Faber Fun

Yesterday was the large extended Faber family reunion.

Chris, Ella and Jordy

Shaun, Shannon, and Tara

Chris, Trav, and Josh

Jan, Aidan, and Lois

Lucas, Trav and Susie
It looked like Lucas was in trouble.....? ☺

Ella & Jordy

Travis, Jennifer and Greg playing volleyball

Brenden and his kids playing volleyball

They were trying to gather everyone over on this hill to take a large group photo, naturally it starts raining.

Jill and Dennis looking at pictures on his phone

Chris and Amanda

Lois, Abby and Tara

Chris and Ella

Ella liked all the soda cans in ice

The food was catered by a guy that drives around a camper/RV trailer and pulls behind his BBQ trailer.

It was really good and I ate way too much.

I heard Trav and Susie talking to the caterer and asking him how he got the Faber gig, and he was explaining that he knew Dawn through teaching music classes somewhere, and then he said,

"Yeah, actually, I'm a professional singer,-- that's why I own a catering business."

I couldn't help but laugh.

Chad and Cary talking to Paul (their grandpa)

Dustin, Shannon, Lucas, Tallen, playing volleyball

Tara and Shaun

Greg's Family
Jill, Greg, Paul, Jan, Brenden, and Jennifer (Missing Jody and Julie)

Everyone except Amanda and Jordy.

Immediate family, everyone but Shawn, Dillon, and Cameron.

Brenden, Greg, Jennifer, Jan, and Jill

Randy and Ann's family
I was at a bad angle, but it was a paparazzi mob and this was the best I could get. ☺

They had a local blue grass band that came and played.
Aidan and Ella were big fans!

Shaun and the ragamuffin

Aidan found a friend

Ella snuggling with her new dog, a gift from Chris and Amanda.

Owwwie

Ella fell on her face (again!) while we were out walking the other night and added a nice bruise to the collection on her forehead and got her bottom lip too.

Poor girl. 

Meanwhile, I'm fighting my canned tunafish cravings and not fighting my candy/ junkfood cravings.

I bought about 20 lbs of crap food from the store the other day, but no salt-water taffy, because they were out. ::sobs::

It's probably a bad sign when the cashier looks at all your items and says

"Wow, that all looks so good right now"

Heh, heh.

My goal is to not gain over 100 lbs at this point, and that might be a losing battle.

Seriously though.

Abandoned

This past weekend when we were at E-Dale,

a lot of people were gone to the MIA conference, family reunions, typical summer stuff, etc...

So we just spent a lot of time hanging out outside,

and we know how much my kids hate that. 

It was really hot though, so the only bearable place to be outside was in the shade with ice water cups. 

This is Ella's "uh oh" and "oops" face. 

Alex is out visiting, so he hung out with us too. 

Here, he and Cary were planning their work day that was coming up.

Gotta start them young!

Ha, ha. 

Ella decided that she really likes Alex, he couldn't be within 20 feet of her without her wanting him to hold her.

Sorry, Al. ☺

A Different House

Although progress has been made on our house, it's not really photograpically worthy so we're going to run you through my brother, Kenneth's, house.

Like us, he is going to be moving into an older home that needs some work.

I think this house was built in the 1960's and has had NO additional work ever since. ☺

Originally,

 Kenneth was just supposed to paint and update the bathroom and that was it.

Plans change, all the time,

especially when the houses are old and the homebuilders were "creative".

He's currently putting in new doors, planning on new carpet, etc...

It's not anywhere close to done, but I'll post some "catch up" photos since he isn't going to. ha. ☺

the living room started out like this.

Now the paint is on, but still needing the moulding and flooring

Front door and closet

The master bedroom

Before 

(During)

new paint, waiting for moulding and new carpet

BUT,

plans change.

The newly refinished closets came out to make way for a new bathroom that will attach to the bedroom. 

At the moment you can see through his bedroom into what will be the kitchen. 

Before

the  "kitchen" and hallway area

Ripped out cupboards, and will be moving the kitchen into the room that's off to the left side.

Gerry tiled this area for the furnace.

(although, the plan is that the furnace will be ripped out for good, next year, and updated with central heating and air)

The bathroom is not worth looking at right now,

and I can't find my "before" picture of the second bedroom,

so those will have to wait until next time!

Front Yard

 Don't I have a nice (future) front yard?
So well taken care of, nice view, etc...

Oh, wait... 

THAT's my future front yard. 

You know what it's missing though?

Trees! 

Can't have too many of those. 

I guess the yard could use a little work too. 

This is where Alex and Cary spent most/ all of  yesterday. (and last Sunday too!)

Cleaning it out, hauling off trash, and "fixing stuff".

I don't go down dark holes like that, especially since Cary has already informed me that there are lots of spiders down there.

I'm good.

Thanks.

The kids and I will just stay up here and play in our lovely front yard.