Monday, August 25, 2008

Disneyland Photos!!!



Time is flying by and I can't seem to keep this blog up to date. Here are some pictures we took from our last visit to California (End of July). We had such a blast. My kids keep asking to go to Disneyland again, as in right now. (Sigh)...I wish we could.

Back to School!




It's back to school once again...my little baby is turning into a big girl right before my eyes and I'm freaking out a little. Look how big she looks! The haircut makes her look so much older...like 6 or something! NOOOOO! She's only 4 and the cutest age ever. Please don't grow anymore.

She did great on her first day back. She has her same teacher again this year. Many of the same kids are in her class again. She picked up right where she left off as if she hadn't been gone all summer. She goes three days a week this year, full day. I miss her.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Welcome to the Family



Kermit found this little baby for a SONG on ebay. It's a 1901 Steinway Upright "Grand". He snatched it up and had it delivered from Tennessee. We weren't sure what kind of condition it would be in until it arrived. Let's just say we were pleasantly suprised and are 100% convinced that we got an amazing deal! We really feel like this old piano just belongs in the family.

Kermit has serioiusly been obsessing with it's restoration. He started with the exterior finish. It looks great especially considering its over 100 years old! He then read from cover to cover PIANO SERVICING, TUNING, AND REBUILDING by Arthur A. Reblitz. Before long he had the entire piano disassembled for a thorough cleaning and repair job. 100+ years of dust takes a bit of elbow grease to remove. I helped when I could and have a new appreciation for piano construction. It was really fascinating to see how everything fit back together. Last week we had it professionally tuned. Good report from the tuner. He thinks we got a great deal too.

Kermit will continue to obsess until it plays like new working to rebuild all the action parts. Both of us are obsessed trying to remember how to play the few songs we once knew. I hope that we can have Annaliese started up in lessons in the next couple of years. I'm thinking I'd like to take lessons along with her. Why not. =)