Eagle Scout

On Sunday, Robert finished off many years of hard work as a member of the Boy Scouts by earning the distinction of Eagle Scout. He received his pin, kerchief, and patch in a ceremony with two other young men who also received it. He also received a hand-crafted walking stick pictured below. We are very proud of him. I do believe that being a Boy Scout has helped Robert immensely in his life, and helped shape him into the pleasant and much more self-confident person he has become.

Ah, The Good Life!

Miow!

The Birthday Party - Four Years Old!

We had a wonderful party for Tyler's birthday. We had beautiful weather, the food turned out well, and the little boy was happy:

An Apple Dessert

I tried a new dessert the other night: Paula Deen's Skillet Fried Apple Pies. They were yummy, but I'm sure the fat content is astronomical. I am curious to see if I can get as good a taste if I simply bake them instead of frying (Note: Since posting this I did try just baking them - they were fine without the frying!). I used biscuits I got in the frozen section of Sam's Club, and a jar of apple pie filling from the grocery store.

Back After a Long Absence

We have been so busy in the past month. Mainly, we have been doing home improvements for three reasons: to get our home in good shape for a possible refinance, to get Tyler moved into his very own room, and to get the house ready for Tyler's birthday bash/family get-together. More pictures of the improvements will follow, but here is a preview:

Woodwork around the door (at last!)

Tyler's newly remodeled closet (still needs woodwork around this door)

Toys and a little critter in the closet (including a stove and china hutch my dad made, that I played with as a child)

Butterflies In the Garden

Two years ago we planted butterfly bushes in our yard. The butterflies are happy!

Tyler's Room - Making Progress

The closet is almost finishing in what will be Tyler's new room. It took a long time for such a tiny space, but since it needed to be gutted, insulated, electrified, wallboarded, taped, primed and painted (phew!), it is only now almost done:

Here is Paul, who just finished painting the walls of the room: