Fiesta

Check out this bathroom and bedroom! Shawn & Grandpa Novak finished up the bathroom T&G this afternoon and made good progress on the bedroom that will be Ella's and Althea's. It's really starting to take shape; it's quite beautiful! Yippee!

Here, Ella and Shawn are modeling Ella's newest fashion trend.....hair clip earrings. : ) My sweet husband is really getting his fill of "girliness" with his two little ladies. He frequently does Ella's makeup and occasionally Ella returns the favor. I just want to laugh. Ella seems to believe that a girl can never wear enough makeup.....and don't even try to get ready in the morning or for bed without putting on her body spray. It's great.

While the boys were playing today, we played in the kitchen and made some delicioso enchiladas from scratch. Both the Novaks and the Gaylords were able to enjoy dinner together. It was lovely to entertain in our new abode. Stay tuned for a big party this summer to celebrate! Althea was gnawing on Grandma Novak's apple and drooling all over the place.

Time for this tired mama to get to bed. More pictures soon!

Got Wood?

Recently, we've been working on preparing the tongue & groove pine that we'll be putting on the ceiling. What a project! Shawn did the first batch inside, we did the second batch outside and then finished it inside. He started working on mounting some in the upstairs bathroom on Thursday night. Here's to good weather and cooperative wood so we can get the rest of it done!
And, of course, the obligatory cute kid pictures. Ella was reading a Berenstain Bears book on the couch and Althea wanted it SO BAD! It looked tasty. : ) The picture below is of Ella and Shawn on Thursday night. I took the kids (Ella, Rusty, & Althea) out on the farm for a long walk - Rusty's walk was longer than the rest of us since he decided to run away and we had to find him - and then came back to get everyone ready for bed. The girls wore their Halloween pajamas and while I nursed Althea to sleep, Shawn and Ella passed out on the futon in the living room. We are all tired puppies around here.

We've Got Doors!

Slowly, but surely, we're settling in and our house is looking more like a home. It's amazing what a couple of doors and some shelves will do! We still have to stain the doors and install the knobs, but it sure helps. Grandma Novak (Sandi - Amanda's mom) will be having rotator cuff surgery on Friday, May 9th so I will be taking vacation next week to help out. Shawn will probably be sanding, staining and installing the tongue and groove pine for the ceilings in the living room and upstairs rooms. After that, we'll be working on the flooring (as of yet still undetermined - something hardwood though), installing upstairs doors, finishing the bathroom upstairs, installing the finish staircase, and trimming the baseboards, window sills, and doors. Still lots to do, but so much closer.