tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54049638117956598942024-03-05T00:59:01.206-08:00Jana's PlacePhotos, Family, Faith, FunJana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-53355644489133824962017-05-16T16:06:00.003-07:002017-05-16T16:06:30.995-07:00An Awesome Mother's Day Surprise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This last weekend I received a wonderful surprise Mother's Day gift. Our oldest son came home for a surprise visit. He lives out-of-state. All of my family knew about him coming home but me. I was totally surprised when he walked into the house. What an awesome Mother's Day gift!<br />
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He came in holding the bouquet of flowers on the right. The other flowers are from our daughter and son-in-law, and our youngest son and his wife. So sweet!<br />
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Spending time with family is so much fun!<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!</div>
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Jana</div>
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Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-42625887132215613912017-04-14T11:34:00.002-07:002017-04-14T11:34:23.766-07:00Happy Easter - 2017<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><a href="https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/mary-and-the-resurrected-christ-39605?lang=eng" target="_blank">Mary and the Resurrected Lord</a><br />
Image courtesy of lds.org</td></tr>
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Happy Easter! I'd like to share this very special Easter video with you. It's called "The Prince of Peace: Find Lasting Peace through Jesus Christ."<br />
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I'm so grateful for <a href="http://www.mormon.org/beliefs/jesus-christ" target="_blank">Jesus Christ</a>. I know He is our Savior and Redeemer. I'm thankful for His kindness, mercy and love. I'm so grateful for His atoning sacrifice and for the Resurrection. Because of Him, we will all live again. Through Him we can all find peace. Jesus Christ truly is the Prince of Peace.<br />
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I'd like to wish all of you a very Happy Easter.<br />
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Jana<br />
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Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-43055759440874307412016-11-18T20:02:00.001-08:002016-11-18T20:02:05.158-08:00Fall in Provo CanyonMy husband and I had the opportunity to go to Provo, Utah to watch the BYU Homecoming game in October. One of our sons is a member of the BYU Cougar Marching Band and this was our first time watching him march in that band. It was awesome!<br />
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While we were in Utah, we went to <a href="https://utah.com/scenic-drive/provo-canyon" target="_blank">Provo Canyon</a> and enjoyed the beautiful fall colors. I thought I'd share some of the pictures I took while we were there.<br />
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I hope you enjoyed my photos of Provo Canyon, Utah. The fall colors really were spectacular!<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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Jana<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">© 2016 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All
Rights Reserved</span>Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-58930652057814046112016-11-11T15:03:00.002-08:002016-11-11T15:03:43.107-08:00New Kitchen and Dining Room Flooring and Some Big NewsIn a previous post from May of this year, I shared the news that we were going to replace our kitchen and dining room flooring with <a href="http://www.usfloorsllc.com/display-category/coretec-plus/" target="_blank">CORETec Plus</a> Luxury Vinyl Tile. It's waterproof which is awesome! We chose one that looks like Travertine. It's called <a href="http://www.usfloorsllc.com/product-category/coretec-plus/tile/#/flooring-products/noce-travertine" target="_blank">Noce Travertine</a> and it's beautiful.<br />
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Here are some pictures showing the flooring being replaced and what it looked like after it was installed.<br />
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I think it turned out great! I hope the new owners of our home enjoy it. Yep. I said new owners. That's the big news. In July of this year we decided to sell our house and buy a new one.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3E0TiV0fy9kzBVjCNMY5z3e4cuewRLk7YYbtSt1AzUDLC0JmCpgP0FMYLeXx64fERBPArgEvks3GJd6Z1OGN0gZ8FkSajbA71zKlqkkGn0Q0pNdlgYfYayodE96s572ipgxuHTXtM4Vc/s1600/20160811_120819+Address+Blurred.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3E0TiV0fy9kzBVjCNMY5z3e4cuewRLk7YYbtSt1AzUDLC0JmCpgP0FMYLeXx64fERBPArgEvks3GJd6Z1OGN0gZ8FkSajbA71zKlqkkGn0Q0pNdlgYfYayodE96s572ipgxuHTXtM4Vc/s640/20160811_120819+Address+Blurred.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In the spring of this year we made lots of upgrades to our home. We replaced the carpets in the whole house, updated the fireplace, changed the tile flooring in the entry way, and changed the flooring in the kitchen and dining room. We also bought a new dishwasher. But these changes weren't because we were planning on selling our home.<br />
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In July we were looking at new homes with a family member and decided to buy a new construction home. It's in the process of being built now and should be completed at the end of January 2017. We sold our home in the photo above. Escrow is supposed to close next week.<br />
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It's been a busy, exciting, and yes even stressful time lately with all of these changes in our lives. Thankfully, the stress of selling our home is greatly diminished now since we sold it. And I expect it will diminish even more once escrow has closed next week.<br />
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I haven't been very active here on my blog lately. The process of selling our home and buying a new one has been so time and energy consuming. You may also remember that two of our children got married this year. I shared photos of those happy events in earlier posts. So ya, it's been a super busy year for us. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to blogging more regularly in the near future.<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
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Jana<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">© 2016 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All
Rights Reserved</span>Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-6106237076809075122016-07-25T11:49:00.002-07:002016-07-25T11:49:44.005-07:00The Morro Bay Sand Spit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDikLVzVzu2cdu0W10Z5EdB-GnAacZCknJukvlQv8bdY0Y4jrRuWAMB0GRHaGiu0XfeL_Myfjvt8GQQkLNLSZRoDCo0rNCO_5Xrv8gHX_8xJjxb_TX4GHweuf7HvoxCd7kyke4GpY-T4/s1600/The+Morro+Bay+Sand+Spit+Logo+Transparency+100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDikLVzVzu2cdu0W10Z5EdB-GnAacZCknJukvlQv8bdY0Y4jrRuWAMB0GRHaGiu0XfeL_Myfjvt8GQQkLNLSZRoDCo0rNCO_5Xrv8gHX_8xJjxb_TX4GHweuf7HvoxCd7kyke4GpY-T4/s400/The+Morro+Bay+Sand+Spit+Logo+Transparency+100.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Earlier this month my husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary with a trip to the California's Central Coast. Our anniversary was actually last month, but we were very busy with our third-oldest son's wedding.<br />
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During our trip to the coast, we went to Morro Bay and kayaked in the Morro Bay Estuary. We paddled around a bit and then headed to the Morro Bay Sand Spit that separates the bay from the Pacific Ocean.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6I-kYO8kZhtlfl2l2tCnu0H8MqmQhTZ00sXo1Xj3AroZdMPTF66CXHviON4UqBR6g3P6xPTjSRVEKXxY4brM6qDDxoCCrDv8Aa6mf1JcHbSugQ_YCRzGiT61t_GQq7ZJFBBud_tnfIE/s1600/20160705_133139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6I-kYO8kZhtlfl2l2tCnu0H8MqmQhTZ00sXo1Xj3AroZdMPTF66CXHviON4UqBR6g3P6xPTjSRVEKXxY4brM6qDDxoCCrDv8Aa6mf1JcHbSugQ_YCRzGiT61t_GQq7ZJFBBud_tnfIE/s400/20160705_133139.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kayaking Selfie</td></tr>
