Home Improvements

Here are some pictures of our back deck. Here is dad back in March cutting the bush that used to be taking over the corner. As you can see the bush left the corner boards pretty messed up. Aaron replaced the last two boards and cleaned the entire deck.

Here he is staining the deck. Now it looks great!

As for other developments around the house...about two weeks ago (after a particularly hard rain storm) we notices a leak in the living room.

After a couple of estimates we found that while the leak was most likely a result of a fluke intrusion near the dormer, the roof should probably be replaced. However, as we are currently poor, we've decided to forgo immediate plans to re-shingle the roof and instead are having gutters installed in order to take care of some moisture in the crawl space.

The gutters should go on within the next couple of weeks.

Oh the joy of being a home owner - Don't get me wrong...I love our house! I love coming home and having had the opportunity to make this our home.

Big Plans for February 26, 2009

Well for those of you who haven't yet heard, Aaron and I have some news...some big news! After two Doctor's appointments, it has been confirmed (not that I had any doubt, given all the sickness), we'll be welcoming a baby to our family on February 26th! While we are both anxious, we are also very excited.

In related news...I think that I may be turning a corner. I haven't gotten sick since Thursday. I hope that what they say is true and that the morning sickness subsides after the first trimester. Now I just have all the weight to look forward to...Aaron can't wait to see my wobble.

In other news, Aaron started school today - not with kids, but for planning with other teachers. He starts with kids on August 19th.

I also officially quit my second job at TJMaxx...well actually the end of this month will mark the end of my retail service. Looking forward to all the extra time...to sleep.

Tag You're It

So my friend Kristen "tagged" me. While I won’t tag others (since I don’t know many people with blogs), feel free to update your blogs with seven facts about yourself…

1. List these rules on your blog. (check)
2. Share seven facts about yourself on your blog. (check)
3. Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

Fact #1: I don't get Family Guy or the Simpson. I just don't think that either are funny. I've been told its intellectual humor, maybe that means I can't appreciate smart funny...maybe I need to actually watch a few shows before making such a snap judgement. I guess I'd rather just spend my time watching something else.

Fact #2: I rarely cook. It isn’t that I don’t like to or that I don’t wish I did more…I just don’t have the time or energy. Even when I get brave and look through the cook books (which I like to do) I often find myself either intimidated or lacking key ingredients that leave me defeated. Hence, I give up and cook the box of macaroni and cheese or frozen pizza. Bless my husband, he doesn’t seem to care. I do like to occasionally bake (the element of time permitting).

Fact #3: I detest ketchup. I know how “un-American?” While growing up I didn’t like anything tomato flavored – especially Spaghetti O’s. I love cheese; any and all kinds. Cheese definitely makes everything better. I have recently become re-addicted to cream cheese and bagels.

Fact #4: I am proud to be a Yankee. I am from Michigan…it was and always will be my home. While I truly believe that a sense of place is something you create for yourself…I also believe there are certain places that shape who you are. I live in South Carolina (heaven help me) and while it was a big adjustment, I have also found myself able to appreciate certain things here…southern hospitality, sweet tea, the slower pace, the sunshine (not the hot), and the history.

Fact #5: I am not as hard-core as I’d liked to think I am…I often find myself saying “yes” when I want to say “no.” I still haven’t quit my second-job on account of not wanting to let anyone down or leave them in a lurch. I often find myself spitting mad about something and then forgetting about why as time goes by. I wish I was someone who stood more on principles, I really did always want to leave in trees and have dread locks, but as I get older, I realize that there is a certain degree of practicality and a whole lot more gray area in the world.

Fact #6: Someday I want to: run for election (no matter how small an office), go to Niagara Falls, visit Ireland, experience an earthquake, fly, learn to ride a motorcycle, be a mentor, and learn to salsa among other things.

Fact #7: The best advice I ever got was to spend my live in search of success. The success I mean comes from a favorite saying of my dads…it is a successful day when you harm no one and help at least some one. While I really try to do this…I need to do better.

So, that's it - seven facts about me.

Peter Denja

Well, after a long drive home to Michigan and back to South Carolina...we were successfully able to meet our new nephew Peter. We arrived early Friday morning to a text message indicating Peter had just been born. The Denja blog has some great pics. We also got to spend lots of time with the family. Sister Erin was home the week prior visiting friends and family and mom and dad drove down from TC too. We had so much fun just hanging out. We spend one morning at one of the girls favorite places - Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum - it was a blast! Now it is back to the grind...running errands and catching up on work. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.