Overdue

Hello everyone. This has been the longest period of time I have gone without updating my blog. As you can guess, it has been quite busy. The kitchen remodel got started, and it has been trying. It should be wrapping up next week though! It looks amazing. Our bathroom remodels are lovely, but it looks more like an update. The kitchen looks completely different as we painted the cabinets and added an island. The bathroom remodels didn't seem as painful because we did them one at a time and still had a functional bath. Also, not as much stuff to unload and store during that time. It has been hard to be without a kitchen for almost 2 1/2 months and the mess is a little overwhelming. I am not complaining, because I am so thankful to be able to do this, just letting you know what it has been like.

The other big news around here is the new addition to our family. Her name is Holly and we brought our puppy home in March. It is like having a baby again! We have spent so much time and energy potty training, teaching commands, walking, and playing. She is a really good and smart dog and we love her immensely. Recently she has developed a potty problem and the vet is trying to figure out what is going on. So we are on our third round of antibiotics. Poor thing. Holly is a MalShi, so she will only get to be about 8 lbs. I have found I prefer having a small dog! She also does not shed, which I also like!

Other family news includes Nathan getting a job at Pet Smart. He cares for all the small animals (feeding, cleaning cages). He seems well liked and they are giving him good hours and training him for other positions. He also signed up for 15 CR at the local community college. One class didn't work out well, but hopefully he will finish strong in the other two. Noah did go to Vegas over spring break with his buddies. He is back together with his on again/off again girlfriend and visiting her in Minneapolis this week. He moved and lives in a nice new house in a much safer neighborhood. Noah is not coming home again this summer. He has a good job at the bank and is taking 3 summer classes to try and graduate on time. Jim and I went to the Pella Tulip Festival last weekend. It was something I wanted to do for years. Unfortunately, the weather was really cold and windy and rainy. Still we made the most of it and enjoyed what we did see. We especially enjoyed the Dutch pasteries! Jim and I bought some new bikes. They haven't got much use yet due to the weather, but looking forward to better days. We are busy making summer plans. Hopefully getting together with family and another trip to CA in the works. And of course, more camping with our new (used) camper. Then in the fall, I will be having surgery again. Time for a hysterectomy. Really not looking forward to that!

So that is about all I can think of right now. Thanks for taking the time to read about what is new with our family. It means you love us and care about what is going on and that means so much to me!