Memorable Memorial Day

Catchy blog title, eh? Probably the first time it was ever used...

We ventured over to the hot side of the state to visit the family and in good global warming fashion, we were faced with mild temperatures and overcast skies (except for Monday). Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. It didn't rain and it stayed above 50F so we were loving the dry climate. Then I found out it was sunny and 80 over here so it looks like everybody wins!

For those of you who have asked "Does Lucy like the water yet?", see picture below. I don't think it's that she loves the water, but that happens to be where her ball ended up, and very few things can prevent her from getting that ball and bringing it back. "The Fetch is strong with this one."


We played this game for hours. The ball could be in the pool, stuck in the planks of the fence or even in the barbecue, she would find it and get it out. Well, the barbecue did win that battle, but it was necessary. The only way to get her mind off of getting that ball is to take it completely out of sight and the BBQ was the closest hiding spot. She still circled it and tried to plot how she would weasel into the lower grille and attack the ball when it wasn't looking.

We were able to spend some great time with our families and catch up on the latest happenings in Spokane. Lots of work still happening on my Dad's old boat, but progress is visible and very impressive.

I spent Sunday morning with the Walther's visiting their family members at the cemetery. It was good to learn the family names and stories that go with them. I hadn't been to a cemetery since my Grandmother passed and I was slightly anxious about going. But funny stories about family members brought the best memories to the front and made Memorial Day a time to celebrate great memories.

Jen's paternal grandparents:

Jen's maternal grandparents:
The plentiful snow also makes for spectacular water falls in the Spokane River. We walked through Riverfront park and saw the falls at the highest they have been since.... I don't know, but it's pretty cool. Anybody seen my beach ball?

Countdown til Graduation

Many of you know that I (Jenny) have been working on my master's in school counseling from Seattle University for about 2 years now. It's been a fast and furious 2 years. Most of my fellow classmates have been taking classes between 3-5 years, so I'm very thankful my life allowed me to complete it so quickly. For those of you who are planning on attending graduation festivities, here is the information:

http://www.seattleu.edu/commencement/Graduate.asp

Baccalaureate Mass

St. James Cathedra, 9th Ave and Marion St.

Saturday, June 14th, 2:30pm

Graduation Party

Our House

Saturday, June 14th, 6:00pm ish

Steve will be sending out invites shortly

Commencement Ceremony

Qwest Field

Sunday, June 15, 3:00-5:00pm

If you know if any school counseling jobs, let me know...I'm looking!

More Details!

After hundreds of requests, we have posted a few more pictures of the kitchen remodel. Sarcasm is my best trait. That's my little helper there, showing her appreciation of the new kitchen.
A better shot of the flooring (sans molding). I really dig the floor - it's like no other sheet vinyl I've seen and that is a very good thing.
Working, functioning sink. How blessed we are to have indoor plumbing.
So the counters went in really slick. The slabs are 18x26.5 and bullnozed on both the 18" long ends. You cut 1.5" off one end and then that becomes the front edge piece to cover the underlayment and give the counter a nice thick look. Lots of work, but not too difficult. Helps to have a hand with all the slabs and morter work. Thanks Sean!

Running Water

Slice bread is nice and all, but having a kitchen sink and working dishwasher beats the loaf every time. It's been a while since I've blogged, but my hands have been either covered in sawdust, grout or flooring adhesive.

I've learned a lot about measuring twice, then once more but luckily didn't have many costly errors that required repair with a hacksaw.

The counter tops were a last minute change to the job, but they really look 200% better than our original plan.

So now we are 90% done with only the moldings and minor touchups to go - might turn out to be the hardest 10% of the job since everything is now usable. Big push this weekend to actually get the thing done! We are both now really proud of our house and, dare we say it, looking forward to cooking in our house! Well worth the effort and it looks great. My favorite touch is the window screen above the sink - we had a bit of dust we were blowing out during the counter top work...

Oh yeah, I forgot about the tile on the wall. Maybe not quite 90% yet, but getting closer!

Happy Birthday Courtney and Lucy!

Lucy and her littermates turned 1 yesterday!

(L-R): Nala, Lucy, Duchess, Pete, Bisko, Gretchen, Roxy, and Stella

Lucy is 1, Courtney is... (last year she was 36).

We're excited to celebrate with Courtney tomorrow for a birthday party at Smith in Seattle. She is going to be a great sister-in-law. These Brooks boys seem to need some stong-minded women to keep them in line.

We had a birthday party today for Lucy and her littermates at Edmonds Off-leash Dog Park. They had a blast swimming, playing tug-a-war and generally frolicing in the sand. All were very dirty and I'm sure all needed a bath, just like Lucy. Lucy came from a litter of 9 and 8 were present. We hope to do it again next year.

Kitchen

We are nearly finished with our kitchen remodel! We started it in the middle of February- the dishwasher is being put in as I type and a co-worker of Steve's is coming in the morning to complete the plumbing work and help install our new sink and faucet. The only remaining thing is the tile work and mouldings. Steve and I are both thrilled with the outcome and can't wait to start stocking and using it. Our great friend, Sean Kilger, has helped every inch of the process. Thanks! Here are some pictures...
We (when I say we, I mean Steve and Sean) took the lovely flourescent light fictures and soffets out. We were left with studs and insulation. That was a cold week.
We were extremely smart and hired someone to do the drywall and mudding. No more light soffets!
The top cabinets went in, followed by new flooring (thanks Sean and Matt), and finally the base cabinets. We got our cabinets at IKEA and so far, we are really happy with them.
We initially bought countertops from IKEA as well, but as soon as we tried to clean them with a dustbuster, we realized why they're so cheap. The dustbuster scratched them. Last weekend, we went in search of a cheap, but quick option for new countertops. We almost went with slab granite, but changed our minds when we found large 26"x18" granite tiles. Steve spent most of last Saturday installing plywood, backerboard, and then Sean came over on Sunday for the installation of the granite tiles. A very quick, but labor intensive process! The counters look great!
We have a lot of this brown paper left... Let us know if you need some. We covered our whole kitchen in it. Lucy and Emily had a great time shredding it.
I'll post some more pictures after it's all done. We should have water tomorrow and we'll finally be able to move into the kitchen! No more eating out or eating Hot Pockets/ cereal for every meal!!

Lessons from Dogs

This story was sent to me by our friend, Sean Kliger. I thought it was fitting after thinking about all I have witnessed from Lucy. She is truly a gift.

Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year-old)

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away..

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply...
Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough. (Lucy hasn't learned this one)
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
Being always grateful for each new day and for the blessing you have.

That's what dogs teach us...