entry #121

Dear Starbucks,

Thank you for making pumpkin spice drinks. However,
make them not so coffee-y flavored.
It drowns out the pumpkin-y goodness.

Dear Weather,

Thank you for being so beautiful and fall like.
I enjoyed you this weekend.
I saw a changing tree. It was hopeful.

Dear Hot Water,

Thank you for working this morning.
Where were you in my time of
need last night when I was fighting
my restless legs????

Dear Husband,

Thank you for letting me sleep in on Saturday.
I appreciated it. And for doing the dishes.
And for playing with the kids. We love you! Oh and
thank you for your effort to teach me how to
relax and be ok with not doing anything.
I'm sure I'll learn eventually.
Thank you for taking in
my lessons of not sitting around and
not not doing anything. We'll balance
each-other out soon enough!

Dear Fire pit,

Thank you for being our fire pit and for being so simple
and user friendly. We are gonna love you this fall!

entry #120

Dear Husband,

Thank you for cleaning up the floor after I puked all over in the
middle of the night and for cuddling our daughter all night
because she wasn't feeling well and had
a nightmare. You are a pretty great guy!

Dear Kids,

Thank you for dancing together this morning when you
didn't know I was watching. It was very sweet and warmed
my heart. You guys could have more 5min. moments
like that.... Like ALL the time would be great. :)

Dear Pie,

Thank you for smelling so so great right now
baking in my oven...

Dear Ingrid Michaelson,

Thank you for making yet another fantastic album...
Can't wait to learn all the lyrics and sing along.

Dear creators of Chuck,

Thank you for creating such a great show. I finally got
caught up and I have to say, you do not disappoint!
I'm excited for the new season!!!

entry #119

Dear first day of homeschooling my pre-schooler/kindergartner,

Thank you for going so well and for great ideas coming to
my mind. I think I'm gonna like you.

Dear Daughter,

You're so very smart. So smart I had to start kindergartner
levels with you. I'm proud of you! I had fun yesterday
being creative with you. It's fun that you love to do
the stuff I loved doing. It brings it back out of me.

Dear Husband,

You owe me a good night's rest. I don't like being racked in
the spine with your elbow. It hurt. And you snored.
But thank you for rubbing my back
whenever I'm having a difficult night. I love you.

Dear Comcast,

Thank you for bundling our internet and cable tv
for an affordable price. We've never had cable.
I'm excited to get it. It should help my problem
of hating most PBS programs and re-watching movies.

Dear Chicken Crescents i made last night,

Thank you for turning out so well and for being just what
I was craving! I appreciate it.

entry #118

Dear Weather,

Thank you for being so beautiful. I want the a/c's out
of the windows so that I can just enjoy you.
Husband says we should wait another week or so.
He might be right.

Dear Cinnamon Vanilla candles,
Thank you for filling my house with a fall aroma. It's lovely.

Dear Blog world,
Thank you for being full of inspiration I wouldn't get elsewhere.

Dear Lord,
Thank you for the peacefulness that has become me.
Thank you for transforming my thought patterns and
my heart. Thank you for for not being done with me.

Dear Christy,
Thank you for a great message yesterday. As I ponder
it today, it's exactly what I needed to hear to help me
re-focus and come back to that place of knowing the truth.
I look forward to your tuesday nights!

a great homebirth story...

the birth of tessa tangerine

entry #117 + some sneak peeks....

sneak peeks first...

we're gonna make a house blog soon.

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,
Thankyou for making such a beautiful hutch so many
years ago that I am now going to use in my home.

Dear Dad,
Thank you for bringing the hutch over today.

Dear father-in-law,
Thank you for installing lights and fans in our home.

Dear man at BigLots,
Thank you for tipping us on the sale that is in a week on
mattresses so that we'll save $100.00.
We like saving money.

Dear pumpkin processing company,
Thank you for smelling so good today.
It got me excited for fall.
25 days till the pumpkin festival!

entry #116

Dear Heart,
Thank you for beating and for keeping me alive. Please stop palpitating sooo much.

Dear Son,
Please communicate better somehow and explain to me why you throw away perfectly
good food. I love you but you can stop that anytime.

