Summer is half way over!

Yes, it's true. For those that are tied to the school calendar, summer is half way over already. What a 1st half it has been!

First, an apology. Yes, Horton Clan, I did intend on getting updated pictures of our house on this blog sooner than July 12th. But, as you all know, things always get delayed until the "next" project is done. To heck with the next project... I have decided to embrace the moment and take pictures of where we're at. You will have to wait until the end of the blog for this pics, however.

Second, a quick summary of the 1st half of summer:

• Horton mini-reunion in Geneva, IL the last weekend of May. Tons of fun, wish we could have stayed longer. J and Mimi became big fans of Dunkin' Doughnuts coffee.

• Let the house projects begin! (June 7-July 12)

• "Naturalized" boulevard from previous owner is removed - sod placed down instead
  
• J & B move who knows how much limestone from back and side yards to the asphalt slab. It gets posted on Craig's list, and most of it is gone for free!
• B installs back screen door
  
• J builds faux foundation under a part of the addition that overhung the foundation
• J tears out sidewalk along side of house
  
• B builds retaining wall for 2/3 of back yard
• Vegetable garden goes in - tomatoes, lettuce, green peppers, snow peas, and pumpkins!
  
• Big, ugly asphalt slab is removed by some very skilled hands and a Bobcat
• Tree stumps ground up in front and back yards
  
• J hauls in who knows how many yards of dirt into front yard and lays down sod
• B&J Rewiring of bathroom to separate out fan and light - new fixtures for each
  
• Area framed out for new brick lined driveway, and bricks laid in 90 degree heat on June 11 by B & J... only to find out we were 1/4" off by the time we got to the concrete slab. Shifted every brick back, resulting in doing the project essentially twice.
• On June 12, framed area for new walkway to front porch steps, which required removal of concrete slab by J. Moved gravel from new rain garden site to walkway, and dirt from walkway to rain garden.

• In the meantime...

• B cleaned up the Mississippi on June 12 - the unusual things that our group found were what seemed to be a dehumidifier, and a safe the size of a 2-drawer filing cabinet (without the front).
• J traveled to Milwaukee for a baseball trip June 13-15
• The smokestack of the old coal power plant came down on June 28. It was a great Implosion Breakfast Party! (Unfortunately, B needed to run to work as soon as the stack came down.)

• Summer school started for J on June 23... as of now, he only has 12 days left.

• J has been a great "house husband" (as you can tell by the large list of house projects he has accomplished)... he's even been baking cookies for my co-workers. Too bad for all of our waist lines that J's cookies are really good....

Okay, now the house pictures!

Parking spot before....

Front of the house now (sorry it's so dark - will try to get a better one soon!)

John's faux foundation

Part of Becky's retaining wall (with strawberry patch on left!)

More of the retaining wall...

Vegetable garden, with Compost Tumbler (B's b-day present from J! Love it!)

Kitchen nook - nothing new here

Kitchen - pantry and nook to right, nothing new

Another view of the kitchen

Downstairs bath - new fixtures

Living room moved to the "green room", AKA old office

Dining room - being used as storage for misc projects

Front room/office (2 years ago we were just getting these nice new floors put in....)

The bedroom is too much a mess to be photographed! Stay tuned... big projects there!

The plan for tomorrow... finish the front walkway to the porch (brick work similar to the driveway), start prep-ing the rain garden to go in the pile of dirt that is between the driveway and the walkway.

Yes, we know how to have fun! :-)


One last note (for you poor soul that is still reading) - there will be a new member of the extended Horton family around March 2009.... Emily (Pat's wife) is expecting!