Maui 2021

 In late February we got to do two things we hadn't done in a really long time--ride on an airplane and go out of state on vacation!!!  We booked a vacation to Maui in February of 2020 before the pandemic hit so we were crossing our fingers this entire past year hoping the trip would work out and luckily it did!  It was a little trickier than normal as Hawaii is really trying to protect itself so it has strict rules for tourists coming in to the state.  All of us had to get COVID tested 3 days before we left and show proof that we had negative results.  It was a little nerve wracking and complicated at first, but once we got those negative tests we were home free!

We got to travel with Nana and Pops again and stayed at Honua Kai in Kaanapali in the same exact room we stayed in 2 years ago. For the most part things were pretty normal in Maui.  We had to wear masks everywhere which was expected and we're so used to it now.  But luckily we could go out to dinner because most everywhere you can eat outside.  That was such a treat because we haven't been eating out really at home.  There were less chairs at the pool and we had to book a reservation at the Maui Ocean Center.  But otherwise, life felt pretty normal over there.  It was just the breath of fresh air, warmth, sunshine, and getaway from routine (and screens!) that we needed.  We feel so grateful that it worked out for us to go (especially grateful to Nana and Pops who made the trip happen!).  Below are the highlights through photos:

Traditional kick-off dinner at Leilani's

Beautiful view from our condo!

A gecko on our windshield!

Banyan tree in Lahaina

Our favorite jungle walk to Honolua Bay

Blowhole on the northern tip of Maui

Date night!  

Maui sunsets never disappoint!

The Boys

With all that was going on last year with the pandemic, I just did not have the energy or desire to write in the blog.  Sadly though that meant I missed doing an annual post about each boy on their birthday and giving a synopsis of what they're like at their current age.  I love those posts because it's fun in the moment to reflect on each boy and I think it will be fun one day to reminisce about how they changed and evolved as they grew up.  

So this post today will be an attempt to make up from last year.  These are descriptions and observations of each boy in the past year up until now that I want to make sure we don't forget.

Nathan (8 years old)

• Nathan has always been drawn to technology but his interest and skills in technology were heightened this year because of remote school.  As a 3rd grader Nathan is proficient at using Zoom, Google docs, his Schoology school program, copying/pasting, taking a screen shot, typing, and using multitudes of educational apps.  I can't believe the amount of technological things he knows that he wouldn't have learned this early if it wasn't for the pandemic.  He and his buddies have even figured out a way to create Google slides and then share them with each other as a way of communicating since they can't see each other in person.  Nathan is also learning the challenges of technology that we all face every day such as going down rabbit holes with reading online books, getting distracted, and how to adapt when technology doesn't work the way it's supposed to.  It's been so fun to watch him gain all this new knowledge that we know will serve him well for a long time.
• He is still very curious and wants to know and understand things.  He asks good questions all the time and gobbles up informational or non fiction books about topics he's interested in such as animals, history, science, geography, and sports.  He also has recently loved learning more about the body.  We got him some books to teach him about reproduction and to start preparing him for adolescence and how his body will change during that time and he has been fascinated by it all. We love his awe and wonder about the world around him.
• This year Nathan became an NFL football expert. His love and passion for football blossomed this past season. Not only does he love watching it, he loves knowing ALL the things about it....stats, players, teams, leagues, divisions, etc.  And his mind is a steel trap when it comes to that kind of information.  He knows more than his papa and grandpas!
• Nathan is still a very social and friendly person but mostly with people he knows and feels comfortable with.  When he interacts with someone he doesn't know well or hasn't seen in awhile, he gets shy and doesn't like having surfacey conversations.  He's like his mom in that sense.  We're trying to coach him through what social graces look like though so he shows kindness and friendliness towards others.  This year has been tough for him not being able to spend time with friends in person.
• He is still very snuggly which we're just trying to soak up as much as possible.  He will randomly come up and give me a hug or snuggle with me and it seems to be at just the moment when I needed it--as if he has a sixth sense.  I love that about him and hope it doesn't go away any time soon.
• Nate's imagination has been on fire this year and has reached a whole new level.  Being stuck at home and unable to see friends has caused him to have to make his own fun and boy has he taken advantage of that.  Nathan is always coming up with some kind of game, scene, set-up, etc. either outside or in our house.  He involves his brother, alleyway friends, multiple toys, stuffies, books....whatever he can turn into a house, village, castle, creature, scenario, etc.  We are amazed at what he comes up with and are grateful for his creative mind.
• He finally lost some baby teeth!  I think he lost 3-4 teeth in a very short amount of time after not losing some for a very long time.  He lost his 2 front teeth this year!
• Currently into: Pokemon (cards, video games, show, and make believe), video games in general on the Nintendo Switch (Minecraft, Zelda, Super Mario, etc.), Legos, Zoobs, imaginative play, and Nerf guns
• Currently reading: DogMan and other graphic novels.  Nathan and I enjoy reading classics together and in the past year we've read Anne of Green Gables, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, Mr. Popper's Penguins, Secret Garden, and Little Men.  James and Nate are making their way through the Harry Potter series together

