Mommy the Finder (of all things lost)

Winter Decorations

2011-01-29T20:38:00.000-08:00

Please, oh please forgive my floors!

My Gluten Free Post at Courageous Homekeeping

2011-01-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

www.courageoushomekeeping.com/featured/going-gluten-free

I wrote a little about my journey into the world of Gluten Free on the website that I am a part of. Check it out and let me know what you think!

If you are interested in following along over there I post every Friday. The other gals write wonderful posts too!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful new year so far.

Miss Me?

2010-12-20T19:58:00.000-08:00

Sorry that it has been so long since I have posted anything! A lot has gone on in my world in the past few months.

I am a part of a website that I post once a week at: Courageous Homekeeping
I am helping my husband start a business: Burlap Roasting Company

I am now gluten free and spend hours researching all that that entails.

I am still raising two boys, homeschooling, crafting, housekeeping, on the worship team at church, decorating, and getting ready for Christmas.

I hope to do better posting in the new year, hope this season is full of Joy!

Fall Decorations

2010-10-10T15:31:00.001-07:00

I finally had the chance to decorate for fall! Between my back "going out" and homeschooling, and various other commitments, I have been super busy. However, I made time to get my fall stuff out. I missed it last year.

My husband was gracious and took time out to "help me" rearrange the living room. Um, he did all of the rearranging! I just told him where big things were to go. We have some heirloom antiques that are heavy and fragile and so he though that he would be ingenious and create his own moving pads. The next two pictures show how well that worked out!

Please forgive our floors...they are on our list of things to do, but that list is pretty long!
Remember the shelving unit that I got at a warehouse sale this summer? Well, I finally got around to painting it. I love it. Moving the china hutch from this spot and putting something smaller and lighter in it's place really opened up the living room! Plus it's tons of fun to put all of my little things there.

Some close ups of my apothecary jars on the other side of the couch.

"We" moved the writing desk to the other side of the room, and I love how accessible it is now.

The china hutch took the place of the writing desk. It fits so perfectly, it's as if this nook was made for it!

I have a few more projects up my sleeves, so I will be posting again soon!

Book Page Fall Wreath

2010-10-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

So, you probably know by now that I love all things book-page-craft related. I have seen so many cute variations on a fall wreath, that I thought that I'd try my hand at one. I love how it turned out!
I started out with a straw base and wrapped strips of chocolate brown burlap around it. Well, actually, I guess I started out by cutting out various different leaves from my designated craft book. I used a number of different types and sizes of silk leaves for my template. Then I did the burlap thing!
I like to hot glue my leaves on in quadrants, but you totally don't have to. I made sure to glue some towards the inside, and even a layer on the back for added fullness and dimension.

Some leaves I crumpled, and some I brushed brown craft paint on.

I love the way it turned out, and how great it looks on my antique mirror!

Apples!

2010-09-08T11:54:00.000-07:00

Looks like I will be doing something with our apples after all! Mmmm...apple butter, apple sauce, apple pie filling, apple cider, and I am dying to try this recipe! I'll let you all know how it turns out!!!

Flowers and Veggies (Take Two!)

2010-09-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

This summer has been so busy, and the growing season so short, that we don't have quite the amount of flowers and veggies we normally have.
There are some things that have been hardy enough to handle our neglect!
The jasmine smells wonderful just outside the kitchen widow.

I had totally given up on this little pot. It's pulling through, though!

I have no idea what the name of this tree is, I think I've seen it more often in bush form. Let me tell you, the humming birds LOVE it. They can be noisy little buggers when there are a lot of them around! They always make me smile when I hear them.

This huge hydrangea started out bright blue, but over the summer the blooms turned green. I love them both!

The rose bushes have been beautiful all summer long. Even once they fade a little from the sun they are a gorgeous color.

Then there is this tree...this tree graces our front yard and the whole neighborhood loves it. It smells sooooooo good! Just like jasmine, but I've been told it is something else. It also is usually just a small plant.

Seriously, it smells divine! I wish I could bottle it up.

We didn't know if our raspberries would make it after being transplanted from our last home. Some made it, some didn't, but we have had a nice little harvest regardless! Yum, raspberries!

One thing that we did manage to plant...and that survived the monsoon spring were the tomatoes. We have to harvest almost every night and there is still so much green fruit!!!

Pear tomatoes are my favorite!

Just a small sample of a harvest. Thankfully my boys love tomatoes, and they eat them like candy. I often find Little G walking around with a half eaten one in his hand. He always finishes it too.
Peppers also made it through the wet, wet spring!

Last but not least, our apple tree is so full of fruit some of the branches are almost on the ground. I think the worms have already claimed most of them though. Next year we will be much more on top of things!

Silhouette giveaway at Under The Table and Dreaming

2010-08-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

I love this blog.

I love this machine.

What a perfect combo! Go to her blog and enter her giveaway! While you are there check out all of her fabulous posts and projects!!!

Drop Cloth Purse

2010-08-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Miss me? It has been some kind of crazy over here, with a little bit 'o sadness mixed in. Our beloved Siamese kitty got hit by a car. We have had VBS (Vacation Bible School), camping, birthdays, new nieces, and "new" cars!

I finally grabbed a little time to do a project that I have been wanting to do all summer. I started with a 5'x5' painters drop cloth that had plastic backing on it. I had some cotton fabric for the inside already.

I made my own pattern. One front, one bottom, one back with flap, and two sides. If you look closely you can see that I tapered the sides up just a little.

I knew that I didn't want the lining to shift all around, so I sewed the two fabrics wrong side together, then turned them right side out.

This little iron is great for pressing seams, just make sure you don't move the base by the metal piece that the iron rests on. YEOUCH!!!! I actually heard my skin sizzle.
For the rounded edge of the front flap I cut notches out of the corner. This allows the two pieces to lay together better when turned right side out.

I don't know if you can tell, but I added some decorative stitching to the front piece.

Pockets for cell phone, misc. and pens.

Truthfully, this little flower was the hardest part for me. I'm still not happy with it, but it will have to do!

There you have it! Painter's drop cloth turned purse!

I'm linking to these parties:

Finding Fabulous: 44th Edition of Frugalicious Friday

I'M A WINNER!!!

2010-07-31T19:39:00.000-07:00

Kristine, over at The Painted Hive (one of my favorite blogs, by the way!) hosted a giveaway.

Guess what?

I WAS THE WINNER!!!

I never win anything, but this time I am the lucky recipient of a zippered bag and cute flour sack pillow from:

Go check them out and say that I sent you!

(I'll be sure to take pictures of my goodies when I receive them.)

Sewing Project and My New Machine

2010-07-09T10:06:00.001-07:00

I finally got out my Mother's Day gift and put it to good use. In typical Pacific Northwest fashion, the weather has gone from dreary/cold/wet/wet/wet to smoldering heat. So I decided to make myself some sundresses!

Now, I had a perfectly good machine that My Man got me for our 2nd anniversary, but it was hard to do any sort of quilting or large pieces on. Not only is this new one equipped for quilting (well, as much as you can do without a long arm machine) but it has so many fun stitches. Plus it can do monograms! How fun!!!

I got some good deals at the fabric store, and can't wait to sew, sew, sew!

My first project on my new machine. I am so bad about using patterns. I just eyeball it and go for it. This one was super simple. I am totally wearing it today and staying cool.

sigh

2010-07-07T15:17:00.001-07:00

It seems like we are always taking two steps forward and one back on this house.

We just discovered a lot of water damage under the kitchen sink.

Damage that we didn't know was there when My Man changed out the old sink for the new one.

Damage that started to make the house smell, well, less than appetizing.

Damage that made my mother worry. (Sorry Mama!)

Damage that makes you ask how much repair to do. Patch the problem, or start into a very costly and time consuming remodel.

Damage that makes your shoulders sag, and eyes well up.

We are physically, emotionally, and financially drained.

We are pressing on, knowing that this is the house that He had saved for us.

We know that He will give us the strength.

"New" Table

2010-07-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

Our "new" dining room table. I found it at an estate sale of one of my mom's neighbors. She was the sweetest thing and just recently went to live in a nursing home. She lived on her own well into her 90's!

