Where have I been? Part 2

So, as if finishing my home wasn't enough things got even crazier at the end of the month. The Bells came up for easter and we had a wonderful visit. Easter Saturday was full of an easter egg hunt and a 88th birthday party for Brad's grandpa Bell. Easter Sunday we had a wonderful time with the Bell's at Brandon and Lindsey's. The kids endured endless picture taking.

Where have I been? Part 1

I profess that I am a not so perfect blogger. Okay, let's be honest, I am horrible. I love reading everyone else's blogs and even updating my own...when I have time. That is the kicker. I just don't seem to have time for everything. Well, the last two months I have actually had some pretty valid excuses. Here is a very brief summary of what has happened since the beginning of March.

March began with a sick baby. She had a weird fever that lasted a few days. I don't know how many of you can get anything done with a sick baby, but I sure haven't mastered that part of motherhood yet. On March 8th Brad left to Beijing, China for business. He was gone for one week. While he was gone my sister Tiffany stayed with me while her husband was also gone. One night we were talking about the wood I had just bought to redo our living room and kitchen floor and how I wished it could be done by Easter for when Brad's parents came into town. She got this look on her face, like only Tiff can, and said "How adventurous do you feel?" I smiled knowing what she was thinking. We called my brother in law Bryce to see if he would be in on our cunning plan. I then emailed my brother in law Brandon to get his opinion. Well, here are some pictures of what happens when my sister and I put our heads together with the brawn of some very wonderful men......

I spent all day Wednesday and Thursday ripping up the flooring.
The carpet was the easy part to rip out....

The subfloor under the ugly linoleum was a BEAST to get rid of...at least for me. My brother in law Bryce seemed to have no problems with it.

Tiffany was the official babysitter. Did I mention that while she had this brilliant idea she couldn't help as she was 5 months pregnant.Lee (a friend) and Brandon (my brother in law) got us started on Thursday night.

DeLyle (our friend) and Matt (another brother in law) both were a huge help. (Matt was mad that all the pictures I took of him he was standing around. He did help tons.)
Bryce was the main man in all of this. It is so great to have a brother-in-law who loves to this kind of thing . Thank to my sister she lent him and his skills to my home for several days while we finished the project before Brad got home.My friend Meg was days away from being due with her little baby girl. She was desperate enough to get the baby out that she helped along side the rest of us....it didn't work. She had to wait a few more days before adorable Allie was born.

We all worked long and hard all night Friday and were able to finish almost the entire project. We left just enough so Brad could appreciate what was really done for him. He was SHOCKED when he walked through the door on Saturday afternoon. It was so much work. Brad and I spent Monday finishing the floor. Then we spent many night in March putting up new baseboards. Brad's parents came up for Easter and his dad, who can't not work when work is to be done, helped Brad finish this project.
Just last week Brad finally finished all the wood trim around the carpet and door jams. It is nice to have it all done.

The Finished Product

Decorations I put up top

We ripped up the carpet in the living room and the hall.