I made it just under the wire

I promised one post per week and I'm finally getting around to writing mine for this week.  Our kitchen is still in a state of turmoil (I do not exaggerate when I tell you it looks exactly like it did the week before Thanksgiving sans the four workers in the center), which takes up much more of my time than I would like:

But the good news is the insurance company finally approved our claim for water damage (yay!) and I'm starting to work with the contractor and subcontractors to start the re-do process (double yay!).  Will and I decided not to do a complete overall in large part because of the high price tag, but also because this small house would look strange with an oversized kitchen and we would not likely get the return on our investment should we sell in the near or even distant future (Type-A personalities, you think?).  So, we're changing the floor, repainting the walls, refacing the cabinets, updating the countertops, enlarging the sink, and upgrading the appliances.  Of course, after writing out that list I realize how lucky we are just to be able to do all of that in our small budget.

The plus side to having a half-house/half-construction site is that it really does no good to vacuum and dust because dirt, dust, old kitchen flooring, and everything else you can imagine will only get redeposited throughout the house within 24 hours.  I am getting a little spoiled by my no-cleaning lifestyle.

Of course, I've managed to fill up my time in other ways.  Two very cute ways.

Frances and George after our most recent family dentist visit and George's first official dentist cleaning. According to the dental hygienist, he did great.  She wisely whisked him away to another room to clean his teeth before he had time to object (and out of my eyesight, which I think was key).

We had our first snowfall of the year last week.

This picture is deceptive--it was such a small amount, school wasn't even an hour late.  But the kids were in the backyard by 7:30 am to enjoy as much as they could before the bus came.

Frances's "Snow Princess."  Because a snowman would never do.

Will's father celebrated his 70th birthday this month.

The birthday boy with George, Frances, Trey and Justin.

The big boys, Will and Charlie.

Nothing better than a milestone birthday surrounded by your family.  We should all be so lucky!

Frances's school had family night last week, which included a book fair and free ice cream, as modeled by George.

Frances was over the moon that we all attended.  Will has been working very late recently, but he made a special appearance for his little princess and she couldn't have hugged him harder.  I'm not sure which made her more proud--to show off her school to us or to show us off to her friends.

Today we took a family walk in the sunshine and fresh air.  It was cold, but refreshing and rejuvenating.

I silently walked in honor of a local woman who was killed last week on her morning run by a drunk driver.  The entire city and country, especially the running community, has been in mourning.  She was a stay-at-home mother of three young children who, as told by those who knew her best, relished her job as a full-time mother and had a passion for outdoor running.  90,000 plus people ran outside this weekend in her honor--soaked up the sun, breathed the fresh air, appreciated their muscles and their lives.  I didn't know her personally, but I can't help but feel close to her story.  As a runner, you understand that it could have been any of us on that fateful morning run.  Meg, you are so very loved and appreciated.  And you will not soon be forgotten.

See her story here.

Happy Sunday, everyone.  And for those walkers or runners, please be careful out there!

New year, new writing schedule

Once a week.  That's my new aim for blog writing, friends.  My excuse?

He's adorable and extremely fun to be with and amazingly well-behaved while his sister is in school.  And he no longer takes a nap. Plus, I hate to be sitting at a computer while he is being this good.  It's also hard to believe that come September, he'll be walking onto the school bus with big sis as a Kindergartener.  So before I crawl into a corner and cry real tears at that thought, I'll just remind myself to enjoy this time with him and soak him up as much as possible these next nine months.

Bundled up to go wait for the bus.
It was about 15 degrees outside when I took this picture.

School was two-hours late for two straight days this week because of extremely cold temperatures (which part of me scoffs at, but another part of me understands wholeheartedly.  I'm just glad I'm not in the position to make those tough decisions.).  Silly or not, Frances, George and I relished our lazy mornings around the house, playing with new Christmas toys, singing Christmas carols (that would be our George.  He is a Christmas nut like his mother), and catching up on housework.  An 11am start time for elementary school is apparently ideal for the Homiller children--just when they start to argue, it's bus top time.

Until next week, when I'll likely be writing to you from my still half-spring/half-Christmas decorated house.  

I think I'll start a new trend for those of us who can't quite let go of those beautiful nighttime white lights, but can do without the basket of noisemakers from Santa.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Almost Weekend!

How's that for a Cliff's Notes version of the last month or so?  It feels as though I blinked and the holiday season was already over and I have yet to share it with any of you.

First things first, Santa Claus CAME!

And while Will and I had no doubt he would, I think George was genuinely concerned for a minute or two whether he would leave anything other than ashes and switches.

Both kids were overjoyed with Christmas morning, but as I put Frances to bed that night she gently and quietly informed me that she did get more gifts from Santa than George (which, by the way, is very unlikely).  I had to smile.  As good as she is and as mischievous as George can be, I think she wanted to make sure that her good behavior had paid off in a tangible way.

But before Santa, we spent Christmas Even with Will's parents where Frances picked up her favorite gift of the season--an iPod.

She's been asking for one for the last three years and I could never quite grasp what she would do with it.  But now it seems completely obvious--total control over which Disney movie music she will hear next, of course.

Later than evening, we went to Christmas Eve church service--my very favorite part of the year.  I'm not sure there is anything more beautiful than "Silent Night" sung in only candlelight.

And as if we needed any more excitement, Frances lost her second tooth during Christmas Eve dinner.

But as it turns out, the Tooth Fairy takes Christmas Eve off; so she showed up the next night.

