRmyHPTgA1-fkdcEgsffPWhMFTVl-xKZLJ730vEw4Nrymvbdg1XKEYR58t-sGL0QdZ6jexKQzlr88Mq9rBsUnagikI6DM8MOCSOmgiM-MWD0SZURXE9-YZPtPv6g/s640/IMG_3024.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Shamelessly, one of my favorite things to do, but also one of the things I rarely ever do, is go to Ghirardelli's and get a Salted Caramel Brownie Sundae. The kids and I shared one about a year ago.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfnO5_HvtyHe31K0cHA9Dr44gfIOVazIitC_iIxiCezVoeswGz1Vbzry8HqyIDpQLfuhbSfN64TQvvM9mizh2kaC2Ja7O1o-lF8j_ImZhMjTMj4RtabMb3YIL_ZSdoUXMIRnDyXeYOvP_5/s1600/IMG_3025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfnO5_HvtyHe31K0cHA9Dr44gfIOVazIitC_iIxiCezVoeswGz1Vbzry8HqyIDpQLfuhbSfN64TQvvM9mizh2kaC2Ja7O1o-lF8j_ImZhMjTMj4RtabMb3YIL_ZSdoUXMIRnDyXeYOvP_5/s640/IMG_3025.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It seemed appropriate that Emily and I should commemorate our 40th birthdays by indulging in one together. So we did. No regrets. Worth every penny and every mile of running required to burn those calories! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHzhI29ll06iqM8jyCpf1yx-UQArPUuinAqsT9kfCm86QBq7DE-D0OP0Hbarlb6vtG0XZlGNnpCHgUphf73eKYLlrcHiHYe7Gb0wGSsblPJU4eYgNpLwwuW4iSCa0juyHgmJgoTsG1zPX/s1600/IMG_1884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHzhI29ll06iqM8jyCpf1yx-UQArPUuinAqsT9kfCm86QBq7DE-D0OP0Hbarlb6vtG0XZlGNnpCHgUphf73eKYLlrcHiHYe7Gb0wGSsblPJU4eYgNpLwwuW4iSCa0juyHgmJgoTsG1zPX/s640/IMG_1884.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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It was hard for me to take Emily back to the airport on Saturday. Our time went too quickly, but I cherished every second of it! It made my birthday so special.</div>
Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-17962705921796580872017-08-07T20:34:00.003-07:002017-08-07T20:34:58.068-07:00Before & After<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
What you're about to see are the 3rd floor Before/Afters. </div>
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Bear in mind, they are only an INTERIM version of the Afters. Obviously, the "Before" shots won't be changing. These images are not fancy - nothing high res or well-lit at this point and we are so very very far from done, but it will give you context of the progress we've made in the 9 months we've lived here.</div>
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To summarize what's been done in these rooms...</div>
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<ul>
<li>Removal of green/yellow/brown nasty carpets</li>
<li>Removal of underlying brown and/or red linoleum</li>
<li>Stripping of original wood floors (of mastic and lead paint)</li>
<li>Sanding/Priming/Painting floors white </li>
<li>Removal of all shelving units and cupboards and huge track lighting</li>
<li>Removal of all window coverings</li>
<li>Cleaning of baseboards</li>
<li>Removal of wall paper </li>
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<u>Main North Facing Bedroom</u></div>
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Overall Before/After</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-UYOsXgUD6PG5LEDg71HCpKnusXC2Ioj0jXbDmk66q2kVnvtzQyA_7b6EcqZ-gYOqqMtV-KqypIxA5gPN2UxJK13_u0K-DVFyIzH5QsfaYFWYPPDo09je-TJCzTM9RYgPj3axARiFZQ-/s1600/MainBR_beforeafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="718" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-UYOsXgUD6PG5LEDg71HCpKnusXC2Ioj0jXbDmk66q2kVnvtzQyA_7b6EcqZ-gYOqqMtV-KqypIxA5gPN2UxJK13_u0K-DVFyIzH5QsfaYFWYPPDo09je-TJCzTM9RYgPj3axARiFZQ-/s640/MainBR_beforeafter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Progression of Room</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsskhoDpWipgUYj7alllReVSv9dmk4vpbduNlcIB2Qpkkp_q8qIJ43lKehNLBJWPP9GnaEVyDGJ3vzcDcyBfDfQBg_rI4XsMhEoTTNOR4dtmzd_V8ReJikOkQlsCYa8VGa5r0nWz96jXp9/s1600/MainBR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="718" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsskhoDpWipgUYj7alllReVSv9dmk4vpbduNlcIB2Qpkkp_q8qIJ43lKehNLBJWPP9GnaEVyDGJ3vzcDcyBfDfQBg_rI4XsMhEoTTNOR4dtmzd_V8ReJikOkQlsCYa8VGa5r0nWz96jXp9/s640/MainBR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Other side of the room</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBoFBUcXZxjOgQzhVdsBJadqVICYY8ip7H31XYXFEekjgPrxS8-W5FQ56dn75G1PG1f2OpccciuEdZ2Ky2AdBcHpiSOLVPcTaaS5lLyKH4Oyc1_q8lnVEUMw-NrQjX9lHm7MdWwgYcjQ-/s1600/MainBR2_beforeafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="718" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBoFBUcXZxjOgQzhVdsBJadqVICYY8ip7H31XYXFEekjgPrxS8-W5FQ56dn75G1PG1f2OpccciuEdZ2Ky2AdBcHpiSOLVPcTaaS5lLyKH4Oyc1_q8lnVEUMw-NrQjX9lHm7MdWwgYcjQ-/s640/MainBR2_beforeafter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Progression shots</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBlcvWzq1oRxkwocb26yGkZXaShT3-F7mwirO0GRP_1FjCLpzFyeHLqrbps7wxb-_6RzmyLf67SB-1JJk0cnhBWrA1MJLb0OQNsf5PHkkGAvA4S1kRQylHZzx_cEjsZIeHoJKOGu10RU1/s1600/MainBR2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="718" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBlcvWzq1oRxkwocb26yGkZXaShT3-F7mwirO0GRP_1FjCLpzFyeHLqrbps7wxb-_6RzmyLf67SB-1JJk0cnhBWrA1MJLb0OQNsf5PHkkGAvA4S1kRQylHZzx_cEjsZIeHoJKOGu10RU1/s640/MainBR2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now, the East Facing Bedroom</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqA_OCwI_VgYX2rKa4PUlvklUT1SfI5JxmChVZjXfOFaIonYkPTQJTk9ShWVN0Uf7nO8WHRKYnpTBYQqHzMh8dO4xmyJMfuVeuaRa1w9xhi3E5bEt-bF1_ZfArz7Y12LFevzh8VYDg9KuQ/s1600/EBR_beforeafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="718" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqA_OCwI_VgYX2rKa4PUlvklUT1SfI5JxmChVZjXfOFaIonYkPTQJTk9ShWVN0Uf7nO8WHRKYnpTBYQqHzMh8dO4xmyJMfuVeuaRa1w9xhi3E5bEt-bF1_ZfArz7Y12LFevzh8VYDg9KuQ/s640/EBR_beforeafter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Progression</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvetucoivy2iOcYyhjqbrDLHkfJbNIQ4ctO0WvYiKry1LV04NSdjUBFUfzTyfMCS_3og63JkIgmUvdykz07XWtZRpOaXlCEaF9DmHX5voQVOXIOj4yIieBe3FXgpCW52Qn1dLifU4b46O/s1600/EBR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="718" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvetucoivy2iOcYyhjqbrDLHkfJbNIQ4ctO0WvYiKry1LV04NSdjUBFUfzTyfMCS_3og63JkIgmUvdykz07XWtZRpOaXlCEaF9DmHX5voQVOXIOj4yIieBe3FXgpCW52Qn1dLifU4b46O/s640/EBR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And now the playroom</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygxDPclF2qrLf4ND5NC49Yo1G2Cj9EpE5hVp8BUq_j4ULiK6Zr-vB7Ljl_owikw7I9R_O4JQ3aighZwbUDFP7FHsvaAZxo32c6iknnsJI2QbuBdCTku80WXeGmBr7tOk4dmSSnbxkMo8G/s1600/Playroom_beforeafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="718" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygxDPclF2qrLf4ND5NC49Yo1G2Cj9EpE5hVp8BUq_j4ULiK6Zr-vB7Ljl_owikw7I9R_O4JQ3aighZwbUDFP7FHsvaAZxo32c6iknnsJI2QbuBdCTku80WXeGmBr7tOk4dmSSnbxkMo8G/s640/Playroom_beforeafter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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From the other side...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWYTL0qGjQFy4_tOop6h2Ne2oO_sRokSGbG1476MaYFeybF7XGJJMSxEjGcZdHP0cel2rfEk-joUjHZz9AnPkgQQGA1u-ZXN4ZXGvQA47ExMZKblw4LOcL2gaOpsyvKeI0fwfTfzkAeok/s1600/Playroom2beforeafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="718" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWYTL0qGjQFy4_tOop6h2Ne2oO_sRokSGbG1476MaYFeybF7XGJJMSxEjGcZdHP0cel2rfEk-joUjHZz9AnPkgQQGA1u-ZXN4ZXGvQA47ExMZKblw4LOcL2gaOpsyvKeI0fwfTfzkAeok/s640/Playroom2beforeafter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And the hallway that runs down the center (as originally viewed from the bathroom)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgciLXdhP4b4q1JfRnuTz06QVobzyykwtUumYHNmoKFBo0zrN8sf1Ky2BYC_kxwdf-lPrBmLxSle9o3U0_3tNBXZX_VO0h04mRhnwEZBC6_PLxh-C8W0f-q_qQkYpcZC7VmGyIaatFQ0dsa/s1600/LookingNorth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="718" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgciLXdhP4b4q1JfRnuTz06QVobzyykwtUumYHNmoKFBo0zrN8sf1Ky2BYC_kxwdf-lPrBmLxSle9o3U0_3tNBXZX_VO0h04mRhnwEZBC6_PLxh-C8W0f-q_qQkYpcZC7VmGyIaatFQ0dsa/s640/LookingNorth.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm celebrating our successes at the moment, knowing full well there are so many pieces left to do. Bathroom, plaster, paint, etc. </div>
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It's all part of the journey.</div>
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Thanks for sharing it!</div>
Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-11490836011043338222017-08-06T18:11:00.000-07:002017-08-06T18:11:34.997-07:003rd Floor Update - White Painted Floors!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxgd5lj2Q6xbx-t03NhIREy6XwD_l7EGU70Yuak-DENaqrYDg-zi25Nf2t8E4bOj449v7ZDCj9Up0EoRrzsYqZDZ5D39Hem_GGulQ_xNsaidoEWq4dsz2eY7bhMUVYBg5pHu1G-krpdpI/s1600/IMG_1753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxgd5lj2Q6xbx-t03NhIREy6XwD_l7EGU70Yuak-DENaqrYDg-zi25Nf2t8E4bOj449v7ZDCj9Up0EoRrzsYqZDZ5D39Hem_GGulQ_xNsaidoEWq4dsz2eY7bhMUVYBg5pHu1G-krpdpI/s640/IMG_1753.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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After 6 months of painstaking floor stripping and nasty clean-up, we have reached the fun part! The part where we really get to see results and change! </div>
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It's floor painting time.</div>
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I should also say, the major impetus for pushing this project through, other than just having our 3rd floor usable, was that my best friend Emily was coming to stay with me from Aug 2-5. I really wanted her to have a guest room, so we had a big deadline to get this floor ready!</div>
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So back to the process...</div>
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We know we want white. Ah, but what white? There are so many to choose from!</div>
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As white as you can get, is my answer.</div>
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Which leads me to the internet and lots of blog searching and googling "White painted floors" and every other imaginable combination of that query to see what other people have done and how it looks. Which is not as easy as you might think. I ended up finding lots of white floors, but very few people offered up the details of their process or colors. Some did, though, and I'm so very grateful.</div>
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I narrowed it down to two colors at first:</div>
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Benjamin Moore Simply White and Benjamin Moore Decorator's White. (left to right above).</div>
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I realize there is no easy way to assess those photographs and conclude anything other than they are white. It's hard to get good light up on that floor and I don't have professional lighting! </div>
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So I'll tell you what happened.</div>
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We painted the samples on unprimed floor and because the wood was not treated (other than having been stripped) the tannins in the wood started turning the white brown. But even before that happened, as soon as the paint hit the floor, I could tell enough to know that I really wanted even brighter white than those two colors. I wanted a white with pretty much no other pigment in it. Which led me to Benjamin Moore Super White. Or, the color matched Sherwin Williams version of that. So you take the basic Sherwin Williams white (with no pigment added at all) and drop in less than 2 teensy drops of yellow(?) to make Super White. And that's what I went with. And because I'm crazy, I didn't even do a sample, I just bought 2 gallons of SW Porch and Floor Enamel and said this is what it's gonna be.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ClueVPorUeJcQkQumB5D_vemhm2498JPul6wCBZRDlOaqPkIs65PrXTvBSTmyWZnyY44iRaJxTfF8EUAtge0I_MgF5rycUjeFIvTy0R1OV8A1q8AxcCILoaCJF3y3swxQKZTc0lW-cEC/s1600/IMG_1756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ClueVPorUeJcQkQumB5D_vemhm2498JPul6wCBZRDlOaqPkIs65PrXTvBSTmyWZnyY44iRaJxTfF8EUAtge0I_MgF5rycUjeFIvTy0R1OV8A1q8AxcCILoaCJF3y3swxQKZTc0lW-cEC/s640/IMG_1756.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The next big question was....do we need to prime first?</div>
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According to the Sherwin Williams guys, the answer was "No." Supposedly, the Porch and Floor Enamel is fine on untreated wood. Weeeellllll....just seeing how the wood had bled through the sample whites, I was not about to risk painting the whole floor only to see that happen.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLz4pUvX7eOywAorDA59G_qgX5rErJ57b6XqFqMKkW5fLMa6nAlKeXeZDBrX2TjaeDfte8y8muBi6b9xSoggmeXvrG8M0HdIpCjFfgPkIZt7s0U9fnymSTb5XsnjLAtn9Om1bSLQJztN8/s1600/IMG_1757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLz4pUvX7eOywAorDA59G_qgX5rErJ57b6XqFqMKkW5fLMa6nAlKeXeZDBrX2TjaeDfte8y8muBi6b9xSoggmeXvrG8M0HdIpCjFfgPkIZt7s0U9fnymSTb5XsnjLAtn9Om1bSLQJztN8/s640/IMG_1757.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Several sites I reviewed, including <a href="https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-paint-a-wood-floor/#.WYeWqFWGPIU" target="_blank">Bob Vila</a> recommended priming with 2 coats of Zinsser's BIN primer, a white pigmented shellac primer.-sealer. We picked up 2 gallons of that from Lowe's and started on the floors. Note: NOT the water-based primer. It needed to be shellac. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzmMw2Xgv-bqmsBf6tfY7x3jdX1LGVasC3D4owaT1qF-mOVNMn0gsO0R1ADVF7bzr-PvHQ3TjPA2C9jRo0Ws6cETnXI01TjMlydlmIqKAp-LGeLz_5AzSqgh9GadY0EFaOLI4MI9KABxI/s1600/IMG_1758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzmMw2Xgv-bqmsBf6tfY7x3jdX1LGVasC3D4owaT1qF-mOVNMn0gsO0R1ADVF7bzr-PvHQ3TjPA2C9jRo0Ws6cETnXI01TjMlydlmIqKAp-LGeLz_5AzSqgh9GadY0EFaOLI4MI9KABxI/s640/IMG_1758.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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To do this, we poured the primer into a tray and used a roller extension to roll it on the floors. The primer is really thin and rolled on easily. I was kinda surprised at how thin it was. Not like paint. We did use a brush to cut in the edges because the roller just wasn't getting to the wood up around and under the baseboards. Since we will end up painting the baseboards, we didn't bother to be nice and neat about it. We just got the primer up under there.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJzoQhW7-mrVg0rly04vAMpqLR8jmnbj2desl1DE_UDD46ND829x3XeaCl5OfV98GrOrFIfqt6z7RCK_LbtcL4nvAw2Ipo15jbM-p6M3pysaOi90QksKloq0Ys5i0yekQWG9ea02icF-B/s1600/IMG_1759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJzoQhW7-mrVg0rly04vAMpqLR8jmnbj2desl1DE_UDD46ND829x3XeaCl5OfV98GrOrFIfqt6z7RCK_LbtcL4nvAw2Ipo15jbM-p6M3pysaOi90QksKloq0Ys5i0yekQWG9ea02icF-B/s640/IMG_1759.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The pictures above show the first coat of primer laid down. Already, even just with primer, it was exciting to see the floors turn white! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLMnTIdcGA1PVWRSOuBByqfWoR72Sagbt-uRB0sMruRy7_cVHUAHCoRTXIoNzcq7L42gd96CBZuUAL0YN9S2coli_G5vKI_wEPHrswTK53GJcKwh517zKBNduATcg59O6vx6rL_aZpLRM/s1600/IMG_1760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLMnTIdcGA1PVWRSOuBByqfWoR72Sagbt-uRB0sMruRy7_cVHUAHCoRTXIoNzcq7L42gd96CBZuUAL0YN9S2coli_G5vKI_wEPHrswTK53GJcKwh517zKBNduATcg59O6vx6rL_aZpLRM/s640/IMG_1760.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Since Kyle had spent so much time doing all the stripping, I tried to do my part on this and painted as much as I could. I did need his help, but I am happy to say I did the majority of the painting! Sometimes, even while he was at work! </div>
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Even though we'd swept and vacuumed, I painstakingly did it all again, trying to get every particle of dirt off the floor before putting any primer down. Then, I had to be strategical working my way backwards out of the rooms, backwards down the hallways, into and out of the rooms and ending up on the stairwell without leaving anything behind. </div>
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During this process, I listened to hours and hours of John MacArthur sermons on his Grace to You podcast. Since my windows were open, my neighbors no doubt got an earful. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDrBWx_uhMo3BQgAXb8cm9nU1vFeT3gICyNtL5ft5xVaVO9ASWEAv83cSysV3IB9UvlvQ4DNMqJCfeQMNOSQW4WPqDGGj0rYa2yRZaNNaeK7WyYNYTD7H1h05p4-nAouv9B9M8V_fIMmh/s1600/IMG_1763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDrBWx_uhMo3BQgAXb8cm9nU1vFeT3gICyNtL5ft5xVaVO9ASWEAv83cSysV3IB9UvlvQ4DNMqJCfeQMNOSQW4WPqDGGj0rYa2yRZaNNaeK7WyYNYTD7H1h05p4-nAouv9B9M8V_fIMmh/s640/IMG_1763.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It only needed about 24 hours before the second coat of primer could go on.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsXPF1cm_IewEfgjZUNCd9sVq4XOORBvR9huDNT4UiaOHxjHo0gZv61mnEUtM43STxUg2g3iJ6zOhcinZwXqt_amC3vUuPhVO_D1KoqsBuhPIJH7W6L9lO7xoQlfwi7d8dwUNltOPykYK/s1600/IMG_1764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsXPF1cm_IewEfgjZUNCd9sVq4XOORBvR9huDNT4UiaOHxjHo0gZv61mnEUtM43STxUg2g3iJ6zOhcinZwXqt_amC3vUuPhVO_D1KoqsBuhPIJH7W6L9lO7xoQlfwi7d8dwUNltOPykYK/s640/IMG_1764.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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(Little Red Room)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBRwRnKc_UkGgzUAwtX5RHH1eRVwrbWmqOTxTJu-MlLgph99sGStszXN9wYTFDBRAldaYPEKJ6LtUWcahTpw6TEVSx_vR4u4y0uY3OBmjBm3-odxUcjw9AhDoxBW85NdtdZ76XfxmH5ok/s1600/IMG_1765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBRwRnKc_UkGgzUAwtX5RHH1eRVwrbWmqOTxTJu-MlLgph99sGStszXN9wYTFDBRAldaYPEKJ6LtUWcahTpw6TEVSx_vR4u4y0uY3OBmjBm3-odxUcjw9AhDoxBW85NdtdZ76XfxmH5ok/s640/IMG_1765.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Playroom</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyqJ30KNji4mSYdlAaQXBSXIFEja6i0f9UZo4cJ46BVx53RLDTDl1SEBLHMKAbOU9KK7Xui4ZCeLFMKqOrrl_ISXgC8B8p8pcDjZPsAkY75FUQ4qfdbGscKVjl_uchfvRwUbNEWDcJvj0/s1600/IMG_1766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyqJ30KNji4mSYdlAaQXBSXIFEja6i0f9UZo4cJ46BVx53RLDTDl1SEBLHMKAbOU9KK7Xui4ZCeLFMKqOrrl_ISXgC8B8p8pcDjZPsAkY75FUQ4qfdbGscKVjl_uchfvRwUbNEWDcJvj0/s640/IMG_1766.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Hallway</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XKDQ0teu9U8ySrE9f-qRrgkQK4oc40UwArZl-6hrbZK529m6YvKFRbmlgSDrClmQsoqF9bmSgT-Q6IVmEgB_rZFxCQT0T0VWTbR0xZDOolnVRvaUAvYn12WrZfgLTV3lhnAr5HF2Em1d/s1600/IMG_1779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XKDQ0teu9U8ySrE9f-qRrgkQK4oc40UwArZl-6hrbZK529m6YvKFRbmlgSDrClmQsoqF9bmSgT-Q6IVmEgB_rZFxCQT0T0VWTbR0xZDOolnVRvaUAvYn12WrZfgLTV3lhnAr5HF2Em1d/s640/IMG_1779.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Biggest bedroom</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Jh68z8-mkaR7W_aPC0yYnRPZ2J-P2hBj_aLlISprvWSKPoyXo5B8IBrnGUbS6KblpWmu9_k4AaOg8XJAK5BNup3IiO8SO3o7z1wmYj2_gDl27SYlGMzSDOrHV6wX2kclL4FfnDsCcBJw/s1600/IMG_1780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Jh68z8-mkaR7W_aPC0yYnRPZ2J-P2hBj_aLlISprvWSKPoyXo5B8IBrnGUbS6KblpWmu9_k4AaOg8XJAK5BNup3IiO8SO3o7z1wmYj2_gDl27SYlGMzSDOrHV6wX2kclL4FfnDsCcBJw/s640/IMG_1780.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I love the gaps in the wood and the grain of the wood that shows through!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYGM070YJ54bVETdF-yq_EH1Mx_eK6vPEIhrek5u0vctBJ54640Ibbna52PPHAhwNF12z4QBC6-aR-fZWyAfWJFHrKMY4v2sK_uufIZbM7dvLKMJjm3A3NLUjVfRb6EOYgnIDjRXg4qlZ/s1600/IMG_1781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYGM070YJ54bVETdF-yq_EH1Mx_eK6vPEIhrek5u0vctBJ54640Ibbna52PPHAhwNF12z4QBC6-aR-fZWyAfWJFHrKMY4v2sK_uufIZbM7dvLKMJjm3A3NLUjVfRb6EOYgnIDjRXg4qlZ/s640/IMG_1781.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Then the paint went on! </div>
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We ended up buying an extra gallon, so we used about 2.25 gallons to get a good 2 coats on the floor. We actually did 3 coats in a few spots. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia88E42plVVllpHdT_081dfXCQoE_Zkv4lB32FdCbsjr82LDs7OrqOx-8OcWPOsN8bJWHjeLQC40EAK6i0PTj3Z7w12xROTqNLXxCrClbAVPACDDIPFv2Q3dhvxmW0MvGbldYReOVBAz9I/s1600/IMG_1782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia88E42plVVllpHdT_081dfXCQoE_Zkv4lB32FdCbsjr82LDs7OrqOx-8OcWPOsN8bJWHjeLQC40EAK6i0PTj3Z7w12xROTqNLXxCrClbAVPACDDIPFv2Q3dhvxmW0MvGbldYReOVBAz9I/s640/IMG_1782.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I would have loved a high gloss sheen, but the SW Porch and Floor Enamel only comes in Satin because they say it's safer....not slippery. Poo. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigyaTEShrm-vsVwFRPYmdA9MvOEN_8GDfQpbFSkd-kIf37FhpuYiigCT4ImFDGmORJf0IuBnxy0qKDbK_os6EZrHj3TqcGInrCEYaf5NT34ELvfmbquGvfPq4NJ-_8FR3zcl1AJeD0ddw1/s1600/IMG_1783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigyaTEShrm-vsVwFRPYmdA9MvOEN_8GDfQpbFSkd-kIf37FhpuYiigCT4ImFDGmORJf0IuBnxy0qKDbK_os6EZrHj3TqcGInrCEYaf5NT34ELvfmbquGvfPq4NJ-_8FR3zcl1AJeD0ddw1/s640/IMG_1783.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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It does have a sheen, so that's good. And it cleans up easily. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjySnbtOMQ99QCiyfDozczVpjWaaGLeovx6QqaGA97FvO4LPNLsB2J1l77kPp0C2sUF1VbKKt73VZYjrCH5Tu1LDmZ_c2v0Xz_hMAR11A2JFJ1WRKR93WsvdttPXlEhzm8u3JFOL4MVL3/s1600/IMG_1784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjySnbtOMQ99QCiyfDozczVpjWaaGLeovx6QqaGA97FvO4LPNLsB2J1l77kPp0C2sUF1VbKKt73VZYjrCH5Tu1LDmZ_c2v0Xz_hMAR11A2JFJ1WRKR93WsvdttPXlEhzm8u3JFOL4MVL3/s640/IMG_1784.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I particularly love this room with its walls. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7C1w-saA-ytrLL1I_Jwuqcfmz7d95bMyKdnKQTbUnMdySC5FsqcHFDn4-6URjJpD4STQeX6-hQqIxw6ja6v07DMka77n23nyW_yEqdbcu7oIlaHcB-1wYAMhOJbytVZlDNK-kBGJcaXS/s1600/IMG_1785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7C1w-saA-ytrLL1I_Jwuqcfmz7d95bMyKdnKQTbUnMdySC5FsqcHFDn4-6URjJpD4STQeX6-hQqIxw6ja6v07DMka77n23nyW_yEqdbcu7oIlaHcB-1wYAMhOJbytVZlDNK-kBGJcaXS/s640/IMG_1785.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Hallway between playroom, bathroom and main hallway.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2l9t6XEkzVDu7Ip9fQe6qxK1ko0loAwOcBymfk92r9iNX-uWfB5RIuaSMPKMunxdWqXK0rGjDNuNnvV0GV2yMI23oAm_DHthnoTLCfJnvBlrcYteBV8bfhmtgp1LD9iiuvocIBpMZOnUC/s1600/IMG_1836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2l9t6XEkzVDu7Ip9fQe6qxK1ko0loAwOcBymfk92r9iNX-uWfB5RIuaSMPKMunxdWqXK0rGjDNuNnvV0GV2yMI23oAm_DHthnoTLCfJnvBlrcYteBV8bfhmtgp1LD9iiuvocIBpMZOnUC/s640/IMG_1836.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Once the floors were painted, the horrifically dirty state of the baseboards became painfully obvious. There is no telling how many years it's been since they'd been thoroughly cleaned. I'd guess double digits. So, one Saturday, I grabbed a squirt bottle, a roll of paper towels and some rags and Pandora and spent about 5 hours inching my way across the floors, cleaning every square inch of the baseboards and trim. Then the doors. It was a dramatic improvement. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGU1yzCjstQ7s-MOuErfD3DuZ6ZLvQ7E85blrYbFvmpj-i1qd3_NqOJAioWiwc_oDMvT4TTWUBT-Xnc_YKCbp5ztynhtP5JAatwTdnTn1_rPbAh0zPMc8EkqYoVx8edevuolSobkiBP5KA/s1600/IMG_1833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGU1yzCjstQ7s-MOuErfD3DuZ6ZLvQ7E85blrYbFvmpj-i1qd3_NqOJAioWiwc_oDMvT4TTWUBT-Xnc_YKCbp5ztynhtP5JAatwTdnTn1_rPbAh0zPMc8EkqYoVx8edevuolSobkiBP5KA/s640/IMG_1833.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I equate such a venture to wiping your kids' bums. There's something pretty gross and intimate about scrubbing baseboards. You're all up in the nitty gritty of your house. You kinda can't help but love it when you put that kind of love and attention in it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwje4X7Qa4FvTgHpyAInNkB9EEv7cxa3CLU32ML31SVE-GoGd7xa3bAf3uPSgnn_piIcfGWXYHBdsiT_13ujFEagZIj1i4hYfaWwz56hmBRzVwfhdsSkskqXYHFZKBm5wkK5cPWsATOx0/s1600/IMG_1835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwje4X7Qa4FvTgHpyAInNkB9EEv7cxa3CLU32ML31SVE-GoGd7xa3bAf3uPSgnn_piIcfGWXYHBdsiT_13ujFEagZIj1i4hYfaWwz56hmBRzVwfhdsSkskqXYHFZKBm5wkK5cPWsATOx0/s640/IMG_1835.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was a mess.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRNlkCiZw0Dmr7aCkbSU766z4ewEfjE2pGndT9-Wf0SY2G7PT_ErAVDivzrGcHZdwC8nMPbDAyMs9WAAvQA2OujZ_MZzwsYWvOJ5R5h8askhbaN3lBY_x5kOGolr_lB_chghx5OXwymdn/s1600/IMG_1839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRNlkCiZw0Dmr7aCkbSU766z4ewEfjE2pGndT9-Wf0SY2G7PT_ErAVDivzrGcHZdwC8nMPbDAyMs9WAAvQA2OujZ_MZzwsYWvOJ5R5h8askhbaN3lBY_x5kOGolr_lB_chghx5OXwymdn/s640/IMG_1839.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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But the house, even the 3rd floor servant's quarters, has some pretty great baseboard detailing!</div>
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And it's darn shiny now! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuc_Ou_y5B_3di9MdIAjzdsvttYAHF5NS3GYWQwBOMy0Q2yS1bw7IPxUwp5ymht3NvaNZzHfVBnF9S-jJkBHtzYiqlFDAv1iHp81Hb8FYqs6du7Ou-TPcr2yzK9n79MJ4w1RJ4W9lIuGoH/s1600/IMG_1840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuc_Ou_y5B_3di9MdIAjzdsvttYAHF5NS3GYWQwBOMy0Q2yS1bw7IPxUwp5ymht3NvaNZzHfVBnF9S-jJkBHtzYiqlFDAv1iHp81Hb8FYqs6du7Ou-TPcr2yzK9n79MJ4w1RJ4W9lIuGoH/s640/IMG_1840.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here you can see what I've done, on the right. And what I haven't done, on the left. </div>
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Oh! And as the layers of dirt came off, I discovered that whoever painted the baseboards did NOT try very hard. It is an extremely thin, see-through coat of white paint. Shabby work, people.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRPp55K8PEYSs1-CrrQgYNx3tpoiEXMvZaXmkCYm2ucm6iB4dA9HbckrY9l8YO6RqKj0WzqLyjFy6plo8ywfCHC5bxvkska27NYTRIs62lNFKv5Sq2xHidkYa7gy127WGPzgr26hNx-9Y/s1600/IMG_1843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRPp55K8PEYSs1-CrrQgYNx3tpoiEXMvZaXmkCYm2ucm6iB4dA9HbckrY9l8YO6RqKj0WzqLyjFy6plo8ywfCHC5bxvkska27NYTRIs62lNFKv5Sq2xHidkYa7gy127WGPzgr26hNx-9Y/s640/IMG_1843.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Just for a nice contrast....here's a corner by a radiator where you can clearly see what's clean and what isn't. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5LyeY3Oru6CgujfqHgu8Sew5Q4aMZFWdEaDFKXo06coBlWvCIOEOwu4T1cIAgkSPCj4SHGRntMKymN7vAcXj0HEAipawCmpw3YNj-wzAMyXeIQcVhRae1ldI1Q2JqzN6dVPGzqdeJiMj/s1600/IMG_1844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5LyeY3Oru6CgujfqHgu8Sew5Q4aMZFWdEaDFKXo06coBlWvCIOEOwu4T1cIAgkSPCj4SHGRntMKymN7vAcXj0HEAipawCmpw3YNj-wzAMyXeIQcVhRae1ldI1Q2JqzN6dVPGzqdeJiMj/s640/IMG_1844.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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And now, aaaah! So pretty and clean!</div>
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And...colorful. Wow. I had no idea there was pink and red going on back there.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiSNJLu4otXxnmXIqLxevng2QXFzO4am8OYkVHYKOQ9f4le40xg8NadHzNQn7H55Ca0omoGEpMz1uSVXl3qlgioFy2nxPeoaSSgvSyuo3QCkMP6EEiXTGN25hgFBrpdAaerjhI-xmVYJj/s1600/IMG_1852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiSNJLu4otXxnmXIqLxevng2QXFzO4am8OYkVHYKOQ9f4le40xg8NadHzNQn7H55Ca0omoGEpMz1uSVXl3qlgioFy2nxPeoaSSgvSyuo3QCkMP6EEiXTGN25hgFBrpdAaerjhI-xmVYJj/s640/IMG_1852.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Ok, so the next big step is actually getting furnishings into the rooms. There are three bedrooms up here: the big room facing north, the east facing "red room" and the south facing, long, narrow room which we had used as a playroom. </div>
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My original plan was to find an iron headboard for a full/double bed up into this main bedroom. But I hadn't actually purchased an iron headboard. What I DO have is the Ikea Malm bed that used to be mine and Kyle's bed before Melissa and Chad gave us their queen mattresses. I also have two antique wood double beds, one my Grandma Barbara gave me, and another I purchased years ago.</div>
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Truthfully, I wasn't sure how well the Ikea bed would reassemble! I seriously struggled with this decision -which bed??? Part of me wanted the contrast of the dark bed in this room which I intend to be really light. The other part of me wanted the iron bed I don't currently have. </div>
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<br />I still had the "red room" which could hold a double bed where I could use the wooden bed from my Grandma and the iron daybed/trundle I'd purchased from Craigslist in the playroom. That was my plan. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihI9fuIe_SkbMuljrJLIg7GBGEm3JG_h4BPyVJLaptdEnncwlVUBthonj-3KIDpt_SKWibKP7iSdH3spGa5yfG4Ab3n1XkjFY7HHEvd4hXYF2qQPuEd5btNgWTeotKJZ2X03uqUN4DPmc/s1600/IMG_1853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihI9fuIe_SkbMuljrJLIg7GBGEm3JG_h4BPyVJLaptdEnncwlVUBthonj-3KIDpt_SKWibKP7iSdH3spGa5yfG4Ab3n1XkjFY7HHEvd4hXYF2qQPuEd5btNgWTeotKJZ2X03uqUN4DPmc/s640/IMG_1853.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The Ikea bed let me reassemble it. It was pretty easy, actually, even with my two W "helpers." </div>
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I toyed with putting the bed against the windows, and it's still an option at some point, but I knew there was going to be a window A/C unit going over there, and it seemed like that would be weird visually...a bed frame and an a/c unit. For now, I just used the main wall and put the bed there.</div>
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I brought up the Ikea rocking chair and put it by the window along with a wooden stool/table I found at TJ Maxx. I was now ready to put my Grandma's bed in the "red room". Which is when we hit our first snag. The box spring would not make it up the narrow, right angle of the stairwell leading up to the 3rd floor. No amount of wiggling or calculating made it happen. So. Hm. That's out for now.</div>
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We actually were originally going to use the box spring with the Ikea bed, because it was a low box spring, but it wouldn't work for that either since it wasn't making it up those stairs. Instead, we put the mattress right on the wooden slats we had for the Malm bed and it's perfectly fine. So I thought, well....I'll have to find some way to buy some mattress supports from Ikea which can be put together up in the "red room." Which leads me to the next snag.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Mp7OLAVj5KOLRb2X9Pc3ZMuLcvQxvHJhm1fcWBasZRSA53YjdUs9vKj0fklRoMdLQ-bs075LxBC2y-S0rIZqmurqx97GucXlNcXhV0l1xCuyTX5_7t5-_294kFfb69vgjhh5WeCwbR77/s1600/IMG_1866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Mp7OLAVj5KOLRb2X9Pc3ZMuLcvQxvHJhm1fcWBasZRSA53YjdUs9vKj0fklRoMdLQ-bs075LxBC2y-S0rIZqmurqx97GucXlNcXhV0l1xCuyTX5_7t5-_294kFfb69vgjhh5WeCwbR77/s640/IMG_1866.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Phase 2 was the assembly of the iron daybed. I LOVE this daybed. I love love love it. </div>
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I got it for a steal. It sells for like $1,500 and I paid nowhere close to that. It also has these super cool kitty cat finials which replace the ones on there. And it's solid iron. </div>
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So I had to have August assist me with putting it together in the playroom. Which he loves to do. He is a fabulous helper. </div>
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Then came the snag. Once we set it up in THE PERFECT SPOT, against my awesome "Italian villa wall", I realized there was no way the trundle bed would fit when rolled out because there will be a low bookshelf against the opposite wall and it just would not fit. There's also NO other place the bookshelf can go at this point. I wanted to cry. Until I took a look in the "red room" and realized that room had a PERFECT nook just for the daybed. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmfWAlFwHZOp6fHAWuism9jbGbfoCvCaZHAzHVoCakPSEscWp1hgEOyYBLfHJWGuglhaOWyoTdr1wGkqmG0v4wCtM9Gis-bbatesNoJe3zH_FxihZlU1cmsxcO9QCORby8JfqGX8KQ5J5/s1600/IMG_1871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmfWAlFwHZOp6fHAWuism9jbGbfoCvCaZHAzHVoCakPSEscWp1hgEOyYBLfHJWGuglhaOWyoTdr1wGkqmG0v4wCtM9Gis-bbatesNoJe3zH_FxihZlU1cmsxcO9QCORby8JfqGX8KQ5J5/s640/IMG_1871.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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See????? It's amazing!</div>
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So, before I could say a word, August had taken apart the frame, lugged it (carefully) into the "red room" and helped me get it all set up again. Getting the spring/base screwed together took some doing, but do it we did. And then we lugged the mattress on it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxiN-D08bVzSnPOmOs9vSiW-BluqG_Woi9CqB4RuUngiyhCnEc5B3MxhPPYOP0LwVQNN2P5mnmv15kG04EfN2yZgd7V7VNvxNGDssly4zQ8CHG_PIOia2jlXw3KxIN0jDG5SiyajG1xL2I/s1600/IMG_1872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxiN-D08bVzSnPOmOs9vSiW-BluqG_Woi9CqB4RuUngiyhCnEc5B3MxhPPYOP0LwVQNN2P5mnmv15kG04EfN2yZgd7V7VNvxNGDssly4zQ8CHG_PIOia2jlXw3KxIN0jDG5SiyajG1xL2I/s640/IMG_1872.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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What this now means is that my Grandma's wooden bed will not currently be needed up here. There will be a double bed in the big room and a twin/trundle bed in this room. I have an idea about making my iron bed work as a twin in the playroom....but that's a plan for another day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJ9TBVOQaiucHXnTneCN5JeesOO0LG2Z-89iNcjRZzIbph-T1YUyk2cuE2a2CqlYJbazBeHnIvRqJ3-LY_7FDhxT6-EYQS4tN0ZLn7HenebG7Qe10iWHlBieZk19EdM1MxKIo322UOyw1/s1600/IMG_1873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJ9TBVOQaiucHXnTneCN5JeesOO0LG2Z-89iNcjRZzIbph-T1YUyk2cuE2a2CqlYJbazBeHnIvRqJ3-LY_7FDhxT6-EYQS4tN0ZLn7HenebG7Qe10iWHlBieZk19EdM1MxKIo322UOyw1/s640/IMG_1873.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I had purchased sheets from Serena & Lily for this daybed months ago, long before the floor was ready, so on those went. And I moved up my little bedside table from Land of Nod to use in this room. I played around endlessly with pillow arrangements, including a long bolster pillow I found at TJ Maxx. </div>
