The next few posts are catching up on some progress in the remodel and some Christmas events. Today was the day Bret rebuilt this wall (which previously had a small opening on the left and now has a large center opening). We are pleased to be making progress, especially after taking so long to get the floor torn up.
A quick visit with Pere Noel while walking down the street. There were Santas from many different nationalities!
We drove up to St. Charles, MO on Christmas morning and visited with the Fennells and Ewerts. The next day we enjoyed a walk through historic downtown St. Charles, complete with caroling and a small parade. (The above pictures were taken along our walk) We visited shops, one of which was built in 1796 and sold dulcimers and hand carved wood items. Some shops sold candles, some quilts, some yarns and knitting supplies, some clothes, and jewelry. One of the buildings was the first home of the first governor of Illinois.
A mother-daughter snuggle after dinner on Christmas day. You can never have too many snuggles!
We got the tile up off the floor. Then there was a layer of plywood which was glued and screwed down (at 4" intervals). We had to clean out each screw head to remove it--this begins to explain why it took most of two weeks to finish the floor! We did also have Christmas in the middle there.
This is the beautiful view from the new sliding glass doors. We've had snow on the ground for several weeks (a little unusual for us here) and the kids have been enjoying a chance to sled in the backyard. The green barn-like building is Bret's shop. 
It took all day and some help from a friend, but we got the new sliding glass door put into place. The blue tarp is concealing a spectacular view of our backyard. We had to remove the old window and knock out part of a wall, build a new frame for the doors, insulate, and install the new doors. Yay! We are making progress, but it still looks like a kitchen under construction. I'll keep you posted... :-)
The wall above is going to open up to a large opening in the center with a short wall on either side of the opening. Cabinets will line the right and left walls making a large galley style kitchen. 
What was once a window next to the seating area is now a gaping hole. We enlarged the opening to accommodate a sliding glass door. Yay! Unfortunately, we did this on a rather cold December day! We worked until after 11:00 pm to get the new door in place and warm up our home.
I have been experimenting with bread recipes for a while. I was looking for a more substantial or hearty bread than the oatmeal bread, wheat bread and white bread that I've been baking for many years. In my research I came across a book called "My Bread" which involves an artisanal no-knead variety which needs to rise at room temp for 12 to 18 hours. This is pretty much what I've been looking for. Above is pictured one of the loaves I made of the white bread. There are also whole wheat and rye varieties. This is a crusty and substantial bread and we are really enjoying it. It bakes in a hot dutch oven in the oven for about 1/2 hour. The recipe follows below if any of you would like to try it...
Above you see the kitchen with the oven and fridge removed and the cabinets still in place. Demolition is about to begin...
Ha! Here we are Bret on the left and his dad helping on the right. Lest you think I was laying around while the guys worked on the kitchen...look on...I am lugging one of many garbage cans full of broken drywall and plaster. Note the soffit is gone! Yay!
Below, breaking the drywall between the joists to make it easier to break off the pieces. I used the sledge hammer side of the axe to break through one layer of drywall (the living room is on the other side of the wall and we didn't want to break all the way through). Fear not! Our living room survived without a scratch!
Posing with the sledge hammer. As a trained mental health professional (although I am not currently practicing my craft) I highly recommend demolition as a stress-management technique. For those who may wish to try this at home--I do recommend that you have a plan for the repair/rejuvenation of the space before you commence destruction. 
I spent some time this summer and fall harvesting the abundance of God's creation. The beans in the garden were pickled, the cucumbers became relish, the red peppers were roasted and canned, peaches became jam, and above I tried my hand at barbeque sauce for the first time. Not too shabby--but the kids told me it's too spicy! :-)
Okay. I don't know about you other coffee lovers...but I love biscotti with my coffee! It's got a wonderful crunch and nutty flavor. I just can't resist making it from time to time--since I found a recipe I like. Maybe some of you would like to try it...
Last night Dad's meeting was cancelled, so after supper we decided to go fishing! August caught one all by himself! It was too little to keep, but the picture is worth a thousand words!
Katie has been after us for a while to cut her hair short. She mostly has had to work on Dad, since Mom is tired of combing and braiding every night after bathtime. So here is the new look and the happy girl who seems just a little older now. Or maybe not... 
The ball went across the street once, so the kids were waiting for the ref to go and get it. There is a fair bit of action in soccer now. Two years ago when Katie played it was like a small cloud of bees chasing the ball. They did not always know which way to kick the ball when they got it! Now there is purpose and they follow rules. The kids who are defense, actually play defense and the kids who are forwards are playing forward. It's neat to see the improvement from age 6 to age 8!
Thought these flowers were picture-worthy. It's so wonderful to have spring come on time! Especially after a very hard winter this year!
The Wildlife Prairie Park is a facility that rehabilitates local animals which are injured or endangered. Some they release back into the wild, those that can't be released are kept in a park-like environment, for our learning and viewing pleasure. They have a small bison herd and elk population. They also have a cougar, some bobcats, eagles, etc.
We enjoyed spending the day with friends! They are such a blessing!
This is not part of the trail, but an old railroad section adjoining the trail. It was a fun adventure. We didn't see any beavers, but there was a dam and we suspected they were nearby!
Here are a couple of jars of the maple syrup--the lighter color means I didn't boil this batch down as much--but it's still really sweet. I boiled some batches down more and got a darker, sweeter syrup. Below is the maple sugar we made by accident during our sugarin' time. It is super sweet, tasting it is kind of like maple flavored brown sugar, with a smoky touch (thanks to boiling it down over a wood fire). We ended up with about a gallon of syrup which I canned in jelly jars. 
When Bret returned from Japan, he treated us to dinner ala Japan. He made miso soup and tempura. We cheated and bought sushi from the grocery store, and enjoyed wasabi peas. I wasn't sure about the peas at first, but they became addictive and we thoroughly enjoyed them. Bret shared some interesting tidbits about his trip and we all got some Japanese "My dad/husband/son went to Japan and all I got was this lousy (blank)!" style gifts! Fun was had by all!
