The Deck has Passed Inspection!!

Brian laying the last deck board. The last one!!

Mr. Steve Swank installing our new sliding door.

our New Kitchen!

...and here's the final inspection! it's done!

here's the door from the outside...

Oh Yeah, How's that Deck Comin' Along?

The end is in sight! We're almost done! I'm super pleased because we'll be able to enjoy my favorite season so much more with our beautiful new deck. Did someone say cookout?



...and lest we forget, here is a reminder of how far we've come...

Who Are These Children?

I happened upon this pudgy kid who apparently ate Isaac:

...so I found it necessary to find a picture of Charlie at around the same age:

enjoy!

Charlie's First Day of School

Charlie started Kindergarten this week and is doing great. He learned to take the school bus all on his own. Such a big kid!



Charlie (and Isaac) waiting for Mrs. Walden. All the kids line up and walk in together.




After a whole week of school, it was time for ice cream!

Road Trip to Chicago... and back

We're home. Back in the land of High Speed Internet and Familiar Beds.
We drove 1,000 miles to Chicago, 1,000 miles around the Chicagoland area, then 1,000 miles back to Colorado. We decided not to drive the van today.
While we were in Chicago, we saw 5 sides of our combined extended family; Anne's Dad's side (Kowalski), Anne's Mom's side (Skafte), Anne's Step-Mom's side (Blair), Brian's Mom's side (Appleton), and Brian's Dad's side (Dupras). The boys did great meeting a million people that they're related to -- mostly because a lot of those people had kids to play with!
We were gone for 2 weeks and did A LOT. I've posted a boatload of pictures on Flickr but here are some highlights:

Our first stop on our roadtrip. Breakfast in Fort Morgan, Colorado:


The Children's Museum in Milwaukee with Grandma Jane:


Fishing at Lake Summerset outside of Rockford, Illinois:


Playing with Cousin Paul on the trampoline:


Finally meeting Uncle Matthew's Robosapien and teaching it to pick up things (in muck-boots):


Going to a Mastodon dig in Dupage County (about 2 miles away from where we were staying):

[ side note: this was cool, but I wouldn't really call it a "highlight" since it was about 100 degrees and 150% humidity that day. none of us were very happy ]

going to Millennium Park in downtown Chicago with Grandma Laura and "Grandpa-Grandpa"




Walking all the way to the end of Navy Pier and feeding the seagulls.


The 6 of us actually rode this ferris wheel. Yikes.


Grandma Belle's 80th Birthday Party


The Kowalski Cousins: Kaylee, Claire, Charlie and Isaac


We hooked up with an old friend of mine, Rebecca, at Oberweis Ice Cream shop and our kids played chess together.


...and then we drove home. In one day.

It's Pear Season

Come and pick some pears from our trees!




I'm serious. Let yourself in!

That Triathalon I Was In

I have a crazy friend who likes to do triathalons. I don't know why, it's not my thing. She invited our whole small group to do with with her and we agreed to do it as a relay. So I biked 12 miles. It was fun -- I mean, I like biking. The other ladies in our group did an outstanding job and we all finished.

All of us, with our medals! (l-r Paula, Julia (crazy friend), Dawn, me, Linette & Steph)


Isaac and Charlie showing off the shwag.


Julia and Linette before the big plunge!!


me, before the ride


Paula, before her 5k


Steph and Dawn, out for a yummy lunch and margaritas!

Some of the ladies want to do it again, or do it themselves. I feel like, well, I've done it. There. Now I never have to do it again.

Progress on the Deck

Yes, I know. It's been FOREVER since I've updated our blog. I call myself a Deck Widow because Brian comes home from work, snarfs down dinner and heads straight outside to work on the deck. I think he's trying to get as much done as he can before we leave for Chicago (on Sunday) even though we keep telling each other that we don't have a definitive deadline.

So, here are the latest pictures. Brian's an amazing man.

This is what Brian did while I was doing a triathalon. Oh, did I forget to mention that? More on that later.

Isaac on the Phone

the other day, Isaac was laying on the chair, talking on the phone. To no one, we thought. Later, we realized he was talking to the Operator. Whoops. Better than 911.
I took the boys to a donut shop today and senior fellow told me that my boys are VERY smart, especially Isaac, because he talks so well. Isaac? Really?

here are the videos of Isaac on the phone:
http://www.youtube.com/user/AnnieDupras

Raising the Beam

We had 10 men lift a huge beam up to start Phase II of the deck project. We also christened our new deck with a quick get-together before the Big Lift.

an impromptu bbq on our New Deck!


Brian Layin' Down the Law






Brian is making sure the beam is lining up with the gas pipe. We'd hate to have a gas leak coming OUT OF OUR HOUSE.


Ken, our neighbor, supervising as Brian tightens the bolts.


The finished beam with the gas pipe sticking out. BTW, the beam probably weighs somewhere between 400-600lbs. My kitchen scale only goes up to 5lb.

Charlie's First Race!

Lafayette Parks and Rec had a Sizzler Fun Run for kids last Friday and Charlie did AWESOME!! He came in 2nd place (they didn't score it or anything, but we know the truth) but it was really tight. If I had had a fully charged battery I could've gotten a picture of the finish line.

Charlie and his friend Danya (to C's right). Charlie is wearing DARK GREEN SWEATPANTS in JULY because they didn't have any pockets. He didn't want to accidentally put his hands in his pockets when running because it would slow him down. I didn't plant any of these ideas in his head, they're all his own.


Look at him go! They guy on the left (in the red) was the one who got 1st place.


See the shadow all the way on the right of the picture? That's how close Charlie was to the guy who got 1st place!




ahh, yes. Popcicle time.