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Let me insert here that I don't normally go to TJ Maxx all that often, but there happens to be one nearish my house which is pretty much two stores in one. It's ginormous. And I just zeroed in on sheet sets and hit the jackpot. I found twin sets, double sets and a queen set. I needed sheets in a bad way. I have yet to set up the trundle part of the bed, but when I do, I have sheets ready. (P.S - I have nothing against TJ Maxx...it just doesn't occur to me to go there very much).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0yKtAtXhyphenhyphenY2Q5FLMfJGP3qsjqXUZ_bwZwU6UkPzsontwCcKafNvMSd5UP6Jn3yxP8lW67xqYguQppVyHrh4Ph5zzhna61Qra6JidvZ6125ZXbVV1ttizRsDkFM1EiVPJD-iuyLDBHH5E/s1600/IMG_1874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0yKtAtXhyphenhyphenY2Q5FLMfJGP3qsjqXUZ_bwZwU6UkPzsontwCcKafNvMSd5UP6Jn3yxP8lW67xqYguQppVyHrh4Ph5zzhna61Qra6JidvZ6125ZXbVV1ttizRsDkFM1EiVPJD-iuyLDBHH5E/s640/IMG_1874.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also found a cute little pillow for the big bedroom which looks great in there! I also moved up a tall red lamp (Land of Nod) which used to reside in the living room. Kyle installed the window unit a/c, so our guests won't die in the heat. Although our weather this summer has rarely required using a/c units at all! Thank you, Lord! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHC5C3TYk5xOKspkA3Atu29aInsLEvciPW0w_o0xaigs8SA7TYTU5PWwCzPWeHzxAFek6tC9eKN5YbRWDSGA7Xs-QT5_fhfPmfC3OYe5fwx8R1eWRvT_UwdQ3l_Img3wstQ6UaobQk0fD/s1600/IMG_1875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHC5C3TYk5xOKspkA3Atu29aInsLEvciPW0w_o0xaigs8SA7TYTU5PWwCzPWeHzxAFek6tC9eKN5YbRWDSGA7Xs-QT5_fhfPmfC3OYe5fwx8R1eWRvT_UwdQ3l_Img3wstQ6UaobQk0fD/s640/IMG_1875.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I switched sheet sets on the bed a few times before settling on a tan duvet cover and a sweet, soft set of sheets with tiny blue fern prints on them. And they don't show up in the picture at all. Sorry about that. The pillows are too big, but oh well. They're cozy. The bed is cozy. The sheets are soft. I love this room, in spite of the wall cracks and paint. </div>
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I need a few rugs to soften the overall effect, but I am working on those. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6X5lt22a2NV9QpBVq4KdQpLWJ4UMPcjVYSE-wGwysWN3lSJGj9Yvpu6t0Fxg2O_eogSW8zhp2DbA_gCsiCpcRvnWEviqMznjPbjaHcBKIBaTSZXWKy2RZWk5aPGFtliy0YOBnwAZoD-Bp/s1600/IMG_1876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6X5lt22a2NV9QpBVq4KdQpLWJ4UMPcjVYSE-wGwysWN3lSJGj9Yvpu6t0Fxg2O_eogSW8zhp2DbA_gCsiCpcRvnWEviqMznjPbjaHcBKIBaTSZXWKy2RZWk5aPGFtliy0YOBnwAZoD-Bp/s640/IMG_1876.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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All in all, it's ready for Emily. </div>
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Of course, the minute this room looked cozy, my kids were SO excited, all claiming they wanted it to be their room. Even Wyeth. Prior to this, they'd all insisted they would never want to sleep on the 3rd floor, because it would be too scary. We've made progress. There's still a WAYS to go, but I'm measuring our progress, folks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5qJI7LumydMKW5K5eLYvNv2u7E1lUzX6haiZq6-SwqPsl71VJpCwrRGOMpyx0tGwS3RnvKUdFT4c5jJlJt1CBb1gZQsZ1vQoMRLj_G4-a1eRA4sm79508_oETBnFXSx9Kq-aIFxfXWyI/s1600/IMG_1877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5qJI7LumydMKW5K5eLYvNv2u7E1lUzX6haiZq6-SwqPsl71VJpCwrRGOMpyx0tGwS3RnvKUdFT4c5jJlJt1CBb1gZQsZ1vQoMRLj_G4-a1eRA4sm79508_oETBnFXSx9Kq-aIFxfXWyI/s640/IMG_1877.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Not to leave out the playroom - we lugged back up all the toys and bins, culled a lot and may cull more, but at the very least, we organized the heck out of it all. And stayed up very very late to do so.</div>
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It was quite fun, actually. </div>
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I'm not sure what my plan is long-term for that cork wall. It's not in good shape. I'm wondering if my best bet is to remove it and replaster it at some point. Who knows. That's a much distant project.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMRxflHA7SlmulWW_ClgzlvQokUpIE2fyKtdvGB0g1EgA4AQCsQW2PINIpv3VWeBICkoeYTBNxQV3YoIgwfwnnUHbdrRcOyKxbRsiR1nfnMiasPu8P6YBgCte95K_Mc9Wtldq1d0J8RC0/s1600/IMG_1878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMRxflHA7SlmulWW_ClgzlvQokUpIE2fyKtdvGB0g1EgA4AQCsQW2PINIpv3VWeBICkoeYTBNxQV3YoIgwfwnnUHbdrRcOyKxbRsiR1nfnMiasPu8P6YBgCte95K_Mc9Wtldq1d0J8RC0/s640/IMG_1878.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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For now, Brooklyn's Barbie house is at the end opposite a play kitchen. What I'm thinking is that at some point, a twin bed might work in that nook. Despite what it looks like, there's room for a twin to fit in there (not side to side, but with the headboard up against the windows). Or possibly a twin against the wall where the daybed was going to fit. There are options. </div>
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I'm gonna be honest, it feels very un-Ashley to have a room that's just toys. I'm not a toy person. I struggle with their primary colors, plastic materials, pointy edges that find their ways underfoot...I just don't like them. I know. Shame on me. But at least I'm whittling them down a bit, trying to zero in on what they really play with. </div>
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Totally jumping tracks, I'm also looking for a rug for this area. What I don't want is my lovely white floors getting totally dinged up with toys banging on it. I can testify that the floors clean up with a squirt bottle and paper towel, but they do show dirt. </div>
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We are a "shoes-off upon entering house" house, in case you ever visit....and definitely no shoes up here. :) There's just too much nasty dirt that gets tracked in houses, and with a crawling baby....well, I get a little grossed out. So! That's all my mean momma ranting and a whole lot of 3rd floor changes!</div>
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In summary, we're not finished, by any means, but closer than we've ever been.</div>
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Stay tuned tomorrow for the before and afters!</div>
Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-7126115666010085942017-08-01T06:00:00.000-07:002017-08-01T06:00:11.457-07:00Dining Room and Breakfast Room Updates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGUTwB_9fBkBTO_aCzwIGhtSO9Pf16stj4XowKP15zlM3EVH-NsP7YT6oGWQNQaLidAEnEl8Ujr9ukUMfmLd_8Ysv6XCHaHEwSc-rATyqpIOrVlamJRR3HifHKhCm7JqZ5lMNibnkYDpzA/s1600/pic+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGUTwB_9fBkBTO_aCzwIGhtSO9Pf16stj4XowKP15zlM3EVH-NsP7YT6oGWQNQaLidAEnEl8Ujr9ukUMfmLd_8Ysv6XCHaHEwSc-rATyqpIOrVlamJRR3HifHKhCm7JqZ5lMNibnkYDpzA/s640/pic+8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start. </div>
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Here is our dining room as pictured in the real estate photographs. Much lighter and brighter in this picture than in reality, but a pretty good representation.</div>
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Pretty neutral and not terrible. Just kinda...bland? Definitely not bad, just too neutral. Light grey below the chair rail and a cream above. I knew I wanted to paint it, but I just wasn't sure what direction to go. We'll come back to that. </div>
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Looking through to the breakfast room...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BJkeXdZSGNedFxgCZuWxifELyx6KfWJ7QBCscHbKnwh2YuTcpTutStq5LIZic6HTCgdNFoDyaYMlR7sjfXQkg_8ocVYwkhEY64EW1uzyypmyd6xPZzb6Ruj1HT-tybudxkNTGkjhdKMa/s1600/pic+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BJkeXdZSGNedFxgCZuWxifELyx6KfWJ7QBCscHbKnwh2YuTcpTutStq5LIZic6HTCgdNFoDyaYMlR7sjfXQkg_8ocVYwkhEY64EW1uzyypmyd6xPZzb6Ruj1HT-tybudxkNTGkjhdKMa/s640/pic+11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Not even a little neutral. Orange. Tangerine. Horrible. Awful. Repellent. Nothing was spared this color...not the trim...not the radiators...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbi7-69KLtNWoD7p-4v-haYwvnUx_MxnTyfP_B6MTSEA90KkmD4W0kPtfwhhXVbX_X5dKBkXXcrdbH9aVPLxKBHi7jbA5ZnhLOdFtdaAtJ0tHx6XufILHUKYsf-sIfOhy-CzVJOWUAGfLy/s1600/IMG_5003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbi7-69KLtNWoD7p-4v-haYwvnUx_MxnTyfP_B6MTSEA90KkmD4W0kPtfwhhXVbX_X5dKBkXXcrdbH9aVPLxKBHi7jbA5ZnhLOdFtdaAtJ0tHx6XufILHUKYsf-sIfOhy-CzVJOWUAGfLy/s640/IMG_5003.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The TV mount was removed in the "Great Removal of 2016" post-move-in. </div>
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Because this isn't a hotel and we will not be mounting a television in any room of our house. The diagonal piece of wood across the windows also went away.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAE2JyJjD0uBCZ_GkAHSBj8r2BNMr2xuO6PLw0in4xtIzTReaexsqhhknr-lsfT2tC-LNqBVJdobQmNvioPthI2ojHrsF4Wx3Ckt46SuVwCbv5w8cq6HnRLYrgjWVyb7kqOGWovXyAVBh/s1600/breakfastroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAE2JyJjD0uBCZ_GkAHSBj8r2BNMr2xuO6PLw0in4xtIzTReaexsqhhknr-lsfT2tC-LNqBVJdobQmNvioPthI2ojHrsF4Wx3Ckt46SuVwCbv5w8cq6HnRLYrgjWVyb7kqOGWovXyAVBh/s640/breakfastroom.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I like color. I can get behind white rooms when they're done right, but it will probably never be a principal look I go for simply because I really do love color. Not just for the sake of color, but because rooms with color seem to have more personality to me. I tend to steer clear of warm colors, though. I'm not a big fan of reds, oranges...I did use a brown in my old bedroom and I liked it, but overall, I gravitate toward cool colors. Blues in particular. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGt_HTctypjiKKVGaDD8c0y2HkJ2t0Wi_zU9koss1JtsFiVUTREkS7kKkfJJVRmzTyaKh5Fdyh34AbDQJHTUhHMFEHCA9DkVE_beGZm3SBRE8WMJxwCAl-ClZWuYl05KmACMrPxTaYQ7-/s1600/IMG_1616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGt_HTctypjiKKVGaDD8c0y2HkJ2t0Wi_zU9koss1JtsFiVUTREkS7kKkfJJVRmzTyaKh5Fdyh34AbDQJHTUhHMFEHCA9DkVE_beGZm3SBRE8WMJxwCAl-ClZWuYl05KmACMrPxTaYQ7-/s640/IMG_1616.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I'm also usually pretty decisive about colors based on how they make me feel - many of the colors I used in our Goshen house gut punched me almost with how much I loved them. </div>
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I want to view this Chase house as a fresh start, though. Not rely on colors I've used in the past, unless they just really work in a space. And for some reason, it's been really really hard for me to make up my mind about which direction to go! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxvvxXtjpFzsWYIt3g0dq73SlfpNBXBt4DOJLdRhH2fMLmMZSQ38_UtC6kU79Dj8_Ss8pBBOFmdquHv6duWtUJzgIc-sdAsGl1gzSC509z_zNtNS4RgWYbRTD5y9tdT1GqTmQqg7zNJ8P/s1600/IMG_1417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxvvxXtjpFzsWYIt3g0dq73SlfpNBXBt4DOJLdRhH2fMLmMZSQ38_UtC6kU79Dj8_Ss8pBBOFmdquHv6duWtUJzgIc-sdAsGl1gzSC509z_zNtNS4RgWYbRTD5y9tdT1GqTmQqg7zNJ8P/s640/IMG_1417.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Now, the breakfast room is pretty small and gets a lot of light. I'm also thinking it may not be used as a breakfast room, but possibly rather a painting room. So while it could handle a dark color, I wanted something more reflective simply because I wanted to use the light. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66O7ti8vlYlXLrXPar9toAHHq4y7FI7ZIi60zSUf_zPlXZpa6ZH2xhpYQJqqQhyycTFSVQC56QKOgOYKlXFgT1aEPxCt38s2npq2UKUj9g_3zx5MGZqP3_wGFTiff3IrOiecXisZbJYx_/s1600/IMG_1416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66O7ti8vlYlXLrXPar9toAHHq4y7FI7ZIi60zSUf_zPlXZpa6ZH2xhpYQJqqQhyycTFSVQC56QKOgOYKlXFgT1aEPxCt38s2npq2UKUj9g_3zx5MGZqP3_wGFTiff3IrOiecXisZbJYx_/s640/IMG_1416.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I happened upon the Farrow & Ball color Peignor (shown above in the picture with the white side table) and really loved it. It's almost pink, but also purple and very calming. But I can't justify paying almost $100/gallon, and unfortunately it was a color Sherwin Williams couldn't find a color match for, so I ended up picking a similarish color on the fly one day at SW, and I am very pleased with it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX81MZlHlkzbQ4hjPfftt2ypK6iT8Wci2qOv67Mf7BGMFQQ3oHsk2LYbA_S16g2O2EZSvBENpKi-eDhXZ0l19ckzfc1qYtXyCiMBlORs67SV3nA0ad1QfDkXcojQcqYvdMpl_Cv3C4iJ3O/s1600/IMG_1614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX81MZlHlkzbQ4hjPfftt2ypK6iT8Wci2qOv67Mf7BGMFQQ3oHsk2LYbA_S16g2O2EZSvBENpKi-eDhXZ0l19ckzfc1qYtXyCiMBlORs67SV3nA0ad1QfDkXcojQcqYvdMpl_Cv3C4iJ3O/s640/IMG_1614.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Just eye-balling it, it looks pretty darn close to Peignor. </div>
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It's SW 6547 Silvery Peony. We also painted the trim SW Simply White. And that orange trim was very resistant to being painted over. It required at least 3 coats. Man.</div>
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And we have yet to tackle the radiator, because it's gonna require spray paint. Sometimes a room just wears you out and you need a break from it. That was Kyle's feeling after going after the trim repeatedly. Let's just come back to the radiator.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCcGK99tu2d3NvzXyBpbJvzfJwvUeo-sz1HavffGYkNIXVYW_iPMjntoCTcX4m32Mtjxnvl4pBigoqa2XKdynYQkAmUqiUVflxF6fmUgUNhAlXKUh_i8qmE744kjr5K230m3S3AdEqWRX/s1600/IMG_1615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCcGK99tu2d3NvzXyBpbJvzfJwvUeo-sz1HavffGYkNIXVYW_iPMjntoCTcX4m32Mtjxnvl4pBigoqa2XKdynYQkAmUqiUVflxF6fmUgUNhAlXKUh_i8qmE744kjr5K230m3S3AdEqWRX/s640/IMG_1615.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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It's a vast improvement, don't you think?</div>
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A room you might actually want to spend time in.</div>
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Now, to the dining room. I have struggled SO hard to narrow down the colors I wanted. Here was my inspiration: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtweFk52QvX4RutieVTYQXZQURZu_hdgfw4nvucutqn9_efmUcgq42k5F3cdWv1B4mkWa7e-gTlZGlfiEa34_aZUo5g3HKUlP0EVl4DoedoOyu9svl_8yUz-Q_xlW0JUi4YQ6X_V-hqYes/s1600/blue2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtweFk52QvX4RutieVTYQXZQURZu_hdgfw4nvucutqn9_efmUcgq42k5F3cdWv1B4mkWa7e-gTlZGlfiEa34_aZUo5g3HKUlP0EVl4DoedoOyu9svl_8yUz-Q_xlW0JUi4YQ6X_V-hqYes/s640/blue2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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They used a Farrow & Ball paint, and I think the two blues on top and bottom are the same color, but the top color is an emulsion.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaqvsAcdtm_WTNQ290dPE2SSr_7ZVMeT2Ax_XXdgLKu8585X4fJWqxzELUG2JYU3tui_RVaApl74ViXmipoJSBJ5RVy7NA_MTTF7xYgD3M-Y7eu3GtyJ62sd7h5C_QGoGmBViD4hTBFXu/s1600/blue3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="564" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaqvsAcdtm_WTNQ290dPE2SSr_7ZVMeT2Ax_XXdgLKu8585X4fJWqxzELUG2JYU3tui_RVaApl74ViXmipoJSBJ5RVy7NA_MTTF7xYgD3M-Y7eu3GtyJ62sd7h5C_QGoGmBViD4hTBFXu/s640/blue3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I told you I really love blues. I LOVE these kind of blues. Rich, inviting, layered. Even the radiator is painted a blue. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQP-EAwiG8IPLB7euIQzlRguGKU1iYYQnuuhu5h23pX3YKQQjAnJKYbBEsluHBMuSEG1aQdph6XKD6Qk_854adkFVxZepp7P-l5WZETZ5eEI1ChhIMZbBZ91lm4r2KYiXBAROw2ISobgG/s1600/blue1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQP-EAwiG8IPLB7euIQzlRguGKU1iYYQnuuhu5h23pX3YKQQjAnJKYbBEsluHBMuSEG1aQdph6XKD6Qk_854adkFVxZepp7P-l5WZETZ5eEI1ChhIMZbBZ91lm4r2KYiXBAROw2ISobgG/s640/blue1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Let's not even talk about how much I want that blue velvet couch.</div>
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So, one reason I kept coming back to this particular room is that the wall has been divided into two different sections with the wainscoting, and yet, they maintained the flow of blue top and bottom. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwO5S7jvsZryoFSG2_qRATHhdgw3VxCyljbHTmxxrhYe9LqRMneL2C3Mfb2uqCeSQy6L-a4SLxFJtjkYxUm06K7q_cUx_95UwRVDpW9Iu2cNHDdwpAkB2YrVjCTBy-b3cmAktcTq5BAuE/s1600/IMG_1421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwO5S7jvsZryoFSG2_qRATHhdgw3VxCyljbHTmxxrhYe9LqRMneL2C3Mfb2uqCeSQy6L-a4SLxFJtjkYxUm06K7q_cUx_95UwRVDpW9Iu2cNHDdwpAkB2YrVjCTBy-b3cmAktcTq5BAuE/s640/IMG_1421.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our dining room has a chair rail, and I have never liked chair rails. They skew traditional, and while I love old houses, I'm not "traditional" in my design sense at all. I did NOT want to have this chair rail dictate my painting of the room and it seemed to totally be doing that. </div>
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I couldn't figure out how to deal with it. I considered painting the top and bottom one color and the chair rail a different color...sort of like this...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZvdMqGXEyfir3aihj_hvOgXX0GQw9K1gfAOsImyUM80KdQMmoc5bRW-XYxtDUdSOOtwLD3F8_K9xsxLusldMx9FJrDhvusdwPBx2LPG1P6jaHY7qegQwZkek6BOCyvuL58EBerfjRoW8/s1600/chair+rail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZvdMqGXEyfir3aihj_hvOgXX0GQw9K1gfAOsImyUM80KdQMmoc5bRW-XYxtDUdSOOtwLD3F8_K9xsxLusldMx9FJrDhvusdwPBx2LPG1P6jaHY7qegQwZkek6BOCyvuL58EBerfjRoW8/s640/chair+rail.jpg" width="550" /></a></div>
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But I just couldn't quite get there. I didn't love it. There was still a clear chair rail and it looked pretty traditional. So, I set aside the whole chair rail issue and just focused on colors. </div>
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That was no easy task. I made so many trips to the paint store just to grab handfuls of swatches. And I labored over them. Kyle was puzzled by this, because I'm usually really decisive when it comes to picking colors. I even toyed with the idea of removing the chair rail, but this house has its own ideas sometimes and I just knew that would end up being a supremely big mistake. Complicated. With the plaster walls, there's no telling what I might end up with. So I scrapped that thought.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNUAYsXc8NRTTMGvGEHYbd80XwpYioUe_9pnIqnaDSwanyny5wVg4U9BshlojuUECwf1EkC5DGEEh2b_JshF3ChUDhPNBWY6qDe1ZCVEpRGCnLR4hg1t9KBfU1HrpzmKT6KIHhCgeLjFh/s1600/IMG_1419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNUAYsXc8NRTTMGvGEHYbd80XwpYioUe_9pnIqnaDSwanyny5wVg4U9BshlojuUECwf1EkC5DGEEh2b_JshF3ChUDhPNBWY6qDe1ZCVEpRGCnLR4hg1t9KBfU1HrpzmKT6KIHhCgeLjFh/s640/IMG_1419.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I randomly chose a Sherwin William color, Silken Peacock and painted a swath on the dining room wall. It felt similar to the blue I liked so much in that blue room.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3TJVZuTD_DAHxaImsMWvMr8Bf-RaNWFQnDppnx0rf7fQUlUe8TewfkGoJCK4NfhwnFDsGARh9qkZPhpTewhbA39HQ7SUkZZ2-WmRssnKQc-84GpNmLq2c1pRkQ6IDcjic6P750JlZXFV3/s1600/IMG_1418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3TJVZuTD_DAHxaImsMWvMr8Bf-RaNWFQnDppnx0rf7fQUlUe8TewfkGoJCK4NfhwnFDsGARh9qkZPhpTewhbA39HQ7SUkZZ2-WmRssnKQc-84GpNmLq2c1pRkQ6IDcjic6P750JlZXFV3/s640/IMG_1418.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I lived with it for a few weeks and finally said, ok, let's do this.</div>
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I had also grabbed a second blue to pair on the bottom section and at the last minute, swapped it out for something else. Something funkier. SW Oceanside. It was a bit of an unexpected pairing, and that is what I wanted.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0oxSg8IQdQK4MDg29zuJmiVPkKx8afoA4ojP5n42G6nIuZYr2rtAv-4ukRbGFc2j2jFxCir80lWprkBYXSkwP0IXMjdvf8H2EOoWJzqS9YT2I5aLlQ4QBu6KgdxJcqzuACgJ2nqcjQyXG/s1600/IMG_1569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0oxSg8IQdQK4MDg29zuJmiVPkKx8afoA4ojP5n42G6nIuZYr2rtAv-4ukRbGFc2j2jFxCir80lWprkBYXSkwP0IXMjdvf8H2EOoWJzqS9YT2I5aLlQ4QBu6KgdxJcqzuACgJ2nqcjQyXG/s640/IMG_1569.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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On went the top color (SW Silken Peacock) and it was beautiful. Instantly transformed the room.</div>
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We could have stopped there and that change would have been great, but nope. Onward we go.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBj5pygv3TulBeEkprpcml2Q66m0f9wv2PBFsS3QkD1ORJ3a3gKwBfFGOFvQNg4FbR89Dka5vIVaicAgkzwISSqa4dzJ89m5ioq3q1R2O08JNV3-7H_ZY81Abe3tB3Tud5z3Jh7Pfy39y/s1600/IMG_1570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBj5pygv3TulBeEkprpcml2Q66m0f9wv2PBFsS3QkD1ORJ3a3gKwBfFGOFvQNg4FbR89Dka5vIVaicAgkzwISSqa4dzJ89m5ioq3q1R2O08JNV3-7H_ZY81Abe3tB3Tud5z3Jh7Pfy39y/s640/IMG_1570.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwe_abLaoUE1ynyY-ksgOipO0JHDRmoX66btd1QaPr8gNonsz45TXBVVh_dgcxApfyJxC1L5R6YzQ7msxjKxfTVGvTCbtnOS6iXMEbE5RIXqe8dwj9o2KP2Klx-kYxnmaAEpn09IqG83zM/s1600/IMG_1571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwe_abLaoUE1ynyY-ksgOipO0JHDRmoX66btd1QaPr8gNonsz45TXBVVh_dgcxApfyJxC1L5R6YzQ7msxjKxfTVGvTCbtnOS6iXMEbE5RIXqe8dwj9o2KP2Klx-kYxnmaAEpn09IqG83zM/s640/IMG_1571.JPG" width="640" /></a>The lighting in these pictures is terrible, but we did truly have to consider that the color would look dark as this room gets morning sun and some mid-day sun, but it's not a bright room. We were ok with that.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8vaD4ZcHvIoId_R3gaXox-LUSvsVqA6NEXFgbiIWttBjL_yyk2FKF12rIcEQ8UMv-PeFDAbfsJxa9gWAdS2uEFs4cVvz3a5l1C7LALagTCHHPYoZ9K-Z1EVRi3Vu6FCNiiSqALkdTNkY/s1600/IMG_1589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8vaD4ZcHvIoId_R3gaXox-LUSvsVqA6NEXFgbiIWttBjL_yyk2FKF12rIcEQ8UMv-PeFDAbfsJxa9gWAdS2uEFs4cVvz3a5l1C7LALagTCHHPYoZ9K-Z1EVRi3Vu6FCNiiSqALkdTNkY/s640/IMG_1589.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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So, the first coat of the bottom color went on. It was a deeply pigmented color and would need about 3 coats to get it even, and at the time, we hadn't fully decided on how to handle the chair rails. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHplsOvHEzIDO3fEsPKNdexmmY2300TzOU0P5OURlDvBvmqCkGOJsoOQ2AiNutcik3FaYoto5NEYryuEZBdv99Zvh-heREZjPfzPBLspsIribOeqyGP3D6Q7KzgJfdz5k1KfdePWnWVawy/s1600/IMG_1590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHplsOvHEzIDO3fEsPKNdexmmY2300TzOU0P5OURlDvBvmqCkGOJsoOQ2AiNutcik3FaYoto5NEYryuEZBdv99Zvh-heREZjPfzPBLspsIribOeqyGP3D6Q7KzgJfdz5k1KfdePWnWVawy/s640/IMG_1590.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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We sampled painting the chair rail, but it was almost too hard to tell just with a little bit. And we were still uncertain about the bottom color. We liked it, but was it the look we wanted from the start? Kyle left it up to me. He knew I had this love affair going with that blue room... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNch8ba9S2MUDJPdauslqilvmJh6bSF3bu8FD4S-zTaptX56-G0i39EmdNQBRhYafpFHYxscs77JCt_kpkbaaIH_-Sx1FERT8Iiz_pJXL0B9-_MVO1LCa2ZzEUfX0fifUqWd0FXYpdE8j/s1600/IMG_1591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNch8ba9S2MUDJPdauslqilvmJh6bSF3bu8FD4S-zTaptX56-G0i39EmdNQBRhYafpFHYxscs77JCt_kpkbaaIH_-Sx1FERT8Iiz_pJXL0B9-_MVO1LCa2ZzEUfX0fifUqWd0FXYpdE8j/s640/IMG_1591.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Somehow, I knew in my gut that these colors would work. </div>
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It was a risk worth taking to just keep painting.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8x_dIaBXrXKvM4qlnEm9KE1lPldK9FKZoMPEThhzTfOxOG5fNXjohF5Rpwec9asQ4wCyx1AiL43fUU0JOpnRrDT1v9nXmT42a9D4qOYQ0mOsRnZ7_bjBNejGA12nkRPoca5U3d8jbjXv/s1600/IMG_1592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8x_dIaBXrXKvM4qlnEm9KE1lPldK9FKZoMPEThhzTfOxOG5fNXjohF5Rpwec9asQ4wCyx1AiL43fUU0JOpnRrDT1v9nXmT42a9D4qOYQ0mOsRnZ7_bjBNejGA12nkRPoca5U3d8jbjXv/s640/IMG_1592.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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And paint we did.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWl2mvktS5yjsIulukjwtQTHV5DgEtaaHRsZ17oPujypgxzAifhaLTUE-6ctjrzfnpH2L94HZxLMX7JRBt-ZPg6R_oQEFjJANQwXAaYJcXJaKhhaue8OTOTqt5wbHS7bmLncyIXguHDhQD/s1600/IMG_1594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWl2mvktS5yjsIulukjwtQTHV5DgEtaaHRsZ17oPujypgxzAifhaLTUE-6ctjrzfnpH2L94HZxLMX7JRBt-ZPg6R_oQEFjJANQwXAaYJcXJaKhhaue8OTOTqt5wbHS7bmLncyIXguHDhQD/s640/IMG_1594.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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It made our white trim look magnificent, and the color of the floors looked so rich!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOcGQcs_SWxhU7B2Pg52rJXS9Ys6zdI_OKDMeHt2DbJj39diec0wbjgFl6q43_jshqeGdOm4Rr24Shxm_drs38frVZiP2pIDTivyEgzP3njrYNp3XIRfxhgU9tnFfUgIdigJKDDj-6vpPJ/s1600/IMG_1596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOcGQcs_SWxhU7B2Pg52rJXS9Ys6zdI_OKDMeHt2DbJj39diec0wbjgFl6q43_jshqeGdOm4Rr24Shxm_drs38frVZiP2pIDTivyEgzP3njrYNp3XIRfxhgU9tnFfUgIdigJKDDj-6vpPJ/s640/IMG_1596.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Looking in from the kitchen.</div>
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Finally I just said, let's paint the chair rail. The bottom color. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqHAQ64MdvVaGvj-1NNKjSC65hBjH8WB599sq58yDgMbUb9Q_rTzhAQDQrIhUEkEvlkvCGxEGUplPPyHhskqhYBvVzTejUxCs0ztplw8SkLhLRjBoXHYEMQvZqPJOnJfz3vCQk0s74h2Y/s1600/IMG_1605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqHAQ64MdvVaGvj-1NNKjSC65hBjH8WB599sq58yDgMbUb9Q_rTzhAQDQrIhUEkEvlkvCGxEGUplPPyHhskqhYBvVzTejUxCs0ztplw8SkLhLRjBoXHYEMQvZqPJOnJfz3vCQk0s74h2Y/s640/IMG_1605.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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So we did.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7nepe6K3QQAPfHLMul4cokoFj3dysFTvHd0m4rM_7SnTy28nSVNdsua4U4Z6r72M-GougyMgzFqFVVRXmp3NORmjXzH17OUXdbseIz2Cism6wMT_fpg8oWua0_E2XaUZOTHs7AIwBw7o/s1600/IMG_1606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7nepe6K3QQAPfHLMul4cokoFj3dysFTvHd0m4rM_7SnTy28nSVNdsua4U4Z6r72M-GougyMgzFqFVVRXmp3NORmjXzH17OUXdbseIz2Cism6wMT_fpg8oWua0_E2XaUZOTHs7AIwBw7o/s640/IMG_1606.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Instantly, the room became exactly what we hoped for. Rich, jewel-toned, unexpected. Almost like the colors of ocean and sky meeting.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Lf3xfAXbp0ZNNfVN_nXZG62QOA7DaYABcdxN3IlZufIbrBO9-GIyE8PE2T6ZIFZkcgVcaWu2Eowl5quTHgifIhKh7D9CXsR8XcHXl9e0RmZeN3boztuFgeq6Uqa2cz-UQcqR0Q92enqY/s1600/IMG_1607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Lf3xfAXbp0ZNNfVN_nXZG62QOA7DaYABcdxN3IlZufIbrBO9-GIyE8PE2T6ZIFZkcgVcaWu2Eowl5quTHgifIhKh7D9CXsR8XcHXl9e0RmZeN3boztuFgeq6Uqa2cz-UQcqR0Q92enqY/s640/IMG_1607.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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We have yet to put any artwork up, and I wish I had a lighter wood table.</div>
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But on the other hand, I love my table and am not going to sell it.</div>
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I am looking for a buffet or console table to store dishes in, so I may just find that in a lighter wood and let that add contrast to my dark woods.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVpiv86lDqqinHq-Bdu_wsTycpt3RLSH4SIdj3vSvmU4rPIpB-wgMNF7dKe7UgYz4o8_9jUfuEX5h2JgY1IIo4sDPHspc1WryD5_3DPNvK5H-MRY9VP7WH-t9Hb74whvL97iHHDZn6PZT/s1600/IMG_1608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVpiv86lDqqinHq-Bdu_wsTycpt3RLSH4SIdj3vSvmU4rPIpB-wgMNF7dKe7UgYz4o8_9jUfuEX5h2JgY1IIo4sDPHspc1WryD5_3DPNvK5H-MRY9VP7WH-t9Hb74whvL97iHHDZn6PZT/s640/IMG_1608.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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My radiator is still white, for now. No immediate plans to change that.</div>
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We are all immensely pleased with the color pairing. SW Silken Peacock on top and SW Oceanside on bottom (covering the chair rail). Still need to remove the ginormous track lighting and figure out a better chandelier, but baby steps!!! I'm so happy to have two rooms painted that it makes me kind of giddy. These rooms have a long way to go yet, I know, but we're making progress.</div>
Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-1282524621565616522017-07-31T06:00:00.000-07:002017-07-31T06:00:04.671-07:00Exploring with the W's: Lost Eras<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9WkKSNj0uEp5BXrK3buMAkDqG8pXgBw-8qdHMuIQWWq24siEwwUFVX0h2AfFY2L-485h_kr1Twsv7Ea7j5PBfWLUCJxRQqSdwTr_irwSaMtEDt4BTIQyx9zyAhoonBg7JUrwYCKHGZ6C/s1600/IMG_1786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9WkKSNj0uEp5BXrK3buMAkDqG8pXgBw-8qdHMuIQWWq24siEwwUFVX0h2AfFY2L-485h_kr1Twsv7Ea7j5PBfWLUCJxRQqSdwTr_irwSaMtEDt4BTIQyx9zyAhoonBg7JUrwYCKHGZ6C/s640/IMG_1786.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Several months ago, Kyle forwarded the name of a store to me as a place I might enjoy: Lost Eras. He'd never been there, but he'd heard it had good vintage stuff.</div>
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That could be the understatement of the century.</div>
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One day this week, on a whim, I decided to walk there with my W's. </div>
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It's only about half a mile from the house and it would take me new places, and I am always on the search for various things. At the moment, I'm specifically looking for either a Hoosier cabinet or a buffet/hutch/cabinet for my dining room. </div>
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I'm also looking for something interesting to use as bedside tables and possibly for stained glass to use in my transom windows. I always have "things" I keep an eye out for.</div>
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Things like this gorgeous piece which had a little desk with drawers that opened up. </div>
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I loved it!</div>
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I walked into this store and felt like I was in heaven. It spoke to me on so many levels that I could have cried with delight! Glassware, ceramics, crocks, china, teacups, sterling silver flatware, silver tea sets....I was fortunate that my stroller JUST fit down the aisle because this was happening. I WAS going to explore every nook and cranny.</div>
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Umbrella stand. $24. Love it!</div>
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A pair of Midcentury Modern night tables. LOVE THEM!</div>
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This piece may, in fact, be exactly what I'm looking for for my dining room. It meets all my color and space requirements, and the price is right. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tIrBOmH65QmlQ3G8dhBKcRooL9rr76VcRJ0qa_1jgxznsltRIOzNGHuO4HsR7IwhLEFBpgEJO78F5SkGuXb7dG_in7lJmjIM7nbi5Gc6jpt-Fcl16HmZGXX67-pWj5uCexMeY3NKI4m7/s1600/IMG_1795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tIrBOmH65QmlQ3G8dhBKcRooL9rr76VcRJ0qa_1jgxznsltRIOzNGHuO4HsR7IwhLEFBpgEJO78F5SkGuXb7dG_in7lJmjIM7nbi5Gc6jpt-Fcl16HmZGXX67-pWj5uCexMeY3NKI4m7/s640/IMG_1795.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Check out the globe stand. Pretty great, huh?</div>
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In addition to having an overwhelming selection of vintage and antique things, Lost Eras is known for its costumes. You can rent or buy them.</div>
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There was a whole wall of masks, wigs, hats, etc. </div>
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A funny side note: I have been trying to track down a certain Manuel who is working on a porch of a house further down Chase. He's been removing rotten spindles and replacing them on an old Queens Anne house. I walk past this house regularly and even got his phone number once, but apparently entered it in my phone incorrectly. And I want him to come look at my porch and give me a quote to fix its issues. But I keep missing him. </div>
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I walk into Lost Eras, and there is Manuel behind the counter! Apparently the owner of Lost Eras is the owner of the Queen Anne house on my street and uses Manuel for various projects and tasks. Needless to say, I capitalized on his presence and got the right number for him, and he's coming Friday to look at my porch. Yeah! </div>
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Once the W's and I gave the upstairs a once-over, I inquired about a basement. I vaguely recalled someone mentioning their epic basement.</div>
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I spotted and made a b-line to these fabulous green chairs. </div>
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I have expensive taste. Apparently, these are the original Wrigley Field bleacher seats that had been removed when the stands were updated. Each chair costs $500. No discounts applied for rotting wood, either. Sheesh. I'm not that sentimental. I just thought they looked cool.</div>
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Epic was no exaggeration. The square footage of this basement space had to be over 3,000. It was a place you could easily get lost in. It also had a frighteningly low ceiling and I had to regularly duck for pipes. At one point, someone flushed a toilet or something and Wyeth and I screeched in fear - it sounded like a rush of water pouring near us. It was ok, though. Just loud pipes.</div>
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Immediately upon entering the basement, this was my view. Row after row of vintage clothing. Not necessarily costumes, just vintage clothing of every imaginable era and genre. </div>
