How Much Could Happen in Six Months?

It’s almost June. We're almost six months into the year.
How did that happen? This year has been absolutely flying by!
I’m convinced that time starts to pass faster and faster every year.

This feels like an oversimplification of what our lives have been like over the past few months, but here's the highlights:

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Before

After an hour or two of demolition!

The "almost" finished bathroom. We had a delay with the plumbing on our vanity. Now we have to do a few minor adjustments and install all the finishing touches!

Before: April 2011

After: The roses looked decent after some pruning and
mulching, but our cold winter did them in, which gave us the
perfect excuse to start from scratch!

Can't wait to see everything grow in!

Still three more sections in the backyard to overhaul.. Ugh!

FAMILY & FRIENDS

Apparently I have been having a too much fun because I failed at documenting all of our visitors! Alex's parents and his brother Adam came down to visit for a weekend and then shortly after my college roommates also came down for a weekend to visit! I also got to visit with my friend Karleya in Columbus and we spent Easter in Cleveland with my parents. At the end of April my parents and my Grandma Peterson also came down for a weekend. My Grandma was last at our house in April 2011 right before we had closed on the house, so it was exciting to show her the inside this time! I also can't believe we have been in our house for three years already... 

    

Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill

Dinner at Windy Corner Market

GRADUATIONS

So far May has been the month of graduations! 

Eileen's graduation from Point Park University
Pittsburgh, PA - May 3, 2014

Eileen blowing us a kiss!

Eileen and her Dad at the post graduation celebratory dinner!

Alex's graduation from University of Kentucky!
May 10, 2014

Alex Janesz, MBA!

I surprised Alex with a pinata at our family cookout!
Here's the end result after he had a go at it! 
There's a video to go with this...

Happy Mother's Day! My parents and Alex's parents and siblings met up for brunch the next day. 

As Alex was wrapping up his classes, I started some classes of my own! A couple months ago we switched churches and I started the RCIA program to join in full communion with the Catholic Church. Our new church has already been such a blessing in our lives and we are both really looking forward to getting involved together. One of the best parts is that the church is about a three minute walk! We've already met quite a few people that live in our neighborhood. 

This weekend we will be in Cincinnati for Memorial Day for the Annual Harshman picnic (Alex's mom's side of the family). The rest of the summer brings wedding and lots of traveling! And if all goes according to plan, a property to flip! Stay tuned for more on that journey later.