On Hidden Valley

Brandon's dad Papa Joe is renovating a house in Sandy, Utah. We had the pleasure of staying at this home-in-the-works last week during our family reunion. The house is basically empty except for the new deluxe bathroom Joe designed and a few custom-made pieces for some of the rooms, so the house has the feeling of a giant playhouse where one can turn cartwheels and choreograph complicated ballet routines in the family room. And then you should see the things he's got going on for this renovation.

For example, this:

What is this? I don't know. We held it against the wall and propped it up on furniture before Blake discovered it's true purpose: Scaring the dog.

Then there was the giant wall of mirrored display cases. What are these for? Saturday night we figured it out.

Amazing.

And then my little brother pretended to hang from the low-hanging chandelier in the empty breakfast nook, and knowing that Joe would have a heart attack if he saw it, I took some pictures and here they are:

Sometimes I am so glad I have a brother.

Today I must be crazy because after two very unsuccessful attempts to be a good aunt, (a trip to McDonald's resulting in food poisoning for #2, and a trip to the community pool resulting in a slight sunburn for #4) I am taking them to the zoo. If I come back with all of them intact it will be a miracle.