Extended Family Pictures

We had Brian's family in town for a week in August, just before Meghan goes back to Moody for college, and Jake & are moving to Belgium!! Jake is continuing his education at a university there, so they are off for a foreign adventure in a beautiful country!

 It was fun to see everyone again, and while they were in town - a photo shoot! We hired Joel DePriest Photography to get some nice family shots, because it will be a long time before everyone is reunited.

Original family

All the girls

 

All the boys

It's us!

The sisters

Dale & Lauren

Us again:-)

 

Mom & Dad B

Ann & Jake

Grandpa, Grandma, and the Grandkids

Siblings: Lauren, Meghan, Brian, Ann

 

Siblings & spouses: Ann & Jake, Darla & Brian, Meghan, Dale & Lauren

With Grandma & Grandpa

 

 

Father and Son

The always ready pencil behind the ear...;-) Contractors at heart I suppose. I mean really, who needs a weird, square pencil at a photoshoot anyway? ;-)

Father and Son

Mother & Daughters

Goodbye to Jake & Annie! Have fun exploring the world!

More Glasses

Brian went to the eye doctor recently, as he'd been noticing something a little off with his vision. Interestingly, the appointment showed all kinds of issues, and makes me feel guilty for not making him go YEARS ago. I go all the time, but never really thought about making him go as a routine, since he claimed to have great vision.

Well, issue #1 - He had a lazy eye as a young child and had surgery to correct it, which caused a double vision/eye cancelling the other out situation. So he's always had bad depth perception etc. Guess what?! It's called Diplopia, and they can fix that!! The Doctor cautioned that although it's possible to fix it with corrective prism lenses, it might not be possible for his brain to make the adjustment, after 36 years of doing this "this way" even though it's wrong. But it's definitely worth trying, and the doctor noticed eye fatigue in his right eye from over use (dominant eye taking the brunt of the work). So, gonna give that a shot! If it works, it will correct the double vision, his "head tilt", and his posture, due to the head tilt thing - (He always has his head to one side, and can't tell when it's straight).

Then, he also has a slight prescription needed in his right eye.

Then, the doctor noticed that he has a thin optic nerve leading to the right eye compared to "normal", but the muscles surrounding it are larger than "normal". This is something the doctor said he was likely born with, but it could be something of an issue and has to be monitored over time for changes.

The double vision correction cannot be done with contacts - so glasses!!

If this works, he'll need to wear glasses all the time, so we're going to get him a few pairs. These were some of the frontrunners, and we ordered only one pair to start off - I'll keep which ones a surprise, but you can take your guesses! If his brain is able to make the adjustments to seeing normally, then we'll go ahead and get a different style frame for another look/backup pair.

The Hike

Last year Brian and his buddies did the crazy muddy Spartan races together to challenge themselves and their workouts (and friendships). This year, a new challenge. Hike 60 miles of the Appalachian Trail in 3 days. This is a lofty, and nearly impossible, goal. Especially for non hikers/campers like most of this crew.

Our very own non-camper, fixin' his hair, of course:-)

They set off for the Maryland/West Virginia border (about 4 hours away) on Wednesday afternoon. They camped the night and started early on their way - I believe they had to make it approx 22 to 26 miles on the first day, and then each day would be slightly less...

They had prepared as best they could, and got all the gear they needed. Each man had to carry his own things for the 4 days/3 nights. The goal was around 30lbs each, including water. Some men were slightly over, some slightly under. Brian came in around 28.5 including almost a gallon of water. He was one of the lightest packs I think, this was mostly due to his sleeping arrangement, which ended up being a blessing for light weight to carry, but a curse for comfort...

Nate, selfie. Brian and Matt in the background

Much of the terrain was crazy difficult to navigate

They ran into a few complications fairly quickly on Thursday - the terrain was rough. And all the hiking boots, though worn in, were starting to abuse their feet. Hot spots and blisters started coming up fast. Other things (packs, clothes) started chaffing certain ones also, and so it became a painful test of endurance for many...

Some were carrying less water than others, and Thursday was a scorcher of a day. There was a little bit of a water crisis (not enough of it collectively), and they pressed forward through 19 miles that day, and had to call it quits before meeting their rally point. 

Nate, Brian, Pete & Paul

Many spots on the trail are near roads and small towns, and a few guys (incl Brian) walked into town and carried back 20 gallons of water from a convenience store to water the beleaguered troops. It was a hard day, and there was just no more gas to make the rally point - where they ended up having to stop was also a never ending bed of poison ivy. They all had to set up camp virtually on top of each other - the only patch of ground that could be found, ivy-free.

They had two men scheduled to drive up each night and give them spiritual encouragement etc. The guy that drove up on Thurs night was a ray of hope - there were a few guys that were just *done*. The thought of another 2 days of this was just too much, and they were going to hitch a ride home in the morning. So they decided as a group to scale it way, way back. Not to worry so much about the mileage, and take a more comfortable pace.

Gear piled up. 13 guys, and gear, in a 15 passenger van!

This gave the guys who wouldn't have survived another 40 miles a bit of encouragement. They did about 6/7 miles on Friday, nursing their wounded feet, and then about 8/9 miles on Saturday to finish off the trip. Everyone stayed, no one went home

These guys were all in decent shape, some, in exceptional shape - but many things play a factor in things of this nature. The weather. Mental toughness. Injuries. Lack of water. Some could've gone on to do the full 60mi, others were tapped out, for a variety of reasons, at 19. Brian, although his feet were very sore, was sure he could've gone on to complete the entire challenge. He was able to get duct tape on his hot spots before they became too bad (only ended up with one blister), and although his feet were in pain, it was okay.