Dear Kitchen,
Thank you for finally being done being painted. You look lovely. Now to add accessories.

Dear unpregnant go-get 'em me,
Please shine through these next few weeks of transitioning into fall and routine and homeschooling.
I look forward to being you again. Cause you're awesome.

Dear Husband,
Thank you for cleaning up whatever that nasty nasty left over drink was in our son's sippy
that spilled out in the back of our suv. It smelled bad. You're my hero.

entry #115

Dear second-attempt light bulbs,

Thank you for working and for being cheaper then attempt number one.

Dear Husband,

Thank you for staying up with me and painting last night.
Thank you for not making bigger messes then me.
You're getting better! And thank you
for cleaning up my messes. I love you.

Dear Baby,

We are 7 months today. Only 12 weeks till I meet you. I can't wait! I love you.

Dear House,

You are coming together. You will be beautiful!
Do me a favor though... PAINT YOURSELF!!!
Better yet go back in time and stop the previous
owner (flipper) from painting such a horrid color on
ALL the trim.
Smoker-yellow is not a color!!!

Dear Daughter,

Thank you for making me laugh over how much you're
like your daddy. But you really don't need to be
just like him. Please. I might go crazy!

entry #114

Dear Husband,

Thank you for using that very strong latex paint remover
on our carpet and on the decorative glass above our windows
even though you burned your hand before fully reading the
instructions that said to wear gloves.

Dear oatmeal cookies i made last night,

Thank you for turning out right and not burning and being
sooooo yummy and taking care of my craving.

Dear Snapple,

Thank you for making strawberry-kiwi juice.

Dear blood removal and shot in my booty yesterday,

Thank you for not being as bad as i made you out to be
in my head. it's been a while and i really over-thought it.

Dear Sleep,

Please find me again.

Dear allergies,

Go away!

Dear kids,

thanks for being so awesome but please don't
drive me too crazy today. i'm exhausted.

entry #113

1. getting some small projects done last night

2. getting some errands done today thanks to my
mom coming over to watch the kids.

3. peach something smoothie from smoothie king.

4. family movie night tonight. we're pretty excited for hannah montana.

5. getting my husband's sketches framed and hung in the office.
he drew them when he was 12. i love them! someday we'll
get them professionally framed.... but for now, i'm just happy to
have them up to marvel at his artistry.

entry #110 - #112

1. getting some alone time with my hubby to

venture to galena for the day

2. munching on the best caramel corn i've ever had!!!

3. this book we found at poopsies...

4. making it to a restaurant we tried to go to 2 and a half
years ago. the melting pot. it was delicious and expensive.
too much so for the tiny portions you get. i could make a
fondue feast with that kind of money. that's how i think.
that's why i could never eat like rich people. i always like
what i can make a whole lot better. but we had a lovely time.

5. making it to a 10pm showing of 'time traveler's wife'...

6. staying in a nice room for pretty cheap in schaumburg.
if you go, stay here.

7. finding the kids their fall clothes at H&M. every
season we go there to buy their stuff cause it's just
so much cuter then stuff here and cheaper!

8. actually finding clothes i can fit into that aren't maternity.
cause i hate maternity clothing most of the time.

9. being able to shop without pulling kids along and pushing
a stroller and keeping them happy.

10. spending quiet alone time with my husband for 2 days.
it was lovely.

11. being who i am and loving my kids so much that i missed
them so bad the whole time. they are just cool kids and
bunches of fun! i could never be away from them long.
it's just not me. and that will never change.

12. getting an amazing light for our dining room at ikea
that we weren't planning on getting. it's fantastic and
the perfect touch to our style.

13. being re-motivated to work on our house before baby comes.

14. mutemath's new album

15. time-outs actually working for our son!!!
huge victory for a pregnant mommy.

16. hannah montana movie coming out tomorrow!!!
looks like a family movie night in the making!!!

the cocoon...

i made for cori....

i made up my own thing but i'll do my best to explain
here if you want to make one.

first i cast on 95 knits. i started with dark blue.
i did 5 rows before i alternated colors.
looks like i did 14 rows of 5 to the opening. then
i cast off 22 stitches, continued, then cast off 22 more and
from there continued my stripes to make a smaller square.
when all was done i had a large square with a small square on top.
then i bound the bottom and tied it off and then stitched
the small square on top together to form the hood.
then i sewed on the wooden buttons and made yarn loops
and sewed those on to hook over the buttons. and that's that....

entry #109

1. getting swim time in by myself at my mom's pool
cause she took them inside the house with her.

