Much to be thankful for

 We had a great visit with our Idaho family for Thanksgiving and I think Gage had the best time of all. He loves his cousins so much and there really isn't any feeling better than your kid getting to have a sleep over with cousins. It just does a heart good to know that he'll have those friends all his life. We started the trip at Cody's sister Kaiann's house and she was brave enough to do Thanksgiving dinner with all of us there. It was delicious and was a huge hit of course. Then we moved on to Cody's parents place where we were able to honor his Grandma Brower who had passed away just before Thanksgiving. It was actually really wonderful that it happened so closer to our trip cause I don't think we would have made it up otherwise. The funeral was very beautiful and touching and I think it gave Cody a lot of closure to be there and be a part of it all. We tried to get a family picture organized but true to family reunions some family members got sick so once again no picture of all of us together. I wish we could have stayed longer but it was still a good opportunity to be with family and enjoy each other. I sure am a lucky gal to have such an awesome family in law!

Playing race with Grandma. Gage didn't want to leave his Grandma Browers arms

Asher and Eliana born the same day

So on our way home Cody wanted to pass through the canyon he grew up next to (his parents just moved from his childhood home last year) and we thought we'd check out our engagement tree. For those who don't know Cody proposed to me at this tree. On a camping trip with his family in his early 20's he was feeling lonely and decided to carve his name into a tree, just hoping he could bring his wife there someday to put her name on it. Well that girl was me and after proposing to me he had me carve my name in the tree. Well now almost 5 years later we finally got around to adding Gage and Asher to that same aspen. 

And it wouldn't be a trip to Idaho without a cattle drive down the main road. Gage was so excited to see the hundreds of cattle. When they passed on he kept saying Again Again! Almost we were tempted to turn around and go back through.

The Kitchen Reveal!

 Ok here's the big kitchen reveal we've been working on FOREVER! We feel like this is the last big thing we need to do in our house to really bring it out of the 70's. This project had so many steps that it literally has lasted close to a month, often with the kitchen out of commission. So yeah it's been a long time in coming! Things to look for in the kitchen re-do:
-Painted Cabinets
-Crown molding on Cabinets
-New Flooring (from last years project)
-Hardware
-New light fixtures with new sink light placement
-Outlets relocated and switched out (they were all beige and old and ugly and in the wrong places)
-New white microwave
-New counter top finish
-New sink faucet

Before

(When we were looking at houses before we even bought)

 After! 

(Almost 3 years later)

 This was where all the kitchen stuff went in the meantime

 Cabinets being sanded and painted

 Where we did all the painting in the basement. Sideways but you get the idea

 Doing the counter tops were crazy. We applied a tar like paint on the counter top after a vigorous sanding and spread hundreds of thousands of plastic chips onto the surface to give it the stone effect and then had a top coat over that to seal it in. The little plastic chip pieces got everywhere and I'm convinced they'll be found for years and years to come

 Here's the hardware that I totally love. It pulls a lot of the black and silver elements together in the kitchen

 New updated light fixtures that add a whole lot of light to the space

We wanted to tile a back splash as well but the counter top sags to the side so doing the tile job would be hard without the slant being obvious. We're hoping to straighten the top out but it could crack our enamel job on the counter top so we're still considering the option but it's on the back burner for now. Anyway, that's the kitchen and I think it is such a bring happy place to be now!

Weekend favorites

Just a couple of fun pictures from today. My brother and sister in law got asher this cute outfit and nothing spurs picture taking like a cute outfit :) Things have been not too bad here at the Brower house. Asher has had some tummy issues the last few nights and I just can't keep him asleep very long. Poor little guy get crazy gas sometimes.  

I've been feeling so blessed lately to have such good friends here in Colorado. It makes things so fun to have a cool group of people to hang out with. And we all have young kids and little babies which makes it all the better. Gage has been really loving his big boy bed and I wish I would have put him in it sooner. The toddler bed was really way to small once he brought all 3 of his favorite blankets in with a sippy cup and at least 5 books. Really I don't know how he fit. And when he woke up scared I would crawl onto the toddler bed with him. So that was a tight fit! Maybe all the extra sleeping room will get him to grow :) 

Below is Gage playing the classic "I pull the blanket off and take a picture" game that has been know to last up to an hour. It's a favorite for sure and I love to see him laugh and scream.

 And of course some cute Asher pictures. Love this little guy. Seriously he is the sweetest little baby and every time I look at him I fall more and more into love. I just want to kiss all the little folds of his cubby arms!