What we've been up to...

No, we haven't fallen off the face of the earth. We're still around and busy as ever. Here are a few highlights of what we've been up to... (in reverse chronological order)

... school started this past Tuesday at RCS. Matt began his 6th year teaching in Redlands! It's crazy to believe he's been there for that long already. Of lesser known news, I began my first year at RCS as a school counselor. I'm working part time (15 hours/week) which is practically perfect in every way, allowing me to get out of the house, use my new masters degree, and still permit me to be home with Luke in the afternoons and two days per week. Despite the fact that the first week of school was graced with temperatures well above the 100 degree mark, we had a great first few days and are excited about this school year.

... Jung returned to live with us this school year. He arrived on August 18th. It was fun to pick him up at school and feel like little time had past since we dropped him off at the airport to head back to Korea. We had fun reminiscing about last year- how awkward it was for the first few days. Not so this year. It's been good to have him back.

(picture from last year - Luke crawled into Jung's lap to watch a pre-world cup game)

... We reorganized, cleaned, purged, repurposed, and rearranged nearly every room and cupboard in our house in an attempt to get prepared for our students to arrive (originally we had signed on to host 2 students again this year but later learned that one of the students would be living with his mom instead - can't really fight that one. ) It felt eerily similar to nesting while pregnant. We ended up moving Luke and all his furniture into the downstairs bedroom. This would allow our students to basically have an entire 'wing' to themselves. Matt and I quickly realized how out of shape we were (are) while heaving dressers, beds, mattresses, etc. up and down the stairs. We got Luke settled in downstairs and used to his 'new room' just in time to get an email letting us know that one of the students would not be living with us... so we got another work out heaving all the furniture around again and moving Luke back to his original room. whew.

... in the midst of all the 'nesting' / preparing for our students arrival I was bit by the redecorating bug. I have been disgusted with our kitchen chairs for awhile. Last year was a bad year for the chairs. Two teenagers and a toddler = lots of stains and overall grossness. I have wanted to reupholster the chairs for awhile. One afternoon I wandered into a fabric store and found some that I fell in love with. Bada bing, Bada Boom... new chairs. I had left over fabric so I made a window valance for the kitchen window as well. Originally, I bought a different fabric that I didn't like so much. SO, I made pillows out of that and found other fabric that I recovered the pillows from our living room set with. Don't be too impressed. Martha Stewart I am not. If you look carefully at any of my projects you will find glaring errors and cut corners... just don't look that carefully. :)

Before...

...after

... we were blessed with a few weeks of absolutely beautiful weather. I'm talking high 70's/low 80's in July in Southern California! That's unheard of! We took full advantage of the cooler weather and planted new shrubs and ground cover. As of the last few days the temperatures have hit 100 degrees or higher by mid-morning which does not bode well for our poor little plants. We keep watering as often as possible but they are looking pretty sad and pathetic at the moment. We're hoping that we can at least keep the roots alive and then the plants will revive themselves once the weather cools off more. Keeping our fingers crossed.

before....

... while planning out where we were going to plant shrubs and what we wanted the end result of our patio to be, Matt got the idea to build a BBQ pad, so to speak, for his new grill (remember the grill he won at the Holland Festival last year? He felt it needed a seat of honor in our backyard). In Matt-fashion, he got his idea and moments later was digging away in the spot he planned out. :) A few trips to the Home Depot later to buy bricks and pavers and presto-change-o! New BBQ zone.

digging/prepping the spot

my bare-chested boys working so hard

the end result

... it hasn't been all work and no play around here however. We have had fun and lots of it, especially with an active, curious, and hilarious 16 month old that keeps us busy and laughing for most of each day.

Splashing in the sink

experimenting with edible play dough (Luke played... Matt ate)

Building towers

making messes on the patio

making messes out of dinner

trying out new fashions

some naked reading (who doesn't read naked, seriously?)

and wearing ourselves out.

phew. That about covers it. I think we're caught up. We'll see how long that lasts, no promises.