Painting Completed

Things around here are getting back to normal. I have yet to pass those kidney stones and Gregg has a cold I'm sure he caught on the plane, but things really have slowed down. We haven't had any snow in about two weeks, but it continues to be insanely cold.

Gregg completed my half job of painting the kitchen and dining area last weekend. I just got around to taking some photos this morning. I absolutely love the new color, so much better than the red. He did a great job!

This paint color is so much more calming than the red was. It also makes the space feel more warm and homey to me too.

The rug goes so much better with this paint color. This table from our old place just isn't big enough for the space though.

The windows in this house are just amazing. I cannot wait until spring so I can crank them open!

To the right of this photo is the office area and it leads into the powder room.

Here is the entry way looking into the formal front room. I painted this before Gregg got back from Florida. Should I paint the edge of the tray ceiling? Please let me know what you think!

The color goes so much better with the green couch and the patterned chairs.

Redneck Hospital Part 2

Last I wrote I had not had a broken leg, then I did and now, once again, I do not. I was still on bed rest waiting for an MRI appointment to verify the severity of the fracture when I, got violently ill and apparently passed a kidney stone.

In the midst of the extreme sickness I have while passing kidney stones, I fell and couldn't put any pressure on my leg without screaming in pain. Anyway, I once again visited our local redneck hospital and was told that the nurse who called had over reached by telling me I had a fractured leg.

I don't know how to make heads or tails of anything now. I still have some pretty severe pain in my hip and upper leg, but after puking my guts out with the kidney stone, I'm pretty content with the pain without the vomiting. Walking is still painful, but as far as I know, there are no broken bones.

If this pain extends more than another week, I will be searching out a second opinion.

Broken

Things here have been turned up side down. On Wednesday on the way to class, on campus, I slipped and fell on the ice. A nice student helped me up and I limped to class. The pain, however, continued to get worse. I just figured that I had pulled a muscle in the fall. Actually I was more pissed off about spilling my Starbucks coffee than I was about the fall at the time.

Anyway, Gregg made his way back home from Florida yesterday, and made me go to the ER. Long story short, they sent me home after some X-rays and told me that I had swelling in the joint. This morning I woke to an urgent phone fall from the hospital. Apparently the doctor I saw last night is in some serious trouble because it turns out that I have a "buckle fracture of the medial femoral neck" - which is the top of my femur where it connects to my hip is partially fractured. He didn't see it and when they sent my pictures up to Ortho, it was spotted immediately.

Because we live in the sticks, I have to wait to get an MRI on Monday or Tuesday to see what the plan of action is. Until then I am stuck sitting or laying around on pain killers. What fun! So, not sure when I'll get around to posting again. I'm hoping that is a fast healing sort of thing, but it would be my luck that it wouldn't. Two weeks into Spring classes and I'm already contacting all of my professors with something that sounds completely made up to me. I mean, what 32 year old falls on the ice and breaks the strongest bone in their body?

Lucky, lucky me, that's who.

First Thoughts On New Place

I thought I would make a list of what I do and don't care for about this area, just so I don't forget when we finally start looking at our last and final place of residence in just over 5 years from now.

• I like that this house is about twice the size of the old place but I don't like that it is so open. It makes for a hard time with furniture arrangement.
• I like the laundry room being on the main floor, much more convenient to keep the laundry in check.
• I LOVE the laundry chute, don't know how I had lived in a 2 story without one before.
• I like the five car garage. Although I think Gregg has about filled it up with new toys.
• I like the office area, very nice and spacious.
• I LOVE the huge master closet, seriously I never thought we'd have a closet that had extra room in it, never.
• I really like the oven here, it heats up faster than any oven I've ever used. So awesome!
• I LOVE that the kids can walk to school & if they forget something there, they can go back and get it themselves. No more last minute trips in the car to school because someone forgot a piece of paper!
• The deep sink in the kitchen and the laundry room are awesome. I can cook and cook and cook and it doesn't really fill up too much that I have to stop and wash dishes before I'm done cooking.
• I LOVE all the windows, with the view outside at night it is really beautiful.
• I like the basement. Although I wish it were better organized and finished. Carpet and paint are coming, when it thaws. HA
• I like the super wide staircase, made taking our furniture upstairs a cinch.
• I LOVE that I live miles and miles from "town". Although having to drive 3 miles to get gas or hit up the grocery store doesn't make for any quick trips.
• I really like all the sporting good stores in the area. Scheels, Cabella's, Dick's, and Bass Pro all with in 15 miles, it is awesome. Scheels is the best though, there is even a Ferris wheel inside!

• I HATE the black granite in the kitchen, no matter how clean it is or when you last cleaned it, it always looks dirty.
• I very much dislike the oak wood throughout. Nothing screams ugly to me like oak trim.
• I dislike the wood floors. I'm not sure if it because of the color of the wood or just the cold feeling it gives to the house.
• I don't like the cook top. It isn't powerful enough; I think our final stove will be a viking. I'm sure Gregg loves to hear that. HA
• I don't like it that the back yard isn't fenced in. This really annoys me even though it's been too cold to venture outside.
• I don't care for the high ceilings here either. They tend to make the space feel empty to me.
• I HATE the weather here.
• I don't like the fireplaces here. They don't heat the rooms so I guess they are only for looks. Although the one in my bedroom does a fine job. The family room is just too open for that fireplace to do ANY good.
• I dislike my commute to UNO. Too far, too boring and Omaha is ugly. Parking at UNO is a beast. Seriously why should there be only enough parking spots for 10% of the student body? And no computers in the business school building? What kind of redneck college is this?
• I wish the back deck was larger. I was spoiled at the last place apparently.
• Did I mention the weather? It really stinks. I will NEVER live somewhere this cold EVER again.

I am sure there is more, just can't think of them now. I will be sure to make another list when more issues pop up. Papillion isn't home yet, but things are slowly getting more like home around here. I miss the beach every single day & our friends and neighbors too.

Wordless Wednesday

The Red Has Got To Go

I've tried to love the red walls, but I'm just not a red wall type person. After two and a half months here in this house, I've decided it would be worth the effort to paint the ugly red walls.

I've got one coat on the walls, it isn't as brown as I had wanted, but I think it's still better than the red.

I've been painting for more than 8 hours and I'm not even half way done. I think Gregg will get to put on the second coat.

The other walls aren't white, they are a nice khaki color, though you can't really see it in these photos.

I'm going to sleep well tonight, I'm exhausted!

Flashback Friday... or Not?

Not a flashback, I took this photo this morning as the kids were leaving for school. We actually still have this much snow, although a lot of melting has been going on over the past two days. At this rate, we will have this snow around still for a good long time. The weather men are calling for another "Christmas Blizzard" type storm this coming week to top things off.

Gregg thought this was pretty neat. This bush is normally smooth, but the ice crystals formed into little thorns.

Wordless Wednesday

Igloo

This afternoon the kids ventured outside into the snow to continue to build their igloo. I snapped a few photos and thought I'd share.

Will It Ever Stop?

The snow continues. It is relentless, as are the high winds and bitter cold here in Nebraska. I think that the kids have been out of school more days than they have been in school.

Wordless Wednesday

Basement Pics

I was finally able to get some photos of the basement. We still have carpet to put down and need to paint the walls, but the kids are enjoying it anyway.

Kid central: big screen, surround sound, DVD and Wii. Must be nice to be a kid in 2010.

Some storage, we have too much stuff.

Air hockey, ping pong and pool. Kids are in the photo playing air hockey.

This wide angle lens is awesome!

Happy New Year everyone!