They originally wanted $125 for it (yikes!) but I paid $40. It was a little more than I wanted to spend, but I knew it was for a great lady. I even had to "fight" other people off of it!
It is in GREAT condition, and I love the legs. My sister in law gave me some chairs (not pictured) that I am going to refinish and they will be just perfect here!

One day I hope to show you pictures of the dining room that don't have my husband's tools on the floor in them! *sigh* All in good time.

Ahhhh, Summer! Finally!!!

2010-07-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

Kitchen Progress

2010-06-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

More kitchen pictures!

Bead board is up.

First shelf up (and the cute husband). He fabricated the brackets from a picture off the internet that I showed him. I have one talented man! This house won't know what hit it.

All the shelves up! I know that I will have to take all the dishes down again when we paint, but I just couldn't wait! The kitchen is so more open now. I love it. (Anyone think I need window treatments? Yet another thing on my to-do list!)

There is filling, and lots of white paint in the near future, but I am so excited with the progress that I couldn't wait to share the photos!

Kitchen Teaser

2010-06-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

This is what it started out as.

We moved the fridge for two reasons. The first being, well...I didn't measure the opening when I bought our "new" fridge to replace the evil, smelly, filthy thing they left. Um, oops! The second is that it was too restricting. You could barely open the oven door and it also blocked valuable counter space.
So we put in the shelving unit, and I love it!

We are replacing dated, chipped, stained formica counters with lovely butcher block!

We (and I use the term "we" very, very loosely!) tore down one bank of cabinets, and.....you'll have to stay tuned for the rest very soon!

Roses

2010-06-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

We inherited some beautiful roses when we bought the house. They have been my spot of sunshine since the real sun has been MIA for way, way too long!

I have no idea what kind they are, but they are long stemmed and have little to no thorns. The only bummer is that they have little to no fragrance, too.

They sure have been a bright spot in an otherwise gray, cold, wet year so far.

Collections

2010-06-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

The Nester has a post about collections and I just had to join in. I know my last post was about my apothecary jars, but they are one of my favorite collections. I've worked years to get it to where it is today.

I also collect cloches, or cake domes. Here are just a few.

I have a number stacked inside one another. Mostly for lack of space in the new house!

I also have a collection of white ironstone pitchers. Most of them are still in boxes, again for lack of space. Funny, this house is bigger than our last rental, but it's laid out so differently. I also didn't realize how much I used the top of my kitchen cabinets for decor and our cabinets go all the way to the ceiling here.

One more collection that I will share is my antique green book collection. Some are over 100 years old! This represents about a quarter of them...
I have a lot more collections that I rotate through. If I had them all out at once it would be so cluttered. Most of groupings are simple so that multiples don't feel so busy. I also tend to like simple clean lines and colors.

Head over here to see other great collections!

Apothecary Revamp

2010-06-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

I finally did a little re-decorating around here. I think that I run on solar energy, and let me tell you...there has been no sun for way too long!!!

I revamped my apothecary jars. I added these, and took out the moss and eggs. They don't look a whole lot different, but I think they look a little cleaner and not so messy.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:
Like I said, not a huge difference, but there is something else that I added....

Can you tell what it is? Little globes and a trunk all showing Australia. I would move there in a heartbeat if I thought that we could afford it. That's a huge statement coming from the very non-adventurous me. I'd even be willing to give Vegemite a try! Most of my family even said that they would come along. Although I am not loving all of the deadly creatures that reside there. I suppose I would eventually miss the rain and green that we have here, but I am so water logged right now that a little bit of arid open space sounds great.

Warehouse Sale Finds

2010-05-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

I went to a warehouse sale for my favorite craft store the other day. It just happened to be right around the corner from my house!

Please excuse my husband's tools on the floor. It is a constant construction site here. There are some fun things happening though.

I picked up two square hanging planters for $5 each, two 12x12 unfinished picture frames (with glass) for $5 each, and scrapbook set for $2.

Two Yankee candles in my favorite fall scents. Ummmmm!

I also picked up a great mirror. Boy, it's heavy for it's size! It was originally marked at $60, but it has a few dents in the frame.

I don't know if you can see the price, but I paid $10 for it! I plan to beat up the frame a bit more, paint and distress it.

Those were all great finds, but my favorite, favorite find is this:

I saw the sales clerk walking to it with a $50 sign, and knew that it was WAY out of my price range. Totally bummed, I was about to move on, but when he hung the price sign on it I saw that the $50 was on the back. They were selling it for $10! SOLD!!! I am so excited to paint it and put it up.

I'll post pictures of the finished projects. I am so excited to be creative again!

Third Annual Beach Trip

2010-05-18T16:31:00.001-07:00

This is the third year that a group of us have gone to the beach for a much needed get-away. Here is last year's post, same group, same house, tons of fun.

The weather was great this year, especially the day we left! What an amazing view we had.
I normally have a hard time sleeping away from home, but I slept very well here.
I can't even begin to count how many hours we spent here, chatting to the wee hours of the morning!
We went shopping at the outlet mall, and found GREAT treasures to bring home. Aren't these the cutest? She was giddy to find them!
Our foot shot...some real tattoos and some temporary! :)
It was great to get away and yet great to be back.

Random Shots From the Past Few Weeks

2010-05-13T17:26:00.000-07:00

Treasures From the Attic

2010-05-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

Many projects have been going on around here. The home-improvement kind of project! My Man has been keeping himself very busy. As a result of rummaging around some floorboards in the attic he came across some great finds.

I love history, and anything old. I love imagining the people who first bought this place almost 60 years ago. Who were they? We got a glimpse of that!

There was a teen-age daughter named Ruth.

She sewed. There were notes from lessons that she took, the instructions to a dress form, and there was even an adorable apron pattern. It's still in great shape!

She either sang or played the piano. I love the idea of broadway tunes filling the house!

She went to Bible camp, and had pen pals.

She got invited to bridal showers and birthday parties!

This unopened envelope will be displayed somehow with my Argus camera from the same era. There were photos and magazine clippings, birthday cards and envelopes. All with that faintly musty odor that I have come to associate with some great memories. As we do more work on the house, I hope that we can get an even better glimpse of the lives that were lived within these walls.

I wonder what treasures of ours will be found in 60 years?

I am linking up to: Vintage Thingie Thursday

We are Famous! Well, Kind of...

2010-04-30T10:11:00.000-07:00

The Pioneer woman wrote about her trip to Portland, and we are pictured on the second to last photo! I usually shy away from posting pictures of my children, but I had to share this. Too bad she didn't get Little G, it would have been a whole family shot! I was under the impression that I wasn't in the photo, but what can you do? ;)

Enjoy!

Adventures in Portland

Occupying My Time

2010-04-24T10:05:00.001-07:00

Couponing!

Goodness gracious, does this take up a lot of time....but boy have I saved us a ton of money. Plus I have a great stock pile that I am building up. We are carving out a corner of the spare/craft/tool/sewing/storage room to house our stockpile.

My First Award!

2010-04-23T10:37:00.000-07:00

I won my first blog award!!! Leslie at Goodbye House, Hello Home! nominated me for the Sunshine award! She had such sweet things to say about my blog. She has a wonderful blog herself! I love how she decorates, eats organically, and brings simple everyday things back to scripture. I feel like we have become bloggy friends, and I look forward to seeing what she has to say each time she posts.

However, I can't for the life of me figure out how to copy the badge/button thingy to post on my blog.

*sigh*

I am not very tech-savvy.

I know the basic, and just enough to get myself into trouble.

So, go check her out and tell her I sent you!

Guess Who I Got To Meet?

2010-04-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

I'm back! Miss me? ;) I have been *ahem* gently encouraged to post again, so here it is!

I had planned to share some of the home improvement projects that have been going on around here, but I have to share this first.
Are you ready?

Guess who I got to meet?

THE PIONEER WOMAN!!!! (Yes, I am shouting!)

Because of my husband's work schedule, transportation issues, and baby sitting schedules the whole family ended up going.
We were there for over 5 hours.

The whole family.

For FIVE hours.

