The Christianson Adventure

Upstairs Bath Progress

2011-12-29T08:16:00.000-08:00

I am not sure if I mentioned but Abe had a blast on Halloween...so much so that everytime we go to a neighbor's house he yells "trick or treat!" and the halloween costumes (he had two thanks to his Aussie aunt) have been using their super powers to help around the house. Here is Batman helping Daddy with the bathroom wall texture.

the real superhero hard at work

progress on the tile

Abe's favorite place to nap these days is his tent aka "the bat cave"

Upstairs Bath Before & Demo

2011-12-28T08:30:00.000-08:00

We have been hard at work over the last month on the upstairs bath. Jeff has had a LOT of help from Abe with this one. Things started going much smoother once we established that all tools, regardless of size, weight or location belong solely to Abe and that while he is willing to share with his Daddy, permission must first be asked, preferably with the word "please" and if possible, only after Abe attempts to use the tool first. Jeff's patience has been amazing and it has been really funny to listen to those two "negotiate" over tools.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-27T12:43:00.000-08:00

Our trip to the Westlake carousel on Christmas eve morning was so fun. We can't believe how much Abe has grown from last year!

Tractors

2011-11-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

Abe's all time favorite thing right now is "driving tractor!" on G & G Christianson's farm. He likes to tell everyone we meet that he "driving tractor" pretty waitresses, trick-o-treaters, parents at school. We took some pics to document the action.

Goodbye

2011-11-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

As a certified believer in "the big one" few things in Seattle make me more nervous than the viaduct so I was bummed to miss the goodbye party, but these two got to live it up car free for a while and Abe got to see some of the demolition (his fascination with Builder Bob has not been the same since).

Superman!

2011-10-31T21:24:00.000-07:00

Superman had a blast - costume parade at school, halloween party, trick-o-treating and the annual candy bar tug of war with Gus. It is possible he might now want to be Superman everyday...

the palouse

2011-09-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

James Island

2011-08-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

Abe, Ethan & Mary exploring the island

picnic table surfing

Front Porch

2011-08-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

We have been working away, oh, for about a year now on the front entry. It has finally come together with the addition of a new front porch.

Before

Superman's weapon of choice...

2011-08-01T23:57:00.000-07:00

Patio Update

2011-06-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

We are now officially ready for summer to arrive.We finally poured the patio on Friday, here are a few pictures of the progress.

Abe was entertained by all of the action, note

his handy reference book "I Love Trucks"

Fun in the Sun

2011-06-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

In between projects around the house, we went out to Golden Gardens yesterday to cool off at the beach.

Abe's first popsicle.

Apparently a few other Seattleites had the same idea.

We didn't bring any tools/toys for Abe so he was constantly 'borrowing' from the other beachgoers.

Abe was sure to point out every boat he saw....It was a long walk back to the car.

Don't Feed the Animals

2011-05-31T16:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we worked around the house completing old projects and starting a new one.

Abe enjoyed helping to collect building materials.

New fence at the west side of the house. Gus was blessed with a window to the outside world.

Preparing for a new concrete porch in the back.

Start of Weekend.

End of Weekend.

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

Abe enjoyed some old school egg coloring last week, though he was more interested in the plastic eggs that Papa and Nana filled with M&M's and hid around their house on Easter morning.

Sweden, Finland & Estonia

2011-04-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

I owed Jeff a cold weather vacation so after a lot of talking (or not talking, hence the need for some quality 1:1 time) we decided it was time for a child free adventure. It was tough to leave Abe but he was in good hands (thanks everyone!) and we spent some quality time obsessing over him and entrenched in toddler self-help books.

We started by spending a few days in Sweden (or as Jeff refers to it “the motherland”) Stockholm is a beautiful city (definitely on our top 5 “We could live here” cities). We then hopped an overnight cruise to Estonia via Finland; we indulged in the smorgasbord, partied with some Brazilians and got very little sleep. We loved our first two days in Estonia so much we stayed another night – you love birds take note: Estonia is very romantic. We then headed to Helsinki where I discovered my love for the Finish – sweets, treats and candy are ingrained in their culture and I ate it up (seriously, there were a lot of fikka breaks!) We then hopped over to Amsterdam where we had the most amazing last “date” and now we are now headed home to see the little man.

It was a great trip and we had a fabulous time - below are a few pictures (a bit random, but for some reason those are the ones that make me smile).

Stockholm

The Vasa is hard to describe and capture on camera but it was amazing!

The view from on our boat to Estonia - yes, those are icebergs.

The smorgasbord....was a bit crazy - but so good.

Does this one really need a caption?

The typical Estonian mullet.

Jeff's birthday dinner was at the nicest restaurant, but I

could not get over the sign - nope, no eggs on the menu!

The night sky in Tallinn is truly that blue, at midnight.

Tallinn.

Totally random but a great memory - oh late night

desserts and coffee...please come back to my life soon.

