The Basement: Part 1

It may seem odd, but one of the best selling points we found in our home was the basement.  The unfinished basement.  Ryan knew that someday he would be able to do whatever he wanted to with the big open room.  The very first room we painted and carpeted when we moved, 3 1/2 yrs ago was the toyroom, also in the basement.  There is also a 'computer room' (with laptops, every room is the computer room?) that we had recarpeted and painted.  This past year, we had the basement bathroom redone, tiled/painted/new shower/toilet, etc... Still need to find lights and a vanity, though.  But, the big room remained empty and ended up being a catch all for things we didn't put away the first time, you know how that goes.  The end of last February, we decided to dive into the family room.  Ryan tore off panelling...which was glued to dry-wall, so he tore of dry-wall (mess!)  He tore the carpet off the steps and started from scratch.  He insulated the walls, put up new sheetrock walls and added sheetrock the open ceiling.  It's been an unorganized, dusty, construction-site mess down there...for too long.  But...

I'm ecstatic to report that the 'messy stuff' is done!  We have rolls of carpet in the basement ready for installation on Monday.  A sectional sitting in Homemakers' warehouse ready to be delivered Thursday and a computer room full of things that need to go back in the new room. 

Needless to say, we're far from done, but things are coming along smoothly, now.  We've done everything ourselves, except the taping, mudding and texturing of the walls/ceiling...oh, and the bathroom tiling.  We still have the bar to design and build and I have to paint doors, but the end is in sight!

 I can hardly wait to get to decorating!

These are pictures I took last winter...I can't wait to share the {almost} done pictures, too!

Carpet out & panelling off stairway.

We used rolled & foam insulation.  There's my treadmill all covered up.

 He still looks like that, just in another room! He's been very neglected.

Looking into the kids' toyroom. Bathroom to the right.

Holy cow!  I can't believe it looked like this!  That's the bathroom!

 No shower, no stool, no sink, no WALLS!

Little Miss DD helping paint.  My mom's outfit is like a painting journal...we can find our basement on it, her living room.  She's killer at trimming rooms out.  I dont' even attempt.  I'll never be as good as her!

Digga Dean worked hard, too!

Just proof that, I did help paint my own basement. 

That night my dad brought over smokies, cheese, crackers, sausage and drinks. 

He and Ryan nicely sat downstairs and entertained us...no paintbrushes in hand.



Friends for Life

Our New Year's Eve plans had to be postponed because, last minute, DD got sick.  We were all bummed, but knew we'd just have to celebrate the next weekend.  We had our good friends, the James family over.  The kids hadn't seen eachother, in what seems like to them, forever.  Actually, it felt like that to me, too! 

The favorite thing for DD to do with her girl friends is to change clothes...several times! She had the clothes on the floor for the entire week before they came over, just waiting for the girls to run back to her room.  And, it also never seems to fail that when Lane is around these girls, his shirt is off within minutes.  Quite the ladies man. 

Lane had talked me into purchasing a 'disco' kind of light at Menards on one of our many trips and he thought this night would be the perfect night for a dance party. And, being the only boy, I think he was enjoying himself at this party! 

The big girls made the sign....but everyone was invited.  Grown ups included!

Gingerbread Houses!

Oh my, did we have fun on Christmas Eve-Eve! Steve and Lisa were home for a full week before Christmas and, like every time they are home, the week went so fast.  We had Christmas at Grandma Mary's, a Sunday School program, an Elementary School concert, nightly dinners at Mom & Dad's, Christmas at Grandma  Grandpa Larson's and of course Christmas Eve church service followed by Christmas at Mom & Dad's.  We Luikens also had Christmas with Ryan's family the weekend Steve flew in and to top it off, Lane was sick with Influenza A.  We were busy.  Crazy busy. 

On the 23rd, Steve and Shawn grilled wonderful steaks from the calves they just had butchered.  They were amazing and their niece, who is a self-proclaimed 'steak connoisseur'... well, I couldn't cut the meat fast enough for her!  After dinner, we had our first, but surely not last, "Gingerbread House Contest!" Mom and Dad purchased all kinds of candies and frostings that were perfect for dressing up the gingerbread houses. Actually, they were graham cracker houses...We got in teams and started building.  The only rule was that everything had to be edible.  We had such a great time and everyone is already thinking about what our houses will look like next year. 

DD & Lisa were on a team.

Ryan got stuck with me.

Pa decided he should be on his own team in case his idea didn't work...it did!

Steve & KK teamed up.

Dig worked with Shawn.

The view from the loft. 

and the FINAL PRODUCTS...

Pa and his Teepee! Too cute!  He also had an Indian and a fire.  Notice the wreath above the entrance and smoke rising out of the top!

Lisa and D had a cute little house complete with colorful sidewalk and sucker lamps!

We had a pretty generic looking house with Christmas lights hanging, a little snowman, coconut snow and lighted tree.

