His picture

Since we moved to our little house on the mountain, we've had an annual cookout on the 4th of July starting in 2007.

So for the past few weeks I've been getting things ready.

I have my lists of things to do, must do, have hubby do, to buy, to clean, to throw away, and to make.

I've shocked myself that I actually made and mailed out invitations this year. They turned out very nice, if I must say so myself (yes, Cheerio, they look very patriotic!).

Tonight I'm tidying up the room where I'll have the drink station and food table setup -- the Family Room, as I call it. The plan is to work on this room next, now that THE WALL project is complete.

This room is just a concrete slab (because we had to rip out the flea infested carpet when we moved in). We originally planed to put in new carpet, but then found out how dirty coal and wood is. So now our plan is to put in a hardwood floor to match the kitchen flooring.

This is also the room we installed a coal stove - the 2nd love of my life!!!
 Hubby's Dad and my Dad put in the slate hearth. Then I helped mix the mortar for them to build the brick wall behind the stove and stovepipe. So that area has a lot of memories I'll cherish.

In this room we reinforced the sagging roof. Put up drywall on one wall near the wide panoramic windows. This created a wide windowsill which I originally envisioned our kitty will love to sit and watch the birds.

Just so you know, Cheerio STINKS at interior decorating!!! (It took me over a year here to put up a clock!) I am also very lame with putting up pictures.

 But after we found our two lost nephews last year, I have pics of them up. So I felt like I'd better put out pics of Hubby's neice and nephew. Well, I have a group family pic of my mom and sister and her family. So, I found a pic of Hubby's mom and dad to put out. I am going put all these pics (even though the frames don't match this year) on display on the wide windowsill.

So, right now, this very moment,
I am saving a school pic of my son to my jump drive,
 so I can print it.

Then I will put it in a decorative metal frame I like.
Then I will put his pic on the windowsill with the rest of our family.