A little subliminal messaging in Helsinki.

View from our late night stroll in Amsterdam.

Shiner

2011-03-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

We were at Abe's favorite store Re-Store last week and in all of his excitement, over Gus running through the isles and a cool bathtub (he is SO our child) Abe took a tumble. He has a gnarly shiner but we hear he is getting a lot of attention from the ladies at school - everyone wants to kiss it better!

Opening Day

2011-03-15T23:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight we celebrated the Sounders first game of the regular season...Abe in style (thanks Andrea!)

Landscape Update - Avid Reader Request

2011-03-13T21:48:00.000-07:00

To my dismay and surprise, I received a request from an "avid reader" for a LONG overdue update on our landscaping. Umm...thrilled to have a "avid reader" so here you go!

Back in October I started a witty (or so I thought) post on how Jeff and I spent a lot of time "compromising" on the landscape, but after having Jeff read it through, it became apparent that I was the only one who really found it funny- imagine that. It was also way too much information for the WORLD wide web, so I scratched it. Basically, our friend Jake was a huge help with the design, and the front walk will be finished this summer along with the side and back yards.

Also, no project here at 729 gets complete without the help of my MIL and FIL - they are the best and their generosity and sense of humor amazes me; they spent a very full day helping us pull it all together and we could not have done it without them.

So below are a ton of pictures - minus the "funny" commentary.

In prep for the new basement window and the egress requirements,

we built out a new window well...(does my husband plan ahead or what?)

Please don't judge us...he loved it!

Look at those roots my FIL is showing off!

My FIL & BIL in action.

The in progress "Before"

& After

Basement Update

2011-02-16T22:27:00.000-08:00

We had a busy weekend, here are some before and after pictures the basement.

Abe hard at work in the bathroom...

The Heat Is On

2011-02-06T22:01:00.000-08:00

With only 42 days of winter left we are happy to announce we have heat! Isn't she a beauty? 95% efficient, gas run, hunk of heat and worth every penny.

Basement

2011-01-27T22:11:00.000-08:00

The lack of posts over the past 1-2months is indicative of the spare time we have since diving into our basement remodel....It is not so much of a remodel, as a finishing of something that was unfinished when we moved in. If you recall from our blog while it was still in its infancy (November 2009), the basement looked like this:

After stripping everything out, and starting with a blank canvas, we were able to get the entire house re-rewired, and will soon be re-plumbing everything as well. We added an egress window for Gus's future bedroom, and lots of storage space. Other significant additions include phone jacks (which we had none of when we moved in) and insulation.

As always, Abe needs to gear up with dad anytime they venture down to the basement.

Window opening that we cut into the foundation.

Window opening prior to drywall going on.

Finally, as a final note, we regret to inform our readers that we have broken down and hired a contractor to install a new furnace and duct work. We are not proud of our actions, but figured this is the only way we are going to get heat in the house before the winter is over.

Detour

2010-12-24T12:49:00.000-08:00

We took Abe down to Westlake Center this morning for a quick Christmas Eve detour.

All I want for Christmas

2010-12-12T20:18:00.000-08:00

Abe had a visit with Santa today, we are pretty sure he asked Santa for 3 things:

1. a central heating system
2. the ability to reason
3. a tape measure

The BIG One

2010-11-30T22:28:00.000-08:00

Little known fact about me: I am a firm believer that "the big one" is coming. In fact, I am a little crazy about it, I subscribe to a ENS (Earthquake Notification System) all of our bookshelves are bolted, and I am stocked up on emergency mountain climbing meals, water and first aid kits.

Basically, Jeff didn't stand a chance when we discovered our house was eligible for a standard seismic upgrade. So by the magic of an amazing husband, some long waits at the DPD, some strategic demolition, a LOT of dust and some extremely loud drilling, we passed our seismic upgrade inspection today!

Here is a peak at one of the anchor plates in our crawl space - isn't she a beauty?

Abe did some work/damage at his Grandma's on Thanksgiving! (Thanks Mom!)

Happy Holloween

2010-10-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

This skeleton had a blast!

Oregon Coast

2010-10-17T22:15:00.000-07:00

Future Coug

2010-10-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

We finally got back to Pullman this past weekend for the Homecoming football game. We also discoverd Cougar Football Saturdays in Pullman are a lot more work with an extra set of legs to keep track of.

Abe enjoying the largest stuffed animal he has ever laid eyes on.

Happy Birthday James

2010-10-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we celebrated a very important 90th Birthday with the oldest, wisest, and some would say most handsome James. I couldn't let the big day pass without a bit of documentation.

Mr J James, Mr. A James and Mr. James

The Mr. J James Family

Party Animals

Buzz cut

2010-09-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

The Ferguson family has been visiting from Australia and we have been having a grand old time! While Kelly & Mark were off gallivanting in NYC last weekend, Jeff and I spent did some buzz cutting:

The before.

