Our Kitchen Remodel

My life is in total disarray.

We are currently in the throes of remodeling my kitchen.

It is not a job for the faint of heart.

We have practically gutted it as this kitchen was in pretty big need of a facelift. Our house was built in 1977, and I'm pretty sure that it hasn't been touched since then -- hence the wallpaper that looks like the same wallpaper on the walls of my grandmother's upstairs bedroom. And the bar. And the cupboard placed above the bar that impedes all sight into the living room. And the handles on the cupboards...

Yeah. Pretty much everything.

Initially, we were just going to take down the cupboard above the bar and paint over the wallpaper. And then Gina and Eric came to visit.

Now let me just say...Eric and Gina flip houses on the side. Their minds explode with ideas and then they turn those ideas into reality. It's a beautiful thing - an art form really. And so when they came to visit? They threw out a million ideas: You should move this cupboard over here! And put the bar here! And then you could paint the cupboard like this. And how about adding a subfloor to the dining room so that you just have a sunken living room instead of a sunken living/dining room?

And on and on. Of course, all of their ideas sounded fabulous, and so by the time they left? Well, I had visions of a brand new kitchen dancing around in my head. Initially, Roy balked. So much work! Eric did this for a living - he was fast! And even though Roy is very capable and can pretty much do anything that involves his hands, it would take a bit more research and time. But over time, he became a bit more accustomed to the idea and finally, little by little, he acquiesced.

And so on Monday, January 8, we began.

Roy's first  calculations were that this remodel job would take 3 weeks, start to finish. Snap of the fingers. But we are now three weeks in and ... well, it's going to take a bit more time than originally anticipated.

That's just the way life rolls sometimes.

And it's ok. My kitchen will be something to behold once it's done. I'm so excited. In the meantime, let me give you a glimpse of life in the Seals' home over the past few weeks:

This is my kitchen before it all began. This was actually taken just before we bought the house. But note the uneven flooring, the bar, and the cupboard above the bar. Also, see how there is this "boxing" above all the cupboards? Yeah - all of that is gone.

Job #1? Move everything out of the kitchen....and into the living room. 

And then? Tear out the cupboard above the bar.

Eric came over to share some of his knowledge and help Roy take off the popcorn from the ceilings.

And then we started on the subfloor in the dining room.

And this is me in beast-mode. Let's take a moment to be impressed:

Subfloor complete! (This took at least 4 days...maybe more...)

And this is how my kitchen has looked as Roy worked on sheet rocking, and electrical, and creating doors for cupboards that didn't have doors...and so on. Pretty much everything - and by himself as I don't know how to do any of it...And all without complaining. He's a trooper.

 

But yesterday? Well, yesterday we were able to hang the cupboard that was originally above the bar...(This is how Roy is feeling about this project right about now...)

So, we still have a ways to go. But we've made a lot of progress! Once we've finished it, I'll post some photos so that everyone can enjoy the final product.

I can't wait.

In the meantime, Roy and I are heading off to a cruise to the western Caribbean  this coming Sunday. We're cruising with Tami and Chas, and our good friends Debbie and Carlos. We're pretty danged excited.

Happy weekend, Friends!

2017 Wrap-Up

I have been thinking the past few days about the highlights of 2017. As the years pass, it seems they roll by faster and faster, blurring together as one. So, I want to take a moment to outline my top 10 highlights of 2017. Here they are (in no particular order):

1. Our family vacation. Roy worked nights the entire summer which was definitely not a highlight. And so, we went on a family vacation the first week of August when his night shifts were finally over and just before the kids headed back to school. It was an amazing week touring Texas - the beach, Sea World, fabulous restaurants, swimming and laughter proved to be some highlights from the week. It was a grand time.
2. Trips to Oklahoma - as in plural. For years and years, I have only been home once a year as I have always lived at least a thousand miles away. But now? Well now I can go home at a moment’s notice. And anyone who knows me knows that Oklahoma with its red dirt, grazing cattle, golden sunsets, and my precious parents holds my heart. And so, I was able to head to Oklahoma in the spring, in the summer, in the fall, and then again, of course, at Christmas. Four times. That, my friends, is a beautiful thing.
3. Roy’s job. In September 2016, Roy started working as a Quality Acceptance for an engineering firm called Lamb-Star. This past November, Roy got a call from a company called LJA and was offered a job doing the same thing with a few more perks. It made our heads swim. I am so grateful for a job where Roy is appreciated and applauded. It has made all the difference.
4. One of the perks of my job is traveling to places across the USA where I host alumni events. During 2017, I was able to see Jacque in California and Estee Marie in Albuquerque. I spent a splendid weekend with Savana and Guerin while hosting in Orlando, and, at my event in Denver, Tami Condon and I explored Estes Park while I reminisced about Roy’s and my time in Colorado during our early years of marriage. I saw so many friends at my event in Oklahoma City, and when I served shortcake at the Arkansas campmeeting, my sisters traveled along to help. It was an overnight trip filled with so much laughter as we sang along with the radio and chattered the miles away. 
5. My sister Tami and her cute fam moved next door, and my other sister Lori moved two miles away. If someone told me ten years ago that this would be my reality, I would never have believed it. Sometimes I still have to pinch myself that Jace has a math tutor and a piano teacher; that many weekday lunches are spent with my two closest friends who happen to be my sisters; that Saturday night activities are a given; that looking out my back window and seeing Chas with his Farmer Jones hat and riding his tractor would be a normal scene. Yes, my life is sweet.
6. Our Family Christmas. This is always a highlight of each year, but this year? It was just something special. Darian was home for about three weeks, and Savana and Guerin were here for nine blissful days. DJ joined the crazy for about a week as well. Seven of us were squeezed into our little home, but we were cozy and happy and warm. We ate out at some fabulous restaurants, kept a fire crackling in the fireplace, played some rousing games that brought the fire out in all of us, dined on Savana’s delectable dishes (she made a seafood dinner for those of us who like that sort of thing, and a homemade lasagna (made with her sauce simmered from tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil) for those of us who don’t. We jumped on the trampoline, watched movies, told stories, and laughed. Mainly? We laughed. And loved. And lived. It was perfect.
7. My back porch. We only live a few blocks outside of city limits but this place of ours? It’s the best kept secret in town. When I’m sitting on my back porch, it’s like we live in the middle of nowhere as the view out back is just country and trees and skyline. It’s the perfect way to begin each morning and to end each day. And so, even though it’s not a specific memory, it’s one of the greatest joys of my life.
8. Friends coming to visit. This year we’ve had the privilege of having Jacque, Debbie & Carlos, Ed Pelto (though his visit was like lightning), the Condon's, and Pamela Kay at our home. These people? They are the stuff that make life worth living. I am grateful.
9. My parents in my home. Dad and Jo came up for a couple of days and we spent hours hanging out on the back porch. Having Dad and Jo in our home is a rare treat and I soaked up every moment. Mom came down several times as well. And of course, having Mom here is a little piece of heaven as well. She is so kind, so giving - she makes life easy when she’s around.
10. Gina and Eric and their amazing kids. There’s nothing like family and these peeps? Well, they are Family. We’ve learned how to smoke the best brisket from Eric and we’ve dined around their table at pretty much every major occasion. We are so grateful for the Johannessen's and the joy and love they bring to our lives.

2017? You’ve been good to me and my family.

I am grateful.

And? 

Arms open wide, I’m eager to see what 2018 holds.