Meet Isaac

Isaac, or I-2 as Brian likes to call him, is nephew number 2 out of 4 for Brian and I. Isaac has an older brother whose name is Isaiah and when Brian first met them he couldn't remember who was who, so he started referring to them as I-1 and I-2. For some reason the name I-2 just stuck and that's how we refer to him.

Isaac is a sweetheart. It took him a while to get there with me for some reason...when he was younger he would turn around and walk the other way when he saw me...why you may ask? I have no idea, but he had some sort of aversion towards me. Luckily, I have grown on him the past few months. He now jumps up and down when he sees me and gives me hugs. I'm so happy that I have finally won him over!

Isaac is quite entertaining. One of his favorite activities is dancing...to Michael Jackson, of course. He has a soft spot for MJ, and once that music starts playing his head automatically starts bobbing up and down, his arms start popping and locking, and his 360 spins come out in full force.

All in all, he's just so fun to watch. He's curious, adventurous, and mischievous. He is intrigued by everything and makes the best facial expressions. Here he is on Christmas day enjoying sour grass, which he loves, but you wouldn't know it by looking at these photos....

Bathroom Destruction

First of all, forgive the quality of these pictures; they look horrible. Secondly, if you haven't seen or heard from us in a while, this would be why.

Poor Brian, I can't even tell you how much cement cutting/grinding he has had to do since we bought this house. I'm not gonna lie, it looks like a horrible job. I'm so happy that he is willing to do it :-)


We decided to move the location of the closet door in the master bedroom. Here's Brian in the process of changing it from the wall when you first enter the room to the bathroom. This way it will give us more wall space, plus with the lay out of the room/bathroom we thought it made more sense to enter the closet from the bathroom.


This job did not look fun! Brian and Luke were able to tackle the marble tiled wall...it took quite a bit of effort, but now it's empty. YAY! Thanks Luke, you were a huge help!




This photo is to prove that I do help from time to time :-)


And lastly, here is our "new view" from our "new bench." We love taking bike rides and going to one of the many benches along the water. This is the closest bench to our new house and it's about two blocks away. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. When Brian and I started looking for houses a while back we would pray for a house close enough to the water that we could ride our bikes. God totally blew us away with this one!

Back in Action

Aaaaaaand, we're back to working on the house. Actually, I should say that Brian is back working on the house. He is no longer bound by the knee brace...he was like a giddy kid in a candy shop the day he was able to start working on our house again. Here are a few of the projects that have been going on lately...


Here's Brian's dad, Brendon, helping out with the stucco on the outside of the sunroom. I can't even begin to tell you how helpful Brian's parents have been! Brendon has done everything from painting and plumbing to fixing our chimney...he is a man of all trades. And of course there is Pat, Brian's mom, who I could not have done without! I can't even count the number of times she has cleaned, picked up trash, and organized. They are amazing; I've been blessed with wonderful in-laws!


Brian and Josh working on the drywall on the inside of the little sunroom.


My dad and Brian putting up the crown moulding around the beams in the living room...it's looking amazing! I'm so thankful that my dad was able to help out this week. He is a trim master!




Oh yes, and that's me. Like I said, Brian is the one who has been working on the house. I basically didn't leave the couch all week. And the reason that I have this lovely picture is because Brian thinks it's funny to take pictures of me looking my best :-) Isn't that sweet?


Well that's all for now. Cheers to the house progress being back in action...one day at a time.

Master Bath Renovation: What Would You Do?

I have never designed a master bathroom before, and yet that is the next feat to conquer on our house "to do" list. Do you know how many kinds of tile there are in this world? Far too many for a person to handle!

As you can see below, the salmon/coral/creamsicle swirl color that is going on in there right now just isn't working for us. Not to mention the "rivers" of pebbles throughout floor (I'll take some more detailed photos so you can see what I'm talking about). We feel a bit bad ripping it all out since it was just put it and hasn't even been finished yet, but it's a little over the top for our taste. We are about to start tearing it all out and then we will have a blank slate.

I need the new colors to be fairly neutral. The bathroom is literally attached to the master bedroom...there is no door, just a large open archway, hence the need for the neutral color palette. We need the bathroom to be able to fit with whatever we decide to paint the bedroom.

What would you do if you had a blank slate to work with? I need ideas! It's hard because we kind of like a bit of everything...classy, modern, casual, contemporary, etc. Oh, and of course I would like a few feminine touches, but that mainly comes with accents and decorating.

Here is what it looks like now, YIKES!




The cabinets will stay, but do we paint them white? Or do we stain them a rich, brown color? There are two vanities, which will be nice so that we can each have our own sink and mirror (hard to see from the photos). What do we do to the countertops? Any suggestions on materials? And then there is the walk-in steam shower which you can't really see here...what do we do there?

If you had a chance to design your dream bathroom what would you do? I would love to hear!

House Feature

This built-in outdoor fireplace is one of my favorite features on our new house. I keep imagining it all landscaped, lights hanging, outdoor kitchen, fire blazing, music playing, wine in hand, and laughter filling the air. We can't wait to have you over to enjoy it with us!

Oktoberfest

We recently had a family get together...which included some Los Gatos Brewing Company Oktoberfest. I like beer, but I don't usually love it. Let's just say that this beer is one that was thoroughly enjoyed. Delish!

I Love Sushi

Not only do I love sushi, but I love the restaurant "I Love Sushi." I've gotta say, it's my pick for restaurant of the year. We found out about it earlier this year from some friends and have been hooked ever since. It's a big, casual place downtown Santa Cruz that tends to host big parties and has a karaoke bar set up in a back room with a stage and everything. See, what's not to love...how can you go wrong with sushi and karaoke?

Here is a photo of my newest obsession...the yam roll, short for the "wham bam thank you yam" roll. It consists of tempura yam, macadamia nuts, and cream cheese rolled up with rice and seaweed, covered in avocado and some sort of sweet sauce. Dip it in some soy sauce with wasabi and your mouth with thank you!


When visiting, be prepared to be inundated with free things...they give you appetizers when you arrive, after you order they bring you miso soup (so delicious) and edamame. Also, expect a visit from the crazy, fun-loving owner. He will most likely give you a few shots of sake or some beer on the house.

Next time you are in need of an inexpensive, casual dining experience hit up I Love Sushi. It won't disappoint!