Spring update

The Astoria Column, which should be somewhere in the middle of my pictures, but I missed it the first time, and for some reason I could not copy it and get it where I wanted on here....or maybe I'm tired and don't feel like messing with it anymore. Either way, that's just the way it is, and yes, I did climb my way up to the top. 150 steps. Not too bad for a big girl. I would say the worst part is the spiral staircase which makes you super dizzy while coming back down. That and the 10 year old that beat my fat butt up to the top, and then would come back down to where we were, and then go back up to the top, and then come back down, and then back up. I wanted to poke the little pooper by the 3rd time down. We wore her out though, so haha.

I have been extremely lax with my blogs lately. Between family and work, I feel like I have very little free time. Being on facebook seems to suck up what little free time I have left. We are in serious need of a newer computer. We have been contemplating adding memory to the old one, but the program is not current, and they are so reasonable right now, we may just buy a new one. It takes me 5 times longer than it should to do anything on here right now, so by the time I get to the point in the evening where I have a moment to check email and what-nots, I don't feel like updating anything. We just returned home from a mini vacation with mom. We stayed in Seaside, and took a couple day trips along the coast line. Cannon beach, Manzanita, Astoria, Warrenton, Long Beach and so on and so on. We had a nice time. It was good for her to get away. She doesn't have anyone to take these little trips with really, so we were happy to volunteer as drivers and entertainment. She is busy planning remodels on the house. Painting, new carpet and so on's. She is having a sun porch put in this spring, and just finished a new front door, along with a new railing on the front walk. With the new roof and paint, it looks really nice. She wants to tackle removing a couple walls and making her kitchen bigger, and remodeling it and maybe her master bathroom, to make the shower big enough to put a seat in it, something I agree with since she is getting older, and lives alone. She's having fun deciding what she wants in the house. Considering she has lived there for more than 30 years, and it has had very little in the way of updating done to it, I can see where she is having a good time deciding what she likes. We are getting ready to tackle the floors in the bathrooms. First on the list of many more things that are in the works, but we never know how much we will get done, or what other "home" thing will pop up, so we are taking it slow. The bathroom floors are the last item on the list of actually getting all the floors in the house done. I would like to get it finished so we can finish the transition molding. But, it just starts a list of other questions. New toilet? New sinks? New vanity? Do I still like this paint color? See where I'm going. It goes on and on. One thing at a time!

Finally I have some pictures to post. Getting any photos of Koben at all are a miracle. He refuses to look at a camera and smile. So I guess when he is 16 and asks me why there are so few photos of him, I can use that as an excuse instead of the "you were the last child" excuse that is really more the reason why. =)

Koben helping daddy with the molding in the living room. He had all his "tools" and tool belt out too.

Yes, he is wearing a camoflouge shirt, and spongebob pajama bottoms. He likes to pick his own jammies. =)

Yup, this is what most of my pictures of him look like. I need a faster camera.

Or I get this. NO smiles. He is such a pale child. You can see the circles under his eyes this time of year between his allergies, and his white white skin. Can't wait until summer.

Koben's birthday doggie. His absolute favorite "toys" are stuffed animals. It's all he plays with. He makes them move, dance, talk. Keeps him entertained for hours.

This is what I get when I say, "Koben, Koben, look at the camera. Koben, smile for mommy" I get a sssshhhhhhhhhhhh.

His pretend growl.

There's my happier boy.

He moves too fast. I have a lot of blurry photos.

Koben on the carousel in Seaside. It was so rainy and cold outside, I didn't think to take off his coat and hat so I could take his picture. No matter, he didn't smile anyway.

Chloe being windblown. It was soooo windy in spots.

The staircase at Astoria Column.

The view from the top of the Astoria Column.

Cape Dissapointment

Obnoixious sea gulls. Don't worry, this was through the sunroof. I wouldn't let those little buggers above my head without glass between us.

It was sooo windy at Ecola state park. Chloe chickened out and ran back to the car. Craig and I didn't make it very far. Look how much wind blew under his coat. Had to be at least 50mph up there. You could actually lean into it and it would hold you up. And it was sooo cold. Our ears and hands were numb.

Craig and Koben battling the wind. Couldn't even walk upright.

