HOME SWEET HOME

TA-DA!!! All Done!!! One year and several back aches later!

This is the outside. I will briefly go through what we did to everything. All of my pictures of the "before" are just that: pictures, and they aren't digital, so until I can get to a scanner, just use your imagination.

Outside, we scraped all of the green paint- ( on the left of the house is the well covering, and it's not painted yet, so that was the color of the house- kind of a minty turquoise) The siding, garage doors, and trim were all chipping paint before. We stained the decks and doors this brick red, painted trim, siding, and garage doors. We also hauled in the river rock you see and planted the flower beds.

This is the living room where we restored the hardwood floors, painted the walls a toasted wheat color and the ceiling white, replaced the ceiling fan, and restored all of the original wood trim work.

In the bathroom, we painted the walls and ceiling, and this plastic tile that you see. It is the 1960's plastic tile. It was mint green. Seriously! I just primed it and spray painted it. We also re tiled the floor- (it was sparkly black and pink linoleum) and Replaced the sink/vanity, mirror, and light fixture.

The master bedroom was painted, hardwood floors restored, and updated the ceiling fan. (probably the easiest room to do)

The kitchen saw the most renovation. The walls and ceiling were painted and the new flooring was laid. We installed new light fixtures and we tore up one layer of nasty carpet and two layers of gross linoleum to get to the sub floor. Also, the counter tops were replaced (they were a 1960's pink with silver trim) and all of the appliances were replaced with new ones. They old stove was a 36" double oven that was condemned by the gas company. The new stoves are usually 28", so that is why there is a 6" gap by the stove.

We also remodeled another bedroom and an office, but they were way too messy to take pictures of :) So, I hope you enjoyed our little re-model from old house to new home. Next Summer: A privacy fence and tree trimming, and in a few years, finish the 1,400 square foot basement with two more bedrooms, a bathroom, and one very large living room. I think that one can wait!

Family Fun

First of all, I would just like to Congratulate Chris, Kate, and Fischer on a beautiful and healthy little boy! I can't wait to see him! Kate, you are going to have to ask Diane and Amy what it's like to have two little busy boys running around!!

This weekend, Ben's brother Ryan and his family came over from Dickinson, ND to see everyone before their kids started school. We had a fun day at the mall and dinner at "Grammy and Papa's" house. After dinner, it was four wheel rides, basketball, and yes, scooter races!

Adrian was having a blast with Uncle Ben and Aunt Sara! Quincy kept leaning over the back seat and giving her kisses

How funny is this?

"But Grammy, I wanna go for a ride!!!?"

This is Ben's Mom, Janet: AKA: SUPER GRAMMY!!

This is Miss Hailey, who at Georgetown Lake, learned to ride her bike WITHOUT training wheels!Ben's brother Ryan, and wife Kristy, and Ben's childhood dog, Rollie


All together now! Hailey, Tyler, Ashley, Corey, Bradley, and Adrian
Ben's sister, Sarah (yes, it can get confusing) and husband Mike- ( For Some reason, Corey thought having two aunt "Sara(h)'s" was confusing. So, one day he looked at me and said, "Your name is Bobo." --- okay..... So now there is Aunt Sarah and Aunt Bobo. You can't make this stuff up.

What do you get when you get a 25, 28, and 30 year old racing on scooters? Tons of laughs and fun!

Where oh where has the summer gone???

On Saturday, I took my usually early morning trip into Billings and when I was at the arts and crafts store, I was so pleased to what I found. Autumn and "harvest" decorations! WOO HOO! Fall is by far my favorite season. I love the trees, the weather, harvest season, and of course, my girl time when dear hubby is off killing something to put on my walls. So, I couldn't help myself. I got a new wreath for the front door, some scarecrows (cute cute) and some new candy dishes for inside. But, on the way home, it hit me...... Where did the summer go? I know it's still August, but still? In a few weeks, the corn field behind my house will be chopped, and the leaves will get a little yellow around the tips. Has a summer really came and gone? It seems like yesterday it was the beginning of May, and I was waiting for my flowers to bloom. It's been a fairly productive summer, and this was out first whole summer in our new house, too. This last weekend I finished the front of the house painting the trim, garage doors, and two front doors. It's looking more and more like our home, instead of a run down, out dated, mint green box. Now, the upstairs is all finished, as is 70% of the outside. This week dear hubby is out of town at a federal law enforcement training, so my evenings will be spent finishing the staining on the back deck and the back window trim. I hope to have it all done when he gets home Thursday night. Then, I guess we can just sit back and watch the leaves turn, and be so thankful for all we have; a wonderful home, great friends, and of course, a wonderful walk of life.

