Painting these kitchen cabinets has been significantly more exhausting than I ever predicted.
I knew it would be a lot of work, but it is just so incredibly tedious and time-consuming. I am so grateful for Michael's parents help. They hand-painted the base coat of every single door before the spray layers. Entertained the boys for hours. Sanded so much. Sally measured all my shelves and cut all the liner. Ed hung all the doors back up. They helped us out so much this week, all while my kids were thrilled to have grandparent time. Sally helped me (emotionally, mentally, and physically) with my paint sprayer, and plus they have already explored way more of Fort Collins' bike trails than we have, thanks to their early morning rides! It was so much fun to have them here and I am just blown away at how much quicker this project went because of their willingness to come help us.
Rachel and Spencer have been spending a couple months in the states instead of quarantining in their London apartment, and they decided to extend their trip a little and come out to Colorado. So this weekend we all went down to meet up with them at Katie's house. Cousin play time is the best! We also got to see Rachel's baby when Katie did an ultrasound for her and that was SO fun. Such a tiny sweet little person in there! Pregnancy is crazy.
We've met a few more neighbors, talked to a few people from church, Michael's first week of work went really well, and we're just feeling happy to feel like this is all going to be a good fit! Putting a house together is a process and I'm anxious to get things knocked off my list, but it's already coming together much faster than I anticipated thanks to help from our families.
Frame done, shelves lined -- almost ready to unpack!
Coming together!
Sweet Camden. Such a happy, hungry boy!
I boiled all the hinges in vinegar/water for an hour, then scrubbed each one.
Forty years peeled away and they were quite shiny again.
Sprayer time!
That machine is intimidating.
Spray painted the hinges and enough knobs for the drawers to be oil-rubbed bronze.
Sweetest.
Grandma took the boys to parks and on walks for hours and hours this week.
Grandpa and Westin rode to Sprouts to find some delicious fruit.
Westin has decided to try and ride his big bike before they visit again so "I can keep up with Grandpa when we go to Sprouts, because he's FAST! And Sprouts has the best fruit for me."
This kid and Connect Four -- he takes it very seriously.
And if you don't also take it seriously, he'll beat you.
Also note his multiple treasure maps that he keeps drawing.
Cabinets are back on!!!
Next up: Install handles, paint the kitchen window black, then paint the walls.
Then new lights in a little while.
My little Cam Cam.
His hands are always going!
Cousins catching some Pixar shorts!
Westin and Jack wore those pirate/knight costumes all weekend.
A little walk around the lake.
Jack kept calling Westin "my cousin" and I love seeing them all play.
Bennett looks like he was made for the lounging life.
Sunday naps and nature shows! While all the moms went to see Rachel's baby at the hospital!
Katie did an ultrasound for her and it was so fun.
Oh this sweet boy. I don't know if it was the bigger gap between kids, or the way moms have to learn to not sweat the small stuff, or his specific personality, or all that and more combined -- but this baby year was so joyful. So, so joyful. He didn't start sleeping through the night until about a week ago and even still, so so so joyful.
Camden is pure sweetness. Content, and happy, and loves to watch his brothers. Slow to move around (as in, doesn't), but loves to sit and observe. Didn't like food until 9 months but now he loves pretty much everything but tomatoes. Fish, and oatmeal, and sweet potatoes are probably his favorites. Though his chocolate birthday cake was quite a hit. He's still taking two naps, and goes down super easily. His brothers make him laugh, and Bennett will sometimes sit by him and feed him every last cheerio on his tray even though Cam Cam is perfectly capable of eating those all on his own. He giggles while Bennett feeds him though and it's so cute. My soul feels so connected to Camden. I just feel like he's going to really see people's hearts and seek out peace and be such a light. He makes us so happy.
We started our kitchen cabinet painting as soon as we somewhat unpacked our other rooms. I didn't want to unpack the kitchen just to take everything out again for cabinet painting, so here we go! Last Sunday on our family Zoom call you could see our cabinets in the background. And then, this week Michael's parents offered to come out and help us with the project after they found out the temple will be closed even longer. I was SO grateful for that help! They work, work, work, and I never dreamed we'd get our kitchen painted so quickly while having happy kids through it. As soon as we finished our FaceTime call wen they said they were coming, a knot in my stomach just went away. I didn't even realize how much I was physically worried about all I had to get done before we'd have a functional kitchen and a more peaceful space.
Projects are hard. Living in chaos doesn't do anything good for anyone. But I can see my house in my mind and I know that getting it from here to there will just take some time and paint and patience and then it'll be done, and it will be worth it. I already love our kitchen so much more.
Westin and Bennett are having fun getting to know neighbors. We're so lucky to have such sweet back fence neighbors who invite them to play with their grandkids. We've met neighbors all around us and everyone is so friendly. We're looking forward to getting some more projects out of the way so we can spend more time exploring our new city!
COVID or Kitchen Remodel?
About to start!
I painted the laundry room cabinet frames first just so I could get a feel for it.
Our first Colorado picnic!
I told Michael I was there and not painting because I was so relieved to know his parents were coming out to help us,
so I knew we were going to have a functioning kitchen much sooner than we ever would have been able to if I kept doing that all on my own.
First section done!
I ordered all my paint supplies in Fresno and packed a box here so that I could start right away.
Priming is always an act of faith... it just looks so bad!
But then a few layers of paint later and all is well.
Camden's first toothbrush!
He loves it.
Top section primed!
Goodbye, kitchen. See you hopefully soon.
Oh hey, Chick-Fil-A. Seeing you more this month than the rest of the year combined.
Grandma and Grandpa brought our beautiful table that grandpa made!
This is the bottom, upside down. Also immediately referred to as a pirate ship.
My birthday cake helper. Bennett licks a bowl with the best of them.
This used to be Michael's barn! His dad is so talented.
I love all our bowls and pepper grinders and rolling pins and now TABLE that remind us of grandpa,
and are just so pretty to look at.
My "kitchen" -- cupboards unpacked and organized into boxes so I can somewhat cook.
And by cook I mean macaroni and cheese and tacos on repeat.
Grandma and Grandpa were so nice to be ok with our gourmet meals this week :)
Such pretty details!
I was feeling sad that I didn't run out and get Camden birthday balloons.
Then we woke up to grandma showing the boys her COVID talent -- balloon animals!
She's so fun! This balloon bouquet was even better than our typical birthday balloons.
Snoozing birthday boy.
I love him.
And that flying squirrel outfit is the best purchase I've made in a long time.
Which is lucky, considering I panic-purchased it at 3am.
He's just so cute in it and he loooooves when I zip him up in it.
Birthday hat! He didn't sport it very long, but we had to try!
The chocolate cake was a success -- he double-fisted it in no time.
