Oh Goodness its been for-ev-er....

Yes, I do realize its been months since I last posted. I have a lot of updating to do, but since no one reads my blog, I have very little motivation. So for what its worth, I will keep on trucking when I can.

Here is a picture of the fam from Christmas.






Read more: http://www.mylivesignature.com/mls_wizard2_1.php?sid=54488-93-4CD017A122A4E82DB6179DE1042071B5#ixzz0gtebPLNV

A Table & Summer 2010

Two weekends ago I did this:

It started as this:

I got this table when my husband and I were first married, 7 years ago (approximately). It has looked like this the entire time. I painted the hutch and chairs about 5 years ago but stopped at the table because I was scared. The top of this table scared me. I wasn't sure if it was veneer or not. However, after searching blogs I started to become certain that I could paint it and it not look like poo. I really love the result and wish I had done it sooner.

I really am proud of myself tackeling some of those projects that have been on my list for awhile. I have a few more that I want to take on this year, but the weather needs to be warmer than it currently is. (Winter last about 3 months too long!) Anyway, painting the garage floor is next on my list, and it should be an experiment. It is covered in stains and well, I really don't know what. But it needs to be painted before summer arrives. This leads me to another topic...summer.

Summer is coming soon, yea! This summer will be different for me. Usually I would leave my son in the Mother's Day Out program that he is enrolled in for the summer, but I am pretty certain that I am going to take him out. I realized he has been in 'school' since he was 15 months old and that really makes my heart sad. I know its only two days a week, but I don't want him to have never experienced a season of life where he hangs out with his mom and baby sister instead of going to preschool. So I am going to plan our days of summer 2010. Nothing too strict, but at least something to keep us from going bonkers with boredom. I think he needs a break. He has had lots of adjustments in his world since his sister came along 3 months ago, and I think he has been stressed about it all. So, this summer will be non-stressful, and with God's grace it will be just plan ol'fun. I am hoping to document it with photographs and a few posts here and there.

Thanks for reading, which I am sure that it may just be me that reads this since I have seen very little traffic, but that is okay too!

Cheeks, ohh those Cheeks

I am in love with this girl...she really is as sweet as she looks.

Laundry Room Love

So one night the the laundry room shelves feel off the wall and all my beautiful white Walmart boxes feel to the ground. Holes in the wall and stuff everywhere. I had planned on giving the laundry room a mini-makeover this year but after this happened it got bumped up to the top of the project list. I really wanted to get it completely finished before posting the pics, but there are a few things that I will wait to add. One of those being a plywood top for my washer and dryer, and a cart to fit between the washer and dryer. (I did go to every possible place in town that might carry this item, but alas, no cart. So looks like I'll have to find one on the internet.) And a few more touches that are minor things that I will get to when I have the money. Anyway, the laundry room got a coat of paint (paint that we already had) new shelves, and home made curtains. Not much, and not the most spectacular laundry room, but it works for us. It does make me smile everytime I pass it knowing it didn't cost a lot, and still looks good. Here are the before and after pics.

There it is. Its real, its us, its my little boy's magnets all over the dryer because I won't let him use the fridge. I wish that I had digital before pictures of the house before we began fixing it up. This room has come a long way, like most of our rooms.

V-day Redo

Tonight my husband and I took a gift card we received and went to eat at Flemings. Rarely, as in this was the second time, do we eat there. It seems so over the top to spend that much on food, and so we never ever spend our own money when dining at a place that expensive. However, we had a gift card and couldn't spend it anywhere else, so off we went.

It was the second time we grace the doors of Flemings this week, since Thursday night my husband got the 'tummy bug.' He warned me Thursday afternoon via text that he may not make it through the night without some gastrointestinal upheival. Since we had a sitter she came over anyway and we started on the first leg of the date: pedicures. I cannot tell you how fun it was to go get a pedi with my best friend in the entire world. It was his first and I know he'll go back and I can't wait for the next time. I love how pedicures give you time to talk with important people in your lives because you are forced to sit down for an hour. Anyhoo, pedi's were done and his tummy was tame but once we arrived AND ORDERED, he confessed he couldn't do it. We left money for the drinks and went home.


So tonight we went back and it was great. Two hours of conversation and good food with my husband. I swear I love that man more and more each day. But I came away from the meal with one goal...learn how to make the chocolate lava cake. So once I got home I consulted my favorite food blog, Pioneer Woman, and found this amazing recipe I will try soon...maybe my birthday, my 30th birthday that is. However, because it was Valentines day we got a small gift card and I plan on using it on another chocolate lava cake just because, well, I can. I can say without hesitation it is my favorite dessert ever, really, no lie.


And in other news, I plan to post the laundry room before and after soon. I have those few pesky finishing touches left to do.

