This Week @ the Ricks' Home

We were sad to say good-bye to Kyle this week. We sure miss him!








There were problems with the plane Kyle was boarding, so they found a different flight for him. He arrived back in Utah later than expected but, he flew first class from Atlanta to Salt Lake. Lucky!


The evening before Kyle left on a jet plane, we threw a family party. The little ones really enjoyed playing on our new playset.








Here it is, all finished. The slide faces the side of our house and Jordan thinks we need to get a very long tube slide and attach it to a hole cut into the side of our house, kind of like a doggy door. Honestly, I think that would be awesome!


After dinner we decided to play Start the Party on the PS3 {click the link to watch a video about the game and PS3 Move controllers.} This game is so awesome you have a great time just watching other people play!






Andrea drove 3 hours from college just so she could be here to hang out with Kyle one more time before he left.




 After much begging and pleading we finally convinced David to play!


Even the little ones played a few rounds.








As a field trip we toured the WAFF 48 News Station.


While I was searching through old picture folders preparing my Flashback Friday post I found photos of our home before we moved in. It was so interesting to see the difference in the before and after. We literally started building walls the day we moved in. The men helped with all the heavy lifting then got started on building while we unpacked.

As you can see in the photo below, the main floor was completely open with only one small wall between the livingroom and kitchen. We decided before we even knew for sure we were getting the house that we wanted to close in the dinning area and wall off another area as my craft room.

Love it!

Not sure if you noticed but I rearranged a few things since last week's post. We needed more room to play Start the Party so we pushed the couch back. I liked it so I left it that way. I moved around an end table and put the small rocker in the corner. I think I like it. What do you think?





Making them measure so I could graph everything out. I should share a few of my drawn out plans from my graph notebook sometime.






We contacted the cabinet company right away. The kitchen just did not look finished to me. Much better!





This is the wall as you walk into the kitchen.


I'm having a difficult time decorating the dinning room walls. I've never had so many walls to decorate! The entry wall with all of the photos is something like 18 ft...eighteen FEET. Crazy.

I do love the curtains my mom helped me make for the sliding glass doors in the dinning room. My mom is so clever. We bought twin sheets to use as the lining so it was extra easy to make these.


This week I discovered Pandora music app for my iPhone. Well, my husband added it to my phone the day I got it but, I actually started using it this week. I made an Owl City channel then Pandora plays songs similar to Owl City style. I've discovered a few new favorite songs. Love this one - Slow Me Down by Emmy Rossum. {Click on the link to watch the video. It is also the background music playing on my blog.}
The trick is actually using the earbuds. Instant break from all the ruckus and bedlam surrounding me. It also makes doing dishes not so terrible. Which leads to something else I've started using this week...an apron. I usually soak my shirt when I do the dishes and I'm always drying my hands on my jeans. My youngest sister once told me I should wear rain gear when washing dishes. I decided to throw on my apron before doing the dishes the other day and, amazingly enough, it kept me dry. Who knew?
Rockin' my apron and earbuds.


Gavin is crazy about the cape we made from an old knit skirt. He asked if he could wear it to church. hahaha. That boy!


Here's a photo of Gavin and Jordan before hopping in the van and heading off to church this morning. So adorable with matching bow tie and dress.


One of my favoritest things about church is listening to my husband sing. I remember during my first trip to Utah to meet John, he had to go practice with the Choral Arts Society of Utah in the Tabernacle. We decided that after his practice would be a good time to go to the Salt Lake Temple. I was so excited to see Temple Square for the first time in real life and to attend a live session in the Salt Lake Temple. As I sat watching and listening to his choir sing Come, Come Ye Saints the spirit whispered "You are going to marry him."  I replied outloud but still quietly to myself, "OK!" Later in the Salt Lake Temple I walked up to him in the Celestial Room and he kissed me on the forhead. I was shocked and a little embarrassed that he kissed me in the Celestial Room. What a wonderful day that was and I think of it when I hear my sweetheart sing.

Well, I think that about covers our week here in the Ricks home. I'll leave you with a bit of cuteness.