Finished bathroom!

Here it is!  Finally functional, AND pretty!

Mirror

Putting on a mirror without clips, using just glue, can be tricky!  The workers where I bought the mirror said to hold it as long as I could, since I didn't have clamps, and that 10-15 minutes should be sufficient to where it would've move.  John and I took turns holding the mirror against the wall and pushing up so it wouldn't slip.  Well, it was getting more solid by 15-20 minutes, but we were tired, and was still slipping down a little!  So John got out the blocks, and with blocks and one shim we were able to hold up the mirror!  Yeah!  We're leaving it there at least 24 hours, but probably more like 40 hours.

By the way, we actually had some snow briefly on Thursday.  Here's what it looks like outside my front door.

The construction has ended.

The last worker left here on Thursday afternoon, and said, "It's done."  Whew!  Doesn't mean that WE are done, but THEY are done!  Yeah!  It's been so nice to get the "stuff" back in the room!

Today we (mostly John, 'cuz it's too hard for 2 people to fit in the bathroom working at the same time) is finishing the painting, fixing holes, putting back up the towel holder, and hanging the mirror.  The mirror is going to be VERY nice to have back!

No one wanted my old vanity, even charity.  Oh well.  Here's a picture of my old vanity now.

I'll post pictures of the bathroom once it is really done.

Bathroom, bathroom, bathroom!

I have spent a LOT of time this week working on the bathroom.  The carpenter was coming over on Thursday, so I had to get the bathroom totally cleared out.  I filled a large plastic container overflowing with the blankets, and filled a large corner in my bedroom with smaller containers.  A lot of stuff was already in containers, but I had to find others to use for all the stuff that was in drawers or just sitting on a shelf or the counter top.  Yikes!

But, good news!  The bathroom is about 80% done, and so I could start filling the shelves in the closet!  Since the drawer pulls are not on yet, I decided to wait to fill the drawers.  I'd have to clean out the sawdust, and that will be easier if the drawers are empty. :-)

The closet is almost done, but it does have doors on the outside that will get installed next week.  My granite guy came over yesterday morning to template my counter, and that will be done by Tuesday.  Yeah!  Right now we have no sink in the bathroom, so we have to wash our hands in the bathtub.  I had them put in a light in the middle of the room, too.  It's just a small light, (equivalent to 65 watts, but it is LED, and only 12.5 watts), but it sure is nice.

Here's what the bathroom looks like so far:

Closet.  The closed cupboards will have locks on them for kid safety.

Vanity.  You can see that we have some more painting to do!

Upper vanity.  Love the 2 can lights.  Needs a mirror.

It's fall!

A couple of days ago, I noticed a few yellow leaves on my Lindon tree.  Last Friday, I noticed that I raked up more leaves than usual.  Today, I looked out my window, and saw that Autumn really was upon us!

The tree has quite a bit more yellow than it did even just last week!

Yep!  It's Fall!

Food Storage Room addition!

I ordered a food rotation rack during Education Week.  It finally was delivered about 2 weeks ago, and yesterday we finally had time to put it together.  Yeah!  It actually went together quite easily; it just took time. This morning I put in the cans.  Hmmmmmmm......  I am running very low on a few things!  A lot of my food storage is in 5 gallon buckets, so it's not quite as bad as it looks!

The rotation shelves on the left are what we built ourselves for our #10 cans, and we are going to build at least one more.  There's room for two, but don't know if we really need it.  On the opposite side of the room, we'll have large shelves where the 5-gallon buckets can go, as well as home canned items, and items that aren't round.  :-)

But now that I have a good rotation system, more stuff is going to go in the new rack!

Happy Birthday to me!  I have such a sweet husband.  He sent me 50 emails today.  Here they are: (Sorry for the long post, but had to share!)

1. Happy Birthday, Lover Girl.   I hope you have a great day!   Love,  John

2. You have brought so much happiness into my life.

3. I'm so grateful that you said "yes."

4.  I love you because you are so friendly.

5. I love you because you are so smart.

6. I love you because you care so much about others.

7. I love you because you are wise.

8. I love you because you are responsible.

9. I love you for your laugh.

10. I love you for your beauty.

11. I love you because you are so affectionate.

12. I love the way you greet me when I return home.

13. I love your faith.

14. You are a team player.

15. I love being your team-mate.

16. You are worthy to go to the temple.

17. Places and events are better when you are there.

18. We met on the bus.

19. We began our lives together.

20. We had Thomas together.

21. We moved to San Diego and had Nathan together.

22. We enjoyed the beach together with our little family.

23. You worked so hard to help ends meet. I felt sad about that sometimes.

24. We had Jacob together.

25. We moved to Virginia. We discovered Bobby Dubba, the Rhonda River, and mountains that were rainbows.

26. We took the greatest family vacation ever (“They ate my lunch!”).

27. We went to North Carolina, flew kites, and got bit by crabs and flies.

28. We moved to Utah and bought our first home.

29. Every time I see your smile, I’m amazed and thrilled that we are together.

30. Last little one trots off to school for the first time and you go back for the first time in many years.

31. It was the season of boys, pinewood derby cars, tenderfoot scouts, and first grade fun.

32.  Years of being a Boy Scout mom begins as the second priesthood holder in the home gets ordained.

33. The children continue to grow as Nathan graduates from elementary school.

34. Our first vacation to Hawaii.

35. Our last one finishes elementary school.

36. You are working so hard to finish your degree. It’s tough, but the end is in sight.

37. GRADUATION!!!! (for Tom and YOUUUUUU!)    yea!

38. A son in college??? Nobody believes you because you are so young and cute!

39. Moon palace and your very first SCUBA adventure.

Nathan graduates and Tom leaves for Denmark. You shed a tear or two.

40. Forty years old! Time for a Florida vacation with Sarah (that was quite a current).

41. Tom’s home, so its back to Hawaii we go to enjoy our last vacation with all three boys as single men (followed by a private week on Kauai).

42. Jakey graduates, and just like that, a chapter has ended.

43. Seems like just a short time ago when the last one trotted off to kindergarten, and now he’s off to college.  The nest is getting emptier by the minute.   But we’re OK with it, because we finally got a daughter! Melissa joins the family, and Tom is thrilled!

44. Jacob is off to Tennessee for his mission, and you take your trip to Chile. You love the adventure, climbing a volcano, exploring waterfalls and emerald streams, collecting shells among ancient churches on a southern island. And who can forget the 25$-a-night cabins in Panama?

45. Now it’s time for your first cruise. French Polynesia is a paradise!

46. Life is a whirlwind again as you welcome Jacob back from his mission, go to India, see Jacob marry Elise, and go to Guam.

47. You discover one of your favorite places as you travel to Puerto Rico to take your first cruise of the Caribbean.

48. Guam again???!!    I love you because you are the best sport ever and a great shell collector too!

Remember that cool isolated beach we found at the bottom of a steep drive down a cliff?

49. ELISE IS PREGNANT!!!!!    You love the rainforest of Puerto Rico and have a great time on cruises and hiking trips.   We hiked that volcano like we were 30!    Gosh, I love you!

50. Whether I see you across the way during Sacrament Meeting, or with the little orange bird when I come home from a long day, or in the morning as you rush to catch me before I go, or in the temple across the aisle in your white robes, I feel happy and sometimes a little chocked up.

 You are my princess, my queen, my dear wife.

 I love you.

 Happy Birthday.

J-