Wrapping It Up

Can not believe it is the last day of the month!  The holiday weekend flew by.  Andrew and Mandi headed out early this morning.  We went to church and taught Sunday school.  We actually had more kids there than I thought we would since a lot of people travel this weekend.  There was lots to do today to get back in the groove.  When I was cleaning Luke's school folder out tonight I found this little gem.  His class does a lot of journaling.  They made a little Thanksgiving book they filled out. I thought it was cute and JonJon and Meme did, too!

Thanksgiving at Nanny's

House Divided

Even brother and sister are divided!

We left out for Tullahoma mid-morning.   Andrew came over to help Paul carry some  heavy furniture out of the house that we aren't going to use at the new house.  That put us a little late leaving.  Andrew and Mandi rode with us.  Mom left earlier this morning. Paul had to get up very early to get the turkey going so it would be ready in time for our noon-ish meal.  The food was good, but I admit I am a little tired of all this heavy home cooking!

College football was in full swing so we watched a lot of it.  We all parted way before the Iron Bowl which was probably a good thing as us girls can be pretty animated when it comes to our favorite team!  We were back in Nashville with plenty of time to spare.  Mom had prepared an appetizer supper and had chili, too.  The game was pretty close for a while.  We left at half time so the kids could get in bed.  They are worn out and Katherine seems to have a stuffy noise, hoarse voice, etc.

Auburn didn't win the game -- but it was good anyway.  It was the highest scoring Iron Bowl on record -- 99 combined points.  That is nuts.  I miss the old days of the SEC when the teams actually had a defense.

Another holiday weekend in the books.  I am kind of ready to get back into a normal routine, but nothing is normal about December!

The Day After

The loneliest place the day after
Thanksgiving...the grocery store!

I had to work today.  I was expecting it to be crazy since we do not work on Thanksgiving. I was on call yesterday and didn't get any consults, so that was nice. It was so busy Tuesday when I left -- we were pretty much at capacity.  Thankfully about 40 patients went home between Wednesday and today.  I was able to get done a little early so we could take pictures for Christmas cards.  We just met Mom, Andrew and Mandi at the farm. We took pictures in a few different locations and I think we got something that will work.  Andrew and Mandi checked out the progress on the house.  The drywall crew did go ahead and work today.  I hated it for them, but it was my understanding it was their choice -- we didn't request they work.

We all went back to Mom's for supper.  She had cooked a lot of yummy food so we just had leftovers. We ended up watching Santa Claus 2 which is a cute movie.  Mom had never seen it.  Of course, we have seen most every Christmas movie -- especially kid ones!  I needed a few sweet potatoes for a casserole for Tullahoma so I ran down to Publix.  It was a ghost town.  Their were hardly any cars in the parking lot and the employees seemed bored.  What a difference a couple of days can make.  It was an absolute zoo in their on Wednesday!

Giving Thanks

Being a bit of a "pouty Kathy"

Not Luke...all smiles!

Good ole game of Rummikub!

Hanging out at JonJon and Meme's

Claudia and Jim

Beautiful table!

We went to Mom's this morning for a country ham breakfast.  It was great!  Andrew and Mandi got in last night so it was good to see them. We stayed there for a little while before we had to go home to get ready for Thanksgiving with the Troutts.  Jon and Kristen hosted this year and it was a nice change.  The food was yummy.  The three girls split the cooking responsibilities so it didn't all fall on one person.  Paul smoked the turkey again this year and it was really good!

Jon had some games lined up for people to play.  We just leisurely finished the dinner prep while we munched on appetizers.  We stayed until after bedtime so the kids were worn out.  It was very nice Thanksgiving and we have so much to be thankful for!

New Doors and Thanksgiving Prep!

Our new French doors were delivered!

So long birdie wallpaper!

Making Nene's cranberries

I was off today with the kids.  We had  a fun day together.  We did some Christmas shopping, grocery shopping and a lot of cooking!  The kids helped me make the sweet potato casserole, appetizers and cranberry relish for tomorrow.  Well, actually the kids helped Paul with the cranberries.  I had a hard time getting the food processor figured out!

