Puddle Jumping!!!

As I looked out the window at the pouring down rain, I thought to myself "what am I going to do to keep the kids busy today with all this rain falling from the sky???"...Then it hit me! PUDDLE JUMPING!! Puddle jumping was one of my all time favorite things to do as a kid and to this day is still amongst my finest memories. I'm so glad that I'm not afraid to let my kids get dirty, wet or fall down. They had more fun than I could have imagined! If you've never puddled jump before, it's definitely worth it! There's no dress code, rules or regulations, except to go out, explore the world around you and most of all HAVE FUN!! When we came back I had the kids PJ's in the dryer so they were nice and warm for them, it was the icing on the cake!

Busy Days Around the House

FUN PROJECTS!
As of the last couple of weeks we have been thrift shopping and found some killer deals! Not only are we saving some serious moola but we are also having a wonderful time together finding new treasures. Who knew that after 13 years JT and I would find a new way to bond and enjoy our time together!

Our most expensive buy yet, but I have wanted a trunk for so long that it was worth it!


The inside of the trunk is definitely worn, but it gives it great character!


This room is slowly coming together. Eventually the couch will be different and there will definitely be things added to the room, but for now it's a good start.



This amazing chair was at Value Village for just $6.99!! It originally had a very ugly brown plaid fabric on it and the green was poking through, so after we took the brown fabric off this is what we got!


Here it is after a little shampooing. Eventually we will reupholster it, but this will do for now!



Here is the ultra cool drawer I found that I'm going to make into a night stand as soon as I can find some cheap legs.... Drum roll for the price please! Just $1.99 from the Goodwill!! What a steal!


This is a lamp that I bought for $4.99 also from Value Village


Here is my little neighbor/helper, helping me to give it a good scrubbing.. Don't mind the lady in the mirror with a serious case of the quadruple chin!


Here is the new and improved lamp with some black paint and a new shade.. Ending price for this lamp $13, not too bad, but it was definitely fun!


Sneak preview of what the lamp will look at on the table I'm going to make (minus the legs of course):



Catching a Leprechaun!!
This is the first year we have done this, and we had so much fun!! We didn't catch a little green man this year but he did leave the kids some goodies including some "gold" dollar coins!

Home Projects

Lately Jonathan and I have been trying to make our house "our own" and we are slowly but surely showing progress!! I posted a picture of our bathroom awhile ago, but I recently bought a new mirror and I feel like it completely changes the look of the room so I wanted to share it with you! The 2nd, and latest, room we have completed is the laundry room!! What girl doesn't love a great space to do laundry in??? I got some ideas from theidearoom.net and one of Amy's friends blogs, and it turned out really nice. I LOVE IT!! A big thanks to my husband who worked so very hard to help me make this room how I wanted it and for all of his patience. There are still a few little things to do to the laundry room but I was so excited I couldn't wait to share! Enjoy the photos!.



The bathroom with the new mirror!

The "Before" picture of the laundry room

The "After" picture of the laundry room


The shelving unit

My cute vintage basket (from Marshall's), clothes pin (dollar tree), cool triangular jar (goodwill) and old window (mom's house)

Soap container (Ross) and basket for dryer sheets (grocery outlet)

Old washboard (mom's house), matching hampers (grocery outlet)

Another fun idea!

This craft was so fun and easy! I have been wanting to make one of these for quite some time now, but have not found the right frame for my decor yet.... kind of bummed about that, but was super excited to find a frame for my mom and make her a decorative chalkboard for Christmas! This project is cheap, easy and quick not to mention that when you are finished with it there are so many things you can do! I am going to use ours for a "Honey Do List", grocery items, upcoming events. But you could make one and put it in a kids room, a play room, a bathroom, use it as a menu for dinner, and you can make it as big or as small as you want. If you needed to you could even take it with you! Sorry the picture is a little blurry, it was taken with a phone camera, but I think you get the idea :)

18 months has come and gone!!