And you know what? Even though we had to wait that long with an 8 year old and a two year old, and we didn't have seats for the majority time, and even though we got there after the tickets were handed out so we were at the end of the group, and even though she heard my name wrong and made my book out to Angela.....it was totally worth it!
She was so sweet. She was impressed with my boys. (And who wouldn't be! They really were behaving so well, especially for it being two hours past bedtime!) She liked my jewelry. She was still smiling after five hours!

So, while I normally shy away from posting pictures of myself, and this is defiantly not one that I would consider flattering...I have to share it with you all.

Kelly's Project

2010-04-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

These great shadow boxes were given to me by my best friend as she loaded up the last of her house to move away. *sniff, sniff* While I like green, this is not really the shade that I gravitate toward. So, I thought that I'd give them a little make over!

First I took them apart, tore the inside stuff out, and painted them chocolate brown.

I had to wait for a nice, sunny day since we have no garage or shop, or even shed! All outdoors for my spray panting adventures!
(The 12x12 frame is another project that I am almost done with!)Then I painted them Rustoleum Heirloom White, since everybody seems to rave about it. I like it, but I think after I run out I'll go back to just plain ole white. I added burlap, and fun antique keys that were also a gift from Kelly. Fitting, huh?

I like the way they turned out, and they are a great reminder of a special friend!

I am linking this to The Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday (she also happens to have a key-related post!), and Fingerprints on the Fridge's Feature Yourself Friday.

*Updated: I couldn't figure out why I was still getting so much traffic from The Shabby Nest. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but I do realize that I am just a very little blog in a very big sea of blogland!..... It's because she gave me shout out! WOW! Thanks Wendy!

Green Growing Things (Spring 2010)

2010-03-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

Well, the weather today is gross, so I thought I'd remember back to what it was like just a week ago.

My hydrangeas, some of my favorite plants. They are in containers because we have been renting for the past 6 years, and I didn't want to leave them behind. I was so excited to see them start to leaf out!

We brought two blueberry bushes over in containers, also. Looks like they made the transplant nicely. Yum, I can't wait for fresh-from-the-bush blueberries.

Some succulents made it, some didn't. They are fairly easy to divide up, so I know that I will be able to fill up my containers again.

Here are some surprises that are showing up here! Of all of the daffodils, these ruffly kind are my favorites!

I was so sad to leave the mint behind. It had been planted at the rental before we got there and I wasn't about to go out in the freezing weather to dig some up when we moved. What a nice surprise to find some growing in our back yard here! I love putting fresh mint in my sun tea while it brews.

We did end up with quite a few containers, and since we don't have a garage or shed they get to line the perimeter of where the garage used to be. One of the things on My Man's very, very long to-do list is to make a potting table for me.

I have no idea what the tree is, but I love it. It has big purple flowers on it that we saw when we first looked at the house. I can just imagine hanging mason jars with tealights from the branches!

My Man, tilling our new garden plot! Now we have peas and beans in there, I just hope they don't drown or get washed away from the downpour today!

Bummer

2010-03-29T16:02:00.000-07:00

I thought that I was so original with my decoupaged eggs...now I see then popping up everywhere. :(

Book Wreath

2010-03-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

I figured that since I was busy tearing apart books, I may as well do it some more! I have been seeing all sorts of cute book wreaths around blogland, and wanted to give it a go. I also am trying to incorporate more burlap, and this project was another way to do just that!

So, what do you think?

Eggs Revisited

2010-03-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

Remember these eggs? I told you I would get back to them!

It was a very long and tedious project, but I finally decoupaged all nine of these tiny little things! (They are about and inch and a half in length.)

For Christmas, Mr. B gave me a wonderful candle, and I already used it all up! I guess that's the hazard of moving into an old house, long neglected by renters...the smell was less than wonderful!
Anyway, I loved the empty container too, and this was the perfect project to use it with.

I ended up getting on a decoupage kick, and went ahead and did the same thing to this birdhouse.

I think they turned out great, and fit into my spring theme of eggs/birds/nests and houses!

Creativity...Finally!

2010-03-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

I have been fairly bursting with creativity these past few days....must be all of the sunshine that we are finally having!

I had a grapevine wreath that I love, but I needed it to make a bigger statement, so I got out the ole' glue gun and went to work. I also wanted to start incorporating some of the burlap that I have and this all tied in perfectly!
(I'll address the eggs in my next post!)

Notice that I finally hung some plates on the wall? My house just isn't really mine until the plates go up!

Here is a close up view. I love how the brown wood, green in the wreath, and my white ironstone look together.

Here is a teaser for some of my other projects....I may be overloading you all with projects, I have so many that I want to share!

Spring Decorations

2010-03-16T18:29:00.000-07:00

Finally took down my Valentine decorations. For spring I thought I would join the trend and use birds/eggs/ and nests. I always have to throw in moss somewhere too. I am almost done with a few fun projects. I'll share those soon!

Random

2010-02-25T10:29:00.000-08:00

My camera battery is dead.
I have not found the charger.
I put it "somewhere safe" so that it wouldn't get lost in all of the unpacking and organizing.
I have projects that I want to share with you, my seven readers.
I have discovered the first blooms here, daffodils! How bright and sunny, although they are in a strange place.
I am going to start posting more of my decorating photos and projects here.
If I can ever find my camera-battery-changer-thing.

More Pictures!

2010-02-06T10:53:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures of the house. The first is our entry way. I still haven't decided what color to paint the walls, but decided to start putting things up in the mean time. The light is high on my list of things to replace....well, just about every thing is high on my list of things to replace!
The other view of the entry way.

I decided to do more Valentines Day decor this year than most years. After all, I did miss out on decorating for fall and Christmas!
How perfect is this little space on the wall for my white shelf?

Here is my baking area. I love having everything right there. (Thanks Kristi!)

This shelving unit is here because 1.) I desperately needed more storage/pantry space; and 2.) I foolishly did not measure the dimensions for the fridge before I bought a "new" one!

This is one of my favorite shelves. I built it in 8th grade shop class and it has gone everywhere with me.

Coming Along!

2010-01-28T12:21:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to slowly make this place feel like home. New paint does so much! Nothing is totally finished yet, but it is sure looking better than it did!

Life in Boxes

2010-01-14T11:14:00.001-08:00

Out with the old...

In with the new!

Life is still a mess of boxes, but we are in our new home! The first three weeks have been one minor crisis after another. Good thing I am married to such a handyman! He has replaced the back door, replaced/repaired all of the heat ducting under the house, fixed electrical issues, gotten rid of sugar ants, vented the dryer duct out to the side of the house (instead of under the house like it had been), and I know that there are things that I am forgetting. I try not to think about how bad it was, but instead I am concentrating on how things are slowly starting to take shape. Being creative with storage is probably my biggest issue. There is no coat closet, linen closet, pantry, or utility closet. The master bedroom closet is shared with the bedroom behind it and all you can get to/see is what is in the small doorway as it opens.

This house is certainly a project house, but it has so much potential. The location is bittersweet for me, because I so miss our small town. However, it is great that we are so centrally located, and we have had a number of people just pop by! I LOVE that! We were also able to spend time over the holidays with family, and they were gracious enough to look past the chaos and see the potential!

I am so excited to see what spring brings. There are two trees that I am anxious to see what they are, and a huge apple tree that is right outside the living room window. There is a perfect space for a nice big garden, and once we redo the fence it will be a great big yard for the boys to run around and play in.

Packing/Moving/Closing???

2009-12-11T13:38:00.000-08:00

I really should not be on the computer.
I should be packing.
I had this grand plan to have the most organized, neat moving experience ever.
I failed to take into account two children, a crazed kitten, and a husband.
I am going crazy.
I have been packing/sorting for a few weeks now.
Emphasis on the sorting.
We have made so many trips to drop off at donation centers I have lost count.
We had boxes in the attic that haven't been touched in five years.
They are no longer here.
I am going crazy.
My house is beyond messy.
Boxes are everywhere.
I finally decided to take a break from schooling until the move is done.
Did I mention that I am going crazy?

