Beachy entryway!

It looks like my blue and gray mini makeover is starting to spread through the rest of the house!

It's no mystery...

I love the beach.

And I love bringing it indoors where I can enjoy it everyday!

I finally gave in and made my first paint chip garland--it doesn't get any cheaper than that folks! I was happy to remind my hubby that it cost us ZERO dollars.

After cutting each paint chip to the shape I wanted, I super-glued them to some clear fishing line. You could easily sew them together but I don't own a sewing machine, so...

I bought these blue glittery letters to use for Kensie's first birthday party (feels like FOREVER ago).

I'm so glad I kept the rest of the letters for a future project!

After playing "scrabble" for a few minutes I found a way to use the few leftover letters. I then super-glued them to some twine.

Speaking of "summer glow"--my pale skin need some. Bad.

Can't have a beach without some shells!

This beautiful print is by far my favorite piece. My sweet friend Tammi {she takes all our kids professional pics} made a whole line of prints that she is selling to raise money for their upcoming trip to Ghana. If you would like to purchase one visit her AVENUE 17 shop. They are in the process of bringing  their {already adopted} two young boys home to the states! If you are interested in reading their amazing story go HERE to read her blog. 

I don't know about you but Greg and I share the same middle name. Its called CLUTTER. We have a bad habit of letting clutter build up around our house. It's a blessing because we don't get on each other about the issue. As a result, we often let it go on FAR TOO LONG and wind up buried in our own stuff wondering, "Where on earth did I put those keys?". I'm hoping this little bowl in the entryway will help us keep track of our keys, sunglasses, electronics, outgoing mail and wallets a little better. 

So there you have it!

A beachy entryway that will probably stay clean and organized for 2.5 seconds. 

***

linking up to:

 

Loving {my} little years on mother's day

I am having major writer's block. I have typed three different introductions for this post and deleted all of them. It might have something to do with the fact that I'm DOG GONE tired from taking care of poor Mason who is at his teething worst. He cried off and on all through the night last night. And like most moms, my ears are the size of elephants, so any little noise keeps me wide awake.  I'm also blaming this lack of writing motivation on this gorgeous weather. I can't think clearly when all I want to do is get outside and sit in Michigan's warm sun today!

So, I'll {try to} keep it short.

I am a mother. A mother who loves what I do, even though I don't fully understand it at times. A mother who desires to model Christ to my children, even though I don't always know what that looks like. A mother who struggles with how to balance everything. A mother who trips and stumbles over my own words and actions. A mother who wants the best for my kids but sometimes wakes up hoping my kids will just leave me alone all day. Yes, this whole being a "Mom" thing is wonderful and overwhelming and amazing and trying and life-changing and just plain hard sometimes.


I'll tell you one thing....it sure makes me love my OWN mother even more--shes a Mom to five of us goobers. Love ya Mom!

Ryan. Mom. Gretchen. Lauren. Me. Katelyn

Okay. On to the book that I mentioned last week...

Without dissecting each chapter {I will pray you may all find time to read it...it's THAT good}, I will leave you with a section from Chapter 6 titled, "Heavy Branches". The first 5 chapters were a breeze. I nodded through every single one thinking, "yes, yes, YES!". But, this one was harder for me to swallow. I did not like it the first time I read it.

"Just what does being fruitful look like? 

...probably one of the first things you think of is Psalm 128: 'Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table'.

But the funny thing is that in this verse, the fruitful vine is not bearing children, she is bearing fruit. The children were all off her vine long ago and are responsible for their own fruit-bearing. She is just a heavy laden vine...the mere fact of having children does not mean you are a fruitful person. That would be like the apple trees calling it off after their first year of bearing fruit. 

But true fruitfulness requires constant, year-round attention. It requires taking risks. It might mean making a truckload of apples to throw in a ditch out in the country somewhere. It is funny to think about, but God does not tell us to necessarily be strategic with our fruit. We do not need to know what will happen to the fruit. Will someone check on it every day? Harvest the best to make a pie? Or will there be a junior high kid sweating around among yellow jackets trying to pick it all up--wishing that we were not quite so bountiful? What happens to all our fruit is not our problem. That doesn't mean that we are not to care about the fruit. While it is on our branches, it is our life work. It is an offering to God, and we ought to care intensely about the quality of our fruit. But the branches are our responsibility; the ground is not. 

But what does this apply to in real life? Well, think about yourself and about the things you do. Look at it like fruit. Are you holding yourself back on things, afraid that the end result will not be worthy of your labor? Are you afraid to fail? Is there some domestic activity that you would love to know how to do, but don't want to try in case it doesn't turn out? Are you afraid to try new recipes? Are you afraid to put energy or money into something that might turn into nothing? Do you think fondly of some day when you might bear fruit, but resist getting right down to business this year? Do you evaluate the necessity of everything, passing it by if it doesn't add up to be practical? Are you limiting the branches upon which you are willing to bear fruit?" 

