MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We spent last night and today in our own house for the 1st time since we've been married.  Took us 6 years, but we finally pulled it off!

I woke up at 6:15 this morning excited for Christmas.  Elea had no idea that this morning was any different than any other morning when she crawled into bed with us at 7 am.  She just made her usual "Curious George" & "chocit milk" requests.  So when Jeff came back upstairs he started bringing up Merry Christmas, presents, Santa, etc.   I still don't think she had any clue until she was downstairs looking at the toys Santa had brought her.

Growing up, my family always ate waffles with strawberries and whipped cream for Christmas morning breakfast.  Jeff humored me this year, and I don't think he was super psyched about the idea until he was actually eating them, so now it's been instituted as OUR family Christmas morning breakfast tradition.  YAY!

The other funny one was playing Christmas music while opening presents.  When we were first married and at my family's house every other year, it "made him feel awkward."  So last night when I was setting up the playlist, hoping that I would be able to pull off playing music this morning, he came in and said he thought it was a good idea.  Now that we have Elea, it doesn't make him feel awkward anymore.  :)  Which makes me happy, because the first Christmas I spent with his family instead of my own when we were engaged, the lack of Christmas music during present opening is eventually what got to me and I ended up crying it out later that afternoon!

Jeff & I agreed not to get each other anything this year and for once, we finally stuck to it.  :)  Elea got Jeff a picture frame with family pictures in it for his office at work and she got me a "Rachel Ray, 365 different meals" cookbook.  I am actually really excited about the cookbook, believe it or not.  A girl can only cook tuna casserole so many times.


MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you all are having or had a great day!

KITCHEN BEFORE & AFTER PICTURES!

So it took me a month.  And after failing miserably at painting/recoating the laminate countertops, we ended up finding an awesome counter top guy in town who was able to give us a great deal since he had some remnant pieces we liked.  Oh and he threw in a free sink.  And then when the old faucet was removed we saw that it was all corroded so we decided christmas, and anniversary, and birthdays, for us this year was the kitchen, including a new faucet.

I thought before doing this project that someday I would want to expand the kitchen, etc.  After painting and sanding and sealing every inch of wood in the kitchen... I've changed my mind.  It is plenty big.  For at least the next 15 years.  I used Caromal Colours, I really liked the whole process, and the outcome, but I can't say if it is easier or harder than the standard sand, paint, glaze, seal process because I had never done anything like this in my life!  lol.  Luckily, my mother in law helped me with the whole toning/wiping off process on the cabinets doors.  I did the sides of the cabinets and the crown molding and my OCD-ness kicked in hardcore and I spent WAY more time than was necessary on them.  Needless to say, I would still be painting if it wasn't for her.

So here are the before pictures:

AND AFTER:

I'm not the only one that is excited the project is complete!

 So there you go... Now that I've finally posted these pictures I can start catching up on everything else that's happened in the past month & a half.  But not today.  :)