2. getting almost caught up on the episodes i missed last
season on Chuck.

3. my son always making sure his sissy gets the same
as him with whatever treat he's getting.

4. being 6.75 months preggo today. 13 weeks to go!

5. figuring out that if i take a hot bath before i go to bed
i can actually relax and fall asleep and my legs and
back don't hurt as bad.

entry #108

1. finding out that i'm getting a little nephew in jan.!!!
we are beyond thrilled!

2. finally finding fabric for our office curtains on ebay.
i hope the material is as great as it seems online.

3. feeling our baby move even if it is uncomfortable at times.

4. the pumpkin festival only being a month away from
this coming weekend!!

5. great weather. now i just have to decide what to get
out and do with my kiddos before summer is gone.

entry #107

1. having a great and productive weekend.

2. finding out tonight if i am getting a niece or nephew!

3. scoring the rest of the letter hooks we needed to complete
our little coat hanging portion of a living room wall.
since we don't have closets.
pictures to come soon*

4. my friend cori's baby shower yesterday and being so
excited for her and her husband. i can't wait to meet you
baby Abram!!! you are so loved already!!

5. my daughter's adorable drawings of our home. she loves
it here so much. as do we. :)

entry #105 - #106

1. the curtains i made for our living room finally working out!!!
i'll have to post a tutorial on them cause they're magnificent
and easy to make. that is if you check your measurements
correctly before you hand sew the largest sides.

2. getting all the pillows almost completely made
for our living room.

3. scoring more damaged-clearanced frames from hobby lobby
cause i'm going to make them pretty.

4. the office getting close to being completely painted.

5. etsy.com for fabrics. i don't know what i'd do without it!

6. being 6.5 months pregnant! 14 weeks to go!!!

7. getting the smallest electric bill we've ever received. i love this house!

8. my daughter's drawings of me with a round belly

9. my kids doing so so well with all the running around
we've been doing.

10. being so productive this week. our goal is to finish
soon with all the house projects before the baby comes.
so far so good!

entry #104

1. my husband staying up till 3:30am painting the office
a lovely shade of eggplant.

2. waking up to stormy mornings

3. almost finishing a present for a friend's baby shower
that's on sunday....

4. my mom coming over today to watch my kiddos
so i can have some mommy time and lunch with my
hubby.

5. my husband carrying groceries in for me. i think
from here on out, until this baby is born, i'll strategically
shop when he's conveniently around to do so. :)

when freckles collide...

i love love love this painting...


and want to win it....

entry #102-#103

1. buying our first tv. we've always had them given to us.

it's so fun to watch how excited my husband gets over
his new flat screen. i laugh cause it's only 32".

2. our awesome tv stand from target.
we got it 25% off! love a sale!

3. my husband's siblings staying over till 2am helping
me make our old dining room table into a padded
ottoman. i'll post pictures soon of how we did it.


4. transforming a $2 garage sale find into this...


5. my father-in-law putting our ceiling fan up in the living room.
finally we have air circulation!

6. buying a 9$ lamp shade from wal-mart to replace the rice paper
shade of a lamp that i had that my son mangled.
i almost threw it out!

7. being thrifty and finding sales or making things ourselves.
it's so much more rewarding.

8. finally getting my husband his own vehicle.
God is so so good. He always knows what we need.
i no longer have to drive 30min. to take my husband
to work and back if i want the car. and i no longer have to be
stuck home without a vehicle! we won't be wasting gas!
and adding another car to our ins. and switching providers saved
us 2$ a month. and we were able to buy it outright
so no payments! it's just so so amazing i can't even describe!
thank you jesus!

9. my son sitting next to me on the couch and leaning over to
hold me and wiggling his little hand behind me. so cute!

10. my daughter pretending to knit like me with two bubble
blowing wands and a small doll blanket my aunt crocheted
for her. :)