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That was just the beginning.</div>
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There were rooms dedicated to antique chairs and stools. </div>
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It was like an antique hoarder's stash.</div>
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There were rooms dedicated to certain things like light fixtures, briefcases, steamer trunks, old tools, books, vinyl records, men's suiting, men's dress shoes...</div>
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A uni-cycle, metal washbins, vintage butter crocks, school house lighting...</div>
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Need an old telephone? Or golf clubs?</div>
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I later found out from my neighbor that many of these items are used as props for sets. </div>
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Need a vinyl record? Or something on which to play one?</div>
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Wyeth found a stash of really cool walking sticks and some swords.</div>
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It was amazing. It made me happy in a way that very few things do. I called Kyle as I walked home, just giddy. It's the kind of place that descriptions don't do justice - you simply have to experience it.I could have spent hours there and not run out of things to explore and inspect.</div>
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If you're ever in the Chi-town area, specifically Rogers Park, Lost Eras is located on the corner at the intersection of Howard and Rogers Avenue. It's worth finding and checking out.</div>
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The other truly amazing thing is how well my W's hold up to such adventures. I usually bring my carrier and end up wearing Wilder who invariably falls asleep at some point. But Wyeth is just phenomenal. He sticks right by my side, offers up some comments at different objects and never touches anything. He's the perfect child. I kid you not. He never complains, asks for food or drink...just troops along and takes it all in. I'm so proud of him. Makes exploring Chi-town with my W's even more enjoyable. Until next time...</div>
Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-42705315036043306552017-07-28T06:00:00.000-07:002017-07-28T06:00:23.277-07:00Exploring Chicago with the Two W's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the past 4 and a half weeks, Wyeth and Wilder have been my daytime companions while their older siblings are at summer camp. Most days, after the 9am drop off, we walk back home and eat breakfast and I make my morning French Press or espresso. Immediately afterwards, we head to the gym, which, lovely as it is, has wonky childcare hours. 8am-12pm and 4pm-8pm. It's one of my least favorite aspects of the gym. Super inconvenient.</div>
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But it does make me get there early in the day, so there's that! </div>
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After the gym, many days we come home and I tackle my to-do list and the boys play.</div>
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They play together so well! </div>
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Some days, we head to explore different things in our city.</div>
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One recent place of exploration was a local restaurant I'd heard good things about: Ann Sather.</div>
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There was an Ann Sather who ran this place, but died several years ago. She was Swedish and there is a distinctly Swedish vibe to the place.</div>
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The day the W's and I went there, we found that one seating area was full, so they opened up a whole section just for us! We were the only people in there and we had our own waiter and it was blissful! </div>
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Our waiter said we were his VIP section.</div>
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It felt very VIP.</div>
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The thing Ann Sather is famous for is the cinnamon rolls. They were actually not an original menu item, but the man groomed by Ann to take over her restaurant added them to the menu and they have become a "thing." They are baked fresh, are huge and seriously delicious. Plus, here's the thing: if you order any egg item you get two sides. One side option is 2 cinnamon rolls. And you can order 2 sides of those, giving you 4 yummy cinnamon rolls! A family of four we know regularly goes there and spends $10 for eggs and a cinnamon roll for everyone. </div>
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I ordered 2 eggs over medium with a side of cinnamon rolls and hashbrowns, and shared my cinnamon roll with Wyeth. It was the perfect amount of food. Plus, they give you endless cups of coffee for super cheap and it was good coffee. </div>
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It lived up to the hype for me and my W's. I'm gonna be sad when the explorations get more pricey with my the whole gaggle...</div>
<br />Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-73565465236204879772017-07-27T12:55:00.002-07:002017-07-27T12:55:33.155-07:00Outdoor Movie Night <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToLEqz6D4zEweGOEk-Nd-YrQYZjjR6228vek00xEFxlKRNRDBIYQNGpER6VNI4M52z2iio6HL75ZnxuEU7DX_FaCDBPDhS2XtyGGi2FhudNT7uveFemmoebUejI6oCfiIyEwA8UM1cRxK/s1600/IMG_1676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToLEqz6D4zEweGOEk-Nd-YrQYZjjR6228vek00xEFxlKRNRDBIYQNGpER6VNI4M52z2iio6HL75ZnxuEU7DX_FaCDBPDhS2XtyGGi2FhudNT7uveFemmoebUejI6oCfiIyEwA8UM1cRxK/s640/IMG_1676.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Once again, I'm so grateful for our wonderful neighbors and the family friendships we are fostering. Right now, there is a core of four families on our block who are pretty consistent about organizing get togethers and it is always a fantastic time!</div>
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This time, the idea was a backyard movie with a potluck dinner. My friend, Kate, has an amazing backyard for just such a venue which is awesome since the whole movie night was her idea!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3DK_yjKt59p7Wik6ine4NQcM6rPzOlG0vG2GdgsThBgy_x1mbGgS0FsBu0F73wdCVI8liUz03j04YC2A5VkTKRqOFQ8eusV-GNt4Vg1OgTXqonUiWIvCD0YG38x4FreSIorjJFM6slia/s1600/IMG_1674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3DK_yjKt59p7Wik6ine4NQcM6rPzOlG0vG2GdgsThBgy_x1mbGgS0FsBu0F73wdCVI8liUz03j04YC2A5VkTKRqOFQ8eusV-GNt4Vg1OgTXqonUiWIvCD0YG38x4FreSIorjJFM6slia/s640/IMG_1674.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Her backyard is beautiful. The former owners planted tons of perennial beds that are timed to stagger blooming throughout the summer, and it was just lovely. I was envious. My backyard needs some serious work. Her house is also very colorful, as you can see, which fits her Swedish heritage! She actually didn't paint the garage the colors it is, though...previous owners again. But it still suits her.</div>
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She arranged seating throughout and of course, the kids immediately flocked to their play gym.</div>
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I was mildly alarmed at the load they were applying to the structure, but thankfully, they weren't up there all at once too long. </div>
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We have had a very mild summer so far, with only a few days hitting the mid-80's, and this particular evening it was downright chilly. </div>
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Here are the Chase boys. Such great men.</div>
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From left to right: Mike, Kyle (holding Wilder), Dylan (crouched on the ground by his Dad), Andy and Skip. These are some wonderful fathers and husbands and we Chase ladies are so proud of them.</div>
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They were plotting a Sunday fishing trip on Lake Michigan in this photo. They were pretty giddy. You can't take the boy out of the man. And that's a good thing.</div>
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It was such an easy, comfortable time with our friends. The party was the day before August's birthday, so I contributed a chocolate cake and watermelon. The kids (as you can see in the photo), pounced on the watermelon immediately. So while our kids played and munched, we just talked and enjoyed each other.</div>
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Kate set up a drinks table and to the right by the pavers is where the movie was to be shown.</div>
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Pretty nifty! </div>
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Brooklyn, August and Dorien always find themselves together even amid crowds of other kids. Makes me proud.</div>
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Ok, so I was introduced to a seriously delicious drink - brewed by a Wisconsin company. New Glarus Brewing Co. So this Raspberry Tart Ale is something I'd never had before, but it rocked my world. Amazing.</div>
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The kids decided to eat like Romans and stretched out on their bellies to dig into their plates. </div>
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Speaking of plates, the other amazing thing about our group is the quality of food. It's gourmet every time. We had a variety of foods, from a roasted gazpacho soup, caprese paninis, pasta salad, arugula salad, a couscous-chickpea salad, a shrimp and vegetable panzanella...it was unbelievably delicious. Not your average potluck, for sure. Two of the four families are vegetarian, so that always makes the food choices even better!</div>
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Sorry about the horrible moment I caught Wyeth, but it was too cute to see him eating by himself.</div>
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Dorien and Keira used some stumps under the cherry tree as their dining tables.</div>
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My handsome son, August, considers his delicious cake (Gone to Glory Chocolate Cake) before blowing out his candles.</div>
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Happy Birthday, August!</div>
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Almost time for the movie to start! When will that sun set?</div>
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At last! Andy set up the projector and they watched the movie, Sing!</div>
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Our sweet kiddos. </div>
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Hi mom!</div>
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The later it got, the colder it got, and blankets were needed. I had to peek in on the movie, too, as I've only seen bits of it. Pretty cute movie!</div>
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Meanwhile, Kate and Andy moved the bigger chairs around a fire pit and had some grown-up time. I love her string of fairy lights!! It was a truly magical evening!</div>
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Kyle and I took turns holding Wilder who fell asleep on us. We brought a too-large sweatshirt and put it on him and it served as pretty nice blanket.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-lV-AeOol6ek2F5RV9haYiXU4Ymc1LiXUD57mUjojetrJXT6DwhYhyphenhyphenmANWr1ACvXtkzSw1N3ED4_5c_nJHB-P7yNVPmWHc0l_rZ3reIutcwxrbKigJ7Sr150U9hl-eEb9dfgFR0m1Y_F/s1600/IMG_1690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-lV-AeOol6ek2F5RV9haYiXU4Ymc1LiXUD57mUjojetrJXT6DwhYhyphenhyphenmANWr1ACvXtkzSw1N3ED4_5c_nJHB-P7yNVPmWHc0l_rZ3reIutcwxrbKigJ7Sr150U9hl-eEb9dfgFR0m1Y_F/s640/IMG_1690.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Wilder, Kyle and me. </div>
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It was a wonderful night, we stayed up pretty late and I was thankful that none of us had to get up early the next day (Monday) as it was August's birthday.</div>
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Summer with my neighbors....it's delightful. </div>
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<br />Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-78841907652190174582017-07-25T16:09:00.000-07:002017-07-25T16:09:33.508-07:00August's Birthday in July<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5zyeD1BCXyAv6zPVIp1WbWS1ZuINyB3m81c3D_f9V8ZkJTSRKOJpPb2v0Wltcop9BO2VtDF-mo6NhdBSlejnym9wpixbhJB_jgMvDlFlsi11y611JHSAkCty1ClxqGQQ9KVqw9ag4FWE/s1600/IMG_1702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5zyeD1BCXyAv6zPVIp1WbWS1ZuINyB3m81c3D_f9V8ZkJTSRKOJpPb2v0Wltcop9BO2VtDF-mo6NhdBSlejnym9wpixbhJB_jgMvDlFlsi11y611JHSAkCty1ClxqGQQ9KVqw9ag4FWE/s640/IMG_1702.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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August turned 9 on a glorious summer day on July 17th. It was a Monday, so Kyle took off work and we celebrated our Family Birthday way: A day devoted to the whims of August.</div>
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His whim was to hit up the climbing wall at Maggie Daly Park downtown. The kids' Summer Camp was supposed to have gone there as a field trip, and they did....but there was an oversight involving parental waivers which were absent...so their camp turned the many play areas at Millennium Park into a field trip instead. </div>
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August was pretty disappointed, though, so we went for his birthday.</div>
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The above picture, the gorgeous city of Chicago, was taken on the road from the passenger window! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLa2Sj3QxiaC2Z04C_rsxx1hrKtlAcX8nL_x_ZAuH2KvQWvqixwqBY1oQ05WV3-htnGatAmcpb5qorvklrpM2VZA8Wtz5gFXV37DRhukrBrOxnNCU7tWEIWXyQATxgJX9c1HMXWbaaTJI/s1600/IMG_1704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLa2Sj3QxiaC2Z04C_rsxx1hrKtlAcX8nL_x_ZAuH2KvQWvqixwqBY1oQ05WV3-htnGatAmcpb5qorvklrpM2VZA8Wtz5gFXV37DRhukrBrOxnNCU7tWEIWXyQATxgJX9c1HMXWbaaTJI/s640/IMG_1704.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's the birthday boy with the climbing wall behind him. If you're curious about how one gets to Millennium Park and actually parks, the getting there is easy. From Rogers Park, we hopped on Lakeshore Drive and followed signs. Parking, on the other hand, is a beast anywhere in Chicago. </div>
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There are apps we use - such as SpotHero which finds you the best parking deals near your location and reserves you a spot, as well as a ParkChicago app which allows you to pay for street spots and add time and money as it runs out. There are parking garages hidden around in the underbelly of the city, and they are usually so expensive. As in $27 for 0 to 3 hours. Ouch. We found ourselves in one such spot before realizing how expensive it was. We actually came back out and had the charges reversed, but after cruising in circles downtown checking out the options on SpotHero, we ended up back in the same exact garage, only this time at a rate of $16 for 3 hours. </div>
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It makes sense to actually strategize about your parking before you get downtown, as navigating the parking apps and identifying the best spots is NOT something you can do while driving. I was manning the apps while Kyle drove in circles and the kids kept saying, "Hey, we were just here!" </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKna2R1SJlkyLbfLleds9itj0A-h3z2ysdR19LqPw7EzD06joPHHSzRYnyCsu-4BszbREmT7ncc6QCk1VPsBq6KF0tw5fcFo5Ty692ATIWRzowSdhte7MfRJuQKsEos1I7cQDEd8ceSzD/s1600/IMG_1706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKna2R1SJlkyLbfLleds9itj0A-h3z2ysdR19LqPw7EzD06joPHHSzRYnyCsu-4BszbREmT7ncc6QCk1VPsBq6KF0tw5fcFo5Ty692ATIWRzowSdhte7MfRJuQKsEos1I7cQDEd8ceSzD/s640/IMG_1706.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I attempted to get a cool skyline shot, but our options were limited. This was the best I could do. </div>
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Although this was August's birthday and making him happy was our main objective, we would have been just mean to exclude Brooklyn and Dorien. In hindsight, Dorien was pretty much money well wasted. He thought it was a grand time to climb up approximately 3 feet and then let go. Maybe it was worth it just to see him wear that hilarious orange hat. I can't even look at him without giggling.</div>
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The options for climbing packages are almost overwhelming, and it looks like you have to pay for a 45 minute tutorial before actually climbing, but that's only if you're using ropes and team belaying. For kids, if using auto-belay (the ropes that automatically let you back down), there are time options which include all the gear. So, for $25/kid, we got a half hour of auto-belay plus all the gear. There were two walls - a 30' and 40' wall. Also, the staff was supposed to monitor your time on the wall and tell you when you were through, but no one ever stopped us. We lost track of time and were there well over an hour. Oops.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mDMPYC5o1ibJRqqFPkeHdonQ5WFk6Ya6d0gKQVSLXKrxvhXRN-Llva_EnTS9_pIy9-F-ZYwG34QSCwtZ1piFwMjhnei4eqymeeLYu4YORaiA1nEfRdBaTB_-mDGJXfxnZIcHnwwUx5tc/s1600/IMG_1708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mDMPYC5o1ibJRqqFPkeHdonQ5WFk6Ya6d0gKQVSLXKrxvhXRN-Llva_EnTS9_pIy9-F-ZYwG34QSCwtZ1piFwMjhnei4eqymeeLYu4YORaiA1nEfRdBaTB_-mDGJXfxnZIcHnwwUx5tc/s640/IMG_1708.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Being the totally prepared mom I am, I completely forgot sunscreen for my two blondies, neither of whom were climbing. Thankfully, our loaner stroller had a good canopy, so at least Wilder was blocked from the sun. Wyeth just found shade. </div>
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Not only did I forget sunscreen, I also neglected water bottles. So we were super prepared. We DID have diapers and wipes, though, so...prepared enough.</div>
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Leaving the house with 5 kids, I often feel good just knowing all the kids are with me.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPm8RWKx4tBJz2cEmqJhPLdoiiD8M5d5biirwWZzd3xXikfiQAYnP-X5VcLPTlTkf_7yR3NnHcvgVdR-pNez-rOvFtb-lRRrMvu8krH1mQmRZ06lddJjzxXjwDtjV9VzpF_o-Mrndshczu/s1600/IMG_1710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPm8RWKx4tBJz2cEmqJhPLdoiiD8M5d5biirwWZzd3xXikfiQAYnP-X5VcLPTlTkf_7yR3NnHcvgVdR-pNez-rOvFtb-lRRrMvu8krH1mQmRZ06lddJjzxXjwDtjV9VzpF_o-Mrndshczu/s640/IMG_1710.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Ok, so I may have exaggerated the extent of Dorien's negative climbing skills. </div>
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It's a good assumption that he was mere seconds away from letting go. He always gave a huge cheeser grin, but I read through the grin that he was scared of going much higher. I get it. He also had no concept of planning his climb - looking for grips and toe-holds or even recognizing that he might have picked a super advanced wall.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTJ6_kqpGU0jFW0OzvnSLT4ccs11H5bGShYEGYwpkz_A2RBVbclECMDzXnch088v6y2fsSzUixh4fevcTmoRE46sIiKZtvnfKoOJIKwBdZz3f_Mgj580pnKCSxhrBaq-2Jz9K-E9_zr7x/s1600/IMG_1712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTJ6_kqpGU0jFW0OzvnSLT4ccs11H5bGShYEGYwpkz_A2RBVbclECMDzXnch088v6y2fsSzUixh4fevcTmoRE46sIiKZtvnfKoOJIKwBdZz3f_Mgj580pnKCSxhrBaq-2Jz9K-E9_zr7x/s640/IMG_1712.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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August wasn't really scared, but he was "aware" of the height. He really enjoyed climbing though.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQXRNCbTs7EYc7ho8xANBMRHC4cWcYPZc1A119Ytmz7pPh_Qls_yy5NVr-AQm3hORzsKmh9JJHHAnL5f-LvNyAVzeqqKYG-Hrofutt_uas4M71sb_Y6GlImJ_PDNw7zQXhw0AW-4MH4Yo/s1600/IMG_1713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQXRNCbTs7EYc7ho8xANBMRHC4cWcYPZc1A119Ytmz7pPh_Qls_yy5NVr-AQm3hORzsKmh9JJHHAnL5f-LvNyAVzeqqKYG-Hrofutt_uas4M71sb_Y6GlImJ_PDNw7zQXhw0AW-4MH4Yo/s640/IMG_1713.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Brooklyn (to the right of August) was a little mountain goat. Fearless, fast, relentless. She scrabbled up the walls lickety-split, not even remotely scared. She only slowed down when her forearms and fingers stiffened in exhaustion. Otherwise, this was her THING.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKUa2GJkzN0V8vZCiAVvk4rejS_qxFvFqgZTKT1yOMSExDVIAf8w4M0UE6RdymIVhgsAdi4wgOfKGpWiMfQmCexSQlRu84m41GrpNVxQQ-LWbJmthSSrgfp0KhGI1xKWTNwbZiJ5E0heX/s1600/IMG_1714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKUa2GJkzN0V8vZCiAVvk4rejS_qxFvFqgZTKT1yOMSExDVIAf8w4M0UE6RdymIVhgsAdi4wgOfKGpWiMfQmCexSQlRu84m41GrpNVxQQ-LWbJmthSSrgfp0KhGI1xKWTNwbZiJ5E0heX/s640/IMG_1714.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The location of the climbing wall was pretty close to one of Kyle and my favorite eateries in the city - Pastoral. It's fabulous - an artisan wine, cheese and sandwich shop that never fails to deliver.</div>
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We strolled over there to get some sandwiches, but along the way saw a little storefront for the Billy Goat Tavern (not the original, under-the-bridge location). We thought maybe some fries from there would top off our yummy sandwiches. So, after getting some fancy food and some not-so-fancy food, we hustled back to our car just a few minutes shy of our 3 hour parking limit and found ourselves a beach spot - Montrose Beach - to picnic. It was perfection. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiywnffWkjTgCMqrK3fik5pmHwGOTMypFU1M3FFYOmx_ww0kbJd7i4SJBFIR9lau9ZaG05CuozsbyKkNHN5XbUmaP1E1coo0nqW6-no2gqFpip0NDneNHBLF69SG6N2OZ0706xJm8HL0VIA/s1600/IMG_1721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiywnffWkjTgCMqrK3fik5pmHwGOTMypFU1M3FFYOmx_ww0kbJd7i4SJBFIR9lau9ZaG05CuozsbyKkNHN5XbUmaP1E1coo0nqW6-no2gqFpip0NDneNHBLF69SG6N2OZ0706xJm8HL0VIA/s640/IMG_1721.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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We relaxed that afternoon - the littles napped and I made August's requested birthday cake (a Devil's Food Cake) and dinner (broccoli-cheese soup). After we ate, he opened his gifts. New Altra running shoes and a bike helmet from me and Kyle, an Adidas shirt and a whole heap of books from his grandparents. It was a good haul and he was very pleased. </div>
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He's outgrown his Vibram Five Fingers (and apparently they no longer make the children's version), so I branched out into another brand that was still close to being a barefoot shoe. He tested them out a day or so later and loves them. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JfOQWbarhRw7crjtOpagW5kbIawW-G5t86pBHXQNQgZulNHi8D2XPNVJ6XDvZokf_eK-diXc6ByjpXBixya0tX-v7e6jE3grkJj2mxkNd_fo_CMHF6kLiHRv1LZoOglid-PL2MFxTCt_/s1600/IMG_1723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JfOQWbarhRw7crjtOpagW5kbIawW-G5t86pBHXQNQgZulNHi8D2XPNVJ6XDvZokf_eK-diXc6ByjpXBixya0tX-v7e6jE3grkJj2mxkNd_fo_CMHF6kLiHRv1LZoOglid-PL2MFxTCt_/s640/IMG_1723.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here is his cake! He was very excited about it!</div>
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This was my first Devil's Food Cake, and there was a minor issue with the fudge icing - I didn't use HEAVY whipping cream, just regular whipping cream, and it made a difference. It would NOT firm up. I ended up adding a bunch of powdered sugar and turning it into more of a buttercream in order for it to be spreadable. Tasted fine, obviously. I will say that it's not my favorite cake - but then again, I'm not a big "cake" person at all. There are few cakes that I just love. And I discovered, the only good cake is a refrigerated cake. Cold cake is where it's at! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-Vn9b2PwyGl1RVYdi2_sd60TN-tpV2bbTfIDT4-LFrZwzQ_6IVFilAwjP7hdilVE0A9AL23AkrnFM8UlGjGXm4m-T5WgnPVKv0Zp6ycT_nGJO96VY77bQ340YNcGMOqQTnMLl08nV5S6/s1600/IMG_1725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-Vn9b2PwyGl1RVYdi2_sd60TN-tpV2bbTfIDT4-LFrZwzQ_6IVFilAwjP7hdilVE0A9AL23AkrnFM8UlGjGXm4m-T5WgnPVKv0Zp6ycT_nGJO96VY77bQ340YNcGMOqQTnMLl08nV5S6/s640/IMG_1725.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Thankfully, August liked it very much.</div>
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It's funny that he's just now turning 9, because he seems so much older than he really is. I feel like he's been 9 for a long time. He's an old soul, this one. </div>
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I'm so stinkin proud of him. </div>
<span id="goog_1269628250"></span><span id="goog_1269628251"></span><br />Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-3034524486349892222017-07-22T06:00:00.000-07:002017-07-22T06:00:29.215-07:00Summer Days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Naps...is there anything that speaks more of lazy summer days?</div>
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Well, possibly beaches. We are within a few blocks of Lake Michigan, and it's a short little walk to the beach. The water is still pretty chilly. The day this picture was taken, it was frigid, but still delicious on a hot day.</div>
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Leone Park Beach is right next to Loyola Park Beach, but just a much tinier field house.</div>
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There are always people at the beaches in the summer - playing in the water, grilling out (or BBQ as they call it), huge gatherings of people and the smells that waft around...MAN, it's good stuff. </div>
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We live in one of the only areas in Chicago where you can walk to the beach without having to walk under Lakeshore Drive. It's just a regular walk across regular streets. Very nice.</div>
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This summer has been interesting. I've done something new this year which is to enroll my oldest three kids in a Summer Day Camp program through the Chicago Park District. It's a 6 week program, Monday through Friday, 9 to 3. They provide lunches and snacks, activities, field trips...at incredibly reasonable prices. It varies slightly by park, but basically for Touhy Park (our local park), it's a little less than $200/kid. For 6 weeks. Pretty much the best bargain ever. Which leaves me some quality time with Wyeth and Wilder.</div>
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I still make a whole lot of food for my ravenously hungry kids, but at least lunches are taken care of for Brooklyn, August and Dorien. They even provide vegetarian options! </div>
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I have eased into the Chicago Park District programming which is quite unlike anything I've ever encountered. There are hundreds of parks in the City, each with their own unique programming. They also each have a superintendent, a field house and depending on the area, that field house could also include soccer, baseball fields, basketball courts, a gym, a pool... There are so many class options to sign up for, from woodworking to gymnastics to Kiddie College. The classes run by semesters, are usually an hour a week and are crazy cheap. Like $13 for a Mighty Fit Kids class. </div>
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At the urging of my friend and neighbor, Kate, I got my feet wet this spring by signing the kids up for Mighty Fit Kids on Monday afternoons at 4pm. Wyeth, I signed up for Tiny Tot Sports, at 11am on Tuesday mornings. He was extremely reticent about being left by himself, so it ended up that I usually stayed and then he would participate. His class was super small - usually just him and one other girl, Bella. </div>
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Dino Diggers started right after Tiny Tot Sports, and one day, Wyeth stayed to participate.</div>
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Touhy Field House has two rooms - a little kids room and a more open gymish area. August read a book while Wyeth learned about dinos. He's sitting on the "balance beam" Wyeth used in Tiny Tots.</div>
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Brooklyn also found a reading spot amid the playmats.</div>
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Meanwhile, Mrs. Kristen, the Touhy Park coordinator, led the littles in the Dino Digger craft. </div>
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I have become friends with her over the past few months and really really like her. Based on my knowledge of her and trust in her, I signed up the kids for the Summer Day Camp. I was nervous, for sure. But I knew Touhy can't hold a big group of kids, and it was capped at 25, plus, I knew 7 of those would be my kids and two neighbor families. After much prayer and counsel, I enrolled them.</div>
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The camp started June 26 which seems late, but Chicago public schools didn't get out until June 21st. Crazy, I know. So, we had a few weeks of our own time before camp started. And it will end on August 5th, and pretty shortly after that, we'll start back our school, while CPS starts after Labor Day. I just don't want to be doing school into June. Seems weird.</div>
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The kids have loved camp! Oddly, I am experiencing for the first time waking up earlier than normal and picking them up at a regular school time. Leaving me with hours in the middle to get things done and be a mom to a much smaller crew! </div>
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Wyeth is loving the time alone with me and Wilder. He thrives on it. </div>
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We go to the beach together.</div>
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A few weeks ago, my brother Jeremiah spent about a week with us, and it was absolutely lovely.</div>
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He followed my routine with me - we dropped the kids off to camp, went to the Evanston YMCA to work out, then cleaned house, talked, walked to the beach...</div>
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There is a tiny beach at the end of a nearby street that is deserted during the day. </div>
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On the weekends, it fills up, but during the day, there are very few people around.</div>
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Making it absolute perfection.</div>
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Wilder has yet to touch the water, but he's digging the sand and rocks he finds.</div>
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While he was here, Jeremiah introduced me and the kids to Dude Perfect...we laughed so hard while watching their Youtube videos. It was such a blessing to share that time with my little brother. I value his friendship, wisdom, practical help around the house, and just his presence. It was fabulous.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngC7GZOg4I5zfo8DVSTNmQhYR0ZW4gEe6SQvXGPh5sdLZbsP4P2pjqfHemUKXgnP9_0s2HKPX_IZopAYHh5KixCsbKssvBtUFnh1lgRQIX1T-Q56VbH504aSHB8S8GVXLvNNJZnA1xNq5/s1600/IMG_1586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngC7GZOg4I5zfo8DVSTNmQhYR0ZW4gEe6SQvXGPh5sdLZbsP4P2pjqfHemUKXgnP9_0s2HKPX_IZopAYHh5KixCsbKssvBtUFnh1lgRQIX1T-Q56VbH504aSHB8S8GVXLvNNJZnA1xNq5/s640/IMG_1586.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Some days after Wyeth, Wilder and I leave the gym, we explore nearby restaurants for a date! </div>
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Something I can't afford to do with my whole crew! </div>
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One day, we tested out a place called the Lucky Platter and it was fantastic. Nice ambiance and amazing food. I truly enjoyed time with my boys.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23W-Wyxu4WTGQbo1UVYcVyEU-Ez17F019GPWd1Df7GNOrI43PpdHUCyK4_6kIzj8R3dcJmXmWoVGygaJGBR-4P0PEq-qqiZwH5BVqDTqQJnooJ0oLSk2PU9WJzuguUQ-qQE_MERDtqabr/s1600/IMG_1587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23W-Wyxu4WTGQbo1UVYcVyEU-Ez17F019GPWd1Df7GNOrI43PpdHUCyK4_6kIzj8R3dcJmXmWoVGygaJGBR-4P0PEq-qqiZwH5BVqDTqQJnooJ0oLSk2PU9WJzuguUQ-qQE_MERDtqabr/s640/IMG_1587.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Wyeth got a delicious cheese pizza and huge bowl of fruit. His crust is hand-made and tasted so good. I got an omelette with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese and it was pretty much the best thing ever. Second to the Apricot Cheese Flaky on the left. Oh My. And the breakfast potatoes were also phenomenal. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj420Zt3vWom_5qaE0tpi_F8baZvortJOy_sgVxIT4_N5osrHUi1cbJXlDUEHvZh6FXIXL_8DmgQuhdelHXYIATSYa5UETibjl4yfIPELLtTOQFsKswo3ao_TePTw5JSa4vLUcsKJBk8rnV/s1600/IMG_1342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj420Zt3vWom_5qaE0tpi_F8baZvortJOy_sgVxIT4_N5osrHUi1cbJXlDUEHvZh6FXIXL_8DmgQuhdelHXYIATSYa5UETibjl4yfIPELLtTOQFsKswo3ao_TePTw5JSa4vLUcsKJBk8rnV/s640/IMG_1342.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This summer hasn't been all fun and games, though. We spent the whole month of June dealing with a teething Wilder. He cut four top teeth at one time and it was miserable. He's such a happy baby, but it all changed. Snot pouring out his nose and eyes, low-grade fever, even more drool than usual, clingy like nobody's business, just miserable through and through. I even took him to the doctor at one point just to make sure it really was just teeth! (it was)</div>
