Friday, August 17, 2012

It pays to have a handyman in the house.


I can't be thankful enough for the work and effort that Eric puts into making our home beautiful. We bought our home as a foreclosure and it was pretty beat up. We have put so much time and money into making improvements, but with Eric's skills we have also saved a lot of money in labor costs.
 One of our latest improvements was the kid's bathroom. I have seriously hated this bathroom since we moved in. The walls were dirty white, there were areas on the walls that the paint was chipped off, the baseboards were not put on right, the flooring was ugly and there was discoloration throughout it and the vanity lights and mirrors were horrible. I know I am complaining, but we have been waiting 4 years to do something to this bathroom. We were involved in a group lawsuit with the builders due to many problems in the construction of the homes in our area. A lot of the problems was just not taking time to install things right that resulted in damage to the home. Our bathroom was one of the focus's for us. The toilet and construction of the flooring was done wrong that caused leaking in the floor. So our remodel had to wait until after the lawsuit was over.
 We have started the makeover with just basic painting and changing out the lighting and mirrors. Later we will work on the floors and the vanity.
 Eric the handyman did all the hard labor while I picked out all the accessories. We are a good match.

 I love this bathroom now and the theme fits with my little monsters that use it.

 One of the biggest projects that Eric has been working on is building a pergola. I have to admit that I had my doubts when Eric told me he wanted to build one this summer. He worked so hard at researching it, drawing out many diagrams, and doing the math. Eric spent many late nights cutting wood, painting, and the kids even tried to help on the weekends. The results are astonishing and gorgeous and we saved about $3,000. We now love to sit out under it in the evenings and watch the kids play.



Here is the finished projects. I love this handyman.

Pismo Beach

July was a very busy month. We had a lot of family events and spent a lot of time enjoying each other. In the beginning of July we went to Pismo Beach with the grandparents. We ate a lot, of good food and even some weird insects. The best part of our trip was taking a nap on the beach and seeing the boys so happy to play in the water. It was short trip, but worth all the traveling.

 Here is everyone taking a nap.

 My sweet mother and I.

 I love this picture of Tyler and his Nana.

 We had to make sure to get a family picture while we could.

 Xander loved this pelican. I think he was trying to spit on it.

 Nana and Cool Dude Liam.

 Grandpa and lil Liam.

 Grandpa playing in the sand with Tyler.

 Nana's cuddle time with Liam.

The guys in my life.
 
 Liam and Daddy.

 Xander hiding from the waves.

 Tyler is such a ham when it comes to taking pictures.

 This was an awesome sand castle that this man makes. He comes to the beach every Saturday.

Chocolate covered crickets. Yes I did eat one and so did Tyler and it tasted good!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Father's Day 2012

 Father's Day seems to get even more fun as the boys get bigger and I feel that we can do a lot more fun and creative things for Daddy. Eric really deserves the best. He is such a great father and is my saving grace on those days that I am so tired. I couldn't ask for a better man to be a role model for these boys. 

 This is such a sweet picture of all the boys taken after church.

 Xander, Tyler, and Liam were so much fun taking pictures for Daddy.

 Tyler is showing all the presents for Daddy.

A big hug for a great dad.

Summer Fun.

 Summer is now here and the boys can't get enough of playing outside. It's all about water right now. We spend a lot of time in the water with our kiddie pool, our water activity center and the slip and slide. Our backyard is getting plenty of use now.

Liam has such an affectionate smile. I can't get enough of this kid.
 

 Xander loves to go down the slide, but head first is his favorite. He is a pretty tough kid.

Eric showed the kids how to slip n slide.
 
Xander is our family clown. He is always making some kind of funny face to get a reaction.

  
Xander is also Daddy's lil boy. Poor Eric cannot sit down without Xander in his lap.
 

My niece came over to play and Tyler and her had a blast.