New Kitchen Faucet!

I just noticed that I never posted about our new kitchen faucet. Our faucet had been driving me crazy for a long time. I finally decided to buy one because of a funny situation. The previous month I paid our Lowe's credit card bill in full and then after paying it we got reimbursed 10% of the cost from our garage doors. The reason for that was because it was a total fiasco trying to get them delivered on time and I had made numerous calls...I'm talking over 6 calls to the warehouse trying to figure out when our doors would be delivered. Every time I'd get a different answer. I was so annoyed!! I actually ended up going and picking them up at the warehouse so we could get them installed in September otherwise we wouldn't have been able to install them until the middle of October because our schedule was so full! Because of that reimbursement we actually had a credit on our credit card so I decided to use that to buy a new faucet! 

Here was our old faucet...we'd had it for years. 

I had a couple of complaints with it. For one it was so short! The second was the cord underneath the the sink would get stuck in the pipping under there so I could only pull the faucet out so far. Super annoying! 

I did a bunch of research and ended up picking a Kraus faucet. It was packaged so nicely! 

It almost fell like I was opening up a box that had a rifle in it. Custom cut out styrofoam for each piece to fit into so they wouldn't be damaged. So nice! 

I love it!!! 

Look at how high it is! So much more clearance! I love how you pull the faucet head down instead of out like the old one. 

The only thing I wasn't sure about was the handle. I don't really like the design of the new handles, but they are all like that. I tried having it on the right side like it's designed to be, but I was so used to turning the faucet on with my left hand it was hard to get used to. I would go to turn in on and then get my whole arm wet. After about a month I asked Michael to move it so now the handle is right in the middle instead of on the right side. I like it much better now! It's fun how just changing one thing that can make a big difference! 

New Years Eve!

On New Year's Eve we headed down to Ga-Ga & Pa's to have a fun evening. We had Sloppy Joes for dinner...which was yummy! Pa always has a fun game for all of us or just the kids. This year the game was just for the kids. 

The kids were all ready to go! 

The game was to race through the house with a cotton ball stuck to their nose with a little Vaseline to see who could do it the fastest. 

If the cotton ball fell off you have to come back and start over. 

Michael and I were station in the kitchen to make sure that the kids followed the directions of going all the way around the kitchen island.

These cute girlies!!! 

These were basically how all the running pictures were. These kids were fast! 

I think only one or two of the kids lost their cotton balls and had to start over. 

I eventually moved into the living room to make sure that the kids went all the way around the dining room table to break a tie that we had. 

I love seeing my kids be sweet with each other! 

Of course all the kids got presents, but there were special gifts for the winners...Anna & Caleb. They each got a Rudolph nose! 

I love this look on Caleb's face...he's not so sure about this!

Cute little reindeer noses! 

We were watching the New Year countdown on TV. Thinking that we would be watching the Live New York show so we could celebrate with NY, but they delay it so it's not Live anymore. I think we did this same thing last year. Because of this it's always a mad rush to get the drinks for toasting and everything ready. Ga-Ga & Pa had a bunch of hats and noisemakers. 

Headbands and necklaces too! 

We toasted in the New Year and New Decade together at 9pm. Not long after that Michael and I headed home while the kids got to spend the next 2 nights at Ga-Ga & Pa's. It was a great way to start the New Year with family!

Enjoying Christmas Break!

I LOVE having my kids home for Christmas break. We just lose ourselves in all the new toys and movies. I completely forget what day of the week it is...it's wonderful!!! Plus it was even better since Michael was home for 9 days straight!!! 

Ella and I worked on her Dazzling picture. 

It's going to take a long time to finish it! 

Owen rode around on his hover board. He got really good at it quickly. I've enjoyed learning how to ride on it as well. I've gotten pretty good....I've also fell down a couple times too! 

One of the boys hung up one of Michael's paper targets to shoot Jack's arrows at the target. The arrows are like darts and they whistle. They freak Charlie out! 