Summer Vacation 2007: Georgetown Lake, MT

A moose eating dinner right on the shore about 150 yards from our camp.

My brother-in-law Mike trying to reel in a big one!

Benjamin's "keeper"

Me in front of my "dream house"

The grandkids playing "Hand and Foot" with Gramma Wulf

One of the many mansions on the lake (See above)

A visitor in our camp! A beautiful blond black bear

Gandpa Wulf and Bradley out for an evening stroll!

My nephew Bradley eating some yummy food!

This is my little sister Erin who came with us in front of our tent at the main camp site.

We had so much fun! But it is so good to be home! I have found my new favorite spot! Georgetown Lake! I will post more comments and pictures later! This was Ben and I's "cargo" that we hauled up to the lake.

Family Traditions

I think that one of the neatest things when you get married is carrying on family traditions. You get to teach your husband your family's tradition, and you get to be part of his, too. Then, when you eventually have kids, you can pass them along.

It has always been a family tradition for my husband's family to go to Georgetown Lake, Montana and spend one whole week (yes, 7-9 days) camping. And, I am not talking about cabins or fancy trailers. I am talking about tents, old trailers with no plumbing, outhouses, wash basins, and cooking over a fire. I have never gone, and it's been four years since Ben has been there. So, tomorrow, we are heading off to Georgetown Lake until the 12th of August! I am very excited because I love the outdoors, but I'm not sure how much of a "vacation" so to speak, it will be. There are going to be 10 kids from ages 2-16, and 16 adults. So, not a lot of alone time, or quiet relaxation. But, I'm sure it will be a lot of fun. We are taking up two of our 4-wheelers, and two more we are borrowing from our friends. And, Ben's sister and her husband are taking their boat. So, it should be lots of fun. Let's just hope it's not extremely hot, or raining the whole time either!

Here are a couple of pictures of the Lake that we are going to. It's about 5 hours away, Past Butte and Anaconda, and out towards Phillipsburg. It looks, and for what Ben tells me, is AMAZING!

Rewarding Yourself

When you don't have kids to buy cute things for, you have to reward yourself and buy cute things for yourself. Nine weeks ago I embarked on a little health and fitness journey to lose weight and run a half marathon. 22 pounds later, I rewarded myself. I love Dooney and Bourke handbags, and finally bought this one. (Okay, okay....maybe I have a couple, but in my defense, I have NEVER paid full price for one!!!)

There's just something about Montana.....

I don't know about anyone else, but have you ever been glad it's Monday so you can go to work and relax? That was my thought today. I had such a busy weekend that I am exhausted. Overall, it was fast-paced, exciting, and rewarding, but then again, I got nothing done except for a few loads of laundry and a load of dishes done. I didn't feel well on Friday, so I came home and pretty much fell asleep on the couch. Ben came home for dinner around 10:30 or so, and I don't even remember him leaving. On Saturday, I made my weekly trip to Billings for groceries and whatever else I needed. I came home and we had lunch with Mom and Dad, and then took Quincy to the creek so we could swim. That dog is a swimming fool. Then, we came home and took a nap before Ben headed to work at 6PM. Then, the night began. This weekend was the Harley Davidson's Annual Iron Horse Rodeo in Red Lodge. The county goes crazy. It is so sad to see society go down the drain with all of the drinking and craziness. The first Ambulance call came in at 9PM and the last one at 2:45 AM, a car crash about 15 miles from my house. I took one patient the hospital, and the other died, and since Ben was the Coroner on duty, we both rolled into bed around 6:30 Sunday morning. Some people ask us how we can do it; all the car crashes and hurt people, and dealing with it. Truth of the matter is, its not always easy, but we are each other's support group and we enjoy helping people and at least thinking we may make a difference. So, yesterday, Ben was gone all day at the autopsy, and I had to combine after meeting and all afternoon for may dad. I think I was asleep last night before I even hit the pillow.
Okay, this picture really doesn't do it justice, because it sort of looks blue here, but that is just the sunset making it look this color. Also keep in mind that I have not painted the overhang or the trim or garage doors. And, we still haven't moved the satellite dishes yet because when we called to have them taken down, they said we would have to pay. So, Ben is just going to have to get his latter and take them down off of the front of the house. So, this is our house after one year of living here. As soon as I can, I will try and post a "before picture." I'm telling you, you won't recognize it!

