So Close I can Almost Taste it . . .

Ahhhh . . . . we are getting sooooo close!

It's been a while since I've created a new blog post, but there has been MUCH in the works!  I have some really amazing posts coming up about fun summer adventures . . . but this will have to suffice for the 5 minutes I have at the moment!

We move in NEXT week . . .

and I am SOOOOOO excitied!

We hoped to be moved in by the end of August, it was a little tight in our mini AF apartment with Karianne, Greg and Addi Bear visiting, but we had an amazing time!

Those photos are in the works :)

But here's a little update of the townhouse - all taken with my cell phone today as my REAL camera photos I took a couple days ago are already outdated.



(Exterior almost finished - pouring sidewalks etc today, balconies still coming)



Close up of the stone work around our unit . . .



They just finished this brick wall in the living room - I love it!



Kitchen - still under construction . . . but it's coming along, they were starting the tile backsplash as I was leaving.



Another kitchen view . . .



Guest bedroom - they were just starting the carpet laying as I  was leaving today also . . .



Kelsie's room - love her barn door - so cute!!




They were just working on some of the bathroom lights . . . but not a very good photo . . .



Please let the weather stay nice . . . I just want to swim in the pool just one day . . .   :D

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Publishing Peace . . .

I was reading in 1st Nephi 13:35-37 . . .

I love the phrase "publishing peace" . . . I love pondering on what that means in the world today.   Sharing testimonies, sharing scriptures, sharing a good thought, recognizing God and giving thanks . . .

I was reminded of one of my favorite "peace publishers"  - Natalie, she's an Alpine original . . . much younger and cuter than myself, and wise . . .

She shared these wisdom-ful thoughts that she calls

"34 Things from My Heart to Yours" 
(I hope she doesn't mind if I pass them along to you . . .  !!)

There are cooler things than the internet.

Sometimes listening to the sound of the rain on the pavement is the best music there is.

Sticking your nose into a pile of warm laundry, fresh out of the dryer, reduces anxiety.

Cell phones are pretty lame.

God loves you. A lot.

Television is NEVER cooler than being outside.

Good fuel = happy living. (Trash in, trash out. Mind, body, spirit.)

True friendship is better than therapy. (Or at least the VERY best alternative.)

A good night’s sleep is totally underrated.

This too shall pass.

Be where you are. (Aka try to do something in the past, try to do something in the future: YOU CAN’T.)

Meditation is more powerful than you could ever imagine.

Kindred friendships exist in places and packages you’d never imagine. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover (or it’s Twitter avatar).

Deep breathing should be celebrated as a consistent part of one’s daily routine.

Life is short. LIVE it well.

Anxiety and worry are useless, unproductive and downright dangerous. LET GOOOOOOOOO.

Worry is nothing more than praying for what you don’t want.

You can heal.

Eye contact with actual humans is waaaaaaay cooler (and more emotionally satisfying) than text messaging.

Plus, text messaging when you’re around living, breathing human beings just makes you lame.

Being in the ocean is the best practice in mindfulness there is.

It will all work out.

We could all live with about 3/4ths less junk.

Purging clutter does wonders for the creative soul.

There’s nothing quite as reassuring as getting up early to watch the sunrise.

A good nickname goes a long way.

Be nice.

There is enough to go around (more than enough, really).

Water a plant. It does something inexplicable for the soul.

Letting people in isn’t as dangerous as you think. It’s actually pretty miraculous.

Life is too short not to get rid of your baggage.

Complete faith and total surrender are mighty powerful things.

 

It’s never to late to change your ways, to heal what you’ve broken, to try again.

(and finally . . .)

No one’s life is as clean, pretty, or perfect as it appears on their blog.

(hehheheh - isn't that the truth :)

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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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