Dining Room Upgrade

Today we finally finished our project in the dining room! We added the medallion and changed the light fixture. But we didn't stop there...I took it to the Pinterest level and found a unique idea to imitate a sort of tray ceiling. Here's the before....

And here's the after! It goes great with the bold wall color, and really makes the medallion and chandelier a focal point in the room.

Exploring

Our weather is super warm right now so today we took the boys out. First we went to the town park! It's super nice and all the equipment was just replaced last year. They had a ton of things for the boys to climb on, plus several picnic tables and grills.

Next we went down the road to check out the Albion Cemetary. That might seem weird, but it's beautiful! There were several others there walking their dogs and jogging. It's very terraced and has several levels and areas. There are some beautiful monuments there and impressive tombs. The oldest ones I saw were from the late 1700s but most were from the 1800s with whole families buried together.

I ordered a new swingset for the boys and that should be in next week. I'm hoping we can squeeze out a few more weeks of good weather so they can enjoy it.

A Visit From Family!

Last week my mother in law Penny came for a visit! She rode along with some friends in Oklahoma who just happened to be coming to NY for an event. They brought her right to our house last Tuesday morning, and she stayed with us for a week and just left this morning. Nick had a great time being able to visit with his mom, and the boys loved seeing their Nan. We didn't think she would ever make the trip to visit us, but everything worked out so she could!

She loved it here, and even wanted to check out some houses for sale! We went thru this one right down the street from us.

Tonight was open house at Brad's School, so I got to take him and meet his teacher. Her name is Mrs. Schepis and she seems very sweet. Brad just loves it there, and I was really pleased with the facility.

In other news....I got my granite counters installed today!! But I'm saving those pics for another post. Check back soon!

Outside Fun in the Last Days of Summer

Today we got the tire swing put up! The boys love it of course, and I know it will be enjoyed for years to come.

Yesterday Nick's project was to paint roof sealer on the porch roof. Now it's ready for the winter!

He also restored our front door! He restained it, rebuilt the handle/lock (from 1890!), and installed a brass kickplate.

We also ordered a custom address number sign and got it in today!

We love this house, and are so excited to do all the little touches we've been dreaming of for years.

In other news... Nick's mom is coming to visit! Who would have thought?! She is arriving late tonight and staying with us for a few days, so my next post should have an update about that.

First Day of 3rd Grade!

Bradley went back to school today! His new school here in Albion is Ronald Sodoma Elementary and his teachers are Mrs. Schepis and Mrs. Burrell. He is so excited so meet new friends and be back in school. The bus picks him up right in front of the house.

Of course we had to do our annual pictures!

Here is a collage I made of him from Pre-K to 2nd grade wearing his special shirt I made him! You can see him starting to grow into it.

I hope he has a great day, and I can't wait to hear all about it.

A Place for Everything, and Everything in its Place

As we unpack boxes, I'm finding all the cute new things I bought just for this house. They've been packed away, never even taken out of the wrapper until now. It's the little things that make this house a home!

I mowed half of the backyard yesterday, and decided to cut a big bouquet of fragrant herbs for the kitchen window!

While I mowed, hubby got to work assembling the new grill, and all the patio furniture. It turned out so nice! We will break it in tomorrow for our Labor Day cookout.

I got this pathos plant from mumsy when I was in the hospital having Bradley, and it finally has a nice sunny window to live in.

Of course we couldn't wait any longer to put up our Kit Kat clock in the kitchen! Yes its eyes and tail move back and forth.

I am off for a few days in a row, so I'm determined to get the rest of the boxes unpacked before I go back! Our big guy starts 3rd grade on Thursday so we will also be getting ready for the new school schedule.