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We parked the kayak on the sand and walked from the bay side of the dunes to the Pacific Ocean side.<br />
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This <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/California/@35.3634786,-120.852921,486m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x808fb9fe5f285e3d:0x8b5109a227086f55!8m2!3d36.778261!4d-119.4179324?hl=en" target="_blank">Google Map</a> shows Morro Bay, the Estuary and the sand spit where we went. We rented our kayak from <a href="http://www.kayakhorizons.com/" target="_blank">Kayak Horizons</a> in Morro Bay. That red star on the map shows approximately where the shop is located. The blue arrow is pointing to the spot where we parked the kayak and the red arrow is the beach area of the sand spit where we ended up.<br />
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See that yellow double kayak on the left in the photo below? That's the one we rented from <a href="http://www.kayakhorizons.com/" target="_blank">Kayak Horizons</a>. We parked it there and then walked over the dunes to the Pacific Ocean side of the sand spit.<br />
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There's a roped-off path leading to the beach on the Pacific Ocean side of the sand spit.<br />
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That's my husband up ahead of me.<br />
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And there he is at the shoreline.<br />
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This stretch of beach is so pretty and quite secluded. We were the only people here at the time we visited. This isn't the first time we've been here. We've come here with our kids in the past.<br />
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My husband and I enjoyed walking along the beach, getting our feet wet, and picking up sea shells.<br />
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While we were enjoying the sights and sounds of the ocean, I recorded a short video using my cell phone. I hope you enjoy it.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lDL2CQQ6_EI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lDL2CQQ6_EI?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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Jana<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">© 2016
Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved</span>Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-34251727789183052732016-07-19T15:09:00.001-07:002016-07-19T15:09:02.963-07:00Home Improvements ~ Our Fireplace Remodel Is Finished<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3wkXgsgK0WxrxMTjRvPQ11iL-jTjkt75qZxey2_lG_eH-Ic7rknEv5wWe8Vu4uf4pUwxmvzG1lq2KycuUtWACU13jULuFOm0mrT68DvxtD5AxJ4t_05zhmQtCd8XuaKyxAWhZA_JJ0M/s1600/Our+Fireplace+Remodel+Logo+Transparency+100+Percent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3wkXgsgK0WxrxMTjRvPQ11iL-jTjkt75qZxey2_lG_eH-Ic7rknEv5wWe8Vu4uf4pUwxmvzG1lq2KycuUtWACU13jULuFOm0mrT68DvxtD5AxJ4t_05zhmQtCd8XuaKyxAWhZA_JJ0M/s320/Our+Fireplace+Remodel+Logo+Transparency+100+Percent.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hurray! Our fireplace remodel is done. This last Saturday, my husband painted the mantel. He made the mantel himself earlier this month. What a talented guy!<br />
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Here are a few pics of the process.<br />
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One of our friends let us borrow some of his tools. Thank you so much!</div>
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Here it is with the crown molding installed.<br />
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And here's what our fireplace mantel looks like now that it's been painted.<br />
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Here's a little bit of a side view so you can get a better view of the crown molding on the mantel.</div>
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Since our home improvement projects began a few months ago, we've had new carpet installed throughout our home, new tile installed in the entry hall, new flooring installed in the kitchen and dining room, and our fireplace has been remodeled. It's been a busy few months, but it's been so worth it.<br />
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I haven't shared photos of the new flooring in our kitchen and dining room here on my blog yet. I'll do that in a future post.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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Jana<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">© 2016
Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved</span>Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-36491386309157776682016-06-20T15:32:00.002-07:002016-06-20T15:32:29.596-07:00A Family Visit to Bridal Veil FallsWe had the wonderful opportunity to attend the wedding of our third-oldest son about a week ago in Utah. It was a beautiful wedding and we're so happy for our son and new daughter-in-law.<br />
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While we were there in Utah, we took the opportunity to visit <a href="http://www.utahvalley.com/listings/Bridal-Veil-Falls/41/" target="_blank">Bridal Veil Falls</a> in Provo Canyon.<br />
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We have visited the Falls in the past. They are beautiful and there's a great paved trail that leads to and beyond the Falls called <a href="http://www.utahcounty.gov/parks/ParkDetails.asp?IDNO=5" target="_blank">Provo River Parkway Trail</a>.<br />
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Here's a picture of the Provo River along the trail.<br />
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The scenery along the trail was really pretty.<br />
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While we were walking along the trail, we saw a few people that had stopped and were looking at something. It was this baby rattlesnake! Whoa!<br />
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Yes, we stayed away from that little guy for sure. Scary!<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
<br />
Jana<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">© 2016
Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved</span>Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-29150273843699148352016-05-24T16:47:00.001-07:002016-05-24T16:47:03.794-07:00Home Improvements ~ Surprise Flooring Guess what. Our home improvement projects aren't done yet. We have another unexpected project ahead of us.<br />
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Two days before our carpet installation, my husband discovered that water was leaking from our refrigerator. Yup. And, the leak ruined our kitchen floor. We have laminate in the kitchen and dining room. The seams buckled and as we stepped on the floor we could feel and hear the water underneath.<br />
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Thankfully, our homeowners insurance is paying for most, if not all, of the cost to replace our floor. We are not going with laminate again. And we don't want tile. So, we are going with a newer type of floor. It's waterproof, which is awesome! It's a luxury vinyl plank floor. It isn't glued down. It's floated. We chose to go with <a href="http://www.usfloorsllc.com/display-category/coretec-plus/" target="_blank">COREtech Plus</a>. To learn more about this product, click <a href="http://www.usfloorsllc.com/product-category/coretec-plus/5-plank/#why" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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At first, we thought we needed a new refrigerator in addition to a new floor. But, it turned out that it was a leak in a water hose. A quick and simple fix. Whew!<br />
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Then came the time to choose new flooring again. Should we go with a floor that looks like wood, slate, stone, travertine, or marble? We chose the Noce Travertine. Here's the link to it on the COREtech website - <a href="http://www.usfloorsllc.com/product-category/coretec-plus/tile/#/flooring-products/noce-travertine" target="_blank">Noce Travertine</a>. In the photo below, it's the sample that's second from the right on the top row.<br />
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We received bids from two flooring companies. Now we just need to decide which bid to go with and schedule the installation.<br />
