Got the basement back!

Isn't it a good feeling when something is clean and there is no clutter?!?!

Well, for this gal... it's a HUGE sigh of relief.  I am the type of person who has a place for everything.  Clutter give me panic attacks.  Okay, maybe not that severe of a reaction, but pretty darn close. When the boys were young I think my husband was ready to have me committed because I had to have all the dishes done, laundry folded and toys put away before we went to bed.  

It's been almost one year since Zachary left for college. Our basement was the place he and his friends hung out... you know.. where the big screen TV is...

All I can say is thank goodness it was in the basement and I didn't have to look at it everyday.  

The basement was my worst nightmare!

2 teenage boys + friends = Are you freaking kidding me!

 After he left, Todd and I cleaned it up, painted the walls with a fresh coat, shampooed the carpets and a whole lot more!

 The dinning table was one my grandfather refinished and gave to us as a wedding gift.  

We can actually sit and play card games with our friends!

Ahhhh.... the simple things in life.

 This was Zach's room.  It literally took me two weeks to gut it!

Now he has a nice, clean room to come home to.

=D

Conversations with Zach {brotherly love}

ZACHARY
Is Ahren moving back in?

ME

I don't know. 

He didn't say for sure.

Tell him I love him and he better quit cigs.
It's disgusting.

 I think that's why he isn't moving in. 

I told him he'd have to quit smoking.

 Hahahaha.
That's what I was thinking when you said he wasn't sure.

I don't like that he smokes.

Well mother, you know it's a process.
I read like 6 out of 100 people max are able to quit cold turkey.
The symptoms are to strong too handle.

He quit for awhile, but said stress makes him start again.

 It's rough out there.

(Yes, Zachary it is.)

My husband won the Procrastination Award!

In our starter home we needed window air conditioners because it was an older home without central air.  The beginning of each summer we had to drag six air conditioner units from the basement and put them in windows throughout the house (we had a three story house) (feel my pain?).

~

When we bought our new home, it was a blessing not having to take those bulky air conditioner units in and out each season.  

 When we moved, one of those air conditioners ended up in the garage of our new home.  I'm sure my husband had a very good *cough* reason why the air conditioner hitched a ride in the moving van.

 We bought our home in 2007.  

The first three spring seasons I asked my husband to get rid of the air conditioner.  

The next three spring seasons I demanded that my husband needed to get rid of the air conditioner.

Every year he said he would get rid of it.  Every year it did not happened.

~

I finally had enough.

This spring I threatened to highjack his golf clubs!

~

Can you guess what finally happened to the air conditoiner?

7 years later…… bye bye air conditioner!!

Let it Snow!

Here on the East Coast in Pennsylvania, we've been hit with two winter storms. 

~

We were driving home after a hockey game when the first snow storm began.

My nieces and nephew came to watch their cousin, Brandon play hockey.

 After arriving home, it kept snowing and snowing.

The second storm came in two parts: once late a night, letting up for rush hour, and then starting again around 11:30am.  It snowed the rest of the day.  

Schools were closed one day and an 2 hour delay on another.

The second storm also brought a cold rain. Everything turned into ice.

 Looks like we aren't going anywhere for awhile.

TGIF

This time last week was my 45th birthday.  My son said with astonishment in his voice, "Mom, I thought you were 41."  Hey, I'll take any younger year as a compliment.  However, he ended his thought with "You will be over 50 when I graduate college."  Gee, thanks for reminding me!

~

There was a windstorm that knocked our canopy off the posts.  

Luckily my husband was able to put it back together.

~

Zachary had all four wisdom teeth removed.  He's been walking around in agony for the last two days. I feel for him. I had mine taken out when I was a senior in high school.  It's no walk in the park.

~

 My friend, Audrey made me two hats for my birthday.  

It was cold enough last night to wear one.

~

Corbie found a new place to sit on one of the kids chairs.

My princess has found her throne.

Have a wonderful Friday!

Ellie and the Pond

There once was a dog named Ellie.

Ellie loved the pond in her back yard.

She loved to look for the frogs who lived in the pond.

 One day Ellie saw a frog under a lilly pad.

She slowly got closer to get a better look.

Gently, she stuck one paw into the water.

The frog swam away.

 Ellie followed the frog to another spot in the pond.

 Again, the frog swam away.

 Ellie was confused.  "Why does the frog not want to play with me?", she asked.

But wait!  The frog bobbed it's head up.

Then went back under to hide from Ellie.

Silly frog got away!

Memorial Day Weekend

What have you been up to this week?

