Surprise!!!

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We surprised Jace on Friday for his 11th birthday, just a few days early.  I didn't think we'd pull it off; he's so hard to fool, but look at his face!  He was so shocked, he forgot to smile!  His friends did an awesome job keeping it quiet, and all of them were able to be there!  Happy Birthday, Jace!

Casey and Becca's Visit

Jared finishing the bathroom just in time for them!  (at least part of it :)

Kyle and Casey

Maybe there should be music to escort the new toilet through the living room on a skateboard.

We went to Jace's violin concert soon after Casey and Becca arrived.

Brothers catchin' up in the backyard while Jared grills some steaks.

Grant's Farm

Dinnertime!

Kyle and Cami fascinated with Casey watermelon slices.

Mmm!!

Monday night dancing to, "Hey, Everybody, it's Family Night!"

Bowling on Xbox

Why do the kids love rearranging Casey's face so much??  I have a pic of Kyle doing the same thing at this age.

Cami enjoys pictures on Casey's camera.

We're so grateful we could have Aunt Becca and Uncle Casey come visit!!  The kids are still talking about it!

Memorial Day 2011

Thank you, Casey for the picture.  It is so sweet to see Evan's grave being taken care of back in Utah.

I took a closer look, and first, I thought it was just tons and tons more of white daisies for Evan.  Haha, just kidding :)  but then I asked Jared, "Is that snow?"
That question was answered on Facebook later when I read someone in Utah complaining about the snow in May.  I guess I would complain, too, if I knew what I could be doing if it were warmer...

Here is Lance's face when he heard about the snow in Utah today:

Meanwhile, here in St Louis, it reached 94 degrees today.  The pool down the street had an open house with lots of yummy food, including pulled pork, hamburgers, hotdogs, etc.  I didn't know about the food and had to leave Jared and the kids to walk back home and take the lazagna out of the oven.  What a relief not to have many dishes to do when we got back!

It was so nice to have Dad come today!  He worked last night and got a few hours of sleep before I woke him up to come with us!

Jace back diving

Lance walking on water

Kyle singing, "I believe I can fly!"

Super Dad!

Cami thought about it, and thought better, like her mom.  I'm a wimp for the cold water.  It gets warmer with the summer days, and I can wait for that.

Jace believing he can...

 

 Lance took this one.  Maybe I'll frame it :)

I remember playing at the beach with Evan.  And hangin' with my Gramma in California.  And being at the cabin with Jared's grandparents, who bought the cabin many years ago.  I miss them each so much, and can't wait to see them again!  Surely there are pools, diving boards, and sunshine in Heaven!

Kids' Bathroom Part 5: It's USEABLE!!!

So the goal was to have it useable by the time company arrives.  Mission accomplished!!!



Casey and Jared admiring our beautiful new vanity!



Check out the faucet!!!  Jared isn't crazy about it.  We had a discussion about functionality versus looks, and I went for looks :)  Isn't it way cute?
Backing up this story a step:  I bought a functional, stainless steel faucet a while ago, and Jared asked me if this is the faucet I really want.  I was just trying to get that shopping part done.  So I shopped around more and found this awesome bamboo one!  I figured, since I'm going with a beach theme in this bathroom, THIS IS PERFECT!  I was actually really excited about it, unlike the way I felt about the boring, functional one.  So, way to go, Jared, for sending me back to the store!!!
And, way to go, honey, for putting our bathroom back to it's functionality!!



Here's another fun fact:  Jared wasn't planning on starting this bathroom so soon after our last one was done.  He says I just started pounding away at it before he was ready.  Way to go, me and, actually more high fives to Kyle!!!  Just think how pink it would be still, if I hadn't handed the hammer over to him!!

Gyros

Ah, I miss the Utah State Fair.  We used to go every summer with Jared's family.  The food there was a big part of the fun for them.  I love the gyros we enjoyed.  I've always thought it would be fun someday to try making some.  Tonight, I did it.  With a big help from Jace.  The preparation time is estimated at 3 hrs., 45 min.  That was about right.  I don't think I'll be making this every week.  But it was good.  I found lamb meat at Sam's club.  Here's the recipe:



Tzatziki Sauce:

16 ounces plain yogurt
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
Pinch kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
5 to 6 mint leaves, finely minced

Place the yogurt in a tea towel, gather up the edges, suspend over a bowl, and drain for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
What?!  How in the world do I do that?!  So I gave Jace my paper towels filled with yogurt and asked him to figure it out.  He's a chip off the old block.  Here's what he came up with:

Place the chopped cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze to remove the liquid; discard liquid. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and mint.  I used two bowls:  One with mint leaves, the other with fresh dill leaves.  They were both so yummy! Serve as a sauce for gyros. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.

Meat:


1 medium onion, finely chopped or shredded

2 pounds ground lamb

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic

1 tablespoon dried marjoram

1 tablespoon dried ground rosemary

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Here's the directions I want to try next time I make it.  But today, I just cooked on the skillet.  I used paper towels instead of the tea towels.  Them Greeks must have had a lot of tea towels!  I found my paper towels to work just as good :) 
 
Process the onion in a food processor for 10 to 15 seconds and turn out into the center of a tea towel. Gather up the ends of the towel and squeeze until almost all of the juice is removed. Discard juice.
Return the onion to the food processor and add the lamb, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, salt, and pepper and process until it is a fine paste, approximately 1 minute. Stop the processor as needed to scrape down sides of bowl.

I think I'll make this again on a day I have a LOTTA time on my hands!!

Kids' Bathroom Part Four: Plumbing Completed!

Well, at least for the vanity. Who needs plumbing in their shower anyway?  (it's only 50 yrs. old)
I picked up our shower door this morning (yay!) I cannot wait to have the final touch on our bathroom done! Then we can totally move back in! It's been since Christmas!  Lance would say, "That's totally, like, in the day."


Today I sealed the grout and Jared finished this beautiful new drain.  Previously, he moved the copper piping over so it would fit into our vanity and the drawers don't any pipes.

Voila!  Jared's plumbing work completed.  Just need to drywall over that... Oh, and put a vanity in.



... and a toilet.

Our plan is to have this bathroom useable by the time Casey and Becca get here from Utah (Jared's brother and his wife) on Tuesday.  Think it'll happen?

The kids are so excited!  Kyle wanted to know if they are bringing their horses.  I had to tell him they wouldn't fit on the plane.

Part Three: Kid's Bathroom

Doctor by day; Tiler, Plumber, you-name-it, by night.



Hey, Hon!, Smile!  You're on camera!

 Here's the rest of the story:
Part One: Kids Bathroom
Part Two: Demo

Part Two: More Helping Hands... Still Demolishing

The beginning of the story starts at Part One: Demolition

I had to throw this one in from the last Demo Part One photo session cuz Kyle is so proud here!

 



Minus a vanity.  Lance worked all afternoon after Kindergartin in here.  He really got into it.

6 Handy Hands standing where the toilet used to be.

Clean up, Clean up... 

I think these guys and gal are really going to enjoy their bathroom THAT much more, knowing, and being a HUGE part of, all the work that this takes!

Kids Bathroom Part 1: Demolition

Give a boy a hammer and what have you got?  Demolition. 
Also Cami doing what she does best.

 Bidding farewell to the pink bathroom...

Solid White tile is very hard to keep clean in a children's bathroom, where mud gets tracked in several times a day here during the wet season.  Goodbye!

First hits

Kyle posing his strong muscles

Can't wait for the next steps!