Snow, Snow, and More Snow!

Last week we got another 8 inches of snow at our house. Everyone around here keeps talking about how this winter is way worse than last year. Last year, it was bad, this is crazy! The neighbor who plows out our driveway did the same for the people who lived here before us and he said he never had to come plow this often! This is a picture of our LP tank, the snow goes up almost to the top in some areas! And behind that, you can see the top of the orange snow fence. It is for sure 4 feet high, possibly 5, and you can only see the tip-top of it. There is actually two rows of it, and it is over the back row, the drifting is crazy here. Can you say trees, trees, and more trees needed in years to come!

This is our barn. The snow goes up almost to the top of the door on the right side of the barn! And you can see one of the red tail lights on the car that got parked there. Otherwise the car is completely covered all around the snow is so high! Like that Marcie! That is all from snowing and drifting, we don't even plow back there.

Just a few videos!

Matt and Sarah-I know you will enjoy these!

Cane playing ball!

Cole learning to drive!

Claire Learning to Drive!

Merry Christmas

No tears this year with Santa, but no contact either! Cane was a champ though, he wanted his presents from Santa.

The McQuinn Family Christmas was early this year, but Christmas is Christmas no matter when you have it! Especially to three-year olds!

I have no idea how I raised such a princess?

Matt and Sarah sure know what Cole and Claire like!



It was a long wait between Christmas with Matt and Sarah in November to Christmas

Eve at our house! We did Christmas at our house Christmas Eve then Santa came to our house Christmas morning. Later that morning we went to Nick's parents house to have Christmas with his family and Grandpa and Grandma Ebert and to Nick's Grandma McCumber's house that night. We then drove to my parents house that night to have Christmas Friday morning with my family. Nick and Chad both had to work so they went home Friday afternoon and my parents, the kids, Marcie and I headed to Missouri for the weekend to see my Grandmas and cousins. It was quite a week, but worked out that we got to see a lot of family in a short amount of time!

Santa was good to us!

The McCumber Family will soon be welcoming one more to the family. Tony proposed to Calla on Christmas morning and they plan to get married in the summer of 2010!Oh my gosh, once it is nice out, I will not be able to leave my children alone for a second outside or they might be gone!

The Meter, I mean Meyer Women!

House before and after Pictures

Many of you know how much work we have put into this house, but most of you haven't actually gotten to see any of the changes. While the pictures show all of the changes, you can't possibly imagine the difference from the first day we move in to today! Only our parents can really understand that miracle. My amazing husband has not spent more than maybe two evenings laying around enjoying all the changes in the last month and a half. He goes to work, and then comes home to work. I guess that is the price you pay for being a know-it-all: electrician, plumber, flooring installer, sheet rocker, and anything else you can imagine! Luckily, other than having the carpet installed, we have been able to do the rest ourselves! Here are some before and after pictures for all of those who hear us talking about it! Thanks to our parents, we could never have gotten this far so fast if they hadn't taken the kids out of the equation several weekends!

This is Cole and Claire's room. We started there because we wanted to make this a smooth transition for them. So far, they have done great with it. Occassionally Cole will ask to go to our old house, but as soon as it gets nice, he will think he is in heaven outside here.
Notice the lovely wood paneling which was in all three bedrooms, and the lovely lighting.

Lime green is growing on me. It was a little bright with nothing else in the room! There room was close to ready before the carpet was installed. We wanted the dirty jobs done so we didn't make a mess on the new carpet. I hope I never have to live in sheet rock dust again!

Matt and Sarah-notice the vanity next to her bed. Still her favorite gift!

The bathroom was probably the easiest. It needs a more up to date medicine cabinet and lighting, actually I might go with just a mirror, we don't really use the medicine cabinet. The bath tub and toilet will eventually get replaced, it is a pale yellow. Basically I painted it and bought new towels. It is aqua blue with chocolate brown towels.
The kitchen was probably the worst when we moved in. It was so far out of date, leopard looking carpet, wallpaper on the walls, old cabinents and hardwear, lovely brown sink, old countertop. But the HUGE sliding glass door and oversized eat in kitchen is amazing! We have fixed the worst part, Nick put in a lam. hard wood floor. I am in the process of spray painting the hardwear, and I pulled down the wallpaper (thanks Marcie and mom) and painted the walls. There is a bunch more to do in here, but I am very happy with how far it has come!


The walkway between the kitchen and the family room had the ugliest brick planter in it! My favorite part was how there was real dirt filling it to support the fake plants! We for sure removed that! Behind Nick, there was a little half wall (brick wall with a shadow box on top)right next to the door separating the entry way from the living room. That is gone as well! This picture is obviously on the day we moved in.

This front door has to go soon!

The living room required little work, just a few major cracks in the walls and a nuetral paint job. I do plan to replace the valances, and we will add lighting. The valance lighting is not cutting it for me!

I thought I would spare you from another picture of wood paneling, although the red and black shag carpet was quite appealing. This is the only room I bought new bedding for. I love it, the comforter is a chocolate brown and the room is a silvery green.

The last of the sheet rocking! Poor Cane, had to look at the wood paneling the longest.







The basement is great, it is not finished yet, but will be someday. This picture was taken a while ago, there is now a play area with most of the kids toys back in the corner in this picture. Is so nice to have somewhere for ALL of their toys. It is ridiculous how many we have!