On Sunday, December 29th we took the kids to see the latest Star Wars movie. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the AMC at Kent Station now has reclining and heated seats!!! The kids and I enjoyed the movie, but Michael not so much. 

One day I walked by Ella's room and peaked in to see her teacher set up with her stuffed animals. I love her imagination! 

On New Year's Eve prior to us going down to my parents house I took Ella to Kent Station to see Frozen 2. She had been feeling bummed since she's the only girl and she doesn't have a sister. It was fun to take her out just her and I. 

The seats we normally get were already taken when I bought the tickets so I got seats in the very back row instead. I wasn't sure if we'd like them, but Ella wants to sit there all the time now. 

Christmas Day!

We got to Ga-Ga & Pa's house before noon on Christmas Day. Ryan and Steph were already there. We got right to business and started opening gifts. 

Owen got to open Charlie's gift from Ga-Ga & Pa....summer sausage! He loves summer sausage....not sure we are going to let him eat the whole thing though! 

I got Pa this salt and pepper shaker set that is a red truck with the tree in the bed and then a trailer. I thought they would look cute in the office with all his other trucks. 

Owen got his big gift from Ga-Ga & Pa...a Hover Board! 

Jack got the bow and arrow set he wanted. 

Ella got this Crayola light up tracing pad from Uncle Ry & Aunt Stephie....she loves it!!! 

Zeke got a Captain Marvel Lego set from Uncle Ry & Aunt Stephie.

Owen got Electronic Battleship from Uncle Ry & Aunt Stephie....it's so fun with all the sounds effects. 

Ga-Ga got each of the kids a new Kindle! 

They all got cases too so it's easy to know which one belongs to which kid. 

Owen case says...Don't Touch Me! 

Jack got a BeyBlade called Venom Diablos from Uncle Ry & Aunt Stephie. 

Ga-Ga & Pa got Ella her One Generation kitchen to go with her dolls. 

Zeke got a Perplexus from Ga-Ga & Pa. He's played with this a bunch of times at Andrew & Josiah's, but there's is a sphere and this one is flat, but it moves around automatically which makes it harder to keep the ball on the track. 

Since Owen had his big gift his other gift was smaller from Ga-Ga & Pa. Ga-Ga got him 4 bags of Takis...unfortunately since Owen got sick in early December, food that he normally likes hasn't tasted good to him. This is him hanging his head. He was so sad because he loves Takis, but they just didn't taste good to him anymore. Ga-Ga ended up giving him some money that he's putting towards saving for a video game he wants to buy next year. 

Ga-Ga also got Ella her salon chair for her doll Phoebe since she's the special hair growing doll. 

Ga-Ga & Pa got Zeke his MarioKart Hot Wheels set.

We were sitting there trying to figure out why Jack didn't have the same number of gifts as everyone else. Turns out he didn't realize that a box on the floor was actually a gift since the box itself was decorated and it wasn't actually wrapped. He was so happy that he got another gift since it was 3 BeyBlades!!! 

Here's Jack with all his new BeyBlades he got for Christmas. Lord Spriggen, Venon Diablos, Dread Bahamet, Slash Dragon & Heaven Pegasus. 

Ella could not wait to use her light up tracing pad. 

As for us adults Ga-Ga & Pa got each of us $100. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to buy with my money. I got Ga-Ga & Pa, Uncle Ry & Aunt Stephie and Papa & Ruth a 2020 calendar and I made each family a microwavable tortilla holder. 

After we opened gifts with family the Kuch family showed up and we opened gifts with them. Unfortunately I guess I was done taking pictures for the day. We gave the Kuch's a microwavable tortilla holder and a fun family game for the kids. They got us a family game as well. 

After that Papa & Ruth came so we started round 4 of opening gifts. We got a gift certificate for a steakhouse in Tacoma. They got the kids some fun games to play...one is called Chicapig and it's so funny!  

Once we were all done with gifts it was time to eat dinner and then we visited for hours and even played Blank Slate it was great.