This spot

right here...

is one of our favorite spots in our house.

It's a highly coveted spot.

A very busy spot.

And it always looks a little something like this.
Day or night.

Which is exactly what I had in mind when creating it!

Wordless Wednesday - Our Colorful Life

Life is about using the whole box of crayons.  

~RuPaul

Making me happy right now...

driving down Cherry Road to witness this breathtaking scene

cute $10 shoes for the kids from Target

adding beautiful greenery to our patio

 

 

this girl and her amazing imagination and creativity

this boy and his hilarious and CRAZY ways

knowing that my he will be here in a few weeks 

to celebrate his 40th birthday with us

going to see this with the family tonight

The Patio Reveal

I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for before and after pictures. I follow quite a few blogs that document projects (big and small) and always show before and after pictures. And it never fails, every single time I see these amazing transformations, I feel inspired to make my own transformations in our home.

Well, I'm so excited to finally share one of those transformations with you guys. Our new patio! YAY! I've looked and looked for a before picture that is a true representation on what we started with, but apparently we didn't deem it worthy of a photograph. And I can honestly say I know exactly why ~ it was UGLY! It basically consisted of a concrete slab with a good size dog kennel. Not very useful AT ALL. The first thing to go was the dog kennel,... and to think that we were so excited to have gain that extra space.

Anyway,  after a few long years of a very blah and way underutilized patio, last year we decided to revitalize it by expanding it's size and re-doing it with brick pavers. We went, picked out our pavers and chose the first week in June to get busy. Little did we know that the first week in June would be the hottest of the year, but we were determined to get it done. We hired Juan, a VERY hardworking man we found through my mom's old church, to work with Scott on prepping the area for the pavers.

I know I went a little arrow crazy here, but I wanted to point out the old slab, how far out we were extending it and Juan, our shy little workhorse.

So once the ground was prepped and leveled, it was time to start laying the pavers. Scott and I worked together on this and all I can say is holy crazy, hard, exhausting work, Batman!

After about 6 days of nothing but hard back-breaking labor, we finally had our brick patio. That alone was a HUGE improvement. And thanks to my wonderful in-laws, we also had a nice gazebo to place our table under and offer some protection from the sun.

Unfortunately, a fierce rain-wind-thunderstorm of the likes of Kansas took out our gazebo, leaving us once again exposed to the elements and rendering the patio blazing hot, sunny, and less-than-enjoyable.

So Scott and I talked about exactly what it was that we envisioned when we re-did the patio last year and immediately started doing some research.

And this, my dear friends, is what we ended up with:

Which by the way, is exactly what we had envisioned once upon a time, not so long ago,... a nice big cedar pergola. We had it stained and wired for lighting and a ceiling fan. I'm so happy to report that we are all totally in love with our new outdoor space and definitely enjoying spending a lot more time outside these days.

And just in case you were wondering, this is what it looks like at night:

Isn't it purty?

OK, so just so that I may have my very own before and after photos, here we go...

ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, here's our patio:

Before:

After:

 

Did I already mention we're in love?

I'm alive!

I cannot even believe that it's already been two weeks since my last post. Seriously, where does the time go?

OK, so we recently celebrated Isabella's best friend's fourth birthday party at Pump-It-Up. Can I just tell you how much I love watching these two play together?

Isabella & Hudson

Both his mom and I joke about them being betrothed to each other. OMG, wouldn't it be funny if in a very distant future they actually did end up together? How cute would that be? One thing's for sure, between the two of us we have plenty of pictures of them for the rehearsal dinner slide show.

We had a wonderful Father's Day celebration yesterday. We went to church on Saturday night so that we could sleep in on Sunday and spend most of the day lounging around the house.

Scott and the kids right before the opening of the presents.

We then went over to my brother's house for dinner with the rest of the family.

Apparently the girls were enjoying a winter wonderland.
Did I mention it's been over 100°F around here?
My Mom & Dad.

My boys.

Me and my brother Chris.

Other than that, we've been SUPER busy around here lately. For one, I've been working like a maniac on planning Isabella's upcoming 4th birthday party. The invitations are made and ready to be mailed. This year we're doing a carnival theme and I'm thrilled with everything I've got planned and in the works. I only hope it turns out as fun as I'm envisioning it.