We also ran to the house for a bit.  The new French doors were delivered.  They look awesome.  We got a good deal on them.  Someone else had ordered the transom and didn't like it when they came in so the company sold them to us at a discounted rate.  Every little bit helps in the renovation process! The drywall just needs the final sanding and it will be good to go.  Nothing will happen the rest of the week because of the holiday which is just fine.  All those crews need time with their families, too!

So, We Might Be Crazy...

Our carpet is awful...like it is original to the house.  We have had it cleaned by ServPro numerous times. They do a great job, but eventually the stains come back.  We have contemplated replacing it now vs. when we list the house.  A flooring guy Paul does a lot of business with called with a great deal on some closeout carpet.  We went and checked it out and decided to go for it.  I think we are insane.  We had to turn the house upside down to get ready for the install.  This is the first time ever we have not had a Christmas tree up before Thanksgiving.  We didn't even have the kids' trees up.  But, I love, love the carpet!  It also gave us a good opportunity to clean out the kids rooms, our room and the bonus room.  We took a lot of stuff to Goodwill and some things just went to the dump!

We worked a long time tonight trying to get at least one room back in order before bedtime. Although it was a lot of work I think we are going to enjoy the new carpet for the remainder of the time we are in this house.

Thanksgiving Lunch

Our little Pilgrim!

Someone was excited Pop came to see her play!

Lunch with these two kiddos!

Today was the kids' annual Thanksgiving lunch.  I was not able to go because of work, but Paul and Bill were.  Katherine's class put on a little play.  Paul said it only lasted about 10 minutes but was really cute.  It worked out and Luke was able to eat at Katherine's lunch time so the four of them all ate together.  The kids were so excited to have their Pop and Daddy there!

The Heat is On

View into the attic playroom

So, in the midst of all the renovations we realized one of the heat and air units is out.  Apparently it had been out for some time even while the tenants had been living there. We went ahead and had it replaced so now the house can be toasty warm when we need it to be. That has helped get the coats of drywall mud dry between applications.  The last coat is on and they will be doing the final sanding in the next couple of days!  I had to work today so we went out there once I was off and checked things out.  It is looking good.

We have walls!

Our bathroom

New powder room in the mud room

We opted to replace the drywall instead of stripping
all the wallpaper off!

The drywall crews have been hard at work this week.  We couldn't go up last night because we met some friends for supper.  We don't get to see the Fitzpatricks much so we have tried to make an effort to meet them for a meal every few months.  I also met with someone yesterday who helped me decide all the paint colors for the house.  I am going to get a few samples mixed up to try in certain rooms. We are mainly going with neutrals in the main living areas but are going to use some color in the bedrooms and dining room.

We are pleased with the progress inside so far.  It won't be long before the paint crew can get started which blows my mind!

Finally Friday!

The insulation was blown in the ceiling yesterday.  

My co-worker's mother passed away this week so I had to re work my schedule a little bit.  I was supposed to be off Wednesday and today, but just took off today.  I had to reschedule some appointments for today.  I met with some cabinet makers at the house this morning. It was freezing! For some reason the heat was not working well while we were there.  I felt so sorry for the people working there and for the ladies from the cabinet company that were measuring everything.  We got it all done though and then I headed out of there and straight to get a warm cup of coffee!

I had a lot of errands to run.  We are looking for appliances and bathroom tile right now.
We also had a hiccup when trying to get insurance on the Gallatin house.  In the process we realized that our roof on our current house is in bad shape.  We have had it looked at in the past but it was not "bad enough" to be replaced. Well, apparently now it is in very rough shape.  So, we are getting a new roof!  That will be good for the re-sale value of our house.

I was also super excited when the kids and I got home this afternoon and I had the December issue of Southern Living.  I flipped through the pages and saw an article on Christmas in Charleston. This is perfect because we are going to there in December with Jon and Kristen kind of as a birthday trip for Paul!  The article had some good suggestions.  We are getting excited!

Work, Work

After church we spent the afternoon working at the house.  Paul took the old double ovens and cook top out. All the old particle board floor was taken out this week.  Insulation is scheduled to be put in the attic this week before the drywall goes in. 

Day of Fun!

Getting the end of the season trophy!

Group shot

Luke's first pick -- putt putt

Next up...go karts!

