Prep for the new deck!

OK, so, I need to be a little more diligent at updating this thing...it will come people!

So, the new deck and front porch will be completed Monday. The railings will be added within two weeks. The deck itself is 3 levels and takes up appr. 850 sq. feet (basically, our entire backyard). With the way our backyard was graded, it slanted too much to put a pool on it and hard for the kids to play in it. This flattens everything out and makes it better.

Bekka and I laid all this weed barrier after FHE. It took us about 1.5 hours.

We chose Prestige Vinyl Decking...in my opinion, one of the best vinyl decks I have ever seen. It is very heavy duty and has a 30 year warranty. Here's what a small piece looks like:


It if you will notice the colour of the stain below the piece above...that is what we will be changing the house colour too, from gray blue to medium brown.

I spent last night ripping off the front porch. That was fun and a little good way to release any extra tension you may have.


The railings will be installed in a week or two. They are powder coat, white aluminium and a rain drop glass for a little privacy. We chose the round posts. We have decided not to go with any railings on the front porch, allowing us to sit and enjoy the sun in the evening, if we wish.

After this project is done...the bathrooms are next!!!

Kitchen Upgrades

Well, we are planning quite a few renovations/upgrades this year. First we bought some new kitchen appliances. We bought stainless steel, all made by LG.

Here is the OTR Microwave...very nice. It actually can sense the food and adjust cooking automatically. (click on the images to enlarge them)

The range is a convection oven...no visible elements and fan to evenly distribute heat. I have never seen Bekka so excited about cooking anything. She spent two hours last night reading manuals and pushing all the buttons. It has some very cool features. You can also lock the oven door while it is cooking so no kids can get in.

The dishwasher is my favorite. You can hardly hear it running when you are right beside it. Our old one sounded like a tidal wave. We can actually sit in the kitchen and talk while this one is going. The inside is also all stainless steel. There is also a "child lock" feature so the kids can't press any buttons while it is going.


The fridge is nice. You can even store things like milk on the door because the door actually has it's own cooling system.

Our next big job will either be to finish the deck and/or the bathrooms. Both need to be done. We have decided on vanities, mirrors, toilets, flooring (the same as the kitchen and front hall), paint, baseboards, and faucets. Now, just to coordinate around and upcoming business trip I have. I have never changed out a toilet before, but, it doesn't look very hard. As long as I can get one toilet back up and running in one day. :-)

Family Vacation - Mexico 2007

As all of you may not have seen our pictures from our recent trip to Mexico...I thought I would share some. I picked a select few to share in an album, as there were like 200+.

http://picasaweb.google.com/robertburtt/MexicoMarch2007?authkey=cOgtLebe8SY

It may take a second for the pictures to load...click on the first one to view. Click on the arrows at the top of the pics to advance them. There are captions at the bottom of each.

It was a beautiful trip and we would easily go back to this resort. It was called the Iberostar Paraiso Del Mar. It was in the Mayan Riviera. The kids really enjoyed themselves. I love the sound of the waves, the smell of the salt water, and walking in the sand. Sigh...I want to go back right now.

I have been inspired...

OK, so after becoming addicted to Aaron and Cherilee's blog, I figured, "Why not create my own?" These things are fun and the way I look at it, it's a great way for people to see what's happening in our lives without having to send a bunch of emails. And I promise, there won't be any political talk on this blog, just good clean fun! And don't you like the lighthouse?

So, thanks to Aaron and Cherilee for the inspiration to do this...I think it will be fun...and addictive, in a good way. Enjoy!