This was the Sunset behind our house on Friday night when the house picture was taken

This was the sunrise that Ben and I came home to Sunday morning after being on the car crash all night. It was about 6:15AM in this picture. Ben and I both agreed that after such a bad night, this amazing red sunrise was a good reminder of God's power, and just how fragile life is.

And on a much lighter note, Quincy, isn't she so ugly that it makes her so adorable? I love this dog. And does everyone notice how cute her pink collar with studded dog bones is? (This one is for dad, who claims dogs are not grandkids)

Just some old pics ......

I had these pics on my jump drive, so, until tonight when I get to take pics of my house, these will have to do as a post today. I also want to say that I love everyone's blogs! I have to admit that I don't get as much work done as I should now that I have all of your darling families to entertain me.

This is when we were bound for Mexico on our honeymoon!

On the beach in Progresso, Mexico. Our cruise ship was in the background. I submitted this photo to a photography contest for Carnival Cruiselines. I haven't heard back yet.

About a month ago, my white Mercury Sable just about died, (120,000 miles) and we decided that I needed a new car. The Sable was just going to nickel and dime us to death, so I got online, and found what I really wanted. We went to Butte, Montana to pick it up because it was 2,000 to 3,000 big ones cheaper than in Billings. I have always wanted a Subaru Outback, so kids are on one seat, and stroller and dog are in the back. This is my new ride. And, because I made such fun of my dear hubby below, I will show off his prize antelope mount to make up for it! This lovely creature adorns itself on my living room wall. I am so proud. (can you sense the sarcasm?)

Hubby

Many of you do not know my husband, Ben. He is the most accident prone person that I know. (He doesn't read this very often, so, I can embarrass him a bit.) I have decided I am going to get him a helmet and put"Benny" in crayon across the front of it. A month or so ago he cracked two ribs when he was riding his mountain bike with the dog, and Quincy flushed a pheasant, cut in front of him, and Ben when flying forward, and caught two ribs on the end of a handle bar. And then, a little while ago, he was trimming some trees, and the blade on the saw broke, and he cut the tendon of his middle finger. (see above) He could not move it or straighten it out, it just slumped down. He has to wear a finger cast for 8 weeks. And the finniest part of this all, is the Ben is a manly, tough, brave person, but when he sees his own blood, he gets woosey and almost faints. The man is a Coroner, for goodness sakes, but when he sees his own blood, the room starts spinning. he he......(love you, hunny)

Painting Update!

So, I have an adorable hubby! My husband and his dear family worked so hard on Tuesday. They masked off all of the windows and doors and put the two coats of paint on that it needed, so when I got home from work on Tuesday, IT WAS ALL DONE! Minus the window and door trim, but, still, they did everything. It looks great! We did not have a chance to take any pics of it yet, but I promise that when I get everything put back together ( The rain gutters and screens) I will post pictures. And, it is not white- it is a nice shade of grey, and it makes the house look so much bigger! I love it! We moved into our house one year ago today. It doesn't seem possible that it has been a year. Time flies when you are busy and have a lot to do. When I get to a color scanner, I will send before and after pics of the house, inside and out, after one year!