Cameron (6 years old)

• Cam has actually become quite the social butterfly in the past year with alleyway friends and friends in his class.  He is a really good friend--always making sure to include others and to show thoughtfulness to them.  He's very good friends with Willa who lives on our street and has made close friends with people from his class now that he's back to school in person for half the day
• Cameron is more apt to go seek out friends, ask someone to play, instigate his social life and is less shy. He is like James in this way.  It is interesting because both James and Cameron are introverts so you would think the opposite, but they are both really good at interacting with others they don't know or haven't seen in awhile.
• He is the "fashionista" of the family. Cameron loves putting outfits together and really cares about looking nice or having a cool outfit.  I love it because he loves getting dressed up.  We all find ourselves asking for Cameron's advice on what we ourselves should wear.  He's also gotten into wearing caps lately like his Papa.
• Cam is still a snuggle bug as well.  He's a very affectionate kid like he was when younger.  He still asks me to snuggle him before bed and even comes in the middle of the night sometimes to ask me to snuggle with him to help him go back to sleep.  How do we bottle that and make sure it lasts forever?
• He is starting to read!!  Something clicked in Cam this winter and all the practice and hard work he had put into trying to read finally paid off and it's coming much easier to him now.  Thanks to his wonderful teacher Ms. West too who really has great techniques for reading fundamentals.
• Cameron's artistic skills have blossomed this year. He has a natural talent for drawing, coloring, painting, etc.  He has especially enjoyed doing Art for Kids hub on YouTube where he follows along to make cartoons and pictures and he has a true talent.  It's amazing to see what characters or pictures he draws free hand as well.
• He is still constantly active and needs to be active.  He loves playing outside, throwing the football, and asks multiple times a week if we can do a family dance party.  He's getting pretty coordinated too--dribbling a basketball, strong throwing and catching skills
• Cam is definitely our sensitive kid.  He feels emotions very strongly and sometimes isn't sure what to do with all the emotion--especially when he's mad or frustrated.  He needs extra doses of validation, attention and love
• One sad event that happened this year was he had a really bad accident on his bike back in September. We were on a family walk and he went down the hill by our house too fast and fell forward off his bike and landed on his face.  We think he may have even had a concussion.  His face was really banged up for a few days, but it actually healed really quickly and there was no residual damage thankfully.  It was a scary moment for us as parents.  Cam was so brave though and was such a trooper through the whole thing.
• Currently into: Ninja Turtles, dinosaurs, drawing, Legos, superheroes, remote control cars, video games
• Currently reading: Bob books and beginner reading books.  I've started to read classic with him as well and this year so far we've done Charlotte's Web and the Mouse and the Motorcycle.  James started the Harry Potter series with Cam as well.

