After the big road trip, stayed "home" a lot...we were total homebodies for about four weeks. Home school was almost impossible with Sawyer in this space, so we hired a college student a few mornings a week to hang out with him (changed my life!). We loved seeing friends and family for Halloween. We kept it pretty simple with some trick or treating in the Perry's neighborhood, after Trick or Treat Street on the square with the Reid's too. Sawyer was a minion of course, and spent the night yelling "Banana!" and Bodhi stuck to his original costume choice...a Viking (a costume he HAD to have at Costco two months prior). Since Owen has been obsessed with the movie Back to the Future...he was Marty McFly. All we needed was a red vest...you wouldn't believe how hard that was to find in October! ;)
Noah, Luke and Bodhi
Sweet Presley Princess
Bodhi and Noah
Stiever boys
Brielle was a mermaid, and she loves Uncle Kipper
The babies
For Thanksgiving, we headed down to New Braunfels to see Kipper's dad (GranDude) and his wife Rebecca (Nonnie). They just bought a new home, and we got to stay with them and spend some quality time. It was such a nice visit, and we loved exploring New Braunfels...such an adorable little Texas town! We see why they love it there so much. We also stopped in Austin to see Grandma the Great on our way back to Denton...a much-needed visit with an amazing lady we cherish very much. She amazed us as usual with her sense of humor and wit and updated us on all her favorite shows! The boys LOVE visiting her, and we all wish we got to spend more time with her to hear her wonderful stories. You learn so much if you just go sit on her couch for an hour.
Frying the turkey (never thought I'd love this...but it's SO nice to keep the kitchen open for all of the side dishes and pies...and it was delicious!!!)
Nonnie's beautiful table
Eric and Tammy...sweet couple!
Grandma and Kipper
Big hugs
On December 1st, we flew to Islamorada, Florida in the Florida Keys. Mom and Trey spend three months a year there, and we went to stay with them for three weeks. The house they rent is on the Bay side, within a canal, and Islamorada is a wonderful fishing town we've grown to love. We have spent most of our time fishing out on the open ocean in the mornings, playing at the local beach and eating our daily catch for dinner. The sunsets, the ocean views, the clear blue-green water, the sea life and watching our kids discover life on the ocean has all been a tremendous experience we will never forget. We visited the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, The Dolphin Research Center, Bahia Honda State Park and Long Key State Park. Owen has mastered deep sea fishing with Kipper and Grandpa Trey...he can cast, reel and help with the boat operations now (dropping the chum, tying the front end, etc). He's working on baiting his line...but the hooks are big and I haven't given him total freedom on that one yet. We mostly catch Yellow Tail Snapper, Mangrove Snapper, Hogfish and Grouper (which have to be pretty big to keep them, so we often toss them back in). Those we haven't enjoyed catching so much have been hammerhead sharks, barracuda and a blowfish. You never know what you're reeling in...and we're hooked on the whole experience (pun intended as usual).
Bodhi got completely attached to Mimi and followed her around everywhere. He is missing her so much now that we are back in Texas. He fit right in on the beach and loved playing in the sand and snorkeling.
We've had some great visitors in Islamorada...starting with the Martin Family. Jackson is Owen's best friend from his old school, and he and his family came all the way to Florida to hang out in the sunshine! Owen was hyperventilating he was so excited to hang out with his bestie...and it was a joy to spend time with this wonderful family.
Also, Feather and her niece Berni visited for a weekend. We were thrilled to spend some time in this beautiful place with them, and Berni was a breath of fresh air...a teenager who is kind, smart, creative and spoke to us! We loved getting to know her.
Sunset at the Lorelei
Owen and Jackson hanging in the sun
Jackson and Owen playing in the rain
When we visited the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, FL...it was pouring down rain but we were there for the turtles and we weren't leaving! These beautiful, gentle creatures are in danger and this amazing place gives them a chance. We learned that their most typical injuries include eating trash and other pollutions in the ocean water...and boats. When they eat a plastic bag for example (they probably thought it was a jelly fish) it gets lodged in their belly and creates an impaction. Gas builds up on the other side of the trash in their system, and their bottom ends begin to float. They need to dive down to the bottom of the ocean to eat...which they can't do when they have a gas bubble in their intestines. So, if you ever see a turtle at the surface for too long, they may have eaten some trash and are unable to dive down and therefore, they need help. Moral of the story...don't throw your trash in the ocean, follow the rules while boating and don't use lawn fertilizer and pesticides...it all makes its way to the ocean and these (and many more) beautiful creatures are showing up with tumors. Do what you can to help keep it clean...can't imagine a world without turtles! (or any sea life)
Feeding tarpon at Robbie's
Lots of fishing off the dock at home...
Sawyer's first fish! Sawyer studied the picture book of fish and was naming them all by the time we left. "Mom, I want to eat a Snapper please." He became addicted to eating fish, which is pretty easy to do when it's this fresh.
Owen gives free guided tours on the sea kayak...but he welcomes tips. :)
He took morning strolls up and down the canal by himself, one of his favorite parts of the trip.
He looks friendly, but don't let him fool you. ;)
Andrew and Jenny
At our favorite lunch spot...