How do you organize, pack, and sort without the house getting overrun with everything?
Packing is coming along, but very slowly. It's harder than I thought to pack with children, a kitten, and a bird. Guess which one of them is getting his two year molars? NOT FUN. Did I mention that all four are coming in at once?!? Grumpy Gus!!! Little G, Henry (the kitten), and Duke (the parakeet) have a love-hate relationship. All of which needs constant monitoring.
We have been here for five and a half years and added a person in that time. Needless to say we more STUFF than when we first moved in. I am trying to sort through and keep only what we really need. It is just taking much longer than I had anticipated. Although, it turns out that we have the time. Our first closing date was supposed to be November 19th. Didn't happen. Too many repairs to be done. (Thankfully the seller really stepped up and fixed a lot!) Next closing date was December 9th. Also didn't happen. Now we are hoping that we will be able to close Tuesday or Wednesday. There have been some pretty big hiccups in this process. At the time each one of them have seemed insurmountable, but God is showing himself faithful, reinforcing that this is where He wants us to go. :)

Looks Like We Might Get it After All!

2009-11-20T14:01:00.000-08:00

Looks like (if everything continues to go through) we might be able to close in about three weeks. There is A LOT more yard, but I don't have the good pictures loaded yet.

The living room isn't huge, but there are hardwood floors under the carpet!

Looking in from the front door into the hallway, and ending up in the bathroom. The carpet from the stairs will be promptly removed!

The kitchen needs some love, but it's not horrible as it is. One of the first things that will be added is a dishwasher!

Inspection Woes

2009-10-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

The house passed the inspection with flying colors.

Until she went under the house.

Disaster.

Not-passing-inspection disaster.

Still in 'negotiations' with the seller. Basically, we are waiting to see what she is willing to fix. As it is right now it won't qualify for financing. If she wants to sell the house you would think that it would be in her best interest to fix at least enough to have it pass inspection and qualify.

I am waiting to post pictures of the house until we find out if we will be able to finance it. No sense showing you a house that we won't be living in. *sigh*

House House House!

2009-10-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

WE GOT A HOUSE!!!

Now we just have to pass inspection, appraisal, and financing has to go through. :) If all goes well we will be closing at the end of November and be able to celebrate Christmas in our new house. It is a 1953 Cape Cod and has original hard wood floors throughout. We are so excited! We have to move back into town, which we are sad about, but being so close to everything and everyone will be nice. I'll keep you posted on the progress. Inspection is on Monday and I will try to take pictures so you can see more than a microscopic clip!

First Field Trip

2009-10-01T12:55:00.000-07:00

We took our first field trip this week and it was so much fun. We drove down to the coast and a friend-of-a-friend was sweet enough to open up their dairy to us and gave us the grand tour. We got to see everything from calves that had been born that day, all the way on up to the mama cows.
This is a Jersey cow. They have a higher fat content to their milk...believe it or not, this is a good thing!

These are Holstein cows, they produce much more milk than the Jerseys, but have lower fat content. (See this mama learned a lot too!)

They have everything so clean and state of the art. They track which cow gave which milk, and what the quality of everything is. We got to see what they fed the cows, where they went to spend the last two months before they "freshened" (had their babies) and where they labored. Those poor mamas looked so uncomfortable! Wouldn't you be?

After the dairy we went to to the cheese factory to see where their milk was delivered and watch it being turned into cheese. At this point the boys were pretty spent so we didn't stay very long. I did, however, get my white licorice ice cream!!!

It was just a great trip and I think it was a huge success! Plus we were able to do it all with some great friends that we haven't seen in way too long.

Still Here (again)

2009-09-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

Still here.

Still house hunting.

Homeschooling.

Hanging in there.

Will post soon!

Family Fourth Fun, Pt.1

2009-07-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

Just some of my family that we celebrated the Fourth of July with. We had so much fun being together we didn't even mind the weather. Actually there were some of us who preferred it that way!

My youngest sister, C, with my step-dad in the background and the ever present camera in action!

My other little sister, W, who leaves us for college in the fall! So very proud of her!

My youngest, yet tallest brother, J, and my smallest boy.

My Man, totally in his element. He grew up at the beach and it is such a part of who he is. He misses it every day.

My boys, how I love them!

Whole Lotta Nothin'

2009-07-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

Gosh, has it been almost a month since my last post!?! I can not believe how fast the time has gone by. We have been really busy as a family, but other than a very fun trip to my aunts house at the beach there has not been anything really exciting sine I last wrote. Unfortunately I have filled my computer up with tons of photos and it won't hold more right now. When I get that situation figured out I will post some pictures of our fun filled Forth of July trip.

As far as the house hunt goes I think we may have found one. Not the one from the last post though. Out of 10 offers ours was second best. So obviously God didn't intend that one for us. I'll try to do a better job of updating this and fill everyone in on the current house that we are looking into.

So, once again this is a no picture post. Hope to remedy that very soon though!

Houses and Prayer

2009-06-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

I usually try to have pictures in a post, and have them be fun and kind of on the surface. I really don't know everyone who reads this and I am trying not to be a downer. However, I am really struggling right now and need an outlet, so here you go...
Just before My Man and I got married (almost 13 years ago!) I was able to purchase a manufactured home in a park. It seemed wonderful and was so spacious. We lived right next door to our church and were able to open it up and have youth group activities and even Sunday school classes there. We felt fortunate that we didn't have to begin our marriage in an apartment. We lived in it for seven years and had our first baby there. We have a lot of great memories there. Unfortunately during that time we discovered that it was making me very sick. I wasn't able to hold down jobs and it made finances very difficult. Our marriage suffered. It was also starting to make our son sick. It had decreased in value over 50% and we had no hope of selling it to have a down payment for anything else.
Very long story short, we have been out of it for almost six years now, and thankfully both Mr B and I have recovered. We had to work really hard to climb our way out of debt, preparing for the day that we could buy our first place together. Being a stay at home mom limits our budget to one income. I am in no way complaining. I feel so very fortunate to have that privilege. It does place restrictions on what we can afford, though. Last November we decided that it was finally time to start looking to buy a house. We have seen many houses (thanks Amie!) and I have literally spent countless hours on the internet researching, looking, and dreaming. Thankfully My Man and I have the same dream. Land. Garden. Animals. Room for the boys to run. Room for us to breathe. To live as much off the grid as we can. To be a safe haven.
We have gotten all of our financing in place (boy was that a great feeling!) and have even made two offers, both rejected. We realize that we can't afford all of the land that we want, and that we will need to adjust our expectations a bit. It's just that every place that we have looked at felt like we were settling, I mean, really settling. Except for one. A tiny little place on just under 3/4 an acre. We first looked at it in January, but looking back in my journal I had mentioned it back in December. It needed too much work to qualify for the financing that we have so we moved on. Six months later, after it being on and off, and on the market again we went back to see it. They have done a lot to it. It is by no means perfect, and may have things that have to be fixed right away after we get it. We know that. Every earthly dwelling is just that, an earthly dwelling. Our true home waits for us and will never need repairs. It will be beyond anything that we could have imagined. I know that. I am excited for that.
We placed our offer and will have to wait until next week to hear if it is accepted or not. There are multiple offers on it and they are waiting until Monday to submit them all.
Here is my struggle: I know that God is in control, but are my desires the same as His plan? Do we deserve to buy a house, to have our dream? I know in my head that if we don't get this house there will be others. That it is part of His plan. That He may be sparing us from something unforeseen. My heart has a hard time catching up to my head.
I also know that He has already greatly blessed us. My Man has a job, we are healthy, and we are together. We are a family of four, something we didn't know would be able to happen a few years ago. I am thankful. I war with myself.
So prayers would be appreciated. Some of you may be thinking: 'come on! It's just a house!!!' It is, but it is also so much more.

Wow, if you made it this far, thank you!

Beach, part 2

2009-06-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

Kristi

Leah

Heidi and Christine

Amie and I

Beach Trip!!!

2009-06-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

My computer is not letting me post pictures very well, so this is a two part post!

Our crazy girls who thought that is was a great idea to jump in the freezing water!

Kristi, Leah, and Amie

Zoo Field Trip

2009-05-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

On Monday My Man and I were able to chaperon Mr B's zoo field trip. They broke us up into groups so we wandered around with one other kid and explored the zoo.The weather was supposed to be socked-in rain but it ended up being beautiful. The forecast actually kept people away so it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves!

Earlier in the month they had all of the kids tie dye shirts and wear them at the zoo.What a great idea, we could spot them a mile away!

