This is what happens when you watch too much HGTV (or, photoblogging the before and after):

Looking into the kitchen before:

and after:

I didn’t have a before view of this one, but it’s a better view of the new side wall, where we removed the fridge and centered the stove:

From the kitchen to the eat-in area before…

…and after:

A slightly different view of the sink area:

The eat-in area, from the family room looking toward the laundry room:

The same view, with our gorgeous new buffet:

A closer look at the built-in:

Another angle looking into the kitchen:

Originally the pantry and dishwasher were on this wall:

We moved the fridge to where the pantry was, then added a cabinet pantry. The dishwasher is now to the right of the sink:

One shot of work-in-progress. This was our makeshift kitchen in the family room. My favorite part was having the washer and dryer in there:

She looks like she’s about to cry in this one, but she’s actually doing this half-yell/half-talk thing she does when she’s excited

Well, he’s learning anyway.

Caroline took her first steps just a few days before her first birthday, but she’s getting the hang of it pretty quick!

Caroline: I’M GOING TO EAT YOUR HEAD!
Jack: Whatever

The look on her face pretty much sums up this year’s Christmas picture experience:

I know I’m thankful for the cuteness

Clearly, he gets his fashion sense from his father.

Be sure to check out the recent photos for pictures from tonight’s festivities. Here’s a preview:

The scooter paid off. Jack wanted to try out his two-wheeler again today. After a bit of a wobbly start, he was riding like a pro! He’s getting better at stopping, though many times “stop” also includes “fall.” He’s working up to starting without help from Dad, but for his very first day out, he did amazing.

Sorry the picture is blurry. Rob took it (so don’t look at me), and it’s an action shot. We also took video, so hopefully that will be up soon.