Summer Madness

I didn't plan on taking a hiatus in July, but here we are three weeks into July. It's not like there were trips that occupied the gap. I haven't traveled a bit since April - I'm suffering from wanderlust, BIG time! We have a weekend planned in San Diego next month, but that's all that's on my calendar. Frank, on the other hand, just returned from Laughlin, Tahoe and Reno. His travels were for work so it wasn't all fun & games. He's been swamped. He could use a breather. We plan to cross over to Tijuana on our San Diego trip. I'm super excited to see what it's like just over the border. I hear the food scene is amazing! I have no doubt we'll be in for a treat.

I've kept busy with projects around the house. We've added shutters, painted several rooms and we've been shopping for floors. Even when it's not fully DIY it's still rather time consuming researching options, setting appointments, and scheduling work to be done. I think we've chosen our floors. We've gone round and round, but I'm pretty certain we will go with wood like tile planks. It is going to be a huge project, there is over 1100 sq ft of tile on the lower level alone. I'm ready to pull the trigger, but scheduling it will be tricky. Here's hoping we can sort it out sooner than later. I'll be sharing before and afters so stay tuned for those.

When I haven't been searching home improvement stuff, I've been shopping for a new car. Ugh, is there anything worse?! My Elantra is only a 2013, I had plans of keeping it for the long haul, but its turned out to be a bit of a lemon. The engine was replaced at 24,000 miles and it seems I'm well on my way to my third as I approach 48,000. I've gotten mailers for extended warranties on airbags, etc for parts that are faulty. No recall, just extended warranties. I'm so cheap, I have complete sticker shock going to the dealer. Frank is a master negotiator - I'm so grateful - still, we haven't found a dealer motivated enough to sell me a car. With any luck, as 2017 ticks by, I'll finally be able to snag a deal that I can live with. The prices I've seen so far are simply ridiculous, it's a pill I just can't swallow. I feel alone in this, though; as I drive around town I see nothing, but new rides that cost $40k+. I cringe when thinking of spending half that. I cannot even imagine. I suspect a car bubble is coming soon.

I've been thoroughly enjoying summer thus far - the recent humidity from the monsoonal moisture, less so. I've lost count of how many times I've been in the pool this year. The sunny days and warm temps have allowed the water to hang right around 90 degrees which is just right, if you ask me. Frank has been killing it as pool boy, the water has been crystal clear and there hasn't been a single algae bloom which is pretty remarkable given the high temps. The kids love the pool. Addy's confidence has grown by leaps and bounds. She can hold her breath under water like a pro and she's learning motions to swim. Lex is a wild child. Completely fearless. She had tubes put in her ears this spring and that is the only thing holding her back. She insists she's the next Michael Phelps. She thinks she can swim and jump in with no supervision necessary. When you hover, she just pushes away and snaps "stop it!" She can teeter on every last nerve, but I adore that sassy pants wild child. We had a great low-key 4th of July with just the family. Frank, Jeff and Mike recruited Nick to assist with this year's firework show. It went off without a hitch, a few neighbors had quite the spread too, so it was a nice display. Addy cheered for more, and preferred the purple ones. Meanwhile, Lex was downright scared of the booms and wanted no part of earplugs so she stayed inside (Amy and I rotated between the girls).

We celebrated my brother's 30th birthday with a surprise party. Our theme was Breaking 30 Badly, he's the biggest fan of the show so it seemed like a natural fit. It's always fun to get an idea and run with it. I really enjoy themed parties (at any age). I can't believe my little brother is 30, though. There is only a couple more years until my sister crosses that milestone. Then, I'll really be in denial. Old age is one sneaky SOB.

My dad visited for a couple months so he was able to join us for our summer adventures. He was a big help to Frank and I during our painting project. The doggy door repair took much longer than expected so he spent a week by our place watching paint dry. He kept an eye on the painters so Frank and I didn't miss any work. He returned home last week. Addy desperately wanted to go on the airplane with him. No matter how much I explained we didn't have tickets she insisted we follow him. Amy and Jeff booked a trip back to Chicago with the kids in January (the first since they moved two years ago). Addy will be thrilled to finally fly in the airplane and visit "her family". It's all she talks about since she learned of the news.

That's the gist of happenings lately. I hope summer is treating you well in your neck of the woods.