Best fireworks EVER...

Hoquiam's big thing each year is the Logger Play day which is the first Saturday of September.  This year was the 50th annual and I wanted to go.  Last year it fell on Shane's birthday but luckily this year it was the day before.  Shane had gone as a kid and said it was boring but I worked hard and got both the boys to agree to go with me.  I even got one of Sky's friends who had also been told it was boring and didn't want to go to change his mind and join us...I had bought a ticket for Shane but he was working on the house so this way I was able to use all 4 tickets.

While in college in Spokane I competed in Logger Sports.  Although I double bucked crooked cookies I was great at the ax though...never attempted to climb the pole let alone top the tree because, well that is a really tall pole even when you don't have a big saw tied to you!

I had a blast!  They even had a couple world champion log rollers there and it was really amazing how long they stayed on.  The royal court did not fair so well.  I believe the Queen won but both were in the water within 2 seconds of the log being let go.

The night ended with the most amazing firework display I have EVER seen!  For one because we were so close, I am use to watching from my front deck on my Carnahan house.  But they also seemed to go for ever and were so colorful and amazing.  My phone battery died and I was not able to get any photos of the display and I am so bummed. 

The boys had mentioned a couple times during the show that they were getting bored.  At that point I got them hot dogs, then ice cream and lastly light up swords but after the fireworks Sky asked if we can go next year too.  All 3 boys couldn't stop talking about how cool the fireworks were...There were a lot of "Dude remember the one that..."  and "Oh Dude".

I was just as bad though I gave Shane a complete run down of the show.  He said it sounds better then what he remembers and even said maybe next year he will join us.

1st day of school...

Yesterday was a hard day for me.  Sky moved up to middle school and I was not ready.  He wanted me to go in with him and that helped.  There were other parents there, Shane said kids would make fun of him but he wanted me there and I just helped him find his locker, get his schedule, point out which classes were on which floor and left him long before the bell rang.

I started to break down once but I turned around and saw another mom who works at Central Elementary and her smile made me feel better.  Her youngest of 8 is in the same grade as Sky.

yes this is what he wore the first day.  I don't see fashion in his future career choice.

Mr. Cobb made a comment about how tall Sky has gotten and I said yes, he is half grown, just then Mrs. Cobb piped up that for some he is full grown and I realized for the first time he was taller than she was!

Now onto my GQ son...

This tie was longer than his others so I attempted a double Winsor knot.  Doesn't look too bad in photo but the knot is quite large so I am going to have to figure something out.  I had hoped this would work and I could start getting men's ties, more options available and then he could use them for ever.  For now he has already outgrown a couple of his shorter favorite ties but boys sizes are still a better fit.

It was decided that this year ties will be worn on non PE days because they get in the way and we have had a hard time finding tie tacks!  PE days will sport either his large selection of khakis or jeans and a Polo shirt.  Noticed this morning I have to go get new jeans because although his last year jeans fit fine around they barely come down to the tops of his sneakers...don't want to look like a flood is coming!  Bray moved up to Central school this year and he is excited for the year...fingers crossed that he is able to control his temper the whole year.

Not totally done but getting there...

Ok. so much has been done on the living room!  Looks so great.  As you can see there are still tools around and we have not found end tables yet that we both like and will fit our need but take a look...

Here is standing at the door looking into the room.  Look at how wonderful the floor is with it's new finish!  And I LOVE my new foot stool in front of the mom friendly chair.  With no sofa I have a great place to have all my house plants.

This is still by the door looking across the room to Shane's office.  The hutch looks great in the corner with the dark paneling gone!  And Shane let me have a ceiling fan!  We had to haggle on the style but we finally agreed on this one.  To the right of the fire place Shane is going to build a large wood storage area and the rug in the middle of the room is going to be moved to our bedroom.

We put our favorite paining behind our new chairs.  We still need to get a frame for this one but it looks so much like the river behind our house that we put it up anyway.

My goal is to minimize the living room.  We had so much stuff in it before and once Shane hung the TV on the wall I loved all the extra space and hope to keep it open and roomy feeling.  When the walls were first painted they looked pinky but once all the furniture was added they look better in my opinion and I LOVE the way everything has turned out!

We still have the down stairs bathroom to fix up.  currently the dry wall is half down to studs.  Then we are going to do a little work on the kitchen but I am going to have to wait a while for a big remodel of that room.  For now new paint and a new floor will make me happy.

Last meet of the summer...

