Because I never post pictures...

Actually, I never post anything. So, here is a picture of everyone dressed up for Halloween.

Isabella Sue

Our cute Isabella Sue arrived last week. We are doing well and are so excited to welcome another little girl into our family!

First Day of Preschool

I'm behind, I just skipped over our entire summer. Maybe one day I'll go back and update it (probably not). If I wait a few more months, my header will be back in season!

 I just uploaded some pictures I took today and figured I might as well post them. Alyssa started preschool today. She has been wanting to go since the older kids went back to school in July.

So, she was super excited that today finally came.

 This little boy wasn't so excited. He lost his best friend and was quite upset about it.
Fortunately, it is easy to get out of the house with only 2 kids, so we went a few places and he was easily cheered up.

Summer

It's really crazy that it's the last week of June and the kids' summer vacation is almost halfway over. It was about time the weather cooperated so the kids could get in some good wet summer fun.

Ahhh, the carefree days of summer.

On the Menu

Apparently, someone in this house really likes spare ribs...

Freedom!

I've put off moving Benjamin out of his crib as long as I could. But, Isaac is getting too big for his current bed and it's time to move him into the crib.  So, I pretty much had no choice.  Benjy is obviously loving his new found freedom and the fact that he can get up when he wants. I'm not loving the fact that he doesn't stay in bed anymore. Once (if ever) he learns to stay in bed and sleeps good in it, he gets to move in with the big boys.  Surprisingly, Aaron and Collin are super excited to have him join them.

Happy Birthday, Benjamin

Today was Benjamin's 2nd birthday. Since he and Alyssa love to watch Jake and the Neverland Pirates, the kids decided he should have a pirate cake. I have been watching and reading all kinds of tutorials online to learn how to make and decorate cakes. I also found some really great ideas for a pirate cake.

 It seemed like it was a race to get the presents opened as fast as possible.  Fortunately, he had many helpers.

 We love you Boo Boo and are so glad you are a part of our family!  Happy Birthday.

 And this cute little guy, just sat and enjoyed the action (and enjoyed playing with the leftovers).

Good-Bye

About 15 months ago, some of our best friends moved in across the street. Last Thursday, they moved away. My kids were heart broken. They stood at the door and cried as they drove away. Luckily, they are cousins and we will still see them, just not as often. The day before they left, my mom had a picnic lunch for the grandkids. It was kind-of cold outside, so we had it in her basement.

We are sad they moved away, but so happy about where they are headed. We love you Colette, Cole, Hallie & Eli.

Yummy!

Ever since making Aaron's cake, I've been spending lots of time online getting tips on baking. I put some things I learned to use and made these cookie bouquets for the sisters I visit teach. I love these sugar cookies and luckily only had 2 leftover to eat myself! I hope the girls enjoyed them as much as I did.

Baby Face

I made these cupcakes for my sil's baby shower. Tessie told me they were blog worthy, so I thought I'd share. I saw them online and couldn't pass up the opportunity to try them. It took pretty much the whole day to make them, but I think it was worth it. They turned out pretty cute and were quite fun to make.




Look at those cute little toes!

Found

Last week, the kids' toothbrushes started dissappearing. Each day, a couple more would be missing. I figured it was Benjamin and I thought I'd find them as I cleaned up during the day, but no such luck. On Friday, I started on a load of wash. As I was pouring, a toothbrush came out with the detergent. I laughed and looked inside. This is what I found.

The little stinker had put 10 toothbrushes in there!

Aaron's 7th Birthday

Aaron turned 7 on Tuesday.

He asked for a cake with the little yellow guys from Despicable Me. After searching online, I got a few ideas (and found they are called Minions). This is the first cake I've done with fondant. I'm not sure I love the taste, but it was fun to try something new.
I also saw this idea for cute little Twinkie Minions. They were a hit with the kids.
A couple of months ago, Benjamin slobbered on Aaron's Nintendo DS. Aaron tried to clean it under the faucet. It came clean, but needless to say, it was ruined. Apparently, we never had the "water ruins electronics" talk. Anyway, he was devastated. I knew then that's what I would get him for his Birthday. As soon as he opened it, he left the party to reunite with his dearly missed friend toy. Grandma and Grandpa Marchant also spoiled him with clothes, games, and an activity bag for our trip to Hawaii. It was a full house, but we are glad our family came to help us celebrate. We love you, Aaron!