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There's really nothing quite like squeezing 7 people plus a nurse into a tiny room.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIK2YaPSVilN4A1Mqeojo-h9UdeHBazTjCcxuSXUuIwEK5hAcn_q-kWd8MntAgjn1D7bMyNkH-Mafge4xU2mcxx_vS8cR_XMfVAruaOs5vi_ZE2zNHJ80HEOvMdOMdWFxxj7dbtV9AwBfH/s1600/IMG_1536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIK2YaPSVilN4A1Mqeojo-h9UdeHBazTjCcxuSXUuIwEK5hAcn_q-kWd8MntAgjn1D7bMyNkH-Mafge4xU2mcxx_vS8cR_XMfVAruaOs5vi_ZE2zNHJ80HEOvMdOMdWFxxj7dbtV9AwBfH/s640/IMG_1536.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I even made some chamomile tea, soaked some baby washrags in it, wrung them out and froze them for Wilder to gnaw/suck on. He really liked this one particular one. Chamomile was supposed to have anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaN2QKJX31sZ_428ltcg1Jpa_d-hJxI9hjeDozw-wmWX2geqnMqrGJkys_zhzbC6qhAkyWrPlioJToJ5YXzqK1rZ9u2NTB5ns-X-OcZHum-C-yHDLKY2SfZyMPM5FNH9ACbMv3CsfmGOr7/s1600/IMG_1409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaN2QKJX31sZ_428ltcg1Jpa_d-hJxI9hjeDozw-wmWX2geqnMqrGJkys_zhzbC6qhAkyWrPlioJToJ5YXzqK1rZ9u2NTB5ns-X-OcZHum-C-yHDLKY2SfZyMPM5FNH9ACbMv3CsfmGOr7/s640/IMG_1409.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This summer has also involved training! </div>
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I think I mentioned that Kyle and I signed up for the international/Olympic distance Chicago Triathlon on August 27th. It's kind of our 40th birthday present to ourselves. Kyle turned 40 last November and I am about to on August 24th. Nothing like a good physical challenge to mark a milestone birthday. Nothing like trying to train for a triathlon with 5 kids to present a huge challenge, in general!</div>
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So I've been doing more early morning runs and bike rides. I have yet to test out my wetsuit in Lake Michigan, but I will. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2z5l0CG-89KdWKBJUjSBdtFFmYyBBnNqf0EMHEJ9vHkiMSub391x7Ri5wthtG0pcL9HkZ14wPrxPDKw36yfYygvGcKghiTIA2Gz7nnlUsnJczXcC95Ng98ys_M4xdiani8Vl_FmVMyCaI/s1600/IMG_1410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2z5l0CG-89KdWKBJUjSBdtFFmYyBBnNqf0EMHEJ9vHkiMSub391x7Ri5wthtG0pcL9HkZ14wPrxPDKw36yfYygvGcKghiTIA2Gz7nnlUsnJczXcC95Ng98ys_M4xdiani8Vl_FmVMyCaI/s640/IMG_1410.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I never cease to be amazed at the beauty of mornings on the Lake.</div>
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I have some great prayer times while riding or running.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdf0G4ldvRU4wgAiPPupt1EIbDw_cTDNGFapFMnZ17lKECyP-rkQ94xr1_zhIwikr4vCw31teqruF0vOgt0EHtjPUSTf-78hAqCNrxdPdC2s3QRZ4IppUKngs6-HB7Y_L9LkKOTyecOsH/s1600/IMG_1491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdf0G4ldvRU4wgAiPPupt1EIbDw_cTDNGFapFMnZ17lKECyP-rkQ94xr1_zhIwikr4vCw31teqruF0vOgt0EHtjPUSTf-78hAqCNrxdPdC2s3QRZ4IppUKngs6-HB7Y_L9LkKOTyecOsH/s640/IMG_1491.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Every now and then Kyle and I get to enjoy our baby boys while the older kids are occupied.</div>
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Here's a pretty good representation of Wilder's teething mood.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTuDv4zpPkpzQFwjmtfADupKI3q7MjnNLZNUE41UVWBM-tHZCopKL76kipOnopVTd8Z2MscFLWzsPQ2yCDICZ3RtuAj2D5iNcEBA9GFlCer1BVFbzsdWRwRwNJYZl6PhFsL18D-cfVKN6/s1600/IMG_1523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTuDv4zpPkpzQFwjmtfADupKI3q7MjnNLZNUE41UVWBM-tHZCopKL76kipOnopVTd8Z2MscFLWzsPQ2yCDICZ3RtuAj2D5iNcEBA9GFlCer1BVFbzsdWRwRwNJYZl6PhFsL18D-cfVKN6/s640/IMG_1523.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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On the weekends, and random days when I decide to keep the kids home from Camp, they are endlessly busy and creative in our tiny yard. Watching the constant flow of people walking past or just inventing things to hang from the trees.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxOyP5VugiyEfIyWd7zaBDO7Nob5F1Uu1kN2dgrc0GC7N4EDezJHineCuIb1IfaDyXHM-RIK_GFsF3Ft78028RgmzjzkzMOVWe3bwGDY0KV4ornQyisNGga2IrSI8x2eNTFYvN1fsO8_q/s1600/IMG_1524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxOyP5VugiyEfIyWd7zaBDO7Nob5F1Uu1kN2dgrc0GC7N4EDezJHineCuIb1IfaDyXHM-RIK_GFsF3Ft78028RgmzjzkzMOVWe3bwGDY0KV4ornQyisNGga2IrSI8x2eNTFYvN1fsO8_q/s640/IMG_1524.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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They were making a pretend camp fire and "roasting" leaves on a "spit".</div>
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Don't ask me why Brooklyn is wearing her snow boots.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1eTCn8GkghT3doH16F7ylYbGLb_SRutTwMvqtoIp0VP6liSYM4w5p5FRRHgmVIdLa09iNDURfNvixxkx3nr1fAoKcggOtP8tqBKd9Wxwg1L71hFvku9KkAaKaRQH9fqV34REW1gnUGflb/s1600/IMG_1525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1eTCn8GkghT3doH16F7ylYbGLb_SRutTwMvqtoIp0VP6liSYM4w5p5FRRHgmVIdLa09iNDURfNvixxkx3nr1fAoKcggOtP8tqBKd9Wxwg1L71hFvku9KkAaKaRQH9fqV34REW1gnUGflb/s640/IMG_1525.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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August's creativity with nature is pretty mind-boggling. He gets REALLY into it. He's built lean-to's against our trees, hanging devices, pulleys over branches...and whatever he thinks up, Brooklyn and Dorien are gung-ho about it too. Those little green things are apples from our backyard apple tree.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkmqkJa2jmVwElWLSWoxp0n0etyn2zmlJpjtdSjq-BQBg2fWIYs6q91tZwlvYfVyecxKxGH2tt3r7-VhUwNb0t1pH-dpvL9jaWVarDmb7GX3HcghXM-5CyUUzd3N5bp6YwaAoD7aygrFr/s1600/IMG_1527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkmqkJa2jmVwElWLSWoxp0n0etyn2zmlJpjtdSjq-BQBg2fWIYs6q91tZwlvYfVyecxKxGH2tt3r7-VhUwNb0t1pH-dpvL9jaWVarDmb7GX3HcghXM-5CyUUzd3N5bp6YwaAoD7aygrFr/s640/IMG_1527.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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So clever, these kids.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzNrNtmeDwOC7MS-Mh6TWVHqwVIFVHWWir21QIVjodAJya2CKgruF9_HtS2gzCNWCvYYRvxjqtQxiFuQciFiBhq8CPfSOQj6BsJDNYpi-FoRV5DdXvUyj6msq82YvOKoPjC2XPTEVn63I/s1600/IMG_1529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzNrNtmeDwOC7MS-Mh6TWVHqwVIFVHWWir21QIVjodAJya2CKgruF9_HtS2gzCNWCvYYRvxjqtQxiFuQciFiBhq8CPfSOQj6BsJDNYpi-FoRV5DdXvUyj6msq82YvOKoPjC2XPTEVn63I/s640/IMG_1529.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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You just never know what you might see going down the street, either.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2tfw5UmtQbLrfNkqYRWGcb5GZGhTTg6V3OjucXBPoDvbWL2zyAPdFrKh4IzdhJwwDhql8Q687U4Wa_OtAJNu49NJXO9grYAvnQjlsRfg2TuRZdBisSpuBxgXXzr706nNEnaMZ59vVrfJ/s1600/IMG_1533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2tfw5UmtQbLrfNkqYRWGcb5GZGhTTg6V3OjucXBPoDvbWL2zyAPdFrKh4IzdhJwwDhql8Q687U4Wa_OtAJNu49NJXO9grYAvnQjlsRfg2TuRZdBisSpuBxgXXzr706nNEnaMZ59vVrfJ/s640/IMG_1533.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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One of our favorite spots to chill is our screened in porch on our second floor. </div>
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It has been undergoing some cosmetic improvements...namely the removal of the nasty green astroturf.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05Yx5W9ccPlnGKdkzwkylYHxDnEMpv6AILePrKrfiSjhjoGYcNOIhyphenhyphen-2WjirUNUHo9soIoN531T-QGtq8BCGKnPd2vlxe-Y4nEFyCJVDsvwXR9ggiscNmz11JQyyeqba8zxn8OAsehbAz/s1600/IMG_1534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05Yx5W9ccPlnGKdkzwkylYHxDnEMpv6AILePrKrfiSjhjoGYcNOIhyphenhyphen-2WjirUNUHo9soIoN531T-QGtq8BCGKnPd2vlxe-Y4nEFyCJVDsvwXR9ggiscNmz11JQyyeqba8zxn8OAsehbAz/s640/IMG_1534.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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August is in a phase where he canNOT make a normal face in a photo. It's really special.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6O1Aac6j2qF-Q6bIKbK34n7jDhyY6wwjrVyJSxuRyqlol6xvxtKnv0oPOgXY9ZB_amqRN4VUjEgDzGNmD4VuaB2AOzmEja5lYSshaoRlnazuknyH6Ocr6XPYNDyrJDrs0cKC3gAi3mpF1/s1600/IMG_1535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6O1Aac6j2qF-Q6bIKbK34n7jDhyY6wwjrVyJSxuRyqlol6xvxtKnv0oPOgXY9ZB_amqRN4VUjEgDzGNmD4VuaB2AOzmEja5lYSshaoRlnazuknyH6Ocr6XPYNDyrJDrs0cKC3gAi3mpF1/s640/IMG_1535.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is a particularly great picture of my family, I think. Post-dog walk, Kyle just collapses with an already collapsed Wilder. Our cat Aesop got all snuggly, Wyeth fits himself in there and Dorien grabbed an edge. Love it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZio97ubMWd7DmWoOyIHpjppla1UR7Dk-0M4jop4zzb9T8KvnVNVF4mQ6RIrefMP8Fz27uqOoYYr44GMgB3CD6ZsVB3jRtEfLsTFxOcxZ-rC3BPIYOllVms3V9lh5QUbTbohnH_5u6jmUS/s1600/IMG_1557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZio97ubMWd7DmWoOyIHpjppla1UR7Dk-0M4jop4zzb9T8KvnVNVF4mQ6RIrefMP8Fz27uqOoYYr44GMgB3CD6ZsVB3jRtEfLsTFxOcxZ-rC3BPIYOllVms3V9lh5QUbTbohnH_5u6jmUS/s640/IMG_1557.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here the kids play with our neighbor twins, Olive and Hazel. They are good buddies of the kids and also in Summer Camp with them. Love those girls.</div>
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Brooklyn can't decide between building Legos or reading books.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tlzbRZLxD0y7_IwRB1dakdDGoJuPX_YV1dPrFON94kulT1eDedjbAXKLrmUCrnOkdQa39kzcsyhGQbpMfVqbHfksedcvnZihTUAYu9s23xFq84EbtTnmwxyvXmQ6eXytmpPxUT_ve_jE/s1600/IMG_1510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tlzbRZLxD0y7_IwRB1dakdDGoJuPX_YV1dPrFON94kulT1eDedjbAXKLrmUCrnOkdQa39kzcsyhGQbpMfVqbHfksedcvnZihTUAYu9s23xFq84EbtTnmwxyvXmQ6eXytmpPxUT_ve_jE/s640/IMG_1510.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We also had a chance to have a wonderful family dinner with our friends, the Leiva's. </div>
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Gio made some killer soup - a Guatemalan recipe that was unbelievable.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50wwbGWqO6h7X3NCpXJtWM8vXdr8MBQklpcjv5YwesPIrUdQmSVJD36bX_A8D5aWLakeHkVwMykh18q_FEcSYRUVoh4PMjoI0lmruEmfbHoVL-b6NEptg0xi5WczlOyZb6NlEN5GGfarK/s1600/IMG_1545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50wwbGWqO6h7X3NCpXJtWM8vXdr8MBQklpcjv5YwesPIrUdQmSVJD36bX_A8D5aWLakeHkVwMykh18q_FEcSYRUVoh4PMjoI0lmruEmfbHoVL-b6NEptg0xi5WczlOyZb6NlEN5GGfarK/s640/IMG_1545.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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On a slightly random note, while driving down Clark Street, I passed the most awesome sign - Niffty Nik Naks. English is very possibly not their first language?</div>
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So many many things to love about that signage.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfpaAunIn2pT6fuKnZR8ZEYnjf8PkRSjMjsE9auHs9qQNmwayWV6OEGJGCb0wbz9_9nZ0aPpi54kriPsl3HSCOxWlbs13BuLYNdOpIfrcB1AVZCCSZXOI95g2_Dyr4UrugQ2d555h703B/s1600/IMG_1631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfpaAunIn2pT6fuKnZR8ZEYnjf8PkRSjMjsE9auHs9qQNmwayWV6OEGJGCb0wbz9_9nZ0aPpi54kriPsl3HSCOxWlbs13BuLYNdOpIfrcB1AVZCCSZXOI95g2_Dyr4UrugQ2d555h703B/s640/IMG_1631.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now here's a happier Wilder! </div>
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And some photo-bombing brothers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1rFok64qaGIUKj6jq9N9xTgkaVwqvufETo88F3Uge3tpWvhj3G1QAf7IUhCn-wNku2tAf5RU7qb7ikP64RLh2nqft1OQ6OXSD6XB_ErnFPDHnmFCINEvcbMe3bCDK3EjlXOq7h_YREZz/s1600/IMG_1650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1rFok64qaGIUKj6jq9N9xTgkaVwqvufETo88F3Uge3tpWvhj3G1QAf7IUhCn-wNku2tAf5RU7qb7ikP64RLh2nqft1OQ6OXSD6XB_ErnFPDHnmFCINEvcbMe3bCDK3EjlXOq7h_YREZz/s640/IMG_1650.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Little man is getting so big these days.</div>
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9 months yesterday and 22 pounds! </div>
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Darn close to walking, too. </div>
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Drooling like mad, still, but now with a bandanna to catch most of it. </div>
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Nice. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPp56BPXni2VgKQrTgOGYU4JoS1Ku-y3ul05ulYKvf6pR9cP4SI2hEdB99uTAGSt5xdi5rBo0zlvYlbbsUxQmwybmRWJQjsGm0xqLb26tzj30WQxhoUz5dVdgWF6hZG75vZ57K4b9J_vAm/s1600/IMG_1652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPp56BPXni2VgKQrTgOGYU4JoS1Ku-y3ul05ulYKvf6pR9cP4SI2hEdB99uTAGSt5xdi5rBo0zlvYlbbsUxQmwybmRWJQjsGm0xqLb26tzj30WQxhoUz5dVdgWF6hZG75vZ57K4b9J_vAm/s640/IMG_1652.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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And yes, he's on my counter, but for 2 seconds. And no, I don't make a habit of that. </div>
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Happy Summer to all of you!</div>
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<br />Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-10181005537905426622017-07-21T16:40:00.001-07:002017-07-21T19:49:27.464-07:00Short Cuts<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUaNPYmhd0jNZa60HxbIEEfWiM-HQQLG3LXk7FopuWgaC2Z7kfGMpD49TCfvZK8DY2M83Nky_4TrSflxFNGpaF4YdFSxYeBrlw8pTLhbD2aeLwPERtktB9Q-i1WGAY0zOGgtDW592417zy/s1600/IMG_1219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUaNPYmhd0jNZa60HxbIEEfWiM-HQQLG3LXk7FopuWgaC2Z7kfGMpD49TCfvZK8DY2M83Nky_4TrSflxFNGpaF4YdFSxYeBrlw8pTLhbD2aeLwPERtktB9Q-i1WGAY0zOGgtDW592417zy/s640/IMG_1219.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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This is a very touchy subject in my family. Well, not in the me and Kyle and kids version of family, but if you ask my mom, she'll clam up and refuse to talk about it. So here's the thing. I love short hair. Pixie cuts, actually. I had one for YEARS and then, because I crave and need frequent change, I decided to grow my hair out long again. This was a process of some years...maybe five. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkC4a5BGDzYL-WDXnU8N_ai5KrQ2JELu-Vp0KFKmkKP3W5bYWxPCeZHkllx65JWF508ZRSikb8mn6MAvFapSvZIar7EIX-MFhWEjeKIqjotcfzZOnHGNBb3y0xdZQ1lVX7X7Er4zubgLn6/s1600/IMG_1220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkC4a5BGDzYL-WDXnU8N_ai5KrQ2JELu-Vp0KFKmkKP3W5bYWxPCeZHkllx65JWF508ZRSikb8mn6MAvFapSvZIar7EIX-MFhWEjeKIqjotcfzZOnHGNBb3y0xdZQ1lVX7X7Er4zubgLn6/s640/IMG_1220.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I had achieved the longest hair I'd possibly ever had. It was crazy thick. And post-Wilder's birth, right around his five month mark, it started falling out like mad. This is totally normal, and I expected it, but I just hadn't had this quantity of hair in a long time, so we're talking massive handfuls during showers. Massive. I created epic "hair walls" every time I shampooed my hair, and frankly, it was taking forever to wash my hair because I had to pick so much hair out of my fingers when I scrubbed my head. I would also wake up in the morning and there would be hair all over my sheets. Wilder sleeps with me, and there would be hair all over him. It was really just gross, people.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipyGvvzG18o_L5zKq4IVbp_JpG8DfHCTxxnUkOMTGm0q4TR7FG8o3ODle06_JwaEaTgZ-sVBqwPby-EsTQ-cM5J0fK6H1YFVQqEPqemvtZNOzD_YnQNnmxD5WQQtzxvJWDd9-c3duzQTV_/s1600/IMG_1270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipyGvvzG18o_L5zKq4IVbp_JpG8DfHCTxxnUkOMTGm0q4TR7FG8o3ODle06_JwaEaTgZ-sVBqwPby-EsTQ-cM5J0fK6H1YFVQqEPqemvtZNOzD_YnQNnmxD5WQQtzxvJWDd9-c3duzQTV_/s640/IMG_1270.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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And yes, it looked pretty occasionally. It had developed some curls, actually. (Pregnancy does interesting things to hair.) But to really work long hair and make it look good, you have to be willing to...work it. Fix it. Style it. And I do not have time for that. I never dry my hair, which isn't a bad thing, but 75% of the time, after it dried, it would look horrible and I would end up going to work out or run or something, and I'd just whip it into a ponytail anyway. The few times I wore it down, it would drive me crazy - wind would whip it into my face and eyes, it is so HOT, and then Wilder started grabbing it with his little hands and pulling as hard as he could. Enough to bring tears to my eyes. And definite tears to his when I managed to extricate his fingers from his new favorite plaything.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAnU4O5woymGtBuuPIv_abOGagvpVGShGbrfyw_ZXdQeVyTgiqDZTcARW95hPpuHBpoDwKX7RyaGlq8HhfGi5Z8ThAOZr-mhNqJHawihtOowElLVMZUuY5zYfOjVODz8tIYw8tFNwrL4d/s1600/IMG_1283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAnU4O5woymGtBuuPIv_abOGagvpVGShGbrfyw_ZXdQeVyTgiqDZTcARW95hPpuHBpoDwKX7RyaGlq8HhfGi5Z8ThAOZr-mhNqJHawihtOowElLVMZUuY5zYfOjVODz8tIYw8tFNwrL4d/s640/IMG_1283.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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But as you see, every picture of me (minus the two "just woken up" selfies above) show me in a ponytail. </div>
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I get that people have strong opinions about things. My mom and some of my brothers have extremely strong opinions on hair. On MY hair. Well, that's all well and good for them, but I've never let it affect my choices. I am the one who has to live with it, and it had gotten to the point where I just felt ugly. And who needs that added to your daily stuff? </div>
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It had also gotten so long and thick that when I ran, the ponytail gave me a headache. The realities of long, thick hair...it's not all pinterest glamour. </div>
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So, towards the end of May, I reached the end of my tolerance. I made an appointment with a new hair stylist (a referral from a friend with super short hair) and took the train to Evanston to chop it all off. Lest you worry my husband was upset about this - he's my biggest advocate for the short-hair version of me. He's been after me for months to chop it all off.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZ1afvgS9YNQv6Fm0fLzhRKy_N7YL1qNhtSWRiR6ucGVnPflhAGI0oxD3DNEqRxMGfrxAYR3B4y78-W9cuLnLuh25ZhWEn6eAvtrTwOc4Ov2TYRR_3d0TWSw-smT59_DlVG_ZHF55VVG6/s1600/IMG_1372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZ1afvgS9YNQv6Fm0fLzhRKy_N7YL1qNhtSWRiR6ucGVnPflhAGI0oxD3DNEqRxMGfrxAYR3B4y78-W9cuLnLuh25ZhWEn6eAvtrTwOc4Ov2TYRR_3d0TWSw-smT59_DlVG_ZHF55VVG6/s640/IMG_1372.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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So I did.</div>
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Without a second of hesitation or regret.</div>
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I was reminded of the movie 500 Days of Summer...the narrator is talking about one of the main characters, Summer, and he says this..."<span style="background-color: #fcfae7; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since the disintegration of her parent's marriage she'd only loved two things. The first was her long dark hair. The second was how easily she could cut it off and not feel a thing."</span></span></div>
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That described my feelings exactly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjK15eKxVMKJ3uMLg0f8e-bVWCKnmVV5bav5_DD5VQEY22e4PWAdChUo9WCPT3jVFicU2z79l5E190mAfYdW_Lh6FCBx3kvUOZztkoZiE44OZUYQ5AVlPUqMBR-ti-8Pg9XGuVpQ7v76Bo/s1600/IMG_1377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjK15eKxVMKJ3uMLg0f8e-bVWCKnmVV5bav5_DD5VQEY22e4PWAdChUo9WCPT3jVFicU2z79l5E190mAfYdW_Lh6FCBx3kvUOZztkoZiE44OZUYQ5AVlPUqMBR-ti-8Pg9XGuVpQ7v76Bo/s640/IMG_1377.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I walked out of Art + Science salon lighter and happier.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kCrA3lke7LX_vJSfjjkSIslvIumQeZUjsjf7rYdgREVLYIX1xnkRa1U_d16CUOw9xZ_OFhmvZ-nkDed2Bld_BQWzEV6Ji-P_2m8zUrSK54O2-oAbL1D_F89r46A7JDaMkCnnpVHmPpO6/s1600/IMG_1382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kCrA3lke7LX_vJSfjjkSIslvIumQeZUjsjf7rYdgREVLYIX1xnkRa1U_d16CUOw9xZ_OFhmvZ-nkDed2Bld_BQWzEV6Ji-P_2m8zUrSK54O2-oAbL1D_F89r46A7JDaMkCnnpVHmPpO6/s640/IMG_1382.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was a return to a former era of me.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmcJEI6yyENxjXwsC6h1Cj_52zxaAJdIqjUTMsEcJsKmX2gFd-lKgMKJipv6G5xdKZmRDz4xdu6-jKAcMKt9I1rLnK_OXV6OBMdoMxjg4EPp_uCj5AJbu1kcBcC1lzKbE4Yt9FGR7RVBi/s1600/IMG_1383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmcJEI6yyENxjXwsC6h1Cj_52zxaAJdIqjUTMsEcJsKmX2gFd-lKgMKJipv6G5xdKZmRDz4xdu6-jKAcMKt9I1rLnK_OXV6OBMdoMxjg4EPp_uCj5AJbu1kcBcC1lzKbE4Yt9FGR7RVBi/s640/IMG_1383.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Easy-peasy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByj-JkeQaBtZCuhaeYDYqBDNm5s5hLqR8sOXYEuV1h9-5l4xBtFwpAse_PIP-7MFyak33IjbwDi10Bb2zFUqbfDX2TI6-w4IByDTSd8BZrgCxWuVhGFxGplFlavYZm8ViC15Qux2yaJZO/s1600/IMG_1385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByj-JkeQaBtZCuhaeYDYqBDNm5s5hLqR8sOXYEuV1h9-5l4xBtFwpAse_PIP-7MFyak33IjbwDi10Bb2zFUqbfDX2TI6-w4IByDTSd8BZrgCxWuVhGFxGplFlavYZm8ViC15Qux2yaJZO/s640/IMG_1385.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Bear in mind these pictures are me sans make-up or anything. I am so not "styled" by any means. </div>
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I rarely wear make-up, so natural is pretty much what you get. Crows feet, anyone? Gulp. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLC99grK9FfU9NN_5f8xbh7tAY8lCP79p7QZJYa9tUM9JA2ShfFIaNBDOdhgLBNfmCPxCEjKaeNFLYrhChBQmhsqmKp3r_mEvY3vCqo781xZYX7KZ71a69_IBERblIbje6AuPguLhqFA2/s1600/IMG_1494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLC99grK9FfU9NN_5f8xbh7tAY8lCP79p7QZJYa9tUM9JA2ShfFIaNBDOdhgLBNfmCPxCEjKaeNFLYrhChBQmhsqmKp3r_mEvY3vCqo781xZYX7KZ71a69_IBERblIbje6AuPguLhqFA2/s640/IMG_1494.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I love it. Kyle loves it. Wilder grinned hugely when he saw me, even though I was afraid he wouldn't recognize me! </div>
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It makes working out, showering, fixing it, styling it (Bumble & Bumble's Sumo Clay) a cinch. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdj9EnHdtS0GoFIdZ2pI13WJ_e3Dxaz1op8s85l7RWRGcq1PGx-_va_Dh0N8OLNmepwCoimjltXQOgQ4cGUL34o8oLavIDGwOnKQopVdYWZggFIx8dZrpVIp521YuB3rcajvBFs1FVnyfc/s1600/IMG_1642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdj9EnHdtS0GoFIdZ2pI13WJ_e3Dxaz1op8s85l7RWRGcq1PGx-_va_Dh0N8OLNmepwCoimjltXQOgQ4cGUL34o8oLavIDGwOnKQopVdYWZggFIx8dZrpVIp521YuB3rcajvBFs1FVnyfc/s640/IMG_1642.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Even if I just run my fingers through it and go, it's better than a ponytail. </div>
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It's funny because to my new friends in Chicago who'd never seen me with a pixie, it was a total transformation. A completely different version of me, which was really fun. </div>
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They now say it fits me much better, and they love it. </div>
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Kyle is crazy about it...my showers are super fast...no more "hair walls"...no more tiny hands ripping out handfuls...no more strands of hair on everything. </div>
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Win-Win.</div>
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Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-23133202773865327442017-07-15T16:08:00.000-07:002017-07-15T20:22:43.847-07:00The State of the House - 3rd Floor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99wfeDEmKS815QhdPcWfhJ80UBgBgY_uHU632QWNqe3kmktgf-MbOCt4gOz9NRw_cnX9aByBvVsuaKJi-1g3xnQzd4p8Zk5xL952OMRPru9rRYo8Ay5UxUDEP9jah_GXn4vly5eUhy7Y1/s1600/IMG_5106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99wfeDEmKS815QhdPcWfhJ80UBgBgY_uHU632QWNqe3kmktgf-MbOCt4gOz9NRw_cnX9aByBvVsuaKJi-1g3xnQzd4p8Zk5xL952OMRPru9rRYo8Ay5UxUDEP9jah_GXn4vly5eUhy7Y1/s640/IMG_5106.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This post has been a long time coming, because I really wanted to have some progress to report when I finally posted about the third floor. As I may have mentioned before, the third floor was originally the servant's quarters for this home, and is surprisingly spacious! People hear third floor or attic and they think tiny and cramped. Well, it's definitely not that. It's not even a true attic - there is a true attic which accessible via a tiny hatch in the ceiling of the third floor. </div>
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So far, everyone I have taken to the third floor has been shocked by how much space is actually up there. There are three bedrooms plus a bathroom and two of the rooms have eaves closets which are huge. They just are unfinished, so you are all up in the insulation if you open the closet. Plus, several of them used to host raccoons or other mammals, and we have yet to clean up the mess they made. You'd think we'd tackle that right away, but honestly, it took so long to get rid of all the squirrels that we were sort of in denial about the condition of those closets. Possibly still are.</div>
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Plus, since we have no shortage of storage in our basement, we aren't using those closets for anything at the moment. There are also two closets in the hallway which were added on to the house by the previous owners - as clothes closets. There are no "true" clothes closets in the third floor rooms. So, without further ado...here we go.</div>
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As you can see from the top picture, the stairs to the third floor lead up from the second floor hallway. Head directly to the master bedroom and then veer left.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWqv9qc7wHPYccXHYdliXoyPI8cMlh2WfwwStCdWRQgdvlvJWDo_H8yQRB37gGG1bV-gPgHi6BqhtUfiVssDPP1EEn_iWt6yFt2ec9RbNymWbi4TXsvEgJkDFba4tRtu7P_kuI25ljEK2/s1600/IMG_4711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWqv9qc7wHPYccXHYdliXoyPI8cMlh2WfwwStCdWRQgdvlvJWDo_H8yQRB37gGG1bV-gPgHi6BqhtUfiVssDPP1EEn_iWt6yFt2ec9RbNymWbi4TXsvEgJkDFba4tRtu7P_kuI25ljEK2/s640/IMG_4711.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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This picture was taken in June of 2016 at our first official showing of the house. The stairs were covered with hideous brown carpet that was a peach color once upon a time, and it was so stiff with age that it was popping off the treads. Plus, the risers were thoroughly beat up from decades of feet hitting them. Wish I could say that has been addressed, but not yet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nFABNRHecxibJzBC4GlOUaYrFNKxXORT545dP0EiSXGbFrgG62M9vYJlK49zUR3AE2gDvDnfVUfkeXXJcAFyIft44b_I4cnoTMk_BgsgBQb7KgChuUGW6H69LndyNw-VD8h6jxhRy3Ml/s1600/IMG_4712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nFABNRHecxibJzBC4GlOUaYrFNKxXORT545dP0EiSXGbFrgG62M9vYJlK49zUR3AE2gDvDnfVUfkeXXJcAFyIft44b_I4cnoTMk_BgsgBQb7KgChuUGW6H69LndyNw-VD8h6jxhRy3Ml/s640/IMG_4712.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The stairwell is pretty steep and the the walls are painted a light teal color.</div>
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Along the upper right side, three windows let in a lot of light and look out over our neighboring condo building's roof.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDII3DrZ2_1ZN9TkAal-Vo3fUTtbqulfE0rclxWX05WaFcHyk3Glg4aEiMYcdNBC7M4NHRo_uNBBubqmuFiwzysYaKiUdHxysr6mvoAaWt_dUxuOI2Nwg5GRPgWNq5LI8CA0nproMOXVZ/s1600/IMG_1176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDII3DrZ2_1ZN9TkAal-Vo3fUTtbqulfE0rclxWX05WaFcHyk3Glg4aEiMYcdNBC7M4NHRo_uNBBubqmuFiwzysYaKiUdHxysr6mvoAaWt_dUxuOI2Nwg5GRPgWNq5LI8CA0nproMOXVZ/s640/IMG_1176.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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There was obviously a lot between our house and the next one over and a condo was built there about 30 years ago.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisBs2WHLhiizXMfkdl6HNlX8T596C1WOWKeNbia38nI81hEIV0YRHYI0xjPTa7sucbbfr7BlAOd3VxQNTV4Sz8zT2WG1LiCczHKlyibubkOXRaK7WkL0HflyhGpaQ9ecXrrJnrN2V7W_50/s1600/IMG_4713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisBs2WHLhiizXMfkdl6HNlX8T596C1WOWKeNbia38nI81hEIV0YRHYI0xjPTa7sucbbfr7BlAOd3VxQNTV4Sz8zT2WG1LiCczHKlyibubkOXRaK7WkL0HflyhGpaQ9ecXrrJnrN2V7W_50/s640/IMG_4713.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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There were shelves installed on the wall which no longer remain. And I'm pretty sure the light fixture hanging up there is really really old. I love it, actually.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikyFgZX2ha64bveJIAbhUjgql9_O-c82I82EQ-DO-Uf1_7CDfy73Im8V6i3KhV5eJlyDOvc_j0tmStR92GK4uowZOUs1gr6x0W8qMoZKHQbRw9D7dsvcnXJO6RwUBXJSW207YDR1oUPrU/s1600/IMG_4715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikyFgZX2ha64bveJIAbhUjgql9_O-c82I82EQ-DO-Uf1_7CDfy73Im8V6i3KhV5eJlyDOvc_j0tmStR92GK4uowZOUs1gr6x0W8qMoZKHQbRw9D7dsvcnXJO6RwUBXJSW207YDR1oUPrU/s640/IMG_4715.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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It's on this third floor that the plaster walls look the worst. The most significant cracks start to show up, although we really can't address any of them until we have the roof re-done.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENxSyUTAKxNVLxU-0BMZwGMkRAGNKWEzkutOyths55IYBgx4HDfQkfYYILOTxYv3ntXqTIGHW2Xjqm5_gYYTHRaTjkdDM6P1sHQNRiSicvCEjmO6uQX6epAaymqndXp4gdWg1lQqCWAJr/s1600/IMG_4717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENxSyUTAKxNVLxU-0BMZwGMkRAGNKWEzkutOyths55IYBgx4HDfQkfYYILOTxYv3ntXqTIGHW2Xjqm5_gYYTHRaTjkdDM6P1sHQNRiSicvCEjmO6uQX6epAaymqndXp4gdWg1lQqCWAJr/s640/IMG_4717.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here is a close up of the top of the stairs - original moldings, a cracked baseboard and some insanely disgusting carpet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqnayD3cv2ZuckBFVB3B3dRWxOPXYjHQBH0LJWTQKqrbbnUEKMxEOYW71ylQBIyfu-k0QIBCaw_6XYctx9BPeny022VnLsx8I5bmdyfAUdqaN6JB-k4aKWoa8D34DvvyJ8QM4ws6CUwT1/s1600/IMG_4718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqnayD3cv2ZuckBFVB3B3dRWxOPXYjHQBH0LJWTQKqrbbnUEKMxEOYW71ylQBIyfu-k0QIBCaw_6XYctx9BPeny022VnLsx8I5bmdyfAUdqaN6JB-k4aKWoa8D34DvvyJ8QM4ws6CUwT1/s640/IMG_4718.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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At the top of the stairs, you turn left into a hallway and directly in front of you is a bedroom.</div>
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The hallway is covered in the same hideous tramped down, grungy carpet that the stairs got us all excited about...leading enthusiastically into to what can only be described as vomit colored yellow shag. To its credit, it matched the funky 70's era wall-paper which covered part of this room.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPU9CZYxIsWbE528lGmY3Ledn25S629RGKY6LZgLh32Hpdiarwb16bLTJWtjJZS_okpYRjTloOBsGOet_cOaY6V2svF-JdQE_rWFugQgZX8ayHDYcYlWB2aH7kt7piEYPJUflju7lDA1VX/s1600/IMG_4727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPU9CZYxIsWbE528lGmY3Ledn25S629RGKY6LZgLh32Hpdiarwb16bLTJWtjJZS_okpYRjTloOBsGOet_cOaY6V2svF-JdQE_rWFugQgZX8ayHDYcYlWB2aH7kt7piEYPJUflju7lDA1VX/s640/IMG_4727.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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In this room, there were shelving units randomly scattered about, a little built-in wall desk included.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQArAbPsXA3pzqThQjBRFfPfRVK_gD8YaKu0so1nhol-wuapJgknJ4CgG-g455_43Q1Ftb64kaFzJq319IeJrP6u0gkRJaQaZkq3XsnxhNSqZRgm7YwkrZLfWvfLzeb-Ffe44Me4XP3Q4T/s1600/IMG_4728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQArAbPsXA3pzqThQjBRFfPfRVK_gD8YaKu0so1nhol-wuapJgknJ4CgG-g455_43Q1Ftb64kaFzJq319IeJrP6u0gkRJaQaZkq3XsnxhNSqZRgm7YwkrZLfWvfLzeb-Ffe44Me4XP3Q4T/s640/IMG_4728.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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There is a strip along one wall where there is no wall paper or paint, and I frankly have no idea what the story is there. Up behind Brooklyn, you can see the original gas lighting sticking out into the room before the house was modernized with electricity. It's pretty cool looking. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlBfK7H6wno6KI_3z5Wo-kRSq9bUyuZWCKSx46gFEo9eIlKSfYmrGalL3TPM1cjEIcMOXn3kFJZgYHoPdVD_x_SADZSgJIyAtSUHeT6B3orYOpWboCiTLn9x38lVzahwq53xgjeShEtID/s1600/IMG_0119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlBfK7H6wno6KI_3z5Wo-kRSq9bUyuZWCKSx46gFEo9eIlKSfYmrGalL3TPM1cjEIcMOXn3kFJZgYHoPdVD_x_SADZSgJIyAtSUHeT6B3orYOpWboCiTLn9x38lVzahwq53xgjeShEtID/s640/IMG_0119.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The same room at dark...check out those disgusting stains on the carpet. I don't even want to think about it. It's so gross. This room faces east and gets lovely sun during the day. Yes, those are plaster cracks in the wall on the right.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7aiSyhlIeAd_OqfMqze5COEMJmzo2Nd98iiEznOpSoBHLX6Vi1edH-BVL0BlIGea_QxYNUgM00g28NX0yDofeMOVo3RIOnjCzvtzof-Zpl_RSwALiMTmkmTRJC4nqW-ur5aqCFs6c21nU/s1600/IMG_0120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7aiSyhlIeAd_OqfMqze5COEMJmzo2Nd98iiEznOpSoBHLX6Vi1edH-BVL0BlIGea_QxYNUgM00g28NX0yDofeMOVo3RIOnjCzvtzof-Zpl_RSwALiMTmkmTRJC4nqW-ur5aqCFs6c21nU/s640/IMG_0120.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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There is a radiator in the room and in all the rooms up on this floor, so you won't freeze in the winter. And this perspective gives you a glimpse into the hallway. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUqVAM1oppZK1H6QTWavRVlN_byhpOoa46a78jbGlKzysSp827naroBLCSk1lXMakg4fmaxP9xYjxN4uQJ48GMgMJmURvfIyWaut2ZV7xq9f3d4MbHNswTyvNvYV64ZtAhxYev0KGuB_2/s1600/IMG_0121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUqVAM1oppZK1H6QTWavRVlN_byhpOoa46a78jbGlKzysSp827naroBLCSk1lXMakg4fmaxP9xYjxN4uQJ48GMgMJmURvfIyWaut2ZV7xq9f3d4MbHNswTyvNvYV64ZtAhxYev0KGuB_2/s640/IMG_0121.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's a decent sized room with lots of potential. I don't even hate the wallpaper. I don't love it, either, but it is kinda cool. It's just not....staying.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVy_W9TzCJ4VtRBJUCt3S776eDG62RdCXSn3JiO840qbcPNxAJ7VwqJb2kDUT_-jT3vom7ztG5TMcgbdPqsxFr3CWaTXTqB9Tr0Q1gm6njbWdHbpNHH7sRkoXgGtLcJdUikaFHKNaQyO0/s1600/IMG_4726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVy_W9TzCJ4VtRBJUCt3S776eDG62RdCXSn3JiO840qbcPNxAJ7VwqJb2kDUT_-jT3vom7ztG5TMcgbdPqsxFr3CWaTXTqB9Tr0Q1gm6njbWdHbpNHH7sRkoXgGtLcJdUikaFHKNaQyO0/s640/IMG_4726.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Because I really want a good "before" status shot, I am getting all up close and personal on what is a pretty awful nook. Not the nook itself, but it's overall shape. There was a leak at some point because the plaster is a little bubbly, and there are cracks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJZZMOShu0dFwXgx-7g65BSWDlPNIyWhyphenhyphenlzktmWDRAOspiAx253qooDa-egacc-1LpbumR6cbXdwclDFI_h3tUABAcK188HEeqIAGrFFerNtuVDuY5SyNEz0cv1ZVOr6GAMnMzKwCd_RD/s1600/IMG_0122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJZZMOShu0dFwXgx-7g65BSWDlPNIyWhyphenhyphenlzktmWDRAOspiAx253qooDa-egacc-1LpbumR6cbXdwclDFI_h3tUABAcK188HEeqIAGrFFerNtuVDuY5SyNEz0cv1ZVOr6GAMnMzKwCd_RD/s640/IMG_0122.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Walking out of that bedroom into the hallway, you turn left into a small space which opens into the bathroom, an eaves closet (to the right) and a long narrow bedroom to the left.</div>
