18 Months

When I travel for work I come home and I’m always amazed at how much she has grown and transformed in a few short days.   So it’s no surprise that 18 months have flown by.  She is pronouncing her words so much better.  Learning new tricks.  Evolving into a little person and really showing her personality (Which at times can be very bossy especially to the dogs).    She’s so much fun and we’re enjoying every second with her.

•  She is talking all the time and repeating everything you say.  Even the stuff you don’t want her to.  Mommy and Daddy slip up sometimes. 
•  Her comfort items are her Milky and Blanky.  She asks for them all the time.  Especially when she’s tired. 
• She Loves playing Soccer.  She says “Mommy, kick-a-da soccor ball?  She’s actually really good.  Honestly she’s better than me, which is not saying much I guess.   
• Outside is still her favorite place to be.  Digging in the dirt, swinging, playing at the park, watching bugs,  going for a walk, or petting doggies or Kitties.  She always wants to be outside. 
• Yesterday I taught her how to walk backwards.  She thought it was so cool.  She kept bumping into everything and laughing.
•  When she eats she started yelling “Mmmmm, So yummy! Good!!!”  It’s really funny because she’s screaming it. 
•  She loves singing and almost has her ABC’s down.  She also likes to sing Twinkle Twinkle, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Ring around the Rosie, Happy Birthday and EI EI O (old McDonald). 
•  We’ve been working on counting and she can count to 6 no problem.  She almost can get to 10 but always forgets  at least one number.
•  Most words she says are pronounced correctly but she still says Mink for Drink but the best one is Elephant.  She said El-Oh-Shit.   It makes me laugh every time especially because there are a lot of Elephants in her books and movies.  

Christmas Morning

I as you can tell Nicholas and I have not been the best bloggers and I really need to catch up.  Let’s start with this Christmas Morning post that has been sitting in my draft box since January 4^th. 

We spent Christmas morning with Nicholas family in California.  Baines got up early and lover her gifts Santa brought.   The Baby Doll and stroller were her favorites.    After hanging out at the house we finished packing for Utah and them went to the Enterline’s for Breakfast.  They made yummy waffles on their vintage waffle irons.   Baines then got spoiled again with tons of fun toys including a push tricycle.   But she loved hanging out with her cousins the most.    Our Sister-in-law Andrea got her amazing restored Cadillac that Joe finished.  It’s so cute.   After that we packed up and headed to the airport….

January house update

Working with photos in Blogger is a nightmare! One would think it would be such a simple concept but Blogger does not feel that way. This reason is only one of the excuses why there have not been any house updates in over a month. The other is I don't feel like we've really made a lot of blog worthy progress. Never the less here we are.

To start: the front door and windows are in. We still need to replace a few strips of the hardwood floor and build a threshold for the door but that is not critical. The door turned out great, it is solid and heavy but with the ball bearing hinges we installed it moves perfectly with just the right feel. Yesterday we just found out that a neighbor told another neighbor that our door must have cost us $3,000. So at least it looks expensive.  We also were able to replace the kitchen door and part of the wall where an old original window was still hanging. The old window had to go to make room for a planed pantry but we still wanted the light it provided so we decided to go with a full glass door with the mini-blinds inside the glass, just like the rear doors we put in the master bedroom. Our old original door had the doggy door in it so we had to move that over into the wall since the new one was all glass. 

Front

New kitchen and doggy door. Also no more hot water heater

we still have to build the enclosure.

Living in a house while replacing everything takes a lot of planning since some things must be done before you can do another but at the same time we need those things working to live there. A perfect example is the hot water heater. Our old 40 gallon tank water heater was critical so it had to stay until we could get the new tankless installed but I first had to get everything ran and hooked up for it. We got the electrical, gas and water lines all ran then juiced that thing up a few weeks ago. We could then remove the old tank and finally rip out the last section of stucco we had on the house. Now with the heater gone and the new kitchen door framed I could get going on the rest of the Tyvek wrap. 