On a side note, isn't it amazing how much we take for granted in our day to day life? I would say this is especially true of friendships. For example, I can go an entire 10 months before chatting with a friend, or even a year before I see some friends at Convention. On Saturday I have to go to a funeral for a good friend of mine. He was more like a teacher and mentor. He was my paramedic instructor and mentor on the EMS Service that I work for. He had an outpatient surgical procedure and later that evening, thew a clot and had a massive heart attack. He was CPR'd for 45 minutes and died six days later in Intensive Care. He was 53. I just wish I would've been more appreciative towards him, and thanked him a bit more. It's not fair. I know life isn't, and that's why we need our Spirits to be right at all times, but he saved so many lives, taught 100's of CPR classes, and he dies because no one gave him CPR soon enough. Ironic, I guess, but just not fair. So, in memory of my friend, please tell the people you care about how much you truly appreciate them, because you never know if it might be the last time you tell them.

It's painting day!

So, I am pleased to say that when I get home, I will no longer have a turquoise/mint green house, but a grey one! Although my husband tells me that it looks white, which is NOT a good thing! I hope it's not as bad as he says, because I do not want to go and buy more paint! I will hopefully post some pics on Thursday, as tomorrow is my day off, and I will be helping with the second coat!

Let's hope it looks good!

Happy 4th of July!!

America, the Beautiful!!


Some Yellowstone Park wild flowers

Ben and Quincy overlooking Yellowstone Lake

Old Faithful- Right on Time......

The 6 x6 Bull elk we saw- I should've got closer....

Our cabin in Cody



We had a great 4th of July. We had planned to go to Butte, MT, to see Ben's grandparents, but his grandpa fell ill and had to come to Billings to see his cardiologist, so we ended up going through Yellowstone National Park via Cody, Wy. It was great and just nice to take a mini-vacation. First we went to Cody and spent Tuesday night there in a little cabin. It was very nice and charming. We went out to eat and then just laid in front of the air conditioner, it was soooo hot. We tried to hit the pool, but they closed it for cleaning- just our luck, eh? We got started towards Yellowstone at 10:30 Wednesday morning and were at the entrance around 11:30. We went to Fishing Bridge, the Lake Hotel, and ate a picnic lunch at Bridge Bay and the marina. We went for a little walk and Quincy tried to go swimming in the lake. Then we headed towards Old Faithful. As always, right on time. This was the first time Ben had ever been through Yellowstone Park. We also went up through Canyon Village where we saw a grizzly bear, and a 6x6 bull elk. We went home through Cooke City and over the Beartooth Pass, onto Red Lodge, and arrived back home around 10:30pm. Overall, it was fast, but fun! Quincy is still scared of the fireworks, so the vet gave us doggie Valium. Doggie Downers.... how funny is that?

The Ups and Downs

Skunks and Dogs.... Don't mix.. Bath time!

If you would have asked me five years ago if I ever wanted a dog, I would have said "Maybe." Last year I would've said, "Yes," but it's no big deal- it's just a pet. Boy, if you could've seen me on Saturday and Sunday- So, our dog, Quincy, who I might add is the best dog in the whole world, doesn't like fireworks. Nope- not at all. She got so scared when the fireworks started that she jumped the fence and ran away yelping. She was not catchable. I haven't been that upset or cried that hard in a long time. I was grief stricken, sick to my stomach. I even missed meeting to go out and look for her on the four-wheeler ( I know, I know, priorities, right......?) My dad says this is a sign that we need kids. I think he may be right, but it was horrible. Ben and I just laid in bed terrified that someone would see this $600 pure bred hunting dog and take it home. I must have put 100 miles on the 4-wheeler out looking for her before I finally came home and cried my eyes out. Ben was working and stopped by to see how I was holding up when the dispatcher called him on his portable radio and said that she thought our dog had been found at the neighbor's a mile away. She had definaitely had her share of fun when she was gone. She came back reaking of SKUNK! Now, there are going to be some people who read this blog who say, "This couple is messed up- it's just a dog," and there will be couples who say," Oh, those poor people, how devastating." But, either way- Dad still says- Uh...... you guys need kids. He has even bribed us- and then there's my mom, who claims, at 48, she is way too young to be a grandma.
Overall, the get together was a hit, followed by great fireworks and fun, but it was so exhausting. I took a long nap yesterday and it was great. I did, however, manage to puncture my back with barbed wire while out looking for Quincy, so today I was at the MD's to get my tetanus shot. Now I feel like I have dead arm and a huge headache. I hope that the rest of the week goes better and that we have a great holiday. Be safe everyone and buckle up!