The weather was HOT. Brian brought, for his sleeping arrangement, a bivy sack and a sleeping bag. This was way too hot, and he would have preferred it be 30degrees at night, instead of 85. Just too hot to get comfortable! Those who had brought hammocks or 1 to 2 man tents had a little more breathing room and slept a little better.

Taking a slower pace allowed for a little more fellowship and camaraderie, which is always nice. Some of these 13 men are really good friends, some barely know each other, so it was good male bonding all around I suppose:-)

They can appreciate like non-other: The young men of the Civil War. Stonewall Jackson required his troops to march 25 miles per day, right through this exact region. (They passed right by a battle spot). 25 miles every day. Not with fancy packs, hiking poles, yummy freeze dried camping foods, relatively comfy bedding packs, and $200 boots. The foot cavalry. It's amazing to get a small taste of the past. What people were convicted to do. What others were made to do, and did it still. They gave what was asked of them. Every last one. Willing, or unwillingly, it didn't matter. They all fought.

The big black snake!

The Siege of Harper's Ferry, September 13-15 1862. The South won this battle when the Union surrendered its garrison here, of more than 12,000 men.

Setting up camp on Friday night. One of the guys dad's came up that night to talk to the guys and encourage them.

They had a great time over all - some were disappointed the 60 mile goal wasn't reached, others, relieved. But at the end of the day, everyone thought it was 'just right', as far as I can tell, from all the stories they're telling.

They had to hike through the town of Harper's Ferry.

Until next year's challenge...

Grey's Lookalike

Well, we found Kenna's grown up version awhile back in an actress who's ironically also a Bolger. And now we've found Grey's grown up person. His name is Rupert Friend, and he's English. Is there any doubt that the Irish genes run strong in these kids?! From the shape of the head, to the eye shape and colour, cheekbones and nose - we can envision Grey morphing into something looking like this:

Kinda spooky, right?! We're still on the lookout for a grown-up Brooks, he's anxious for a glimpse into his future;-)

The process is working...

and working, and working...:-) They say Rome was not built in a day, and you better believe that would be true - especially if we were in charge. Mostly because Brian is busy and I am useless

Seriously though, it really IS coming along! I'll show a few pictures and describe - keep in mind, Brian is working a full time job (and his job is very full time - longer hours and weekend meetings etc), so he can really only work on our projects evenings and weekends when that allows. And then there's real life too - Brian's sister is moving to Belgium with her husband (for his education), and so we're just coming off a week of "family reunion/farewell" and such.

To see some of the work along the way, scroll through these Renovation posts!

To see the before video, of the way the house originally was, click here

Standing at the front door

 All the interior doors in the house will be painted black. For now, they are just primed. Trim will be white.

Looking at the front door

Looking into the livingroom area

 Now, I know I am pretty useless when it comes to construction. But I do try - at least a little - and only if I have gloves on. But I do try! Basically, my job is the moving and organization of all the things. Not as easy as it sounds. Especially because every.single.item in the entire house has to be washed at least 2 times, but generally 3 times is the magic number. And we covered EVERYTHING in plastic and/or dropcloths. Plaster dust is pervasive, and persistent, let me tell you.

And also, I don't have a kitchen sink yet...

Looking at the island and over to the dining area

The island - it will have granite. I wish I took a pic of our granite selection, but I forgot. Anyway, my fold up plastic table makes a nifty countertop in the interim

I didn't take a pic of the granite - but I think this is kinda similar (pic snagged from google) - we brought our paint chips and flooring with us, and picked something with black, grey and a bit of brown

Dining area

By the front door - flooring and "stuff" - it's still very much a construction site around here, but definitely more live-able! I am totally able to "corner" the messes and live around them pretty comfortably

The curtains! I can't wait to hang them!

We've got curtain rods!

We've got over the island lighting! (3 of these)

 The frigde is current "out" in the room, as the plumbing behind there needs to be moved over...

We have all the lowers needed for the kitchen wall. It will go: fridge, dishwasher, sink/sink base cabinet, cabinet, stove, cabinet. I've only pulled up one of the cabinets for use until it's all set up. We will buy stainless steel appliances "last minute" so we don't wreck them by using them - So for now, we'll keep using our cream coloured stuff

Our uppers - we've decided to go with a touch of the industrial - like the island light fixtures. This pic is from Pinterest, so ignore the range hood portion - but we will be hanging pipes from the ceiling for open shelving. Stay tuned!

The other mess - That's my washer, dryer and...stuff

 When we pulled out the flooring and baseboards to do the floor in the laundry room - well, something went wrong. Not exactly sure what - perhaps the baseboard had been nailed through into the drainpipe for the washer and when it was removed, it caused a leak? Still getting to the bottom of it, but the result is - we have a leak and we have to fix it. The laundry room is still it's original green, but will be primed and painted dark grey once we have the plumbing fixed.

We will be painting the fireplace. We thought we'd go dark, but now we're pretty sure we'll go white

Kind of like this look - from Pinterest

The hall is a darker grey than the main area. The laundry room will be this same colour

Where the two colours meet at the end of the hall

 The ceiling is finished smooth, and the walls are "knock down" - in case you aren't familiar with that look - this is what the texture is. I actually really like it! It was also our only option so all the different wall textures could be matched.

The ceiling. Brian install all the recessed lighting - I put up all the light trims. Go me!! We have 14 pot lights in the main room, and there will be 2 more put in in the hall. And then the 3 pendant lights over the island. We went from a pretty dimly light house to one that you can spot from Jupiter:-) And those LED bulbs - $17 each. Whhhhhhaaaa?! They give a great natural light, and they don't get hot. But they're $17 each!!