Weekly: June 3-10 Cousins & Camel's Back Park

So many things! It was the start of summer, California cousins arrive, we move out - in/out - in of the house and floors are redone, had pool parties, dance class, basketball camp, went to the waterpark, and on a family hike!

Carolina was SOOOOO excited for Olivia to come she was counting down the days!

We are so lucky to have a pool - it certainly was used a lot with all the kids at Grandma and Papa's all day! Maybe not always for the better... (whose idea was chicken fighting?!)

But Alice and Whittaker came over and things calmed down, just look at her sweetness - she LOVED the pool. And my oldest niece, Denali, loved holding her and playing with them both. I seriously love it when both sides of a family like each other, it's the best.

Monday we moved everything off of the hard surfaces and work began Tuesday - here's the nasty old vinyl.

Of course we were pretty much stuck out of our house for 3 days, so we kept busy - Carolina had a cute little gymnastics/dance class for two mornings, taught by one of my old students. They did a little dance routine at the end and it was precious.

I made a point to dress the cousin twins the same and they both let me do their hair in matching braids. Little girls are always cuter when they are matching - plus it's the only way people are going to know they are related because they look about as different as night and day!

Just look at that sass.

The floors progressed! I was nervous to see what it would look like and if I would like it. I started to doubt my decision when I looked at it all lying in boxes. But I LOVE it!

It took two very full days for it all to be finished, in fact they weren't done until about 7 on Wednesday night although they had told me it would be finished by 6 - so I scheduled with all the family to come at 6 and help us move all the furniture around again so it would be off of the carpeted areas. I was very stressed about this move since it included all the bedrooms and goodness knows my children have an ACTUAL TON of stuff in their rooms. But with everybody's help it only took like 45 minutes! Of course it was the biggest mess I've ever seen in my life, way worse than moving it, but it was done. We slept on mattresses on the ground and then just shuffled them around in the morning. 

It was supposed to take two days to do the carpet, but it took one - and they were done by like 3 - so Todd and I got busy moving everything back ASAP. I put the living room back together first so there was at least one space that was relaxing. Isn't is pretty!!! The carpet is soooo nice and soooo cushy. I didn't truly realize has nasty that old carpet was until now. I'm so happy with my material choices and the work that they did. 

I still have work to do because the trim had to all be moved for the wood laminate so I have to go all around there and scrape old caulk, recaulk, and paint above it all. So that will be a job for later this summer, but I think I'll just go around and touch up all the trim while I'm at it and continue the home restoration! The curb appeal (landscaping and house painting) and the interior flooring were the #1 priority for this round of home updates. We aren't planning to sell, but if we did these were the most important things that would needed doing - and will definitely increase our home value! Round two  (hopefully, if there is one) will include painting the kitchen cabinets, getting new countertops (I already have a bid for these), and new backsplash. I'm going to see how much is costs for a professional to do the cabinets before I take that project on. I really am petrified of messing up something so important/expensive/big as kitchen cabinets. If we ever make it to a round 3 it will be updating the two bathrooms, and new carpet upstairs, but those aren't even on the radar right now.

Friday was a hot day so after Liam's basketball camp at NNU - which he loved - we went to Roaring Springs water park and the kids had a BLAST! I'm so glad they had their Roaring Readers passes that they earned from reading for school because it is $$$ to go there!

Sunday was the best day because it was a lot cooler and we decided to have lunch in Boise and take a hike. Above you can see the capitol in the middle. 

It could not have been a more beautiful day - and the views were breathtaking. Carolina was very nervous about going back down so she was always last to make it back (I totally get it, going down is not my favorite).

These are some photogenic kids! I can't believe how old Denali and Dylan are - it makes me a little teary thinking that they were babies when I first met them and now they are in highschool and Denali is going off to college next fall!

We finished our hike with a walk to Goody's for some ice cream and admired the cute North End houses along the way. It was perfect.