The after.

The front yard after.

It is pretty bare...landscaping is next!

Sneak Peak

2010-08-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

We have been hard at work the last 2 weeks. The house was naked for almost a week, while we replaced the last of the windows and spent an exciting Saturday insulating and prepping for the siding. The siders came last week and the painters came Saturday. At first Jeff and I were feeling a little guilty that we didn't do the siding and painting ourselves..but when the siders finished in 3 days and the painters finished in 1 day the guilt...well that pretty much disappeared right along with a lot of cash! Below is a sneak peak of the not so finished product, we are still hunting for some lighting, house numbers and have a ton of little things to still finish (mail slot, doorbells, electrical light cover, etc) oh and we are gearing up for some serious landscaping.

Jeff replacing a window..that is what I mean by a naked house.

The house after the siders finished.

The entry

Rain or Shine

2010-08-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

So 2 weekends ago (you know that one when it was pouring down rain?) Bear, Jon, Em and I were off meeting Aksel but Jeff was hard at work. We (and I say "we" here because even though I was not up there in the rain, I did put my time in - ie 10:00pm stapling paper the Thursday night prior and who do you think picked up every single one of the old shingles?). Anyway, "we" put up a new roof. The roof was in OK shape...but it would probably be something to haggle over if we were to sell in the next few years. Honestly, my husband amazes me, he works so hard and it constantly surprises me that not only does he actually know what he is doing, but he does it all really, really well. Anyway, the "we" above also includes more that just Jeff and me. The brothers pitched in to help - thanks Jay and Eric!

The "we" also includes Kyle...I don't even pretend to understand the weird and complex friendship between those two and why Kyle would voluntarily subject himself to roofing on a rainy Saturday with Jeff. After subjecting Jeff to an urban study on Kyle's amazing friendship, I remain just as confused as ever (men!) there was no exchange of labor, cash, wrestling singlets circa new years eve 2004, or even deep conversation, just beer and really, really hard work - in the rain. Regardless, I am so grateful and my 'ode to Kyle and his pumpkin moving, self portrait snapping, ultimate wrestling, clean house keeping, dirty story telling, cougar loving, and now roofing continues...Thanks Kyle!

Ladies...did I mention he is really funny?

Aksel

2010-08-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Bear and I got to meet the very beautiful, gorgeous and sweet Aksel Emil. Aksel his and proud parents were all smiles. Congrats Annika & Chet!

Isn't he adorable?

The proud mommy

Honestly...adorable!!

Evolution

2010-08-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

Bear spent a few months doing the what we referred to as the Army Crawl

He graduated to the Wounded Soldier for a few weeks

Then went on to All 4's

Shortly after that he started The Proposer

Now...he walks! Well kind of... It has taken me a few weeks

just to snap a socially acceptable pic because so far

Bear is only trying to walk in very dangerous places

and of course, he refuses to walk on command.

Entry

2010-08-01T22:02:00.000-07:00

After a super busy weekend we spent part of Sunday hard at work adding a little charm to the front of the house. This project has including a lot of pointing, laughing, drawing, "discussions" oh, and one fall off the roof. It also included a lot of learning. Jeff designed and had the Corbels custom made. You can't tell yet, but they are going to look great!

Abe and Gus were pretty entertained by all of the commotion.

Front Entry before (you can't really tell but the

original overhang is this odd metal contraption)

In progress

Calling it a day, the front entry for now.

We snap quick pick tonight, while chatting about all

of the work still yet to be started!

Rock the Vote

2010-07-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

It's time for a a little audience participation! Jeff and I are tyring to narrow down some house colors and we are taking your votes! The three choices are: Restful, Simply Sage and Beach Glass.

See poll on the right side of this page or post a comment below, send me an email, a text or give me a ring.

EVERYONE is welcome to participate, you know who you are...yes, you! Vote!

Let there be light!

2010-07-25T21:33:00.000-07:00

We spent part of Saturday working to install french doors in the master bedroom. We are still working on some other big projects so once the doors were on we hit pause and moved on to some serious planning. Below are a few pics I snapped on Saturday.

The (inside) before shot

The (outside) before shot

Bear had a great view of the action.

Jeff worked so hard in the HOT sun!

And inside the HOT room.

In progress (outside). Look at that mess!

Outside - for now...

Abe's 1st Birthday

2010-07-20T23:27:00.000-07:00

A very belated post and not related to the disaster we are calling home these days but SO worth a mention! We had a small family lunch to celebrate Abe's first birthday.

Friends mark your calendar - we will celebrate year number two with a big party (without a sea of rusty nails littering the lawn, in a painted house, with absolutely no hazardous tools or dust bunnies in sight)!

The Birthday Boy

You call that scaffolding??