Last week Isabella had VBS and Scott used some vacation time to work on our latest DIY home improvement project, and let me tell ya it's a big one. Probably the biggest one we've ever tackled. It involves working outside under the burning sun in 100°F plus temperatures and strategically placing lots and lots of these:


As you've probably already figured out, we're putting in a brand new patio. The good news is we've gotten a lot of it done and it looks awesome. The bad news is we've still got a ways to go. I can honestly say it's been a monster of a project, but we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and cannot wait to finish it. I promise to share more and better pictures as soon as it's completed.

OK, gotta go now, but I promise to be back soon. Until then!

While she was at school yesterday...

my Mom and I decided to pick up and redecorate Isabella's room. I don't have a before picture, and I can honestly tell you that if I did I probably wouldn't post it anyway. It was an absolute disaster. Toys, clothes, chalk, paper, crayons,... you name it. There was stuff everywhere. Quite the embarrassing scene.

But a little clean-up, a whole lot of organizing and a few scrapbooking supplies later (her bed and nightstand got a bit of a face-lift), it was like a brand new room.

(Yeah, the bedding was in the washer during picture time.)

All the work was worth it when we got home from school and she walked into her room. The look on her face was priceless. She was totally stunned. She was actually speechless, and this hardly ever happens!

She ran all around the room taking it all in. She really likes her little reading nook located right next to her overflowing bookcase.


She loves her "new" room. She's ecstatic and I couldn't be happier.

It's finally beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Alright, so let me just get it out there so that we can move on with this post,... I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry I've been such a bad blogger lately. Things have been INSANELY busy and when I do have time to sit, writing about the craziness of it all is the last thing on my mind. So there! I don't know about you, but I feel much better.

First order of business ~ the halls are finally decked! I'm usually one of those people who puts up the Christmas tree on Thanksgiving day or shortly there after. Nope, not this year. Actually, I'm embarrassed to admit that for a while there I had quite a Scrooge-like state of mind. You see, with all this uncertainty about my Dad and his condition/treatment and whether or not we'd be traveling to FL, I actually debated whether or not to put the tree up at all this year. I kept thinking what's the point? And then it hit me ~ Isabella and her fascination for all things Christmas that light up! She's the point! And although Sam's too young to know it, so is he! So as you can imagine, as soon as I had my little epiphany I got real busy.

This here is a view of our Christmas tree from upstairs. Due to my before mentioned state of mind, I kept the decor pretty simple this year.

This eclectic flocked pink little number decorated with everything from graceful ballerinas to lollipops to disco balls is Isabella's tree that sits in her room.

Of course, Sam inherited Isabella's old tree. He is absolutely mesmerized by the different color lights and ornaments. I'm thinking next year we'll have to "personalize" his tree for him.

This is our Dining Room tree which is the only one that's been up since before Thanksgiving.


*****
OK, so what else have I been up to? Oh yeah, not WW. I just realized that I haven't even reported on my WW progress, or lack thereof, since November. That's NOT good! Let me just be frank here, I have been so unmotivated lately it's ridiculous. The lack of self-control I have had in the last few weeks is a disgrace.

Pounds lost last week: +.2 lbs
Pounds lost this week: .2 lbs
Total lost: 24.4 lbs

So as you can see luckily the damage has not been as bad as it could have been and I have vowed to get back on the program ASAP. Next week there WILL be a loss reported,... I promise hope!

*****
Last Wednesday our friend Laura, brave friend that she is, hosted a Children's Christmas party at her beautiful home. It was all about the kids and it was wonderful! They got to decorate Christmas cookies, eat pizza and play for hours.

There was one itty bitty insy weensy problem ~ I did some major sinning while I was there. You know the commandment that says : "Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's ______"? Well let me tell ya, I coveted, I coveted BIG TIME! What was the source of my desire/sin you ask? Here it is:

That's right my friends, it's the 21 piece Willow Tree Nativity Set and it is as magnificent as the price tag is hefty! I was literally trying to figure out how I could discreetly stuff the entire set into my very small purse. HA HA HA. Just kidding,... or am I?

So I'm wondering, is coveting a "sin" if it involves something that is Jesus centered? Yeah,... probably.

*****
Today we went to my niece's 6th Birthday party and then to Alpine Village for the fourth year in a row. I'll post about that later because someone, who shall remain nameless, is hanging on my leg begging me to get off the computer. But before I go I do have to leave you with a funny from this week.