Is there anything better than watching your spouse play with your children and have the air filled with love and laughter? I think not! The picture above, is my life. They are my everything... It amazes me every day that this is what my life consists of. I am so very lucky! Not a whole lot has been going on lately, besides the hustle and bustle of the holidays. We did take Jake in for his 18 month check up yesterday and everything went very well. He is now 27lbs, 33 1/2 inches and is developmentally doing things that a 23 month old is expected to do. None of this really surprised us much, as we are well aware that he is gaining weight with all of the food he eats at each meal and the fact that my arms are becoming more and more sore as the months go on from lifting him. His pants are getting shorter so we knew he was growing and he is constantly trying to keep up with his big sister making his verbal, social and emotional level higher than an average 18 month old. What did surprise us though is how fast this year has just flown by! We have accomplished so much as a family. And while sometimes it feels like life is in slow motion and I can't wait for the day to be over, just so I can relax, I look back and think where did all that slow motion time go? It is a constant reminder to me to slow down when life is slowing down and ENJOY what God has given to me. This is much easier said than done, but in the new year it will be a goal of mine. Hailey will be turning 3 in 6 months and it feels like it was just yesterday that Jonathan and I welcomed her into this crazy world of ours. Now she's an inquisitive, stubborn, loving, soft spirited, big-hearted little, excuse me, BIG girl. Or as Hailey would tell you herself "I not a baby, I a big gurl". As much as I love watching them grow, learn new things and watching how they help me to grow, I wish they could stay this age for just a little while longer. If it is this hard watching them grow up now, I can't imagine what I'm going to feel like when they're 16! But I know God has great plans for them and they will do many wonderful things, so for that I am excited! May you have a very merry Christmas and a blessed 2011!

Winter Projects/Crafts

I have been feeling very crafty and as a result have come up with some fun stuff to keep me occupied! Check out my new projects :)

This is our powder room.. our now, very blue powder room. But I love it! We are going to change the mirror out eventually, but for now, this one will do.




This is my paper wreath! I made it using a styrofoam floral wreath, hot glue gun and old book pages. Super fun and easy! And I think the end product looks pretty good too.




I recently started crocheting again, and learned how to make these flowers... My first project with them was to make headbands for Hailey. They have since been modified a little bit, but this was the original.




And last but not least, my hat! I LOVE this hat and was so proud that I made it all by my lonesome! Now all of my nieces are getting hats for Christmas :)

Things To Be Thankful For

Sometimes I look at my life and wonder why things happen the way they do. I wonder why every time something goes wrong, my husband is not able to be with me. Why seems to be a big question in my daily life these days and I have come to the conclusion that the reason we have a big wind storm, a tree falls on our fence, our power goes out, my son wakes up in the middle of the night and I go into to comfort him by sitting with him in his rocking chair, but completely miss the chair while sitting down, then we have a small earthquake that scares me because my first thought is my children, my dog of 5 years (who is house broken) poops on my white carpet and I have to replace it, just to go into the other room and unknowingly step in a second pile of poo, then to have my daughter poop her pants, it falls out of her pants onto the floor and I drag my foot through it and then step in a pile of puke on my way to clean up all the poo and all while my husband is gone for a week and two of my very best friends have moved to other states, as well as most of my family, is because I don't let go of things the way I should. I know God is stripping me of some of my biggest support systems so I will lean on Him more. This is something that is so hard for me, but I am determined to continue every day to look at the life He has blessed me with, recognize all the good things and wonderful people I am surrounded with and be thankful. Even when I step in a pile of poo (barefoot). I know some of these things sound trivial, but one after another leads to a very trying day. But I know life is good. I have two beautiful children, amazing friends and family and the opportunity to go to school and fulfill my dream to become a nurse. Thank you to all of you who have always been there for Jonathan, our children and myself. Thank you for never judging, but being supportive, loving and selfless. Thank you for showing me how to have faith in God no matter what happens in life and reminding me that even when it feels like the world is crumbling down around us it's really just new doors opening and providing us with new opportunities, memories and the ability to take something difficult or troubling and turn it into something good. I am thankful to have you in our lives!