Snippets

Almost a month ago, Jon and I were able to sneak in a little vacation, just ourselves, to Las Vegas. It was a much needed relaxing trip for both of us! We both enjoy Las Vegas because we're able to pack in a lot of activity in 3 days. 

We stayed at the Aria this time, and while it was nice, I personally loved The Encore much more. We had such a great time, but it's so nice to come home to our kids. 

Cameron has been a major sweetheart lately. We had a rough couple of weeks dealing with disobedience at the end of summer- and that wasn't fun for anyone. It makes all the difference when he's loving and kind to his sister. They even ask me to take their picture when they are being sweet and affectionate towards each other. 

I am fighting a major, major urge to put up the Christmas tree. Last year, I had it up a few days before Thanksgiving- and I will likely wait at least until then this year too. Partly, because its still pretty warm here- tomorrow is supposed to be almost 80 degrees!

And on that note, I will be royally ticked if we don't get any snow this year. We didn't get any last year, at all. In all my years of living in Kansas, I can't remember a winter where we didn't get any snow. Cameron was pretty sad to get snow boots and not be able to use them. This year, all Im asking for is one, giant snowstorm that brings several feet of snow. 

We are just a couple of weeks away from having our basement completely, totally finished (for real this time!). Last weekend, we had someone come build shelves (something I am completely and totally capable of doing myself, but I digress) in all of the closets and this weekend, we have someone coming to stain all the shelves, the bar top, and all of the trim. The carpet has been ordered and is ready when the stain and finish are done. We already have a movie line-up going for movie nights in the basement! 

I cannot wait for this space- my own little craft closet/office. Plenty of shelves, and a little desk for my sewing machine and laptop. My craft supplies have been taking over the linen closets for far too long! 

Kylie's Room

We've been at our new house a little over a year now, and I'm starting to make a little progress decorating it. All the blank walls used to bother me- especially after living here for quite some time- but I'm someone who has difficulty going shopping for things just to fill a void. I really have to stumble on a piece, unexpectedly almost. I'm finally at the point where I'm ok not having a beautifully, fully decorated house just yet. In other words: I'm content with slow progress. =)

 That's been the case with Kylie's (now finished!) room. Our kids shared a room at our old house, so the only thing Kylie started out with in her own space was her crib and rocking chair. I shopped quite a bit right off the bat for necessities like curtains and a dresser, but the decor and wall hangings have been slowly added in as I have made or come across them. As a result, I think her room looks "collected", a look that I love.


 Without a doubt, my most favorite piece would be the bookshelf that I almost gave up on. I'm going to be honest here and say, that if I were to do it again, I'd rather just gouge my eyes out buy the $400 Pottery Barn kids version. All that to say how proud I feel to have built and finished it, as long as it took. I hope that someday I have grandchildren that will enjoy this!

 

I love how the framed gallery has taken shape over the dresser. I've switched out the artwork inside the frames quite a bit- and I'm still not 100% sure I'm set on what's there, but I'm happy with the arrangement. Most of the artwork is mine, even the yellow flower picture (on the window wall) that I painted in High school that i dug out of my parents basement. (thanks for saving that, mom!)




 
 I splurged big time on the curtains for her room. Since she has a west facing room, and the window is over 10 feet tall, you can imagine how hot it gets in there in the summer (and, how cold in the winter months). I went with white panels from PBK with blackout lining- which helps quiet street noise and keeps the outside temperature from taking over her room. I searched a long time for curtains for her room (I even had cheap Target ones up for a bit- but they didn't keep intense heat out) and I'm really happy with the quality of these ones.



I drew the artwork over her crib after seeing this Etsy version (which was no longer available) and it's also one of my favorite pieces in her room. I think it's so cute! Kylie loves flamingos- one of her favorite stuffed toys is a flamingo named "Squawk".



 In the coming months, we'll switch Kylie out of her crib and into a twin bed. No fancy crib bedding here- just a plain ol' crib sheet. I'm currently searching for the perfect white iron daybed for her. I think it will go great in there, and a daybed is truly the option that makes the most sense in her tiny bedroom.

