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.

Date your husband

About four months ago I was organizing our family photos and I discovered something:

There were hardly any pictures of Greg and I in the past few years! Sure....there were tons of pictures of the kids. And a fair amount of good "family pics", with all four of us in the same shot.

But, pics of just the two of us? Not so much.


At least not like the pics we took while dating in college. When all we could think about was the next fun date we would plan and the next cute picture we would snap. Oh those were some fun days....

This last one still cracks me up!

So, I created a new folder on my desktop titled "Date Nights". The goal was to start taking pics of when we would go on dates! I loved the idea and couldn't wait to fill my new folder.

How many dates are represented in my fancy new folder??

Ummm two. At least two that are documented. I know we've been on more than but failed to pull out the camera!

Here's what we've got so far....

DATE #1

I did a post on THIS if you want the details.

We went ice skating with Santa! This was such a fun date...we felt like total teenagers!

DATE #2

Just last night. We went to a wedding and then randomly grabbed six friends to go watch the Hunger Games afterwards. PS--totally LOVED the movie!

Snapped these pics while going through the car wash. Why didn't we take one at the actual wedding or at the movies with friends?? 



Don't ask. We're a work in progress okay?

 The car wash pic is what you get.

***

Here's hoping to fill our album with some more over the next few months!! I have to keep telling myself it will be SO fun to look back on them 50 years from now.

I have a button!

Yep. It's about time. 

I'm moving up in the blogging world with my very own blog button! It took me approximately two whole days to figure it out. 

Here she is!

Not too fancy shmancy. 

Pretty plain and simple.

But, I like it.

***

And another thing....

I changed my comment section {below} so I can now reply directly to your comments!!

I know.

Totally just made your day, right?!

Rough patch

Kensie turned two and a half on March 6th. Just over a month ago.

She has always been a sweet kid. Soft little voice. Sweet giggles. Bright blue eyes. Loves to cuddle. Greg and I often wonder how she is ours. Why did God bless us with such an adorable girl?

However, the last month has been rough to say the least. Crying at the slightest thing. Constantly pushing Mason over and stealing all his toys. Fighting mealtimes. Fighting naps. Fighting bedtime. When you say yes, she says NO!

At first, I thought it was because she was tired or hungry or teething or not feeling well or, or, OR! I kept racking my brain for reasons. Why is she acting like this all of a sudden? Am I not spending enough one-on-one time with her? Am I not disciplining her enough? Am I disciplining her too much? Who is this child and where did my sweet Kensie go???

Then we went on vacation and I thought that would help. There would be different scenery and we'd be around lots of friends. More distractions might keep her occupied?? NOPE. It only seemed to get worse! We stopped at some outlet malls on the way home and my shopping was cut short when she threw the most embarrassing fit in public I have ever seen out of that little girl! Oiy. Greg and I were very calm and just held her hand as we walked back to the car in between stomps and screams. I was at the point where all I thought was "Whatever. I don't even care what people think. Let's just get home."

I came to my conclusion this week: 

She's just two and this is just a rough patch. 

Kids sure do keep us humble eh?

How to center your header {I did it!}

I was so thankful when one my sweet followers left a very helpful link on how to fix my header. Thank you so much Angie! You should check out her gorgeous blog...

Anyway, I'm passing on this awesome website! It has TONS of great tips and advice on everything related to designing your blog. This is my new go to!

Click HERE for help on how to center your blog title!

Our trip in review

Where to start!

Let's begin with this:


Do you ever start a family road trip with prayer? After the last bag is thrown into the car and you get the kids all buckled in. Do ever just sit for a minute? While you're still parked in the driveway, do you hold hands with your spouse and kids and ask the Lord for safety, for good health, for everyone to get along? Or even the tougher prayers....like asking God to do whatever it takes to draw your family closer to Him no matter what the circumstances are on your trip? 


MY ANSWER: I didn't pray and it showed.

That's right. Not long after we left the house things started going downhill. You see, we had this magnificent plan to leave around 7pm on a Friday night. This is usually when the kids go to bed. We suited them up in their jammies and blankies and figured they would fall asleep for the night. We would then drive approximately 4 hours and carry our pleasantly sleeping children into our hotel pit-stop before heading out again the next day.

Uhhhhh WRONG.

They stayed awake the ENTIRE TIME. These were not happy kids either. The later it got the crabbier they became. And the crabbier the kids got, the crazier I became. Don't even get me started on what happened once we actually arrived at our hotel that first night. Getting two children in two different pack n' plays to sleep all in the same room as their parents {they have separate rooms at home} when it was hours past their bedtime and they were overtired...it was a nightmare. And then Greg's phone went off in the middle of the night and woke everyone up. I 'bout lost it.

We still had a long day of driving the next day. To put it nicely, I turned into quite the bleepity bleep. And what was Greg like during all of this? Mr. Calm as usual. I'm so thankful to have such a calm companion in the middle of chaos!

The calmest moments in the car.

Needless to say, we arrived to all our destinations. It just wasn't the most pleasant experience. And I'm ashamed to say I didn't handle it very well. All I can say is I should have started out on my knees. Praying may not have changed the circumstances. The kids would have still cried. There still would have been traffic. I still would not have slept much all week. But, my reactions to all of those things would have been much better had I asked God to give me grace, peace, and guidance. Ahhh, pride. Always gets the best of me.

Stuck in traffic.

The toughest parts of the week:

- I hardly slept all week.

- Mason had a nasty cough the first 3 days and passed it on to Kensie for the last 3 days. Coughing ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT. Super fun.

- Road trips have never really been my thing. And road trips with little kids only makes it less appealing.

The best parts of the week:

- Being AWAY from the computer and TV.

- Watching Kensie ride a horse for the first time.

- Hanging out with friends from church for a whole week.

- Seeing God's work through the hands of people.

- Not having to cook.

- Family time.
- Visiting some friends on the way down that we hardly get to see. 

We did have a good time overall and made lots of good memories. Take a peek at our week!

We first stopped to visit our dear friends, Todd and Julianne. We see them about once a year {never enough!}. 

Their sweet little Jay is just one month younger than Mason. They were adorable together.

We had to drive a few more hours to get to the camp. Once we finally arrived, the kids were in heaven!

Someone definitely has a love for animals!

They spent A LOT of time swinging

A favorite "toy" for the week

Family walks taking in the views around camp.

First ride on a horse! She was fearless and loved it.

She kept saying, "I like a princess Mama!" Oh brother...

She would feed the goats all day

We did some work too. I mostly stuffed envelopes all week. That's about all you get done when you are running after two little rascals. Greg always picks the hardest jobs...like spending all day every day roofing!

My hard working honey! They finished two different roof projects in one week.

This was the last day. The wall has been hit here. They were both DONE. So I took them for lots of walks.

The best view ever.

One of the sheep had two lambs while we were there. Kensie fell in love with them.

Tennessee has lots of hills that's for sure!

So that's our trip to TN! Next time....PRAY FIRST Shannon!