Last Sunday

2009-05-08T13:37:00.000-07:00

The weather decided to be unexpectedly beautiful so we skipped out on church and decided to go to the dam and fish hatchery. It's a bit of a drive for us so Baby G conked out on the way there and was nice and rested up for our visit!

An old turbine

Building a new one

The hatchery, beautiful campus, and historical buildings!

Herman the sturgeon (He was HUGE and totally creeped me out. However, all three of the boys loved him. Ick!)

Quite possibly my favorite photo of my men!

Retrieval of the Frisbee

2009-05-01T07:53:00.001-07:00

What happens when My Man and Mr B are playing frisbee and it accidentally lands on the roof? Complete terror as Mr B is sent up on said roof to retrieve it.

(This whole process took over half an hour.)

Our Time Out in the Sun Yesterday

2009-04-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun out in the sun yesterday! Unfortunately most of the time was when Mr B was in school, but here are some pictures of our time outside.

Raspberries

(I had fun playing with the pictures after I uploaded them.)

Japanese pear blossoms

More Japanese pear blooms

Intent on dandelions

Helping Daddy

An ever-present ball in hand

What We Have Been Up To-

2009-04-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

From the eldest to the youngest! My man roasts his own coffee. He gets rave reviews and has even thought of trying it as a side business. He has been doing it for over a year now, and it just gets better all the time.

I have been working on some more jewelry designs. I did get some potentially bad news though. The farmers market where I was hoping to sell at this summer is changing their rules and all "craft items" have to be garden or agricultural related. I am still going to apply, but it may not happen. However, I do get a steady trickle of orders in, just by word of mouth and my devoted friends!

Mr B's class just did tie-dying, and I was asked to photograph them. It was great weather for it and I enjoyed myself as much as the kids did!

Baby G is just busy every day playing and signing away! His favorite toys are balls, stuffed animals, books, and cars. Very much a little boy. It so adorable to hear him say 'ball' and to make car noises! He is getting so big, so quickly!

Bloomin' Around Here!

2009-04-08T10:53:00.000-07:00

Just some pictures of our plants and flowers that are starting to bloom! It is so pretty and the air smells so good!

My Silly Little Boy

2009-04-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

Notice a pattern? For some reason Baby G seems to think that it is necessary to remove his right sock during nap time. Took me a few times before I noticed the pattern, but this has been going on for a while now!

My Boys

2009-03-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

Mr. B had a huge project for school about extreme weather. He was to include a title that stood out, the definition of the type of weather that he chose, two interesting facts, and at least one picture. It was to be very neat, and the writing had to be in black ink. He was to present it to his class and tell all that was on it. She said that it was to be well rehearsed. I thought it was a bit much to ask for 1st graders, but he did an amazing job on it. He even won an award for it! Whew! He has caught up a whole year in his reading and is still doing a great job in math, science, and problem solving.

Baby G is growing like a weed, I can hardly keep him in clothes that fit! His signing is just taking off and he can sign about 15 words. His spoken vocabulary is not very extensive, but he babbles and chatters all day long as well as making all of the typical boy sounds, like shooting and car engine sounds... His spoken vocab consists of: ball, mama, daddy, book, no-no, bye-bye, and he can mimic intonations of just about every thing we say. His sign vocab consists of: ball, more, please, thank you, milk, want, eat, thirsty, water, all done, bird, clean, book, read, shoes, ...I know that there are more that I am forgetting. He can even link three together, ie: want food please. We did sign language with Mr. B, but back then I didn't know very many signs so we worked on spoken vocab more. Baby G has Signing Time videos that he loves and they are a great reinforcement. I always make sure to say the word that I am signing so that he will catch on to both.

This is please, it's kind of hard to photograph hand motions!

This is the beginning of thirsty.

All in all it's been a lot of fun watching the boys learn and grow in their respective stages. Thankfully major illnesses have been at bay for a number of weeks now. All three boys just have a run of the mill cold. I am the only one that is healthy! (Knock on wood!)

Still Here!

2009-03-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

My aunt gave Mr B these motorized cars years ago. It's fun to see that the boys can now enjoy them together.

Valentine's Decorations

2009-02-14T17:39:00.000-08:00

Felt a little crafty this Valentines season, so I made glitter hearts. I was going to try to make a wreath out of them, but that looked awful, so I just put them in my apothecary jars! This first batch was a little too pink, so I made a bunch with brown and a brick red color.

Not too sure about the decorations on the white shelf in the background. It's a little cheesy to me, but I had started to feel crummy and just threw together something.

Oops! I forgot to crop this picture. Didn't mean to show off our gorgeous circa 1980 kitchen lighting fixture. Ugh!

It's easier to see the detail if you click to enlarge the photo.

Now, I know that you aren't supposed to get real bird's nests, but this one was more than abandoned, it had fallen right in the middle of the street and was about to be run over.

I had hoped to have family over, but we are so very sick here. I had to share with someone, couldn't let it go to waste!

Hope you all have a great Valentines Day!

The Haircut

2009-02-06T12:20:00.000-08:00

(This is the 'Where'd it go?' pose.)
(Playing drums on the toilet seat lid....freshly cleaned!)

I put it off as long as I could. I was in denial that my "baby" was old enough to need a haircut. Mr B was two before he needed one!

Baby G has very fine hair. He is 14 months old. He is always moving. Always. That is not the recipe for a great hair cutting experience. I finally had to stop 'evening it up'. I was afraid that there wouldn't be any left!

*sigh*

I did what I could. Thankfully it will grow out and look better, right?

Adoration

2009-02-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my sister-in-laws birthday. We had plans to meet in town for lunch and a bit of shopping. At the last minute My Man had a break in his schedule and was able to join us to celebrate his sister's birthday. Since there are only the two of them, and they had a rough childhood, they are very close.

She had her first baby in October, and it just melts me to see the love that this uncle has for his first nephew. Talk about a look of adoration!

Here she is doing some adoring of her own with my Baby G.

I think that the feeling is mutual all the way around!

Sickness

2009-01-21T14:28:00.000-08:00

We have spent the last two weeks being sick.

It's no fun.

We are still sick, Baby G and I.

We have mountains of used tissue here.

We have gone through two bottles of baby ibuprofen.

I almost posted a picture of Baby G's snotty nose.

Couldn't bring myself to do it, it's not pretty.

Many plans have been canceled.

It's hard to be the mommy and be sick at the same time.

So far My Man and Mr B are not sick.

Hoping and praying it stays that way.

*sniff*

Updates

2009-01-06T14:49:00.000-08:00

Mr. B has been taking a bunch of pictures with one of his new Christmas gifts. We were all very blessed and were able to spend it with family despite the weather. Lots of fun memories.

Baby G keeps me on my toes. His vocabulary is increasing almost daily and he has started to sign 'all done,' 'milk,' and 'thank you'. They are still not overly clear, but are totally obvious to me. He loves to climb and share EVERYTHING with us. Even if it is partially eaten food.

Mr B had a great three week break, and even though it was a week longer than we had anticipated, he did a great job of keeping himself entertained. He even practiced his sight words all on his own! He got a number of fun toys and great art supplies that helped occupy his time. It is so quiet without him home, even Baby G is walking around looking for Brother.

Nothing else really to report. Just back to the usual schedule and all of the adjustments that that involves.

More Snow Pics

2008-12-22T15:45:00.000-08:00

Just more pics of the crazy snow. We had three feet yesterday, and it's been coming down in spells again today. The big boys (My Man and Mr B) had a lot of fun playing out in it. Mr B was a great big brother and showed Baby G how to eat snow. They are both hooked!

It's been 7 days since I've been able to get out and I am going C-R-A-Z-Y!!!! Unfortunately we don't have chains for my car so I can't even take advantage of today' break in the storm. *sigh*

I did finally complete the Christmas decorations, maybe I'll post pics of those later. Still holding out hope that both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day plans will work out.

Snow, Again!

2008-12-19T11:38:00.000-08:00

The snow in action yesterday.

The same tree this morning. A lot melted between the two pictures.

Snow covered jasmine.

Snow covered lavender.

Snow covered rosemary.

Our feathered friends. (Can you see them?)

