Summer & skye » Follow our adventures with Summer Wins & Skye!

One of the items I asked Carl to get me for Christmas was a Fitbit. It is small device that is worn on the body and tracks the steps you take, the floors you climb, the miles you walk, the calories you burn, and with impute tracks the food you eat and your weight. I love it. Have lost the 6 pounds that I gained last year and am keeping myself much more active which is leading to more sleep. Although I have added an hour average per night I still only average 6 hours and 12 minutes per night and I still feel sleep deprived. The goal that Fitbit set for me is 10,000 steps a day, 5 miles walking per day, climbing 10 floors a day and burning 1430 activity calories per day. I am able to meet all the goals and feel so much better. My best day so far I climbed 100 floors and walked 15,000 steps whew! I never make a New Year’s resolution, they never last, but, am excited to track my activity levels this year and hopefully have a healthy 2012.

2012 Starts off with a commitment to put new floor in the kitchen and to repaint the kitchen, dining, living and entry. After Christmas Carl decided it was time to just get it done. Painting that included doors, ceilings, baseboards, crown molding, walls and trim, in other words every item that has paint was to be re-painted. Kitchen floor torn out and all those annoying squeaks fixed, joints that didn’t quite meet, joined together and sanded. What a job, what a mess, I never dreamed it would take so much time. Carl decided to do it all himself, which didn’t surprise me and he did a fantastic job. It took over eleven twelve hour days to get it prepped and completed. I would like to say I was a big help, but, outside of wringing out the sponge when he was grouting and helping to move some furniture Carl did it all himself. Then when he was all done with it he loved how it looked and asked me what is the next project to which I immediately replied guest room, guest bath and powder room. Wonder if he’ll start one when we get back from Aruba.

I didn’t think to take any photos of the before we painted but here is what the kitchen looked like after painting and before ripping out the floor.

Carl finishing up the floor with the grouting. Final steps are scrubbing the title and cleaning up the mess…lots of dust and tools everywhere.

And finally the finished project. Well, almost finished I need to buy new draperies and accessories the rooms, but, that will have to wait until after Aruba.

What a year this has been. January kicked off with me having an episode mimicking a heart attack, numerous test and my cardiologist couldn’t determine what happened. I had horrible chest pains in Staples Parking Lot and called Carl telling him I was having a heart attack. The next thing I knew there was a couple of guys in the car with me, unbuttoning my top telling me everything would be okay. We spent our entire day (32nd wedding anniversary) in St Thomas’ emergency room having tons of test. Went home that night wondering what happened and was it going to happen again.

2011 was the year of fun vacations. Carl and I enjoyed spending a winter break in St Kitts where Carl renewed his diving certification and spent numerous mornings enjoying the diving in St Kitts. July brought us a 3 week vacation in Pentwater and daily (almost) sailing on Lake Michigan.

In August Nick’s Patty was accepted to Physician Assistant School in Miami and off she went to FL. Nick stayed in GA and we were able to keep him company while enjoying some fall boating weekends.

Fall gave way to the devastating news that my brother was separating from his wife and would be getting divorced in the new year. Have shed numerous tears over it and know that 2012 will bring more tears.

In December Carl ended up wearing a boot on his left foot and an orthopedic in his right foot after straining his tendons. Last year at this time he was recovering from back surgery.

As the year ends I am thankful for the love Carl shows me and the never ending support he gives me, for a son that never fails to make us proud and that our health while providing some scary moments has been good.

All in all it’s been a great 2011.

After a morning spent taking down the tree (me) and Carl continuing the huge job of painting the Living, Dining, Foyer and Kitchen (ceiling, walls, trim & baseboards) we decided it was a perfect afternoon for a sail. 60 degrees, light but steady winds, hard to believe it is Dec 31st. Spent 2 hours relaxing on the water, okay I spent an hour enjoying the breeze, sun and the water then moved into the cabin and became re-acquainted with my Buddy Heater. Love that little heater, while Carl enjoys the brisk wind I don’t. Carl loves being out on the water, I don’t think I have ever heard him complain about the cold, you can see his body relax as we pull away from the slip. And that’s worth me getting cold.

After sailing a stop for our favorite after sailing dinner (Mexican) we head home where Carl jumped back into the painting. He has been painting for 4 days so far, figures he has another 2 days of painting to go. After he is done painting he is replacing the kitchen floor. Not the funnest New Year’s Eve but will be great to have the rooms re-painted.

So many fun traditions on Christmas. For years we spent Christmas Eve at John and Shayne’s and Carl would read the kids “The Night Before Christmas”. Now that Nick is working and engaged we no longer spend Christmas at John and Shayne, but the tradition of Carl reading the story continues, now we just Skype and read it over the internet. It has become one of my favorite parts of Christmas Eve and a treasured Christmas Eve tradition. I find myself wondering some day will Jake, Josh and Elli be sitting in front of their computers with their children listening to Carl read “The Night before Christmas” to them. Group Skype!

Another Christmas tradition is Grandma Mulder’s (Carl’s Mom) Cranberry Pudding for dessert. Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without it. It turned out great this year. Carl and I look forward to it every year. Carl also made the Banket..yummy! Mom bought us some from Van’s that we had in GR last weekend, but Van’s wasn’t nearly as good as Carl’s. Nick requested Mac & Cheese and Meatloaf for Christmas Eve dinner this year. It was good, but, we had filled up on all the appetizers and none of us were very hungry when dinner rolled around.

Christmas day the humidity was down so Carl was able to make the Divinity. Another yummy tradition. We had so many different snacks and treats and have so many left over…

Nick brought up his Wii and we played numerous games of Bowling and had a nice day being together, opened far too many presents (not that I’m complaining) and ate far too many sweets.

Nick just loves to give, watch and play with Pepper and his presents. Watching Nick with Pepper demonstrates what a great Daddy he will be some day. The amazing part is Pepper will gently open his own gifts once they are given to him, but, never takes a gift from under the tree to play with. Pretty amazing and very well behaved!