We have insulation. Never thought it'd make me so happy.

yes! finally some updates. It was becoming really sad when people would walk in who hadn't been since February, and not be able to see changes... I mean don't you see wires, and big huge air ducts, and PVC pipes? Actually, probably not, because this has been the most productive visually non-productive 3 months of house renovation. Rather than putting pictures of each "internal" step, I just decided to wait until we're close to actually having walls. We finally got there. Insulation was completed last weekend, and I've never been so excited to see all of that white fluffy stuff. It was like a winter wonderland of walls. I posted lots of pictures, so sorry:)

I think we'll leave the furnace on the front porch:)

Someone is pumped about insulation

pretty insulation

There was a door here. They did a GREAT job of replicating the wood to look original. Well, after painting it will:)

They tore out the porch ceiling (didn't know this was going to happen, but I'm excited)

The tulle room. Okay, I'm really not sure what this is.

Alarm

Yay, we have electricity

(thanks Joe and Brian)

Plumbing! (thanks Tatums)

Oh, great, I can do laundry. I was hoping we'd forget to add the laundry room.

We found some hard wood under about 3 layers of flooring. We're keeping all of the original hardwood....some will have to be pieced together, but I think it'll still be cool to have the original.

Our hazardous stairs. You can see Matt below in the guest bathroom. Poor Larry refuses to walk up these.

HVAC (thanks, Billy)

Aaaaaaand, there's still so much more left to do.  :)

Time for EBOX dump # 6 (this really adds up)!


Anyway, that's all for now! It's been so long since we've had house updates, so it's really nice to be able to have some sort of progress pictures. I got a text today from Erin saying that there was tons of dry wall outside! David called Matt saying they were getting ready to start the walls. I can't wait. It's been such a blessing to have family 'keep an eye out' on our house stuff during the week. My mom is hilarious and I think now that she's out for summer she goes every day, and knows every single person who has worked on the house. She gives me great updates, and I really appreciate it.

These guys crack me up

Our A/C is out right now, and it's HOT in the house. The kids have not taken well to it.

Wally tries the couch

Now, it looks like they're dead

Nope! Still alive

"Mom, it's hot in here!"

I feel so bad I give Larry the fan.

Wally coped by getting in the window.

Two years

Matt and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary today! Such a blessing, and I'm very happy. To me every year and every day is such a gift.

 I don't say it enough, but I I am so thankful for our marriage. Matt's a great husband, and treats me better than I had ever imagined a husband could treat a wife. 

Below are pictures from our first date. We went to Bosco's and the Blue Monkey. About 2 years later, we were married!

Donkey and The Limited pants

I'm at a loss for what to post because I'm really thinking there will be house news soon, so I'm anxiously waiting to show some progress pictures.

Tonight, I was going through my old pictures, and found this. I just thought it was funny....Mainly because, well, it's a donkey. It looks like we were buddies.

 I don't remember this and have no clue where I am and why there was a donkey there, but I like him/her. 

Anyway, let's hope for a house update next time, because it has come to posts about donkey's. sorry.

Oh, tonight I got pants from the Limited (gosh, another piece of useless info). I just wanted to share because it's buy 1 get the 2nd 50% off. So, that's great news for any Limited pants wearers. I am definitely a Drew Fit pants person. I have a hard time with pants. They seriously need to make some for muffin top prone people; that'd be awesome. 

That's it. Wow, best post EVER.

Good weekend, sleepy Monday

 This past weekend was a lot of fun. We went out to Somerville for the whole weekend, even Sunday night. The house is probably 90% finished with electrical, so hopefully in the next few weeks, there will be some more progress pictures (as we get insulation and walls).

