The Crafts

Meet our new appliances. Well, we don't have possession of them yet. They won't be delivered until February 26th!  Two weeks away. Two weeks with no oven. Whirlpool Washer Amana Dryer Amana Range All were reviewed by Consumer Reports.  The washer and dryer came recommended from Consumer Reports.  The range was reviewed and scored well.  I didn't buy into the belief that I should have a matching washer and dryer.  Nope.  I wanted the best-performing-at-a-decent-cost washer and dryer.  Besides, the most important of the two is your washer.  If the washer doesn't do a good job cleaning and removing excess water than even a $5,000 dryer isn't going to do you any good.

Today was a VERY expensive day. First off, we are having some electrical work done, including an exhaust fan installed in the bathroom and arc sensor circuit breakers installed.  The arc sensors will trip the entire circuit if there is an arc of electricity anywhere in the line or in anything plugged into an outlet. Well, we discovered our stove is faulty.  Our electrician said we are very lucky the stove didn't arc when the gas was running....or I might not be here to type this!  The electrician tried to repair it for two full hours with no luck.  We can use the stove top but no oven.  NO OVEN!?!?  YIKES!  No baking.  So we have to buy a new stove. And our washer and dryer are two steps from the light.  Translation: you basically have to kick them in the right spot in order for them to work.  And finally, I went to start the van this morning and it cranked and groaned and smelled something terrible!  I tried backing out to see ...

I came down with something bad this weekend. Turns out it is strep with a possible case of mono. I'll hopefully know whether it is mono in a couple of days. Ugh! Mono takes 4 to 6 weeks to work it's way through the body. I never thought I'd say this but I hope it is strep. ******EDITED****** I'm feeling MUCH better today.  I'm thinking the worst is over and it must be simply strep! Now I'm hoping and praying that no one else in my family gets it!

Yep, you read that title right.  I am writing a letter to my running shoes.  Here goes... Dear shiny, running shoes, I regret your lack of use over the last two months.  That's right.  You have been with me for almost two months now and I believe I have only used you a small handful of times.  I could come up with some many excuses but none will make you feel more loved.  You are so pretty and I was so excited when I bought you from Runner's Flat.  Real runners shop there.  Real fast runners who actually make the time to run. I hope you don't regret me purchasing you.  Just think.  You could have been taken home by someone who would have logged a hundred miles on you so far.  But unfortunately you now sit dormant in the foyer.  The most contact we have had in the last few weeks is me tripping over you on my way to the basement laundry.  But no more!  Here today I pledge to you my devotion.  I can't pro...

The world through Kate's eyes...

5 month old photo shoot And below is Kate at 5 months...

I'm having trouble with the videos I mentioned in my last post.  I'll have to give them another try later. So these photos will have to do instead. I painted part of one dining room wall with chalkboard paint.  Kate LOVES it!  (And honestly, so do Matt and I.)  So fun to draw all over the wall...as long as the drawings stay on this wall.