Remembering Summer

I get a little nostalgic at this time of year . . .  I know all you mom's with kids going back to school are probably shouting hurrah!  I'm sure I did that also . . . I just miss the long summer days already.  Have you all noticed, it's already getting dark at 8:30 pm now!  What happened to 9:20 pm??  I think that lasted about a minute!

But there are sme good things also . . . the temperatures are dipping down at night!
I DO love the COOL summer mornings (while they last . . . . )

But before it's gone, and we all take a deep breath and try to get organized for Fall . . .

Here's a few minutes to remember summer . . .

(ahhhh . . . I do so love the humming birds, I celebrate when they arrive each Spring and I'm sad when they fly south for the warming climates)

(I mean . . . how gorgeous is this!!??)

Then there was all the fun summer adventures . . . here's just a minute of them for now . . .

LOVE these Utah mountains . . . 

(hope we have some left after observing the smoke filled valley's this week!)

Certainly a family summer favorite . . . without our home to maintain, this is one of the places we are hoping to spend more time at . . .

And . . .

another look at the colors of summer . . .

There now . . .

What color was your summer??

Loves!!

me

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Toscana - Soon to be our New Home

(Just a little free advertisement  Toscana from Flagship Builders :) You may remember from way back when (here) -

our townhouse looked something like this -

And . . . now for a little update! (As of last week at least, I already need to get new photos of THIS week - it changes soooooo fast!!  :)




(the front on the left and the back on the right, the back is a little later when the whole building has the primary coat in preparation for the stucco applied.  I love the arched doorways, one of my favorites :) The finished square footage is about 2000 sq. feet with 3 bedrooms, 3 baths and an office.  It's three stories with the entry, office and garage on the first level.  The kitchen, laundry, butler pantry, bath and living room on the 2nd floor.  Finally three bedrooms and two baths on the top floor.)

 We're about three weeks from our finish date, and so far everything is about on schedule. It's so much fun to see things taking shape and all our ideas coming to life through the amazing contractors we've been able to work with.

It's been busy, we met with the finish carpenter, we met with the carpet guys, we met with the hardwood floor guys, we met with the appliance center, we met with the paint store, and the painter, the butcher, the baker the candlestick maker . . . (well maybe not the candlestick maker . . . )

 From this -

(early work on the kitchen - it is now being painted - hurray!)

 To this -

(lots of exposed beams - another one of my favorites, here they are staining the beams to match the hardwood floors, they actually look so lovely!)

 To this -

  (Grandbaby cakes Jonathan napping with Grandpa while touring the new place - and Kelsie trying to imagine the hot tub with water in it :)


(a look at the complex . . . it's coming along also - the pool and clubhouse are scheduled to open in just a few weeks.)


(all in all, everyone is really happy with the progress (except maybe Conan, who is still unsure about this place we keep visiting).


We picked this little neighborhood because we have been here . .

There's so much that we like about our new little place -  it's little!  We love the warm wood, the tile, the beams, the arches, the tile roof . . . ah . . . yes . . . I think this is going to work :)


I like to think we might be able to recreate it just in the smallest way . . . So . . . maybe it's time to start packing things up . . . again . . .

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Let me Make your Day . . . go ahead

Ready . . .

 Set . . .

 Go . . .

 Prepare to smile and maybe even chuckle out loud :D



 

There!

Don't you feel better now :D

Loves!

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A Little Ohio Interjection . . .

I'm a bit behind on quite a few blogging posts but just thought I'd insert this little
Ohio Interjection :)

So here i am in the Ohio . . .

And it's just the perfect day . . .

Out for a lovely bike ride along the banks of the Scioto River just outside of Columbus.

The day is lovely, it's not too hot, it's not too cold
and it's not raining . . .

We're cycling our way to the "Rib & Jazz Fest" and we're excited to sample some outstanding BBQ ribs . . .

Seriously - coolest bike ride ever, mostly shady, you get to cross these super cool bridges . . .

So impressed with little Addi bear, she is having the greatest time

in her cycling trailer.