So, Friday we celebrated Jamie's graduation at Shogun. It was a lot of fun. Matt and I got WAY too much sushi, but then were able to polish it all off for the most part. We always over order when it's sushi. Then, Saturday I woke up at 6:30 and went to run a 5K (Youth Villages 5K) with Carrie, Julie, Jill, and Laura Beth. I had such a good time! I was laughing most of the time, and really the run wasn't that bad. Then, we had lunch at Panera Bread (yummm). Saturday afternoon I spent some time at the house, trying to walk through it to see if we've forgotten any place we might need a light or outlet. Saturday night, Lamie, Dashley, Joe/Amy, Matt and I cooked out at my parents' house while they were out of town in Charleston. We had an assortment of food, and it was perfect weather for cooking on the grill. Then we went over to my brother and Erin's to hang out for a little while.
Sunday we had church. I'm so excited because our church has started a young adults Sunday school class. Because our church is pretty small, it includes ages 20-40. We have been having such a good time, and it's been such a blessing to be back in Sunday school again. After church we did our usual Papa's Pizza glutton fest. I can't control myself at the pizza buffet. I'm pretty sure I took almost a 4 hour nap after that. Once I got up, I was sad to have missed so much of the beautiful day, so I went on a really long walk.
Sunday night, Matt, David, Erin, Harrison and I cooked out again. I think Erin and I made a meal off of the dips (spinach, cheese, guacamole, and goat cheese spread). We admitted we'd do that over meat any day. Harrison was a little character. I had him playing air guitar and drums and he was just laughing away. He's so much fun.
So, with such a wonderful weekend, I've been sleepy for this Monday. It was also the first non-sunny day in a while, and now that I have a 'view' at work (i moved cubicles and now can see outside, ha), it caused me to realize how groggy it was outside, so that encouraged my need for sleep.
Now, I'm hanging out on the couch. Matt already went to bed, so Larry and I are holding it down watching Amityville Horror (sorta...if i really watched it, I'd get all freaked out, so I"m half watching).

Congrats on the graduation!

Gearing up for the race!

All together!

Harrison is doing some laughing

Larry doing his normal thing

what's so funny?!

So, lately, I've just been laughing all the time. It's a good thing, and reminds me of being younger, but I can't explain it. I've always been one to over-laugh at a joke, or mentally re-visit the joke and start laughing for no reason, but for the most part, especially since I began working, I've had much more composure. Not lately. I'll be in the middle of a meeting, and I'm seriously bursting blood vessels in my head to try and keep my laughing inside. What's so funny? I have no idea. It could be anything, and it just sets me off into a mental and sometimes outward laughing fit. A few days ago I just had to walk away from a co-worker's cubicle because I was laughing and really couldn't explain why.
I mean, I know why sometimes, but it's the length of time that I think it's funny that has been extended, as well as the frequency of me getting these flashbacks to something funny during inappropriate times....like during quiet time (I call that the after lunch time when everyone is full and tired), or like I said during meetings, or even during a one on one conversation. I notice it more at work, because in social situations or at home I can just laugh and it's not really thought of as strange compared to during a conversation at work about work. Anyway, I don't really mind it. It's fun, and I enjoy it, I just hope people can give me a break. I've always looked for funny stuff. Growing up SNL was something I couldn't wait for each Saturday, and that type of humor really gets me going to the point I can't breathe...poor Matt can agree...tonight an SNL special was on and I was laughing way too loudly...like maybe to the point of sounding like an animal. Then, Wally comes running and jumps in my lap probably thinking I'm dying. Anyway, here's to laugher for no good reason. There's really nothing wrong with that.

work

I had to write about this because it's not often I'm compelled to make work the topic of the day after I've been there for hours of the day...but today, I just feel thankful. I mean, granted, tomorrow I could walk into a mad house (which is sorta fun, too), but right now and really overall, I am just really thankful to have a place to work. I can't complain about my co-workers, I get to eat lunch in the 'break pad,' the company seems to have actually held on to ethics and morals, I admire our executives, and my day to day really isn't bad. I get to be challenged daily, I'm forced to use math which was never (in my mind) a strength of mine, I'm surrounded by good people, and hey, I even get to do a cheer. How fun is that:)?
It's so funny because when I was in statistics class in college all I could think is, "i'll NEVER use this again." Well, not until I found out that running regressions actually happens in the workplace. yeah. crazy. I don't really work with statistics as much as I did when I was a statistical analyst (hmmm, duh), but I learned a lot, then. Also, when I was young I used to always pretend I was running a business, usually a clothing store, and I'd do monopoly money transactions and keep a ledger showing all my sales for the day. It's fun to see the 'business world' first hand, now, from the store level to the top.  There's so much that goes into it. At times, I would struggle to find 'meaning' in my work, but it's the people at the end of the day. Not only the people I work with directly, but the people in our stores, and the people who take time to write thank you notes to the corporate office to praise an AutoZoner for helping them install a battery in the pouring rain, or who diagnosed a problem with their car and even went to the length of drawing out a map to show the person how to get to where they were going since they were lost when the car broke down. To me that's a big part of the meaning in my work, and I'm happy to be part of such an organization that is threaded with this type of 'family' feeling and selfless support. ....so,  today I just wanted to say thanks to the ole job. I never thought an autoparts retailer would add so much to my life, but while far from my predictions prior to entering the 'real world', it has.

First day.....c'mon, I had just woken up. Thanks, Nina.

                  Some food raised for our Operation Feed for the Food Bank. I got to be team captain this year, and I was excited about the food we were collecting.

Not sure on the face. I was happy, I promise.