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After this is done, our house will have all new flooring except for the bathrooms. And the bathrooms don't need new flooring because they had beautiful tile installed several years ago.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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Jana<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">© 2016
Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved</span>Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-34244793245021193172016-05-12T14:08:00.001-07:002016-05-12T14:33:02.647-07:00Home Improvements ~ New CarpetA week ago today our new carpet was installed. There was a lot of preparation that had to take place before installation. The installers moved the furniture but we had to empty the bookcases and the curio cabinet. We also had to clear out all of the closet floors and move any electronics ourselves such as TV's and computers.<br />
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It took a few days to get everything prepared. It pretty much was like moving. We packed boxes full of books and other items.<br />
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Oh, hey! There's the box with my family history binders (front box in photo)! I've been looking for that and haven't found it yet. Now I know what kind of box to look for. I'm sure glad I took this photo.<br />
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These aren't even all of the boxes we used. We ended up with stacks of boxes, furniture, and other items in our garage and on our back patio. We also had to remove all of the bedding from the beds as part of the preparation too.<br />
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We finally finished preparations and on Thursday morning the installers arrived with the new carpet. My husband took the day off of work while the carpet was being installed. We basically spent the day in our kitchen and dining room that was filled with furniture and other items that had been moved in there.<br />
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I was glad to see that our computer desk was one of the items that was placed in the dining area, so I set up my laptop there.<br />
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The installers moved the furniture and removed all of the old carpet and padding. They used blue tape with corresponding numbers on the walls and pieces of furniture so they would know where to put the furniture after installation.<br />
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They also sealed any cracks in the concrete slab and cleaned and swept the concrete in preparation for the new carpet.<br />
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They even vacuumed the new carpet after it was installed using their own vacuum!<br />
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So, here it is. The new carpet has now been installed. We chose Shaw's English Saddle. You can see it online by clicking <a href="https://shawfloors.com/flooring/carpet/details/magical-z6868/english-saddle" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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Our home improvement projects aren't quite complete yet. My husband is going to make a mantel for our fireplace. Yay!<br />
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We also have another project to take care of. This was an unexpected project. Our refrigerator started leaking water and by the time it was noticed, our laminate floor in the kitchen was ruined. Sigh....<br />
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We thought our refrigerator was going to need to be replaced, but thankfully it was just a water hose that was leaking and was a quick fix. Our home insurance policy is covering most, if not all, of the cost to replace our kitchen and dining room floor. Whew! What a blessing! My husband and I just need to decide on new flooring for that area of our home.<br />
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We'd like to get all of these projects completed before our son's wedding in June. Yup, we have a wedding coming up. Actually, two weddings. Our youngest son got engaged recently and his wedding is coming up later this year. Happy times for our family. We truly are blessed.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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Jana<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">© 2016 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved</span></div>
Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-8981495894132537062016-05-11T12:44:00.001-07:002016-05-11T12:44:16.817-07:00The Sounds of Rushing Water<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKNOsnA4S9Chpcg7o_wUKhVmSn0qLfkhiR-rl4vdbBdmOGkWRakiJLH1MbZDhltlTRsj2ucTNHUO_qr7IpAgcI0B72uU0DTpbfrUN-DkzuK5xfuPgamBuEcrTWjdOAR6sQaq4AQxwYPw/s1600/Yosemite+National+Park+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKNOsnA4S9Chpcg7o_wUKhVmSn0qLfkhiR-rl4vdbBdmOGkWRakiJLH1MbZDhltlTRsj2ucTNHUO_qr7IpAgcI0B72uU0DTpbfrUN-DkzuK5xfuPgamBuEcrTWjdOAR6sQaq4AQxwYPw/s640/Yosemite+National+Park+Logo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Last month my husband and I took a trip to <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm" target="_blank">Yosemite National Park</a>. I shared a photo of Bridalveil Fall in my <a href="http://janalastblog.blogspot.com/2016/05/bridalveil-fall-in-yosemite-national.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>.</div>
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It was a gorgeous day. The weather was perfect - not too hot and not too cold.</div>
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While we were there, I took photos and even some short videos too. I uploaded the videos to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-v_CHP5yE_xmKbUNNOj3Dw" target="_blank">my YouTube Channel</a>. I'd like to share three of those videos with you today.</div>
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This first one is Bridalveil Fall.</div>
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These two are Bridalveil Creek.</div>
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There's just something so wonderful about listening to the sounds of rushing water. I hope you enjoyed the videos.</div>
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Thanks for stopping by!</div>
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Jana</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">© 2016
Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved</span></div>
Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-37910768770009941222016-05-02T20:11:00.001-07:002016-05-02T20:11:26.331-07:00Bridalveil Fall in Yosemite National Park ~ What a Difference a Year Makes!In April 2015 my husband and I visited <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm" target="_blank">Yosemite National Park</a>. Just last Saturday, April 30, 2016 we visited again. What a difference a year makes! We've been in a drought for several years. Thankfully, this past year we've had more rain and snow because of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Ni%C3%B1o" target="_blank">El Nino</a>. I'm grateful for the rain and snow we've received. What a wonderful blessing!<br />
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Here's a photo of Bridalveil Fall from this last Saturday's visit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Bridalveil Fall - April 30, 2016</span></td></tr>
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And here's a photo of Bridalveil Fall from April 2015.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4sZLU0ODe3P44nBmBnaPrbeYh24n6eKCeTuKpIfK7KO4PdpbST9R5x6Tcae-9STxHOdPuC6qeTj3BroQx5CcuJsefijGTy44p1hAmtGSpbol1A8Gs9fPg_VtPRC72_y39d5mJP5uawY/s1600/IMGP0650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4sZLU0ODe3P44nBmBnaPrbeYh24n6eKCeTuKpIfK7KO4PdpbST9R5x6Tcae-9STxHOdPuC6qeTj3BroQx5CcuJsefijGTy44p1hAmtGSpbol1A8Gs9fPg_VtPRC72_y39d5mJP5uawY/s640/IMGP0650.JPG" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
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Wow! Such an amazing difference!<br />
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I'll share more photos from our visit to Yosemite National Park in future posts.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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Jana<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">© 2016
Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved</span>Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-56588583791128096312016-04-27T18:54:00.001-07:002016-04-27T18:54:50.534-07:00Home Improvements ~ Our Fireplace Remodel So FarIn my <a href="http://janalastblog.blogspot.com/2016/04/home-improvements-fireplace-and-entry.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, I shared the good news that the ugly wall above the fireplace has been fixed. Yesterday the man we hired to do the job arrived and within a couple of hours or so, the wall where the gray brick fireplace used to be was patched, textured, and prepared for new paint.<br />
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Here are photos from yesterday. My husband is on the right in the photo below.<br />
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In my previous post, I also mentioned that the hearth looked so big in the photo I shared in that post. Here's a photo of the hearth from the side. It looks much smaller, doesn't it?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8NQO7TPcX0MnAa4kPGN_ROfu6dnDzG1QETFqlvZ5hBxqGdmZUy8k5k311gb9UZ3N2FAKuiJUaOzT4vzrOnQjjC_fE4aYYcL7c_2ZHiWEbpgD40TIjF2vT8yyhjtk3sYq3qE42iYN9MeE/s1600/20160426_151832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8NQO7TPcX0MnAa4kPGN_ROfu6dnDzG1QETFqlvZ5hBxqGdmZUy8k5k311gb9UZ3N2FAKuiJUaOzT4vzrOnQjjC_fE4aYYcL7c_2ZHiWEbpgD40TIjF2vT8yyhjtk3sYq3qE42iYN9MeE/s640/20160426_151832.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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My husband will be painting the wall above the fireplace as well as the patch of ceiling where the fireplace once was.<br />
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Here are before and after photos of our fireplace project so far.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYcQ26E8Na6uYoZ0SCuopIDowsFod7mIPPq8cZMtheohGBbkAt74v8baNiZsIIPCgsEuju1OWPp4WPQvF1BHZhyphenhyphenaLk1Rc0eMzWwA1RC7c64HRk0tq8NTtBsYukXBH8UzBjOCQeXE_iiY/s1600/20160330_215414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYcQ26E8Na6uYoZ0SCuopIDowsFod7mIPPq8cZMtheohGBbkAt74v8baNiZsIIPCgsEuju1OWPp4WPQvF1BHZhyphenhyphenaLk1Rc0eMzWwA1RC7c64HRk0tq8NTtBsYukXBH8UzBjOCQeXE_iiY/s640/20160330_215414.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFoH5nsxgX5-EMIu2M9etqnEKjedo0mTAKwYLWBk35xtoQY-SG-vBD09zBh5GjvxKjKhPUhjoEQXU1Wa5lXhp5JoiSCf1VxUBGm6Ff-bcIt5aTHWZbLQPgGAKXYYBHlv4-_5T7hgWC9U/s1600/20160426_151524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFoH5nsxgX5-EMIu2M9etqnEKjedo0mTAKwYLWBk35xtoQY-SG-vBD09zBh5GjvxKjKhPUhjoEQXU1Wa5lXhp5JoiSCf1VxUBGm6Ff-bcIt5aTHWZbLQPgGAKXYYBHlv4-_5T7hgWC9U/s640/20160426_151524.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Progress So Far</td></tr>
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It will look even better once the walls and ceiling are painted and when the mantel is installed.<br />
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Next week the new carpet is scheduled for installation too. Yay!<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
<br />
Jana<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">© 2016
Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved</span>Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-42748210009535761242016-04-26T19:43:00.001-07:002016-04-26T19:43:53.763-07:00Home Improvements ~ Fireplace And Entry Hall Tile<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In my <a href="http://janalastblog.blogspot.com/2016/04/home-improvements-fireplace-tile.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, I told you that I would share photos of our entry hall and fireplace after they were grouted.</div>
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So, here they are.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvCOUUA3dmTB4ShGOIhYBI1woUHQbjk2EfNzgVbWwBxfcSYcGhNtO5N4P0oQ7tVnYQaPWeFnl5oi_JhlgLMam3o4CvIDmBrXR2Z0A0NHhuoKA0fmbrFjp3hXTFsjGbVrfn0-lPNP6OkI/s1600/IMG_0672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvCOUUA3dmTB4ShGOIhYBI1woUHQbjk2EfNzgVbWwBxfcSYcGhNtO5N4P0oQ7tVnYQaPWeFnl5oi_JhlgLMam3o4CvIDmBrXR2Z0A0NHhuoKA0fmbrFjp3hXTFsjGbVrfn0-lPNP6OkI/s640/IMG_0672.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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For some reason, this photo makes the hearth tile look huge. It really isn't that big and doesn't really stick out as far as it seems. In fact, it's only about 16 inches deep.<br />
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Also, if you look closely, you may be able to tell that the hearth tile looks different than the fireplace surround tile. They are actually both the same tile, but we used the wall tile for the surround and the floor tile for the hearth. It would have been nicer in my opinion to have the floor tile continue down to the hearth, but it wouldn't be a good idea to use wall tile on the floor. Oh well.<br />
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Here's another photo of the fireplace. This one was taken at night with the light on.<br />
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See all of that ugly stuff on the wall above the fireplace? Well, that's all gone now. Today a guy we hired cleaned that all up and added texture to the wall. It's now ready for paint. Yay!<br />
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I'll share photos of how it looks now in a future post.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
<br />
Jana<br />
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<br />Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-54777887326541206002016-04-21T22:43:00.001-07:002016-04-21T22:43:02.392-07:00Home Improvements ~ Fireplace Tile InstallationThe day after our tile contractor <a href="http://janalastblog.blogspot.com/2016/04/home-improvements-hearth-and-floor-tile.html" target="_blank">installed the tiles in our entry hall and fireplace hearth</a>, he installed the tiles on our fireplace surround.<br />
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First he laid out the design of the tiles on the floor. He called me over to get my approval before installing them on the fireplace.<br />
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Here are some in-progress photos from the tile installation.<br />
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Tile installation complete.<br />
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The thinset used to install the tile had to dry overnight before the tile contractor could grout it. What a difference the tiles make! No more gray brick.<br />
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I'll share photos of the entry hall and fireplace after they were grouted in a future post.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
<br />
Jana<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">© 2016 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-59046886848207954242016-04-21T13:23:00.005-07:002016-04-21T13:26:05.564-07:00Home Improvements ~ Hearth and Floor Tile Installation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Here are more photos from our home improvement tiling project. The tile has actually already been installed and grouted. Today I'm sharing more of the in-progress photos.</div>
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The hearth tile.</div>
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The entry hall tile.<br />
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The floor can look different at different times of the day and in different lighting situations. The same floor tile is in the entry hall and on the hearth.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo Taken at 1:16 PM - Door Open</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo Taken at 1:16 PM - Door Open</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo Taken at 1:16 PM - Door Open</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo Taken at 1:16 PM - Door Open</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo Taken at 1:50 PM - Door Open</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo Taken at 3:02 PM - Door Closed</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtNMJBfGTbRw2Jm57oehZSsH9biWAJxSfD6k25MQubnO3XBL3pZK6jVW-BEfchPOyNFWqHRlS1aI4vOkcQrxHT_yOZXHKJ1y8dEFPOoITxYq53JLSwH-QMhKs78ak9U0D8mehyphenhyphens7ky5U/s1600/20160413_092111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtNMJBfGTbRw2Jm57oehZSsH9biWAJxSfD6k25MQubnO3XBL3pZK6jVW-BEfchPOyNFWqHRlS1aI4vOkcQrxHT_yOZXHKJ1y8dEFPOoITxYq53JLSwH-QMhKs78ak9U0D8mehyphenhyphens7ky5U/s400/20160413_092111.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Taken at 9:21 AM - Door Open</td></tr>