The snow is still falling and we are inside for yet another day. Little did we know that Christmas break would start three days early! We (Mr B) had a two hour late start on Tuesday and no school since then. It's pretty icy here and we have hills every way you go. I may have to brave the roads soon, though. I am running dangerously low on diapers. Desperate times call for desperate measures!

Christmas Decorations

2008-12-17T10:27:00.000-08:00

Just a few pictures of my Christmas decorations. I am not done yet, at the rate that I am going I'll be done Christmas eve!
I still have to make a new tree skirt. We always end up with a tree that is too tall, I guess we over-compensated this year!

What does your tree/Christmas decor look like?

Holiday Bazaar

2008-12-13T18:09:00.000-08:00

I have been so busy getting ready for this bazaar that I haven't had time to post anything. Too bad hardly anyone showed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY G!!!!!

2008-11-26T09:10:00.000-08:00

One year ago today... (please forgive the blurry pictures, our camera was less than high quality!)

Here he is one year later. He has added so much to our family. He sure keeps me on my toes, a lot more than Mr. B ever did, but he is so worth it. Dancing, walking, talking, singing, laughing, exploring....he is full of so many fun things and I thank God every day for adding him to our family!

Happy Birthday baby, Mommy loves you.

Copy Cat #3

2008-11-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

I (once again) stole this idea from my friend Kristi's blog.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both
2. Real tree or Artificial? REAL
3. When do you put up the tree? As soon as possible after Thanksgiving!
4. When do you take the tree down? New Years unless we're afraid of spontaneous combustion due to lack of water.
5. Do you like eggnog? No, but everyone else in my family does, well, except the baby! :)
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Toss up between books and music boxes from my grandmother. I have some REALLY cool ones. There is one that I bring out every Christmas.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My brothers
8. Easiest person to buy for? My boys
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, but I want a bigger one.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Well, one of them has to be a cheese board-thing made out of a squished wine bottle from my mother-in-law.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas, watch it EVERY year.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? This year I started in the summer, but I have Baby G's birthday thrown in there too!
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Corn flake wreath cookies!
16. Lights on the tree? Yes! White all the way, baby!
17. Favorite Christmas song? Greensleeves, I walked down the aisle to it when we got married!
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Both
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? nope!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Once again, both!
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Holiday traffic
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? White, silver, green, and sparkly!
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?Rotisserie roast
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Wii fit
26. Who is most likely to respond to this? I'm not tagging anyone so whoever wants an easy way to post a blog!

Fun in the Lid Drawer!

2008-11-17T12:41:00.000-08:00

Baby G having fun in the lid drawer. I can't believe that he will turn one next week!!! It's going to be a very full week for us. Baby G's first birthday, Thanksgiving, and our 12th anniversary! Whew!

Where Do You Draw the Line?

2008-11-10T10:23:00.000-08:00

Glass or plastic? Cloth or disposable? Vaccinations or none? Heat with wood stove or not? Formula or breast milk? (OK, that last one I had no choice, it was either formula or let my babies starve since I couldn't feed them myself.) These days it seems that every time I turn around something else has been linked to cancer or something else horrible. Where do we draw the line? It feels like there are so many more things to worry about this time around. Seven years ago when Mr. B was a baby I didn't worry about any of these things. (OK, once again, I did worry about the whole formula thing, but still didn't have a choice.)

I am at a loss as to where I draw the line. How much do/can I change and how much do I just let go of? I have very dear friends on both sides of the coin and I just don't know what to do.

In light of yesterday morning and the scare that we had with Baby G almost drowning I wonder if I am getting caught up in the worries of life and not living it. Have I lost the joy and innocence that comes with childhood? Yet I want to be the best mom that I can.....*sigh*

Here is a little reminder that there are still simple joys in life. Many hours have been spent playing together in this box.

More Miscellaneous Memories

2008-11-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

Here's another catch-up post!

The jewelry party went well.

My Spider and Little Monster. I thought that Baby G's costume was a dinosaur, but realized after the fact that there was no tail. He also hit a growth spurt between the time I bought it and Halloween. *sigh* Still cute, though! I made the spider costume for Mr. B. He loved it, and has had fun playing with it even after Halloween!

Our church usually has a harvest party but didn't this year, so it was our first year of actual trick-or-treating. It was a great way to meet the neighbors (after 4 years of living here.) Mr. B had so much fun and got a TON of candy!! Needless to say he has been sharing it with us. I am sure that the cute "Little Monster" that was accompanying him helped increase his bounty!

We were able to find a used Ergo baby carrier online (thanks Heidi!) and have had a lot of fun using it.

Colors of Fall!

2008-10-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

We took a drive on Sunday and saw some beautiful fall colors. We bought a bunch of apples and I am now in the process of researching apple sauce and apple butter recipes!

Last night I had my launch party for my jewelry business.....I'll share photos soon.

Fun with Daddy's Hat

2008-10-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

My Nephew!!!

2008-10-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law went in to be induced with her first baby and she and her husband invited me to join them! It was a VERY LONG process. This was taken after the first night, which for the most part was sleepless.

This was after the second sleepless night. It was eventually decided that she was going to need a c-section.

I was able to join them in the operating room!

Liam James was born at 8:15 in the morning, 7lb 12oz, and as beautiful as could be. The boy has LONG eyelashes and a full head of dark hair.

Holding my first nephew for the very first time. I cried as much as my sister-in-law did!

Saturday Morning

2008-10-13T15:14:00.000-07:00

What do you get when 11,000 women get up early to attend Women of Faith?

Ode to Starbucks.

Good Clean Fun

2008-10-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, after yesterday's photo I felt compelled to show that we do have good clean fun here. Baby G was in the tub so long that his toes got all wrinkly!

Monday Morning

2008-10-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

Enough said.

House Rules (According to Baby G)

2008-09-27T09:53:00.000-07:00

Crumbs and various other small items on the floor will be found and eaten, no matter how many times said floor is vacuumed or swept.
Diapers must be soiled immediately after changing.
Plastic lids and Mommy's make up brushes are the preferred toys, not those brand new, expensive, "learning" toys.
Waking up early is mandatory on the one morning that Mommy thinks she can sleep in.
Baskets of clean laundry are meant to be played in, especially when fighting a cold and face is all snotty.
Never, ever perform new tricks on demand to an audience.
Grow as quickly as possible so Mommy has to continually get new clothes. This will also make her say, "Can't you stay little just a little bit longer?"
Peas must never, under any circumstance, be eaten. No matter how hard Mommy tries to disguise it.
When Mommy is in the kitchen always pull yourself up her pant legs and cry to be held.
Just when Mommy is about to pull her hair out, look up at her with your best smile, or if being held lay your head on her shoulder. Works every time.

I will post 'House Rules According to a First Grader' a little later.

(Thanks for the great idea, Kristi!)

Venting...Just Warning You!

2008-09-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

I happen to love my son. He's pretty great. He is kind, gentle, compassionate, and cuddley. He is energetic, loves to run, and play basketball. He is a people person. I think that he considers just about everyone his friend. He likes to make people laugh. He is creative, artistic, and has a wonderful imagination. He loves science, and nature, and anything that involves his daddy. He is a WONDERFUL big brother.
Last year he was in half day kindergarten, and his teacher was great. She loved teaching, loved her kids, and made learning really fun. This year is a different story. My frustration with his teacher this year started on the second day of school. I asked her how the second day went, and she looked at me very seriously and said, "You really need to work with him on not talking in class. It's an issue." Okay, not the response that I was necessarily looking for. I thought that a little slack should be given on the SECOND day of school, but okay, we'll talk to him.

Over the past three weeks lots of little, and not so little, things have come up. He got in trouble for eating a granola bar in class before school started (kids can get breakfast at school so we thought that him finishing a granola bar would be no problem). He and another student were throwing straw paper wrappers at each other at lunch (this apparently warranted being sent to the principal's office and an 'oops' note being sent home for the parents to sign). During a phone call from the teacher (just checking in with all of the parents) not one positive thing was said about Mr. B. He got another 'oops' for picking another student up while in line. (Okay, that one I kind of agree with...) Yesterday he had to miss part of his recess for lightly tapping his neighbor with the back of his wrist and saying, "We get to be detectives!" (Apparently they were starting a new assignment where they had to discover things.)