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I kind of like the flowery wall paper, but it's not in great condition, and I really do NOT like all the metal cheap looking shelves, so when they come off, so will the wallpaper. (The red flooring you see is what was underneath the wallpaper...more on that in a minute). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zkbjGy_SXdGfutKzeqcqwXdxtGijj8SWwNl-2rMUzSd8aWt4m2iVEg9Y0NSnzsvYXUoSMjgQ3WAl_jWu2UffF7ETyx-a6Zatl1onT0FTjPzKXVpdJ3IG5nvzwUmvpFuungJvSZaFgoVk/s1600/IMG_4719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zkbjGy_SXdGfutKzeqcqwXdxtGijj8SWwNl-2rMUzSd8aWt4m2iVEg9Y0NSnzsvYXUoSMjgQ3WAl_jWu2UffF7ETyx-a6Zatl1onT0FTjPzKXVpdJ3IG5nvzwUmvpFuungJvSZaFgoVk/s640/IMG_4719.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Standing in the hallway, to the left is another bedroom and the bathroom is straight ahead.</div>
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This picture is also from that first showing, and the room was full of stuff from the previous owner. There were so many random shelves, it was truly remarkable. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbuUET5SDXObtUy2JVzmROfjhrRoIrVl8Fdkf1pxzXJ_i_fgQG6AI83b1isUkhjQdyE7JumY6e0TPX7ZM31Jv91nxuajiS1eKfpEDWp13RfoMZ2gta8Nz3_JD6DEAH5LhHNGCZpGAVYee/s1600/IMG_4720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbuUET5SDXObtUy2JVzmROfjhrRoIrVl8Fdkf1pxzXJ_i_fgQG6AI83b1isUkhjQdyE7JumY6e0TPX7ZM31Jv91nxuajiS1eKfpEDWp13RfoMZ2gta8Nz3_JD6DEAH5LhHNGCZpGAVYee/s640/IMG_4720.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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But the bathroom first. </div>
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The linoleum won't be staying, obviously.</div>
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The super awesome vintage cast iron sink - yes. I love it. </div>
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I do plan to change out the fixtures, though.</div>
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Just a glimpse of what looks like an ancient plastered wall in Rome or something...</div>
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Needs some cleaning up, but truthfully, this whole shower will eventually be re-done. I actually think the look of the wall is pretty cool. We will need new tub and shower fixtures at some point. </div>
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Flaking paint, ugly shower curtain that is no more...</div>
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Turning back around, you see through the little hallway into the longer hallway down to the biggest room of the third floor. But we'll get there in a minute.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5WDzWWUgky36_F444zkkHgHK29rR7Fn2yeywRetGZnEHDej9jDxSKBRDGL7Oqu9tBNRP_30BwMGjs5Sgk_b-JzcXzZfecKTJVbVuMlzMrTAeK7WgXDBafT1-NMg19C9PA-6xawVnVyBu/s1600/IMG_4725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5WDzWWUgky36_F444zkkHgHK29rR7Fn2yeywRetGZnEHDej9jDxSKBRDGL7Oqu9tBNRP_30BwMGjs5Sgk_b-JzcXzZfecKTJVbVuMlzMrTAeK7WgXDBafT1-NMg19C9PA-6xawVnVyBu/s640/IMG_4725.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Back to the long narrow room beside the bathroom. Covered in horrific carpet, wallpaper, ginormous (non-working) track lighting and one really neat, super old light fixture. I love that all the light fixtures are period. </div>
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Same room, looking north (after we'd moved in and all the junk had been cleared away).</div>
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The whole left side of the wall has been covered in rough plank-type boards with cut-outs of cork board. And there's a large, super heavy display cabinet mounted on the wall. That has since been removed and sold on Craigslist! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4brn-FiiiKfknDmEVtEt3gJkLrl47cnbfehtTByUTw9rjGq1Hf3Xdos3F_47iloc1gVn04huN2ZC82eMlz9cUcNnNJrhxVhKd78SDiLwRQRakw5S-YhMjw2bcxJxGmUuT6ilb_F2qGPcG/s1600/IMG_0111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4brn-FiiiKfknDmEVtEt3gJkLrl47cnbfehtTByUTw9rjGq1Hf3Xdos3F_47iloc1gVn04huN2ZC82eMlz9cUcNnNJrhxVhKd78SDiLwRQRakw5S-YhMjw2bcxJxGmUuT6ilb_F2qGPcG/s640/IMG_0111.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Another shot of the room cleared of its "stuff" and many random metal shelves. </div>
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Again, I don't hate the wallpaper. It's just dirty and worn out. And the carpet is so gross that it made me cringe to walk on it at all.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcFHNUJzShx72VF-gHiH5Ktp2C8LMeNwDEV8CoEv6S83St87jcgRfSedrivLYVWdJqAzFDNnceUMVS-7XeXBGQbCqXpOh8s6WNqGdEr-HI9uRaGtif7tjfTyKnMjdI9kSGxEV200IMKUBK/s1600/pic+17%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcFHNUJzShx72VF-gHiH5Ktp2C8LMeNwDEV8CoEv6S83St87jcgRfSedrivLYVWdJqAzFDNnceUMVS-7XeXBGQbCqXpOh8s6WNqGdEr-HI9uRaGtif7tjfTyKnMjdI9kSGxEV200IMKUBK/s640/pic+17%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ok, now moving to the biggest room on this floor. It's the room at the end of the hallway, facing north. There is a short little door on the right leading to an eaves closet and another one on the left. </div>
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Yes, the carpet is green. Puke green with a hint of yellow mixed in. And the wallpaper is less bright than this picture reflects, because this was a real estate photo and was unnaturally bright.</div>
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Huge horizontal crack in the plaster running on the right wall.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-_AQQicfD5XNUckPe-3UcVjYHhpOB7n8-6Kng4D5VMpoT_xX_eoC8fi5EimMfiD51WRZHWdFRGNWx8lFr3kfblqXe55P0il1e-SX7ATWMSoyP9QljXOmAgeVSjPdVel_Z7m3eWHVIiZx/s1600/IMG_4729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-_AQQicfD5XNUckPe-3UcVjYHhpOB7n8-6Kng4D5VMpoT_xX_eoC8fi5EimMfiD51WRZHWdFRGNWx8lFr3kfblqXe55P0il1e-SX7ATWMSoyP9QljXOmAgeVSjPdVel_Z7m3eWHVIiZx/s640/IMG_4729.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is from our showing in June 2016...you can see the metallic bits of the wallpaper. It was ahead of its time, really. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5p4DPcteBGCm6MvigJuw17FYlNODyq7N29cKIc8BVpDWbZAfCRv6TOppMjSSLoZWKhIrKE6BlSTZJ5m2_sCXis1B74iKP5RwF8yL-zoD07vIqMD99sOJ6I511UMcEVDkFYE7Rw3Wtqcva/s1600/IMG_4731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5p4DPcteBGCm6MvigJuw17FYlNODyq7N29cKIc8BVpDWbZAfCRv6TOppMjSSLoZWKhIrKE6BlSTZJ5m2_sCXis1B74iKP5RwF8yL-zoD07vIqMD99sOJ6I511UMcEVDkFYE7Rw3Wtqcva/s640/IMG_4731.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love the molding of the doors. Not the big crack so much.</div>
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More shelves, more cracks...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35BrUyelrxxJUwCVL4PXzOrB7nn0MUaftZ7A11bvoU-LnidHKmUZe1ko7HXKd_wE3sYXDLOZmcUO-Rf5_hP-rtqYc1-PzosgD-LY3hP0eXyGu5CnDeqPbCW0moIzzItRTRntxXCecTCEH/s1600/IMG_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35BrUyelrxxJUwCVL4PXzOrB7nn0MUaftZ7A11bvoU-LnidHKmUZe1ko7HXKd_wE3sYXDLOZmcUO-Rf5_hP-rtqYc1-PzosgD-LY3hP0eXyGu5CnDeqPbCW0moIzzItRTRntxXCecTCEH/s640/IMG_0030.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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So. That was how we found it when we moved in. </div>
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Mid-December, after we had removed all the carpet from the second floor, I started on the stair treads and removed all the carpet from each tread. Removing the carpet took no time. Removing the many many many sharp nails which remained after the carpet "popped" off took much longer. I won't lie, it was a satisfying job that I didn't mind doing. I felt like a historian! The stairs were all painted, and you can see how the risers had been painted after the carpet was put on - there's a line of white paint which was covered by the carpet. The first few stairs were painted black until you hit the little landing and they all switched to a tan color.</div>
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Once the stairs were cleared, the next logical step was to remove the carpet from the rest of the third floor, starting with the "play room" where all our toys were - I couldn't stand the thought of the kids playing on that nasty carpet. So, we moved all the stuff into the hallway and ripped out the carpet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2z7NxCDLDhFwUq6MS7fkHfMFp0XfIu7RApX-9cxnIlaRboRlk4UekWvmospGUNoaiKOprCosSfhjBE4E1VyfOF7KqP2UQwFCMEqbeZUjnu6U3zucghHyqbiCk68e2-HaKuUQ1I42c5t3m/s1600/IMG_0118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2z7NxCDLDhFwUq6MS7fkHfMFp0XfIu7RApX-9cxnIlaRboRlk4UekWvmospGUNoaiKOprCosSfhjBE4E1VyfOF7KqP2UQwFCMEqbeZUjnu6U3zucghHyqbiCk68e2-HaKuUQ1I42c5t3m/s640/IMG_0118.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Just when we thought we'd gotten somewhere, we discovered that below the carpet was red linoleum.</div>
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What?? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbftpZgJ0rAiT43MSbt5mrf-Zr8hDtnxsNyGJGRNzNlUHpiQ9mKSTrHFvdbBA6y5cmZndAyw04ciH7EM6rOLFFcy4SVJbor4UN4TsuXXqe3nrlZOgZWpaSK1Xnp56V8NWbq5b8rS8H6-v/s1600/IMG_0124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbftpZgJ0rAiT43MSbt5mrf-Zr8hDtnxsNyGJGRNzNlUHpiQ9mKSTrHFvdbBA6y5cmZndAyw04ciH7EM6rOLFFcy4SVJbor4UN4TsuXXqe3nrlZOgZWpaSK1Xnp56V8NWbq5b8rS8H6-v/s640/IMG_0124.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Moving into the second bedroom, we ripped up the carpet and found....</div>
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brown linoleum. What??</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-kRyialtvBB4oMtjgvroU2RrSsk_zQV2b2sN-yQTKy4GaPwRxtpx-KxexytZO4W6G0NiciteVl7XYutJHMEEAeQRWqcEZEC0IeOfvhz_ZVV2U4QUrgC7yNdD7fB9IFPHnDP64pX7buuZ/s1600/IMG_0125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-kRyialtvBB4oMtjgvroU2RrSsk_zQV2b2sN-yQTKy4GaPwRxtpx-KxexytZO4W6G0NiciteVl7XYutJHMEEAeQRWqcEZEC0IeOfvhz_ZVV2U4QUrgC7yNdD7fB9IFPHnDP64pX7buuZ/s640/IMG_0125.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was seriously gross. Seriously.</div>
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And we could tell there was wood underneath the linoleum.</div>
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Who does this to floors? I don't understand!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhgsrmx_HKz4g9P1Fz7mHMVslsmQQc0QnWp9DssNTX4ucDSaZpYzXNT7HL3XVYtKV3DDOEw4voOhhfDDTAgVDmdklAD515scFyhvYNPSkarNjR7Iv00Se9mvkNqMck14m_zM9JtJvQXM2/s1600/IMG_0126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhgsrmx_HKz4g9P1Fz7mHMVslsmQQc0QnWp9DssNTX4ucDSaZpYzXNT7HL3XVYtKV3DDOEw4voOhhfDDTAgVDmdklAD515scFyhvYNPSkarNjR7Iv00Se9mvkNqMck14m_zM9JtJvQXM2/s640/IMG_0126.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Just to give you the WHOLE picture, here's the other corner in all its poopy brown glory.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQCoU2sTR5g7uGoE6Pad5oP8SoYjoEoe_ueQKhyp1LeVeCOVWPkYh3E0TQdW8nSXApALf9XmQpvmAd17HSEJEwTzR9G9Mwa8bottWteXBaK29lk9OhsYgiK0rDiR0mJGcPXrd0ea7GFsO/s1600/IMG_0127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQCoU2sTR5g7uGoE6Pad5oP8SoYjoEoe_ueQKhyp1LeVeCOVWPkYh3E0TQdW8nSXApALf9XmQpvmAd17HSEJEwTzR9G9Mwa8bottWteXBaK29lk9OhsYgiK0rDiR0mJGcPXrd0ea7GFsO/s640/IMG_0127.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We pulled all the carpet up from the whole floor and found linoleum everywhere. All brown except for the red in the playroom.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKxj7cHxiuTWVnlHaJLhWyYAbuy9acVKNljZYcunoaMe5r2gb_Re78NZo1Un131BIgt8nmqbw7LlmwTlL0_PkYHOZe3IWcWcndj8rMCbt2wlmn9U3d6n_ttNUM-aj5oXu-9wY84NhAiyY/s1600/IMG_0157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKxj7cHxiuTWVnlHaJLhWyYAbuy9acVKNljZYcunoaMe5r2gb_Re78NZo1Un131BIgt8nmqbw7LlmwTlL0_PkYHOZe3IWcWcndj8rMCbt2wlmn9U3d6n_ttNUM-aj5oXu-9wY84NhAiyY/s640/IMG_0157.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The next step was to rip that out. We did pause for a few weeks to test for asbestos, but it came back all clear, so we proceeded. But even removing this, we suited up head to toe in what amounted to Haz-mat gear. Booties, heavy duty gloves, full body suit, lead paint quality respirator masks...</div>
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There was so much stuff flying around that it just didn't seem sensible to do it any other way. We also loaded it all into heavy duty contractor trash bags and hauled it out for pick-up.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCOAXWHfl-HzTl01yR1BpxiFHnLRmWYGKshjj3jIFPIsvw39gTFvV0CjHKzXV2EPlqOIXgWdyaO_h6teSyY54Bn8ZHr-Xzk_J7yk9yLHBxDJUilcGayLnE89xX2aNf38F9U1gpwDBty-4/s1600/IMG_0158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCOAXWHfl-HzTl01yR1BpxiFHnLRmWYGKshjj3jIFPIsvw39gTFvV0CjHKzXV2EPlqOIXgWdyaO_h6teSyY54Bn8ZHr-Xzk_J7yk9yLHBxDJUilcGayLnE89xX2aNf38F9U1gpwDBty-4/s640/IMG_0158.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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What we discovered under the linoleum was original wood flooring, as befitting a servant's quarters. Lower quality, wide wood planking, not sure of the wood type. Really really LONG boards, some 16 feet. And thoroughly coated in leftover mastic from the linoleum. Lest you jump the gun and say, oh, you can just sand that right off...which Kyle momentarily did think about doing...a little voice in my head whispered..."is that wood painted?' Answer: Yes. Next question...."Could it be lead paint??"</div>
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Answer: Yes, it could. And yes, it is. </div>
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Well......shoot.</div>
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That definitely changes the game.</div>
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We had to come up with a new plan that involved laboriously stripping the floors of all its toppings, mastic and paint.</div>
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After much research, we settled on Peel Away 1 as our product of choice. It gets up everything and neutralizes the lead paint in the process. But it is most definitely a process. A loooong one.</div>
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Here's where Kyle gets the Most Amazing Husband DIYer Award of the Century. </div>
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Because I had Wilder as a little barnacle, Kyle was the only one who could really do the stripping. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KGKb8WvJR9A8CMuhjtEe2bA2c0dahvgYBjNer2geMFIZ26v9LaLetSS8jL8OmZXeV4ra2SZRd8SQRHxKhdW9YROa5NHtBNFh5oYskPYMV_6TnmDBryv0NoQ3GGycDMcbnNpqyQLi06S8/s1600/IMG_1256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KGKb8WvJR9A8CMuhjtEe2bA2c0dahvgYBjNer2geMFIZ26v9LaLetSS8jL8OmZXeV4ra2SZRd8SQRHxKhdW9YROa5NHtBNFh5oYskPYMV_6TnmDBryv0NoQ3GGycDMcbnNpqyQLi06S8/s640/IMG_1256.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here's what it looked like. Peel Away 1 is a bucket of paste that is "painted" onto the floor in sections. A special paper comes with it, and after the "paint" on the Peel Away, you cover it with the paper and let it sit for 24 hours. After which time, you take a scraper and peel away the floor covering which is largely contained in the paper you laid over it. It's not quite as neat and tidy as all that, though. Depending on the smoothness of the underlying boards, it may require some very tedious detail scraping with the scrapers. </div>
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The Peel Away is also very caustic, so you have to suit up and ventilate well. Fortunately, most of this was done during the winter, so it wasn't hot up there. Many a pod-cast was listened to during these hours and hours. Due to the caustic nature of Peel Away, after the stripping process, the wood has to be neutralized with a chemical called Citrilize which returns the pH to neutral. It involved water and some good old-fashioned scrubbing.</div>
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Kyle gave himself a goal of laying several sections a night, then stripping those sections up the following night. It took months. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9ftymwhHGx4Z9A5RvHRp0rdJWFTWN2Fj9uAxePs-DnTGcIQ4Vp_nrobAJQEZT322-5psXyJ7f4kKGD5x35qGE43SLUSJZwZY2Ku3MSKRPGOz23tJmMoNdSiw39WO1QJulviGWbLpeQ3M/s1600/IMG_0624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9ftymwhHGx4Z9A5RvHRp0rdJWFTWN2Fj9uAxePs-DnTGcIQ4Vp_nrobAJQEZT322-5psXyJ7f4kKGD5x35qGE43SLUSJZwZY2Ku3MSKRPGOz23tJmMoNdSiw39WO1QJulviGWbLpeQ3M/s640/IMG_0624.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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He started in the biggest bedroom, and the effect is dramatic!</div>
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You can see the test square he did initially, and it was incredible.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DwD7jxrMfd1HfcaBb-Dut5vy3G1Th_28JwFhFGPc9KRa-agzI9YFE5RtAVRwW1b1IRnvO6EHp5ndejGGOtMRwTNAD4tdFNT4gOXFTMCaAG3UZTvcco9enQpw0PKjmCjI12nqjwUy7iUS/s1600/IMG_0625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DwD7jxrMfd1HfcaBb-Dut5vy3G1Th_28JwFhFGPc9KRa-agzI9YFE5RtAVRwW1b1IRnvO6EHp5ndejGGOtMRwTNAD4tdFNT4gOXFTMCaAG3UZTvcco9enQpw0PKjmCjI12nqjwUy7iUS/s640/IMG_0625.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's almost unbelievable how different the wood looks. Almost like you bleached it, but it's just returning it to its normal wood color.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlVo_T_TXMClfhlPrDShgAgbCzgJ2z1wCXP1KlkDTtbjHrur7tcALaWh-Ss778RwpGST8Hk-4xOI0hzVgLljIvH06YzVfThwgjWGXww4hTBw501YDwJJSpJ4Jnlk0JW7c4Ohy9KfZGkge/s1600/IMG_0626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlVo_T_TXMClfhlPrDShgAgbCzgJ2z1wCXP1KlkDTtbjHrur7tcALaWh-Ss778RwpGST8Hk-4xOI0hzVgLljIvH06YzVfThwgjWGXww4hTBw501YDwJJSpJ4Jnlk0JW7c4Ohy9KfZGkge/s640/IMG_0626.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here's a close-up. These boards are laid tongue-and-groove.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStbtdbYaHmfZ57hDcwqi1jlP8vXtBsFyAY-ytmEQ4lk_uZM9nt-v84yNBAgRp-JnS1LusvuiTiao1UfSqTAx-NyZaaw7jQ23yn_q_DXhWmHSBgBv5JM-5ftpxQCWkRGAqgptI3K5z2xGl/s1600/IMG_0671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStbtdbYaHmfZ57hDcwqi1jlP8vXtBsFyAY-ytmEQ4lk_uZM9nt-v84yNBAgRp-JnS1LusvuiTiao1UfSqTAx-NyZaaw7jQ23yn_q_DXhWmHSBgBv5JM-5ftpxQCWkRGAqgptI3K5z2xGl/s640/IMG_0671.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Slowly but surely, he moved across the floor. Thankfully, Kyle has the patience of a saint. He got very very good at this, to the point where it wouldn't have been helpful for me to join him, even. He had a system!</div>
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In my research of chemical strippers, I initially wanted to go with Peel Away 7, a version of Peel Away that does the same thing as Peel Away 1, but doesn't require a follow-up neutralization step. It is $50 more expensive per bucket, though. So, we decided it was worth it to pay less, since we'd be using so much of it. </div>
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You can buy Peel Away at Sherwin-Williams paint stores, and Kyle pretty much cleaned out the neighboring stores. He would call in advance and just buy out all they had in stock. I'm not sure how many gallons we used in all, but I think we spent around $500 in Peel-Away...maybe a little more.</div>
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During this process, there were several websites that I used as a resource, including the <a href="http://thecraftsmanblog.com/" target="_blank">Craftsman Blog</a>. If you love old houses and have questions about plaster or original windows or stripping paint, I recommend checking out his blog. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxhmM7itKmA-kbXiSc_q5y6N7YPFe7D1ydP6VDZUhzF1t65Q3KGsvPU9IrqhjxDAIogx-qDQnNCeNtupBZLSHOkmdGfsGdarjffYgcozpQbcRNuc87hNTlaYJR8fIsBBG7aO3uSJyBP93/s1600/IMG_1163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxhmM7itKmA-kbXiSc_q5y6N7YPFe7D1ydP6VDZUhzF1t65Q3KGsvPU9IrqhjxDAIogx-qDQnNCeNtupBZLSHOkmdGfsGdarjffYgcozpQbcRNuc87hNTlaYJR8fIsBBG7aO3uSJyBP93/s640/IMG_1163.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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In the midst of all this floor stripping, my parents came to visit us towards the end of March. My mom brought with her a steamer to remove wallpaper, and she and my dad graciously removed all vestiges of the 70s from the walls. Thankfully, no big surprise cracks lurked beneath the wallpaper. </div>
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It's a different place already!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQao3kRRGc4CF-b8KRs5ruNy3jr3xFUP_q0srV-pKRCKOUEqkfsX1HYUrh9b8-wuBK3T9_WH0Wl6P5Ix8lAH_D2Z5mZ6-SfeTUKeF9OHNjc9pYt0bxEDDR411TRYoO9e_UKC6IO4am3sF/s1600/IMG_1164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQao3kRRGc4CF-b8KRs5ruNy3jr3xFUP_q0srV-pKRCKOUEqkfsX1HYUrh9b8-wuBK3T9_WH0Wl6P5Ix8lAH_D2Z5mZ6-SfeTUKeF9OHNjc9pYt0bxEDDR411TRYoO9e_UKC6IO4am3sF/s640/IMG_1164.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Amazing!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusU_EvukTSo-AJaM9yv5ekqkPrpIQNJgb4ZhRH9b7BQHA1Qiyspw7WEi-Vq-wK0cPlsodDKYybrcrnqPIbwpxqXblfOjLj0Hf4ErBW_nQwEcu3iHbtPZjhqb8hY4LHocNT1jWKzUYNU5U/s1600/IMG_1166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusU_EvukTSo-AJaM9yv5ekqkPrpIQNJgb4ZhRH9b7BQHA1Qiyspw7WEi-Vq-wK0cPlsodDKYybrcrnqPIbwpxqXblfOjLj0Hf4ErBW_nQwEcu3iHbtPZjhqb8hY4LHocNT1jWKzUYNU5U/s640/IMG_1166.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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My plan is to paint the wood flooring with white porch paint. My Dad couldn't believe we would go to all the trouble of stripping it only to paint it, but this floor isn't of a quality to be really sanded and stained. It was painted originally, and I have a vision for this floor with white flooring. Plus, I have two other levels of flooring with stained hardwood floors, so I really want to do something different with this floor...something more like this...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LsAfVVHabg9Yjv7TdREMZRZ76cZA5D_XsdBIJtdvITffapot7FS51O2Wi_myqLIPGEBb4wCdCo6ejKx9pBqhSOp7zHq0gmquEyGxNenG9-YihBjfFR0Lj2oymY6O04wjHtqJP9ZiR0XK/s1600/painted+floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LsAfVVHabg9Yjv7TdREMZRZ76cZA5D_XsdBIJtdvITffapot7FS51O2Wi_myqLIPGEBb4wCdCo6ejKx9pBqhSOp7zHq0gmquEyGxNenG9-YihBjfFR0Lj2oymY6O04wjHtqJP9ZiR0XK/s640/painted+floor.jpg" width="502" /></a></div>
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or this...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWeXNdA1cZOcUksGoeBE6mKVOydYaZg1Oh3xrMMER5Io3BfkhXZtksqciD64OU9vt6RFrFd5xIGG_jqaLjCHkNi3xsDjGpVrZ8rutT9Kjz6IN6qszYrmhCUplBWOT2b2QjAgxLEUCeuPM/s1600/painted+floor2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWeXNdA1cZOcUksGoeBE6mKVOydYaZg1Oh3xrMMER5Io3BfkhXZtksqciD64OU9vt6RFrFd5xIGG_jqaLjCHkNi3xsDjGpVrZ8rutT9Kjz6IN6qszYrmhCUplBWOT2b2QjAgxLEUCeuPM/s640/painted+floor2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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You see where I'm going? More Scandinavian crisp and clean...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jjQ7_bqGwmai-l8V7GRbpO0GUw8ZuUQg2Kfydlsi7h6qYfgNjcV5pc7OUDwQSE-WCodjkS7HfFQzdCdim8aZ4_6EaizLbzTlaM8IriAk0gGEEiMqEfTzTJhJ9nNcGJYkNAoFlfb16FfD/s1600/IMG_1167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jjQ7_bqGwmai-l8V7GRbpO0GUw8ZuUQg2Kfydlsi7h6qYfgNjcV5pc7OUDwQSE-WCodjkS7HfFQzdCdim8aZ4_6EaizLbzTlaM8IriAk0gGEEiMqEfTzTJhJ9nNcGJYkNAoFlfb16FfD/s640/IMG_1167.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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And I think this floor has the makings of being perfect for that look.</div>
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Which brings us back to our current state.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvIPToKXzTKx15qVeDX1Z-vHOBg_hiE_KLjDGHwvGd6CLa3KiKM_Da2kAWJIe-y6wSHHOZs3_yRBZOy_1K0m6hn3x_vBf8WXzQmC8Kah3MB2WEYY01NakoC7ijD7fCGQ5ZBixdQ1XNe9UL/s1600/IMG_1174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvIPToKXzTKx15qVeDX1Z-vHOBg_hiE_KLjDGHwvGd6CLa3KiKM_Da2kAWJIe-y6wSHHOZs3_yRBZOy_1K0m6hn3x_vBf8WXzQmC8Kah3MB2WEYY01NakoC7ijD7fCGQ5ZBixdQ1XNe9UL/s640/IMG_1174.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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After my mom and dad removed the wallpaper from the little anteroom between the main hallway and the bathroom and playroom, they uncovered what can only be described as a red paint fiasco.</div>
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Suffice it to say, it's just temporary.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8TL8Hog2JYC-VBsJVhi1M5ypmELDn1jHTvN_m_aioKU1WsM4J-VaecN40LzGhdOdTcXe20QjpY_DR9hss65btYzuGbeIHA9tvtl1VPWoEOXXNoeN_WfBj7bxt7vFaQlXo1Bz8LAGR-xxh/s1600/IMG_1169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8TL8Hog2JYC-VBsJVhi1M5ypmELDn1jHTvN_m_aioKU1WsM4J-VaecN40LzGhdOdTcXe20QjpY_DR9hss65btYzuGbeIHA9tvtl1VPWoEOXXNoeN_WfBj7bxt7vFaQlXo1Bz8LAGR-xxh/s640/IMG_1169.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here is what the walls in the playroom look like underneath the wallpaper.</div>
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I actually dig it. It's very Italian fresco or something.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQGTiqoAj3evBcGnPO1zr6eeZV67llLaj1Wb24ijqVbdBU7phfuMh3kuYQpjhokOJ8n_V25ZpyJwaBWXv3j9NkHESyntXDm8VZc_dF_934-bxwAygUdbylxmJ857KtkiKwFBpITBdTWW-/s1600/IMG_1172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQGTiqoAj3evBcGnPO1zr6eeZV67llLaj1Wb24ijqVbdBU7phfuMh3kuYQpjhokOJ8n_V25ZpyJwaBWXv3j9NkHESyntXDm8VZc_dF_934-bxwAygUdbylxmJ857KtkiKwFBpITBdTWW-/s640/IMG_1172.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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This is what lay beneath the north side of the playroom. Layers of wallpaper, paint, plaster, cracks...but you know what? I love it. It's interesting and beautiful. No, I'm not leaving it this way, although I do love a textured plaster look.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimghLXlfAMz2MlmagdEbTD2eE2qK97Dthm1MJyrlDFWia100M6zCll6r7slB51FCOdT1lsEShOkRVM8LTq9rwZAw6PzIEXxdbNSBWQk9vS_qxzjKDbMxa6TWddAGybRzJamh-VIEReHQec/s1600/IMG_1175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimghLXlfAMz2MlmagdEbTD2eE2qK97Dthm1MJyrlDFWia100M6zCll6r7slB51FCOdT1lsEShOkRVM8LTq9rwZAw6PzIEXxdbNSBWQk9vS_qxzjKDbMxa6TWddAGybRzJamh-VIEReHQec/s640/IMG_1175.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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After all the flooring had been stripped, this is where we have landed. Looks remarkably different. </div>
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Kyle is my hero.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhher8dCg1wP79dE0Ec1a8m6e_pnYy02D738H22F_JibpJFhroKSlKS7YGVLgFLEAXl_MmOsK-Ks_2mGEHHC_3bUXtRRO_ad1iOT2tYTl50XhcW7LC2jEcXOWjc78CmZl-Gbl8Q6-tNfSj/s1600/IMG_1177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhher8dCg1wP79dE0Ec1a8m6e_pnYy02D738H22F_JibpJFhroKSlKS7YGVLgFLEAXl_MmOsK-Ks_2mGEHHC_3bUXtRRO_ad1iOT2tYTl50XhcW7LC2jEcXOWjc78CmZl-Gbl8Q6-tNfSj/s640/IMG_1177.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here he stands on the stairwell, with his stacked gallons of Peel Away and his doting son, August.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXzo_717Xs-M0zShixX8cXizzRo9QwzjbYHInstupvZyAaU8SjayY78apvahz8KDxLgZxk_FVN1fJRIPTkjMBOK4cmJ18rKYV0Y-Nw-TqWqsFuMuO2ZP1TeSb7tgIqxzj_RWBbTQ2mPrB/s1600/IMG_1242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXzo_717Xs-M0zShixX8cXizzRo9QwzjbYHInstupvZyAaU8SjayY78apvahz8KDxLgZxk_FVN1fJRIPTkjMBOK4cmJ18rKYV0Y-Nw-TqWqsFuMuO2ZP1TeSb7tgIqxzj_RWBbTQ2mPrB/s640/IMG_1242.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I should keep showing you the rest of the floors, though. </div>
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This was the room with the 70's disco wallpaper which concealed red painted walls. </div>
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Of course it did. Someone back in the day was a fan of the color RED.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUu5iZI7vYQJTyx8ce8KBETTBqWwKHmAS6BXV4b7HSUQJHAKBJFDOfJYgW8mwhrFloiWmg45EjNwkmt8GT1SOoA6czDJD3GwbB7ITrh2Ou1x0DiYVRFiVdzDIxLNZRrOrKhVTsTPytyfS/s1600/IMG_1243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUu5iZI7vYQJTyx8ce8KBETTBqWwKHmAS6BXV4b7HSUQJHAKBJFDOfJYgW8mwhrFloiWmg45EjNwkmt8GT1SOoA6czDJD3GwbB7ITrh2Ou1x0DiYVRFiVdzDIxLNZRrOrKhVTsTPytyfS/s640/IMG_1243.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Neither Kyle nor I could figure out what was going on with the floors. There appeared to be a border of paint around the edges...not clear why that would have been done.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgmhN9R6yq5ZvmqUrSMFRpB-oQrytJhdA2N7AeedxD-eDbCfD7DGp6MjpDnhW_hggtrlNJ_B4I7XEyaLRW9vWD7S5y7P9zDsyj-qymZWQYVYe_yTLLw9tN5vflZ4n0FPz2V1z19l4Y0NM/s1600/IMG_1244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgmhN9R6yq5ZvmqUrSMFRpB-oQrytJhdA2N7AeedxD-eDbCfD7DGp6MjpDnhW_hggtrlNJ_B4I7XEyaLRW9vWD7S5y7P9zDsyj-qymZWQYVYe_yTLLw9tN5vflZ4n0FPz2V1z19l4Y0NM/s640/IMG_1244.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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And the other side.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqNkFTBMOrEA0PCg8Kx80Yrb3NyOhpOh0Zk4rNQgS11Baa2GEZA35ji-hT06v9gnBLy5Ltc91nDAXf9DY4oQj7ZxSycdDNaA6V_9UaacDj04dYKFVhS43XtAAxU-31LWmg309p0pdq0q5/s1600/IMG_1245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqNkFTBMOrEA0PCg8Kx80Yrb3NyOhpOh0Zk4rNQgS11Baa2GEZA35ji-hT06v9gnBLy5Ltc91nDAXf9DY4oQj7ZxSycdDNaA6V_9UaacDj04dYKFVhS43XtAAxU-31LWmg309p0pdq0q5/s640/IMG_1245.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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More randomly painted red painted walls, more Peel Away, more stuff to strip.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnp_aSEgGXYUMUfxFmLootrgEIiNomQKBH4EDzgfI3B31lmK4C4patBLa9XEfQI610FvLyIW7P8Apb3r65uI4r7LfwkMDqO2Lv6e8X8_aaM7SVKBJCTTDQtjy2vpkRkq1oaYgD_sDeOnH/s1600/IMG_1248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnp_aSEgGXYUMUfxFmLootrgEIiNomQKBH4EDzgfI3B31lmK4C4patBLa9XEfQI610FvLyIW7P8Apb3r65uI4r7LfwkMDqO2Lv6e8X8_aaM7SVKBJCTTDQtjy2vpkRkq1oaYgD_sDeOnH/s640/IMG_1248.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's such a huge difference from inside this room (unstripped) and out in the hallway (stripped).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjmdSvtbsjRXSDJiRCmYfkKEZG2ixdtr00VXhYjjn8ABYMZQlklVT4AFyT_vDiApUTd3Qw1g0T_gjUHXgyGVNRuzVSvhoYjL5b7O9xoBXmhXPxVeT30llUd95Ur3XVT4dAd3CpOU5fNLB/s1600/IMG_1266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjmdSvtbsjRXSDJiRCmYfkKEZG2ixdtr00VXhYjjn8ABYMZQlklVT4AFyT_vDiApUTd3Qw1g0T_gjUHXgyGVNRuzVSvhoYjL5b7O9xoBXmhXPxVeT30llUd95Ur3XVT4dAd3CpOU5fNLB/s640/IMG_1266.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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All the tools for the job. </div>
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Water bottle, paper towels, scrapers, hard bristled brush...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUv1fIrAONr1P7zkb6n1xIYhj696xUReLaXXs9MuJ7pkoQSIw_HogUvvruEfMPWe6ECDe5aXQIlaMnaPGzXL_VoaR-2EUlv589l4K3xrYp0a0WXsYtMAoSKFEq-R8gwXg6ksHyJor3yGT/s1600/IMG_1267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUv1fIrAONr1P7zkb6n1xIYhj696xUReLaXXs9MuJ7pkoQSIw_HogUvvruEfMPWe6ECDe5aXQIlaMnaPGzXL_VoaR-2EUlv589l4K3xrYp0a0WXsYtMAoSKFEq-R8gwXg6ksHyJor3yGT/s640/IMG_1267.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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And it becomes this!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42Xb0COFoh8YQOilb0fADxM0micx8x-Bt8XV4DGlAcgccXA6oRXShBFMD4P_nk1gxG7YrSn5td8ebuZ3iZawBAxscfjkqbGPor4y65GDQB_fcQQsr-VfuGPefz4Y9uh1a4mOG-aTOCjp-/s1600/IMG_1268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42Xb0COFoh8YQOilb0fADxM0micx8x-Bt8XV4DGlAcgccXA6oRXShBFMD4P_nk1gxG7YrSn5td8ebuZ3iZawBAxscfjkqbGPor4y65GDQB_fcQQsr-VfuGPefz4Y9uh1a4mOG-aTOCjp-/s640/IMG_1268.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is that floor mid-process. You can see the damp middle section that has just been scraped and washed. The Dumond laminated paper still covers the section to the left and is about to come up, taking all the mastic, paint and whatever else with it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHIj4fkZ3IsbfmJXkMVLsC0LGvryYo0aGY1cgYMK5WJWjHUezyHqHkIbHhXHXyJoLAzis_2Lf_lYOvXvwuwa9r2Zm5adiqW6rZVWdBUQ9Vahk_13U5v74mdqKrqWcEWhutwlhNX7p8cLy/s1600/IMG_1653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHIj4fkZ3IsbfmJXkMVLsC0LGvryYo0aGY1cgYMK5WJWjHUezyHqHkIbHhXHXyJoLAzis_2Lf_lYOvXvwuwa9r2Zm5adiqW6rZVWdBUQ9Vahk_13U5v74mdqKrqWcEWhutwlhNX7p8cLy/s640/IMG_1653.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The playroom had some different board configurations going on, as though there might have been some patches made over the years? Hard to say.</div>
