Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas everyone!

This Christmas was good in so many ways. Larry finished most of the indoor projects just in time to clean up and decorate. On Christmas Eve we (including Dad) went to Ben and Laura's house. Ben had to work but was able to join us before the evening was over.



On Christmas Day Dad, Ben, Laura and Abi came to our house (after Laura got off work and Abi finished her nap). We hung out together, ate some and dumped our stockings. Abi unwrapped a couple gifts too (us grown ups don't exchange gifts anymore).


Abi is old enough this year to enjoy family time and the food and, of course, the gifts (though she is still learning about the gift giving thing). Another great thing this year is Dad being here with us. I'm sure his heart was elsewhere (I wonder where?) but we were happy to have him with us this year.

Kitchen upgrade

Here are some before and after photos of our kitchen. As you can see, the biggest changes are the countertop and backsplash. Eventually we'll replace the vent hood with a black one. Larry would like an all black oven too (this one has almond edges) but that's a lot of money for a slight change in color.


Larry did all the remodel work. He replaced the formica butcher block counter-tops with a formica marble look. We considered all kinds of options include granite but formica is fitting for this house in this neighborhood. Here's the sink area. Larry got creative and did some custom work with the tile.


All three of the "after" photos are closer in than the originals but it really shows in the fridge shot. It's not really any bigger than the old one. The dishwasher was replaced shortly after we moved in. The fridge was too but we had a used "filler" model for a while. We often wondered what day it would finally quit. It made funny noises from the day we got it. We finally got the fridge we really want.


If you'll look carefully in the fridge photo you'll also see that we have a different floor. We took out the parquet and replaced it with the same hardwood that now covers the living room, dining room, master bedroom and hall.

There one more set of photos I didn't include because Larry is still working on it. The "after" phot doesn't exists yet. I'll share that when it's done. It could be this week or it might be several weeks from now. We'll see.

Dad & Millie are engaged!

It's official! Dad and Millie are engaged to be married. The big day is on the big day of New Year's Day. They'll be married in Chattanooga and then move to Pennsylvania. They are both very happy and make a wonderful couple.

This photo is taken at my cousin Linda's house in the Atlanta area. We were all there for Thanksgivings (a big crowd!).

Dad's calendar is marked with count-down days. It won't be long now!