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The day after the floor and hearth tiles were installed, the tile contractor installed the tiles on the fireplace. I'll share photos of that in a future post.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
<br />
Jana<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">© 2016
Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved</span><br />
<br />Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-31802582903898765352016-04-13T12:04:00.001-07:002016-04-13T12:04:57.467-07:00Home Improvements ~ Tile Removal Completed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In my <a href="http://janalastblog.blogspot.com/2016/04/home-improvements-tile-removal.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, I shared some photos from our tile removal project. Today I'm sharing three more pictures.</div>
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This first one shows the progress the tile contractor had made so far. The top rows of brick were removed. But he wasn't done yet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfyrrfnUL47v3_IwRJqhDEqZy0fuNGCsghRbYDmmbssB-VnSDFtqKiBcC-m53UNpb-1Z3YrZKDgGiCm0N6Uuax4xtNbJNGxTt08j7mUS-Xc4D2ciddHYqugcsvZhv2S3ZKwSBBwtQbR7Y/s1600/20160411_122948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfyrrfnUL47v3_IwRJqhDEqZy0fuNGCsghRbYDmmbssB-VnSDFtqKiBcC-m53UNpb-1Z3YrZKDgGiCm0N6Uuax4xtNbJNGxTt08j7mUS-Xc4D2ciddHYqugcsvZhv2S3ZKwSBBwtQbR7Y/s400/20160411_122948.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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This is what our fireplace looked like with all of the upper bricks removed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_euKmme6qPxopLSVY6IoT5wkqxcnylVWuurbhPVDR-PSfa-K5cpD23IWaaId_t9-ynL4hKg3xBfJ4iFw2ud2tbWkCYv1pTs6loOebwk5K7lmBQgRWEONWpcO3D9TUp8FdtVAD17zAzTo/s1600/20160411_140428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_euKmme6qPxopLSVY6IoT5wkqxcnylVWuurbhPVDR-PSfa-K5cpD23IWaaId_t9-ynL4hKg3xBfJ4iFw2ud2tbWkCYv1pTs6loOebwk5K7lmBQgRWEONWpcO3D9TUp8FdtVAD17zAzTo/s400/20160411_140428.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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This is our entry hall with all of the old tile removed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoe6oAz98e4iT2Gcn-tCw1Uh9ZZvk-tEeoyo6uV-6gu5LuJQOtu-JVWmNIfejb6zY11Xsabg99rG8YIspIkKjIUFsHePuFFylJMEgrUfhAREQmHiBiPyr5o1CEiAhucd-KuILWSjhITw/s1600/20160411_123019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoe6oAz98e4iT2Gcn-tCw1Uh9ZZvk-tEeoyo6uV-6gu5LuJQOtu-JVWmNIfejb6zY11Xsabg99rG8YIspIkKjIUFsHePuFFylJMEgrUfhAREQmHiBiPyr5o1CEiAhucd-KuILWSjhITw/s400/20160411_123019.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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As I'm sharing these photos with you, our tile contractor is tiling our fireplace in the other room. It looks beautiful! And the new tile has been installed in the entry hall and on the fireplace hearth. I'll share photos of how they look in future posts.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-91021833716300592362016-04-12T22:04:00.003-07:002016-04-12T22:04:52.251-07:00Home Improvements ~ Tile RemovalThings are moving along well with our flooring and fireplace projects. We have chosen our tile for the fireplace and entry hall.<br />
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We were considering a few options for the fireplace. Two of those options were (1) tile the whole thing floor to ceiling, or (2) tile up to the mantel shelf, remove the brick mantel, and put sheet rock on top of the fireplace above the mantel. Then texture and paint the sheet rock to match the walls.<br />
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We also plan on putting a pretty wood mantel on the newly tiled fireplace.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVTcZJRQT-63JA_-lBmg5V5UHEdfoVtfSsdWXkCHnq6c9zgOIFTMAqtst2VU_J72YIZr2kmq_Eqe1Y_FH7o31FUeS5qm8BUR4ELlnsZkZYKehjHFaR-u6MedOvSpga2UQUrLw75nIIxc/s1600/20160407_154531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVTcZJRQT-63JA_-lBmg5V5UHEdfoVtfSsdWXkCHnq6c9zgOIFTMAqtst2VU_J72YIZr2kmq_Eqe1Y_FH7o31FUeS5qm8BUR4ELlnsZkZYKehjHFaR-u6MedOvSpga2UQUrLw75nIIxc/s400/20160407_154531.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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We talked with our tile contractor about our options. He actually said that we could remove the bricks above the existing brick mantel. He has a friend who will prepare the wall above the fireplace and get it ready for my husband to paint. So, that's the option we are going with! Yay!<br />
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We also decided to remove the fireplace hearth. Last Saturday morning, my husband rented a demolition hammer from Home Depot and tackled the hearth. He actually finished removing the hearth in about an hour.<br />
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And this is what it looked like afterwards.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYn-Jka-ZB-cMO5iaFugvE1fxtShKn1xvOZLClCTHzImTicFpkTb0JsW68jpu8uj3wmW8_-e2Wr3-EP9YVak3PrTPi5eY1rAimYcZ7OhUq7sZjdtXzCHFyCZDZaGw-FNL8gYqCyOGFC94/s1600/20160409_100532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYn-Jka-ZB-cMO5iaFugvE1fxtShKn1xvOZLClCTHzImTicFpkTb0JsW68jpu8uj3wmW8_-e2Wr3-EP9YVak3PrTPi5eY1rAimYcZ7OhUq7sZjdtXzCHFyCZDZaGw-FNL8gYqCyOGFC94/s400/20160409_100532.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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On Monday, our tile contractor arrived to demo the top of the fireplace and the entry hall tile. We made sure to cover our couches and also taped off part of the house that would be most affected by the tile demo. I'm so glad we did!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0cC0CTUM1cyepaGGsdWTA1inUVnI75xY9ojeHI22zVBd4y5sY3YbzNaUCHOwEoa4RXiAAs6WL50kwqSUnpOqhD0tMYRY0_mw9oinCex4jwe14Wux8UVX03DJlasH8olUiTee7XrX51E/s1600/20160411_094231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0cC0CTUM1cyepaGGsdWTA1inUVnI75xY9ojeHI22zVBd4y5sY3YbzNaUCHOwEoa4RXiAAs6WL50kwqSUnpOqhD0tMYRY0_mw9oinCex4jwe14Wux8UVX03DJlasH8olUiTee7XrX51E/s400/20160411_094231.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BoVlPPxBy4uDYO6RQSEbp0GVvWTC5QjGyPIBzz-iXaF1bnJETjXAZIsYKC3SmolRmk3e-R9Z_ha54MgNMmj7jBveAwOD7riBO0f6CZCXgWJ1Zg46kY41L9V6OwpwnhN9K4V30FO9TMQ/s1600/20160411_095529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BoVlPPxBy4uDYO6RQSEbp0GVvWTC5QjGyPIBzz-iXaF1bnJETjXAZIsYKC3SmolRmk3e-R9Z_ha54MgNMmj7jBveAwOD7riBO0f6CZCXgWJ1Zg46kY41L9V6OwpwnhN9K4V30FO9TMQ/s400/20160411_095529.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I basically stayed on this side of the house while the tile demo took place. The entry hall is on the other side of this plastic tarp.<br />
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I did peak through and took a picture of the progress.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdLYnY37i7lBaah28ccZ-aGNWI0Z8SEIF9gF-GHh8wmyGGQ-lJyeXoIWbgZPs_Bhe6Yc9KFCHi8emZF_MXYWy30QNOgoYXodI2bzSo73xtFbZt1VqPsf6wDVd-fSuV9SARpPJEE_0ToU/s1600/20160411_095540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdLYnY37i7lBaah28ccZ-aGNWI0Z8SEIF9gF-GHh8wmyGGQ-lJyeXoIWbgZPs_Bhe6Yc9KFCHi8emZF_MXYWy30QNOgoYXodI2bzSo73xtFbZt1VqPsf6wDVd-fSuV9SARpPJEE_0ToU/s400/20160411_095540.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I'll share more pictures of the completed demo in an upcoming post.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/287/6678942E57A1929E3541C23AC1C43550.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" /></a>
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Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-59181656645235716722016-04-07T18:01:00.001-07:002016-04-07T18:22:48.337-07:00Protecting Her Nest<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmT042xUXNZ_KMqRXtwPJGgDEyNkBZ_Z6tfcyVWhr_9CO-GXE0ZRybEPtQQnjatBofELWJMbwXL2Uj45hSrFyGpJcmmd2yEoHnAKIuWaTzmo8TAW8fwOxdvB8egRrOLeuTNBAmy3qqXk/s1600/20160406_134310+Bird+Cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmT042xUXNZ_KMqRXtwPJGgDEyNkBZ_Z6tfcyVWhr_9CO-GXE0ZRybEPtQQnjatBofELWJMbwXL2Uj45hSrFyGpJcmmd2yEoHnAKIuWaTzmo8TAW8fwOxdvB8egRrOLeuTNBAmy3qqXk/s320/20160406_134310+Bird+Cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mommy Killdeer</td></tr>
