kitchen update

 When we bought our house we didn't have any plans to make any changes right away. A few months in, and we decided it might be nice to brighten up our kitchen. We just concluded if we were going to do it in a few years, we might as well do it now.

So we started by whitewashing the tan stone backsplash. 

We debated a lot on new flooring. We knew we couldn't replace the flooring in the whole house so we needed to find something that would work with the wood flooring downstairs. It was a fiasco trying to make the tile decision. We'd fine one we wanted then would find out they didn't have nough for our floor etc.

We finally found a new tile. So in the days before the demolition, we let the kids draw with sharpie on the old travertine.

Some beautiful floor art work. Kind of sad we had to destroy it.

But destroyed it was!


New tile went in! And we got half of our new countertops installed.

The cabinets began the process of being painted white and the island countertop was installed.

The cabinets were finished. And then Eric went to work to finish things off.

We changed lighting, added cabinet pulls, found barstools, and replaced cabinets with open shelving. I love how much lighter it feels now. We still have some finishing touches on the backsplash and the drywall that needs repaired but happy how it is coming along.

hoco, winfo, and twelve dates of christmas

I think you could say that one of Kyler's favorite pastimes is going out on dates. I wish I had his group of friends when I was in high school because man, these boys are fun. Kyler and a friend set a goal to pretty much go on a date once a week during the school year. They are definitely meeting that goal.

Kyler asked one of his sweet friends to homecoming. I loved their matching shoes!!

 

Kyler never sent me the pictures they had taken before the dance so I can't post them here, but they looked so cute together.

The boys planned out dinner and we hosted their group.


Such a super fun group of teens. Side note--one of Kyler's guy friends now is actually a friend that he used to play with in Kindergarten in Washington! Such a small world. Glad they can be friends again.


The next big date was Winter formal. Kyler and his date for winfo are really good friends and have a bunch of inside jokes and things in common--one of those being Saved by the Bell. Such a funny way to ask him.

We laughed at his response to her. Who would've thought the show I loved as a 9 year old would be quoted on my son's winfo ask and response?? Hahaha

I stole these pictures off of his phone the day he got them.

In between those dances, Kyler went on a bunch of group dates. He tried to ask out each of the girls he hangs out with often.

And then he got "close contact quarantined." (Which was such a ridiculous thing to be told 6 days after "exposure."). But he was feeling bummed and home from school and had a friend over. Somehow their joking around turned into "we tshould plan 12 dates of christmas." So they did. In less than one week's times they took 12 different girls out on christmas dates. They had two days of three dates each day! I know they loved every second of it, but they were tired after a week of planning dates.

I don't have pictures of every fun date, but I was the photographer for this one after they went to goodwill to buy clothes for a christmas photo shoot.












And we got to show up to this one when part of the date was to perform the nativity under the Gilbert water tower.

Brinn made a cute friend with another little sister who came to watch the show.

The 12th date of christmas was a big group of teens and they stopped by our house for a hot chocolate bar.


Brinn always sneaks in to hang with the teens. She loves all the attention.

Kyler is getting so good at organizing and planning awesome dates. I'm glad he is out dating and having fun with so many sweet girls.

because nature makes my heart sing

It takes some work to make it happen, but I never ever regret getting outside in the desert.

Mountain mamas got an early morning hike in at santan a few weeks ago.

We took our girlies to hole in the rock for a perfect 3 year old hike.

Kyler and I took advantage of his forced close contact quarantine to hike camelback together.

We got to see the christmas tree that is brought up to the top of the mountain each year.

Mountain mamas branched out and took an afternoon hike up Siphon's Draw.




The moon above that rock! (ignore the food in my teeth...)

Gorgeous views!!






It's such a unique place to hike.

This was our top so we could get back down again before the sun went down. A perfect stop for a winter solstice meditation.

Bloom where you are planted. Some trees grow out of stones.

We had amazing night viewing of the Christmas star that night. To see the moons of jupiter and the rings of saturn and the craters on the moon takes my breath away!


We had another morning hike in the beautiful superstition mountains. 




This time we went to wave cave.

I think we look like aliens on another planet in this shot. Ha!

We had a little fun riding that wave.













I had to get a surf lesson before I tried this one.

When the weight of the world feels too heavy, now here is a place to go to find relief.

  







One of the last outings of 2020 was this one. We we took our little family to Tempe for a little excursion. After Hurts donuts and a walk around tempe town lake, we hiked a mountain I have never been on before. We went up "A" mountain.


It's short, steep, crowded, but a pretty view of the city and the sky. (we missed Perry on this hike!)

And a good place for some little girls to do some rock climbing.

I love seeing their sibling bond and how he helped her down the mountain.

I really do think I am the happiest when I get out in nature often. We really do live in a beautiful world!