For Easter I got a doll called Ruby. She has glasses and brown hair and brown eyes too just like me!

He said

So after what seems like three months of talking about it, we finally have reached the tail end of all the painting! At the start of the week Vince got in touch with us that he was able to come over and start the repair work on the plaster Tuesday. And by Thursday he was all done! We were thoroughly happy with the quality and speed of his work but also the price.

That meant this long weekend we were poised to wrap up as much as we could—if not all of the painting. I was off work on Thursday & Friday and Danielle was off on Friday for a four day weekend. After I played hockey on Friday morning Danielle and I dropped Emelia off at Poppa & Grandma’s so she could have a play date with them while we painted away. The biggest part of the play date was decorating her Easter Eggs with Poppa & Grandma, which has become a bit of a tradition.
By dinner time Friday night, we had finished the front oom, hallway, stairway, and the upstairs hall. It was a lot of work and a lot time up and down the step ladder – some fifteen feet up – for Danielle (she’s the taller, slightly more courageous of us). It felt so good and looked even better. We are so happy with the results!

The only thing left is my office, which we had planned to leave, but with today off work too, we dove headlong into it, after Emelia had found all of her Easter treasures. Aside from touch-ups here and there, and some work to do in the office, we’re done painting! Well…for a few weeks anyway.
And if that wasn’t enough great news this week, I can share now that it is official, I have taken on yet another new position at work: I have been promoted to manager. And if that wasn’t enough the training for that sends me back off to sunny California! I officially move into that position on May 3rd, and the next day I am on a plane back to San Francisco.

I feel truly blessed this journey I have been on with Apple having been promoted through three different positions in the two years since opening the store. Never have I been challenged and enjoyed work each and every single day, like I have at Apple. There is no two ways about it, I love this journey I am on with Apple. I am humbled by the people I work alongside, and in a place where I feel the challenge and reward equally surpass all of my employment experiences combined in the 22 years prior to finding a career with Apple.
It does mean two weeks away from Danielle and Emelia, and then another away with me in Toronto when I get back from San Francisco. But, after the three weeks last November, I feel like we should be able to manage this.

The best part of the news is, that while I lose one day of our first trip out in Wolfie, we are – fingers crossed – able to salvage the weekend if they can get me a flight back Friday night of that weekend (which they are working on for me). Keep your fingers crossed for us. And Wolfie.

So, it was a pretty significant week around here, which should explain all the smiling I’m doing. If it’s okay with you, I am going to go sit on the couch with Danielle and smile some more. And watch some Stanley Cup hockey.

She said

This week proved to be as busy if not busier than the last few weeks. With a late night text from Vince on Monday night we were busily working away at prepping the house for his arrival. My intention to get back in the routine of the gym went on the back burner and we worked on moving everything around in John’s office to get ready for the chaotic mess the next three days were to become.

Thanks again to my amazing father-in-law I had an extra set of hands for Tuesday morning to get the house in order, walk through the mess that would be our next few days with 5 additional wee ones in the house.
The kids took things in stride, but it was a mess. There was dust everywhere and the kids were tracking it everywhere. Vince was amazing, he was great with the kids, respectful of the balance of what we needed to do to work around the little ones but he made quick order of it all and we could not be happier with the results. He went above and beyond what we had asked of him and we will be using him again in the future for the never ending ‘honey do list’ we have for the house.

By Thursday night we had the green light to start painting. And we went at it quickly. As soon as Emelia was in bed that evening we started on the living room. Both John and I had Friday off so and with the house being daycare kid free until Tuesday we knew this was the weekend to take on the rest of the painting jobs. Thursday night we finally wrapped up at 1:00 in the morning. The living room looks AMAZING and it is so bright in comparison to the dark yellow we had in there since 2002.

The next morning came early and we knew that the job of painting the hallway would be a long and tedious one. With Poppa and Grandma’s help we were able to work the entire day on the hallway. It was a job that we had avoided the 14 years we lived here. I have hated the hall and the dirt magnet cream walls, add in 6 little sets of hands and pets and it was disgusting to say the least. I have to say I was smiling from ear to exhausted ear when I could cover up and clean up 14+ years of dirt. It looks so incredible.

We checked in on Emelia from time to time and we were told she was having a ball. She spent the day checking on her garden, decorating her Easter eggs with Poppa and Grandma, she played in the backyard and generally and a much better time than her parents. By the time we finally put the last stroke of paint on the wall it was well after 5 and we were off to pick up Emelia. Helen and Doug sweetly offered to take us out for dinner which we were too tired and hungry to protest. The next day came early and John was off to work for the early shift. Emelia and I made quick order of getting to the grocery store to grab some groceries before it became too chaotic with the holiday shoppers. We went from there to get some other errands done, her last swim and then back home for lunch before the afternoon festivities.

Last week we received an invitation from friends for their annual easter egg hunt and party. Hayden and Keaton are twins who have been Emelia’s classmates since she started school. Through this connection we have become friends with their parents Sylvia and Jay. So we were expecting a small gathering with some classmates as some of our other friends through school were invited as well. Needless to say it was quite the gathering with all their friends from all areas of their very active lives. In total there was at least 30 children and about 50 adults. Emelia was over the moon because many of her closest friends were also there. After a few hours playing in the warm spring sun we made our way Poppa and Grandma for the family Easter celebration/Doug’s birthday.
By the time we arrived the rest of the family had already arrived and Emelia went off to play with her cousins. I could only stay for a few minutes before heading out to grab John and some last minute items from the mall. Back we looped and had dinner and lots of laughs with the people who mean the most to us. We got a VERY tired girl back home in bed well after her bedtime.

In spite our desperate wishes Emelia was up with the sun this morning too excited to sleep in. After her Easter egg hunt and present collection her and her new ‘sister’ (doll she wanted so very much from the Easter Bunny) Rubi were snuggled in to watch her new movies while John and I went back AGAIN to painting. After all the painting we spent much of the rest of the early afternoon putting our chaotic house back in order and taking on the huge task of cleaning a weeks worth of construction dust.

So we are about 90% there with the walls, this week we will take on the wood wall and ceiling in John’s office and then take a much needed break. I will take on the next ‘to do’ item of the white trim touch up while John travels for work. The last task as far as painting goes is the ceilings which all need to be repainted.
All in all the last 2-3 weeks have been exhausting but I cannot explain what a transformation it has taken on for our home. We still need to get curtains made for the living room and dining room and eventually we will slowly decide on new furniture for the living room. But for now while our bank account recovers the new wall colours will have to do.

Thankfully for Emelia and I, I have the day off tomorrow. Sadly John isn’t home but Emelia and I will try and squeeze in a much needed mommy and daughter day. Emelia has really needed this connection lately.

That is it for me this week, I am going to go enjoy the rest of the night with John after we get Miss E to bed for the night.