This morning was Luke's last flag football game.  He has had  fun season.  He had his best catch and run today -- he almost scored a touchdown!  Mom had plans to take Katherine to see Annie at one of the local high schools.  Paul and I took the opportunity to have some one on one time with Luke!  We let him plan what we were going to do the rest of the day.  He picked to go play putt putt first.  We had fun playing. Luke has asked to ride go karts several times but we have never done it. So, Paul decided today was a good day to let him.  They had a blast doing it. The guy running the track seemed to let them stay on the track a long time.  After go karts we went to Opry Mills to do some shopping and ate supper at Chuy's.  We watched the end of the Auburn football game, which was awful! 

We had such a fun day with Luke.  From all accounts Katherine had a great time at the play with Mom and Ms. Wanda. They ate at Dalt's after the show.  Katherine spent the night with Mom and we are going to meet at church in the morning.

Checking off the List

The extra hour of sleep helped so much! We actually were up and going and made it to 8:30 worship. The music was amazing today so I was so glad we were there.  We had 7 boys in our class today and they were hyper!  It made the hour go by very quickly though!

After lunch Paul and Luke went to the farm to clean up from last night and Katherine and I went shopping with Mom.  I have so many decisions to make on the house.  None of the kitchen and bath showrooms were open today and neither were the flooring warehouses so we ended up at Lowe's. We also went to JoAnn's looking at fabric.  Ideally I would have some of that picked out before we decide on paint colors.  Katherine picked out her room color and bathroom tile a long time ago and thankfully she has stuck with it.  She chose a black and white hexagon tile for her bathroom.  We will do her tub surround with classic white tile with a black inset accent.  Her bedroom wall color is a very pretty lavender.  We will go a shade lighter or darker in the bathroom.  I was very impressed with her selections!  I picked up samples of her tile so I will have them for reference.  That is about all the progress we made.  I really want Paul with me to pick out the tile for the master bath.  We are having the cabinet maker construct vanities for us.  We will have "his and her" vanities so no more fighting over the counter space!  I snapped the picture at Lowe's for an example of something I like.  It is more the configuration than anything with this one.  We haven't narrowed down anything about the color, style, etc yet.

The Frozen Hayride!

Enjoying all the great food

Brrr....it is extremely cold here this weekend!  Luke had a football game this morning. Paul had to meet the electricians at the house so I asked Mom if she would watch Katherine so she didn't have to sit out in the cold.  That worked out perfect.  After the game Luke and I picked up a few things for the Sunday School hayride tonight.  One of the guys in our class is an amateur pitmaster.  He is the real deal with this crazy smoker/grill.  He actually enters contests and wins them.  He and some of the other men were at the house most of the day cooking all the meat.

Despite the frigid temps we had an amazing turnout.  There were close to 70 people there!  When the kids and I got there this afternoon we made the executive decision to move the food and eating part of the fellowship into Bill's shop. In ten years of hosting these bonfires we have never had to go to "plan B" but we did tonight!  It worked out great.  We had all the food set up in there and everyone was already bringing chairs anyway.  It felt about 20 degrees warmer in there than outside.  We did an abbreviated hayride before dark.  I wish I had a picture -- that wagon was loaded down!  Paul did have a fire going and most people congregated there after eating.  The kids had a great time running around in the fields and playing.  This was an earlier night and we were able to be home a little after 9.  I am also thankful that we gain an hour tonight -- an extra hour of sleep is always good!  We had great time, but honestly I am glad both bonfires are behind us now and we can focus more of our attention on the house.  We are getting to the point I need to be making a lot of decisions and quickly!

Halloween Happenings!

The weather man got it right --- it is a cold Halloween!  I was off today and tried to get some things done for the house.  I went to a flooring place and narrowed the hardwood down to a couple of options.  I got overwhelmed looking at tile so I went to a home consignment shop next door which was great!  I didn't buy anything, but I got some neat ideas and will definitely go back.