I got a laptop for Mothers Day because we thought my old laptop was causing a printer problem.
It didn't work.
Laptop was returned.
Back to square 1 with the printer problem.
~
Our community had a yard sale last weekend.
It didn't go as well as I thought, but I am $76.00 richer and the garage is cleaner.
~
My husband's birthday falls on Memorial Day weekend.
A picnic is planned at his brothers house.
The forecast calls for rain.
Bummer!
~
Zachary is graduating in a few weeks.
Where did the time go?
~
The air-conditioner broke in my car - AGAIN!
Not good timing since we have had an abnormal heat wave.
The heat makes me cranky!
~
School is almost over.
My summer work schedule is lighter.
I l.o.v.e. summer!
Which sounds crazy since the heat makes me cranky.
~
Have you ever had a pen pal?
You know, the kind where you actually write a letter instead of email?
I did as a teenager. A girl from Japan.
I wonder whatever happened to her?
Now I have a new pen pal from Australia.
We met thru blogging but we both thought it would be fun to go back to pen and paper!
~

~

Have a wonderful three day weekend!

Finders Keepers, Loser Weepers

When we moved into our house in 2005 we were excited!  There is something about having a huge mortgage payment owning your own home. One of things we liked about the house was that it had a finished basement.  Our first home was an older one that had a dark, musty basement.  You couldn't' make it into a place where the family could hang out.

A few days into the move we finally began unpacking items in the basement.  I plugged in lamps and the TV. To my surprise, the outlets did not work.  WHAT??  Todd unscrewed the outlet plates, only to find out the electric was never hooked up.  The former owners had a contractor install outlets with out running the electric and did not disclose it at the time of sale.

Fast forward a few hours…
I opened the hall closet to put some things away.  On the floor was a popcorn tin.  Still being angry about the basement.  I was very childish. I kicked the can!

Ouch!

It was summer.  I had sandals on.

I thought the can would be empty.

What the heck?  Since when is popcorn in a tin card hard? right?

I opened the can and was jumping up and down like a child at Christmas who just received the best present ever surprised.  It was filled with gold dollar coins!!

My sister was helping me unpack.  "Tiffani", I screamed! "I found treasure"!

We took the can and dumped it on the floor… stacking and counting the coins.  $1,300.00

Wahoo!!!!  It was like winning the lottery.

After the excitement died down, I began to think rationally.  I called my realtor.

"Hypothetically, if we find something in our house, we get to keep it?"

"Yes".

*sigh*

The former owner was shady.  I wanted to stick out my tongue and taunt "Finders Keepers, Loser Weepers".

"But it's $1,300.00.  I can't keep it."

Our realtor called their realtor and the former owner came within minutes to pick up the pirate booty.

The man took his popcorn can without even thanking us.

I know the man did us wrong, but I know we did the right thing.
  

Happy Thanksgiving

I have so much to be thankful for; family, friends, good health, a happy home... I am reminded with our economy and Hurricane Sandy, how many people are struggling right now to provide for their families, let alone a traditional Thanksgiving feast that is apart of the holiday. If you know of a charity or shelter, such as the Salvation Army or Red Cross, please take the time to help out or donate items. 

As I said, I have so much to be thankful for and one thing I am grateful for are my amazing blogging friends. Each and every one of you has touched me and given a true gift of friendship in many different ways! Thank you!Happy Thanksgiving to All!

Hurricane Sandy

~

This week I've been getting quotes and estimates for the siding damage to my home during Hurricane Sandy.

My neighbors shutter was taken off by the wind and hurled into the side of our house.  It's amazing what a hole in the siding it caused.  Just by a vinyl shutter!

Minor damage was from other debris. 

Our damage is nothing compared to what the majority of east coast residence are going through.

My Blogger Friend Hilary from Feeling Beachie has been evacuated from her home. She is staying with her husband's brother, but he suffered flood damage too.

Please keep my friends and other hurricane victims in your prayers.

Batten down the Hatches!

As Hurricane Sandy approaches we have been getting ready for the worst storm that we have seen in this area in years!

We tied down the two gazebo's that we have on the upper and lower decks.

My husband finally took in the furniture this morning.

Fresh batteries and candles on hand.

All the Halloween decorations are back in the house!

Stocked up on drinks, dog food, eggs, milk, bread and other normal staples that you need during a storm.
~
The dogs are at my feet, shaking.. Poor babies are so scared!

~

Sandy is colliding with a winter storm coming from the Northwest Arctic.  The major part of the storm is supposed to hit us around 6pm, which has been moved up from 2am.

As of 3pm EST we are in a Hurricane Category 2 Alert with winds (they say) getting up to 90 mph.  It's extremely windy outside my house, but I doubt its at 90mph and I hope it doesn't get that way!

This is looking outside my family room. 

The rain is coming down so hard you can hardly see out of the windows.

~

I will keep you posted (as long as I have electricity). 

Love you all!