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Yesterday I took our car to the car dealership to have it serviced. It was going to take a while, so I walked over to the shopping center across the street while I was waiting. On my way back to the car dealership's service department, I passed by this pretty little <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer/id" target="_blank">Killdeer</a>. She fluffed her feathers and protested loudly when I walked by. It turned out that she was protecting her nest. She had built her nest on the car dealership's property. The nest is by those orange cones in the photo below. The blue arrow is pointing to it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN37JVAHrXu-h9_xqir0YX-z9BPFlrZppNY_8nSvkMvrLdblb69gs2vpzYt8eMzVNS0c_1SZevu4cSZV0OXOHR5ffzL0wzH3jsABhn-m48Gj3SiggkPf3Rhh9zd_ghM1NgdHfffwd6p-4/s1600/20160406_134310+With+Blue+Arrow+Toward+Nest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN37JVAHrXu-h9_xqir0YX-z9BPFlrZppNY_8nSvkMvrLdblb69gs2vpzYt8eMzVNS0c_1SZevu4cSZV0OXOHR5ffzL0wzH3jsABhn-m48Gj3SiggkPf3Rhh9zd_ghM1NgdHfffwd6p-4/s400/20160406_134310+With+Blue+Arrow+Toward+Nest.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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The people at the car dealership must have put those orange cones around her nest to help protect it. So cool! Good job car dealership!<br />
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It may be difficult to see mommy Killdear's nest, so here's a zoomed in view.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQ1xsabRQQUilVGoJscqwsysFHsxNgFX1CqSqs1Gol1K-kEU_bIfDagXIKKlGass2zARj-sLYVaCANCKwLZaH0O0e7H0S8lgzvbXYhcnAOJEPYyNlxk248XPyQBPywvIGZ_UJW8eBg4c/s1600/20160406_134330+Nest+Cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Killdeer Eggs in a Nest" border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQ1xsabRQQUilVGoJscqwsysFHsxNgFX1CqSqs1Gol1K-kEU_bIfDagXIKKlGass2zARj-sLYVaCANCKwLZaH0O0e7H0S8lgzvbXYhcnAOJEPYyNlxk248XPyQBPywvIGZ_UJW8eBg4c/s400/20160406_134330+Nest+Cropped.jpg" title="Killdeer Eggs in a Nest" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Killdeer Eggs</td></tr>
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Such beautiful speckled eggs!<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
<br />
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Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-82834187788271709872016-03-31T00:43:00.000-07:002016-03-31T12:37:45.535-07:00Home Improvements ~ Choosing New Flooring for Our HomeWe're in the process of choosing new flooring for our home. Yay!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsb_JAMfL_A70CeCxo2vTp-1z7vTdV2ExvBa0eJbJ2M3DoxRNiShsW8Mo2W8UFhupEQoXsz5_LlgCyqcrqGtA1e5SSKe1-w9cBX8w_RzSAzI-AFaMJfjW_BSaUhlHN99AaGf9um6oBjU/s1600/20160314_195557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsb_JAMfL_A70CeCxo2vTp-1z7vTdV2ExvBa0eJbJ2M3DoxRNiShsW8Mo2W8UFhupEQoXsz5_LlgCyqcrqGtA1e5SSKe1-w9cBX8w_RzSAzI-AFaMJfjW_BSaUhlHN99AaGf9um6oBjU/s640/20160314_195557.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We are replacing our carpet throughout our home. We've also decided to replace the tile in the entry hall. I'm really glad we've added that to our home improvement project. The previous owner chose the entry hall tile. It's not really our style, but we've lived with it over the years. Several years ago, we replaced the flooring in our master bathroom with beautiful tile. You can see the tile in the photo below on the right. Now, that's more my style. I'd like to install something similar in our entry hall.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTinKuzi7hhgEQWPfB50LIPXgE7vH739iGIayKl3w3edAQmmTRyJJw4Ffy3lBq3v-cjEghxzyLW5MOpcvZLrkBfCSqUt04pGTrxOPSe9HZexJ8VQ5tbQkqHJrzMMj7JU-T3HC5wPcyZLM/s1600/20160319_142148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTinKuzi7hhgEQWPfB50LIPXgE7vH739iGIayKl3w3edAQmmTRyJJw4Ffy3lBq3v-cjEghxzyLW5MOpcvZLrkBfCSqUt04pGTrxOPSe9HZexJ8VQ5tbQkqHJrzMMj7JU-T3HC5wPcyZLM/s400/20160319_142148.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Current Entry Hall Tile</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOAlolAlW5YDmWEdfARWYyRIEWH7Wy3Wlmuu_6KZA_qFrfoL3DvNAdJg39_h0DUVdTt6ep0eNjKG_oZlBp05DW2IzM6ROfmBAMYOPVfrsVGiG8B3A5gQVeaY-BvLJOsmNp6V9BoGwXh0/s1600/20160319_142048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOAlolAlW5YDmWEdfARWYyRIEWH7Wy3Wlmuu_6KZA_qFrfoL3DvNAdJg39_h0DUVdTt6ep0eNjKG_oZlBp05DW2IzM6ROfmBAMYOPVfrsVGiG8B3A5gQVeaY-BvLJOsmNp6V9BoGwXh0/s400/20160319_142048.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master Bathroom Tile</td></tr>
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My husband and I went to a local flooring store recently and brought home lots of carpet samples, as you can see from the photo at the top of this post. Then came the time to choose which one we liked best. We'd like our new carpet to be a bit darker than our current carpet. But, we don't want it to be too dark. We found that it's helpful to see the carpet samples in different lighting, including day and night. Something that could look great in the daytime could look too dark at night.<br />
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We finally chose the one we liked best in terms of feel and color. Here it is in the photo below.<br />
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But, we decided to look around a bit more before deciding on which carpet and flooring company to use for our home improvement project. We returned the carpet samples and decided to check out what Costco has to offer. It's good to shop around and compare. We also stopped at Lowe's to check out their carpet selections recently. </div>
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We have some friends who went with Costco when they bought new carpet recently. We went to their home on Easter Sunday for dinner and wow! Their carpets are awesome!</div>
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Today a gentleman from the carpet store that Costco works with locally came with carpet samples. We chose several that could possibly work. We'd like larger samples since what he showed us were just little squares on a board. He's going to bring those to us hopefully within the next few days, along with cost estimates.</div>
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When we get the larger carpet samples, we'll be going through the same process we went through before. Hmm, does that carpet look good in that light? How about during the day? Is it too dark at night? How does it look next to that tile? Fun times!</div>
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My husband and I also need to shop for new tile for our entry hall. Oh, and I'd like to do something about our fireplace in the family room.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJisHVKpvwvtUeG6BdPvOHd3HGUZ1whlaxVnKPFjsg3I2QPPWPxSlDl9-cetSN8LEeqnE8cio8cCl5MeadK3beGxA_vSRhDQgwNdE2PRCrHDIJs2kTrBmBUIgI_bihXXAYwNyLmIBcVQ/s1600/20160330_215414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJisHVKpvwvtUeG6BdPvOHd3HGUZ1whlaxVnKPFjsg3I2QPPWPxSlDl9-cetSN8LEeqnE8cio8cCl5MeadK3beGxA_vSRhDQgwNdE2PRCrHDIJs2kTrBmBUIgI_bihXXAYwNyLmIBcVQ/s640/20160330_215414.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The previous owner chose charcoal gray bricks for the hearth and surround. Again, not really our style. We're trying to decide if we should just paint it or tile it or something. And it needs to be done before we install the new carpet. Yep! Lots to do!</div>
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I'll let you know how things are going with our home improvement project in a future post.</div>
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Thanks for stopping by!</div>
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Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-23703418879419149532016-03-27T14:41:00.003-07:002016-03-27T14:41:29.815-07:00Happy Easter!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOMNuRhdkmaUUXqSMXrO8mUgh8hCGhEc5iDgNniEcCPV-O69QlXvhqluTH_FKMi0DhpzM74rEC2P-D7NxjxCHYmQDPhyZn3Ct8Xqn0tkMIsLBD8bDOzbDDB6YIxkT-DCGdmyh-KDNB2k/s1600/easter-pictures-resurrection-mary-magdalene-1242543-wallpaper+from+lds+dot+org.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOMNuRhdkmaUUXqSMXrO8mUgh8hCGhEc5iDgNniEcCPV-O69QlXvhqluTH_FKMi0DhpzM74rEC2P-D7NxjxCHYmQDPhyZn3Ct8Xqn0tkMIsLBD8bDOzbDDB6YIxkT-DCGdmyh-KDNB2k/s320/easter-pictures-resurrection-mary-magdalene-1242543-wallpaper+from+lds+dot+org.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/easter-pictures-resurrection-mary-magdalene-1242543?lang=eng" target="_blank">Mary Speaks with the Resurrected Christ</a><br />