I picked the kids up at 3 and we came home to get ready for Halloween!  Katherine dressed up as Rapunzel and Luke was Bumblebee the Transformer.  Mom came over after work to see them in their costumes.  Some friends of ours invited us over to go trick-or-treating in their neighborhood and have supper.  It was so cold!  The men stayed at the house and grilled hotdogs while the moms walked the kids around the neighborhood.  This particular area is usually crazy busy with trick or treaters, but it was noticeably lighter this year.  Not sure if it was the weather keeping people in or the competition from local churches having indoor events.  The park had a huge pumpkin festival and the mall had indoor activities.  We hit several houses before the kids were too cold to go on.  The guys had supper ready when we got back.  It was fun hanging out and letting the kids play.  Everyone was exhausted and ready for bed by the time we left.

Finished Product!

They were so excited!

We were pretty pleased with how they turned out!

I only took one picture this morning....

I had to run up to the house this morning to take the plumbers some supplies.  So much has happened this week I couldn't believe it.  I got distracted when the plumbers got there and forgot to take any pictures.  The only one I got was the attic playroom.  The workers installed steps down into an attic off set and floored it so we can use that as storage.  It was a much larger area than I thought it would be which is great!  We need all the storage we can get. We will most likely keep all our seasonal decorations up there so we don't have to bring stuff up from the basement.  The old carpet, dining room hardwood and base layer of particle board has all been removed.  It's crazy what a difference that made.  Last week nothing happened at the house and this week it seems like it's been kicked in overdrive!

We finished up the kids pumpkins tonight!  They were so excited when they were all done and we lit them on the porch!  The weather forecast is calling for highs in the 50's tomorrow and lows in the 30's -- it is crazy how quickly the temperature can change this time of year!

Last Minute

Apparently to carve a pumpkin in our family you have to be shirtless!  We pretty much have waited until the last minute to carve the kids' pumpkins.  Katherine wanted to do Flick from Tinker Bell. Luke wanted to do a barn so we got Andrew to email us a template from a pumpkin he had done before.  We got Katherine's almost done and not a lot of progress on Luke's -- will have to do the rest of it tomorrow night!

Beautiful Day!

Luke is such a big helper!

Cutting the bushes down made a huge difference!

Today was unseasonably warm -- in the 80's! We took the opportunity to do a lot of work outside.  I have been wanting to cut the overgrown boxwoods down since we got started.  Paul cut them all down and we hauled the debris off in the Gator.  We raked a lot of leaves just for fun because we know there is a long way to go before they are all off the trees. It was such a great day we just wanted to take advantage of it!

Ready for Friday!

It has been a hectic week as usual, so we were glad when Friday rolled around!  Paul and went to the annual FCA banquet last night.  One of our friends' sister was honored as "Coach of the Year".  It was really cool to see what FCA is doing in public schools in middle Tennessee. It was also a good opportunity to catch up with some of our friends we had not seen in a while  We experienced another "first" last night.  It was the first time that the kids had a babysitter outside of a family member.  I know that is crazy since Luke is almost 7!  Mom is in Florida visiting Andrew and Mandi and Bill had a basketball clinic. We used a friend of the family so the kids were familiar with her.  They had a great time, but I could tell that were a little nervous before we left.  The played lots of games and built Legos so both kids were pretty happy.

I was off today since I work the weekend.  I did lots of errands -- emissions testing on my vehicle, renewing the tags, early voted, bought some beautiful pansies and ran by the house to check on everything.  I forgot to take any pictures though.  I picked the kids up at 3 and we came home a while before Luke's football practice.  After that we met Bill and Paul for supper at the local pizza place which was yummy.  The kids have been asking for a Friday movie night so we watched Elf when we got home.  Great way to kick off the weekend!

Back at It

Still Katherine's favorite part...dessert!

More progress on the porch

Since we had a very late night last night we didn't make it to the worship service this morning.  We woke up in time to get to Sunday School which is a good thing since we were teaching today!  It was Katherine's turn to pick where we ate lunch.  She picked Dairy Queen which is not my favorite, but that is why we take turns picking where we go.

We went to Gallatin and cleaned up from the hayride.  Mom came to help me strip the wallpaper in the kitchen.  Unfortunately, we made very little progress.  We worked on it for a couple of hours and barely made a dent in it.  I went to Sherwin Williams and bought a special chemical that supposedly made the paper come right off - wrong!  After trying everything we could think of without much success Paul suggested that we just replace the drywall -- how clever!  He said it will not cost that much and that was better than spending hours and hours trying to get the wallpaper off and damaging the walls.  So, I guess that is what we will do!