Feeding the tarpon fish at the Islamorada Marina
Santa visited us in the neighborhood on a firetruck...such a cool memory!
Sawyer played with boats a lot since he didn't have his trains.
Dinner...one of many
Crazy pelicans everywhere when the boats come in with fish.
Making cookies on a rainy day,,,
Oh yeah...school!
All of the restaurants in the Keys are on the water...this is one dock we had lunch on several times. You bring your daily catch in and they cook it for you.
Lots of time on the boat
Owen's shark!
Sunsets on the boat are my favorite thing...
Bodhi got one!
Giving Feather a ride...
Sawyer is catching fish with his Daddy...he couldn't be happier.
Lunch on the beach
Feather and her adorable niece Berni
These two...
Christmas among the palm trees was such a strange experience for us...but we loved it!
This is how Bodhi watches tv...
He's a pro...
headed home...
Headed out to catch the sunset on the boat.
The beach in town.
Mimi and Bodhi...BFF's (seriously, they are soul mates)
Watching the construction next door was a frequent past time. They are building a new home there, and the kids loved watching all of the big trucks and bulldozers...free entertainment!
We can them Ralphie birds...not sure why...I think mom named them that, but they are really pretty birds.
Merry Christmas from the sand
Sawyer thinks he's as big as Owen and doesn't see why he can't go swimming too!
As far as the eye can see...
Long Key State Park (state parks in the Keys are basically mangroves and beaches...which we love)
Bahia Honda State Park (clearest water I have ever seen)
Almost everywhere you go in the Keys, you see iguanas. They weren't actually meant to be there, people brought them as pets, and they eventually became stray and overpopulated (like stray cats). Although, they adapt to the climate in the Keys really well. Many places try to take them into the vet and spay/neuter them, and then tag them to keep track of those already managed. Anyway, they are everywhere, they are BIG and they will completely freak you out if you come around a corner and see one in your path. (speaking from experience...although they are harmless and don't seem to hurt anyone.)
We were also visited by this sweet Manatee the last few days we were there. They swim through the canals looking for vegetation to eat (herbivores), and stop to say hello. Their faces look like puppies and they are SO big and so sweet. We had just attended an info session about manatees the day before at the Dolphin Research Center, so it was perfect timing! We learned that most of them can be identified in the Keys by the scars on their backs because boats bump into them when they are going slow enough in the no wake zones...which made us sad. But...another reason to follow the rules on the boat! They only move 2-4 mph so...if you see one, it's best to steer around it.
Sad to go home. There is something so peacful about standing at the edge of land, looking out at the open ocean. There's not much to focus on other than relaxing...and you start taking deep breaths without even realizing you're doing it. And...we started to get a pretty good tan! ;)
As we were boarding the plane to head back to Texas, Sawyer said to the pilot (standing to greet us), "I want to drive!" So, he invited the boys up to sit in his seat and take a picture. It was such a treat for sawyer and Bodhi (Owen has had his chance before, so he let the littles go).
Ok, so we're back "home" in our little Denton house, which we love. The holiday season is so much fun with kids! I've promised some before and after pics for a long time...and I finally took a few "after" shots today. We still have small projects in progress inside...but we are wrapping it up and will start on the outside soon. Here's the scoop!
Here are some before pics of the inside.
Our plan included taking down all wood paneling, sanding the hardwood floors, remodeling the kitchen and bathroom and painting. We also rewired the entire electrical system, added central air and heat and fixed some of the plumbing. So...when we started pulling down the wood paneling, we discovered that the entire house is made of this solid wood shiplap...which we loved! So, we left some of it exposed, painted some of it and drywalled over some of it. We omitted one exterior door in the kitchen because it was right next to another exterior door and seemed crowded. This allowed us to drywall in more space in the kitchen, extend the countertop and add a dishwasher.
Here's that dining room door...and you can see the pre-existing exterior door int he kitchen and the more narrow doorway in this pic.
We whitewashed the floors to make them lighter (they sort of look like a light gray wood).
Here are pics of what it looks like now. In the kitchen, Greg re-built the cabinets, we drywalled most of the walls in here and added new tile, countertop and backsplash. I am working on sanding down those original open shelves and adding glass doors...stay tuned.
The dining room, from the living room.
The bathroom has new tile, new drywall, new paint and a new vanity/toilet.
The kids share a room...We drywalled three walls in each bedroom and left one wall exposed. All of the rooms have crown molding and the closets were painted.
The original built-ins, we just painted them and added electrical outlets.
The entry way/hallway into the living room.
Into the living room. We've been struggling with a huge bee hive in the chimney, but our very kind neighbor has been helping us for weeks work it out...so we can finally enjoy a winter fire! Still thinking of painting that brick...any suggestions?!
So, that's it! We are moving on to building a deck and replacing the exterior siding, so stay tuned for pics of the outside in the coming months.
We continue to keep it simple at home and are enjoying all of the little things. We're happy, healthy and together...feeling so blessed and eating lots of holiday desserts. We hope you and yours are doing the same. Sending love as always, Kipper, Cary, Owen, Bodhi & Sawyer (Sawzy-wazy)
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