Count Down...

-9 Days until School Starts
(I've been doing the mad-scramble to get my class set up and materials ready. Maddy started full-time today with Eli. I am so thankful for her! It makes it so much easier to leave each day knowing he's in loving hands!)

-27 Days until Eli's FIRST birthday
(How can that be? He is the most adorable little guy ever! Currently he is learning to cruise, trying to stand alone, and really enjoying having stories read to him. The past few weeks his favorite book has been " Peekabo Baby." He actually lifts the flap for each page and turns the page-smart boy! I really will try to get pictures of him posted soon...)

-3 More Mondays until Shane's big hunt
(Shane drew a coveted mule deer tag for a unit in Idaho. It's known for producing trophy mulies, so he has high hopes! He'll be hunting with a colleague from work who knows the area really well. This year the deer won't be as lucky as he's going with a rifle instead of the trusty bow...I'll keep you posted on how that goes!)

- ??? Days until the remodel is finished
(I guess you could say we're about 75% complete. The project list still includes: finish bathroom floor, tile tub deck and shower surround, trim bathroom, tile laundry room floor, carpet installed in basement, trim basement, paint doors and trim, touch up paint....ok, maybe 75% is a stretch! The good news is we have a working toilet and sinks upstairs now!)

-7 hours
(The amount of sleep I will get if I go to bed right now (and if Eli sleeps through the night!)

Hunting Bats the Hard Way...by Shane

Check this out- last night I am sitting in the living room watching a mule deer hunting video, when all of the sudden I hear Deanna screaming upstairs. I put down the DVD player and holler up to her to see what is happening. Well, to our dismay, there is a bat hanging from the wall at the top of stairs, so me being the manly man (and also the great hunter) I slip into the basement and grab man's trusty hunting partner...the BROOM. With Deanna screaming and Eli crying I slip up the stairs, pause briefly to clear my thoughts and get in the zone. Now I am focused and quite deadly. Ahead of me I see a sleeping bat. To my left side is wall. To my right is another wall. Behind me my family huddles in fear, but now I know what I must do. I now stand a foot from the bat. Fear momentarily grips my throat. "This is no time to panic," I tell myself. "Your family is counting on you to be strong." It seems as though time stands still as I raise the broom and WHACK! I deliver the deafening blow. The said bat tumbles to the ground, Bailey leaps from her bed and hides behind the couch, Deanna lets out one last scream, and Eli falls back to a peaceful sleep. All is quite at the Kitchen Estate. The sun has set on another heroic day in the life of Shane Kitchen.

Little Mozart

Maybe Eli will have more musical talent than Shane and I after all! As you can see, it absolutely thrills him to be able to make such a racket! Maybe someday Tessa will be able to give him real lessons....

Back in Business..

Reasons (Not to be confused with excuses...) Why I Haven't Updated Our Blog in Over A Month....

1. Blogger wouldn't let me access our account and I finally figured out how to reset our password today.
2. No time!
3. Whenever I sit down at the computer, Eli crawls over to join me and pulls all the paper out of the printer. (He's mastered crawling on all fours now!)
4. No time!
5. We were living with Dan and Jeanne for 2 weeks while the house was under construction.
6. No time!
7. I was too busy cleaning up the mess the sheet rockers left for us.
8. No time!
9. It seems that every time I turn my back on Eli, he takes a spill (actually, I think he does it when I'm watching him too! He can pull up now and tries it out on everything!)
10. NO TIME!

To summarize, it's been a crazy busy summer! We're still trying to finish the remodel, I'm starting to get geared up for work (taking classes mostly) and Eli is now mobile. I will definitely try to find some time to post pictures here in the next week! Keep checking in on us! :-)