Basement update

And so another reno project begins!  One of our projects this summer was to change the basement to have more of an office/library feel.  This is where Kevin works from when he does his school work from home.  We decided to rip out the carpet, which had stains in it that we couldn't get out anyway, and also rip out part of the lino into the 'dining room'. Just a "quick little project", or so we thought!!  



Step one:  Carefully taking off the baseboards so we could put them back up again when the new floor was in.





Step two:  Rip out the carpet.



Step three:  Remove the first layer of lino

Step four:  Lay down the laminate boards.  Here is Kevin installing the final piece!

Step five:  Put the baseboards back up.

When I write it like this, it all seems so easy!!  This project, I think like any other home reno project, took longer than we planned and had a few more frustrations than we planned.  However, it is now finished and we are pleased with how it looks.  The next step is to build floor to ceiling bookshelves on the back wall but I have a feeling that is going to be next summer's project!  For now, the books will have to sit stacked up on the floor!

An all-day date

As much as I thoroughly and deeply love my children, it really is nice to get away from them for a day!!  Every year, Kevin's brother and sister-in-law and their 2 daughters offer (or agree after we ask them!) to have our kids for a sleepover and the entire following day.  So, how do we say 'no' to that!

 We began our morning with a delicious late morning breakfast from Denny's (after we had done some work on the floor downstairs but that will be another post!).   Delicious and relaxing!

 Then it was off to Vancouver.  The weather was absolutely spectacular so we just walked along English Bay and around Kits Beach.  Vancouver really is a beautiful city!

 At 3:00 we had tickets to Bard on the Beach.  We try to go to one of these plays every summer.  If you have never been to one, they are fantastic!

 This year we watched HenryVI. Times were pretty rough and dangerous at that time for anyone who was king.  The play was very well done!

 Finally it was out for a nice dinner and then back to pick up our sleeping children.  After a hot day with lots of swimming in the pool, they were tuckered right out!   Thanks John and Esther, Madison and Courtney for giving us a wonderful all-day date!

Welcome home!

This is what I was greeted with on my return home, along with 2 cute little people sitting in the window watching for my car to drive up!  It's always nice to be missed and welcomed home again! 

A Smithers hike

I've been in Smithers for the past few days for my niece, Michelle's wedding to Phill.  I came with Jocelyn (she still flies for free!) and just for the weekend.  Sid and Holly were here too and Sid suggested that if the weather cooperated, we should do a hike while we were here.  Friday morning turned out to be a beautiful day so off we went. Mom volunteered to watch the 3 kids for the day and  Jason and Andrea also joined us.The most popular hike around here is probably "the Onion" but that one probably would have taken us a little too long.  So, Sid did some research and came up with Astlais Mountain, a mountain beside the Onion and still part of the same mountain range.



Andrea, myself and Holly - looking for bears! We actually saw in insane amount of very fresh bear poop along the trail but we figured we were making enough noise with 5 of us to scare them all away!





This is where we were headed.



Sid and Holly

Me and Sid



Andrea and Jason on the summit!



A beautiful view through the trees on our way up.

A view overlooking the whole valley on our way down.

It turned out to be quite a difficult hike - pretty much just walking uphill for 2 1/2 hours to get to the top.  However, the views from the summit were incredible.  I was quite bummed that I fogot my camera.  Both of the cameras that we did take were having issues so I don't think these pictures even begin to do justice to the views.   It was a great day with great people!  I'll even do it again next year!