Both

• It has been such a special time to be stuck at home with the boys at this age. I have so much joy watching them in their imaginative play set-ups whether it's train villages, zoos with their stuffies or they have even set up scenarios that we can participate in as well such as turning their rooms into bookstores or toy stores and a couple weeks ago they set up a fancy restaurant  and James and I got to go on a dinner date.  ;)
• The pandemic helped us establish Family Movie Night on Friday nights which is VERY important to the boys and they look forward to it every week. We take turns on who gets to pick the movie. In this past year we've pretty much watched every classic Disney movie and James and I have introduced the boys to cherished movies from our childhoods such as Pete's Dragon, Never Ending Story, Sound of Music, Back to the Future, Star Wars, Hook, Mrs. Doubtfire, Annie, Anne of Green Gables, Black Stallion, Little Women, Secret Garden, and Goonies. 
• Both boys are happiest and content when we are all together as a family and spending quality time with each other.  They crave our attention and presence which admittedly is hard to give all the time because we have to work or feel tired or just want to check out. But we're trying really hard to just enjoy this time they want to be with us and to soak up this unique time we have with each other.  It's flying by.  But I can honestly say these ages are some of my most favorite so far.  What a privilege to have a front row seat to the growing up lives of these boys and their interests, questions, discoveries, feelings, humor, challenges, and perspectives.  

The Remodel

In the midst of pretty much the craziest year of our lives, somehow we thought it would be a good idea to add a house remodel into the mix as well.  Sometimes I look back and am unsure how we survive some of the choices we make....like buying our first house just a month after getting married and moving in one of the hottest summers ever....or traveling to Maui with a 4 and 2 year old.  Typically, in the midst of the crazy decision we look at ourselves and wonder what is wrong with us?  But then we get past the stress, adjust and are so so happy we made the choice we did.  And the house remodel is no different.  Looking back now, about 5 months away from it, I am giddy with the results and so so happy we did it.  But it definitely wasn't an easy road to get there.

Although 2020 was stressful, sad, full of transitions, uncertain, etc., it actually was a great time for us to take on the remodel project.  After the pandemic, interest rates went really low so we were able to do a cash out refinance to help fund our goals.  Our home was built in 2004 and we had been wanting to make major updates for awhile, but it just seemed so daunting.  Now suddenly we had a lot of more time on our hands, we were home all the time, etc. so a remodel seemed much more doable than ever before.  People say remodels take a long time and they aren't kidding.  We started the process in April and didn't officially finish up with contractors until December.  And there are still a couple things we are trying to finish on our own now (i.e, window treatments, new front door, updating pictures, rugs, etc.).

Starting out, our main goals were to redo and refresh our kitchen and main bathroom, paint the major areas of the home, and get an air conditioner installed (that was our first project and it got installed in May...hooray!). We thought maybe we could be our own contractor for the kitchen since it wasn't anything structural--just aesthetic. But we knew we'd have to hire a contractor for the main bathroom because we wanted to move a wall to make the shower bigger.  We started talking to friends to get referrals in April and started researching EVERYTHING. I know more about cabinets, hardware, sinks, flooring, bathtubs, lighting, countertops, etc. than I ever thought I would know.  We started saving photos online, watching HGTV on a regular basis, visiting design showrooms, etc. Luckily our desires and style started to meld together pretty quickly.  And we had a lot of fun exploring ideas together. I'm such a visual person--I need to see something I like and then try and mimic it.  I follow a lot of designers online so I was getting constant inspiration from them and then James generally really liked what I was inspired by, but would also throw in his own ideas. I was so grateful that he was as into it as I was.  

