my white kitchen

If you know me well, I'm sure you're as sick of hearing me talk about my kitchen as I am of thinking about it. There are always those darn lingering projects, and coupled with our new normal being busier than we're used to, things just take a lot longer than what we prefer.

But, we are pretty much done. And I absolutely love it.

There was drama with these counter stools. I searched for days to find the best ones out there. Do you realize how expensive wood counter stools are? I found some on Overstock and they looked white enough; I figured they would be pretty darn close to the cabinet color. Wrong. They looked YELLOW in my kitchen. I could not return them, so I geared myself up for another painting project. Sanding, priming and painting chairs is a project I will never do again. But they are really nice. And the color is an exact match now. Just don't ask how many weeks it took me.

This shows the color they started out (in the process)... and how they look now.

The backsplash. This was an area where I wanted to be bold and really add a splash of color. However, after trying out several fun tiles I realized that they were competing too much with the "busy" granite. I decided to stick to something classic (thinking resale) and we did this nice gray-ish marble. My parents did most of the work and I felt silly when I realized how easy it is to do. (My dad was great to actually get a picture of me doing something, proving I was here and helped a little.)

And of course the crown moulding. My dad is smart and handy and after playing around and learning how to cut those angles for a good portion of the morning he started making awesome cuts and now we have moulding up that adds the perfect touch. It's all about the finishes. (And the ceiling has also been patched and painted since this picture was taken.)

I do love it. White kitchens are modern but classic and so clean looking.

But, I would love some help. With so much white, I feel like the light green color I have in there now is too light. I need a color that will be a contrast. I know I don't want red, but any other color suggestions would be greatly appreciated. (I'm even considering brown!) It will have to wait until 2012, because I'm decorated out for the year.

our guy

I guess my Father's Day gift to Spencer was a bit of a cop-out, and was kinda selfish. I'm not really feeling bad though.

A few weeks ago we were offered the chance to buy some U2 concert tickets from friends who had moved from the area. Luckily, we got to go with some of our other good friends and we were 4 rows from the front. Aside from feeling like an old lady, where staying out until 1 a.m. throws me off for days, we loved rocking out to all U2's classics. I would have felt like a giddy teenager at a cool rock concert...but there weren't any teenagers there.

My favorite part of the night involved the space station. Bono said he was dedicating the next song to Gabby Giffords (the congresswoman who was shot). There was a video of Mark Kelly, her husband, up in space. He held up some cards and one by one spelled the words "It's a Beautiful Day." Then he said, "Tell her I love her. She knows." I don't even like that song but I sure liked it right then! It was an incredible concert.

A couple things I learned:
-Bono really likes the camera.
-Bono has a creepy resemblance to Robin Williams (or, Robin Williams has a creepy resemblance to Bono?).
-Marijuana smells weird. I kept asking what all the smells were, and Spencer would just roll his eyes. I guess I'm naive?

Today was great because Spencer was actually home with us! Thankfully it was Stake Conference so his meetings were minimal and it was just like old times (meaning, just like a year ago). And he got to sit with us at church and see what a full-time job it is to keep Tanner occupied. I even "let" him do most of the work. He also got to teach the kids how to play his favorite game, Ticket to Ride. I kept telling him not to cheat (he has to win he likes to win), but the kids picked up on it quickly and I'm sure it will replace Monopoly as the game tradition around here, thank goodness (not a fan of Monopoly).

I love that the kids think Spencer is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

winding down

Isn't it interesting how things get crazy before they can finally wind down? We're kinda in that place right now.  If you could see my calendar that has been really full for June so far, it's pretty empty after the last day of school. I can't wait. And remember how I wanted to make a count-down chain on the first day of school because I was already missing my kids? Well, I didn't make a chain, but I have known for the last couple months exactly how many days were left until I got my two big kids home with me for 2 1/2 months!! I am way more excited than they are, probably because they have both had such phenomenal teachers this year and as a result they truly enjoy school.

My parents came to visit for some fun things going on. It had been 5 whole months since we had last seen them, which I think is the longest time we've gone in over 4 years. Tanner took a while to get accustomed to them, but he quickly realized they are nice and they give him what he wants. He loved running his hands over Papa's beard, and would laugh and laugh at how the prickles tickled. He even fell asleep on my mom's chest while she read to him and Tyler, and he NEVER does that.

Emma had two dance recitals. The girls looked like little cupcakes with sprinkles. Emma enjoyed performing and did fabulously, and I couldn't figure out why I kept feeling so emotional. Spencer kept saying, "What happened to our baby girl?" She even wore make-up. Yikes.

We finally finished up t-ball. 20 games later, Tyler doesn't know if he wants to play again next year. I have mixed feelings about the time commitment, but I did make him finish the season. His favorite part of the season was the snack shack, and getting his very own trophy at the end. He hit a pitched ball (not off the tee) when Grandma and Papa were here, just minutes before they had to leave to drive home. His coach said he was the most improved player this year. I am very proud of my # 9 Sea Dog. By the way, who thought white baseball pants were a good idea?

My parents also helped us finish up some kitchen projects, for which we are SO grateful. I'm glad my dad, the handyman that he is, got to contribute a little bit to this project that has consumed us for almost 2 months. It is 95% done now, and I'll put up final pictures soon. By the way, "simplify" continued to make me giggle as well as roll my eyes, so it is GONE.

Once school is out we have a rather low-key summer planned with two little boys' birthdays (!), as well as the last birthday I will ever have. And a visit from Nana and Grandpa, who will be bringing a huge item with them for us to borrow.

Bring on the sun, the pool, and lazy summer days!