Kitchen Remodel Progress- 11/29

Before/After
What was once 80's European is now becoming French Country. Long gone are the white tiles, white cabinetry, white hardware, white Corian and white island tiles. Flooring and granite will be installed next week... but we love what we are seeing so far!!

It's almost Thanksgiving??

Where has the time gone? I can't believe that next week is already Thanksgiving. It seems like yesterday that Jeff & I were running back and forth from the hospital with Ryan. It's already been 3 months.

I've been extremely busy with work. I've been making "day trips" out of San Diego and San Francisco travel. I'm glad to be home at night with Ryan, but it is very exhausting to get up at 3:30a to be in both cities on time. I have two more trips to San Francisco - one on Monday and one the first week of December. The December trip will be my first night away from Ryan. OMG! (I try not to think about it!)

This time last week we were so consumed by the news of the fire - and this week we have already forgotten and moved on. It seems like the fires happened so long ago!

Jeff & I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary last week. We've been together for 6 years. It has really been an amazing 6 years.

Mario and Jeff are back to work on the kitchen today. It's coming along nicely. The end is in sight - and I look forward to the day I can put the mess back behind the doors!!! This process seems to be dragging on forever. Mario is more-than-ready to never make another trip to Palm Springs to work on the many pieces of our kitchen. It's a good thing Thanksgiving wasn't planned to be at our house this year, we would have never been ready.

We have an MRI scheduled for Ryan on December 23. Children's Hospital called me Thursday night to see if I could bring him in Friday morning. Unfortunately that day just wouldn't work given my San Francisco work load right now. Then, of course, they had a Monday opening (the day I travel). I insist on being with him, so I will keep the December 23 appointment and hope that something will open up on a day that I'm not scheduled to travel.

Ryan is growing so quickly. He's such a personable baby. Ryan is still very adjusted at daycare. He is very well liked and he exchanges the sentiment! It's neat to think that we'll be able to look back and think that Nina will have been caring for Ryan since he was only 2 months old. We really like her - she and Rosa are pretty amazing.

Fire in OC

Our thoughts and prayers are with our friends and family in Orange County whose homes are threatened by the fire.

Kitchen Remodel Progress

This is the 3rd weekend that the kitchen has been under construction. So far, all of the new cabinet boxes have been put in the kitchen, pantry and laundry room. We are without the conveniences of a sink, dishwasher, stove and oven. But hey! That piece of paper is where I can visualize that the new sink will go! We have picked out the kitchen and laundry room sinks (I decided to go with cast-iron for both). We decided on a professional-style faucet for the kitchen and picked it up last night (along with a convenient hot/cold dispenser).


We started removing ceramic tiles this weekend (what a noisy AND DUSTY process). Visualize a fine powder of the white stuff shown in the photo all over your house. The counter tops got measured for granite this afternoon.

We still need to pick out backsplash tiles and arrange to have the granite and flooring installed. Drawers, door fronts, faux panels and crown moulding should be going in (hopefully) within the week.

For the most part (except for the DUST), the whole process has been painless (maybe Jeff has a different perspective because he's been doing all the work!!). I'd say that most of the hassle has been the embarrassment to have the insides of your cabinets exposed on tables in our entryway and an inconvenience to be without a sink or appliances. We've had a couple of occasions when we've decided to make some changes to our kitchen plan along the way - but everything has been easily adjustable. I'm looking forward to us having this all complete in the next couple weeks. I have to just keep in mind that we have only had the weekends to work.

Tomorrow we will not be working on the kitchen (unless Mario decides to come install doors/drawers after all) because Jeff will be taking Dylan to race. As usual, if it's not one project it's another! We always manage to run 1,000 miles an hour.

Sled Riders M.C. Dual Euro Scrambles Race Weekend

Dylan took 1st place in Saturday's novice race.

It's too bad we weren't there. I guess he had an exciting race. He was the 2nd person through the bomb and the whole race was a close race race until the very end, where he overtook his competitor on the rock hill while the spectators cheered him on. As he passed him (the crowd goes wild), he held up his left hand pointing his index finger to let him know who was number one!! He said it was an exhilarating feeling.

He raced again today for Best of the West points. He had a 4-kick start and crashed 2 times but he still managed to come in 4th overall and 2nd in class.

With only a few races left this year, he has a shot at first place Novice. We have no idea where he is ranked in Best of the West but we think he is top 5 for sure. (The steward has never posted the results)

Not Again!

Since Ryan was released from the hospital, we've been administering home care to help cure his anal stenosis. Last week his doctor suddenly wanted to get real aggressive in treating Ryan. He stepped up the dilation progress and wanted us to bring him back in one week (which was today).

At our appointment today, the doctor indicated that he has suspicion that Ryan's condition is a bit more severe than just anal stenosis. He believes it to be rectal stenosis - which would require surgery similar to - but more extensive than - the Hirschsprung's procedure.

An MRI is being scheduled at Children's Hospital LA. If, after the MRI, there is a confirmed diagnosis of the condition, then I will share all of the detail that I was given today with all of you. It may be a couple of weeks before we can get it scheduled.

In the meantime, put Ryan in your prayers.

Tonight I look at him while he sleeps peacefully in his crib. I just love him so much. I know that regardless of what is determined, he will be okay. I look forward to the day that we aren't taking him to the doctor for anything accept his regular check-ups.

Good night, Ryan. Sweet dreams little baby. Someday this will all be over. Your Mommy & your Daddy love you!!!

Obama v McCain

Obama Accepts:



McCain Conceeds:

Decision '08 Presidential Election Results

Dylan & Randi go to Homecoming

Tonight is Glendora High School's Homecoming dance.   We started the event by taking pictures at 4p.  Everyone looked so amazing.  It was fun to see all of the couples dressed up.  Dylan posed with his brother (Ryan) and Randi with Cadence, her niece.  As time passed on and more and more couples in the group arrived it slowly transitioned to darkness and the sprinkles began to fall.  

Just moments before the party bus arrived, it began to pour and all of the kids scattered to any dry location they could find - in cars, under trees, under umbrellas (some were prepared for this!) under sweaters/jackets and under trees. 

 
44 kids lined up to seek shelter into the party bus.  One would think that this would have been the saving grace.  The bus driver did not immediately load the kids on to the bus - so they stood out in the rain getting soaked.  From what I was hearing, he was having everyone sign waiver forms.  I guess I may have handled the signing differently given the weather situation, but what's done is done.  I felt bad for the girls standing out there in their little dresses and their open toed-shoes... and their freshly prepared hair now soaked from the rain.

The kids were off for "formal pictures" at the dance.  (Those should be interesting... now that they are all soaked)  

After pictures, they were all headed to sushi - then back to the dance - then to Victoria Gardens for ice cream!