Lastly, we picked up this sweet chandelier at Lowe's the other day, and I feel that it really just completes the room! Jon totally agrees. It's funny how my husband who, being so "manly" and all is the one who often initiates purchases that involve pink, sparkle and princess. =) I love how special this room feels, and I think it's just right for her to grow into over the next several years!


I hope you enjoyed her room as much as we do! =)

Prayer seeking (once again).

Today I had set out to post all about our basement progress, to show pictures of our amazing tile we installed this weekend. I started writing the first sentence of the post probably a half dozen times, and each time deleted it. None of it seemed the slightest bit important or necessary in light of a tragic event that struck our family for the second time in months.

Yesterday, our oldest nephew Ben was killed in a hiking accident in Washington State. He and another boy (he was hiking with 3 others) were climbing a rock near a waterfall in the Snoqualmie National Forest (east of Seattle) when they both slipped and fell 100 feet. Both boys died. Of the two that survived, one stayed while the other ran over 5 miles for help- and once he reached help, he had to drive down the mountain to get into cell phone service range. Their bodies were recovered this morning.

I cannot begin to fathom the pain of losing a child. Ben had just graduated high school- he was only 18! My heart is breaking for Jon's sister and family, and also the family of the other boy, who was just 16 years old. It's amazing and sad at the same time to read their Facebook pages and see the impact they had on others. Please if you would, keep Jon's family in your thoughts and prayers as they grieve the loss of Ben. I'll definitely be back soon with some happier notes!

Back from vacation!

Hey everyone! We are back from a great vacation in Hilton Head Island! And, um... I'm back from a blogging vacation I never intended to take. It has been a great summer and it was awesome to end it on the beaches on South Carolina. I'm already ready to reserve the same condo for next year- it was that wonderful.

So, our condo- it was HUGE. Four large bedrooms, four bathrooms, a giant kitchen, dining and living area. I didn't really take any pictures of the condo but here's the fabulous ocean view that we saw right from every room in the condo. We had considered other places (that weren't beach front properties) but I'm so glad we splurged for this one, because when the kids were napping we lounged on our balcony and enjoyed the sound of the waves. We stayed in the Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort area of Hilton Head, in the Wyndham Court Condos.

 View of part of the property from our balcony

 The beaches, while not crystal clear or turquoise waters, were beautiful. We found all sorts of little critters washed up during the low tides.

Brother/sister picture FAIL. I could compose an entire album of these photos. 

Cameron had his first horse ride at the Stables in Sea pines. He loved it even though he wasn't thrilled to pose for a picture! 

Cousins picture at sunrise.

The sunrise- it was so pretty.

 Jon and I went parasailing- a first for both of us! 

                            
                         
                            

We had such a great time relaxing and catching up with Jon's sister and husband, and their 2 girls. It's nice to go on vacation with family- the kids had so much fun getting to know their cousins that they rarely see! We were also able to go for walks and bike rides after the kids went to bed almost every evening, since we all stayed in the same condo.
Hilton Head Island is SUCH a great place for families- but not so much that you couldn't enjoy a relaxing vacation with just a spouse. I could definitely own a bit of real estate there and spend every summer at the beach with my family. Maybe someday!

Kylie-18 months.

Im not gonna lie here, but typing "Kylie" and "18 months" in the same sentence is totally trippy. I'm not even sure how we got to this point. With Cameron, people would ask how old he was and I never even had to think about it- I always knew, every month. With Kylie, I find myself counting her months on my fingers (let's see, January, February, March...) and then being unsure of what I just calculated (wait... 18 months? Jon- is that right?). Life seems to fly by us so quickly, right before my own eyes. 

Kylie has quite the spunky personality, and is pretty ornery as well. Right now, she's a total girly girl (which I love). She is constantly bringing me her hairbrush, stacking colorful bracelets on her arms and loving her dolls. She thinks it's so fun to steal my make-up brushes from my drawer and brush them against her little face. She grabs like 10 bows and clips and wants ALL of them in her hair. 

