What a weekend!

Mark and I have been having a tough time lately with the demands of work, school, life, dogs and everything else just piling up. We were at the point in which we hadn't relaxed or focused on ourselves in a long time. We took almost the entire weekend off (I had an online presentation on Sunday morning for school).

Friday night we went to the Royals game with Michelle and Joe, they lost... it was fun regardless.

Saturday morning we took Slappy and Beans to Smithville lake for an afternoon of swimming and hanging out. Slappy didn't get out of the water once for the entire 2 hours we were there, and when she was tired, she laid down in the water. It was cute. Beans swam a bit, but stressed himself out so he took a nap on the blanket. We didn't bring Pokey because she had a cut on her foot and we didnt want it flaring up. She was mad when we got home so Mark took her for a short walk.

Saturday evening we went to another Royals game with Michelle and Joe and THEY WON! It was one of the best Royals games I had ever seen! We also got Royals stockings as a Christmas in July giveaway.

Saturday night we went to the Luau at Cory & Sarah's house. It was fun, I couldnt stay too late because of my presentation in the morning, but we had a nice time.

Sunday- Presentation went off without a hitch :)

Sunday afternoon we went to Chet and Aubrey's for a relaxing family bbq (we're in the family!). Chet's dad made the best bbq chicken I have ever had in my life. Chet cornered me when I was walking outside and asked me if it was better than his... I reluctantly nodded and he said "I KNEW IT!" He also made the best pork ribs of his life and I agreed to try a bite. They were very tender, but greasy and porky. I have never liked pork, so this wasn't about to convert me back to a full fledged carnivore.

WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE LACK OF GOOD PHOTOS. We're still looking for the cable. These are all from our cell phones :(

Painting!

bedroom update
Originally uploaded by Rachel and Mark H.

A lady I work with was kind enough to give Mark and I a lovely painting that was her mothers to hang in our bedroom. It was funny because it matched the bedroom perfectly and sort of tied everything together.

It goes with the new rug I got for almost nothing from a very expensive store!

Also, Slappy is adorable!

We lost our camera cable...

Still no tomatoes
Originally uploaded by Rachel and Mark H.

We're unable to upload any pictures from our camera because we have officially lost the camera cable. We have pictures from our big bbq, Memphis, other home improvements... and they're all stuck on the camera.

Bear with us... its been a rough couple of weeks.

Yard update!

Yard update
Originally uploaded by Rachel and Mark H.

We're trying as hard as possible to get rid of as much of our lawn! I hate the lawn because its bad on the environment, and Mark is learning that its just not worth it. I am going to buy a push mower with no motor to justify the remaining section of our lawn. Our neighbor Jeremy told us that most people have more emissions from their lawnmower in a year than they do from their car. :(

Next spring we're taking the lawn out of the back yard against the house and planting lilacs along the side of the house. We're taking the entire section of lawn out in the front between the existing flower bed and the little path we did and making a flower garden. We're also taking the lawn out of the side yard and building a garden. We're going to rope that section off from the dogs and make it the "people" section of the yard. This will also help with Bean's aggression towards the front gate. He slams himself up against it. Its just easier to keep him where we can see him.

Our foster puppy!

Cecile
Originally uploaded by Rachel and Mark H.

Mark and I got a new puppy last Wednesday. Her name is Cecile and she is already adopted. She is the single best female puppy we have ever fostered, and she is asleep next to me on the couch right now. She is the reverse of Slappy's brindle, and she is so sweet. We're going to miss her a lot when she goes home in August!

done!

done!
Originally uploaded by Rachel and Mark H.

FINALLY!

Happy 4th of July!

July 4th
Originally uploaded by Rachel and Mark H.

We spent last night and today at the Royals games... what a truly American way to spend the 4th!

GO ROYALS!
GO USA!

uhh... go Cubs? They got their butts handed to them today :(

:)

Happy and safe 4th to everyone!

Shakespeare in the park

Shakespeare in the park
Originally uploaded by Rachel and Mark H.

Every year for my birthday we attend the Southmoreland Park production of a Shakespeare play. This year was the Merry Wives of Windsor and we went on July 1. Its free, its fun and the acting is pretty great. Mark and I brought a blanket, some homemade pizza and a bottle of wine and went with our friends Matt and Kelly. I wasn't very familiar with the play other than the write up I had read prior to going, but the acting was fine and I enjoyed the first half. Matt and Kelly left at the intermission and Mark and I laid down on the grass, and that is pretty much the last thing I remember. I'm not one for falling asleep in public, but the soft grass, the perfect night, the wine and the fact that I was ridiculously tired left me helpless to my sleepiness.

Hopefully the play next year will be something I am more familiar with!

Those handsome Hanses boys!

Beez
Originally uploaded by Rachel and Mark H.

What is cuter than a bug and his dad? NOTHING!

Just thought I would share the love!

My list of things to do!

My lovely friend Jessica posted a list of to-do projects on her house to keep her “honest” and I laughed and thought it was a great idea. Lists may not keep me honest; they do remind me of what my priorities are. It’s not like we have cable television bogging us down anymore!


1. Finish the bedroom. It’s so close I can taste it. Paint on the trim boards on the windows, the entire new cabinet and one more piece of custom trim some how forced into a weird little nook.

2. Paint the exterior of the house. Its pathetic that we have had the paint for almost 2 years and we’re finally buckling down and doing it!

3. Rip up linoleum flooring in the office/ new bedroom. I want to get it all up, so I can see if the hardwoods underneath the 5 layers of wood/linoleum and vinyl is worth saving.

4. Finish upstairs hardwoods. This may be my long shot- but those hardwoods are dying for something on them. I worry that if we don’t put at least some protection on them, that they will need to be replaced. They’re not original to the house, but I think they were installed some time in the 1910’s-1920’s, and they should be preserved.

5. Install some railing on the deck. Mark ripped all the railing off the deck in one of his moments of glory and now we have no railing. We want the deck open, but we need something protecting the door to the basement.

6. Fix the roof on the storage section of the garage. Its leaking, ‘nuff said!

Slowly but surely...

Slowly but surely
Originally uploaded by Rachel and Mark H.

Mark got part of the trim up yesterday and alas, he cut too much plaster from above the trim, so now we have to go back and re-plaster all of that so we don't have another gaping hole in the wall. Though I do have to give Mark credit for being pretty danged perfect on just about everything else... doesn't it look amazing?

Tonight I plaster, let it dry and pray to God that we get this thing finished this weekend...