2010-06-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy weekend! One of the highlights today (?) was the start of our siding project. Jeff is a siding snob (yes, there is such a thing) so we are removing the vinyl siding and will either replace with all new, or try to salvage (that's the technical term - see post on our newly accredited LEED professional) what is underneath. Things got a little tense when Jeff was trying to convince me that working 15 feet above the ground on a wacky jerky herky (a technical term, coined by accredited wives in distress) was safe and sane. Note he said it was both safe AND sane. Any way, after he broke out the climbing equipment and roped up, I felt better and the neighbors stopped staring. We still have a ton of work to do! Stay tuned for some more paint trauma...

I took a photo just in case I had to explain it to the life insurance agent.

This little guy sporting his safety glasses cheered us on.

2 down 12 to go

2010-06-23T23:05:00.000-07:00

Our most recent house project has been to replace our windows. We have started just in time for the sunny weather and while we may have lost a little bit of charm, there were only two windows in the house that would actually open! So we have two out of the twelve installed and so far only minimal broken glass.

The handy man hard at work on the windows before.

The semi finished windows. Still working on the trim

and a bit of cleaning.

Savannah, Charleston & Hilton Head

2010-06-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

We are back from a quick trip to Savannah for my step sister Jessica's wedding. It was a perfectly southern wedding and of course I forgot my camera and have not one picture of the beautiful bride or the gorgeous setting and the food (the reception was held at the Pink House - delicious!). We also spent a few days in Charleston (L-O-V-E-D it!), then ended the trip at Hilton Head to visit my Mom and Phil (a perfect ending because they spoiled us). Below are a few random pics of our trip. Enjoy!

We were able to catch some of the World Cup games, however the viewing experience was very different with a baby in tow

The heat was a bit much for Bear the first day, but he was such a trooper.

I could fill pages with random architecture, house pics and us lounging in the shady squares - I didn't want to bore you but still had to squeeze in one

We ate some fabulous food...again the experience was just very different with Abe along for the ride

Bear spent most of his time in restaurants flirting with the waitresses and other diners, which would have been great but he discovered his tongue...it was boarder line obscene.

The obligatory family pic

I was running out of sun light so these pics don't do it justice, but Bear LOVED the ocean.

Neither one of them wanted to get out of the water.

He passed!!!

2010-06-10T22:14:00.000-07:00

Jeff has spent the last two months studying for his LEED certification test (I wont deny that I loved the short lived break from all of the major house remodeling). Jeff took the test this afternoon and passed! Jeff is officially a Leed Accredited Professional BD+C . I have no idea what that means but this website explains most of it: http://www.gbci.org/main-nav/professional-credentials/credentials.aspx. I could not be more happy for him or proud of him. Now we plan to celebrate!

The Accredited LEED Professional cramming for the test.

The Monster in the Basement

2010-06-03T22:20:00.000-07:00

Jeff has been hard at work on the heating system. We had a very ancient monster of a furnance in the basement that we pulled out. It was huge and it made very scary noises (hence the nickname) and when we discovered the original plumbing permit tucked behind it from 1936 it pretty much confirmed the reason our gas bill so high. Until we figure out if radiant heating is an option, we needed some kind of heat source so Jeff is also working to retrofit our fireplace to gas. Here are a few pics:

Before/In Progress

The Monster

Jeff working his magic!

In bloom

2010-06-02T23:41:00.000-07:00

We have been so busy, but still trying to take some time to smell the roses! Our garden is so out of control, I can't keep up - I am pulling things up, and cutting things down (not necessarily the right things all of the time) but fun to see what pops up and what doesn't! All of the pictures below are really out of my garden...amazing!!

Happy Birthday

2010-05-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

Gus turned 4 this week...we celebrated with lots of meat for dinner and some good bones for Gus. Four years with Gus: the separation anxiety, missing shoes, missing butter cubes, calls from animal control, paw prints on the counter tops and the dining room table, birds, birds, birds, neighborhood escapes, howling nightmares, tromping through fields, diapers for dessert, destroying plants, grass, flowers and anything that grows, raccoon fights, kennel time in the city, road trips and robberies. He is worth it all!

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T23:06:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend in Portland with my Mom, I just wish I would have gotten an updated picture...

This was my favorite picture of the weekend:

Isn't it ironic....

2010-05-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

Of COURSE Abe slept in this morning (only on the week days!) I actually had to wake HIM up...classic.

Abe striking a pose at his Grandparent's house last week.

Saturday Morning Paper Work

2010-05-02T23:56:00.000-07:00

The hippy (I don't use that word with an ounce of offensive undertones) doulas who taught all of our parenting classes provided a lot of detail, they recited countless facts, provided way too much information, they showed us videos that literally made me cry real and true tears, but did they mention it? No. All of those pregnancy books? They don't cover it. I think the other new parents are too tired to remember to tell you.You see, babies: THEY DON'T SLEEP IN ON THE WEEKENDS. Abe in no way appreciates a Saturday or Sunday morning. He has no concept of the fact that after a super busy week filled with rashes and ear infections and teething this would my, ours, his, one and only chance to catch just a few more minutes of oh so sweet sleep.

