Nest Egg Beginnings

Is there a name for that feeling when you are so happy for a couple of people you could just burst open...then you think what you are feeling is a tinge of jealousy over their innocently optimistic happily-ever-after...then you realize the jealousy is incorrect and you know you are truly happy for them because watching their love grow reaffirms not only your love for them but also your love for your own happily-ever-after?

No?  Not a simple word?  Well, that is how I feel about Jonathan and Laura.  I am so happy for their blossoming love!  I have watched them go from this:

...to this:

Look at how heavy her left hand is!  Last week while at the beach, they got engaged!  Holla!

Meanwhile, Jonathan has also been busy working on this:

That's right!  He bought a house, hence the name of this post "Nest Egg Beginnings".  Not to reveal any details, but I will say he got a grrrreat deal on this house.  Which is good, because the house did not come with a kitchen!  I'm serious.  Look for yourself.  Below is the way the house looked right after his closing:

Also, the walls left very little to the imagination.  That's Bobby in the picture below pulling up tack strips.  There was carpet in the living room that was disGUSTing!  Woo-wee!

Don't be worried.  Very quickly the wall studs came down, the carpet was ripped out, and the floor was prepared for some beautiful new hardwood floors that I will show you soon.

With no further ado, I present to you their (almost) finished new kitchen! You can almost see those hardwood floors I mentioned...Hello, gorgeous!

New stainless appliances.  Oh, be still my heart!

 The glass-tile back splash is so fabulous!  I'm in love!

I mean, seriously.  Who would not be in love if this was your "starter" home?  It's going to be a wonderful life, Jonathan and Laura! If I have not said it enough, I consider myself blessed to have Jonathan as a brother-in-law and lucky to be getting Laura as my sister-in-law!

Stay tuned for more updates on their house.  There is still a lot of work left to do.  For starters, Rob has declared he will have his own bedroom at Uncle Johnny's house.  Green being his favorite color, he chose this one:

Can you imagine his surprise when he found out Uncle Johnny and LaLa plan to paint it?  Oh, the horror! The hall bathroom...yes, it needs some updating, too!

Like I said, there are many more posts to come soon.  Excitingly enough, there will also be wedding planning posts coming!  Yay!!!

Until then,