We're at it again!!!

We weren't even finished installing our wood floors when Daniel started talking to my dad about re-modeling our kitchen. Daniel and I had casually talked about re-doing the kitchen someday, but if you know Daniel, there is no such thing as casual talk (you'd think after 7 years of marriage, I would know this). It's really needless to say that I was the last to find out about the conversations these 2 men were having. See, had I known, I would have used my veto power because the wood floors almost put me over the edge as it was. Now we are about 2 weeks into the "Big Kitchen Remodel" (apparently it is our new thing to name everything), and I'm glad Daniel pushes me out of my comfort zone, because I'm going to end up with a really sweet kitchen!!! Does it bother me that we still need quarter round on the stairs, fill the knot holes in the wood floor with epoxy, and find a place for the big 'ole pile of stuff in the office?....YES, but this is me suppressing my Type A personality...how am I doing so far?

Looking from the breakfast room into the kitchen. FYI: that isn't where the fridge normally goes, typically it goes to the right of that doorway where the baby gate is, but my dad needed to lay tile there, so it needed a new spot. The plastic bag you see hanging around the corner on the wall is my new plasma screen TV...also something I would have vetoed had I known about it. Daniel made all the decisions for the new kitchen when I was on vacation in July because we were running out of time if we wanted my dad to come at the beginning of August, so he took that opportunity to make a few executive decisions. He did wait to pick out the tile until I got home, so that was nice. I just LOVE tile in the kitchen! My dad had to rip out 2 layers of flooring before he could start tiling...a layer of pergo wood-type and a layer of vinyl laminate...our house is only 15 years old!

Here are my new hickory cabinets sitting in my living room awaiting installation...totally doesn't bother me that as a result, the game and movie cabinets behind these enormous boxes are not accessible, the sofa chair is partially blocking our hallway back to our room, and the sofa is blocking the staircase. Nope, not one bit.

Thank the heavens for a utility sink in my laundry room (which is right off the kitchen)!!! I used this room as my mock kitchen for a while (we had fried chicken wings, rice, and tomato cucumber salad this particular night) until my dad kicked me out of here as well so he could lay tile as I lost my washer and dryer at the same time. He tried to be gentle with me and ease me into it instead of demolishing everything at once, for which I was very grateful, but then one morning Daniel was home after working the night shift and made the executive decision to just clean out the whole kitchen and laundry room. He was sick of doing everything in stages...he just wanted it all out!!! Since then, we've been eating dinner almost every night at Kathy and Brian's (our good friends) house...I have amazing friends. My new appliances should be here sometime next week and the cabinets should be installed by then, so we're getting there!!!

Here is my dining room. There is barely room to walk. The kids have a heck of a time just trying to eat a bowl of cereal in the morning. They've all been really good sports about it (mainly because they've gotten to slack on their KP chores), so I'm grateful for that! Just looking at this picture makes me uncomfortable, but like I said, this is me suppressing my Type A personality.