On Tuesday it rained and rained and rained and rained. And just when you thought it couldn't rain anymore you guessed it, it rained some more. Anyway, I was having one of those days when I wanted to call in sick for the day. You know the kind, right? I didn't want to change another diaper, or feed another mouth, or listen to any whining or do anything really. So as if I wasn't irate enough already, the dogs refused to go outside to do their business in the rain until way late in the day. And of course, when they finally did they tracked all this water and mud into the house adding one more thing to the list of things I didn't want to do, but had to.

Anyway, Mick comes back inside and heads straight to the water bowl. When it comes to water Mick can outdrink any dog we've ever known. So he's drinking. A lot. Nonstop actually. Isabella's in the bathroom taking care of her business. So I tell him: "Mick, that's enough". Drink. Drink. Drink. Then I say: "Mick, stop!" More drinking. Finally, I yell at him: "Mick! Quit!" Suddenly, the bathroom doors flies open and Isabella comes out, pants around her ankles and says to me: "Momma, is he killing you or just getting on your nerves?" Yeah I admit it, I laughed hard at this one. She totally changed my mood for the remainder of the day.

OK, gotta go now.

Good news and everyday randomness

Good News:

Well guys, we finally got the good news we've been waiting for ~ the Mayo Clinic called my Mom today to let her know that they have accepted my Dad as a patient, complicated profile and all.

My Daddy with his crazy wind blown hair at Shelby Farms
April 2008

We still don't know when we'll be traveling to Jacksonville, FL, but what we do know is that initially he will be in outpatient treatment. He will be going into the hospital on a daily basis until they decide his condition is such that they'll need to hospitalize him, which we anticipate will probably happen sooner rather than later. I didn't speak to my Dad directly today, but my Mom says he's in a state of shock, almost like it's too much for him to take in all at once.

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You for all of your prayers and wonderful words. God is so good! He has purposely surrounded me and my family with an unbelievable amount of amazingly caring people who have made this difficult time much more bearable. I can't imagine what it would have been like to go at it alone. Luckily, I don't have to. Have I said Thank You?

So please keep those prayers coming so that we continue to be filled with faith, hope and physical and emotional strength during our upcoming journey, which has only just begun.

*****

Everyday Randomness:

* My gas light lit up today and it only took $37 to fill up my tank. Yes, from E to F for $37.00. Say it with me people: Hallelujah!!!

* I know we're a bit behind, but we finally carved out 36 lb pumpkin last night. I can't believe I haven't carved a pumpkin in over 25 years. I had so much fun! Isabella picked the stencil we were to use because it had to be a "fwendly pumpkin, not a scawy one". Hey, it looks pretty friendly to me:


* I still have not made the necessary alterations on the kids' costumes for tomorrow night. YIKES!

*Our new countertops (and sink) are finally installed and I love how the kitchen looks. I like it so much I've given up on the thought of painting the cabinets, and that's a really good thing. I was SO over those cream colored countertops that showed absolutely everything. Hmmm, I wonder if I can count this as my OPAM for the month of October. Probably not,... Oh well!

Before:

After:Before:

After:

Up next for the kitchen: some under cabinet lights, window treatments for the eat-in breakfast area and a tiled backsplash eventually.

* We have a family photo shoot with the very talented Marci Lambert on Saturday morning and I am besides myself with excitement, although I do have to find a pair of jeans that fit tomorrow,... this is almost as miserable for me as buying a bathing suit. Ughh!

* I made this for dinner yesterday:
and it was easy and fast and actually tasted quite good. Even Isabella liked it and that's saying a lot these days. It's a Bruschetta Chicken Bake recipe from the Kraft Foods magazine. For my WW buddies out there, it was 6 points per serving, which is a cup. I had about a cup and a half and it turned out to be a bit much. Anyway, I've gotten the magazine for a while now and have made a number of their recipes. You can find this recipe here, and while you're there take some time to browse their site for fast and easy meal and yummy dessert ideas.

* While I was making our yummy dinner last night I overheard Isabella talking to the dogs in the living room and getting somewhat frustrated. The exchange ended with her sighing, walking away while telling them: "You guys are killing me!" Where does she get this stuff?

* And just because they seriously are "Really Cute", just like her hat says, I joyfully leave you with this: