First time we've ever seen leopard gecko, Sam(antha) doing a shed. She's getting a good bite of the lower body skin here during her 30-minute shed process.
Michelle trying to get warm while doing her mantra. Yes, Donovan, those are your slippers!
The two proud Bronco (Cal Poly Pomona, NOT Denver) fans.
Time out to play Skip-Bo. It was Guys vs. Girls (Curt/Andrew vs. Adele/Michelle). Guys took this one.
The camellia bush Curt planted in the backyard has this small bloom on it this year. It's all amazing...we got it to flower...and...the flower is so much smaller than the ones on it when we brought it home from the nursery. What's that all about?
Just in time for Adele's visit, we had this beautiful amaryllis bloom!
The pony wall that will hold up the raised bar. I'm standing on the kitchen side. The island cabinets will mount to this side of the pony wall.
Ducting for the microwave exhaust had to be moved a bit...just another whole in the ceiling. Sure glad I'm not the wall board patcher!
New side window. This replaces the garden window on east side of house. Big difference is amount of light, but boy are these windows smooth. Andrew: They keep working on that floor!
New sink window...same size and location of previous window.
And, of course, the runuculus...so many beautiful colors!
They have a developmental rose garden with lots of different roses.
Yes, these are orange poinsettias!
There were sweet peas in a sweet pea maze. Never seen so many sweet peas!
Wires to ceiling can lights and undercabinet lighting was accomplished in one afternoon.
The only place I know of to get organic strawberries...my own strawberry planter. Not too big of a crop, but a tasty one ever so often. The snapdragons are coming on strong now. Those are one of my favorites, so I enjoy being out on the patio to see them.
Not too many sweetpeas this year, but what we do have are very enjoyable.
The floor scraping has been the hardest part so far. Even Andrew got in on the action. He'll do anything on Tuesday nights to avoid watching American Idol with me! He only hangs around to catch the weekly episode of Glee.
Now I'm standing at the patio door and looking into the kitchen. You can see the new pocket door framing and opening. The old opening is at far left, now framed up. Next steps: Scrap the flooring up, install electrical. Early next week: Replace windows. Now that's going to be a change. The garden window, shown here, will be replaced with a 36 inch wide window.
I'm standing in the corner where the pocket door is located. The framing that Curt left is gone and the room opens wide into the dining room. Molly couldn't wait to get out from behind that gate. She promptly went and laid down where you see her here. Of course, much of the floor space you see will be filled with the island.
So, the doorway from the kitchen to the living room is being moved closer to the outside wall of the house. This is the framing for the pocket door that replaces the old passage between the two rooms.
The dining challenge is on! The make shift kitchen is now a part of the dining room, but, oh yes, the refrigerator is in the entryway. And, of course, dishes have to be washed camping style...out on a patio table. Two days down, 7.5 weeks to go!
olly was the demolition supervisor!
ess!
Homemade stir fry was prepped by both of us and then Curt went to work at the grill to cook everything. Electric rice cooker is a savior for quinoa too!