Image Courtesy of lds.org</td></tr>
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A very Happy Easter to all of my wonderful readers!</div>
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I'd like to share this special Easter video with you today. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/p2wdMwpYByI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p2wdMwpYByI?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Happy Easter!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">© 2016 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-27905375814305258102016-03-24T19:32:00.001-07:002016-03-24T19:32:35.630-07:00World's Largest Virtual Hallelujah Chorus<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/mary-and-the-resurrected-christ-39605?lang=eng" target="_blank">Mary and the Resurrected Lord</a><br />
Image courtesy of lds.org</td></tr>
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It's almost Easter and I would like to share an amazing video with you. In this video the <a href="http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/" target="_blank">Mormon Tabernacle Choir</a> and <a href="http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/articles/what-would-handel-have-thought-virtual-chorus.html" target="_blank">over 2,000 voices from around the world</a> sing the Hallelujah Chorus.</div>
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The Hallelujah Chorus is truly a magnificent and moving piece of music. I hope you enjoy watching this wonderful video.</div>
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I'm so thankful for our Savior and Redeemer, <a href="https://www.mormon.org/beliefs/jesus-christ" target="_blank">Jesus Christ</a>. I'm so thankful for the Atonement. Jesus Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. He was resurrected on that glorious third day following his death. He paid the price for our sins and He overcame physical death. Because of Jesus Christ's sacrifice and resurrection, each of us can be forgiven if we truly repent, and each of us will live again after death. Hallelujah!<br />
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Happy Easter!<br />
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<br />Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-60489395341726034162016-03-17T11:53:00.001-07:002016-03-29T10:28:42.412-07:00Texas Tater Casserole<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
One of our family's favorite recipes is Texas Tater Casserole. I originally found this recipe in the <i>Betty Crocker Favorite Casseroles</i> recipe booklet from September 1999, #154. A slight variation of the booklet's recipe can also be found online at the Betty Crocker website by clicking <a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/texas-tater-casserole/18fe270d-99fd-416c-95b6-70d0e17d621b" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</div>
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This casserole is yummy and pretty easy to make.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKmp-_mgMc9jXzaouqE0YasGSAOROw7Vav4rkVHteQ88fbSO1paH-bPy9lYMT6NEhYpH3g4w3FP5vFXTKrN4TuUI7aoFenfapUv6WhVUsQ1Sl1zYequV-nPbHq13PIqdZsq8YI2PIKIo/s1600/20160316_165656+Cropped+and+Photoshopped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKmp-_mgMc9jXzaouqE0YasGSAOROw7Vav4rkVHteQ88fbSO1paH-bPy9lYMT6NEhYpH3g4w3FP5vFXTKrN4TuUI7aoFenfapUv6WhVUsQ1Sl1zYequV-nPbHq13PIqdZsq8YI2PIKIo/s640/20160316_165656+Cropped+and+Photoshopped.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Cook ground beef, chopped onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a skillet until beef is brown. The original recipe calls for chopped celery. I usually just leave that ingredient out. But when I made this casserole last night, I used chopped red bell pepper instead of the celery. By the way, I didn't measure the onions, bell pepper or garlic. But that's okay.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4dUQ3tDJ12xeiywgpV-r-UHvqQ7neRqwfx1NXiLXbExCatBdSaUru2WSYwS8A_x_C_TKiAmxEH3b2hPpziyTMptovZy6Q2tqItnbjk6eX_aUfCg2RXad0rEfzkN0mMsPRNfnLsrAVwqM/s1600/20160316_151334+%25281%2529+Rotated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4dUQ3tDJ12xeiywgpV-r-UHvqQ7neRqwfx1NXiLXbExCatBdSaUru2WSYwS8A_x_C_TKiAmxEH3b2hPpziyTMptovZy6Q2tqItnbjk6eX_aUfCg2RXad0rEfzkN0mMsPRNfnLsrAVwqM/s640/20160316_151334+%25281%2529+Rotated.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After draining the fat from the ground beef mixture, add cheddar cheese soup, corn, picante sauce, chili powder, and pepper. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPjFCiP6TQJaZKPcyhXoRBFzMpMEBr_-d4XJaZ2fOUAIcALxKkWK1LMrIegaJkllQgUrIwa_XfFwo7CvyJOnNRj5XXLT0MrETEbeUM0uLO3c74ljqRql1tnFU4-IFzAmMpf1DbOKHIxU/s1600/20160316_154611+Cropped+and+Photoshopped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPjFCiP6TQJaZKPcyhXoRBFzMpMEBr_-d4XJaZ2fOUAIcALxKkWK1LMrIegaJkllQgUrIwa_XfFwo7CvyJOnNRj5XXLT0MrETEbeUM0uLO3c74ljqRql1tnFU4-IFzAmMpf1DbOKHIxU/s640/20160316_154611+Cropped+and+Photoshopped.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Stir to combine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnec7UGCVQ9AYR74C-EIULAHnsqpvLWEbw94th1u5Pu648ETljdDAUTCixLjZ4WzdBGUHPT_FYpiSL_84Z_cGBEtEMWEdHsdJW-ENRQgDLAVGeIZ6gdhnW_uPGH4FoxPmDiW8IrIidPE0/s1600/20160316_154903+Photoshopped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnec7UGCVQ9AYR74C-EIULAHnsqpvLWEbw94th1u5Pu648ETljdDAUTCixLjZ4WzdBGUHPT_FYpiSL_84Z_cGBEtEMWEdHsdJW-ENRQgDLAVGeIZ6gdhnW_uPGH4FoxPmDiW8IrIidPE0/s640/20160316_154903+Photoshopped.jpg" width="619" /></a></div>
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Spoon mixture into baking dish.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQkQRmnmH5x-YeGwaMhHcp-lQQxFWzVFaZTtTzcKnMXJF-XzlqR2oZoP1WER42DPCzwPPphl-GDP4Bw5rZzYj6q7i9Qpff04Zez1rQHgP4rtWikLIn4DxJnDpQUwGTK0lgVdKHOzEMfE/s1600/20160316_155709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQkQRmnmH5x-YeGwaMhHcp-lQQxFWzVFaZTtTzcKnMXJF-XzlqR2oZoP1WER42DPCzwPPphl-GDP4Bw5rZzYj6q7i9Qpff04Zez1rQHgP4rtWikLIn4DxJnDpQUwGTK0lgVdKHOzEMfE/s640/20160316_155709.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Top with your favorite tater tots and bake in a 375<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">°</span> oven for 40 minutes. The original recipe calls for a 16 ounce bag of tater tots, but I use a 32 ounce bag.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-k-NM0ucfC7yF4jZ2N9J8eaCYcAjFzCg2pRt4XTPZEDEihHqdsPKwZ2z8tsFxS6PG56wXkb90aNi1lSHwJrxJEzwUQWp8__tfz-4mD0nb1Dho_1vaukv9gAvejV4_fVMPsgduPlHMnqM/s1600/20160316_160302+Rotated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-k-NM0ucfC7yF4jZ2N9J8eaCYcAjFzCg2pRt4XTPZEDEihHqdsPKwZ2z8tsFxS6PG56wXkb90aNi1lSHwJrxJEzwUQWp8__tfz-4mD0nb1Dho_1vaukv9gAvejV4_fVMPsgduPlHMnqM/s640/20160316_160302+Rotated.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When the timer goes off, take the casserole out of the oven,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJZxXqz8tGltBvVvrf2tQKzo659KZM-trBuUM2tyZ2wT3W886mk9PKzYa3WKF_M253QMxl8LMfGTVmtWOk2616fGMX3gM28S14QdNPz7o8cXYyEzf_75ShyphenhyphenGyQ-MWH7Eln-fDw1GpGuw/s1600/20160316_164426+Cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJZxXqz8tGltBvVvrf2tQKzo659KZM-trBuUM2tyZ2wT3W886mk9PKzYa3WKF_M253QMxl8LMfGTVmtWOk2616fGMX3gM28S14QdNPz7o8cXYyEzf_75ShyphenhyphenGyQ-MWH7Eln-fDw1GpGuw/s640/20160316_164426+Cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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and sprinkle with Pepper Jack cheese. I also didn't measure the cheese. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, but you can add as much as you like.<br />
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Place the casserole back in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly.<br />
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Remove from oven and enjoy!<br />
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<b><br /></b><b>Texas Tater Casserole</b><br />
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
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1 pound ground beef<br />
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)<br />
