An ode to our kitchen

We're scheduled to start our house renovation on Monday! That's a little "woohoo!!" and "uh oh" all combined. Having the back of the house, part of the back yard and kitchen (for a short while) torn up is going to make me a little nutso, but it will be worth it.
If you've never been to our house...well...I don't know who you are. But, suffice it to say, it's not a big house. Strangely, though, its 1800sf were laid out in a surprisingly open plan for 1985 and the only times we really feel cramped are the times during the winter (ie- no going outside) when Brett works from home on a long-term basis...oh...like now (only a week left before he gets the sling off). We've hosted parties for 50 inside, parties for 100 outside, seated dinners for 20 and, even though it's really not huge, somehow there are always at least eight people milling about in the kitchen at any given gathering. I've even walked in there to find six grown men sitting comfortably on the floor lost in conversation (this was during a wine 'tasting' party so I will leave the definition of 'comfortably' up to you).
We've contemplated moving about a half million times but, for a number of reasons, it just hasn't happened. So...we're going to gut the kitchen and add another living space, mudroom and deck. Yea!
Here are a few pictures to memorialize the house as it is now.
The kitchen leading into the breakfast area- that back wall with the bay window is getting pushed out over the existing patio.
Another shot of the kitchen- come on, you're secretly jealous of the 30" oak, builder-grade cabinets. Another look at the bay window- it really is pretty and we've enjoyed it. The washer and dryer are in that closet behind the breakfast area- those are moving to the mudroom and that closet is going to be opened up and become the new breakfast area.The back yard as it is (it's winter so it looks terribly sparse). The new part of the house is coming out over the existing poured (white) patio and the deck will be almost the length of the right side of the house.A closer shot of the patio that will be covered up. And, for good meausre, a few swinging shots we were able to take on a recently sunny day. No, the ass-clown of a neighbor still hasn't fixed his fence and no, I never did call the city on him...but we have seen fencing company trucks in front of his house lately- cross your fingers.