Friday, February 26, 2010

last year...

we purchased our first home. we'd been living in a smaller bungalow type house of my great-grandmother's for about 3 years and before that, a few small apartments. so, as you can imagine, we have been thrilled to be home owners. this house is large and is a huge blessing to us. however, i am beginning to wallow in it's size and how many rooms there are to decorate.

for some awful reason the previous owner, a realtor (flipper), thought it necessary to paint ALL of the trim and walls a terrible 'smoker's yellow'. (as we so lovely refer to it as)

at the end of last summer we decided to start painting. i didn't put much thought behind colors, i was just so excited to have something of our own. so... we began painting.

and the living room became blue....


but first was a horrid teal color because i'm terrible at figuring out colors. so, we re-painted the walls with this baby blue that i still hate but decided i hated it after we'd finished the whole room. so... we went with it. these are very big walls and it took a lot of effort thanks to my sister and brother-in-law. the living room remains the same... a color that i hate....

however, i do like our decor...



just not the color of the walls. it's very limiting. i want to be able to incorporate more colors. my style is more eclectic i am learning. i can do matchy-matchy (as seen) but i don't like it. my husband understands my dilemma but really likes the way our living room is. however, i've convinced him to let me re-paint eventually and try to find my style. i've been showing him photos and explaining what i'd like to see done.

i was so pleased to see this post yesterday over at young house love. i showed it to him to further explain myself. i think he agreed...

i want to re-paint the walls a shade or two lighter then the couches. i want to change out some of the pillows to incorporate more colors. i want to possibly re-do the footstool (we made it using this tutorial, but now i am beginning to see how we could have made it better) i want to change out the curtains that i made for bamboo shades. and i want to put more art on the other walls. i'd like to find a round mirror to put above the radiator and we have some floating shelves that still need to be hung that will go above the right side of the couch.

the whole house is calling out to me but i cannot seem to get past my decorating block until i fix what i already did. and that applies to the 6 out of 10 rooms we did paint, starting with our living room... sorry jess! i am my mother's daughter... i just cannot continue with this ugliness staring at me. my fear is to move on to the rooms we haven't touched yet and continue this madness so i must first fix what i did wrong to learn what not to do... right?

so i wonder how he'll feel when he sees this...



love you, babe....

i know what we're doing this weekend!
i'll be sure and keep you all updated.


Thursday, February 25, 2010

365/55-56

I am obsessed with my kids' big beautiful eyes. They get their eye shape from me but they all have shades of their daddy's blue eyes...


her's have the tiniest hint of green...

his are a brighter blue...



they all have ridiculously long and full eyelashes...



her's are still that deep baby blue but darker
the other two have ever been...



Tuesday, February 23, 2010

365/53-54

Ever since having Olivia I have been wanting a good camera to take amazing pictures of my kids. I never really looked into it seriously because I knew the were expensive. Well, after seeing my brother-in-law's dslr camera, I really wanted one!!! I scored a Nikon D40 off of amazon.com for a mere $450.00 with an extra battery and memory card and battery charger included!
It finally came in today and I am beyond thrilled!

I just have to figure out all of the settings and how to use it. I snapped a few shots today and was quite happy with the results so I thought I'd share them with you here.






What do you think? Not bad for a complete amateur, huh?

I look forward to learning more from and being inspired
by these wonderful mommas: Tiffany, Shauna_Rae, Ree,
and this wonderful photography blog.


365/52




he wanted to hold his baby sister. so cute!





-posted via my iPhone

project 52:3

This date almost didn't happen. We were busy Friday - Sunday. We had a very eventful weekend. As mentioned in my previous posts, we traveled to wisconsin to pick up a minivan. What was supposed to be one night, turned into two because of road conditions. All is well though and we got home safe and sound.

We got home yesterday afternoon. We were exhausted. I got a little nap in so I was actually able to stay awake past the kids' bedtime in order to get our date in. Very little preparation went into our date but it made for a very fun date. I had read over at butterscotch sundae that they had played gin for one of their dates. I have never played gin but as a person who loves to play cards I really wanted to try. Plus, I was intrigued that it was a card game for two. We love playing cards and often play pinochle but always have to wait until his brother and his brother's girlfriend can join us. The only card game we play, that can also be for two people, is phase 10 and that i am sick of. I like a card game with a little more strategy. So, anyways....