--Rachel Jankovic 

Loving the Little Years 

[Chap. 6, pg 32-33]

 

Whew! That's a lot to think about, right? I could spend the next year just trying to answer all those questions in the last paragraph. Geesh! But, OH so good for me to read, digest, re-read, and hopefully put into practice.

Hope you are having a lovely Mother's Day.

I had a big chef and little chef who treated me like a queen today!

Because everyone needs to laugh...

My dear Aunt Gwen sends me forwarded emails on occasion.

Thought I would share the one I received today.

I don't know how your day went but after telling the kids to not jump on the couch 1,948 times today, I definitely needed a good laugh.

Enjoy...

{from a kid's perspective}

How to decided whom to marry:

You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.

--  Alan, age 10

No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to  marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.

--  Kristen, age 10

What is the right age to get married?

Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by  then.

--  Camille, age 10

How can a stranger tell if two people are married?

You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the  same kids.

--  Derrick, age 8

What do you think your Mom and Dad have in common?

Both don't want any more kids.

--  Lori, age 8

What do most people do on a date?

Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.

--  Lynnette, age 8

(isn't  she a treasure)

On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.

--  Martin, age 10

When is it okay to kiss someone?

-When they're rich.

--  Pam, age 7

-The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.

-- Curt, age 7

-The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to  do.

-- Howard, age 8

Is it better to be single or married?

It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need  someone to clean up after them.

--  Anita, age 9 

(bless you child)

How would the world be different if people didn't get married?

There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?

--  Kelvin, age 8

And my absolute favorite is...

How would you make a marriage work?

Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck.

--  Ricky, age  10

A book and a picnic

{1} A book I'm reading


I would not call myself a "reader" by nature.

I have gone through phases in life where I enjoyed reading more than others. But, I generally don't have make time to read.

That being said...I'm making time to read this book.

Source: visionforum.com via Shannon on Pinterest

I've had several people recommend it.

It's short. {A "chapter" is only 2 pages long}.

It's easy to read.
No fancy vocabulary.

It's written by someone I can relate to.
Some of the author's stories are ALL too familiar.
It makes me laugh.

I'm about half-way through and it's giving me such a refreshing perspective on my sometimes "mundane" mommy routines. I will be sharing more on what I'm learning later this week.

***

{2} A picnic with Kensie

Because I love indoor picnics and I love my sweet Kensie girl.

Mr. Calm {in a nutshell}

We took a day trip over the weekend to visit some in-laws.

I forgot to check the gas tank before we left.

About 30 minutes into the trip, I glanced over from the passenger seat to see this on the dashboard....

Empty.

Me: "Whoa. We better stop to get some gas at the next exit!"

Greg: "Nah. We got at least another 30 miles!"

That's my Greg! Always so calm and confident that everything's gonna be just fine.

And it was fine. We eventually stopped for gas...after passing several exits of course.

Not gonna lie though. I'm secretly waiting for the day when we coast to a stop on the side of a road because we ran out of gas.

It's only a matter of time Greg. Only a matter of time.

***

We did find some time to celebrate his birthday on Sunday too.

Pizza for lunch. A rainy Sunday afternoon filled with one loooooong nap. And a day off of work. 

He was even a good sport and wore the balloon hat Kensie and I made him. However, he refused to let me take a pic with it on. Everyone has their limits.

And that's ok. We love him anyway.

Happy 29th birthday to our favorite man in the whole world!

Week of the uckies!

We're all feeling a little crummy over here. 

Mason started it with his teething a few weeks ago which morphed into a nasty cough/ cold. I know, I'm totally blaming the baby of the family. Sorry Mason!

Then Kensie caught it. I always know when she's on the verge of getting sick. She digs through the box of winter hats until she finds her warmest looking one. She'll put it on and wear it for the entire day. It's like she knows she's coming down with something yucky and her first response is to bundle up! 

Anyway...I thought I was in the clear until last night....

Sore throat. 

Headache.

I could feel the mucus building with each passing minute. 

I then made a VERY POOR choice and took some NyQuil to help me sleep. I took it at 10:00pm. 

Mason woke up at an ungodly hour this morning and I drug my lifeless body out of bed, still feeling the full effects of the NyQuil. Boy did I regret THAT decision. 

