We are in the midst of giving our dining room, kitchen, and entryway a facelift. It all started with the decision to replace the sliding glass door off the dining room. We had been talking about replacing this door for quite awhile since it was always falling off the track—just too many years of wear and tear.

Chris showing us a HOW TO DO IT program while we were at his house one day was the catalyst for the door actually being replaced. We were inspired to buy a special style of sliding glass door from Pella that was featured on the show. We were very enamored by how the curtains on their doors are designed to go INSIDE the glass.

For about a year or two we had also been talking offhandedly about moving the door to the garage a couple of feet to achieve more dining space. With the door being replaced, moving the wall and garage door became a serious consideration. Then, we thought, while we are at it, why not replace the linoleum with tile as well?

Thus a small project blossomed into a substantial one which included building a new ceiling to transition the expansion of the dining area. Next, all the wallpaper in the kitchen, dining room and entryway came off. We decided to go with painted walls instead. That meant hiring someone to skip trowel all the walls. We were very fortunate to find someone who was immediately available, got the job done in a day and charged a very reasonable rate. Although not part of our original remodeling plan, we also bought a new dining room light. When we went to hang the old one, it slipped, fell to the floor and broke beyond repair. I have to admit, the new light is much more modern looking!

We had hoped to have everything completed by Thanksgiving since we were hosting this year. Because we couldn't find a tile contractor in time, the floors were not finished which meant there was no trim around the new sliding glass door or the relocated garage door. Turns out everyone was too busy visiting, eating, and playing Wii to even care.

We now do have a tile contractor scheduled and we are in the process of tearing up the linoleum and the hardwood floor in readiness for him to start work next week. The old 12 x 12 tile in the entryway has all been taken up. Not only are we replacing the linoleum with 18 x 18 tile we also are extending the new tile all the way to the front door and down the hall to the bedrooms.

Last week Robert decided the floor in the kitchen and the dining room should be heated (after Chris brought it up —after all, he works for a company called Warm Floors). So now that whole process is in motion. Heating mats, which our tile contractor will install for us, are scheduled to arrive Wednesday or Thursday.

Our refrigerator is now sitting in our living room and soon the dishwasher will be out of commission. Turns out it has a leak. Once the linoleum is all pulled up we won't be using it anymore.The leak is so extreme it cost almost as much to repair it as to replace it. Sooo, we will be throwing this dishwasher out and buying a new one after the tile work is completed. When the tile actually goes down there will be a few days we will not be able to get to our stove. (Looks like we will be eating out a lot!) At that point we plan to take the dogs to stay with Chris. Then there is the challenge of figuring out how we are going to get out to the office to work!

Since family did not get to see our new floor at Thanksgiving, we will just have to have the next family birthday celebration here. We can floor everyone with a "floored" party!

THANKSGIVING DELIGHTS

Hosting Thanksgiving this year was filled with delight. Yummy things first, a recipe enjoyed by all, requested by many:

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BROCCOLI CASSEROLE
2 pounds fresh broccoli, cut into florets
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup crushed cheese-flavored snack crackers

Place 1 inch of water and broccoli in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes or just until rip-tender. Drain and place in a greased 2-qt. baking dish. In a bowl, combine the soup, mayonnaise, cheese and lemon juice. Pour over broccoli. Sprinkle with crushed crackers. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. YIELD: 6-8 servings.

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Next delight was the Wii system from Nintendo. Also enjoyed by all, played by many. Chris, the only one in the family to own one so far, brought his new system to share and show off. You know a video game is the ultimate in success when Dorothy and I want to play! We, along with Kathy and Stacey, enjoyed the bowling game the most.

Delight #3: The wee ones. With Ashley just past two and Rylan almost seventeen months, the chatter of their little voices and screams of delight as they played with blocks scattered all over the floor, jumped in to pillows tossed about, rode the rocking dinosaur (that Chris built) and pushed Play Family people around in little cars was enjoyed by all. Having little ones around sure makes a family gathering much more fun!

Then there was the delightful feast enjoyed by all. With fifteen family members, even with our enlarged dining room, we had to set up two tables, squeezing one in front of the bookcase. Dorothy brought homemade pies, Jean brought her traditional bread (in the shape of a turkey), Stacey, Dave, and Ashley brought sweet potatoes, I made my customary champagne salad, and Gary brought his famous mashed potatoes!

Of course the most delightful aspect of Thanksgiving is being together with family. This is the first time Dave, Stacey, and Ashley have been to our place for Thanksgiving. Now that there are little ones in the family (and another is on the way—Stacey will be having a second baby in the spring) our holiday rotation has been changed. With so many of us here for Thanksgiving it was a perfect opportunity to gather everyone together for a group photo!

YOSEMITE RENDEZVOUS

In August, Robert and I spent four days in Yosemite with Kathy, Tim, and Rylan!.

We stayed in a tent cabin, hiked to Vernal Falls, checked out a giant Sequoia grove, went on picnics, saw deer and hoards and hoards of squirrels. We even saw a wolf walking right next to our shuttle bus! We had a wonderful time getting up and close to the inspiring beauty and nature that is everywhere in Yosemite. To get a sense of our wonderful outdoor adventure check out our photos.