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Yep, more red walls on the end.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQK5kMdpa5zrC2s75ob0ewKcefXIt4ZAgkDaVLHil_oykr1NTj2RmutD_hrjDjvWoDupdRUXcpbSQcDgP6BAstrqIWMAEO21fFWXJjLzNgc-TUqmQX9Fn0Igw45tT11KKzIMCOrYO5Olz/s1600/IMG_1654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQK5kMdpa5zrC2s75ob0ewKcefXIt4ZAgkDaVLHil_oykr1NTj2RmutD_hrjDjvWoDupdRUXcpbSQcDgP6BAstrqIWMAEO21fFWXJjLzNgc-TUqmQX9Fn0Igw45tT11KKzIMCOrYO5Olz/s640/IMG_1654.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Slightly more panned back. We did leave one shelf above the cork wall, which is handy for holding puzzles and games. I'm not yet sure what the plan is for that wall.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3CMV_YAZ3ZvzucsQiYLtrkOLAg7Q3Z2_1REsZwp55Cyo5u-bQWgOQPxKXO9Dec0hckXFekg2twn72HPWcKVQdoHRmM0lEAvDq5G0G2YJAToRbAvzVsh06kqb1PeOEm9JcShnZHoLn3HO/s1600/IMG_1655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3CMV_YAZ3ZvzucsQiYLtrkOLAg7Q3Z2_1REsZwp55Cyo5u-bQWgOQPxKXO9Dec0hckXFekg2twn72HPWcKVQdoHRmM0lEAvDq5G0G2YJAToRbAvzVsh06kqb1PeOEm9JcShnZHoLn3HO/s640/IMG_1655.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Looking down to the other end...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbft_1zeQOAvvEo__30h16oR8gwAIMvt_GqQb6iTIc_ECHBjYZDl9JlkQaQuBDzVLNs1V5hzW_3PfAuGiPT4yzsqE8Z7RJR-5sMNs4z25peEMTqzR0Br2Nu1bTNYHAUPsE22x_ZCPwAa6V/s1600/IMG_1656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbft_1zeQOAvvEo__30h16oR8gwAIMvt_GqQb6iTIc_ECHBjYZDl9JlkQaQuBDzVLNs1V5hzW_3PfAuGiPT4yzsqE8Z7RJR-5sMNs4z25peEMTqzR0Br2Nu1bTNYHAUPsE22x_ZCPwAa6V/s640/IMG_1656.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I love the slightly curved wall in this room. And this is the doorway to another eaves closet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRKUyFj48Ipxzz5XhbN3rnzwz_lZQRgptKe6xPwnNZ3fYS2Lz243rNSQyw_2SmcAuDOMfCgqYR3l8fdKeDQVZPYtwJloGuyv89si-VosO8VL4oteyKoA-BZeH1-UPRUFeQfjJrSYvsBfF/s1600/IMG_1657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRKUyFj48Ipxzz5XhbN3rnzwz_lZQRgptKe6xPwnNZ3fYS2Lz243rNSQyw_2SmcAuDOMfCgqYR3l8fdKeDQVZPYtwJloGuyv89si-VosO8VL4oteyKoA-BZeH1-UPRUFeQfjJrSYvsBfF/s640/IMG_1657.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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A better look at the wood/cork wall.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tu-mWf8q3Xcx3n7byuZln2HYt1G6pW98ECqmEoyT-8MHVdDDmoSlJF255Fyu_KynLKx_EBQqwEWTswY7hfLa86ISpScQ_ljRh7Ky2mApzvhZDVyYru9wdTBBcUig5lvRmyUcoKB1cRNp/s1600/IMG_1658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tu-mWf8q3Xcx3n7byuZln2HYt1G6pW98ECqmEoyT-8MHVdDDmoSlJF255Fyu_KynLKx_EBQqwEWTswY7hfLa86ISpScQ_ljRh7Ky2mApzvhZDVyYru9wdTBBcUig5lvRmyUcoKB1cRNp/s640/IMG_1658.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The tiny hallway...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50zcM1JpecGhaztHESkIKV41kvMf3Ic3wjhD4sAs0n0eLS8qlN9DOwB5AhDdyPaOrGT3Xj9PVESXvpVGsriNCtzBjpcatvc-0HjxIk_ifIqYlPLHPqqrh6D2S0XvfsM_mUc0UiEZI96Da/s1600/IMG_1659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50zcM1JpecGhaztHESkIKV41kvMf3Ic3wjhD4sAs0n0eLS8qlN9DOwB5AhDdyPaOrGT3Xj9PVESXvpVGsriNCtzBjpcatvc-0HjxIk_ifIqYlPLHPqqrh6D2S0XvfsM_mUc0UiEZI96Da/s640/IMG_1659.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Wyeth felt he needed to add some spacial perspective to this shot. You can also see the original gas line on the wall beside him.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBCv_RmQVWVgFX6JauT3qk1V6pagRRQ45a8E2diVtfsq7z4MhI1DmzD82IuH0MgRjEj00Qsp57KbIr_Y8F9S66x8hrMhXYFVGE7hhNN8YoSWz1wPgkffCw1T3rQ5bwGSSim_w2OVSVMlU/s1600/IMG_1660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBCv_RmQVWVgFX6JauT3qk1V6pagRRQ45a8E2diVtfsq7z4MhI1DmzD82IuH0MgRjEj00Qsp57KbIr_Y8F9S66x8hrMhXYFVGE7hhNN8YoSWz1wPgkffCw1T3rQ5bwGSSim_w2OVSVMlU/s640/IMG_1660.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Which all brings us to today.</div>
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The floor (except the bathroom) has all been stripped and is free of residue, mastic, lead paint, etc.</div>
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It's rough and splintery in certain parts, and so we rented this buffer from Clark-Devon Hardware, our favorite hardware store, for a whopping $26 and Kyle lightly sanded the whole floor. We had planned to rent a drum sander, but when Kyle talked with the people and explained what we were doing, they said we didn't need to totally sand - just buff out the rough spots. So we attached sandpaper to the bottom and Kyle wrangled it around the floor. The purpose was to clear out big splinters and prepare it for the next step of painting.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilr2Pt7cnVnqIMMf37USHQa4m7mA65L-QdlfDG1cWCcx_WhzYqsYpvG5ehC36Z8NlzrhXAEqL6nhmYeji7F4O7IZgrbazJmX11-beAiIXyJr6AZgoX_5G8dgCeb9em4kLrSjb4KOxQJEQ/s1600/IMG_1661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilr2Pt7cnVnqIMMf37USHQa4m7mA65L-QdlfDG1cWCcx_WhzYqsYpvG5ehC36Z8NlzrhXAEqL6nhmYeji7F4O7IZgrbazJmX11-beAiIXyJr6AZgoX_5G8dgCeb9em4kLrSjb4KOxQJEQ/s640/IMG_1661.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I realize we still have a ton left to do, but we have also done so much!</div>
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It is slowly taking shape into the vision I see in my mind.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Dv_JVY0x2s5hMNFfr4_9qAPLzCMy-fH76WZLMa_Ea72YYe6tmYDVPpomAg5niVUvnMW717o5k4emrnfHZmkQNSjN2LuWLbpiZxSXt_jiubz1PALkKG_UEdhXBWZ6z1GANaVpbnnhdYCL/s1600/IMG_1664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Dv_JVY0x2s5hMNFfr4_9qAPLzCMy-fH76WZLMa_Ea72YYe6tmYDVPpomAg5niVUvnMW717o5k4emrnfHZmkQNSjN2LuWLbpiZxSXt_jiubz1PALkKG_UEdhXBWZ6z1GANaVpbnnhdYCL/s640/IMG_1664.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The cracks in the plaster will be able to be repaired once we have a new roof put on which probably won't be until next spring? Depends on the availability of funds.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24K__r-rUpXAoRaMr1vJPOONbxGB1iqWbjr2FrpzcvL1EMujaVbA5223JK6YhI0mDRY-tpQM-tTwc-tV1ZOQMjCS7iolsQ_SUqe7W9n1G3zVtsctIEOTzDmNYuOEMe9G6tUjtnEtmagv_/s1600/IMG_1665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24K__r-rUpXAoRaMr1vJPOONbxGB1iqWbjr2FrpzcvL1EMujaVbA5223JK6YhI0mDRY-tpQM-tTwc-tV1ZOQMjCS7iolsQ_SUqe7W9n1G3zVtsctIEOTzDmNYuOEMe9G6tUjtnEtmagv_/s640/IMG_1665.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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No, those baseboards won't stay baby blue.</div>
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Another reason I don't want to stain the flooring is because no matter how well we strip the floors, there is variation in the color, and I just really want these floors to be white. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmHrySQ_YQWM-FbvKc4mjsjUX-2kl2yMrsVk_CevrHJySluUjZvmLo3y3MgGr95Tu6EmscPnj8G26mrv47wZovexpD5cqnZvivEGx19WIuO0uuGAYbTDMoUUD6LukNzFCWHJ90NGp-IeE/s1600/IMG_1667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmHrySQ_YQWM-FbvKc4mjsjUX-2kl2yMrsVk_CevrHJySluUjZvmLo3y3MgGr95Tu6EmscPnj8G26mrv47wZovexpD5cqnZvivEGx19WIuO0uuGAYbTDMoUUD6LukNzFCWHJ90NGp-IeE/s640/IMG_1667.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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So, that concludes our tour of the third floor. You've seen what we started with: vomit colored carpet in three different hues, wildly varied wallpaper on four different areas, brown and red linoleum underneath the carpet, lead paint underneath the linoleum, really rough flooring and copious amounts of red paint.</div>
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We're far from finished, but we are getting much much closer. </div>
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Thanks for sticking with me...I'll keep you posted as things progress!</div>
Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-74154292468982503862017-06-09T05:59:00.001-07:002017-06-09T06:07:47.859-07:00So Much<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9lQx2Ul7YB2ceglmOSbymDl11H40-LcfT_rPVBWkrvCy3yxD_OtpiCxLhP8i4ewvOuz4egFFEfjTkpKOyQyT8uA287W_oqbxkcBf1asUNwUwlcrJHj6_bgBOp2tKLOM-fsbnx5b850E/s1600/AugustCello.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9lQx2Ul7YB2ceglmOSbymDl11H40-LcfT_rPVBWkrvCy3yxD_OtpiCxLhP8i4ewvOuz4egFFEfjTkpKOyQyT8uA287W_oqbxkcBf1asUNwUwlcrJHj6_bgBOp2tKLOM-fsbnx5b850E/s640/AugustCello.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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It's been a month since my last post. I find myself getting aggravated at myself because every day so many things happen, and I think, oh yes, this would be great to blog about - it's such a fun part of our lives! Or just a normal part of our lives. Or a frustrating part of our lives. Or even stuff that I'm not yet ready to blog about because I'm not sure how to even write about it. I just think it so often and then find that the time I set aside to write it up disappears. </div>
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You know the saying, "Life is what happens while you're busy doing other things." Well,</div>
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I'm trying to focus entirely on life, rather than keeping busy with "other things." And occasionally, unfortunately, blogging is another thing. So I'm happy to catch up at all, particularly with this random smattering of photos that could all have their own blog post and hopefully, many will.</div>
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But for now, there's just so much. And only so much time. </div>
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So here is a little bit of our much for you to share with me.</div>
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For starters, yes, my son August has begun taking cello lessons! It's been a long time coming for this persistent lad. He chose the cello as his instrument around age 4 and never wavered. For various reasons, we held off finding a cello instructor until we moved here. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhyphenhyphenNUCDY69L94QHFrLdXFieRLnl4jUccZKHFFqAsBE6bOyAzEvsR9z1mOCbtCzExeTNN9Bk8oMpzK816BeqGJjz4qZMojjt2KA7SRbuRuau-TNEBUYKbZzYGEzYg5PK4r4ryLADXyqKI/s1600/IMG_0984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhyphenhyphenNUCDY69L94QHFrLdXFieRLnl4jUccZKHFFqAsBE6bOyAzEvsR9z1mOCbtCzExeTNN9Bk8oMpzK816BeqGJjz4qZMojjt2KA7SRbuRuau-TNEBUYKbZzYGEzYg5PK4r4ryLADXyqKI/s640/IMG_0984.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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God has been so good to us, bringing us Joseph, who was recommended by a friend. He's a young, extremely EXTREMELY talented musician who not only gives August cello lessons, but also piano lessons for Brooklyn! He is amazing. And he comes to my house! And he's ridiculously reasonably priced. And he's a fellow Christ-follower! So many "Ands" but all just above and beyond my expectations, that I have to keep adding. </div>
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Suffice it to say, August is moving along at what appears to be a remarkably fast pace. Jo said he doesn't like to give expectations or "norms" but he chuckled and said August was..."very smart." August is in love with the cello, and I am not a little jealous that he's learning an instrument I myself have always wanted to play. </div>
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Another cool thing about his and Brooklyn's playing is that Jo is teaching them to play together. Which means Brooklyn accompanies August. It's wonderful to hear them working together, challenging each other...I have videos of them playing that I'll post later. They are both making great progress!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9AnnqiJbrmNaOlJmK8ZQv8XZnHK-GRhlyuUmjqEf7Pfhvh4d_n7LpP_njf97yZB0cpKwmbt15zW3vMF-kokqEJZXGDzwVYYpxy8LwWSQnKGL9YVifBqW2MeVOO7-vSPAgEKjDq_18Bg/s1600/IMG_0930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9AnnqiJbrmNaOlJmK8ZQv8XZnHK-GRhlyuUmjqEf7Pfhvh4d_n7LpP_njf97yZB0cpKwmbt15zW3vMF-kokqEJZXGDzwVYYpxy8LwWSQnKGL9YVifBqW2MeVOO7-vSPAgEKjDq_18Bg/s640/IMG_0930.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our every day frequently includes spontaneous creativity by some or all of the kids. </div>
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Dorien has begun to demonstrate his pretty incredible imagination, particularly when it comes to making pictures with our wooden letter pieces (they came with our Handwriting Without Tears program). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyt_65ud7Y5mmi_mPSbucL_FvsR4JT0099gnU_uL6ZxaoCKCgT-r8t7tNE0vc1I4fUG3_2Jj_gVZpl9_WvYAXl3UYPbROAq9Gkw0AgM4zNWcJ5ySc562Jx9WzXF6t_jZtkbYkaRJ6viGo/s1600/IMG_1125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyt_65ud7Y5mmi_mPSbucL_FvsR4JT0099gnU_uL6ZxaoCKCgT-r8t7tNE0vc1I4fUG3_2Jj_gVZpl9_WvYAXl3UYPbROAq9Gkw0AgM4zNWcJ5ySc562Jx9WzXF6t_jZtkbYkaRJ6viGo/s640/IMG_1125.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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This little man was made by August who has always been creative...when we set Creativity as a family value, our kids took it seriously. They are gifted.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUPR3GaCBYOG_mWRQK-zL4dDJ9NFad0JHIULRU9nTDwBDzmYhS9UkhB5Hu6CLTmK0CXpVt7bYv_o0UNpjukXQJ-zNMxjHRIKl7MnLu65HUJVUVXBHt2B-GEoTXoXRFwyV052fDHndJAM/s1600/IMG_1127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUPR3GaCBYOG_mWRQK-zL4dDJ9NFad0JHIULRU9nTDwBDzmYhS9UkhB5Hu6CLTmK0CXpVt7bYv_o0UNpjukXQJ-zNMxjHRIKl7MnLu65HUJVUVXBHt2B-GEoTXoXRFwyV052fDHndJAM/s640/IMG_1127.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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This was Dorien's "Duck Man".</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfp8Q18KpNSymtAviMQ0LiGPazst2MgXwq76QDDS2oZAZCiw_QpYALRK7-9Ot9ItSnLIoVJ6ImMwcHkPPGwY_zvMIaUc9tIvjm3zzmxlIulXQlkq5jEsvSoOmg4lMdHJS2R-RdpFemnyE/s1600/IMG_1084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfp8Q18KpNSymtAviMQ0LiGPazst2MgXwq76QDDS2oZAZCiw_QpYALRK7-9Ot9ItSnLIoVJ6ImMwcHkPPGwY_zvMIaUc9tIvjm3zzmxlIulXQlkq5jEsvSoOmg4lMdHJS2R-RdpFemnyE/s640/IMG_1084.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We have neighbors with whom we have a standing Sunday play-date from 1:30 to 3:30 and we alternate houses each week. This family has three kids (ages 9, 6, 4) and for the most part, they get along really well. Or, I should say, like kids. Brooklyn and Keira lounged in the park on a particularly lovely Sunday afternoon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebj-l5oJ3P7tBxPZGS5DJ9b_QEEIZsnf6BJF25baAYWD8diVqaGAjMZDYfKvfxy1TbF2tU0xbNrhfdA9JKT042MBHufywwQWTcs39n7MCnjcHczDbJhRgBWXVP7oKg5JyrEinrAK94Xg/s1600/IMG_0989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebj-l5oJ3P7tBxPZGS5DJ9b_QEEIZsnf6BJF25baAYWD8diVqaGAjMZDYfKvfxy1TbF2tU0xbNrhfdA9JKT042MBHufywwQWTcs39n7MCnjcHczDbJhRgBWXVP7oKg5JyrEinrAK94Xg/s640/IMG_0989.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was finally able to get my crew to do some antique/flea market shopping several weekends ago. Turns out, there is a wealth of stuff out there, much of which I would love to snatch up if it weren't priced pretty "out there." At this one place, we paused to tie a shoe or something and Brooklyn just happened to glance up into a glass case and saw some jewelry for sale which was made and designed by Richard Bitterman, the former owner of our HOUSE! It was bizarre! Not just the jewelry....but bumping into his work so randomly. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoM8lUo-Ncfx_3E26U58jzgbv_Prwl44SH6FKp_zqH6zLbrhg6_GkYHtXb7MipdpCRQP_cQZ2ed_W9qkM5VlMWUKagh3MqUz48CDMoeZCQRB12FZy5AKtOj5hqbq2teGmxH_Z8Pai6ZA/s1600/IMG_0991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoM8lUo-Ncfx_3E26U58jzgbv_Prwl44SH6FKp_zqH6zLbrhg6_GkYHtXb7MipdpCRQP_cQZ2ed_W9qkM5VlMWUKagh3MqUz48CDMoeZCQRB12FZy5AKtOj5hqbq2teGmxH_Z8Pai6ZA/s640/IMG_0991.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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After wearing the family out on my prowl for the perfect vintage thingamabob (I really did have a list of items I was looking for), we treated the kids to delicious treats at Lickety Split.</div>
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Meanwhile, Wilder and I do laundry (a lot of laundry) in our basement where he hangs out in a laundry bucket. Occasionally, we refer to the bucket as his Happy Bucket, when he is content to gnaw on a toy while sitting there. Most recently, he ends up tipping over which does not make him Happy. </div>
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As you can see behind Wilder, our basement was a holding place for the gazillion boxes used for our move. We've sold a bunch on Craigslist, but even with what remained, I got fed up with the chaos and organized it all into a tidy pile of nested boxes. Sigh. </div>
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About a month ago, our little man Dorien learned how to ride his bike without training wheels! Big moment! A few moments later, he crashed and somehow incurred a green stick fracture in his ulna. He has been wearing a cast ever since. He gets it off in about 2 weeks. He's handled it like a champ, with only the occasional complaining when he has itches that he can't access. Poor kid. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8F8yi0or0T6nPi5MI-4EB_LIK03Ny6PCihDYTSjiWYXGMqRNseOmbvY2Fl57GvDGHumuK62HKG3QtlM9YUwyFvk0tUvwU57xG4GPo8qrVwG4s8WBX5GCsDkadM5IZEHlHqUqlt9WHP0/s1600/IMG_1032+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8F8yi0or0T6nPi5MI-4EB_LIK03Ny6PCihDYTSjiWYXGMqRNseOmbvY2Fl57GvDGHumuK62HKG3QtlM9YUwyFvk0tUvwU57xG4GPo8qrVwG4s8WBX5GCsDkadM5IZEHlHqUqlt9WHP0/s640/IMG_1032+%25286%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Dorien sits by Wilder at the table, and Wilder thinks its great fun to manipulate D's face. D, sweetie that he is, seldom stops him. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzpjQK5WHZa5EXQAGwUnW3Dnib1WuzfWUTkym-WcYL_1qrLFS5y-zI0NQwJr6snhKPjoL1p73nGocJU90IwTXqi3EBsr83te-b4tljOAbzksUzGLBuBweERnZhCTfkGCnXWJDZnK1o-g/s1600/IMG_1038+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzpjQK5WHZa5EXQAGwUnW3Dnib1WuzfWUTkym-WcYL_1qrLFS5y-zI0NQwJr6snhKPjoL1p73nGocJU90IwTXqi3EBsr83te-b4tljOAbzksUzGLBuBweERnZhCTfkGCnXWJDZnK1o-g/s640/IMG_1038+%25282%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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As you might imagine, there are oodles of meals being cooked, and plenty of baby wrangling while that's happening. (How about that fabulous mustard yellow range, huh?? It's a legitimate vintage Roper stove and it works perfectly, even the bottom left spot which is the "intelligent zone". I had to have a neighbor educate me on this particular feature: there is a pop-up button which apparently registers the temperature of a pot sitting on it and is able to adjust the fire level to maintain a certain temperature, as indicated by a knob, of whatever is resting on it. It's supposedly handy for making candy.) </div>
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Anyway, we spend a lot of time in our kitchen. It's not a glamorous space, or even a space that makes me happy aesthetically, but it will once some key changes are made. It does make me happy because in some strange way, it's cozy. I'm lucky to have a husband who enjoys multi-tasking with a baby. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyZPe0GZzUwQB9RVgDhFM8pSw4kLamIy1JvVOsrPqge_dur7IWrzPE3JCJMueC1JwIoFRWa3IrI_MieX4Cxb-h0JScttabL-lQ-_D6baZ-8h2axVGf5rNKWNTmkpE90YtWoso8Ab-mh4/s1600/IMG_1038+%25288%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyZPe0GZzUwQB9RVgDhFM8pSw4kLamIy1JvVOsrPqge_dur7IWrzPE3JCJMueC1JwIoFRWa3IrI_MieX4Cxb-h0JScttabL-lQ-_D6baZ-8h2axVGf5rNKWNTmkpE90YtWoso8Ab-mh4/s640/IMG_1038+%25288%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Speaking of husbands, here he is! Cycling to work downtown and loving every minute of it! </div>
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It's 12 miles to his office from our house, and a pretty good workout to and from work. </div>
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It's handy he can get all that cycling in, because the two of us signed up to do the Chicago Triathlon on August 27th!!! Gotta get training! We signed up for the Olympic/International Distance, which will be the second one of that distance we've done. </div>
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I managed to convince two of my neighbors to sign up also, and it's the first triathlon for each of them! I've been running/riding a few mornings a week with my friend Susan and this morning, (at 5:30am) all three of us met to run. It's amazing how the miles fly by when you're chatting with friends. And when your view as you run is Lake Michigan. I do love that.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtk1ZhIWWvIGUUrLCkA-mEDxccmf0TdeTW0bp4G9czIQw0xjdLQBDES3RL7UTF3gAWGUOZJQXfW1v2jDx-S22KGsmh19wG0_Cn3HDurBKxaZ5ZExRPE4hyOWb_7L93nh1SiK2LlI7bDr4/s1600/IMG_1044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtk1ZhIWWvIGUUrLCkA-mEDxccmf0TdeTW0bp4G9czIQw0xjdLQBDES3RL7UTF3gAWGUOZJQXfW1v2jDx-S22KGsmh19wG0_Cn3HDurBKxaZ5ZExRPE4hyOWb_7L93nh1SiK2LlI7bDr4/s640/IMG_1044.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Naps. Naps are always good. No matter where you need to snatch them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrH7DWQfwFei1bmDXvEMm-PA_gbOHHF-nIxrE3AzfvZv3EaitYZL5Ws_auxVtAJoTIXXVNrSmeGl_anc0kfBnR_xD5cl3uVePqYU0a7RJ0MU-fNZ-WbdN-Vf4fGTkCTcQBMs8w1GIgmVA/s1600/IMG_1047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrH7DWQfwFei1bmDXvEMm-PA_gbOHHF-nIxrE3AzfvZv3EaitYZL5Ws_auxVtAJoTIXXVNrSmeGl_anc0kfBnR_xD5cl3uVePqYU0a7RJ0MU-fNZ-WbdN-Vf4fGTkCTcQBMs8w1GIgmVA/s640/IMG_1047.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I'm more puzzled by August's choice of nap spot. But he always has sort of slept in weird places (under entire piles of laundry, for example...).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifftCa4M-gHYsq11kDjIighscezt64E-90c4jhcoBPBgbNbqLaXz7SsNvPSnkBsZiqn5Rn9tG-zgYk-vYj_I1VInzYAD3T8i7CuU3ciVOoUFFGZ8U6PPnwWIIeQTh1Z8kbJPbf8Q-1p9w/s1600/IMG_1049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifftCa4M-gHYsq11kDjIighscezt64E-90c4jhcoBPBgbNbqLaXz7SsNvPSnkBsZiqn5Rn9tG-zgYk-vYj_I1VInzYAD3T8i7CuU3ciVOoUFFGZ8U6PPnwWIIeQTh1Z8kbJPbf8Q-1p9w/s640/IMG_1049.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Speaking of August, he found himself the napping spot of our cat, Aesop! </div>
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Since moving here, Aesop has become an all inside, all the time, cat. Surprisingly, he seems to love it. He does like to watch the activity outside the windows, but he really hasn't attempted to escape, and he's become insanely affectionate. Down-right un-catlike. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwnm4yQ7qtLWA4gx9wIjpZJsanPDqHSnFglUlSUSLIv3E9SKxPb4R_3jMz3Ka7CDWEbP2_oIj42yyvOWdJ0KWDpTIWsRPcsOvktshgq1T9A7lEJ7UvHZtrkCC4O0p6hEhxxs7vJ0u5U8/s1600/IMG_1058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwnm4yQ7qtLWA4gx9wIjpZJsanPDqHSnFglUlSUSLIv3E9SKxPb4R_3jMz3Ka7CDWEbP2_oIj42yyvOWdJ0KWDpTIWsRPcsOvktshgq1T9A7lEJ7UvHZtrkCC4O0p6hEhxxs7vJ0u5U8/s640/IMG_1058.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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There have been hair cuts. I have become the official stylist of our family, which is hilarious.</div>
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But it's kind of fun. It's not too far a stretch from when I used to regularly groom Golden Retrievers for dog shows....right? </div>
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Dorien seems pleased enough. Here is a kid who looks fabulous with a closely shorn head.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQHLPQE2l8brGW9PqU1sZtkQzEWUI_LNDfNXLSTFEKSzpqWaTo_5F19YoMcIck61FyiQVJNpKNCEMXRtIAdkeSRNfxYYK_sxNRuX71CWQk5W3p3oYA-_8UiMIMnKqtDSawMSHcHpYQ1lo/s1600/IMG_1067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQHLPQE2l8brGW9PqU1sZtkQzEWUI_LNDfNXLSTFEKSzpqWaTo_5F19YoMcIck61FyiQVJNpKNCEMXRtIAdkeSRNfxYYK_sxNRuX71CWQk5W3p3oYA-_8UiMIMnKqtDSawMSHcHpYQ1lo/s640/IMG_1067.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I even cut Brooklyn's hair! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxlnBV-xyoGLtUKZrfoj0SbibQQ3GyL6Ahh8bJpS_97uOmnLAyRrSpALPMguIydm3aQZaFfEb5yl4Q2jcPjbhPc78hQq_-kmKqQ04frYp4nQJ7igXCH2ViZ8cGCJSx-HcGCH9q4qOeT4/s1600/IMG_1068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxlnBV-xyoGLtUKZrfoj0SbibQQ3GyL6Ahh8bJpS_97uOmnLAyRrSpALPMguIydm3aQZaFfEb5yl4Q2jcPjbhPc78hQq_-kmKqQ04frYp4nQJ7igXCH2ViZ8cGCJSx-HcGCH9q4qOeT4/s640/IMG_1068.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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It's always a little scary, but I really have so much fun doing it, too. </div>
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We keep getting shorter and shorter and it keeps looking so cute on her!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIB1rZoqPTCKYcEkaGKUJqJhbXRvpEUsDE178xiEurKBTq0pUH_GpXMw0cAmhqOHCB67jG6oLR7WRBmB-EJm9Ex9tOUQnkcsc6JOUKRk6G1d9VKoqjnXu9SrOL0KOEott5arp8gFpNxuo/s1600/IMG_1070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIB1rZoqPTCKYcEkaGKUJqJhbXRvpEUsDE178xiEurKBTq0pUH_GpXMw0cAmhqOHCB67jG6oLR7WRBmB-EJm9Ex9tOUQnkcsc6JOUKRk6G1d9VKoqjnXu9SrOL0KOEott5arp8gFpNxuo/s640/IMG_1070.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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She's such a lovely young lady. </div>
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Truly beautiful, inside and out. Can't say that enough.</div>
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So back on Earth Day, our Alderman's office hosted a neighborhood clean up, which we signed up for! Litter drives us crazy, so it was actually incredibly enjoyable to address the issue! </div>
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We teamed up with some friends of ours, met new friends and spent a morning cleaning things up!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8ZvRq6qwv15yzIhQ7Pj3efC2u-D6k9_21JLdHTf1JY9wShc9IU8FW48wdUvLN0anDgL4yuoTnJANz8MbBfyl4Na4iCa1Jg5y6GStc_ffkvkDkJi4NShum4tW_Win0LuKCxMZ-gHEZ98/s1600/IMG_1065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8ZvRq6qwv15yzIhQ7Pj3efC2u-D6k9_21JLdHTf1JY9wShc9IU8FW48wdUvLN0anDgL4yuoTnJANz8MbBfyl4Na4iCa1Jg5y6GStc_ffkvkDkJi4NShum4tW_Win0LuKCxMZ-gHEZ98/s640/IMG_1065.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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In Rogers Park, all the underpasses (or whatever they're called) are painted with murals.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVCBQMTSYejDRTSYRXXUr0nFGxqoFrnjN7EOxQG0piZVr5_b-Nm7t8JiB-7wBq-Kv6opcw-owo9duOAdQnU_JVRCt0Bsd3dUJhiTthbZqcrW2IZk2kyeMnGOz97hnr9msz1jxMvxnVAY/s1600/IMG_1072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVCBQMTSYejDRTSYRXXUr0nFGxqoFrnjN7EOxQG0piZVr5_b-Nm7t8JiB-7wBq-Kv6opcw-owo9duOAdQnU_JVRCt0Bsd3dUJhiTthbZqcrW2IZk2kyeMnGOz97hnr9msz1jxMvxnVAY/s640/IMG_1072.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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We also bought some patio furniture on Craigslist, along with an iron daybed. So much stuff, in fact, that we had to rent a U-Haul to drive out to the suburbs to pick it all up! </div>
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The kids, plus our neighbors, Hazel and Olive, thought the U-Haul was the best thing ever.</div>
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(It's funny to me that everyone here clearly distinguishes between City and Suburbs. Ask someone what they did over the weekend and they'll say, Oh, we visited family in the suburbs...It's definitely a City/Suburb mentality.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKaJRuvrphPMuWmNgUVXbSw31OkFPvvxIpIgUE-FMPeaHM7G2ng97DrJ8d3ZvIVLM_rAca7P_sTz2fUSKfuOvhz1l6W3y4KBH2uWPxjcKFTJ7yrG8lsSAul4i9LPva9kDEGn-qcDQOA80/s1600/IMG_1073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKaJRuvrphPMuWmNgUVXbSw31OkFPvvxIpIgUE-FMPeaHM7G2ng97DrJ8d3ZvIVLM_rAca7P_sTz2fUSKfuOvhz1l6W3y4KBH2uWPxjcKFTJ7yrG8lsSAul4i9LPva9kDEGn-qcDQOA80/s640/IMG_1073.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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So I bought wicker pieces for our second floor screened-in porch, but the people were also getting rid of ALL their existing porch stuff, so they threw in 4 chairs, several candles, all the pillows, a side table and a rug. It wasn't necessarily something I would have purchased, but it serves a purpose, gives me some stuff to put on my enormous outdoor porch for the time being, some places for neighbors to come sit and chat, and for that, I'm extremely grateful.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaHhTM75QRHGAjicTdViTYHH0Q8wa8jGUOJTR7vs5hpxUy32sSHCbpvZ6zEyLXLGGElPh7nSTYEUKbzgiSEb7xtZJC7vAKO7-FBsdGjK0XhxWLsfuh6WKDlMBh07fYHWYI4AMvUfIL84/s1600/IMG_1078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaHhTM75QRHGAjicTdViTYHH0Q8wa8jGUOJTR7vs5hpxUy32sSHCbpvZ6zEyLXLGGElPh7nSTYEUKbzgiSEb7xtZJC7vAKO7-FBsdGjK0XhxWLsfuh6WKDlMBh07fYHWYI4AMvUfIL84/s640/IMG_1078.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is what I actually purchased - love seat, two chairs, a coffee table, ottoman and another side table. I intend to get new pillows, but I love the wicker pieces. They make me feel like we're at our beach home in Captiva (not that we own a beach house, we just keep going back to the same one).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfKGD4cVbdlK5s62bNAVQYsz5jEjLSwv4VBvA64vJwmwjLDXDLMmPEyPEdYTFp37LDF2ipmyp45-DMnMwNv7Dsn9ynUKO29ZGxmz3VF4cpd5uVhGtQTCftTg5SQJGAcVtLFF0Y-ATUXc/s1600/IMG_1079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfKGD4cVbdlK5s62bNAVQYsz5jEjLSwv4VBvA64vJwmwjLDXDLMmPEyPEdYTFp37LDF2ipmyp45-DMnMwNv7Dsn9ynUKO29ZGxmz3VF4cpd5uVhGtQTCftTg5SQJGAcVtLFF0Y-ATUXc/s640/IMG_1079.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I had the black chairs already, but the little side table (plus candle) is new. I intend to get a big rug to cover the space and get rid of the wall to wall astro-turf which is beyond disgusting.</div>
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And I've strung some fairy lights up, making it pretty much the best room in our house on nice evenings.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnekMLVsMGZ_peH4qymgXRfP_ltxLfjZsaDLjuiD_svbrmaaGkGToLQ2tfugkvE5BZ9w1Sreo8V_w7sz1Oxq2h9P-mjezZsfsXwOXr7yu5pks-ezwhEOeQCtYYuB-U4XLGDUuIF_Q76wk/s1600/IMG_1137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnekMLVsMGZ_peH4qymgXRfP_ltxLfjZsaDLjuiD_svbrmaaGkGToLQ2tfugkvE5BZ9w1Sreo8V_w7sz1Oxq2h9P-mjezZsfsXwOXr7yu5pks-ezwhEOeQCtYYuB-U4XLGDUuIF_Q76wk/s640/IMG_1137.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Believe it or not, now that Brooklyn is 11, Kyle and I occasionally sneak out of the house (with Wilder) for a quick trip to the grocery store. We leave one of our phones with her, and Kyle sends her pictures like these to mess with her. Then he's shocked when she immediately responds with her own pictures and emojis. Love that girl.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccnLbqWhUrTmlBHciyE_nDYoBPk4bAPqES3QJy8UCWwvlDDm0XVADbDjUPFA1e07veZNA9_D-TB0YvdAA9J4L-3kpKdrenwmMCkEvAJe1dqmuO6jNllbGZStsSf5fPjKXuxqUES0SH6k/s1600/IMG_1138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccnLbqWhUrTmlBHciyE_nDYoBPk4bAPqES3QJy8UCWwvlDDm0XVADbDjUPFA1e07veZNA9_D-TB0YvdAA9J4L-3kpKdrenwmMCkEvAJe1dqmuO6jNllbGZStsSf5fPjKXuxqUES0SH6k/s640/IMG_1138.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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We're watching...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUAUuobf2sLH4kgUt_xUzILXY4OVkhFSYj9JxJTEwcNlP2EsascPwaNcMLgLySZiKawXddr63vFcSQ3z9fpLZ7PG-jMJy5SaPX2pC-8I_qyR5W3pDGvfB1yXZz0uF2pH-755ByeM59BQ/s1600/IMG_1139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUAUuobf2sLH4kgUt_xUzILXY4OVkhFSYj9JxJTEwcNlP2EsascPwaNcMLgLySZiKawXddr63vFcSQ3z9fpLZ7PG-jMJy5SaPX2pC-8I_qyR5W3pDGvfB1yXZz0uF2pH-755ByeM59BQ/s640/IMG_1139.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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We have a friend named Linda who rents a parking space from us under our carport. She's occasionally comes over on Friday afternoons and hangs out. She used to be in beauty product sales and she has an amazing array of beauty tips/tricks/tools in her arsenal. She has most recently started doing her nails in this amazing swirly design which she offered to do on Brooklyn's nails. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfCE_PzTOgveTvLinecYrWChiioIjhREXhtaXsm5vknmMSeUVQPPmjtqnA03-2PdTqVrqMbqx9hdfki7W9vDOnM72CXXbZzQPtVsimpXvyz-j79I6ztvbgvVtpwtF21JjIF2vIgRjnT8/s1600/IMG_1149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfCE_PzTOgveTvLinecYrWChiioIjhREXhtaXsm5vknmMSeUVQPPmjtqnA03-2PdTqVrqMbqx9hdfki7W9vDOnM72CXXbZzQPtVsimpXvyz-j79I6ztvbgvVtpwtF21JjIF2vIgRjnT8/s640/IMG_1149.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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These were Linda's nails. Turns out, this is a VERY labor intensive process that took hours. It involved wrapping Brooklyn's fingers in tape, painting them with Latex, dripping fingernail polish into a bowl of water in ever expanding concentric circles, then drawing designs into it with a toothpick before carefully dipping your fingernail into it. Let's just say that it is way more intensive than anyone in this family will ever be attempting on our own. The results were impressive, and thanks to Linda's knowledge (and supply) of base and top coats, it lasted on B's hands for weeks...but man...I was worn out just watching.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFGemNwpBfjcX-pUxtCkusEshEbXCw06ngSykGhBZ9J34NZwjpJp0fy3kIC_4ZWpCXHo4UP_STQwt-KREXzdUmmlDrc3yuCtcMXVAN2dxxYmI7WKiCJ9AW7gl7PP-Eudmp6SP8iw8XN0/s1600/IMG_1152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFGemNwpBfjcX-pUxtCkusEshEbXCw06ngSykGhBZ9J34NZwjpJp0fy3kIC_4ZWpCXHo4UP_STQwt-KREXzdUmmlDrc3yuCtcMXVAN2dxxYmI7WKiCJ9AW7gl7PP-Eudmp6SP8iw8XN0/s640/IMG_1152.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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August and I entertained ourselves by arranging Linda's many fingernail polishes in color patterns.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nuMVRNz0HZzrJ9l12PyVshnyjP9W6p6HQUVIbGft7RW09kGyXL6Ptog9Ad9sbPVDQZix8Adzxmkr3_QXmDK9W7EUudddXss8Y9MtCtIFUd2txNvpZPv4-6Crnc2lYvdmGLNGuE_H6xM/s1600/IMG_1161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nuMVRNz0HZzrJ9l12PyVshnyjP9W6p6HQUVIbGft7RW09kGyXL6Ptog9Ad9sbPVDQZix8Adzxmkr3_QXmDK9W7EUudddXss8Y9MtCtIFUd2txNvpZPv4-6Crnc2lYvdmGLNGuE_H6xM/s640/IMG_1161.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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In other adventures, I went square dancing with some new girlfriends!!! </div>