Oh, and Greg has been working like nuts this week too! He came home around 1:30am last night for a shower and few hours of sleep and was out the door around 6am for another day of the grind! I only know this because he told me over the phone the night before what times he would be in and out. I have absolutely ZERO recollection of such events. I was probably drooling and spread out across the entire bed looking like  a desperate housewife.

Anyway, hoping to feel better by this weekend!

celebrating my birthday 2 weeks ago

We also have another birthday to celebrate this Sunday. Greg is turning 29 on May 6! I'm almost two weeks older. And for those two weeks my dear husband loves to remind me that he married an "older" woman. And I enjoy demanding more "respect" from him for those two short weeks. Teasing can just be so fun!
We're so mature.

So, we'll probably end up sleeping the day away on Sunday to celebrate after the week we've had. 

And that could potentially be his best birthday gift ever. 

***

Looking forward to summer

I'm starting to get really giddy and excited about this summer. 

Why?

You see, the last three summers have gone something like this...

July of 2009

Pregnant with baby #1--in the third trimester.

Hot {and I don't mean sexy}.

Sweaty {and I don't mean just a little}.

Extremely uncomfortable.

Feeling swollen, fat and incredibly sassy.

Counting the days 'til my impending September due date.

Overall, the most miserable summer I can remember.

July of 2010

Pregnant with baby #2--we had just found out but hadn't told anyone yet.

Feeling a little nauseous.

Trying to keep our {not quite walking yet} 10 month old from eating sand all summer.

Still carrying baby food, formula and bottles everywhere we go.

July of 2011

Happy to not be pregnant but still don't feel like my normal self at this point in time.

Struggling to nurse a 4 month old {nursing is not easy for me--read about it here}.

Feeling super self-conscious about my legs {you can't tell in this pic b/c I'm sitting down. If you have bad veins like me you know what I mean. The bulgy veins don't show until you stand up and then BAM! There they are.}

So all that to say....

I AM SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS SUMMER!!!!!

Sure..they are both still in diapers. And I'm pretty sure Mason will still eat the sand. But, they are both good ages to enjoy the sprinklers, kiddie pools, and running around in their swimsuits! There will be no baby food or bottles to worry about either! And while my legs are not "perfect" at least the bulgy veins are GONE.

Bring on the heat baby!

I'm ready for it. 

Just when you think you've had enough...

I posted a few weeks ago about Kensie's "rough patch".

Well, she's been doing better these days.

In fact, the tables have actually turned. Mason currently has 2 teeth coming in coupled with a nasty cough/cold. Overall, he's one cranky little boy. Just walks around crying for no reason. Follows me all over the house begging to be picked up and cuddled. And for once in her little life, Kensie is actually looking out for her little bro.

Maybe she feels sorry for him?

I dunno.

But, it sure is the sweetest thing to watch. 

She's been offering her favorite toys to poor Mason when he cries for no reason. She rushes to his side when he trips and falls. She walks up to him, crouches down with her little hands pressed on her knees and gently whispers, "Mason, you okay?". 

It makes me tear up just thinking about it.

{NOTE: They are currently napping. I'm always more fond of them when they're not all up in your business!}

Miss K is also obsessed with a new game she has learned recently.

She gets out her favorite stuffed animals, lines them up in a circle, and then proceeds to hunt around the house until she finds me. 

"Mama!! Come 'ere...come 'ere Mama! Duck, duck, goose Mama!!!"

This little game of hers is usually right when I'm in the middle of folding clothes, or checking up on emails, or changing the sheets.

Some days I say no and ignore her request, or talk my way out of it with some lame mommy excuse.

"No honey. Mommy needs to finish this right now".

But, sometimes I force myself to put down whatever I'm doing, take her hand and join in her excitement.

 And THOSE moments, my friends....I never regret.

***

Life with kids can be so up and down. But, I guess that's why I love it so much.

Just when you think things can't get any worse, they surprise you with something so tender and innocent and incredibly sweet. 

And when they do, your love for them just goes through the roof!

I won something!!

I've been following a very inspiring blog for several months now...and it's a good time to finally mention it!

Her name is Jessi @ Naptime Diaries. Cute title, right?

She's a believer and true follower of Christ.

Just spend 5 minutes exploring her blog and it's evident.

She is also a blog/web design genius and I'm always blown away with her creativity.

Anyway, I won a free 8 x 10 print from her etsy shop!

And I'm SO thrilled.

It took me FOREVER to finally decide on a print. Pop on over to visit her etsy shop and you'll see what I mean.

Genius, right?

I decided on this beauty {to be displayed in our kitchen/ dining area.}

The colors are perfect for my blue/gray mini makeover!

Thank you Jessi! I can't wait to get it in the mail and put it on display for all to see. 