Bray has decided he is going to continue on the swim team this fall.  He has done so well.  Last meet of the summer was yesterday and unfortunately the electronics were out so I have no idea what his official times were or if he placed or ribboned yet.  He swam his first IM and his first Butterfly in a separate race also.  On the way home he told me he doesn't want to ever swim butterfly again if he doesn't have to...this meet it was a requirement that all swimmers swim all 4 stokes and an IM to participate.  Most kids had not swam Butterfly or IM in competition in his age group.  Many kids on his team chose to not go because of it only 3 boys and 6 girls from here went.  I am so proud that he gave it a try.  He was not fast but his coach said his form was perfect and that the speed will come in time.

Oh, an IM is when the swimmer swims a lap of Butterfly, then Backstroke, then Breast stoke and finishes with freestyle.  They are actually done at different lengths and some of the older kids swim upto 400 meters, doing 100 of each.  Brays group only had to swim the 100 meter IM though but it was not only the first IM for all of them at a meet but also their first 100 meter race.  Many had a hard time climbing out of the pool at the end and had to swim to the ladder instead of going out the wall like normal.

goofy mode

serious mode

Parents were not allowed on deck with the swimmers so we had to be upstairs which bummed me out not being with B but we had a good view to watch their form as they swam.  B is in late 1 on the far side.  The kid closest in lane 4 also wearing a GH2O swim cap is Colton from our team who is quite an amazing swimmer.  Bray is usually finishing just behind  Colton, whose father was a swimmer and competed through college.

B likes to start from the standing position, he feels off balance to start holding onto the board and he never gets his arms up high enough and head down enough to keep his goggles on when he hits the water...another thing that will come with time. 

not done but have to share...

Drywall is up and although still needs taping and finishing touches I have to share how great it is looking!

This is the stairway after taking down that wobbly handrail and closing it off.

My beautiful windows with grids really add to the country feel.  The original windows had the separate panes of glass but prior owners replaced most with plain windows.  LOVE THESE!

My mom, not so happy about his one...we took out the wood shelves around the kitchen doorway, not sure if we are going to do anything different here but looks so much more open and bright getting rid of the dark wood...and see my grids on my new sliding door...had to special order it because it is a HUGE door but lets in so much light and such a great view of the property, well worth the extra money!

After finishing the walls and getting everything painted Shane is going to refinish the wood floor again. He worked hard on it when we first bought the place and thinks just a light sanding and new coat of what ever goose grease he used before and it will just look AMAZING again.

I am flip flopping on the color though.  Still like the idea of light blue, bring in a feel of cool water, but I also think a light grayish white might look nice...don't laugh but I like the color of the plain drywall.  Closest paint color I have found is Alabaster White, but still looking.  I am thinking yellow for the kitchen and I want the colors to flow nicely together and now sure if either would look good...

Look look look!

Wiring and insulation is all done and I am getting drywall back in the living room!  Took an extra day to get started because of moving the laundry room but now we are back on track and I sure hope to have all the drywall done today!

Brady has his last summer swim meet tomorrow and I am sure hoping all goes well!  Heading to the Y now to do some IMs.  This is his first IM in competition which is where they swim all 4 stokes in the same race, Butterfly, Back stroke, Breast stroke and Freestyle.  B has worked hard on his Butterfly and Breast this week and he rocks the back and freestyle already.  His main problem is his kicking.  As the coach says if they are racing on arms alone B will take 1st place but he gets lazy with his kickers and that is his downfall because most other kids racing have stronger kickers.  And that gives much more speed.

can it be stress?

So my right eye is constantly twitching...very annoying.  Probably stress or lack of sleep...

Shane, Scott and my dad moved the washer and dryer into my new laundry room upstairs.  It will be so great to not have to carry dirty cloths down to the basement and clean cloths up 2 stories to the bedrooms.  Now with the bathroom upstairs all working most of the dirty cloths are kept up there and I do have hopes of having the main floor stay a little cleaner...course if Sky moved his bedroom into my current office then who know how things will be then. 

Bray is already making plans for his new single occupancy bedroom.  Since he is staying in the big room he plans to have his castle tent and drum set out.  He worked very hard yesterday on his room to make space to put a dresser in there.  With getting all the laundry done we found the boys lacked drawer space big time.  Now each boy has their own dresser which is a good thing. 

Roosters are crowing like crazy, we really need to butcher 6 of those suckers. 

Hoping the guys will get most of the drywall done today.  I really need to pick a paint color before they are done.  New windows look so great!  I live the white grids!  really goes with the country setting.