I know that there are lessons that need to be learned, and I know that school is not for playing around. However, I also know that you can't expect a 1st grader to act like a 5th grader. There is a lot of maturity that happens along the way. I just don't want Mr. B. to lose the love of learning. I don't want him to live in fear that anything that he does may get him into trouble. Are they not supposed to have any physical touch at all these days? It's still the beginning of the school year, for pete's sake! I think that a little grace needs to be shown!!!

Anyway, my game plan is still to volunteer and see first hand what is going on. I don't think that she is singling him out, but I also don't think that she is giving any leeway either. I know that some teachers need to lay down the law at first, but this is a little ridiculous!

Whew! Thanks for letting me vent! Sometimes it's hard to know where to draw the line from being a protective mommy and letting our kids go through some hard lessons...

Another Catch Up Post

2008-09-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was my sister-in-law's baby shower. I made her a diaper cake and wanted to show you all how it turned out. The only bummer is that the bath animals kept falling off! I will have to come up with another way to attach them. Hopefully it's obvious that her colors are green and brown! :)

As far as the car goes we were able to join a credit union and refinance the one we have, which is ok because it's a great car. I was having mixed feelings about trading it in! Eventually we will have to get a different one, but not right now.

Baby G is doing a lot of firsts: standing on his own (for extended periods of time!); holding his bottle (finally!); looking through books instead of just trying to eat them; singing; clapping;... Lots of new things that are so fun to see. The other night I had some music on and he was dancing! It was THE CUTEST!

I have had a first also! I worked in our church's brand new cafe!!! It was so much fun, but I am nowhere near ready to do it on my own. I made My Man a mocha and he really liked it. You have to understand that this comes from a man who roasts his own beans and only drinks from a french press or some funky Italian thing.

Mr. B is still struggling in school. His teacher is SUPER strict and seems to have no grace. I am going to get on the volunteer schedule and see first hand what is going on.

Other than that I am keeping busy making jewelry for my preview party. It's at the end of October and is rapidly approaching! I am nervous about it, I hope it goes well! There are still a number of behind-the-scenes details that have to be worked out.

The Car Saga

2008-09-11T22:54:00.000-07:00

Oh, man, what a week...I have so many thoughts and emotions going on at the same time that I don't know if I can really sort them all out.

We decided to try to buy a different car for a couple of reasons. We wanted to try to get a lower payment, be able to tow a tent trailer, and have the third row jump seat for any of Mr. B's friends to ride along. We do have a great car now, but decided to look into a different make and model for those reasons. Hours of research and classifieds ads later we (I) found what looked like a great deal. So here is an abbreviated time line of what all happened:

Sunday- cleaned and readied our car; realized the place that had the "new" car was closed.
Monday- My man took the morning off of work to test drive the "new" car and started the process of purchasing it. The salesman lost our number so wasn't able to fully process everything.
Tuesday- Salesman ran some numbers and they ended up being more expensive than what we have now...no thank you! He said that he would try another option. Later in the day called and said that he had another family interested in the car and unless we wanted to put some money on it he was going to offer it to them.
Wednesday- Salesman called and said that the other family didn't buy that particular car and asked if we were still interested. We said if the numbers worked, then yes! He found another lender that gave us a MUCH better interest rate and the numbers were doable! Woohoo!
Today- My man got off of work early and we went to trade in the car and get the new one, all that had to happen was the appraisal of our car. Wednesday we were quoted a trade-in value by the salesman that we had been working with. However he was sick today so we met with the owner. He said that the most that he would give us ended up being $3000.00 less than the other salesman....
Needless to say we didn't go through with it. I am so frustrated, almost a whole week wasted on this mess.

On top of it all we had a MAJOR (extended) family incident and that has been very emotional to deal with. What a week!

Whew! Busy Week!

2008-09-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

This week has been a bit of a blur. We had a lot of fun activities to pack in before school started. I turned a year older *sigh*; we went to the State Fair; and did a bunch of yard/house work.

For my birthday My Man and I drove out to some of my favorite places when I was in high school. It's been years since I've been out that way and it sure is beautiful.

When we went to the fair for his second birthday, Mr B fell in love with llamas. When we went this year he discovered that he still has a great fondness for them. We got to pet this one for quite awhile and he was in heaven. Their fur is so soft! Thankfully we did not witness their legendary ability to spit! :)

How can you go to the fair and not try for a huge stuffed animal? This was Mr. B's favorite game. He loves anything that shoots; arrows or bullets (or nerf darts), the boy loves them all.

Our garden is finally producing. The weather this year threw everything off, but it's making up for lost time!

Frustration

2008-08-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

I love being a mommy. It's what I always wanted to be when I grew up. I have PCOS so getting pregnant was really difficult. Took two years for the first baby, and four years for the second. They both were TOTALLY worth the wait and I love having them. They are my pride and joy and even getting up in the middle of the night (STILL!!) is something I do willingly.

HOWEVER, I don't recall signing up for the completely distorted figure that I now sport. Being short with a very short waist I carried both of them way out front. Let me say that again. WAY. OUT. FRONT. I had ladies saying that I looked like I was 9 months pregnant when I was 6 1/2 months. I would volunteer at Mr. B's school and people would say things like "You're still here?" or "You look 10 months pregnant!" Nice, huh? Not that I am bitter or anything. :)

(This is the night before I had Baby G.) Backache, anyone?

All of this is to say that I now HATE shopping for a pair of jeans. If I get them to fit my waist then the hips an legs are way too big. Don't even get me started on the trouser jean. I look a mile wide and a foot tall in those...So going jean shopping with a 7 year old, (who is getting very open with his observations) and a cranky, horrible-diaper-rash-sporting 8 month old does not a happy mommy make....

Baby G's New Experiences

2008-08-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

We have been enjoying the pool these past few days. It's just a soft plastic kiddie pool, but it does the job. However, it is so stinkin' hot that we can't stay out there for long. Although it's not a whole lot cooler inside....For his birthday Mr. B got a MUCH larger one that we have to build a level platform for. That will have to be a project for next summer.

We also have a new trick here...Baby G has discovered standing. It's about all he does now. He is so proud of himself!

Pictures of My Life

2008-08-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

Little things that I see on a daily basis. It's not what I usually take pictures of, but gives an idea of what my life consists of these days! (And I love it all!)

Sadness

2008-08-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

A couple of things are weighing heavily on my heart today. The first is that my Uncle Tom passed away last night. He was a genius, literally. He was so very talented. I wasn't terribly close to him, but his youngest son is my favorite cousin and even though we haven't kept in touch as of recent, I still feel so sad for him. Honestly, it is always hard to loose a family member.

The other is a subject that I haven't touched on here yet. My Man's mother has made some questionable choices and broken more promises than I can count. As a result of our falling out she has chosen to ignore the fact that she has a grandson, not to mention even acknowledging the fact that she has another one that she hasn't even met. There is SO MUCH MORE to this story, but if I could just ask for prayer. It's even harder on my sister-in-law because she is about to have a baby and gets put in the middle, even though we try hard not to put her there.

Mr. B Turns 7

2008-08-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

I can not believe it, but Mr.B turned 7 on Saturday. We celebrated it by going to the zoo, something we have never done as a family. My whole family (minus one sister) and My Man's sister and her husband joined us and it was quite the entourage! It was a lot of fun. We packed sack lunches, had cupcakes, and watched the bird show on top of seeing all of the exhibits. We were all tired at the end of the day, but many great memories were made.

Life Last Week

2008-07-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

Nine times out of ten this is how I find the boys. Mr.B turns 7 (yes, that's right, 7!) on Saturday and his two interests now days are drawing/coloring and Transformers.

Baby G is practicing being on his tippy toes. His other favorite thing these days is carrying around socks in his mouth, just like a puppy!

VBS went really well. I had fun teaching crafts and the kids did such a great job. We had some great projects this year.

Getting ready for a launch party for the business......

The Lavender Magpie

I'll keep you posted on more info I have a web site, but nothing on it yet! So many little details that go along with the start up of a business.... whew! I just want to make the stuff, not be overwhelmed with all of the other stuff that goes along with it.

Photo Post

2008-07-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

More Vacation Pictures. We had so much fun and didn't want to return to normal life again.