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A shockingly good time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3bFRrN-3zUsdV4NTzx2i5EGyeeeqnVJei_GGzawsFsvROY81n-cEmU6CyhB3r3QXOl0dnb398lx0PznEiQpXl2-p6WdStn5QmCFJ1d9FgeUJMUgp5YQWKy1ie1AHycULcw-iYElFJHE8/s1600/IMG_1167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3bFRrN-3zUsdV4NTzx2i5EGyeeeqnVJei_GGzawsFsvROY81n-cEmU6CyhB3r3QXOl0dnb398lx0PznEiQpXl2-p6WdStn5QmCFJ1d9FgeUJMUgp5YQWKy1ie1AHycULcw-iYElFJHE8/s640/IMG_1167.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's a glimpse of what's been happening on the house renovation end. Or it might be more accurate to say continuum. This is one of the rooms in our third floor (formerly servants' quarters). There are three rooms and a full bathroom up here. What you see is the original floor planks that the house was built with. There are 16ft planks on that floor. It's unbelievable. The original wood was painted a light grey, and at some point covered with linoleum and then later carpeted over that. We have removed those layers and used Peel Away 1 to remove the remaining mastic stuck to the floors as well as the lead-based paint! We intend to smooth it out and paint the floors.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP8rmCUpEwtss1P9rzPoNeUuenpQjwtOC5GBMydwY1nWE7kvPBccncLnTBMjAuGDs1LzxUSzOaQt9MGLu6dKAE8gVQGSd_zYAzYsbAk-QWFaXy9tBBYo2TDXxxW3QkZZO7JL3NYs6RiI/s1600/LSUX8459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP8rmCUpEwtss1P9rzPoNeUuenpQjwtOC5GBMydwY1nWE7kvPBccncLnTBMjAuGDs1LzxUSzOaQt9MGLu6dKAE8gVQGSd_zYAzYsbAk-QWFaXy9tBBYo2TDXxxW3QkZZO7JL3NYs6RiI/s640/LSUX8459.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And brotherly love is always a good note to end on.</div>
Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-78143525283168995302017-05-05T06:30:00.000-07:002017-05-05T06:30:23.161-07:00A Neighborhood Progressive Dinner <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-Gnqh5rnMnV9qTuKDbcFD-bdNW-aKB31BoMXnws4beK6M6PE10838KnApF6llNtJSWaxNEdPLCngO2nRAwmnQ9LcSadQKY66kNp06Mzemf0CWd3S8rYvpGwm026rqpIVhZd61uHc_PY/s1600/IMG_1004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-Gnqh5rnMnV9qTuKDbcFD-bdNW-aKB31BoMXnws4beK6M6PE10838KnApF6llNtJSWaxNEdPLCngO2nRAwmnQ9LcSadQKY66kNp06Mzemf0CWd3S8rYvpGwm026rqpIVhZd61uHc_PY/s640/IMG_1004.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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As I've mentioned before, we have great neighbors. Of those neighbors, there are four families (counting ours) who make an effort to spend time together on a regular basis. Coincidentally, they are also all families with children!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OOIGceLk9M7aac5l7tslOCxcFPZnaSevdyhxRPnPReGr4v5oGLLJbNo1kDtA9dwktjcZufnDgdgjVk8L3el0HSMf00NlHuAc6aHzqR7cdz4ErDwqQmziMklsQuimrTIALk90UQP0zvg/s1600/IMG_0999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OOIGceLk9M7aac5l7tslOCxcFPZnaSevdyhxRPnPReGr4v5oGLLJbNo1kDtA9dwktjcZufnDgdgjVk8L3el0HSMf00NlHuAc6aHzqR7cdz4ErDwqQmziMklsQuimrTIALk90UQP0zvg/s640/IMG_0999.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ainsley builds a tower with her little sister, Olive.</td></tr>
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Easter weekend, we organized a Progressive Dinner (with kids) for our four families.</div>
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If you've never done one, it pretty much sounds like what it is. Dinner progresses from one location to the next and the party moves from one location to another. In our case, we had appetizers at Andy & Kate's house, walked down the street to Skip and Niki's house and served the kids their dinner while the grown-ups sat outside, drank wine and nibbled on leftover appetizers (which we carried with us down the street). Then we walked literally next door to Mike and Jill's where the grown-ups ate while the kids watched a movie. Afterwards, we tromped across the street like a big crazy parade to our house where dessert and coffee was served. Here's what that looked like in reality...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZaVPSODMtUyfZMenoV0_kJmXSNy09481I5Jr_pYOboZuaKL0udQABcaoDMcuSZVKhC01rglVEbVJGFhD2msPgJeyqXUKWHoQamYqiRmQmio4z0UyubtscducadMrPVJMmWsSohCYDGw/s1600/IMG_1029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZaVPSODMtUyfZMenoV0_kJmXSNy09481I5Jr_pYOboZuaKL0udQABcaoDMcuSZVKhC01rglVEbVJGFhD2msPgJeyqXUKWHoQamYqiRmQmio4z0UyubtscducadMrPVJMmWsSohCYDGw/s640/IMG_1029.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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A whole lot of folks.</div>
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Four families and a total of 13 kids.</div>
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Appetizer location - Andy & Kate's</div>
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Here are the names starting at the bottom row and moving up, left to right:</div>
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Everett, Hazel & Olive (twins), Dylan, Keira, Dorien, August, Brooklyn, Ainsley, Easton, Grayson, Mike, Niki, Skip, Kyle (wearing Wilder), Ashley, Wyeth, Andy & Kate.</div>
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Same group, only the photographer Jill is now in this photo!</div>
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It was an unseasonably warm evening, and it was a lovely night for a walk down the street.</div>
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Here's the group at Skip and Niki's house all ready to serve dinner to the kids!</div>
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Niki did an amazing job preparing food for all the kids - it was delicious!</div>
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Home-made macaroni and cheese with tons of veggies and fruit for everyone. Served on lovely vintage dinnerware! </div>
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Brooklyn and Ainsley, the oldest girls, finally had a chance to talk together!</div>
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Of course, Wyeth wouldn't part from me and Kyle. He chose to bring his food outdoors to the picnic tables where the parents were talking.</div>
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Kyle talks with Mike, Kate and Andy while Milli the Dog prowls for dropped food bits!</div>
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Niki and Jill serve drinks.</div>
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It was a beautiful evening! Sitting and talking with friends, nibbling on food and periodically checking on the kids...</div>
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Kyle and Jill chatting.</div>
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After the kids ate, they trickled out to the backyard where Skip and Niki have a pretty cool playground set. I'm pretty sure we almost maxed out the weight limit on it.</div>
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Poor Skip had to quickly remove some dog doo which would, of course, be traipsed through.</div>
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Dorien came inside to keep me company while I fed Wilder.</div>
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As the sun set, the kids slowly moved into the next backyard of Mike and Jill's house where the grown ups were to have dinner.</div>
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Jill had prepared the main course - a veritable Mexican feast!! We had a fantastic salad, chicken enchiladas, Mexican corn on the cob, rice and a tamale dish.</div>
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Jill and Kate prepare to bring the platters to the table.</div>
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Meanwhile, Mike set up a movie (Inside Out) in the loft area for the kids to watch while we ate.</div>
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It was a brilliant plan! Other than Wilder being with us, we ate our meal undisturbed!</div>
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I am getting hungry just looking at it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFheIbOPrT4QI5avR7BVarDe5okvBlWHroGJ7ZuWoMs97L8rEw7O8rf9OCDsqDsufaSfQWZcILYRwvlzxmwF7Rcn7AEf-eqQ5zSZu2zDlTLPMMwZHMTiblEymNcS-FT98ROUR9hLfeBY/s1600/IMG_1023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFheIbOPrT4QI5avR7BVarDe5okvBlWHroGJ7ZuWoMs97L8rEw7O8rf9OCDsqDsufaSfQWZcILYRwvlzxmwF7Rcn7AEf-eqQ5zSZu2zDlTLPMMwZHMTiblEymNcS-FT98ROUR9hLfeBY/s640/IMG_1023.JPG" width="640" /></a>Here we all our - at last! </div>
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People, this is a seriously fun group of folks. The laughter was non-stop.</div>
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I know not every neighborhood has this fun, "neighborly" vibe, and I am all the more grateful that we found that here. Friends for our kids and friends for us!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-hnS3-TRgr-OAtToKH429fmutvbXA9bvlqAQoStxAcWdLB8djgiZA25PYx_zRR5OuTwuA7FC6YTfB6C4nRUurN6pO6WieNwetJ4AD2ufrcKMWLqKzLA_9ZHXX1XYCrn8xSkQjraO0Sx4/s1600/IMG_1026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-hnS3-TRgr-OAtToKH429fmutvbXA9bvlqAQoStxAcWdLB8djgiZA25PYx_zRR5OuTwuA7FC6YTfB6C4nRUurN6pO6WieNwetJ4AD2ufrcKMWLqKzLA_9ZHXX1XYCrn8xSkQjraO0Sx4/s640/IMG_1026.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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After the kids' movie wrapped up and we finished Jill's spectacular meal, we walked across the corner to our house where I had made a kids' dessert (Chocolate chip bars) and a grown-up dessert (flourless chocolate torte). Both desserts were very well received and we thoroughly wore our kids out. After eating, they dispersed throughout my house to play for a bit until bedtime. </div>
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For those who had not received the "grand tour" of our house, Kyle led that tour (mostly to the men). The guys were interested in our current and pending renovation projects - especially since they all live in really old houses, too. It's always good to know what projects the neighbors have already undertaken. And what tools they might have on hand....heh heh.</div>
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We wrapped up the party around 11:30!</div>
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I'm happy to say the whole thing was a complete blast - even WITH all 13 kids! </div>
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In case you're wondering how that's possible - I highly recommend doing a separate kids' dinner and then putting on a movie while you eat the grown-up meal. That worked like a charm.</div>
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Maybe you'll be inspired by ours and get to "progressing" with your friends and neighbors!</div>
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<br />Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-52267236317392474212017-05-03T07:00:00.000-07:002017-05-03T07:00:12.378-07:00Thankful for Friends<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBBpvIWGuvKIiL7EFGoZpdg4nOyMWto6E6oQLZI0SGe9MbUeSa726siFjN4do40vITDXbPkFGaBa5umL0BWi8jlqnIGQWsX8Q-dGuyO72Q1GtxL04JMP5uN8ILHM3mII-P8-3hcduIeE/s1600/IMG_0929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBBpvIWGuvKIiL7EFGoZpdg4nOyMWto6E6oQLZI0SGe9MbUeSa726siFjN4do40vITDXbPkFGaBa5umL0BWi8jlqnIGQWsX8Q-dGuyO72Q1GtxL04JMP5uN8ILHM3mII-P8-3hcduIeE/s640/IMG_0929.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The reality of life is that there are moments when you cannot lug all your 5 kids with you EVERYwhere. ALMOST everywhere. But not, say...to the dentist with you when one of your kids needs a filling.</div>
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<img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQhzzvTgvweMXpi6UQcraHLx43-oJ3JkDL2yS5bKOIZcLRs_HL-tRZLfxgtK5HPQYT5PbhisP7DjJRvAwbNXKU7jbtORrsvNvF-fCEhyphenhyphenUJbeLSnfyQs-60cIUvJVjve34wdj0EHcmEXI/s640/IMG_0919.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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In moments like those, you need to be able to fully devote all your mommy attention to the child in question. In this case: Dorien.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7asASpQ4Xcb1XFHjT9UrvCJ9gK6e32gHYeZhAOlyf1Gmi1_8jwMxpV9xDHw5a0rKmRkVCpeIRFX3tweoJDC4jmSate2_BNqW4MppsdQzGFoH6WflUoE8LVQIPS4LXcZRcGB4wXscl6Ik/s1600/IMG_0922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7asASpQ4Xcb1XFHjT9UrvCJ9gK6e32gHYeZhAOlyf1Gmi1_8jwMxpV9xDHw5a0rKmRkVCpeIRFX3tweoJDC4jmSate2_BNqW4MppsdQzGFoH6WflUoE8LVQIPS4LXcZRcGB4wXscl6Ik/s640/IMG_0922.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Which means you need a reliable, caring friend who is willing to take on your 4 kids, including an infant. In fact, I'm not worried about leaving my older kids...</div>
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Wilder is the wild card. No pun intended.</div>
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This friend, for me, is Alina. </div>
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Mother of Harper and Chloe...fellow baby-wearer...kindred spirit and friend.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nmSqTPxGTtr3MAWtUjvo9nc4qLGrRMrrPuKCtiB_x6HJnnVOsWnWNSQbZbFr04QxFHJciEQCxa4B6JbpLs3soIhqGfMSG1FDHoChPNY0Lsx-1ddWjj26N4p8sKfwgs3dFzYPMyL6k_U/s1600/IMG_0920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nmSqTPxGTtr3MAWtUjvo9nc4qLGrRMrrPuKCtiB_x6HJnnVOsWnWNSQbZbFr04QxFHJciEQCxa4B6JbpLs3soIhqGfMSG1FDHoChPNY0Lsx-1ddWjj26N4p8sKfwgs3dFzYPMyL6k_U/s640/IMG_0920.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
And her friend, Kathyrn, also has the touch!<br />
Chloe just loves babies, period. Having Wilder around is an opportunity to touch a baby head.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdwUHXGY7_eDMXLT6fuf2ZAHg0d-M91-_hSTtrffm0FYHMd4b-2x63yTAt_nnfS9gLtiWuu1drdXntHmpOKLeRJiifmXOsVbEQI8pKfEp1WH2bSV2N8yjLKTV6wu8NZGTH9SUju27XYHQ/s1600/IMG_0923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdwUHXGY7_eDMXLT6fuf2ZAHg0d-M91-_hSTtrffm0FYHMd4b-2x63yTAt_nnfS9gLtiWuu1drdXntHmpOKLeRJiifmXOsVbEQI8pKfEp1WH2bSV2N8yjLKTV6wu8NZGTH9SUju27XYHQ/s640/IMG_0923.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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On this particular Tuesday, Alina had a meeting at Charmers Cafe, within walking distance of my house, so I dropped the kids off with her and they entertained themselves and her kids!</div>
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Then, at the back of the store, they participated in Story Time!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Pu5sPAunyjmVjbqIgks_wo7NuUD5KhWKLNDtXrxLwYB5o7LErO-GPae4DmCGOERvcBoazvV3ogcEKJqcjcjtVEL1yce_fRDWEo2Yl9EZmqtIc4nT8v7k7PAlXkCuyYe1zHyhOQBTB64/s1600/IMG_0924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Pu5sPAunyjmVjbqIgks_wo7NuUD5KhWKLNDtXrxLwYB5o7LErO-GPae4DmCGOERvcBoazvV3ogcEKJqcjcjtVEL1yce_fRDWEo2Yl9EZmqtIc4nT8v7k7PAlXkCuyYe1zHyhOQBTB64/s640/IMG_0924.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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My older kids were quite the draw for the little ones.</div>
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Wilder finally wakes up....hello? Where am I?</div>
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Meanwhile, Harper gets cozy in Brooklyn's lap while the story is read.<br />
Dorien's tooth was filled rather uneventfully and we both joined the crew at Charmers.<br />
With my family 600 miles away, I am grateful for friends who don't bat an eye at watching your kids...knowing that the sisterhood of mothers exists for just such moments of need.</div>
Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-69229293370656770542017-05-01T06:30:00.000-07:002017-05-01T06:30:03.543-07:00Mid-March Snow Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjF3Oi9w-5qV2ZCFJ-tEibL2TTyagdt1G9dH_818LBFqzXFAHRwZkbway-CowFVwFY2KITmjR9veQgsFvzyq01KJq-VbYULiH8NdyV4v5DzZGhyphenhyphen4r96x-ufmmDX1xxOptSVtzSSje7pw/s1600/IMG_0779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjF3Oi9w-5qV2ZCFJ-tEibL2TTyagdt1G9dH_818LBFqzXFAHRwZkbway-CowFVwFY2KITmjR9veQgsFvzyq01KJq-VbYULiH8NdyV4v5DzZGhyphenhyphen4r96x-ufmmDX1xxOptSVtzSSje7pw/s640/IMG_0779.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Weather Bush says, "It's cold today."</div>
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Our Weather Bush (also known as an azalea....we've since determined as it has now bloomed), is right outside the big picture window in our dining room and it is our coldness gauge. </div>
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Super cold - the leaves roll up into tight little tubes.</div>
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Any hint of warmth - the leaves partly unfurl.</div>
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Warm - wide open, splayed leaves.</div>
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We rely on the Weather Bush to tell us how to dress in the winter. </div>
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Back in mid-March, we experienced a lovely snow that quite frankly, didn't last nearly as long as we would have liked. It was brief and fierce and lovely, though.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qDbdHYE40xjhGPDIu2MaiJwRavd0mPlCnbx1JUz4vYFX6EXsvhh_EOXfxFK27QdGtN3QrOTb7-UZelVJjQz3iSSYASaGDrTZJPgP4nBs_q_V-jFHtv5cYUe7X6L2OjBpvvdiAGxhz2A/s1600/IMG_0781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qDbdHYE40xjhGPDIu2MaiJwRavd0mPlCnbx1JUz4vYFX6EXsvhh_EOXfxFK27QdGtN3QrOTb7-UZelVJjQz3iSSYASaGDrTZJPgP4nBs_q_V-jFHtv5cYUe7X6L2OjBpvvdiAGxhz2A/s640/IMG_0781.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Porch art.</div>
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It was lovely to sit and watch the snow pile up in our evergreens (our house is surrounded by tall evergreens...it's like being in a mountain chalet at times). You can see the Weather Bush in between two evergreens (all curled up with the cold).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1Aw9jb4w6Vmpu-8ZyxXKF85IvdNA0zpoOvptH_ihS7GjjmOgXRNF4SjzXOTEZNdyA424cN2gfm8TPdEESe4E48gzBiViW-p-_Mz2tbNMyLxnsmEZCDO7HeUw_fbO_rPbxBCswPzUKvQ/s1600/IMG_0786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1Aw9jb4w6Vmpu-8ZyxXKF85IvdNA0zpoOvptH_ihS7GjjmOgXRNF4SjzXOTEZNdyA424cN2gfm8TPdEESe4E48gzBiViW-p-_Mz2tbNMyLxnsmEZCDO7HeUw_fbO_rPbxBCswPzUKvQ/s640/IMG_0786.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The snow would clear up and then, within moments, whip into such a frenzy that you couldn't see anything at all outside. Just a white cloud of snow.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFMRsyKUu-yiEktOZUORiCSDQX_h-uwkc7n-WomlG8A8KdCUU9WTurhCj3vzRmVUn9RUKeKMn_mf31IlpIhCpjKc2jaPewBo1fjJXqqv16QS8pZfSesmApqXA_etpyi2XR6socVseHcc/s1600/IMG_0787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFMRsyKUu-yiEktOZUORiCSDQX_h-uwkc7n-WomlG8A8KdCUU9WTurhCj3vzRmVUn9RUKeKMn_mf31IlpIhCpjKc2jaPewBo1fjJXqqv16QS8pZfSesmApqXA_etpyi2XR6socVseHcc/s640/IMG_0787.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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We took the opportunity to walk around the corner to play with some friends.</div>
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We have 5 kids. They have 4 kids. You see the pile of winter wear that results.</div>
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Popcorn and hot cocoa on a cold winter day? </div>
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Pretty much perfection.</div>
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My friend Susan doles out hot chocolate to our hungry crew!</div>
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As we walked back home in the afternoon, we passed a car with a mug sitting on top of the driver's side. I can see the person finally getting inside their house and then looking around, "Now where did I put my mug...." </div>
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A view of our house from the back corner, or the East side.</div>
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I love this house. It's a handful. But man, I love it.</div>
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Back at home, Wilder is happy to be out of his "warmie" suit and free to stretch out!</div>
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Cold though it may be, the dog must be walked! </div>
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August had been wearing a MUCH too small snowsuit for most of the winter, and I finally found a great sale and ordered him his own suit with plenty of growing room. He was thrilled. Wyeth was thrilled because it meant he now gets a suit handed down to him too!</div>
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Bring on the cold weather! We're too tough for you!!!</div>
<br />Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-34535356998639081142017-04-30T12:37:00.003-07:002017-04-30T12:42:16.425-07:00Navy Pier Ferris Wheel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJ3vWbZujTcZbwaNXgD85_dM8yAWyfh9if5gV78qjhHGdOlZZ0Izemzk6LSLxDTYZ-3FUfwM6UQ6ybAhQUZ_ljSmxRKccRkGFyxYRY5ouA62sRlnpz5nvBESpte7uCV4q4UX-9qB11BM/s1600/IMG_0856+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJ3vWbZujTcZbwaNXgD85_dM8yAWyfh9if5gV78qjhHGdOlZZ0Izemzk6LSLxDTYZ-3FUfwM6UQ6ybAhQUZ_ljSmxRKccRkGFyxYRY5ouA62sRlnpz5nvBESpte7uCV4q4UX-9qB11BM/s640/IMG_0856+%25286%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The 1893 Chicago World's Fair introduced the Great Wheel to the world. </div>
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The original wheel was 264 feet high with 36 cars that were more like fancy train cars - accommodating up to 60 people! </div>
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In 1995, Navy Pier acquired a Ferris Wheel, inspired by Chicago's link to the historical wheel.</div>
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This wheel was 150 feet high and had 40 significantly smaller cars which held 6 passengers. </div>
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The 1995 Ferris Wheel rotated on Navy Pier until 2015 at which time it was removed to make way for a larger, fancier version.</div>
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Still not as large as the original Wheel, the new one is 200 feet high and has enclosed glass cars which hold more like 12 passengers.</div>
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Brooklyn and I cheese it up in the air!</div>
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I'm not afraid of heights, but there was a distinct lurch in my stomach as our car began climbing higher and higher in the air. I can only imagine what it would feel like to go even 64 feet higher, as the original Ferris Wheel did! I bet they were scared to death! </div>
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Our family (Wilder didn't make it into the photograph) with Chicago as our backdrop!</div>
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Looking East across the Lake and the end of Navy Pier.</div>
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Looking West to the City.</div>
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It was incredibly high up...and the view was just as amazing as you'd expect it to be.</div>
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The harbor is empty at the moment, as all the boats are removed from the water for the winter, Minus a few yachts that show up.</div>
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More Chicago skyline!</div>
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The boys- August, Kyle, Wilder, Wyeth and Dorien.</div>
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The view down into the center of the Ferris Wheel.</div>
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I was so amazed that Wyeth and the kids weren't scared! I think Kyle and I were more aware of the height than they were.</div>
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Me and my squishy little man. His first Ferris Wheel ride! </div>
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Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-5295290966949389992017-04-29T16:44:00.008-07:002017-04-29T16:44:53.774-07:00A Week with My Parents<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">During the 3rd week of March, my parents came to stay with us for a week. It was truly a delightful time. I've never had anyone stay with us for that long, and I think that it's a situation where you have to be on wonderful terms with someone to pull off. Fortunately, we're on wonderful terms with my parents and it was perfect. In fact, they could have stayed longer. Kyle and I loved having them here, as did our kids. </span></div>
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It's funny because my mom kept telling me to be honest with her about how much time I would be comfortable with...she and I tend to agree with Benjamin Franklin who said, "Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days." My parents appear to be an exception to this.</div>
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The weather was still cool, definitely not Arkansas warmth, but they came prepared.</div>
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They stayed in Brooklyn's room, as our third floor is still under renovation, and Brooklyn slept in the boys' room, much to their delight! Dorien has decided he doesn't like sleeping alone. </div>
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We were given a restaurant recommendation from a friend, so we tried it out one night. The place is called Gulliver's and it's been around over 40 years which is saying something! In addition to very interesting decor, they had possibly the largest menu I've ever seen and it was all amazing. As you can see, Wilder loved my Dad, even falling asleep on him, which is pretty epic because Ran-dad is not known for being a baby guy. He prefers his grandchildren older and more interactive. However, Wilder didn't care. He liked him.</div>
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My parents arrived on Saturday and on Sunday evening, we had a couple over for dinner. One of my brother Jeremiah's good friends, Ricky and his wife, Olivia, live in Chicago and my mom wanted us to meet each other. Kyle and I love meeting people and making friends, so it was perfectly fine with us! My mom was so sweet and made the main meal, and we all had a delightful time!</div>
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I had to get creative with seating, so I improvised using stools and a side table. Wyeth and Dorien felt very grown-up with their own place.</div>
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I don't know that I've gone into a lot of detail, but the people who live around us are fantastic. We have so many wonderful neighbors. There are tons of kids who happen to have super cool, fun parents that Kyle and I have clicked with. I really wanted to give my parents an opportunity to meet some of our friends and vice versa, so I arranged a game night at our house for some families and their kids. I ordered pizza, mom and I made desserts, people contributed plates, cups, fruit, etc. and we filled this house with laughter and fun. </div>
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After eating pizza, we played the Spades Game...something my mom and dad have used over the years to get people interacting in ways they might not otherwise do. You play spades, basically, but there are multiple rounds and something interesting happens each round - the trumps change, you play to lose, you switch scores, etc. I find that people drop their guards, start showing their competitive sides and have way more fun than they expect. We had an odd number of people, so I just milled around taking pictures and checking on the kids who played their own games!</div>
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Above, my dad explains the rules to Linda, Alina, Kate, Corey and Susan.</div>
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Kate (with Grayson) sits beside Kyle who plays across from Andy (Kate's husband). Susan is seated beside Andy on the couch. Kate and Andy live on our street and have three kids who have a standing Sunday play date with my kids. Kate is a Chicago native and her husband is a Massachusetts native, and they have some pretty amazing accents between them. They probably say the same about me and Kyle. I love them. Kate seems to know everyone in this city. She's fantastic! </div>
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Kate's daughter, Keira, played the Squirrel Game with Wyeth. </div>
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Meanwhile, my mom made sure the dining room group was playing correctly. My dear friend Alina reaches across to her daughter Chloe who is seated beside Alina's husband Jonathan. They are in the Navy and sadly, will be moving to San Diego in a month. I'm not happy about this. They have quickly become people we love dearly.</div>
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At the other end of the table, Corey (Susan's husband) faces off with Linda, another neighbor of ours. </div>
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Corey and Susan are fellow believers as well as homeschoolers of their four children and they live around the corner from us. </div>
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It's so bizarre to me to live so close to all your friends. Or rather, have all your neighbors be your friends! We see each other outside all the time as we walk our dogs or go to the park. It's a completely different way of living than I've every experienced. Very communal, in a way.</div>
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Moving clockwise, Kyle sits by Andy who is teamed up with Linda on the couch. Corey, my dad and Alina's son, Harper, observe their game. (Harper is Wyeth's best friend).</div>
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What I love about games like this and nights like this, is that people become friends who might not even meet otherwise! The common denominator among all the different people was me and Kyle.</div>
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We so desire for God to use us in this community as a light shining for His glory, sharing the love of Christ to everyone in our neighborhood. The harvest is ripe, and we pray that God will use us as His workers! </div>
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Another view of the gaming...there were a few other people who came but were unable to stay for the game time. I was still glad my parents had the chance to meet them.</div>
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A roomful of kids playing Mexican Train Dominoes....a beautiful sight!</div>
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Harper entertains himself with Legos while the big kids play. </div>
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One activity my kids had determined to do with my parents was to fly kites. As you know, Chicago has some epic windy days - perfect for kites. Plus, we happen to have a huge open space just steps away at Touhy Park. Mom and Dad brought some new kites, too, which thrilled the kids.</div>
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I went for a run while they got started on a sunny, chilly day.</div>
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In the middle of Touhy Park, we let the kites loose! Wyeth watched.</div>
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It was my first time to ever fly a kite, if you can believe it. </div>
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I found it to be slightly addicting. </div>
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It was also an activity that attracted other kids, which was pretty cool.</div>
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It was interesting to get the feel for how the kites maneuver in the wind, dipping and soaring. </div>
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We read a book earlier this year as part of our school curriculum called the Kite Fighters, and well, I have a whole new appreciation for the skill required. </div>
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After some dang chilly days, Friday of that week turned out to be glorious - sunny and warm! Kyle took off work and we took my parents to Navy Pier to ride the new ginormous Ferris Wheel. On the way, though, we were distracted by the HUGE teeter-totters which could easily accommodate 2 adults per side. They were ridiculously fun. There's something magical about truly being child-like in your enjoyment of play. Hearing the gleeful laughter all around just makes me smile remembering it. </div>
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A sleeping Wilder even got to ride! And somehow, he didn't wake up!</div>
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Mom and I teamed up across from our men. </div>
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It was so much fun being with them. </div>
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In a way, our moving to Chicago has blessed us with the opportunity to spend time alone with them for the first time ever in our lives. It was truly precious time that I cherished.</div>
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My precious Dad. I was so happy to spend time with him, and see him enjoying time with his grandkids. I know it killed them when we moved away, taking 5 of their babies. It was definitely not a move we made lightly...it's been a move 20 years prayed over. It's never easy to do something that you know causes pain to people you love, even when you know it's the right thing for your family. </div>
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For that reason, seeing my children soaking up their presence was like a balm to my heart.</div>
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Turns out, the Ferris Wheel ride ended up being something that just Kyle and I did with our kids. The cars were enclosed and meant for a group of 10 or so, but my mom is claustrophobic and there was no way she would have been able to be enclosed in the cars. She and Ran-dad charmed the Navy Pier manager while we made our rounds into the sky.</div>
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I'll do a separate post with more pictures from our ride. </div>
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It was fantastic!</div>
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Hello from the top!</div>
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From Navy Pier, we walked south to Millennium Park and Maggie Daley park. It was one of the first warm days the city had seen this winter and the place was packed. It was actually kinda scary trying to keep an eye on my 4 active little ones amid all the other kids. I definitely wouldn't have attempted it without Kyle and my parents.</div>
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It was such a fun place, though! So many different play areas, and man, just the beautiful skyline all around you! It was pretty great.</div>