Basement {phase 3}

Today is my 29th birthday. Right on the verge of 30, I know.

Age has never really been something I think about. Yes, it feels weird thinking how fast time can pass by. I feel like I was just in college. But, I never hesitate to tell people how old I am, even still. I hope I always feel this way. Adding another year is just part of life, why fight it?

Anyway....this post is supposed to be about the basement.



Besides letting me sleep in and making everyone waffles for breakfast, Greg is giving me two more wonderful birthday gifts today:

1) He is home on a Saturday. {If you are new around here...my hubby works for a family business that requires lots of Saturdays. We treasure the days we have him to ourselves.}

2) He is painting the basement!

Previous basement posts:

{phase 1}

{phase 2ish}

Here it is after the first two coats of white paint...

{phase 3}

One step closer, anyway.

***

Happy birthday to me!

7 more things you may not know...

Two very faithful followers have been kind enough to nominate me for a fun little award/ game.

Kate @ Discover. Create. Live.

and I've already mentioned Angie @ Beneath the Magnolias.

They are both very creative and talented young ladies. You will be inspired by each of their blogs, I'm sure of it.

Here are the Rules for the Versatile Blogger Award:

1. Add the award to your blog.

2. Thank the person who presented it to you.

3. Mention seven random things about yourself.

4. List the rules.

5. Pass the award to 10 bloggers.

6. Inform each blogger that they received the award by leaving a comment on their blog.

Seven random things about myself:

1. I truly enjoy going to the dentist.

2. I get my hair cut and colored as often as I visit the dentist. Every six months. My current roots are so grown out, it looks like the "ombre" look {gone terribly wrong}.

3. I've always enjoyed coffee but I didn't NEED it until after I had kids. 

4. Greg and I were each others first date, first kiss, and first love. {Someday I would love to share our story}.

5. I have been 6'0" since I was 17 years old. Hated it at first. Love it now! {It helps that Mr. Right is 6'3"}

6. I've always wanted boy/girl twins. What I didn't realize is having a girl and a boy 18 months apart kinda feels like the same thing. {Even though if you have real twins I'm sure you could write a book on how wrong I am}. 

7. My sole purpose for wanting to home-school my children would be this: I am NOT a morning person. {They will most likely go to public school though 'cuz I'm pretty sure "recess" and "lunch" won't get them into college}.


Nominating:
Jen @ Four Marrs and One Venus
Laurie @ Gallamore West
Heidi @ Honeybear Lane
Jessi @ Naptime Diaries 
Anne @ Hello Newmans!
Rene @ Cottage and Vine
Cher @ Life Design and the Pursuit of Craftiness
Bec @ Little Lucy Lu
Anna @ Ask Anna 
Vanessa and Heather @ At the Picket Fence

Take your pic and edit it too!

Today is April 19th.

Wanna know the first thing I thought when I woke up this morning??

Picnik is closing!!! Noooooooo!

I signed up for this freebie photo editing site not more than four months ago. Roughly around the same time I wanted to start taking more pics of just Greg and I for out "Date Nights" album.

I got lucky too. They had just started offering their premium use for FREE!

First time using Picnik--addicted right away!

And just when I was getting all comfy, they decided to close.

Booo.

BUT...

Today I started using a new freebie website!

It has pretty much all the same features and tools. Very easy to use.

And they are also offering premium for FREE right now. (Although I'm sure they will start charging soon).

First time using PicMonkey.

So, get on over and try it yourself!

***

*I did not receive any compensation for this post and all opinions are 100% mine*

I want you to know...

 This blog is a way to share inspiration, connect with others and record memories. Yes.

But, I want it to be so much MORE than just that.

I also want it to be REAL.


I don't want you to think I have it all together...'cuz what's the point of that anyway? It only makes people feel intimidated and unable to relate to a "normal" person.

And let's face it, we're all normal.

Some of us just fake it better than others.

I know, because I used to be a faker.

I'm still working on not being a faker.


***


So, I want you to know...

I am not perfect. 

I am far far away from perfect.

I often feel incredibly lazy.

via Pinterest

I yell at my kids sometimes.

via Pinterest

I do not cook meals every night.

via Pinterest

And if I do, I usually complain about it.

I do not clean my house every day.

via Pinterest

Except when the laptop isn't working of course.

I disappoint others.

I disappoint myself.

In short, I am a sinner.

BUT......

I am forgiven.

via Pinterest

I am treasured.

via Pinterest

And I have a Father who loves me...

via Pinterest

...more than I will ever know.


***


Decorating. Organizing. Raising kids. Being a wife. Cooking. Cleaning.

Those are just things I do. They are not who I am.


I am His.

I do those things for Him.