1 red bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)<br />
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped<br />
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed Cheddar cheese soup<br />
1 can (11 ounces) whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained (I use Green Giant Steam Crisp Mexicorn)<br />
1/2 cup picante sauce<br />
2 teaspoons chili powder<br />
1/4 teaspoon pepper<br />
1 package (32 ounces) frozen potato nuggets (I use Ore-Ida Tater Tots)<br />
1/2 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese (of course, you can use as much cheese as you like)<br />
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<u>Directions</u><br />
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Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook ground beef, onion, bell pepper and garlic in large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Stir occasionally and cook until beef is brown. Drain.<br />
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Stir soup, corn, picante sauce, chili powder, and pepper into beef mixture. Spoon into ungreased 13" x 9" casserole dish. Top with frozen potato nuggets.<br />
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Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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6 servings<br />
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Recipe adapted from <i>Betty Crocker Favorite Casseroles</i> Recipe Booklet September 1999, #154.<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/287/6678942E57A1929E3541C23AC1C43550.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px;" /></a><br />
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Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-7752630760919122262016-03-02T11:33:00.001-08:002016-03-02T11:33:46.675-08:00Fresno Chaffee Zoo ~ Tropical Rainforest ExhibitIn December of last year, our family visited the <a href="http://www.fresnochaffeezoo.org/" target="_blank">Fresno Chaffee Zoo</a>. They have added some amazing new exhibits since the last time we visited many years ago.<br />
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We didn't have a lot of time, so we didn't see everything. We'll have to go back some time so we can see more of the zoo.</div>
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One of the places we went to is the zoo's Tropical Rainforest exhibit. So cool! It's an enclosed area with two sloths, birds, and other animals.</div>
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Here are some photos from our visit.</div>
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I don't know what these are. Any guesses?<br />
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One of the birds in the exhibit.</div>
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One of the sloths.<br />
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Such a pretty orange color!</div>
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Just a sloth hanging out by the window.</div>
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Yep. That's a sloth too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyT9TqAxBSKAulDagbwHE0Ck1qdMhxBeosZW4WiOWYQjvgd2YhG4CIsuTklgmVYhr80i7ItnNzuZ-RPt0KdOPDWhRYtSA_UcoPHzJE638CwB6y6z5kHO23rG_A8p0Cu_gzLKyESMlSnDw/s1600/IMG_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyT9TqAxBSKAulDagbwHE0Ck1qdMhxBeosZW4WiOWYQjvgd2YhG4CIsuTklgmVYhr80i7ItnNzuZ-RPt0KdOPDWhRYtSA_UcoPHzJE638CwB6y6z5kHO23rG_A8p0Cu_gzLKyESMlSnDw/s640/IMG_0018.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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More birds.</div>
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I'll share more pictures from our visit to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo in future posts.</div>
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Thanks for stopping by!</div>
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Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404963811795659894.post-77589757497948419172016-02-16T21:50:00.001-08:002016-02-16T21:50:09.781-08:00German PancakesGerman Pancakes have become a Christmas morning breakfast tradition in our family. I don't even remember exactly when or from where I got the recipe. It's included with a bunch of recipes on a two-sided photocopy paper.<br />
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<img height="466" src="https://lh6.ggpht.com/-db1LGmZq0I8/VIJRFRUqFdI/AAAAAAAAPqw/o8qPkVM3O8Y/IMG_3350%252520Cropped_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="582" /><br />
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What I do know is that these pancakes are delicious. It's fun to watch the German Pancakes puff up while they bake in the oven. They deflate pretty fast once they're removed from the oven though. But that's okay. They're still really yummy. We serve them with sifted powdered sugar and maple syrup.<br />
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Here's the recipe. I hope you enjoy these German Pancakes as much as we do.<br />
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<u><b>German Pancakes</b></u><br />
<u><br /></u><u>Ingredients</u><br />
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5 Tbsp. butter<br />
6 eggs<br />
1 cup flour<br />
1 cup milk<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
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<u>Directions</u><br />
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Melt the butter in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Whip remaining ingredients together (don't puree) and pour into melted butter in pan. Bake at 425<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 20.7px;">°</span> for 20 minutes. It puffs up around the edges and can be topped with syrup, peaches, pears, etc.<br />
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Serves 4 adults.<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
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Christmas was only last month, so I think it's fine to share this recipe for Spritz Cookies with you today. I usually make these during the Christmas season. But, they can be made and enjoyed throughout the year by changing the decorating sugar crystals.</div>
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These really are deliciously sweet, buttery cookies.</div>
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Here's the recipe I use. I adapted it from the Wilton Spritz Cookie recipe found on the Wilton Spritz Cookie Press box that I've had for years.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><u><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Spritz Cookies</span></u><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">1-1/2 cups butter, softened<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">1 cup granulated sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">1 egg<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">2 Tbsp. milk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">1-1/2 tsp. vanilla<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">4 cups all-purpose flour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">1 tsp. baking powder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Preheat oven to 400°. Thoroughly cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour and baking powder. Gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing to make a smooth dough. Do not chill. Place dough into cookie press and press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet. Decorate with decorating sugar crystals as desired. Bake at 400° 6 to 8 minutes. Remove cookies from sheet. Cool on rack. Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Makes 6 dozen cookies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Recipe adapted from Wilton's Spritz Cookie Recipe found on Wilton Spritz Cookie Press box.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">If you've never used a cookie press, here's a helpful video about how to use one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Thanks for reading!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/287/6678942E57A1929E3541C23AC1C43550.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px;" /></a> <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">© 2016 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved</span></div>
Jana Iverson Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687969613629975601noreply@blogger.com0