A few weekends ago, Jeff took the early shift, when I stumbled out of bed searching for coffee this was the scene in my dining room: just some Saturday morning paper work.

Date Night

2010-04-22T21:28:00.000-07:00

we celebrated this:

by eating here:

they seemed to have borrowed the decor from here:

but the food was SOOO good!

THANKS FOR HANGING OUT W/ BEAR UNCLE JAY - YOUR THE BEST!

The Birthday Boy

2010-04-13T22:40:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we celebrated Jeff's birthday. The highlights:

- a taco bar...really a (!) taco bar (!)

- a domestic dispute over lemons

- a horse made of brownies

- a squeaky air mattress

- a celebrity guest

(Sorry, this picture is the only birthday picture I can post. All of the other birthday pictures were either edited or censored due to Jeff's possible future political ambitions.)

Self Portrait

2010-04-04T22:09:00.000-07:00

Just getting home from a very happy Easter Sunday. Documented day with a quick quick family portrait (minus Gus - who gets to play on the Christianson farm all week with his grandparents - lucky Gus!).

Camping...

2010-03-31T21:52:00.000-07:00

The bedrooms are officially under construction so the 4 of us (Gus is loving it!) are camping out in the living room and dining room. The first night was so fun (a fort in our living room!) every 5 year olds dream...then I woke up the next morning - not so fun when you have to go to work and you are in your late 20s. (yes, late 20s!)

The original bedroom walls were lath and plaster with no insulation and layers of paint and wall paper, wall paper, wall paper, paint and more wall paper. So, we stripped the rooms, Jeff did some updated and fancy electrical work, we insulated the outside walls and then had both rooms dry walled. It was so fun to have someone eles to the dry wall! 15 drywallers showed up early Saturday morning and by 3:00 the mud was drying; on Sunday morning we started priming. Now the hardest part - picking paint colors**.

Jeff working on the lights

Bear loves to watch Jeff work

After we blew the inuslation beefore the dry wall

The new dry wall

**I am 84% of the way through a breakdown on a kitchen paint catastrophe (honestly it has inspired me to make an eye doctor appt - I must be color blind). So while I am still shielding my eyes from the offending paint color and deciding if/how long I can live with it, we are finishing up a few misc fixes (just small stuff). Once half of my bedroom is moved out of the kitchen I promise to post pictures.

St Patrick's Day Flare

2010-03-17T20:49:00.000-07:00

Day Light

2010-03-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

Abe mid way through a family walk - he loves them (almost as much as Gus)!

One crawl forward, two crawls back.

2010-03-14T23:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend we strolled through one of our favorite neighborhoods filled with these:

Abe has now perfected the army crawl and has started teetering on all fours:

Abe is still not too interested in eating solids, so Uncle Jay came over as a guest presenter (it worked!) If you are interested in being a dinner or lunch presenter let us know!

This was the first oops, Jeff had ordered, cleaned, primed and painted our 4 glass backsplashes for the kitchen (kind of different, yes, but similar to what we did in our last house) but the color --- hmmm... it doesn't look bright turquoise below (but it was!!) and disney turquoise was not the color I was going for. Like most experienced do-it-your-selfers we skipped the screaming match and opted for the tense but rational "discussion" on the cost and time and effort and craziness and frustration of doing it all over again. In the end I decided that I was willing to burn my retinas every time I walked into the kitchen.

5 minutes later the second oops. With the largest of the 4 pieces out for the count, and another intense stare down, we "agreed" that if I couldn't live with the color then I would do the work. So I stripped the 3 remaining sheets, cleaned and primed them and oh..picked another color.

I can't even begin to bore you with how complicated it is to choose a color. The tempered glass and the primer distorts the color, so any color you paint on one of the glass will appear totally different on the other side - a yellow looks green and a grey color can look blue or a totally normal nice green can look turquoise. Let me complicate this a little more: we also have built-in shelves in the kitchen that I want to paint the same color as the backsplash, oh and I also blew my budget on the first round of paint and samples. So, I created my own color with all of our other cans of "oops" paint. It was so fun and not frustrating a bit...can't you tell?

Jeff took a little pity on me and put the last coat of paint on them so Round 2 is drying right now! Hopefully we will have pictures up of the final product soon.

The Besties

2010-03-09T23:27:00.000-08:00

I spent the weekend at Suncadia with the "besties" it was so PERFECT: the greenness, the food, the view, the Brick, the spa, my girls! The pic below does not do it justice.

http://www.suncadiaresort.com/

Agreeing to Disagree

2010-02-28T22:08:00.000-08:00

In the Christianson house there are a few (just a "few") things Jeff and I have agreed to disagree on. For example, we disagree on the number of pets we should own. [Note this disagreement includes the type of pets and the location of where those pets should sleep and eat - oh, and if said pets are allowed to wear what, if any, accessories.] When Jeff would talk about getting another dog, I would counter with talk about buying a fish, or a cat, and/or a bird. We have this unspoken/screamed agreement that basically means if one us acts first then that would be free reign for the other to buy their pet/pets of choice. Needless to say there have been no new pets in our family since the original disagreement. We have been at a stalemate.

