Flying Summer

I'm baaaccckkk!!  Hope you missed me.  I've missed all the pretty and delightful inspiration in blog land.  

What have we been up to?  Where have I been?

Summer is always a busy time for us. Beginning with May, there are plenty of birthdays and throw some holidays in there.  It is all a whirlwind.  I feel like I'm spinning like a top.

From the time of my last post we have celebrated Father's Day along with our daughter's seventeenth birthday.  She was actually born on Father's Day and she loves it when they fall on the same day.  It is still hard to believe that she is seventeen.  One more year and she will be starting college.

We also celebrated my brother in law's birthday, followed by a Fourth of July party and our son's thirteenth birthday the following day.  Unfortunately, he was a bit sick and we kept it low key.  Tucked into all this excitement was my dad's birthday.  

Catching my breath does not seem to be on the agenda these days.  I have been painting the last of the trim and doors in our bedroom remodel.  It is almost done.  

And, drumroll please....

We started a kitchen remodel!!!!

Remember these pictures (I hate to have to share them again!!!!  WE DESPERATELY NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING!!!)

They are all changing!!!!!!!!!!!  

The open doorway from the kitchen to our bedroom has been closed off.  On the other side is our spectacular new closet.  

Unfortunately, these pictures are all looking into our kitchen.  The back entry way was very closed off  from the kitchen.  There was an archway identical to this one:

This living room arch opened into the back entry and created  a small area, about 5 ft by 7 ft., followed by another arch opening into the kitchen.  We have knocked down that arch and framed it to open the kitchen up.  There is now a much larger opening framed off.  The entire back entry is gutted.  There are even a couple of holes in the floor due to fireblock that had to be taken out.  We are doing this project with my brother, usually when he is out of work, one day a week and a little extra.  It is being done in stages so the kitchen is semi-functional.  Because of the closed off wall we are now able to relocate the refrigerator to the other wall.  There will be a tall pantry cabinet beside that.  The stove will be turned so it is facing out.  

This is so exciting and scary at the same time.  I have hated this kitchen since the day we moved in.  We could not afford to pay a contractor but thanks to my amazing brother it is finally getting done.

The theme this summer has been declutter.  When you are home, homeschooling and basically spend almost all of your time here you tend to accumulate clutter.  I have started getting rid of so many things that are unnecessary and not good to keep in a home as small as ours.  The kitchen was decluttered as I packed up almost everything to put in the basement.  We have had one yard sale and have piles started for another.   It will feel like a whole new place when this is complete.  I am anxiously awaiting the big reveal.  Holding my breath and waiting to share it all with you.