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!