For the past 4 years, Jeff and I have been in the same situation regarding appliances. I think we need a microwave. Jeff does not. Jeff thinks we need a 2nd freezer. I do not. Now, I do not need to go into detail about what happened to the original microwave in the first place - if you are reading this blog then you already know me and my "savvy" culinary skills. So...no microwave for 4 years, most of which I spent lusting over a microwave like a 1960's house wife, no popcorn (or least the good kind) no reheated left overs, no cups of tea/hot coco in a instant, no defrosting - it has been rough.

So what is big deal about having more freezer space? Good question and the rookie wife may be willing to trade the convenience of a microwave for more freezer space, but oh, oh, oh what the rookie wife has not factored in is that my husband is a year round hunting, costco shopping, deal seeking, large game eating husband. Living with a freezer full of stuff he would inevetiably force me to actually eat - uggh it just was not worth it.

When we started our kitchen remodel I began campaigning for a new microwave in earnest and it wasn't easy, I had to use all of my wifely powers and quote some stats on kitchen remodels courtesy of Consumer Reports. It worked and she's a beauty!

I have spent the last week basking in my hot cocoa's, making green tea in minutes and snacking on popcorn - when suddenly a thought hit me....without enough room for a another freezer...does Jeff think this gives him the green light for a new pet?!!??!!

Isn't she a beauty???

Bear has been enjoying his WARM cereal

a little bit of progress

2010-02-22T23:45:00.000-08:00

We are getting countertops tomorrow which means a sink and a dishwasher...can't wait!

most of the appliances are in

Jeff working on the cabinets

We had a some help from these three guys recently:

Kyle & Bear

My dad "helped" put cabinets together : )

One small step...

2010-02-15T21:29:00.000-08:00

We installed cabinets this weekend and here is the fruit of our labor:

Before (south wall)

After (the wine rack was at Tiffany's request)

Before (east wall)

After

We get appliances this week so more changes to come soon.

I know where everything is except my sanity...

2010-02-13T06:10:00.000-08:00

The refrigerator is in the living room.

The oven is in the dining room.

The pots and pans are in the nursery.

My sanity.... MIA

To bring some balance to the situation Ken and Sue came down on Wednesday; Ken did some painting and Sue brought dinner. Aren't they cute?

Ken pulling a line (NOT drawing a line)

Sue helping out!

This week we also tackled one our least favorite home improvement project: dry wall (I'll mud if you sand?)

Mudding

Sanding

Somewhere between Bear getting sick and moving out of the house (thanks Bette Jo!) we had Jeff's friend come in and refinish the kitchen floor (the rest of the floors will get finished next month).

Kitchen Floor Before (kind of)

Kitchen Floor Before

Kitchen Floor After

Up next? Moving back in and cabinets.

Progress

2010-02-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

We had a weekend full of fun and friends but also managed to make some progress on the kitchen (and just in time, the refrigerator is in the living room, the only working sink in the house is in the bathroom and I have gained half a thigh from all of the takeout). We owe the biggest thanks to Jay (the best baby watcher) and Brad & Lex (the most understanding and entertaining house guests!).

Looking from the dining room to the kitchen late, late, late on Friday

Looking from the dining room to the kitchen on Sunday night

Needless to say...we were blessed with a heavy sleeper

The Madness Has Begun

2010-02-01T22:37:00.000-08:00

So, the boys survived while I was gone - the house not so much. I arrived late Thursday night to find a big hole in the side of my poor little house, so the kitchen remodel (aka the madness) has begun. We have pretty much finished most of the planning:

We have started the demo and mechanical:

the big hole in the house/replacing the window

oh Gus! he loves a good remodel

we uncovered a few surprises

the plumbing...really old (you can't tell but Jeff's feet are not touching the floor!)

so far Bear has been a trooper!

Mr. Mom

2010-01-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

The boys are on their own for the next few days, while I am traveling for work...wish me them luck.... The picture below is the exact scene I came home to the other night....(me? not worried at all!!)

You would think with those chubby cheeks...

2010-01-24T21:12:00.000-08:00

....we would have a big eater, but so far it has been a little rough.

Cereal? No way.

Peas? No thank you.

Apples? Not really...

Bananas?? Yum!!

(P.S. Anna Maria we love your mommy reccomendation - the "chair" is the best!!)