And speaking of hair- I still can't get over the blonde! In the sun, it is sparkling gold. Had I not carried her for 9 months I might question that she is my daughter! And her blue eyes- she clearly didn't get those beauties from me. 

 At her 18 month appointment, she weighed 29 lbs (90th percentile) and was just over 36 inches- which was completely off the charts (edit: measured her at home and she was 34 inches- I think my measurement is more accurate!) In other words, it doesn't get any bigger! She looks like a giant baby compared to other kids her age, for sure. 

 Though her and Cameron have a lot of similarities, I think she might be, how do I put it... the more "emotional" of the two. Cameron is a pretty laid back kid. He is easy to reason with and I can stop a rare meltdown with him fairly easily with carefully chosen choices and words. I think Kylie might be a diffent story, though. She can be feisty when things don't go her way or when she doesn't like something. Occasionally she will throw the most hilarious and dramatic fits, throwing her arms up in the air and (carefully) plopping herself on the floor like "I give up! it's just too hard being little me, wahhhhhhhhh!!!!" It will be interesting to see how that all pans out, but I do believe she is going to throw us a curveball. 

I made her a fabric scrap tutu for the 4th of July- it turned out really cute!

She is becoming so fun- it's awesome to see her learn new words everyday and interact with her big brother. I cannot even fathom the possibility of her being 2 years old. It's funny, I'm anxious to see Cameron at 7, 8, even 12. But her- not the slightest bit. I want her to stay my little squishy 18 month old baby forever.

This and that.

Hey everyone! I hope you guys are having a good summer out there! We certainly are- and even though it's been about 600 degrees here (with no end in sight) we are still managing to enjoy it. This post is a bit long, but here are a few updates on what we've been up to!

We booked a family vacation to Hilton Head, SC! I'm super pumped about it, and even though the trip is still a little ways off, I'm already mentally packing my bags and taking advantage of some end-of-season clothing sales since my summer wardrobe is lacking. We got a great condo on the ocean that we'll be sharing with Jon's sister (who'll be coming from North Carolina) and her family. I cannot wait to take the kids to the beach and make some great memories.

I got my first photo yearbook completed and printed (it was one of my summer resolutions) and it was delivered to the house today! It's just over 100 pages and so, so beautiful. When I was completing my order, I had a bit of sticker shock over the price, which was around 90 dollars. Thankfully, I had a coupon that brought it down to about 60 dollars. I do think however, for what it is, it's completely worth that price- I've got about 400 photos over 100 pages, the paper is great quality and it's hard bound. I'd easily spend 30 dollars (or more) for an album that large and still have to print all those photos out. I'm all about presentation and I think these will look great on a shelf, as I add a book to the collection each year.




My cousin Amber continues the fight for her life in Intensive Care after her terrible jet ski accident. She is still on breathing ventilators, but has been able to speak fairly clearly and cohesively with the help of a trach valve- which is fantastic news because its apparent that her brain is well and working! She has her good days and bad days, but right now her biggest battle is sleep deprivation- as this prevents her from making forward progress across the board. She has had a bit of ICU delirium, nightmares and much fear over what has happened- and unfortunately it will get worse before it gets better since she still does not know that she won't walk again. Despite everything, she continues to fight and do well under the circumstances- and that's definitely attributed to all the prayer for her. If anyone is interested, there is a Caring Bridge site set up for her and her sister updates her progress on a daily basis.

 If you remember a few months back (Easter, to be exact) we got our kids a few ducklings. Our neighbors also got ducks at the same time, so all 8 of the ducks hang out together all day, never straying from the "pack". Though they rely on us for food, they dont really "crave" our attention like a lot of domestic animals. Except for our duck Howard. He was the one who, early on, got part of his upper bill torn off by a turtle. He has healed well and re-learned how to eat since then.

I'm not sure if it's because we "nursed" him back to good health, but he will abandon his pack to follow us wherever we go- down the street to the mailbox, in the garage, on walks, etc. He would be the happiest duck ever to come into our house, sit at the table, and watch TV with us- if only he were potty trained! He is like a dog, for sure, and the kids certainly enjoy such a loyal little pet.

That's all for now!