In the spirit of V-day I will post an old picture of my husband and I. (Its really old, like 2003, pre-kids, pre-age spots, pre-gray hair, pre-everything, ha!)

It got me...

The Tummy bug got me. I have been hearing about everyone, and when I mean everyone, really everyone at church has had the tummy bug. SO, last night was my turn. I hate the thought of it, so anyway, I was going to try to get started on the laundry catastrophe that happened Monday night but I will post something soon on what happened. I am sort of excited about doing a real before and after on a project of mine. So anyway, as I try to stay well and tend to a 3 month old and a 3 year old...have a great Wednesday.

The ball hopper

Right now there are actually tons of things that are rolling around in my head and to keep me focused, because sometimes I feel like my thoughts are on 'scan' mode and I never really hear them in their completion, I am going to list them. There are other people like this, yes?

(and yes my hubby says I need a list for my list...and I'm okay with this)

-need to read a book and write a paper before going to class on Friday.
(what class...well I am still working on my masters degree that was started in the fall of 2003 people! What degree...well a Master's in Christian Education with a general focus. Why? well, lets just say I am leaving my options open since I am not sure what my Savior will ask of me when its all done. I mean its been seven years since it commenced, surely its something big)

-need to find fabric for my dinning room chairs and recover them.
(why? well my 3 year old has defaced the fabric with yogurt, cereal, snot, OJ (ooh the OJ), and whatever else he managed to not get in his mouth)

-paint the dinning room table black, but first find a stand-in.
well...the table we have was a hand me down, and if you don't know, my husband is a youth minister and well, if you don't know, he ain't exactly big money. So when I say 90% of the furniture and big items in my house are not originally ours...It may be an understatement. Thus the overwhelming urge to paint the hand me down table black and hope for the best!

-umm, loose the baby weight.
yes, its not that easy for a dessert addict like myself. However, I have decided that I do not want my children to be embarrassed of their mom at the beach...since we live less than a mile from the beach, it makes it even more pressing...who knows when the whining monster in the back seat will go screaming banshee on me and demand he goes to play in the sand with his scuba mask (aka toy safety goggles from a home depot tool set he got for Christmas a couple years back).

-decide about this couponing thing.
have you heard about the coupon craze from a few years back, well I jumped on board just because I am cool like that. So I just started and I feel like I have coupons and ads everywhere and pretty soon I maybe turned into the show hoarders...hopefully it works it self out and I can save some money, have you heard my husband is a youth minister? Just saying.

-OH YEAH, grow my hair out.
I got a horrible haircut when I was in Texas for Christmas and I hate it! I cannot wait for it to grow out. I think my hair makes me look fat...hey, I have had a round face my entire life so I know when it looks bigger...and the short cut definitely has ballooned my cheeks to chipmunk status. The plan is to grow it out and do long layers and then roll it with the trusty ol' velvet hot rollers. I did this in college a lot and I do have to say that the pictures are proof that's its a good look for ol' chipmunk face.

-figure out this blog thing.
I really feel like there is soooo much to learn. Honestly, "confession alert", I wanted to go out and buy a new Nikon or Canon to post pictures of my ball hopper life and projects because my little Kodak point and shoot doesn't stand up against all of the bea-u-ti-ful pics from my favorite blogs. But I thought to myself: self, this blog thing is new and you are exactly a camera-carrying mom and until you prove your self to your blog, no camera for you....since they are budget busting...yes my hubby is not making bank....(in full disclosure, He is an awesome provider and God has given us all we need and want...really, he is faithful to us beyond measure)

-Talk to PS about doing an adult bible study on Crazy Love.
I am wanting to talk to the pastor of our church (Pastor S.... or PS) about leading this study that has truly changed my husband and I...even though I technically have not read it, I have listened to the podcast from Francis Chan's church and truly have caught the movement that God is leading through this book's refreshing honesty. You see, I have always prayed that God would use me in something God sized, and I pray continually that he does not leave me to wallow in my mediocrity, but picks me up and places me in the best place to give him the most glory. When I think about this, I do feel a bit overwhelmed because I look at myself and see all the things that He will have to teach/change in me. Whew, lots of things, fears, and insecurities stand in the way. So to lead adults would be a new thing for me since I am most comfortable with pesky teenagers.

-Got to bed earlier.
yes, its self explanatory...3 year old and a 10 week old have me spent. However the Kureig makes is all better... I heart you Kureig! But....I do wish those yummy in my tummy Kcups of yours weren't so dang expensive, just saying.

-Reconcile with my sewing machine.
We had a break up. I had to choose between a dinner party or my sewing machine and all its cohorts taking over the hand me down dining room table. Dinner party won and well things just haven't been the same between us. I have key fabs, dish rags, camera strap covers, and coffee cup cozies to make/attempt.

OK, I think that's it, I will try to go turn the ball hopper off.