Revealing. . .

Do you all remember a while back when I said we were preparing to do our family room floor in wood?  Brasilian Cherry, to be exact.  Well, it's been a work in progress and the foyer tile is now completed.  The funny thing about projects is that they don't really end. . .meaning, we already have in mind what's next!

But, here it is:  The big reveal:

Family room before the project.

During the tearing apart phase. . .yes, I admit to a bit of freak out when I saw this!  It was 5 days before Easter, so I felt a little entitled to some freakout!  : )

The painting phase. . .

 We painted the walls of the family room, took down the valances and cornice shelf and the wood shutters and put up nice long drapes from high rods.    See the "H" in the window?  My grandfather carved that for Pat and I years ago.  Love that!!

A close up of the slate around the brick fireplace that Pat did. 

The family room from a different angle.

And one final angle. . .yes, we still want to replace the ceiling fan with one in a darker burnished metal. . .

 The foyer from the upstairs hallway.

And the foyer from the living room looking into our dining room.

The wood floor we had done because there are a lot of crazy angles--that you can't see in the pictures.  And we're glad we spent the money on that!  And, because we had that put in, it only took 2 1/2 days!  The foyer, on the other hand, has taken a bit more time.  But, Pat did a wonderful job and I really think it looks beautiful!!

And so, what's next?  Well, we have a few things in mind of what we'd like to do. . .likely, the next thing will be to finally paint our bedroom--never been done in the 13 years we have lived here!!  And this will be good preparation for getting the wood floor in there next year (that's the bedroom plan).  I'd also like to redo our bathroom, but if we do our bedroom to start with, I'll be happy. 

We also have been talking about replacing the carpet in the upper hallway and on both sets of stairs.  Again, a next year project.  It won't come soon enough for the basement stairs. . .those stairs have been ruined by our dogs. . .dogs!!!  Another subject. . .

And, we have been talking about doing the granite counter tops in the kitchen.  Would LOVE to do that.  Probably a January project--after Christmas.  Can you imagine have the kitchin torn up during the holidays???

And so, those are the three impending projects.  Nothing will get started until July at the earliest.  We are taking the rest of May and all of June off from projecs!!  A little pool and vacation time coming our way!

Okay, about the dogs.  I told Aidan the other day that someday we won't have a cat and we'll probaby only have one dog--smaller and who doesn't shed (two large Golden Retrievers--one who drools constantly, have finally driven me mad).  And his response was, "Well, mama, someday when you move out of here, I'm going to have the same cat and two big dogs like Maggie and Mosby."  Hunh!  When I move out????  Well, I guess I should be happy the kiddo loves our home so much he never wants to leave!!!

Another conversation with Aidan was also revealing in that he continues to be extremely patriotic. . .in the Russian sense.  When discussing with which team he will play hockey with in the Olympics (yes, he is sure he will do this) it is without a doubt going to be with Russia.  Hmmmm. . . .going to have to work on a little stars and stripes, I think.

Finally, as mentioned previously, I have a degree in history with a concentration in Eastern Europe.  I loved my Russian history classes.  In fact, I still love reading Russian history, even in a historic fiction sense.  I have been working on a series that centers around a Russian Investigator who lives in Moscow--Arkady Renko.  I just completed the third book in the series--Red Square.  The book takes place in Moscow, Munich, Berlin and then back in Moscow during the summer of 1991.  Amazing back drop of the coup and the break down of the Soviet Union.  It is making me relive some of what I remember from those couple of years.  So much happened!!!  Not the least of which the doorway was opened for us to eventually go and adopt our beautiful son. 

Do you rmember that song that Jesus Jones sang?  It came out in 1991:  "Right here, right now!  Watching the world wake up from history!"  And that's what we did.  Interesting to find out that that song was actually written by a man named Mikhail Tarasov. 

And, that's all I have to reveal today.  Oh, except that Aidan scored 11 goals with his new Graphite stick yesterday!!!  And it's a little too long, too!  Several were from half way up the rink--perfect one timers and slap shots!!! 

Gotta go. . .bed time for kiddo!