For our third date we learned how to play gin! And it is really fun! I can't wait to make him play tonight now that we are a little more rested. We only got through one game last night.

We found some informative video tutorials online....


Our local Dairy Queen just opened on friday for the season so of course we ate that...


Then, we got down to business and tried our hand at gin...


Notice, I am not in these photos... I was present... I was an active member of our date but wasn't about to show you what I look like make-up less, exhausted, and frumpy. Yes frumpy. We broke a rule. But, we got over it and accepted each other as we were and just enjoyed our date. Lesson #1 - if cheating while on a date by wearing frumpy clothes.. wear oversized frumpy clothes instead of fat-hugging loungewear that you dug out because all of your other clothes were in the wash... it makes you complain the whole date about how fat you are and how badly you are in need of a work-out regime. oh and when feeling this way... don't eat dairy queen. it makes matters worse. tonight my husband will finally be downloading P90x onto my lap top per my persistent requesting last night.

Oh, and of course, I won! Good thing cause I was too tired for a re-match had I lost. (i'm just a little competitive...)

Lesson #2 - when unprepared... improvise! use a piece of scratch art-paper and your daughter's over-sized girly pen to keep score...

Project 52: Date Nights logo

interested? join project 52 at anytime! it's for any couple! (married, dating, engaged, young, & old)

Sunday, February 21, 2010

365/50 - 51







Ahhhh bliss! They are all sleeping! I should be too. I'm going on a little over an hour of sleep. Mommies don't get breaks :)

We are now the proud new owners of a minivan!!!! Feeling very parent(y) now. You'd think 3 kids would've done that for us by now ;)




- posted via my iPhone

Saturday, February 20, 2010

We have been blessed...

Yet again! Who knew it'd be possible?

We are currently in route to Wisconsin to pick-up our new (to us) minivan! We are beyond thrilled to have found a reliable vehichle for our family.

It's my grandparents' and they were selling it. My grandpa knows cars. He use to be a mechanic so we totally trust that this is the van for us. I was uneasy buying through the classifieds.

We currently have an suv that seats 5. We have outgrown it with 3 carseats smashed together. On top of that it needs some work. Since it's been paid off we just didn't feel that we wanted to put anymore money into it but would rather put money towards purchasing something newer and bigger.

I shared my concerns with my dad and asked for his advice in buying something now or waiting a few more months. He shared the same concerns that I had. Size, safety, money... But also going into debt to purchase something else. It's been nice not having any car payments.

We could do it and would have had to. We were fully prepared to do this. To buy a minivan. In a couple months... We couldn't find anything we liked! I ran searches on every model we looked at and they all were scary!

So we were going to wait. My dad calls one day and asked what I thought about my grandparents' van (his parents). We liked it and the mileage was good. No scary report. So we asked how much. He says it's a secret...

That night they surprise us by telling us that they were buying it for us!

WOW!!!!!!

We were/are shocked. We get a free vehicle! No payments! It's safe! And it's big enough for our family!

We are incredibly grateful to my parents for this wonderful gesture. Words just cannot express....

Thankyou! Thankyou for thinking of our family. Our future (financial & physical). And our safety!

Love you!





- posted via my iPhone

Friday, February 19, 2010

...

practicing with my tiltshift app. thought i'd share the results cause they are just so darn cute!








he has marker on his head...




-posted via my iPhone

365/49




What I hate even more then being tickled or shot at is being threatened with either. Just get it over with!

He had me nervous for a little bit until he shot himself. I knew I was safe then... He just looks like he has great aim and knows what he's doing...



- posted via my iPhone

Thursday, February 18, 2010

365/48




new iphone...

no more dropped calls (hopefully. still AT&T's crappy service though), missing calls, or having to answer using my speaker because it thinks there is a headset in...



- posted via my iPhone

365/47




i ♥ my girls...

they are beginning to look so much alike!



- posted via my iPhone

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

i appreciate...

a good laugh...

who doesn't?

for a little pick-me-up during the day, i've added these to my google reader.
my husband just laughs at me for the things i find humorous.

thought i'd share the laughs...

failblog.org - just plain hilarious

failbooking.com - some funny / some not-so-funny but actually quite disgusting facebook statuses and their comments

awkwardfamilyphotos.com - name says it all

cakewrecks.blogspot.com - name says it all

passiveaggressivenotes.com
- funny notes people leave places





anymore i should know about?