The king apparent - of the BBQ ribs . . .

Can you almost smell those ribs . . . the most amazing looking ribs you've ever seen, and 

hmmmm . . . can you get a whiff of them??

And the homemade lemonade was simply to die for

One whole lemon

a lot of sugar and water :)

And then it was time to cycle on down to the splash pad . . .

The perfect ending of a perfect day .  . .

After a thorough soaking, it was time to head back to the car

before it got dark

Ummm . . . excuse me!

There seems to be a problem with the car we left behind . . .

Dang!

Someone broke the window and popped the locked glove box!

Where we just happened to lock a new Ipad3 into the box

before we left on the bikes . . .

Pretty much the only thing of value left inside the car

(if you don't count the two $30 several years old GPS's they thought were valuable enough

to make off with . . .

What a mess!

And to our surprise!!

We made this discovery  . . .

Hopefully with a little "insurance claim" all will be good as new . . .

But dang . . . almost a perfect day . . .

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Sweet Home Alabama!

At long last . . . an update . . .

We truly have dropped off the face of the blogging earth :)

So much has happened in our little world this last month . . .

Our townhouse construction is coming along in leaps and bounds, I need to get some new photos for the blog.  We expect it will be done sometime next month or early September (if I can only make up my mind by then . . . thank goodness I am only having to design 2000 square feet, anything larger would probably do me in!! Thank goodness for PINTEREST I might add, it's soooo much help to organize thoughts and ideas! You can follow me on the link or just my "townhouse" board.)


Norm completed a 200 mile cycling trip (JATOLAV - Jackson Hole to Lava Hot Springs over 4 days!) with the Young Men from our Ward - so proud of him!  But that is also fodder for another blog post :) (Speaking of cycling though . . . we do have two fun new bikes and are really enjoying learning more about cycling and seeing our community from underneath our bike helmets :)

Conan is meeting lots of new friends at The Dog Lodge (thanks Maureen for the recommendation).  Now that we are in an apartment, he has been boarded for the first time in his life for our family vacation and family reunions!

Kelsie is back at USU Eastern - two more semesters after this one for her RN.  Way to go Kels!  Woot woot!!  And in a new apartment - photos to come . . . and in the latest update, she has passed her NCLEX board exams for her LPN - Woot woot!!

Our little town of Alpine almost burned down . . . sad . . . so sad, I need to get photos of the mountain for the blog also . . . we're so glad everyone is safe and no homes were lost, it was the luck of the wind, or perhaps another power that saved the homes and structures of the town, as the wild wind drove the fire to the tops of the mountain in just a few minutes.  So grateful the wind blew away from the homes and the town.

But until those updates are ready . . . ta da!  Here is Alabama - sweet home Alabama!  

Norm's brother graciously invited us to use his lovely home on the shores of the Lewis Smith Lake in a beautiful wooded area of Alabama.  Our family gathered from the far reaches of the country . . . Dustin and Cami drove from Raleigh NC and stayed in a little bed & breakfast across the lake.   Karianne, Greg and Addision drove also from Columbus Ohio area in their new Honda Pilot.  Cory, Sara and baby Jonathan arrived by plane at the Huntsville airport and rented a car for the week.  Norm, Kelsie and I flew into the Birmingham airport where we were met by Uncle Ron.  After a stop at the local Walmart for provisions . . . we were off to THE LAKE!

One view of Lewis Smith Lake - across the street from the house

The view of the lake from behind the house - we truly are surrounded by water!

Oh! And did I mention - the lakehouse comes with a boat!  And our own little boat dock!

Can life get any more relaxing . . .

Add to the mix, lots of amazing food - prepared by the Klein family almost nearly professional chefs, lots of chocolate, treats, yummy desserts, fun games . . . babies, kids, water, frisbee golf

It was wonderful!

Here's some of the best of the best

(of the hundreds of possible photos :)

And . . .

Until 2013

this is us . . .  the Alpine Klein Bunch

Sweet Alabama!

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