Pears

Cucumber Blossoms

Lettuce Mix

Raspberries

Our second harvest, equally as much the first time.

Onion blossom, we are letting it go to get sets for next year!

As soon as I have my business card complete I will share my new name. This week will be really busy with VBS. I am excited to be able to lead one of the craft rooms. We are expecting around 400 kids this year! I will try to get pictures to share and keep updates on here.

Vacation

2008-07-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

We are house sitting for some friends who just happen to live at the beach...oh darn!!! We have had a great time just getting away and My Man is so happy to be back at his roots. Here are some pictures to "tide" you over till we get back.

One more thing, I have a business name, but you will just have to wait a little longer to find out what it is.....

Setback, Again....

2008-07-08T22:30:00.000-07:00

I was almost done with my business card and it was brought to my attention that there is an online business with almost the same name as mine. She just has one name added. I can't in good conscience continue on with that name. I am totally bummed, and even the other ideas that I was choosing from are taken, most as jewelry businesses. Am I trying to break into a market that is already flooded? What would set me apart? There are many questions. I haven't quite given up yet, but feel pretty disheartened.

Oh yeah, Mr. B has Fifth's Disease. Fun times.

Green Growing Things

2008-07-04T12:24:00.001-07:00

The front garden bed. I am not done with it yet, but it is a pretty good start.

Our "wall" of jasmine, just about to bloom. It is right by our back door and makes the kitchen and dining room smell heavenly!
I am in love with lavender. I have 8 plants of it, but spared you from all but my favorite!

Container herb garden: basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, cilantro, chives, parsley,two types of lettuce, and I know that I am forgetting something.

You can also see where the corn (by the white rose) and peas (against the wood shed) are in the background.
Garden site number one. It has blueberries, onions, around six different types of tomatoes, dill, and grapes.
Raspberries and the grapes that are hidden behind the somewhat tamed bushes.

Garden site number two. The fruit trees are asian pear and bartlett pear. The other garden bed has garlic, carotts, cauliflower, cucumber, spinach, and once again, I know that I am forgetting something....

Hope this post is not too long and drawn out. I know of a few specific people who would be interested!

Catch Up Post with Photos!

2008-07-04T00:20:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I was able to get away for a Mommy/Mommy-to-be weekend at the beach. Heidi, Kristi, Amie, Leah and I rented a quirky little house walking distance to the shore. There was a LOT of talking, eating, and laughing. There was even a little bit of shopping, sleeping and a few tears. It was a great trip and we have all agreed to try to make it a yearly event.

A few weeks ago I was able to be a part of a baby shower for some good friends, Tim and Heidi . I was responsible for the decorations and as a center peice I made my very first diaper cake. It turned out really cute and they loved it. It was a great shower.

I have been really busy totally re-doing Mr. B's room. It's almost done and I will share pictures then. Our garden is finally starting to grow, and the baby is sporting his first two teeth. I didn't even know that he was working on them other than the massive amounts of drool. He just started to crawl too, so my life is about to get even busier.

Pictures Coming Soon

2008-06-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

I have had a very busy past four days and would love to show you pictures of some of it. Soon, very, very soon I will be able to do just that. Just a little more patience. I have to figure out the new-hand-me-down laptop that I was just given!

One Word

2008-06-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

I liked her idea for an easy post, so I stole this from my friend Kristi.
You can only answer with one word answers.

Where is your cell phone? charging
Your significant other? completing
Your hair? long
Your Mother? friend
Your Father? away
Your favorite thing? bargins
Your dream last night? WEIRD!!!
Your favorite drink? water
Your dream/goal? house
The room you're in? living
Your hobby? creating
Your fear? loss
Where do you want to be in 6 years? country
Where were you last night? home
What you're not? tall
One of your wish list items? surgery
Where you grew up? Colorado
The last thing you did? bills
What are you wearing? p.j.
Your TV? plain
Your pets? feathered
Your computer? aggravating
Your life? process
Your mood? determined
Missing someone? husband
Your car? Outback
Something you're not wearing? shoes
Favorite store? Target
Your summer? open
Like someone? yup
Your favorite color? blue
When is the last time you laughed? yesterday
Last time you cried? 6/08/08
Who will relpy? ???

Can't really think of a great catchy title...

2008-06-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

I feel that it is time to post again, but I really don't have anything post-worthy to share. So I think that a random list type of post will have to do, again.

Yesterday the weather was nice and warm; today I am in a sweatshirt. What is with the weather!!!
Baby G is just about to crawl and I am not ready. At all. It's gone by way too fast and I am in denial. Still.
The adjustment to summer vacation is tougher than I thought. I am already tired of "Mommy, what can I do?" Totally unprepared for that.
I do, however, plan to do some schooling this summer so that he retains what he learned this past year. I CAN NOT believe that in the fall I will send him off to first grade. *sigh*
Greatly frustrated that my computer won't let me upload photos. My husband has no time to fix it right now, either.
Garlic and onions and tomatoes seem to be all that survived the continual downpour that was this spring. Oh, and raspberries. Wow! They are overgrowing the side yard. It's really too bad that I love them so.
Actually, it is too bad that I love them, I am allergic to them! (It doesn't stop me though!)
I have to get more fabric for the baby's quilt. I don't like how it's turning out. I meant to have it done a long time ago. At this rate he will be off to kindergarten before it's done.

OK, enough rambling. I am sure that you have more important things to do with your day, I must go fold laundry....

We Have A Winner!!! (Just Barely)

2008-06-13T23:01:00.000-07:00

Boy, you guys didn't make it much easier on me. All three names got votes. The winner was just a vote or two ahead of the others. It does make me feel better that those were three good choices. So, after adding your votes here, and polling "off line" friends and family we finally have a winner.... you ready?

Simply Andrea

Now on to the next step, hopefully things will come together faster now that the name is chosen. I need to make up a logo, business cards, advertising, inventory,.... whew! I am going to be busy. Thank you for all of your wonderful ideas and faithfully playing along with me. Be looking for more updates and hopefully, hopefully soon some photos.

Oh, by the way, many thanks go to Sarah for Simple Splendo(u)r; Jimmy (my brother) for Simply Andrea; and Kelsey for Magpie Collections.

Almost There, Still Need Help!

2008-06-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

Wow! I asked, and boy, did you ever deliver! I have a lot of great names to choose from. So many that I need your help again. I have narrowed it down to three choices:

Simple Splendor

Simply Andrea

Magpie Collection

I will keep this open until Friday evening, then (with your help) will have chosen a name for my business!!! Thank you for all of your great ideas. It was hard to narrow it down to these three!

Give Away/Contest/I Need Help!!! (Updated)

2008-06-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

I need your help. I would like to think that I am creative enough to come up with a name for my business, but I can't. I am totally stumped. Everything that I think of is already taken in some form or other. It is really very discouraging.

So this is where you come in. I need your ideas, and need them badly. To reward you for your time and brain power I am having a give away. If I choose your name idea then you will have the choice of either a necklace/earring set or a $15 Starbucks gift card. You will also have my undying devotion and awe! :)

I use sterling silver and gold filled metal. I also use fresh water pearls, genuine gemstones, and Swarovski crystals. I create earrings, necklaces, and the occasional bracelet. Quality jewelry at reasonable prices.

I will leave this contest open for awhile. (At least a week) I need your brain power, mine was eaten up by my babies!

**Update**- A friend of mine suggested that I give you some examples of what I have thought of that didn't work.

Andrea's Accessories - Eh, not catchy enough
Andrea's Adornments - Too close to what is already out there
Sassy & Classy Designs - Taken
Caterpillar Creations - Taken
Apple Blossom Creations - Taken
Anything that had Bead, Gems, Twinkle, Sparkle, Glitter,..... all taken in one form or another.
I thought of incorporating the language of flowers in there, but couldn't find any meanings that I wanted to portray.
I thought of butterfly, dragon fly, lady bug, or other "cute" bug names.... all taken.

I like the idea of incorporating either Designs, Creations, or Collection in the name, but haven't come up with anything yet.

Hope this helps get your creative juices flowing. I want to portray a classy but not uptight feeling. Quality jewelry but not snobby, you know?