Left side (driveway/kitchen side)

The house is now mostly wrapped in Tyvek, I just need to cut up around all the overhangs. You can see on the side peaks where we did not cover, that will be the attic vents we're working on. I'm glad we got the Tyvek up because it has been raining the last few days and it gives us some moisture protection. I can't wait to get the siding, insulation and drywall up because it will make a huge difference.

right side (fireplace side)

The fireplace is now in and working. That took some work since I had to run new gas and electrical to that as well. We we were able to get the box and venting in finish the framing and sheeting for that all except the cap. We're going to get the metal cap made soon but for now I've got a scrap plywood covering it (it keeps most of the rain out but not all). McCall, Baines and I have been enjoying the fire almost every night now. 

Most of the electrical and lighting for the rear addition is ran, we probably just need one more weekend to finish that up and then some finish up work before I call the inspector out and hope he'll let us insulate and drywall the rear addition so we can get some more livable space.  

Not the greatest picture but it's our fireplace where the old window was.



Christmas Eve

It's a New Year and already I'm playing catch up.  I have a million pictures from Christmas and our week off for Utah Vacation.   I thought I should break up my posts so not to overwhelm you... Of course most pictures are of Baines.  I really like her :-)

On Christmas Eve, we spent the evening with Nicholas Mom's side of the family.  We do a big dinner, socialize, and all the kids open gifts.   Last year she was so into the packages and pulling tissue paper out, as you might remember here .    This year it she wasn't really interested in the wrapped gifts.  I had to open them, when she saw the toy's inside she was so stoked and wanted us to open the boxes right away.  

She got some really fun gifts that include a Tree House tent, cute hair clips and necklace hand made by Nicholas's cousins wife, an Elmo guitar (her favorite), a little piano, and tea set.  Spoiled Rotten and its only Christmas Eve.  

The only present she help open

The kids waiting to open the first gift

Given Dean Hugs and Kisses

Hanging with Anthony

After we got home we opened our Christmas Jammies and did some major cuddle time.  Baines spent most of hers on top of the dogs.

Doggy Pillows

Face Time with Elmo before Santa comes

Being silly with Mommy

Christmas Card Photo Shoot

Last year we didn’t do photo Christmas cards so this year I was determined to get them done.  I refused to pay a photographer because it’s so freaking expensive.  So I borrowed my sister-in-law’s camera and took my own photos.  I am by now means a photographer, and defiantly not an aspiring one but I was proud of the way they turned out.  I have to say my subject did most of the work. 

We spent a few hours at the park across the street from our house and I took picture while she played.  It was a really fun day and I happy we did it.  

 

She has to pet every doggy just like her dad

Stopped to eat lunch and costume change

Yelling at tree's is fun

I mean really... that face.  I LOVE the gap in her teeth

Stomping on leaves

Lolita Rosita Conchita Sanchez Maxfield

Today my Mom's little doggie passed away. We are so sad she's gone but know she's in a better place. A few weeks ago she was diagnosed with Addison's Disease. She was on the mend but got sick again. We've loved her for ten years. She was given to me as a birthday gift when I was a senior in high school by my friends Ryan and Tyler. My mom was so mad because she didn't want a new dog. When I left for college I had to leave her at home. She became my moms best friend. They loved each other so much. Then when I moved to California Lita kept my mom company.  Whenever I came to visit she would get so excited. She never forgot who I was. We will never forget her.


 My friend Rosanna sent this to me and I thought it was so sweet. 

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... 

Author unknown...

 We'll miss you our little grilled stuffed burrito. 

 RIP 1/01-12/11

quick look

Here is a quick look at what we've been doing and working on. So many little details had to go into getting the porch area built it is a shame to cover it all up. The Tyvek does make the house look more official. Too bad it is only across the front for now. We wanted to get the wrap up to close up the open framing to keep the cold/elements/bugs out. With the Temps in Lakewood getting down into the 30's the last few nights it is a good thing we did.