Abe's Baptism

2010-01-13T23:57:00.000-08:00

This last weekend Abe was baptized. It was a great day and Bear is a very lucky and loved little boy. Halfway through the ceremony Father Bowman leaned in and whispered "Where are his shoes?" Jeff and I were honestly speechless for a very, very, very long minute...Jeff then whispered back "He likes to eat his toes." (Please see: Just One of His Many Many Talents). When Father Bowman started chuckling I just thanked the Lord!

Shoeless Abe with his all of his parents.

Life imitating art or art imitating life?

2010-01-12T21:28:00.000-08:00

ABC: Modern Family

Things at the Christianson house were a bit intense last week, so when we tuned into one of my favorite shows, Modern Family, let’s just say that Episode number 111: "Up All Night" really hit home - my heart went out to Phil (kidney stones: who knew that childbirth is not after all the most painful thing a human can endure? well, I do now) and Cameron (crying it out is tough on a momma bear! And, yes, a raccoon could eat a child). If you haven't seen the show - you must (it will also help you understand everything I just posted). abc.go.com/shows/modern-family

Before & After: Leftover Chairs

2010-01-06T21:26:00.000-08:00

Did I mention that the previous owner of our house left "some" "stuff"? These two chairs were tucked away in the garage, I did a super quick makeover becuase as usual our house is a little short on seating.

Before

After

The best FIL & MIL

2010-01-05T23:50:00.000-08:00

When I first started this blog, I thought it would be about the remodel of our house with a few pics of Bear thrown in for the grandparents, but little did I know how the demands of everyday life would catch up with me and how fast time would fly. Although I just have not had the heart to post any progress pics, or lack of progress, we have managed to get some work done: the old Smokey house smell is gone (thanks Mom!) can lights are up, speakers are in the wall (crazy husband while he had the flu!), etc. But this weekend we made some serious picture worthy progress. Ken aka my FIL and Sue aka my MIL (that’s FatherInLaw and MotherInLaw for those of you who do not speak my language) came and rolled up their sleeves! They spent the entire weekend here painting, cleaning and feeding us (they even slept on the floor!). Ken is seriously the Monet of house painting and Sue manages to clean, watch Bear and carry on a delightful conversation all at the same time. We appreciated it so much!! Here are a few highlight.

The FIL hard at work

My MIL in action

That's me, hurting myself...yikes!

While we were hard at work, Bear watched the Cougar game

Eye protection is so hot!!

You should see him paint a line - amazing!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T23:48:00.000-08:00

We had a very happy New Year and hope you did too. Thanks Josh and Beth, I think I can still hear Jeff laughing...this picture is just so cute I couldn't resist!

Jeff reading Mary & Abe a bedtime story

What are you two going to do?

2010-01-05T23:47:00.000-08:00

Due to the holiday break we had no babysitter for Abe on Monday...so Bear had his first sleep over and spent two days with his Poppa. My cousin Jenna oh so incentenly asked Jeff and I "What are you two going to do?" We both immediatly answered in unison "Sleep!" (In addition to two full nights of sleep, we snuck in an official date in our new neighborhood). Thanks Dad and Karen!

A Very Merry Christmas!

2009-12-31T01:06:00.000-08:00

We had a very merry Christmas and we hope you did as well!

The obligatory family pic...but where is Gus??

Abe and Cousin Maggie

These two were so funny!

Holiday Cheer

2009-12-24T00:13:00.000-08:00

This little reindeer came home this afternoon with his very own mistletoe...we loved it!

Crumpet & Edward/Jacob

2009-12-13T22:56:00.000-08:00

This week I went to this play:

and finally watched this movie:

both of are so funny....

Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree

2009-12-13T22:29:00.000-08:00

This was our very first Christianson family Christmas tree. We actually went out to the wilderness and cut this one down, it was the most perfectly pathetic Christmas tree and we loved it. By the 10th of Decemeber ornaments started sliding off the tree and by the 25th almost all of the needles had fallen off.

Sadly no Christianson family Christmas tree this year (unless I can convince Jeff to add wheels to our Christmas tree stand) we are still trying to finish up painting the living and dining rooms. Pics to come soon!

Go Hawks!

2009-12-06T19:56:00.000-08:00

This crazy guy took Jeff and me to the Seahawks game today. It was so fun! Great seats, great game, and great friends. Oh, did I mention that we have evolved as parents? Abe spent the afternoon with his Poppa.

Just one of his many, many, many talents

2009-12-01T22:43:00.000-08:00

Abe has been spending some quality time doing this:

and this:

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T23:00:00.000-08:00

Can you tell who made what?

Go Cougs!

2009-11-26T00:43:00.000-08:00

The Exxel guys decorated very, very, very early this morning. It is after all the Great Alaska Shootout this weekend....

Go Cougs....

2009-11-22T23:44:00.000-08:00

Jeff, Abe, Gus and I took a quick trip to Pullman two weeks ago (yep, I am a little behind, such is the crazy life of a working mom in the process of a move - more on that next time). Pullman was COLD, the Cougs were hhmmm....the Cougs, but we had a great time with the family and a super dinner on Saturday (thanks Amanda & Eric!).

