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Friday Five: What’s New With The Guzmans

We’ve been having quite the busy summer, and I couldn’t think of a better way to update everyone (while at the same time explain the sporadic posting) than with a meme I find around the blogosphere that I always wanted to participate in. So here is my first Friday Five!

What’s New In Our Neighborhood

1. The baby isn’t a baby anymore. He is exactly like his older brother, who now has a partner in crime, and they both are just way. too. fast. He runs, climbs, grabs, and wants. He’s irresistible anyway.

after

2. Little man is taking soccer and swimming lessons. And by taking lessons, I mean he stands around watching other children take lessons. He hasn’t stepped into the pool yet or kicked the ball, but he goes and watches other kids learn to do these things, like he’s watching tv. *shrug* Hopefully, he’ll want to join in at some point.

3. I started to learn Photoshop. I’m watching Photoshop cs6 tutorials on YouTube from a really fun dude that explains the basics really well, and after just playing around a little bit with my own software, I find it incredible just how much Photoshop seems to be able to do. And I’m craving LightRoom 5 because I can’t stand the clone/heal brush on LightRoom 4. but I’m not sure I’m willing to drop $139 just for that.

4. We’re on the hunt for our new car, and can’t fully decide on whether an SUV or a sedan is the way to go. We know our sons will have lots going on, yet an SUV feels like too much car for me at times. On the other hand, I really loved the ones I test drove, and we plan to be a road tripping family (we are making a list of all the places we want to see around the US and can’t wait to start!). We’ll see how our vehicle hunt pans out…

5. I have a white picket fence! Now our boys can run around in our yard without my worrying they will run into the street.

white picket fence

Our home renovations are almost done. Our fence just went up, we have a new patio area, the window treatments are almost complete (except for our living room and dining room), and the rooms are almost fully decorated, including pictures on the walls.

In a few years we will renovate our remaining two bathrooms and replace a few things here and there that are getting old, but otherwise, we are completely done. Whew!

I hope you are enjoying your summer too, and while I post less during the summer, I’m still definitely around and will be back full time soon!




  • I think it’s pretty normal for kids to stand around a lot when they are trying things for the first time, I know my boys did. Hopefully he’ll get the hang of soccer and swimming and it will be fun for him! Also love your white picket fence!

  • I love my Nissan Rogue! It’s like a SUV but drives like a car.

  • Love the white picket fence! If we owned the home we are living in now, I would totally put in a white picket fence so the girls could play in the front yard. And I need to learn to use Photoshop more in depth. I bought a book but haven’t gotten around to using it, yet.

  • Glad you are having a nice summer. I need to switch from PaintShop to PhotoShop eventually I guess. It’s just so much more expensive.

  • He’s just so cute! I love the white picket fence too.

  • Tamara

    It sounds like everything is going well! It’s nice to see you taking a break to spend time with your family and work on house stuff. Most of my readers are off doing their own summer thing anyway, so I try not to stress too much about posting constantly over the summer either. 🙂

  • I love your white picket fence. You home looks lovely.

  • I’m loving your fence!

  • Wow, you have been busy, but it seems to be with all kinds of positive fun stuff, so that’s great!

  • Learning Photoshop is high on my list of things to do. I’m hoping I can get started on that before the summer is over.

  • Your photos are so lovely Penelope!

  • Mellisa

    What a gorgeous fence.

  • Ugh swimming lessons depress me. My daughter was taking them and did two one weekend. Then the following Tuesday she all of a sudden refused. Nothing happened, she just doesn’t like doing what they want her to do (I’m guessing) I’ve done everything to talk her into it but it has not worked. I already spent $173 on them for the month.

  • I love your new fence! Looks great!

  • Wait? There’s a clone/heal brush in LR? I did not know this!!!!

    LOVE the fence.

  • Penelope

    Same problem here. I prepaid for them, and he wouldn’t get it for three lessons already. They said they can transfer over the remaining sessions to private lessons, but I’d have to buy a package for that too (they won’t let me pay as I go) and that would actually cost me more money, so I feel stuck. Blah.

  • I LOVE your fence, I’ve always secretly wanted a white picket fence. Also SUV’s aren’t all big. I think it’s the Toyota Rav 4 that only has two rows and isn’t overly huge.

  • What a lovely fence!

  • With all the gear I lug around I don’t think I could do two boys in a sedan. Your son has the most gorgeous eyelashes… he looks like he’s plotting there!

  • Thanks for the link for the photoshop tutorial. I have really wanted to learn!

  • I’m so jealous of your adorable fence! In Vegas everything is separated by big brick walls & it doesn’t feel as “home”-y as a white picket fence. &How cool about learning photoshop- I am way too intimidated by it!

  • Sounds like you have the perfect life – white picket fence and all. 🙂
    SUVs are great for space, but regular automobiles typically get better gas mileage.

  • Hurray lets here it for great fencing!! I bet your going to love spending time with them in the yard. It certainly makes it less stressful if they are out there and you have to run in to the bathroom. Setting up a safe yard is so important when u have little one’s..

    boys do grow quickly don’t they. good thing is you have lots of fabulous photos to document taht

  • I really wish I would just take the time to learn my PSE because right now I just use PicMonkey but I know I could do so much more in elements. And I LOVE your white picket fence.

  • That picket fence is beautiful!

  • It looks like you have a lot of good stuff going on. Little just started swim lessons and the boy is part fish. We were really worried about him not liking he water since we have the pool. BTW, I love Lightroom. I have CS6 and I use Lightroom so much more.

  • As someone who helps make fences from time to time, I’d like to mention how nice I think the fence turned out. Also, thanks for the pointer to the photoshop tutorial. I’ll have to check that out.

  • I need to look at the photoshop tutorial

  • We have a fence, but it definitely isn’t a white picket one, wish it was. I also need to start learning photoshop, I have been putting it off.

  • Love the fence!

    Can’t wait to hear more about your car shopping!

  • Penelope

    CS6 seems awesome but more slow going…I don’t think I can batch edit, and it seems harder to make basic adjustments like sharpening (probably because I haven’t figured out how to do that yet, lol)…and I can’t figure out actions. I can see how to install and run them, but I don’t know how to make individual changes, or focus them on a specific area, etc…I have a LOT to learn!

  • totally jealous over your fence. I would love to have a gorgeous fence like that so my girls could safely play

  • Angela S

    The new picket fence looks great!

  • I’m totally laughing that your two boys are starting to work together on shenanigans! Love your fence and wow, I’m pretty impressed at how much reno you’ve finished already!

  • Donna

    Your little guy is observing, taking it all in. He will jump in when he is ready, and more than likely excel at it. We found with our son, that if we let him do things when he is ready… he truly does so much better. And, I love the white picket fence!!!

  • I big puffy heart the white picket fence!

  • So glad you guys are having a good summer! We finally moved into our new home the other day. Yesterday was filled with box unpacking, and there’s so much more to do! And I don’t know where to put everything, I have a funny feeling I’ll be shuffling stuff around for quite awhile!

  • What a beautiful fence! It’s so lovely and homey! And it sounds like you have a lot going on in your life right now. My daughter is an observer at first too just to get a sense of things before joining in.

  • Jennifer @ The Quirky Momma

    I love your white, picket fence. You must really appreciate being able to let the kids play safely.