What has been going on the last month or so?

Well, we have been busy with a couple major projects. For one, the kitchen has almost been completely remodeled: new paint, new counters, new appliances, .... We are almost done and will post photos soon. Until then, here are some teaser photos. I took these about 5 years ago, just after I moved into the house:



Since then, my roommates and I made some small renovations. Then I married a pastry chef who had a vision and saved up for four years to get her dream kitchen. Working within a budget, she has made vast improvements which we will reveal in the next week or so.

A certain bug occurs when you start remodeling. So some other rooms got some minor upgrades also. Our bathroom got a new counter and will soon get new paint and hardware. Sonya got to move rooms (Brian moved out) and got a new bunk bed. We have also been cleaning out old stuff. We may soon have enough for a small garage sale.

Finally, I have been taking a CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training class (8 weeks for 3 hours a week) and will soon be a member of the Hillsboro response team. The final is next week. It has been a lot of fun and we have been feeling the need to be more prepared at home for a natural disaster. I am proud to say that we have enough water for 2 weeks in the case of a disaster. :) I will try to take photos of the final and me in my new orange vest and hard hat.

Family History

I have always loved family history. Some guys play video games. Some watch movies. When I want to vegitate, I do family history. In fact, sometimes I spend so much time doing it that Karren calls it the other woman!

My dad and mom got me hooked on it when I was little. It is like doing a huge puzzle where you have to go find the pieces before you can assemble it. Our family even has a website devoted to our ancestors.


I also participate in various communities such as New Familysearch and I have recently been reaquanted with Find A Grave. I've been a member for over 6 years and enjoy contributing to this virtual cemetery. I recently added our daughter Miah's memorial.