Sue is shading Abe's eyes from the sun not the disaster on the field

Both of them are so entertaining!

This Lion Has a Heart

2009-11-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

It started out a little rough...you really can't blame the kid...but we ended up having a very happy Halloween. Abe partied with a whole bunch of first timers - the babies and parents all had a blast!

Thanks Uncle Jay

2009-10-31T11:57:00.000-07:00

While I was pregnant 2 new sushi restaurants opened right here in Ballard...it was tragic; 8 months later we finally made it to one: O'Shan Sushi (it was delicious & the family who runs it is very nice). Uncle Jay babysat, he's the best and look at him with the boppy - he's a pro! Oh, and a quick family pic.

Don't Lick His Face!

2009-10-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

A couple of times a day this scene plays itself out on my living room floor:

Besties

2009-10-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

Abe's best friends Ethan and Mary came over yesterday for our last play date. The Purefoy family is one of our favorites and oh Mary! - endless entertainment. Jeff and I just love her (everything from how she eats her candy corn to her perfect memory) and Abe misses her soooo much!!

Fort Gus

2009-10-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

He eats whole cubes of butter, has super soft ears, loves to stand on our kitchen counters, sleeps with his legs up in the air, has a pacifier preferences (he prefers nuks over soothies), tries to ride shotgun from the backseat, sexually harasses all of our visitors, has separation anxiety, hates Santa costumes, randomly kills possums on his morning runs, has a love/hate relationship with the mail carrier, is learning how to spell w-a-l-k, knows how to vacuum up food off the floor, replants and rearranges tulip bulbs, has his own doorbell, and now much to the amusement and amazement of the neighborhood: he escapes! Gus has figured out how to open our front gate. Let’s just say, it has brought a whole new dimension to our front yard, which is currently being referred to as "Fort Gus."

Gus sleeping after a muddy adventure last week

Sounders FC 2, FC Dallas 1

2009-10-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I caught the last Sounders game of the regular season on Saturday night. It was a great game, fun, chilly, and very intense. Jeff and I have encountered some very crazy football fans (ie the '98 World Cup riots) so I wasn't expecting the Seattle crowd to be that entertaining, but this one crazy Sounders fan stood out as "that fan" he litterly screamed through a megaphone at the crowd almost the entire match, he led every cheer, song, chant, and jump - it was great and I just could not stop staring and giggeling (I apolgize that the pics below will only be funny to Jeff and me). Go Sounders!

Baby Therapy

2009-10-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

Our Aunt Bette Jo has been in the hospital for the last few weeks so Abe and I have been visiting almost every day. We love our visits and are really getting to know our way around Cherry Hill. On Saturday afternoon we were lucky enough to get some alone time with Bette Jo and Grandma Judi. Abe and Bette Jo took a little nap, it was the cutest!

Lunch Date

2009-10-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

Abe and I had a lunch date with Anna and Trix and their babies. Georgia Ray (so pretty in pink!) and Gavin (adorable!) are both so cute. I loved chatting with the Anna and Trix; I learned (among other things: when they say cereal they are not talking about cheerios), I laughed (and laughed and laughed) oh, and most importantly, I regained just a bit of sanity.

Georgia Ray, Gavin & Abe

Anna & Georgia Ray, Me & Abe, Trix & Gavin

Happy Birthday Magdalina

2009-10-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to meet Maggie; she is an adorable niece and will be the perfect playmate cousin. Congrats to Stacey & George!

The "Befores"

2009-10-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics snapped during the inspection of 729:

Questionable Parenting

2009-10-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

Abe attended his first Seahawks game on Sunday. Despite a horrible loss, Abe had a great time!

A combination of the crazy, insane, die hard fans who fell in LOVE with Abe and the now certain belief that Qwest Field must be the loudest stadium in the NFL, left Jeff and I left questioning our parenting and immediately adding these to Abe's wish list:

What Were We Thinking?

2009-10-18T23:44:00.000-07:00

From: 8008 in Ballard

Delightful 1916 Loyal Heights Farmhouse that is second to none! Wonderful architecture, great remodeling & super location. This 3 bedroom, 1.75 bath home has been completely & stylishly renovated. The light & bright kitchen features new cabinets & counters & super stainless appliances. New dormers upstairs make the unique master suite divine, with built-ins & stone tile 3/4 bath. It boasts a custom built fence, a small backyard deck, a doggy chateau & a cute garden area. This is a must see!

To: 729 in Queen Anne

Don't wait on this one - it will go quickly! Well-maintained home in highly desirable Queen Anne Park neighborhood. First time on the market in over 60 years! Ready for a new owner to bring it up to date. This home sits up high on the lot, offering territorial views. Features include gas heat, arched doorways & hardwood floors under carpets. There is a large, eat-in kitchen and other rooms are also generously sized.