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There were several specific play areas dedicated to the younger set which was much appreciated by Wyeth (and will be by Wilder, one of these days).</div>
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The park weaves around and guides you back to Millennium Park and the Bean, etc.</div>
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I still can't believe I get to enjoy this architectural eye candy.</div>
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Across the road is where the symphony plays during the summer months.</div>
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Here we are looking into the Bean! </div>
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From there, we walked about a mile north to where our car was parked. </div>
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In typical Chicago fashion, as we were walking down Michigan Avenue, in a span of 5 minutes, the temperature dropped 40 degrees. I kid you not. We went from sweating in the sun to freezing our buns off. It's something we have been told about, but you almost can't believe it's possible until you experience it. </div>
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While at our house, my parents also participated in our 3rd floor reno - my mom brought her wallpaper stripper, and she and my dad removed all the wallpaper from the 3rd floor. I was incredibly grateful! And relieved to find that there were no unexpected cracks hiding beneath it. </div>
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All in all, it was a truly wonderful week. I was sad to see them go, but so thankful for our time with them!</div>
<br />Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-77205219920234101772017-03-27T07:00:00.000-07:002017-03-27T07:00:01.056-07:00Bathroom Updates - A Tiny Yay!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSwhcIVomvmK2269nYQ8-hNG1sjBtIU9s9-yLR5khOnjqRMO1Y1i8GIN4r1RTHjOJY9uddiE10-Hgb7Q5Z2qSn-oshyhvlwU6iqwJgb9Ann5LF0sVcrcf6Sk2wbLHreYNld6czFmI0UY/s1600/pic+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSwhcIVomvmK2269nYQ8-hNG1sjBtIU9s9-yLR5khOnjqRMO1Y1i8GIN4r1RTHjOJY9uddiE10-Hgb7Q5Z2qSn-oshyhvlwU6iqwJgb9Ann5LF0sVcrcf6Sk2wbLHreYNld6czFmI0UY/s640/pic+14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Big-time renovation/restoration is not a quick job, and can therefore, be frustrating when you really would like to see some results! </span></div>
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In fact, if you're a follower of design blogs, you see these grand renovations unfold in a blog post and it can be even more intimidating because it seems like they just took the bull by the horns and made it happen! In reality, I think very few of those jobs came together quickly (or even easily), but all you see is the flash-boom-bang of what "was" and now "is". Sometimes you see price tags associated and it's even more daunting! I can't afford a $10,000 rug or an $8,000 AGA!</div>
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Or you see all the sponsors who funded the project or pieces or whatever, and well, those renovations seems a little less authentic to me because they kinda had help. They might have been losing sleep over hitting deadlines and timelines, but not over who was gonna foot the bill. (smile) I don't have sponsors or big companies like Target, Bosch, Home Decorator or whomever stepping up to fund any of our home renovation projects, so it's even slower and more spaced out. Not that I'd turn down This Old House if they wanted to undertake some things....just saying! </div>
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I say all that to say...for the average Jane/Joe DIYer, it can take years for the true diamond of the house to emerge from the junk that needs to be chiseled away. And even when you know patience is the name of the game, you might need a little tiny "Yay" moment every now and then to maintain your momentum. I'm sharing with you a tiny "Yay" moment.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2ApnNDheiKaSW9VjSOQ7Zlop4yj9wfEzNeu7yBYh7d7CY-IJSJ_HwBV1UiB7clBjHL77eIFIKKVB6PTONWzI5vQEoa5Sr6ertlFKMKo5WLMX-7Ax896h3Mz71X4uehRXU0DBUK3q8L4/s1600/IMG_0406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2ApnNDheiKaSW9VjSOQ7Zlop4yj9wfEzNeu7yBYh7d7CY-IJSJ_HwBV1UiB7clBjHL77eIFIKKVB6PTONWzI5vQEoa5Sr6ertlFKMKo5WLMX-7Ax896h3Mz71X4uehRXU0DBUK3q8L4/s640/IMG_0406.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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As you have seen from our original pictures, the second floor bathroom had glass shower doors with these elaborate deer engravings that I hated. They were heavy, ugly and constantly sticking in the runners. So, one weeknight Kyle was out of town and the curved shower curtain bar was delivered by Amazon, and I seized the day. </div>
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I had read a few blog posts from others who had removed glass shower doors and was adequately forewarned about the grossness I would find under the metal tracks, so that was good. I also had a general idea about how the whole thing needed to be dismantled. </div>
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A screwdriver, a drill, a son named August to help you lift the doors out, a razor blade and a vacuum were also top of the list for the job.</div>
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I unscrewed two little screws from the top horizontal bar, then tried to lift it off as all my research had led me to believe was the process. Except that somehow it wasn't that easy. I had to find a way to actually extricate the glass panels from the tracks in order to take the top bar off!</div>
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It took me and August forever to wrangle those doors out. It became very clear they liked being just where they were. I ended up lifting them free of the bottom track, then shifting them this way and that (with August's help cause those things are DANG heavy) until finally something gave way and snapped off and then they were released. Then I lifted off the top bar. Next, I used my drill to unscrew the wall attachments and pulled them free. The bottom horizontal bar wasn't screwed down, but it was HEAVILY caulked and held in place by a type of mortar or something. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4dkEdlfLQqjiwK55kkuUxdvepjU-bJPvBvwpjkKGrfF1VcQ36XboZbnzHUgDudqDkwgl9o5rhKIEXUWTx87IonPvE5vwKKxU4SW7Ra5vtXzN_-VfgxnRyKM49um5eFqNHdhYolbpKka8/s1600/IMG_0397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4dkEdlfLQqjiwK55kkuUxdvepjU-bJPvBvwpjkKGrfF1VcQ36XboZbnzHUgDudqDkwgl9o5rhKIEXUWTx87IonPvE5vwKKxU4SW7Ra5vtXzN_-VfgxnRyKM49um5eFqNHdhYolbpKka8/s640/IMG_0397.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Doors removed. Horizontal track shifted.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDe3vrR_MV9Sfuey5HdbA_MnOMNusw0lhaUme50DFlhoz2ZpoNY0OBnA-x_Dl1ENYTH6gaKEt8fB6BKe0Lcr3bq0ZBLd0fQUuaxy_klVphRmKbf6Tgfc7B_Wvg5cWnHqTCZ_e1uk7bYs/s1600/IMG_0398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDe3vrR_MV9Sfuey5HdbA_MnOMNusw0lhaUme50DFlhoz2ZpoNY0OBnA-x_Dl1ENYTH6gaKEt8fB6BKe0Lcr3bq0ZBLd0fQUuaxy_klVphRmKbf6Tgfc7B_Wvg5cWnHqTCZ_e1uk7bYs/s640/IMG_0398.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Now you can see the glue remnant on the wall as well as some of the gunk below the horizontal bar.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijoF7zGofTFlpRyh-FpG9lwwMuoLSK837govpqy7qqwRxQGGo7_YTdcVKQcOab7t6y-L_f8fmRtY6_u6HXS5bBwApADkK4_lCZ1zUimOSTSb0lgJcC6AOZwE8gZpKvw6if7RQeTu2eQTM/s1600/IMG_0400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijoF7zGofTFlpRyh-FpG9lwwMuoLSK837govpqy7qqwRxQGGo7_YTdcVKQcOab7t6y-L_f8fmRtY6_u6HXS5bBwApADkK4_lCZ1zUimOSTSb0lgJcC6AOZwE8gZpKvw6if7RQeTu2eQTM/s640/IMG_0400.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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But closer up, it's really yucky. Ewww!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge02IJmN4Jv5TebhJR9DemoW87ylqHoAp70Kcux6P1JLRKK88GZt_jpdbxv4oPcCn25ciSqLKOSHA0-K85JMeNWPquPxHLTxKJnsleRkRLu-MtnBsw6mOO_FHoa92tEvGzq9tqJ9uzy6Q/s1600/IMG_0405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge02IJmN4Jv5TebhJR9DemoW87ylqHoAp70Kcux6P1JLRKK88GZt_jpdbxv4oPcCn25ciSqLKOSHA0-K85JMeNWPquPxHLTxKJnsleRkRLu-MtnBsw6mOO_FHoa92tEvGzq9tqJ9uzy6Q/s640/IMG_0405.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">There's literally a half inch thick layer of caulk on the sides and whatever stuff was put down under the bar to affix it to the tub. It came off readily in chunks, and the caulk was immensely satisfying to peel up, but then we had to put in a little more elbow grease.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPnsWMz8Cmm3XekZLqCKjcpg9ZQpoU1QDpqiF3IFwMsrODxBD1h0bpe-09zi3q0j2Bn81l1rvez9BMkSRtqAan5GV9HK9qX_pEseeo8pZtKEKiSMRWWYWBUSno_SzoStFxgK-aaWpt6WQ/s1600/IMG_0410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPnsWMz8Cmm3XekZLqCKjcpg9ZQpoU1QDpqiF3IFwMsrODxBD1h0bpe-09zi3q0j2Bn81l1rvez9BMkSRtqAan5GV9HK9qX_pEseeo8pZtKEKiSMRWWYWBUSno_SzoStFxgK-aaWpt6WQ/s640/IMG_0410.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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We washed off as much as we could, which was a lot, then used a razor blade to chip up the pieces that were more stubborn.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6WwEj8mu9Ze3EskOmRZIFqsMCjZxbLQ7Smk871mPRKhePai8ysH4Mh3Aa6H5MlB4Ag-6vntd9-AurtI936L-bGzMQDVV-QkOvcXYtdVP8F88kELb3uu3kHBYt7ef9Tqz3TkxBUqwIvMg/s1600/IMG_0876%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6WwEj8mu9Ze3EskOmRZIFqsMCjZxbLQ7Smk871mPRKhePai8ysH4Mh3Aa6H5MlB4Ag-6vntd9-AurtI936L-bGzMQDVV-QkOvcXYtdVP8F88kELb3uu3kHBYt7ef9Tqz3TkxBUqwIvMg/s640/IMG_0876%255B1%255D.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I have been able to get it as far as this. It feels smooth to the touch, but obviously that stuff has bled into the original enamel coating of the cast iron tub. So, that's not optimal, but it's not too obvious. I am hoping to find a solution for it one of these days!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEVn7vjjsmhOoex3dCKL4ujwwIBYiYrz92WGgl69fj1ca5r8mARb5bzTSX11YCJh5G-DDUkYY8rmHYrN3EyK2Smd_Bz_M6aO9tOaixXU2U0hSxdzfBdzx9hrexGjnPPpeJ9huVh4NDUI/s1600/IMG_0874%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEVn7vjjsmhOoex3dCKL4ujwwIBYiYrz92WGgl69fj1ca5r8mARb5bzTSX11YCJh5G-DDUkYY8rmHYrN3EyK2Smd_Bz_M6aO9tOaixXU2U0hSxdzfBdzx9hrexGjnPPpeJ9huVh4NDUI/s640/IMG_0874%255B1%255D.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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In a similar way, the clear glaze of the white subway tiles seems to have absorbed some of the residue from the sealant/mortar gunk which held the vertical metal frame to the wall. It also feels completely smooth to the touch, so it's not something I can scrape off. Any suggestions?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCz7hfEleluspa5MbomNZH0aLwNQryHEl-rhTHwYc-GWL5uZ7JebhxZRk1ar4dOjMfU-fkAyGQICnlVIIugsntIU17dZjkkWSXcXaZbV9gddioUEhalPFosfMUXlS5viC389orSo2eg8/s1600/IMG_0875%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCz7hfEleluspa5MbomNZH0aLwNQryHEl-rhTHwYc-GWL5uZ7JebhxZRk1ar4dOjMfU-fkAyGQICnlVIIugsntIU17dZjkkWSXcXaZbV9gddioUEhalPFosfMUXlS5viC389orSo2eg8/s640/IMG_0875%255B1%255D.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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It's worse on one side than the other. I also removed the vertical metal grab bar, as I am not yet wobbly and decrepit and can manage to shower without it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkBP3vokwfOZQhKxnNZApxilzHK0Mx14ECpp5XQlCr-hMdJsRU9D_payQmTMNba7-jp5ctHXjZY8xlZ3v2SIJINulNDeg6G-6YBbxS8faJIPIyj790IQHMTBNYJPRmeZ8CQUBFn6MYOE/s1600/IMG_0414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkBP3vokwfOZQhKxnNZApxilzHK0Mx14ECpp5XQlCr-hMdJsRU9D_payQmTMNba7-jp5ctHXjZY8xlZ3v2SIJINulNDeg6G-6YBbxS8faJIPIyj790IQHMTBNYJPRmeZ8CQUBFn6MYOE/s640/IMG_0414.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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When Kyle did get home, he attempted to wriggle out the metal wall fastener which preferred to crumple into itself rather than be removed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN68h23siHTVZwCmNSYXfwh1CA_GxYnmo1Oqhjp1tnRigGtdvnP1FH00gpYQqHuFyKbMSP628nRlzvuOpWmKEmv45LonX6zk8hY5SSkt2l_qGVH6_RpI9iXhuXmDDah8BusmBDtQtkxrw/s1600/IMG_0417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN68h23siHTVZwCmNSYXfwh1CA_GxYnmo1Oqhjp1tnRigGtdvnP1FH00gpYQqHuFyKbMSP628nRlzvuOpWmKEmv45LonX6zk8hY5SSkt2l_qGVH6_RpI9iXhuXmDDah8BusmBDtQtkxrw/s640/IMG_0417.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">I love the tub, though. It's one sturdy piece of tubbery. Not that such a word exists. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-tsWiSvkw9DxLn8TXGnLzAyzSCaDID6rw-y6Pl87zIZKooo37foSgIaaVtYRPBJRasITSopMHwQHMp2DxYqdAMNb8U6zH_fTllFxHyGmltXODwTNjUS-aidyb8g4zZH15wGSBVQ-320/s1600/IMG_0421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-tsWiSvkw9DxLn8TXGnLzAyzSCaDID6rw-y6Pl87zIZKooo37foSgIaaVtYRPBJRasITSopMHwQHMp2DxYqdAMNb8U6zH_fTllFxHyGmltXODwTNjUS-aidyb8g4zZH15wGSBVQ-320/s640/IMG_0421.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Kyle also successfully mounted our curved shower bar and our shower immediately felt so much roomier and spacious! Plus, the shower curtain conceals the remaining deer engraved window protecting the windows to the outside. Which are kinda vital right now.</div>
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So - no more glass shower doors! A roomier showering experience! Yay!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInLJhpCtqwN1ybNt6npQDWtjM_hFi3o4uVhBQvTyKyf1TREotoYBXbrbIPFq518mCpqlWTKB9CEsyQLbeDNuxmocJea4IbW4wAmaH2MxuiM6to96EDWCouywG0KmOp__1mQm_V_3uOsw/s1600/IMG_0422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInLJhpCtqwN1ybNt6npQDWtjM_hFi3o4uVhBQvTyKyf1TREotoYBXbrbIPFq518mCpqlWTKB9CEsyQLbeDNuxmocJea4IbW4wAmaH2MxuiM6to96EDWCouywG0KmOp__1mQm_V_3uOsw/s640/IMG_0422.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I apologize for the dim picture: I snapped this upon completion of the job (at night). Plus, the lights in this room are atrocious. Vintage, yes, but not set up for moisture, so... rusty. And there is literally a huge vertical metal panel which blocks the light from 98% of the room. </div>
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I do however, love the original hex tiles and the super vintage sink (not necessarily its fixtures, though). Beneath the sink basin, I found the following stamp - identifying it as a piece from Monument Pottery Company in Trenton, NJ- this particular sink patented on Oct. 10, 1911. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50SVmLGOYxXtXkgTw97sRnFwq_046rud6aW7WQLbIGZzexEE6ub_EGnxUpuH88LZLcMk0swAv7812LLzSOcE5QcyPzJFoV6Jddqh6SpkQWpT4aRx9YLkeYGYmB-6meyejEQxJeLDX0As/s1600/IMG_0715%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50SVmLGOYxXtXkgTw97sRnFwq_046rud6aW7WQLbIGZzexEE6ub_EGnxUpuH88LZLcMk0swAv7812LLzSOcE5QcyPzJFoV6Jddqh6SpkQWpT4aRx9YLkeYGYmB-6meyejEQxJeLDX0As/s640/IMG_0715%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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My future plans for this bathroom are to paint it, install new wall sconces, new shower fixtures, repair or do something about the medicine cabinet, and change out the sink faucet. We also recently put on a new toilet seat/lid which, hilariously, really pepped the room up! Such a small change, but such a positive impact! The previous toilet seat was a cream color that didn't match anything, and it was listing off to the side - just annoying and ugly in all ways. Now, it's clean, fresh and simple. </div>
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So here's to small projects which make you feel better about the state of things!</div>
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Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-70920135176379776912017-03-25T12:15:00.001-07:002017-03-25T12:19:09.737-07:00What to Do When it's Cold Outside<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAAFyup3StfGCCL2qhhyphenhyphen__PmmM8CjbiKz7D_AIsD85sV3LL5VbRoKbb7JNpjO7-NFihglY8YaB_GOdQsmBqR9AVf0yq8GCrqyZc_BpdoI_NhQ63lz7MffCzvtlDocCZb0HGwLd2oXbWU/s1600/IMG_0311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAAFyup3StfGCCL2qhhyphenhyphen__PmmM8CjbiKz7D_AIsD85sV3LL5VbRoKbb7JNpjO7-NFihglY8YaB_GOdQsmBqR9AVf0yq8GCrqyZc_BpdoI_NhQ63lz7MffCzvtlDocCZb0HGwLd2oXbWU/s640/IMG_0311.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Although this has been a really mild winter by Chicago standards, there are still lots of cold or wet days when playing outside isn't optimal. This is when I love that my kids are endlessly creative!</div>
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This is also when I praise the Lord that the kids play so well together. Yes, there are occasional squabbles, but they are not the norm. The norm is this little group huddles up and plays and plays and plays. Obviously during the day, we do school, but occasionally when our reading load gets too heavy, that bleeds into our evenings. Such as the evening pictured above when I was reading to the kids in the kitchen (as they cluster around the radiator) and they laced these little animals the entire time! It was pretty heart-warming.</div>
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There's also our third floor which I realize I have yet to fully disclose to you - and I WILL - but here's a peek into one room: the play room. It currently has ghastly red linoleum and truly truly vintage wallpaper which will not be staying, but somehow manages to be the most cozy space. With all its flaws and cries for attention, this third floor of ours is one of my favorite places. </div>
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The kids clearly turned it into a surgery one night.</div>
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Whatever ails Sarah the Cat is being "dealt with" by an experienced team of surgeons.</div>
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For days when it's cold, but sunny or the kids just desperately need to let off some steam, there are so many amazing Chicago parks available to us. Touhy Park is just a block away from us, but there are some more activity laden places that are only a few minutes drive away. This one is Indian Boundary Park. It pretty much deserves its own post, so I'll try to do that one day. </div>
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For now, you can see that just the big leaning tree is irresistable! </div>
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Ok, so this is not us playing outdoors, but just saying a quick hello!</div>
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More freezing cold outdoor fun is walking our dog around the neighborhood. </div>
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Depending on our mood and everyone's sense of adventure, we ramble around and check out the local houses. Fully suited up, of course.</div>
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Here's a street we walked down - with the train overpass visible. </div>
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I do love hearing that train rumble by. </div>
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We found ourselves under this intersection of streets and train overpasses, and we all sort of felt like we were in our own abandoned fortress! No, we didn't run around and play, as it really ISN'T abandoned, but it did give us all a big sense of glee to sort of just BE there and hear the trains fly overhead on the El track. You can also see one of the painted murals that is unique to Rogers Park. Every one of our viaducts are painted with unique murals. </div>
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Some days we have neighbor kids over to play. Here, Dorien and August play with Alex, a new friend who lives about a block away. We have found that Legos are pretty much universal and generally guarantee HOURS of happy play.</div>
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Brooklyn and Alex's sister, Sophia, played Barbie's in the playroom just as happily.</div>
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Sophia is one of the few friends Brooklyn has made who's actually her age!</div>
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Another indoor past-time is a seriously detailed Connect-The-Dot book given to August by DD. It has up to 1,000 dots and they are so tiny I would need a magnifying glass to find them all! Here, Brooklyn shows off a completed one. And then she took a nap to rest her exhausted eyes.</div>
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And finally, more park time, this time with friends! We met up with Harper and Chloe at Touhy Park to take advantage of a beautiful day and the kids explored the giant concrete cornucopia.</div>
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Some were more adventurous than others.</div>
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That's just a random sampling of life around here the past several weeks! We've had such a crazy mix of weather - warm days, snow days, storms, hail, rain...we've just been rolling with the punches.</div>
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More tales of our adventures, both chosen and thrust upon us, coming up!</div>
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<br />Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-60192793743787605532017-03-12T12:52:00.000-07:002017-03-12T12:52:04.764-07:00Another Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On March 3, Dorien celebrated his 6th birthday!</div>
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In keeping with our tradition, it was an all-day family birthday event.</div>
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He chose all his meals, his special birthday dessert and our activities.</div>
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The agenda led us north a few blocks into Evanston to Dave's Rock Shop.</div>
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Recommended to us by a friend, this place was fascinating! The upstairs held shelves and displays and bins of every imaginable rock, fossil, a wall of necklaces made from rocks, books, puzzles, equipment...You name it. And although it looked like a disaster waiting to happen with bins of tiny rocks + kids - it was a surprisingly very kid-friendly place. I had warned mine in advance to keep their hands in their pockets, and they were very obedient, but the employees didn't bat an eye when they saw us coming. Kudos to them!</div>
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Downstairs was a Fossil Museum! Although the whole place took a very evolutionary world view, it was possible to just admire the fossils and bones and skim over the attached narratives. </div>
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As my kids are currently very into Jurassic Park movies, they ate this section up!</div>
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There were skulls of all kinds of old creatures, even a Velociraptor claw! Ooohhh! </div>
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Wyeth was only a teensy bit nervous.</div>
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Upstairs, we made our way around the room admiring the truly amazing rocks God has placed on this earth. As if I needed further evidence of His endless creativity and design! It was truly a humble reminder that God left no detail out, spared no bit of beauty.</div>
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As one of Dorien's gifts, we let him choose some rocks to begin a rock collection.</div>
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After working up an appetite pouring over rocks, we tried out another first, a nearby ice cream (concrete)/candy/coffee emporium called Lickety Split! It was wonderful! We felt like Charlie in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.</div>
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The place was so well designed, there was no space left un-styled. </div>
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Is there anything more charming than bins of candy lined up on the wall?</div>
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Even to the pressed tin ceiling with colorful light fixtures.</div>
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We ordered a banana split and some cones for the kids. It was pretty delicious!</div>
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We did not partake of the mind-blowing candy selection, but it was definitely mind-blowing.</div>
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Afterwards, we headed back home, ate lunch (yes, we switched things up a bit) and the kids played outside. For Dorien's dessert, he requested a Ding-Dong Cake, like the one we used to get at Two Sister's Cafe in Arkansas. I had no idea how they made theirs, but I perused the internet and found a recipe that sounded promising. It turned out to be totally amazing!</div>
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Two layers of rich, moist chocolate cake with a layer of a buttercream/whipped cream frosting in between.</div>
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Then coated with chocolate ganache.</div>
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It was amazing. Not too rich, not too anything. Just perfect.</div>
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A great day was had by all, and I am so proud of my six year old!</div>
Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781452932798039028.post-86778814903893627032017-02-28T15:35:00.002-08:002017-02-28T15:35:43.485-08:00Finding a Church<div style="text-align: center;">
It's become apparent that for most of my life, </div>
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I've taken for granted having a good church home.</div>
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I grew up in a solid Bible church that my parents helped start. Kyle and I transitioned pretty seamlessly to a different Bible church shortly after we got married and </div>
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stayed there until we moved to Chicago. </div>
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Upon moving and becoming established in a completely new place, church has taken on a different meaning for me. While I may have intellectually known the importance of church in the life of a believer, I am acutely aware of it now: the fellowship, accountability, teaching, potential impact on the community. I've also gained valuable insight being on the visitor end of things: what it's like to be welcomed and how it feels to visit with children in tow.<br />
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Visiting churches is extremely challenging.<br />
For starters, where do you begin?<br />
This is not the Bible belt. There are not churches on every corner and most people you meet have NOT grown up in a church and are far more likely to be very openly liberal.<br />
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We started out by looking at churches whose pastors graduated from TMS - John MacArthur's seminary. Not too many of those, unfortunately. We also utilized the Acts29 network (4 churches within 20 miles). The 9Marks network turned up a lot more, but it's harder to narrow down those choices. Then there's word of mouth, followed by extensive reviews of each church online to assess their doctrinal belief and further, stances on key issues. Things like gay marriages, gender issues, women in leadership positions, etc. In today's church environment, you can't assume anything about a body of believers. </div>
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We have found that it's truly challenging to even begin the search physically. Sick kids being the primary issue. I'm sure there is no small degree of spiritual warfare trying to halt our search by any wily means necessary - and I confess the temptation is great to just watch online our former church back home. But then the Lord whispers to me, That's not my plan for you here, Ashley. Get out there. And if I'm honest with myself, I look forward to starting fresh with a new church. </div>
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We have visited Ransom City Church in Evanston, a tiny church plant targeting young couples in Evanston; Evanston Bible Fellowship, a smallish church which was established to target college students from Northwestern and Loyola; Moody Bible Church - downtown, huge...easy to slip in unseen; New Life Community Church, an extremely multi-cultural/multi-lingual church where the sermon was offered in 5 languages to its audience (Spanish, French, Arabic, Irdu and English). </div>
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Several churches in the city have a main hub and then smaller "branches" in neighborhoods - designed to truly impact individual neighborhoods and promote genuine early-church-like community among its believers. I love that idea.<br />
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Almost frustratingly, this is a process to which there's not a right or wrong answer as long as the church has sound doctrine. We could, theoretically, make any of these recent visits a church home. I struggle with 'How do you KNOW it's the right one?"<br />
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Recent consideration of all this has sort of driven me to come up with some guidelines/order of importance kind of things:<br />
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<b>1) Solid Biblical teaching </b><br />
Just reading a church's statement of doctrine doesn't necessarily identify potential points of contention with Scripture. I found that out as I dug deep into a church a few nights ago (online). Although they seemed promising, I realized they had women elders, and as much as I'm pro-women, God did not set the church up to have women in elder/deacon positions. If they take their own position on that, in what other areas are they willing to compromise?<br />
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<b>2) Proximity</b><br />
The size of the city and its general density means that 20 miles away is really an hour or more.<br />
In order to find a home where we will truly engage with the people and community, it needs to be pretty darn close. Not necessarily walking distance, although that would be sublime! A new friend I met said she walks a mile to her community group, and I think that is great! Parking is just about impossible.<br />
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<b>3) Connection with the people</b><br />
Let's face it - if you don't feel a connection with the other believers, you won't feel at home.<br />
Kyle and I were active in our church in Arkansas, but we didn't participate in community groups or core groups for several reasons. One is that we both felt we had a good community in my family which surrounded us - it was family, friendship, accountability, discipleship, etc. More community...more people in our lives was not something we needed or wanted. We're both extremely independent, internal, semi-introverted. Also, most of our church body lived across town, 20-30 minutes away, making participation very challenging. Particularly with a bunch of kids.<br />
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Here, however, we stand alone. And I would like to be part of a close community of believers who are like-minded, supportive, eager to grow in relationship with God and to impact our neighborhood and community. It's a new place for me - I see the value of a small, intimate gathering of believers. A light in the darkness.<br />
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I make friends pretty easily, and we are so thrilled to find that our immediate neighborhood - this street - has several families with kids who have welcomed us with open arms. We have kids knocking on our doors daily, a standing play-date on Sunday afternoons, an impressive park system nearby, really neat people...I love it here. But with the exception of one family we just met, they're not believers. In fact, over the Christmas break, my kids and I told some neighbor kids the story of baby Jesus for the FIRST TIME EVER. They asked what the deal was with all our nativity sets and I was floored to see they really had no clue. So we told them.<br />
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I was a little worried these kids might go home, share what we told them, and that was the last we'd see of them, but nope, they keep coming back! We introduced them to Veggie Tales last week and they heard the story of Esther for the first time ever. In that respect, I am delighted to be surrounded by lost souls - what a mission field! Like my dad has always said, he loves heathens. I share that love. Looking at the life and ministry of Jesus, so did He. No risk of us living in a spiritual bubble these days. And I'm grateful for that.<br />
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<b>4) Children's Ministry</b><br />
I'm not looking for anything huge or elaborate here - I grew up largely without a youth group and I don't care if my kids participate in one, but it would be great if my kids weren't the only children in the church. You laugh, but it's not far-fetched. This is not a city of big families.<br />
I would like a place where Kyle and I could possibly serve in the children's ministry.<br />
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There are still a few places we want to visit and to give some that we have visited a few more visits.<br />
At least now all our kids are in the elaborate security systems children's ministries must utilize these days. But I very much look forward to calling a church body home. I look forward to making the individual connections that form lasting friendships and seeing my kids do the same. I look forward to pot-lucks, shared meals, praying with other women and men whose hearts are burdened for this city and its hurting people, for solid teaching that challenges and stirs me to action, to see the power of God in lives around me. I look forward to seeing what God has in store here. I know it's something bigger than us, and that alone, is worth waiting for.<br />
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Tales from Goshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07360169655211481115noreply@blogger.com0