Prayer seeking

In my last post, I mentioned that summer was my least favorite season. Truthfully, I crave the quietness of fall, and the holidays that surround the colder months. But just last week I was thinking how great this summer is shaping up to be- we've been swimming a number of times, taken zoo trips, and we eat our meals on our patio more often than not (our neighbors probably wonder if we even have a dining table indoors!). The summer is early- but I feel it's going to be a great one.

But then, summer took a big hit. Last Saturday, my (Jon's) cousin Amber was involved in a very serious accident. Her and her husband James were riding on a jet ski and were struck by a boat. James has suffered many broken bones (including his ribs), but Amber is currently fighting for her life. On her third surgery in the 24 hours following the accident, the doctors found her spine to be completely severed and is unable to be repaired. She also has suffered heavy organ damage from her lungs, liver and brain. She is still on life support and without a miracle from God, she will never walk again.  
See me in the blue striped shirt? Amber is just left, in the black shirt and her husband James below her- (taken last summer)

I hesitated posting this, because it is very hard for me to dwell on what has happened. My eyes are full to the brim with tears as I write this- and at times I feel like I cannot breath- like I am having a panic attack. Days later I am still in disbelief as to what has happened. I consider Amber MY cousin- not one that I gained simply through marriage. She is beautiful and kind- and even that is an understatement made clear from the unbelievable outpouring of love on her and her sister's facebook walls.

If you would, take a few seconds and send a thought or prayer for my cousin and her husband as they begin a long healing process and new way of life, and also for their family as they are making decisions and dealing with Amber's trauma.

Summer Resolutions.

Ah, summer. My least favorite season, hands down. I know that I'm in the minority on this, seeing as how I've seen so many blogs & facebook statuses lately that have been all about a love of summer. I think what I despise the most is the scorching temps we seem to get in July and August- yuck. It just doesn't seem to end!  Despite that fact, I am determined to have a great one, and I've even made a list of goals- a set of resolutions if you will, to get me through. In no particular order:

Take more pictures. Over the past year, I've really neglected my camera and the amount of pictures I have (or, don't have) really reflects that. I need to get my camera out every day, and start taking it with when we go fun places. Even if it's just with my smaller point & shoot camera, I can't risk missing sweet and unexpected shots like this one:

Make yearbooks. This is sort of an extension of the last one, but I've got several memory cards full of pictures that have never been printed. In 10 years from now, I'd love to have a shelf full beautiful picture books that we can look back on- not a drawer full of memory cards. I started creating a book on Blurb for 2011, so my goal is to finish that one and get up to date on 2012. I don't have a lot of time to make every page look custom or fancy, but Blurb has great layout options and I cant wait to get it in print!

Book 2 vacations. Jon and I are just weeks away from celebrating our 5 year anniversary, so the plan is to book a (short) vacation to Las Vegas for the early fall. I am also dying to book a beach vacation (it's been, oh... 5 years!) for our family sometime next spring.

Play tennis at least once a week. I've been hitting the tennis court for several weeks now with my friend Kathy, and I really enjoy it! It's not much, but it's nice to get sweaty on a regular basis and I really don't have the desire to join a gym to work out right now.

Build a twin bed for Cameron. Building a bed has been on my to-do list for quite some time, but I (not surprisingly) have experienced a bit of burn out after building Kylie her bookshelf.

Go on 6 dates, seeing 3 new movies and going to 3 new restaurants. 6 dates is the easy part- but we tend to get stuck in a rut of the same restaurants or doing the same thing every time we go out. Some of the wait staff at PF Changs is starting to recognize us by name when we come in!

Finish the basement. The darn basement. We were going full steam in the months after we moved in, but cant seem to wrap things up down there. The bar tile is in and the countertops are on order. We're so close, but there's still a fair amount of work to be done.

Go to the dentist. Not particularly excited about this one, but I haven't been since I was pregnant with Cameron. So yeah, 4 years ago. Eeek. I've got to book an appointment and book one for Cameron too!

A fairly lengthy list but I feel it can be accomplished in 3 months time. Anyone else have any summer goals or resolutions? Or hate summer like I do? =)