In June, we started getting estimates from contractors.  Most of them were referrals from other people in Snoqualmie. We wanted someone close by, who knew the area and had worked on the types of houses in our area.  We got about 3 estimates and Linda of IC Design Co. quickly rose to the top.  She lives in the Ridge area and does both design and is a general contractor.  She was fun, easy to talk to and I just felt like she would be great to work with.  She gave us a quote for both kitchen and bath. We were still thinking maybe we could  manage the kitchen process on our own, but once we started to think through it and all the coordination, we realized it would be much easier to have her manage it.  In the meantime, we got a referral from our friends for a painter-JG Pacific Painting.  We asked him to quote us for not just painting interior, but redoing all the trim in the house as well.  The quote came back and was really reasonable for the work.  So we hired him to come out after the major construction was finished to put up new, modern baseboards and door frames, wrap the windows, paint all the doors, paint the main parts of the house, the bathroom, our bedroom, etc.  

After brainstorming, getting on the same page, and finalizing the work, we finally signed the contract with Linda in early August for starting work September.  She also wanted us to have all our materials decided on and ordered before work began so there were no delays.  I'm not sure how many times we went to Contractor Furnishings Mart, how many countertop options we himmed and hawed over, how many millions of things we researched, but somehow we decided on it all and got it ordered.  We were pretty lucky too because we didn't have much delay on our items.  I think if we had gone into fall or done it now, things would have been much more delayed because COVID has really hit the industry.  

Projects Linda was working on before us got delayed so we got pushed out two weeks.  Now we were looking at starting mid-September.  Our boys had just started remote school with new teachers and a new schedule.  And I was moving into my busiest time at work.  I wasn't sure how we were going to do it, but I was also so excited and knew we would just figure it out.  

To save money, some of our friends came over to help James demo our kitchen.  They had a blast working together and literally had the whole thing gutted in just 2 hours.  James made sure to feed them and fill them with beer to thank them.  I think they all just wanted to excuse to get together.  :)

And then finally the construction began. I remember Linda warning us that it would be very dirty, dusty, loud, etc. for awhile.  And wow was she right! I'm kinda glad I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.  I've never seen so much dust in my life!  And it felt like we still had a lot of dust for a couple weeks after everything was finished.  We somehow managed to survive work and school with lots of people in our house, tons of noise, etc. Not sure how, but we took it day by day.  After week 2 of eating at our dining table in the living room, the "excitement" was starting to wear off.  But all in all the process didn't take too long--about 6 weeks. The boys were really flexible and kept a good attitude pretty much the whole time.  I was so proud of them. Here are some photos of the progress:

It was both helpful and stressful being at home while the work was taking place.  There were so many decisions to make in the middle of the process and it was nice that we were home, could see things and then make decisions.  It was stressful because we felt like we were checking over them and there were a few times we had to ask them to redo things.  It was especially hard for James as an engineer since attention to detail is super crucial to him and sometimes he felt he would do things differently.  We probably drove the workers nuts, but now I'm so glad we were nit picky and perfectionists so it turned out the way we wanted.  Ultimately we were really happy with the work.  There was a slight issue with the opening of the stove being crooked, but we addressed it with Linda and she made sure the guys came back to make it right.  She was so wonderful to work with--great at communication, regularly checked in, etc.  She was not afraid to have the hard conversations and I appreciated that about her.

And now because everyone loves a good Before and After...here are the final results...

Main Bathroom Before

Goodbye gross carpet!!

Main Bathroom After

Custom vanity made by a cabinet maker in North Bend!

We added a privacy window to the bathroom 

Love the marble look achieved with porcelain tile!

Lots more lighting!

Much more appropriate sized toilet area

New closet shelving!!

Kitchen Before:

Kitchen After:

Pretty new floors!

It looks so much bigger!  

New pantry shelving!

I didn't take good photos of the paint/trim work, but you can see some of it in the photos above. 

Overall our home just feels so nicely updated, fresh, and more our style.  We're so grateful we were able to do this process.  We learned a lot too.  Remodels are definitely not for the faint of heart.  But it was a great partner/teamwork project for us.  And kind of a nice distraction during the stress of COVID.  We worked really well together and had a lot of fun picking things out, envisioning, dreaming, etc.  I wouldn't do anything like this again for awhile as it was exhausting.  But similar to many times in our life together, I'm glad we took on the stress and craziness to now enjoy the results!