I need some kitchen inspiration....

Life has been crazy lately, so I apologize for the lack of posts lately.  The kitchen drama continues. Let's begin, shall we?

1. I f#@ked up our counter-tops big time.  Let's just say Jeremiah told me so.  
2. We ordered new counter-tops from Home Depot.  Great deal and just what we wanted. 
3. Decided to paint our existing cabinets.  They are in good shape, so we decided to paint them a beautiful mossy green.  Way more work than I thought they would be.  Ugh.  Thanks Hannah for the painting help and by passing the time by talking about "The Bachelorette."  
4. Decided to re-face them as well so that we can add some dimension and style to our 1994 kitchen.
5. Jeremiah gets a new saw.  He is a happy boy.
6. Decided to also buy a new stove.  Drop-in General Electric.
7. We are at Home Depot already, let's buy a new fridge too.  
8. Delivery date in one week?  Awesome!
9. Received the famous phone call "your delivery is scheduled for tomorrow between 10-2.  Thank you for your order from Home Depot."  Jeremiah unhooks the oven to prepare.
10. Order doesn't show up.  Awesome.
11. Oven on back order.  Awesome.
12. Without an oven with a family of 4 for 2 weeks.  This could be fun?
13. Cabinets get cleaned out and organized.  A package of Twizzlers from who-knows-when found between the drawers?  I think I will.  Yum.  Followed by a stomach ache.
14. Take all the kitchen donations to Goodwill.  Find a cute pea-coat for $9.99 while I am there.  Score.
15. Spray-paint hinges because no one makes the same size anymore and there is no way that I am going to fill all those cabinet door holes and rework the cabinet doors.  No.  Way.  They turn out good.
16. Buy a new kitchen faucet.  Looks slick.  Orchard Supply Hardware rocks.  Priced wrong at $199 (supposed to be $249) and also got 20% off with coupon.  Score.
17. Counter-tops template and install delayed because of the oven back order.  So we get to live with these hideous counter-tops for a few weeks.  Awesome-sauce.  
18. So.....there is where we are at right now.  Yup.  

Here are some of our hideous "before" kitchen pictures.  Sorry in advance.  It's pretty bad.

Well, it's on its way (one way or another).  Thanks for the emotional support :)  I feel better already.

whale watching...

I am a major geek when it comes to marine biology.  I strongly considered it as a major in college, but all the science courses were a little much for me so my dad told me something when I was changing majors: "you can always see whales and dolphins in the wild.  And you can always go to Broadway." I was debating between theatre, marine biology, and business.  I went the business route. 

Anyways, my parents live on the coast and ALWAYS see whales from their place.  But not when I am there.  I went on the Alaska boat cruise and they ALWAYS see whales on the boat.  But not when I am there. So, Jeremiah was a little nervous when we got on the boat in Anacortes, Washington for a whale-watching tour.  

Within 30 minutes we saw a pod of whales and then we saw another pod a few hours later.  It was amazing.  I teared-up when we saw the first one because I have basically been waiting 36 years to see an Orca.  Seriously.  And they came right next to the boat which was incredible.

The kids loved it too!  Paetyn was totally into it and then after the 20th whale, Maddux started to think "you've see 20 whales, you've been them all."  So we kinda lost his excitement.  

I felt kinda icky after about an hour, so Jeremiah was the nicest husband and stood outside pointing out all the orcas to me in the cabin and he also took 1,158 pictures.  Not kidding :)

It was amazing and I will never forget it.  We used Island Adventures and they were awesome!

Certainly a memory for the category:"best days ever."

family pics & Seattle...

As some of you probably already know, we make family pictures a priority each year.  We have had some amazing photographers in our lives the past few years.  What you may not know is that this year is extra special to us.

When I lived in Lincoln, Nebraska growing up I was a nanny for a family for many years.  The parents (who were awesome) were local realtors and they had 2 little boys, Dane & Wyn, who I spent many weekends, summers, and years with.  They were always around for my major life events including high school graduation, and when I got to perform at the Lied Center for Performing Arts, they were there on opening night in the front row.  

Wyn and I stayed in contact through letters for a few years, and then life just got in the way. He graduated middle school, then High School, and then was in college.  Life kinda just went on it's way.  

Then one crazy day, Karen O (one of our family photographers) put a post on Facebook about hanging out with Wyn Wiley.  I thought "no way that that is the SAME Wyn Wiley that I used to know?!?  But then again, how many Wyn Wiley's are out there?"  I called up Karen right then and there and asked her to ask Wyn if he remembered Lindsay Boyd from when he was little.  I could hear the screams through the phone.  Such a small world that we would all connect again.

Come to find out that he is an amazing photographer and has now graduated from college with a photographer dream-sheet in his hot little hands.  

We had kept in contact and then the stars aligned and he was going to be in Seattle the same time we were there.  I asked him if would be willing to do our family pics and he couldn't say "yes" fast enough.  What is really crazy is that our kids are the same ages that he and his brother were when I used to take care of them!

We met up with him in Seattle, treated him to his first M.L.B. game with the Mariners and spent the day catching up and taking some great pics.  

I can't wait to see them all!!!  Life is crazy right?  Crazy wonderful.