Bridge across the Columbia. We also visited Fort Clatsop. Chloe turned in her paper work and became a captain of the Jr. Park Rangers, which I thought was cute, and she thought was embarassing because they announce it over their loudspeaker, but she got some cool patches, a certificate and a nice pin. We also went to the maritime museum in Astoria which was cool. Had a conversation with a man who fought in WWII. He told us some stories of some VERY close calls, and he sang us some songs they sang on the aircraft carrier he was on. And of course, we visited the "Goonie" house. All in all, it was a great trip, but it's good to be home in MY OWN bed. Hotel beds just aren't the same.

Just sayin'............

Oh my gosh, how could I drive myself so crazy? Why? Why do I let things bother me, to the point where I need to type about it to get it all out? Really, I need to find new hobbies!

I LOVE the HGTV and DYI networks. Love them. Why? Well, because I'm a middle of the road, middle of the income, kind of girl, who enjoys being able to do alot of work around the house herself. (ok, who am I kidding? My husband does the work. Mostly I paint, lend a hand, and pick out the colors and material) BUT, I like the fact that we do it ourselves, instead of paying someone else to do the work. That way, if we screw up, and it looks weird, it was our fault, instead of saying "yeah, doesn't that floor look like crap? We payed $5,000 for that." Instead, we get to say, "Thanks, glad you like it, barely cost us a thing." Granted, sometimes it backfires, and we redo things, but at least we were paying ourselves $0 an hour, instead of paying someone else $80+ an hour.

So, back to my current thought, which is starting to ramble around in my head. I enjoy those programs. Bang for your buck, $10,000 in your hand, Moving up.....you get my drift. However, I think it may be consuming too much of my t.v. time at this point, because I can't STAND these real estate agents who come into these houses, and flat out call these people idiots for putting THE THINGS THEY WANT into their houses!! It is so aggrivating! Who cares that you put $50,000 into your kitchen and your only going to get $25,000 back? If you are ok with the fact that you spent that much, and you will only see half, and you LOVE the kitchen, why does it matter??? If I want a lime green wall in my kitchen, why can't I have a lime green wall in my kitchen? Ok, so I'm not going to put a lime green wall in my kitchen, but one couple painted one tiny wall that color, and they went all "heck no" on them, and told them they would never see a return, (on what $10.00 worth of paint?) because it wasn't a "neutral" color. Buyers want "neutral" colors........Jeeeeeeze. I don't want neutral colors. If I plan on living here a while, why can't I have yellow and green and red? Why? Why? Why? And why are people so dense that when they walk into a house, and it's not the color they want, they can't just paint it? Paint is cheap! Why would you walk in, and say "oh, I don't like that color on the wall, and I don't like the area rug with it." Why does it matter? Are you going to have that area rug? Are they leaving that 5X7 for you? Are you so out of it, you can't picture a house with your things in it? Are people really that uncreative? Like when they tell you, you have to pull out all your personal effects when you sell a house? What if it takes a year? Are you going to live in your house for a year without any pictures on your walls, and with "neutral" walls, because the realtor told you it would never sell because your bathroom is yellow? Oh my..........What if you WANT an $18,000 wine pantry? Do you drink wine? Do you collect it? Are you REALLY into your wine? Then by-golly, put in the wine pantry. When I move in, I will make it a food pantry, ok? If you WANT a $5,000 toilet with automatic flush and lid lift, and bidet, and dry and remote control, well, that's just fantastic. When I move in, and it still happens to be there, because you didn't take your funny little toilet, well then, thanks, I guess. If I get tired of looking for the kids, because they are always in the bathroom playing with the toilet, well, then I guess I will put in a new one. Wonder if I could sell that on Craig's List. Hmmmmm

Guess my rant is just that, a rant. I just don't think a person should have to make every tiny decision about their decorating and remodeling around the question of if it will sell. If you decide to build a tree house in your living room, well then, we will re-evaluate my thoughts, but I don't think that choosing red glass backsplash in your kitchen is going to completely ruin the sale of your house. Especially if you don't plan on selling it for a long time. If people purchase a home with the thought that they don't want to do anything, or put anything into it, well then, they are crazy. Even in a new model home. Your not going to do a thing? Your not going to put your mark on that house? Your going to leave everything, even the light fixtures, and paint colors? Interesting. Maybe you are a "neutral" person. Which is fine, I guess, no qualms there. But me, well, I need a little color, and a little "me" in my house.

Ok, I feel better now. =)