Kort Turns "10"

I love the month of April. It's the time of year that awakens those yearnings for summer. Easter, Spring Break, and Kort's birthday always make for an eventful month. But the days pass so quickly! It's now the end of May and I am finally writing about April.

Kort's birthday was on a Friday this year. It was the week of spring break so school was not in session. Arnell took the day off so we headed for the beach and spent a good portion of our day there. The wind made it cold but the sun made us burn. Needless to say, we enjoyed our time there. The sand and waves always provide endless entertainment. The beach is one of the many, many things WE LOVE about California.

It is hard to believe that Kort is now 10. He's a decade. He's a Webelo. He's almost done with 4th grade. He's enjoying baseball. He's learned a lot from his piano teacher this year even though he doesn't like to practice. He's a great brother to his sisters. He's a terrific son. He's gonna be an awesome man someday too soon. Happy Birthday Kort!


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"DIY" is my middle name

For most of my adult life, I have been a "Do-It-Yourself"er. I believe my parents played a huge role in this. When I was 5, my dad(a brilliant engineer) contructed our home almost entirely by himself. My mother (an amazing artist)has spent 30+ years decorating it, transforming it into a 5 star hotel. I don't remember ever helping them with their projects, but I do remember WATCHING. I was fascinated by the process my dad went through to get the swamp cooler running every summer. He let me climb onto the roof with him and hose down the a/c screens (okay, maybe I did help a little bit). Whenever the sewer pump in the basement malfunctioned, I was right there on the front line, waiting to see what the problem was (usually a cotton ball or q-tip). Because my dad is a BYU engineering professor, one "perk" has been use of the campus woodshop. Many of the tables, benches, cabinets and chests found in my parents' home were constructed in that woodshop. And I was right there watching them build it all.

I like to think I've followed in my parents' footsteps. My DIY adventures began with refinishing old furniture. Then it was tiling. Then it was carpentry, followed by drywall finishing and many other things in between. I'm really happy with the outcome of most of these projects. Because I did them myself, there is a sense of accomplishment that would not be there otherwise. So why do I blog about this right now? I just finished a lighting-improvement project in my kitchen. The original lighting consisted of two flourescent fixtures which flooded the room with a yellow, gloomy glow. I have always hated the way the light made me feel so I never even turned it on. I have been wanting to change it since day one of living here. So 4 1/2 years later and a little motivation (like family coming to visit), I finally got it started. And it took my dear friend and neighbor, Annette, to make me finish it. She, too, has hated her kitchen lighting so we did this project together, like so many others in the past. But she is a much faster worker than I am. She started it after me and finished it before! If it weren't for her quickfootedness, I may have never completed this project. Thanks for moving me along, Annette! And thank you, mum and dad, for instilling in me the desire to be a "DIY"er. You are the best!