Saturday Project: Dandelion Wall Art

I did all my Saturday jobs yesterday (Friday), so I could have time to do what I wanted today. I chose this project. Heather and I saw these at Bed Bath and Beyond. But, since the set is kind-of pricey, we came up with our own affordable version.

I'm quite happy with the way it turned out. And, I saved about 75% doing it myself!

Remodel Complete!

After owning this house for almost 10 years, we have finally finished all of our home remodeling projects (and we have a final inspection report to prove it)! I'm pretty sure we started painting the day we closed on the house and have had projects, big and small, ever since. I finished my list of inside projects a few weeks before Isaac arrived. I was seriously bored out of my mind for those weeks in between. It's a good thing he came when he did and gave me something to do!

I usually have a hard time thinking of things to write when I blog, but when it comes to home improvement, I've got lots to talk about! Since some of you can't come see, I'll show you (with lots of pictures). Here are the changes we have made. Enjoy!

The kitchen! This was actually our second redo of our kitchen. It was one of the first things we redid when we bought the house. But, it was always small and as our family got bigger, we realized we needed more space. So, we tore out the wall behind the couch and turned the frontroom into part of the kitchen. The bar is where the couch used to be. I wish I had a better before picture of the kitchen. The wall behind the baby chair is the wall we took out. The stove is where the table once was.

This first picture is taken pretty much from the same place as the one of the frontroom above. Pretty big changes with this room!

I searched everywhere for a dark brown extension table (that didn't break the bank). I finally found this one at the wood connection and had it stained this color. It extends to fit 10 people! They also had the matching bar stools, which I love!

The frontroom. This actually started out as our bedroom. Our closet used to be where the hardwood is missing on the floor. We always hated our front door and it was always on the list of things to replace. When I was finishing the front room, I decided to paint it. I put some frosted glass film over the window with an M. Then I replaced the hardware. What a difference! Now, we actually like the door and it looks good with the rest of the room.


Thank you Erika for the idea for this shelf. I never had anywhere to display seasonal stuff. When I saw it on her blog, I new it was just what I needed and it was kind-of fun to make.

The playroom. This is the 4th time I've redone this room (2 bedroom redos, office, and playroom). Hopefully, it will stay as it is for a while. I loved the kids green bug room so much that when we moved all the bedrooms downstairs, I redid the baby room in the same theme.



This is what my rolls of vinyl used to look like.

Thanks to Ikea, I am now organized. Even the toys have a place to go.

Our family room. This used to be our garage, that we never parked in, and just stored junk in. It's now the most used room in the house.

I love this picture clock. See where the number 7 should be? We have a thermostat there and I was always trying to find something to cover it up, but still easy to get to. When I saw this clock on Katy's blog, I knew it would be perfect. I made a custom frame that was deep and just sits on top of the thermostat! Awesome. Thank you Katy!

When we first finished the bathroom, it was all green. But, this summer, I redid it to match our bathroom upstairs. The beadboard on the walls is actually wallpaper. It gives the same look of beadboard, but was so much easier to put up. Thanks Tessie for the great idea.

I learned alot of handyman (woman) skills from this bathroom. I installed the tile in the tub, (aren't the little cubbies cool?) the vanity, sinks, faucets, flooring, cabinets, and lights!

Our stairwell before... in the middle...

and after!

I copied my sister who had someone do batten board at her house. This hallway is very long and narrow and I wanted something to brighten it up.

I did a collage frame for each child (this was my mom's idea). It's so cute for the little kids, they just love to look at them.

Benjamin's room...for another few months. I couldn't find any good before pictures. It was just a green room before. I added the cute bugs and animals with vinyl.

And finally...my bedroom. This is one of my most favorite rooms in the house. I made the headboard from three bookcases and just turned one on it's side (thanks HGTV).

Aren't the stripes awesome. I just love the way it all came together.

So, that's it. Our house is done. Now I can move on to some other projects I've been wanting to do...crafts, digital scrapbooking, and a cute little baby! I hope you enjoyed the tour.