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

365/46










my day starts off wonderfully the minute all my babies jump in our bed to say goodmorning.

we snuggle. we talk. and we laugh...

it's seriously the best way to wake up.

all too soon the whining begins and my sweet moment of togetherness is over and i go downstairs to feed the hungry mob.




- posted via my iPhone

Project 52:2

I have been dying to tell you about our date from Friday night along with the difference dating eachother again has already made.

Everyone posts about their dates the following Tuesday to ensure everyone gets caught up. So, here's ours!

Friday, the 12th, was my husband's birthday and our valentine's. I had pumped for baby Faye all week in anticipation for our date. The longest i'd ever left a nursing baby was 2 hours and that was 2 years ago. The last real date we had was in September and I was uncomfortably pregnant.

Anyways, my parents and sister came over at 5:00 and stayed till 10:30! We had 5 1/2 hours alone! We didn't miss a beat.

We got to the resturant by 5:30 but didn't get our food till about 6:45. And what had been a quiet room, turned into a loud almost sports-bar-like atmosphere. BUT we were alone and that's all that mattered. The steak and the dessert were awesome!

We had tickets to a 7:40 movie 'Valentine's Day' so we headed over and got there just in time. We both were looking forward to stuffing our faces at the theater but were too full from dinner still.

The movie was really cute. It was a lot like 'Love Actually' but in America and about Valentine's vs. Christmas.

Our movie got out around 10 so we headed home but not without going through the Starbucks drive-thru first of course!






We were laughing to ourselves because no one would ever guess we are married and have three kids and that we haven't been out on a real date completely alone for a very long time.

In what some people take for granted, we find joy. We are blessed to have three beautiful kids to return to. Without them, dating each other wouldn't be as fun. And in putting our marriage first, it's made us (even) better parents and has made us appreciate being parents (even) more. It's a win/win.

Dating eachother again has brought us ridiculously close together in just the two dates we've had. We are having so much fun re-connecting.

Can't wait for our next date!

Project 52: Date Nights logo



- posted via my iPhone

Monday, February 15, 2010

365/45




a little Liam photography.

we enjoyed pizza yet again last night in celebration of my sister's 12th birthday.

i think we had pizza 4-5 times last week. we are all pizza'd out. but it was yummy!

happy birthday Mariah! we love you!




- posted via my iPhone

Sunday, February 14, 2010

365/44




i always wanted a big brother.
not sure why. there is just something so sweet about it.
and he is a wonderful big brother.



- posted via my iPhone

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Faye Louise is...




three months old!

she chews on her hands all the time. she is a smiley and happy baby. she's becoming a mommy's girl and i'm loving it!

we love you sweet baby girl!





*i'm taking her picture each month with a blanket my mom made for her.

- posted via my iPhone

365/43

i looked down at my bowl of animal crackers (yes. i eat animal crackers. i love them!)
and saw these two stuck together.


soo cute! i don't have the heart to eat them.

how appropriate with valentine's day being tomorrow!



- posted via my iPhone

Friday, February 12, 2010

365/42

happy birthday to my hubby!


she loves to write out j-e-s-s instead of d-a-d-d-y. must be more fun. this is 'night at the museum 2'


we made a jar of hearts for my hubby's birthday/valentines. each one has a special message or drawing. the plan is for him to take it to work and whenever he misses us or has a rough day to take out a heart and know he's loved.


and baby Faye just cause she's so dang cute!

we love you jess!

(saw the jar of hearts idea at aesthetic outburst. click on photo for link)


- posted via my iPhone

a little birthday laugh...

my husband loves to try
new workouts and diets
and has tried several.

i always support him...
kind of...

ok. sometimes i laugh so hard because he's so
tall and looks so awkward doing some of the
workouts he's tried.

i can't help it! i'm mean like that.

anyways,

if any of you have seen the show 'modern family'
you'll know that it's hilarious.

my favorite character is phil.

this is phil...


i laughed so hard...
(i'm sorry if you didn't)

when we saw that episode and that part
(granted it was 10:30 at night and i was giggly)
through my laughter i said that my hubby would so
try that if someone told him he'd lose weight...

so for his birthday his brothers and amy
(his brother's girlfriend)
got him these...




ha ha ha ha ha....


Thursday, February 11, 2010

365/41




surprised my Hubby tonight with a little birthday celebration.

i love you babe! it's almost your birthday! in 25 mins. :)


- posted via my iPhone