Steve & KK had a Wizard of Oz theme, Yellow Brick Road, witch and munchkins sledding!

Ok...this one was just too perfect.  No one would have expected less from Shawn.  I think his walls were even insulated.  There are ice-skating Teddy-grahams and fancy trees.

What a mess we made!  Plenty of candy leftover, too!

Checking out the final products. Such fun!

Poor Mom was busy in the kitchen making candy cane cookies for Santa.  I had told the kids we may have to buy him cookies this year, and they told their Nanny, who wouldn't think of it! So, she made sure the kids had homemade cookies to take home and leave out for Santa the next evening.  Such a sweet old lady!  Just kidding, Mom.  I mean, you're sweet...not old, or not THAT old anyway. 

Next year, I won't let her miss the fun of building the gingerbread houses! 

I know for a fact that Santa likes Oreos, too. 

My Winter Cuties

Happy Birthday, Ryan Dean!

One of Lane's favorite things to do is look at the website he calls, "Bakes and Cakes."  It's really Cake Wrecks.  You'll find it on the right of this page.  We love to giggle at the horrible-mess-of-a-cake pictures.  Some of them don't even look edible.  Some have crazy grammar mistakes.  But, Dig especially likes to look at the Sunday Sweets posts.  These are pictures of beautiful, perfect looking cakes, some of which don't look edible, either.  Last night, he was "searching for next year's birthday cake."  His birthday is September, mind you. It's gonna be awhile.  We found some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cakes that he loved.  It just so happened that today is his daddy's big day.  So, guess who got a Ninja Turtle cake for his 36th birthday. 

Drue stayed home sick from school today and Lane doesn't go until after lunch, so we got busy right after breakfast.  We happened to have everything we needed left over from our gingerbread house party at my parents' before Christmas. (Post on that to come!)

They definitely aren't perfect, but they are fun, and it was good practice.. incase Dig doesn't change his mind in the next nine months. Yeah right!

Notice Dig has his Turtle Power shirt on, too! 

The kids were so excited to show Daddy his cake.  They had to wait a little later than usual to see him tonight because he took the last load of calves to Tama, but he sure loved coming home to some cake and ice-cream made especially for him by his favorite kiddos!

Happy Birthday, Ryan Dean!

From the Luiken Kids...

Merry Christmas

and Happy New Year!!

That's What He Said.

Our little guy has said some funny things lately..and I don't want to forget them, so you get to read them!

~ After deciding he really, REALLY wanted a Nintendo DS for Christmas (way back in October) Lane would ask for one every.single.day.  I explained to him that that would be something he could ask Santa for but that it was expensive and it wasn't something we would purchasing that day while we were shopping at Wal-Mart.  When we were done shopping, the cashier told me the amount due, I paid, we loaded up the truck and were on our way.  From the backseat Lane spoke up, "Mom, the lady at Wal-mart said 194 dollars...that's more than a DS.  You could have bought me one today!"

~ "Dig, what's your job this week at Preschool?"  Lane:  "I have to wash the weasel!"  {He meant art easel!}

~  Ocassionally, we have cherry or apple turnovers for breakfast before school.  Lane didn't want his right away but later in the morning said, "Mom, I am ready for my apple make-over now."  The funny thing is that Drue asked for an apple flip-over that same morning!

~"Peanut butter sandwiches are so good!  Especially when my best cook, my momma makes them!"

~ While overhearing Ryan and I discuss what kind of carpet we want for the basement, Lane piped in, "Mom, do you want the pokey kind of carpet or the kind that looks like you mowed it?" (berber)

~ While I was washing dishes, Lane runs into the kitchen and yells, "Tanzania's in Africa!"

~ While watching an episode of Little House on the Prairie...Laura dressed up like an orphan and went around to people asking for money to replace the money she was given by fellow Sunday School students but spent before giving it to the pastor. She told the people her mother had died. One of the people she asked for money from recognized her.  "I just saw your mother this morning," said the lady. Laura was caught ina lie. Lane said, "Laura lied.  But she could have just said her mom died after lunch!"  Great.  He's already figuring that kind of stuff out.

~ Drue was talking about a new Junie B. Jones book she brought home. It was called Aloha-ha-ha. Lane heard the title and said, "Speaking of Hawaii...the kids in the Dramatic Play Center, which that means kitchen, were playing they were in Hawaii today." 

~ Working in the basement keeps leading to one project after another.  I told the kids after Ryan had a little plumbing issue that "Daddy opened a whole new can of worms down there."  Dig doesn't like worms.  At all.  "Ok, what about the worms? There are worms in the basement?  What kind of worms?  Where did you open the can of worms? How big?"

~  This morning, I was in the bathroom putting my make-up on.  I was only in a t-shirt & undies.  My 5 year-old little man came in and started poking on the "excess" bum sticking out of my undies and said in a most serious way..."looks like someone needs bigger underwear."  A little too honest there, sweetheart. 

Seriously, what a hoot.