Day Two Hundred and Eighty Nine and Counting...

It was party day today!  Grace was very excited to see her Uncle Rob and Aunt Natalie (again!) and her Grandma and Grandpa!  Livie was just as excited!

Grandpa brought a little something extra for the girls, too:

  Not sure what Olivia was thinking here... or Grace, for that matter!

It wasn't long before Livie was feelin' the love!

And then it was time for Grace to open her gifts... and for Livie to closely supervise!

(Thank you for all the wonderful gifts!)

In an attempt to distract Olivia, Grandma gave Livie her camera...

Time to blow out the candles!

And eat the cake!

A couple bonus photos of my special little ladies...

Balloon fun!

Posing in her new fairy dress-up and accessories!

Day Two Hundred and Eighty Eight and Counting...

Our kitchen is finally done!  All the touch-ups, do-overs.... done.  

Just need to put our supplies away, and enjoy!

And so, the big reveal!

Gorgeous, no?  The chair rail and baseboard are painted to match the wainscoting... and the two shades of blue look smashing together!  It really brightens and opens up the space.

I freshened up the white paint on the doors and trim, and it makes the deeper blue just pop!

I can't get over the difference in the appearance of the peninsula!   What a great face lift!

Notice anything else?

Yes!  Our new (used) table and chair set!

It suits our new kitchen/dining room perfectly!  It was the finishing touch!

Day Two Hundred and Eighty Seven and Counting...

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY, GRACE!

Grace and her special birthday cupcake from Razzle Dazzle Cupcakes!

We wanted to take her somewhere special for a treat, and just look at the cupcakes we got:

Olivia enjoyed watching her big sister have a go at her cupcake!

Day Two Hundred and Eighty Six and Counting...

Second day of renovations!  Jeremy and Robert were hard at work again today!

And what are they cutting, you may ask?

Yes!  Wainscot!  Isn't it gorgeous?  But that's not all...

And its blue too!

Robert was an absolute gem throughout the process!  It would not have happened without him, and we are very grateful for him, and to him!  You're the best, Rob!

This is it so far!

Day Two Hundred and Eighty Five and Counting...

Today was a very busy day for Jeremy and I - and my brother-in-law Robert!
Do you remember what colour my kitchen is?  Let me remind you:

See that shade of brown...? 

Well...

Not so brown anymore, eh?

Working hard on the second coat!

And because of the disarry the kitchen was in, the girls happily had a picnic in the basement for dinner!

And our picnic included a little Curious George!
The girls are captivated!

Day Two Hundred and Eighty Four and Counting...

There were a few things we forgot to exchange with my parents when we saw them yesterday, so we decided to stop by today and surprise them!  My girls were very pleased to go to Oma and Opa's because they got to see their dog Snuggles, too!

The object of their fascination and affection!

Some gentle patting... in between attempted face-licking and giggles!

Trying their luck at getting to touch Oma's pretty little collectables!

And, later this afternoon, under cloudy skies, there was...

A little swingin' in the rain!

Day Two Hundred and Eighty Three and Counting...

Today was a grandparent- and fun-filled day!  Oma and Opa came over in the morning and we all went to La Bella Vita for a Thanksgiving brunch - and to celebrate Jeremy and Grace's birthdays!  Brunch was, of course, just delicious, and to top it off I started with pumpkin soup and finished with pumpkin cheesecake!
Simply divine.

Notice Jeremy's rather happy smile?  Yep, he drank a lot of coffee... and he was really pleased about it!

Yesterday, I dug up a patch of dirt along the fence for our first flower garden.  Today, my dad (Opa) brought some plants with him that he had divided from his own: Seedums, Engleman Ivy, Bleeding Heart, Yellow Iris, Trumpet Flower, and some Hens and Chicks.  Grace was very helpful, spreading compost about for us, and then watering everything for us!

So excited to have our very first garden!

Thanks, Dad!

Much of the remainder of the afternoon was spent relaxing in the yard.  The girls made the most of having Oma and Opa all to themselves!  There were lots of tickles and giggles, cuddles and love! 

What a terrific day!  Family, food and fun!