My parents came over Christmas Day in time for lunch with Maggie and Calvin, upping our Bichon to person ratio.

They then escaped for three nights to visit my sister and her family and we took care of the doggies.  I could not have done it without Frances and George's help.

They love those fluffy white messes (Marshall included).

And now George and I are enjoying a quiet New Year's week while Frances is in Lynchburg for her favorite part of the year--seven days with Nana and Pop.  By all accounts, she is having a blast and my mother has already offered to keep her forever and register her in the local public school.  And while Will and I wouldn't hear of it, there is one person who would miss her most of all.

I'm not really sure when George turned seven (or at least started looking seven).
Be still my fluttering heart.

Happy New Year, everyone!

We're still here!

And we're trying our best to celebrate the season despite a non-working kitchen.

The industrial-sized fans and dehumidifier have since left the building, so now we're just waiting on the contractor to give us some estimates for the repairs.  I have resigned myself to the fact that our kitchen will look like this until long after Santa makes his appearance.

As Will has to sometimes (daily) remind me, no kitchen is a First World problem, which I promptly remind him that I am a First World girl.  Didn't Madonna make a similar proclamation in the 80s?  I bet she had a fully functioning kitchen though.

If you'd like to see something to celebrate, just look at these two smiling faces on Santa's lap:

It is official--2013 is the first Christmas that neither child cried for Santa.  I am still in shock at how easy it was this time around.

With all that has been going on here, I still can't believe I haven't been able to write a post about our Thanksgiving weekend, which was also a celebration of my mother's 70th birthday.

Photo courtesy of the great David Hamilton (top right), the only family member that is almost as tall as Will.

Almost everyone in the family attended (except for my oldest brother, Johnny, and his family who came down with the flu and kindly kept the germs in their home.  You all were missed terribly!).

Frank hosted the party at the beautiful Cloverlea (where we had Thanksgiving last year, too).  I will never get tired of this view of the Blue Ridge mountains.

Frances and George played non-stop with their cousins.

Another Dave Hamilton picture (Frances, Maggie and George wearing Frances's furry vest a la Sonny Bono).

Maggie, Claire, and Frances

And Frank hired a surprise opera singer to serenade his beautiful bride.

Nana holding baby Claire after realizing what her surprise would be.

The singer!

It was as magical as my mother's expression suggests.  I'm not sure it gets much better than hearing "Some Enchanted Evening," "Old Man River," and other beautiful songs live on the piano.  There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Nana opening her presents with a few helpers and surrounded by so much love.

Happy, happy birthday to my mother and to Frank (whose birthday was Thanksgiving Day!)  And a very special thank you to you all for enduring my scattered post and my glaring absence from writing.  I hope to get things back up to normal by 2014.  Of course, a nice, new, and even bigger kitchen would certainly help - can you all help me convince Will of this?

Happy Friday, everyone!

This and that

November 4th and I'm just getting to my first November post.  And please don't remind me that my blog header says "Summer 2013."  Needless to say, things around here have been active, slightly crazy, and very computer unfriendly.  And this picture may help explain things:

This is the first leotard I've worn since I was 20-years-old.  Gulp.

I have (unwisely?) signed up for the Mid-Atlantic USA Yoga competition that takes place later this month and the incredible yogis at my studio and I have been knee-deep in backbends, standing bows, and camel poses.  It is simultaneously the most exhilarating and the hardest thing I have done in a long time - and so of course, I love it!  When he's not making a joke about competitive yoga ("are you judged by how much zen you have?"), Will has been incredibly supportive:

2014 competitor?  I think so!

I'll keep you posted on how things go.  As silly as it sounds, I am overly superstitious so I don't like to talk about goals too much ahead of time just in case things don't turn out how I had hoped.  But I also have to remind myself that this is my first competition after 14 months of practicing and it is supposed to be fun.  In fact, that's my mantra as I'm up on stage trying desperately to relax in these poses - "this is FUUUUUUNNNNN!!!"  Wish me luck!

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The kids have a four-day weekend for Election Day.

Great for them.  Hard on momma.  So the story goes.

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George proudly displaying his Halloween loot, organized by brand of candy.

He is officially obsessed with how much candy is waiting for him to consume, which is hilarious since he doesn't really like sweets (unlike my little sugar hoarder, Frances).  I think he just likes the idea that it is his and he earned it.

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Before Halloween, we visited a small, local pumpkin patch and had the best time:

We were one of maybe three families there, so the kids had two entire moon bounces to themselves and two of these huge parachutes:

My pumpkins on the winning pumpkin:

My other pumpkin attempting to dead lift the giant pumpkin.  I tried to make fun of his protruding tush, but according to Will his form is "not too bad."  Who knew.

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George and I often take mid-morning walks around the neighborhood on his days off from school.  Last week, the fall colors suddenly popped and I couldn't stop taking pictures.  George was not going to be outdone by some silly trees:

Elvis lives.

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Sometimes she just takes my breath away.

On her once-monthly early release day, Frances and I had an hour of alone time before picking George up from school.  I could have had eight more hours of this princess and still not had enough.  She is such a joy.

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George's latest trick - reading books to an imaginary class as though he's a teacher.

If he sees you watching him, he clams up so it's very hard to get a picture of him.  But I snapped this one the other day while we were waiting for Frances's dance class to finish up.  It gets me every time.

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As of last week, we have a lefty and a righty.  And no elbow fights.

Miracles never cease.

Happy Monday, everyone!