We must be crazy...

Yep, it's red alright. Keep in mind, this is after one coat (Menards lady told us we'd probably have to do 3) and it's wet. It'll dry darker.....I hope. First bold color choice I've made in our house...hope I don't regret it!

Texture is gone!

It took awhile...but the texture is finally gone! And it only took four coats of drywall mud! After I primed the walls, our guy still had to come back to fix several spots, but it was definitely worth the wait (he's a little slow...). The same guy that smoothed the walls also installed the tub, so we're two steps closer and only.....a lot more to go. Tonight I had Jason paint the ceiling since he doesn't even have to reach. Next step...wall paint. I'm pretty excited. It's gonna be a drastic change!

Done

Wish I could say done with the whole remodel...but at least the demo is done. Contractor is coming tomorrow, and I'm really excited. I can't wait to get the terrible texture of the walls. Vanity and countertop were picked up this evening, so we're glad to have that taken care of as well.

Thought this was pretty crazy...can't believe the toilet has lasted this long.

More bathroom demo

Talked to our contractor tonight, and he's coming on Thursday, so Jason and I had to get in gear this evening to get more of the demo done. Before Jason went to work this morning, he put our vanity and countertop on Craig's List. He listed it as free and by 10 AM, he'd received about 5 emails. Someone's coming tomorrow evening to take it off our hands. Glad to get rid of it and not have to worry about the garbage man taking it.

When we got the mirror and vanity out, we discovered that the awful texture wasn't behind either piece. So odd... We still can't figure out what would possess anyone to put that texture on the walls in the first place.

Our goal this evening was to get the tub out, so here's a before...

...and here's what's left after this evening. He got to a standstill because he bent the blade on his sawzall and didn't have a replacement. Hopefully tomorrow evening, he'll be able to get the rest of the tub out along with the toilet. It's coming along!

I've been waiting all summer for this...

We finally found someone that will smooth out the walls and install the tub in our new bathroom. Hopefully, he's able to come by the end of the week to start working. Here's a before...

We managed to get the carpet pulled up along with all the trim. Took a little longer than expected, but that should be expected with our projects. We're going to try and get the tub out tomorrow. Doubt it will get finished, but we'll see. I'll keep you posted...

Cairo...

Our first stop in Cario was to take a ride on a camel. It was pretty cool, but something I would probably never do again. Camels are yucky!

The camel owner made us kiss...it was pretty cute.

Here are the Pyramids of Giza. The one on the left is actually the bigger of the three, but the 2nd one was built about on a hill about 10 yards higher than the other, so it has the illusion of looking bigger.

This is the 2nd tallest pyramid. We liked it the best because it still had some of the outer layer on it at the top.

After going to the pyramids, we visited the Sphinx.

Then we went to Memphis where we saw this enormous statue of Ramses II. They found it buried in the sand and his legs had eroded.

Finally, we went to the Step Pyramid, which is the very first pyramid ever built.

On our second day in Cairo, we visited the Egyptian Museum. We couldn't even take our camera in, so I don't have any pictures to share.

Athens...

Our hotel room had an awesome view of the Aegean Sea. On one of our days in Athens, we spent a very relaxing day at the beach. The water was freezing, but very clear.

Our first stop in Athens was to visit the Acropolis...

...where we were able to see the Parthenon.

From the Acropolis, we could see Lycabettus Hill. Later in the day, we actually climbed up most of that hill and then took a cable car the rest of the way.

We also took a one day cruise to visit three Greek islands...Poros, Hydra, and Aegina.

Our first stop was the island of Poros.

Then we went to Hydra. We liked this island the best. No cars were allowed on the island and everything was so beautiful.

Lastly, we stopped at Aegina, famous for pistachios!

Rome...

In Rome, we visited the Colosseum first. It was spectacular inside and out.

It could hold up to 50,000 people. Quite amazing to see.

Everywhere we went in the city, we found fountains or faucets with cold water that was safe to drink. It tasted really good too. We only had to buy 2 bottles of water and the rest we got for free!

We climbed up the Spanish Steps and at the top enjoyed some gelato (really good ice cream)!

Inside the Pantheon...

...and then on to the Trevi Fountain.

We took a day trip to climb Mt. Vesuvius...the most dangerous volcano in the world!

We also went to Pompeii, the city that was destroyed by an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD.

The volcanic ash eruption preserved a lot of the city. While excavating, large cavities were found. The excavators filled the holes with plaster and found perfect representations of people who died from asphyxiation. This plaster cast shows a person covering their mouth just awaiting death...so sad.

Our last stop in Rome was to Vatican City. We saw the museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Square, and St. Peter's Basilica. Everything was amazing.

Paris...

Our first stop in Paris was to visit the Sacre-Couer Basilica.

Then of course, on to the Eiffel Tower.

The next day, we went to the Palace of Versailles...

...and then to the Louvre Museum.

We also went up the Eiffel Tower and saw some amazing views.

The Notre Dame Cathedral was really neat to see as well.

Where has the time gone??

Yes, I know it's been awhile since my last post, but in between that post and this one a lot has happened. I was in charge of prom this year, so I had a busy spring, but it came and went without a hitch. The students loved it and had a great time. We held it at the Peoria Zoo Zambezi River Lodge, and I would definitely go back there if I had to help plan another prom. I also finished up with grad school a week after prom, so I am officially done with classes! Jason finished up with grad school last December, and he just got his graduation present...

It's soooo tall!! He and Matt are off on his first ride this morning.

Also this spring, my camera decided to start putting lines through all my pictures. (Alas, why you haven't really seen any pictures until now...) Therefore, my graduation present was a new camera. I decided on a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55. I've only used it to take the pictures above, so I'm not sure if I'll like it, but so far it's not a bad little camera.

School is almost out for this year, and has gone by faster than the previous 3 years. I'm really looking forward to the end of the year because If you haven't heard already, Jason and I are taking a trip to Paris, Rome, Athens, and Cairo this summer. We're really excited and can't wait to go, so be looking forward to those pictures! Ta-ta for now!

Backsplash Complete

Woohoo...the receipt from Menard's said we bought our tile and grout in August of last year. In March, it's done. Enjoy the pictures!