Decorating Help

We recently replaced our TV stand.

We'd gotten our old one not quite 14 years ago, and it was used when we got it.  It had done a good job but it was designed to be placed in a corner and that just didn't fit how we had our room arranged.

To find a new one we checked out new furniture but that turned out to be quite expensive.  That prompted us look to see what was available on the used market.  It actually didn't take very long and the used one we found matched the desk we've had in the same room as our TV for a long time.  It was a perfect match, an unexpected surprise.  Getting it home was interesting, it just barely fit in our car.  Any bigger at all and we would have had to use the trailer.  I was glad it fit, digging out our trailer is a lot of work.

But we got it in the car, got it home, and got it into the house.  Quite the accomplishment because it's big and heavy.  Schwartzbeere was a lot of help. But as we maneuvered it up the stairs and around all the corners, we kept reminding ourselves that it matched the desk perfectly.

Once it was in place we realized it was a little taller than we thought.  We knew it was taller than the old stand, but hadn't realized it was quite as tall as it was.  We needed to rearrange our wall hangings a little; the TV, on the stand, covers the picture we've had hanging on our wall right there.  Ah, well.  But it holds all our movies, which is pretty much the only thing we keep in the stand.  It holds them with room for plenty more movies, should we choose to get any more.

Brombeere wanted some time to decide how to decorate the shelves.  We knew we weren't putting any movies there so, other than the DVD player, there was nothing on them for a while.  So, after we got all the movies in and everything arranged, she decided she wanted to just leave the shelves empty for a while as she decided on what to put there.  The grandkids offered some decorating ideas of their own.  But I don't think she was too excited about any of their suggestions.  She kept having them find other places for their stuff.

In the end, she decided to decorate that space herself.  I think she did a better job.  Not that I don't like the grandkids' ideas. I just think their grandmother does it better.

But even Brombeere didn't leave it alone at first, not until she'd tweaked the arrangement just a little bit.  Had to have it just right.  But then it was just right.

The Season Opener

Summer is officially here, it has begun.  So we got our kayaks out,  packed a few sandwiches and goodies, and headed to our favorite lake for an afternoon of fun in the sand and on the water.

It was a warm afternoon, the hottest day yet of the summer season.  And we needed something to do with the kids.

And what kid doesn't like to play in the water.

So they played in the water, seeing what treasures they could find on the sandy bottom, by the little beach.

Playing and splashing, cooling off.

One of the things we like about this beach is that the water is quite clear for lake water.

They found plenty of shells and pretty rocks, which they called "gems".  Good times.

Then Schwarzbeere got out in the kayak.  The kids love it when he took them each out.

Good time out on the water.

Good time out with their dad.

Schwarzbeere's oldest got brave enough to try it out on his own.  This, actually, was not his first time out by himself. But it was his first time this summer.

He was feeling pretty confident

He stayed in the swim area for a while (we were the only ones at the beach).  But he was having trouble getting himself seated properly and was struggling with the paddles so it wasn't going too well.  About the time the kayak tipped and spilled him out he decided it was more fun going out with his dad.

They must have wore him out.

Either that, or he was just enjoying the solitude of drifting around on the water, relaxing.  In any case, it was a good, relaxing afternoon and everyone enjoyed themselves.  When we got home that night the kids all slept real well.  Must have worn them all out.