David's summer project

Every summer since David and I moved into our house, we have had a summer project. Past projects were normally painting different rooms in the house. The one thing I really hated was the color of the cabinets in the bathrooms and kitchen. Even the banister of the stairs is this terrible bleach blond. YUCK!!!

So this summer we decided to stain & varnish the down stairs bathroom (we used this room as the experiment...i.e. what not to do and to do!) and the kitchen cabinets.

Meg & Kate eating breakfast this morning in our half torn up kitchen.

Ugly blond cabinet!

David took all the cabinet doors off one side of the kitchen to remove all the old varnish and stain. This takes so much time and work!

Completed bathroom cabinets...not to bad honey! I love it!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Vacation part one

Back at the beginning of the year David and I sat down and talked about what and where we wanted to go for our summer vacation. I remembered as a kid going to the Rocky Mountains with my parents & sister and thinking WOW this is so beautiful here! So the Rocky's it was, but David being ever my smart husband said that since we practically had to drive through Mesa Verde why not stop there first. Good idea!! I'd been there also as a kid and wanted to see that again. When doing some Internet searching on these areas we came across the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad day trip. Hum....trains! small children! Cooool!!!!! Durango was only about a 30 minute drive from our campsite in Mesa Verde so we thought that this would be just the thing to start our 2009 vacation off with a bang! My parents and my nephew Michael came along for the first part of our vacation and had a great time with us.

The scenery was breathtaking...

Durango is at 6,512 feet above sea level and by the time you arrive in Silverton your sitting comfortably at 9,305 feet elevation. All I can say is don't plan on running because you will pass out. :) jk!!

If anyone was wondering what a narrow gauge is...here yeah go;
Narrow gauge rails are three feet (36 inches) apart, while standard gauge rails are four feet, 8 1/2 inches (56 1/2 inches), which is a standard based on Roman chariot wheels. The D&RG chose to build narrow gauge because the construction was cheaper, the equipment cost less and the narrow gauge was better suited to the sharper curves of the mountain terrain.

Gosh I feel like I need to write a school report now! ;)

Also the steam locomotive is fueled by coal, for a round trip to Silverton a fireman shovels six tons of coal per day. On a round trip, ten thousand gallons of water are used to produce the steam to power the locomotive!
Oh I would so get an A on my report!

I also found out the this train had been in a few movies, just to name a few that I recognized...Around the World in 80 days (1956), Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (1969)

The trip up to Silverton took about 3 1/2 hours, we got to spend 2 hours there. It then took 4 hours to come back down to Durango, this was because of the grade and we also had some rain.

Perfect time for a catnap!

Kate sleeping

Meg asleep on Oma's lap

Fairies & Princesses

Meg and Kate with Rosetta

Tinkerbell (always a favorite)

Meg showing off her butterfly cheek

Kate's pretty butterfly's

The girls with Belle

Princess Jasmine with Meg & Kate

Ariel and girls

Birthday Mel!

On Friday my oldest daughter turned another year older, so how do you celebrate? Go to Disneyland of course!!

Meg, Kate, & Mel hanging out with Sulley.

On Sunday we had a BBQ for Mel at the house with friends and family.

Meg and Kate sang happy birthday to Mel along with ABC and twinkle twinkle little star. Always a birthday must!?!

Is Oma shrinking or is it just our imagination? :)

Andrea and Brian helping me in the kitchen, putting together the vegetable kabobs.

Grandpa, Opa, and Oma-Oma enjoying the afternoon. Oma-Oma liked her banana margarita, YAHOO...she's such a party animal!

My husband the master griller! If I can only get him to do the dishes afterward...OK only in a perfect world!!! hahaha jk David

Happy Birthday Melissa...we love you!!!!!

PLASMA CARS ROCK!!

A few weeks back I was looking at my cousin Michelle's blog and saw that she got her daughters a Plasma car. A Plasma car!?! What is that I thought to myself, hmm I must check into this. After watching the videos she posted of Ripley and Ume playing on them and going to the web site for Plasma cars, I was hooked.

Because we have the most boring backyard (no grass, just a large glorified patio) it's hard to find things for the girls to do. The cars are perfect for this!

Even Josh got into them!

Mother's Day

Oma-Oma with Kate and Meg...

Mother's day was really nice, we had brunch on the patio at Mom and Dad's house.

Elly (mom/Oma), with Kate (doesn't she look just so happy! NOT!!), me and Meg, Oma-Oma.

Carol/Grandma with Meg, me and Kate. (I promised Kate jelly beans if she'd smile)

David with his Mommy! :)

I love Mother's day!!