Tuesday, September 6, 2011

A Must Read

So my dear friend Jennah sent me this blog to read and I was so moved that I thought I must share it with you.  It is amazing to see the relationship that our Mighty Lord wants to have with us.  It is a little bit of a read but totally worth the 10 minutes it will take you.  I really have nothing more to add but WOW!  Read it and you will know why.  Thank you sweet Jesus!

http://takeheartinitiative.wordpress.com/2011/08/22/all-i-hear-is-wedding-bells/

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Crafting

Cabinet Door untouched ready for my husband
to use in our laundry room!
So I have had a little crafting bug lately and when it hits I am always looking for new little projects to work on.  I thought I would share a few fun, practical ideas that can easily be made.  We are literally talking about a few minutes of time.  So my craft ideas today all came from the idea of using a simple cabinet door.  Now we have a wonderful wonderland call Gopher Unclaimed Freight in St. Cloud and they always have a plethora of cabinet doors of all sizes and shapes ranging in price from $2.00-$8.00.  Not to shabby huh.  So with these fun little canvases came two of my ideas. 

Chalk Board
The first is a simple chalk board.  All I had to do was paint the outside trim a color and then paint the interior with chalk board paint.  Simple enough and you would never guess it was a $3.00 door!




Jewelry Board
The next idea came when we began finishing our walk-in closet.  I wanted a nice place to store my jewelery.  So once again I took a cabinet door and painted the outside trim a color and then the background white.  I then bought some silver little hooks from the hardware section in Target and screwed them in the door.  Walla!  A piece of art for my closet and a very functional one at that. 

I love crafting projects that are so easy and turn out great!  Happy Carfting! 

Our closet with the use of some of those cheap cabinet
doors from Gopher.  More closet to come!


Saturday, August 20, 2011

Oh For the Love!

Thursday night did not start off well when I stumbled into our house after a long day of work.  I opened the front door with my hands full of supplies from the day only to let a little green tree frog into our house.  As I was assess my best line of action for getting it out and making a plan, I set a bag I was holding down on the corner of the couch.  Well that was a bad idea, taking my eye off of the little sucker for just one quick minute led to its disapperance.  I searched high and low figuring it couldn't have gotten far.  But...no luck!  I could find it anywhere.  I decided to take the bag into the kitchen and begin getting ready for bed.  As I picked up the plastic bag I was horrified to discover that red gatoraide was leaking onto my cream colored sofa.  I mean really...this is not what I wanted to deal with at this time of night.  So now I have a tree frog loose in my house and a huge red stain on the sofa.  I begin to work franticly to remove the stain...which I was prettly successful with.  Next stop the shower.  You see, Matt and I had just got home from a long day of roofing a house.  Yep it's true, I can help roof houses.  It's one of my new fangeled hobbies, okay can I really call it a hobby...nope.  I really don't much like it, but I do like the extra money it brings into our family so this momma gets her peaches up and that roof and helps out her man.  

So anyway Matt and I were completely and totally exhausted from the long day.  We crawled from the shower into bed only to discover how hard it was to get relaxed and turn our brains off.  I mean my thoughts were going everywhere from the roofing job to my hurting feet, the tree frog that was loose in my house, and the new red spot on the couch.  Matt and I both took turns tossing and turning and bottom line...not sleeping.  I finally drifted off to sleep and I can't for the life of me tell you what woke me up but something did.  It must have been talking of sorts because I felt the need to look out my window.  When I did I was completely panic stricken at what I saw.  I lept into bed and grabbed my protector and told him that someone was in our yard and just ran across the street.  By this time my heart is pumping and adrenalin racing.  I mean I never really thought in a million years that when I went to the window I would discover someone in our yard...but there they were. 
My protector lept into action to assess the situation.  As we went back to the window together we noticed another body in our yard and then another.  All of a sudden this looked less like a raid or invasion on our house as some sort of prank.  The pranksters would run across the street and then back into our yard.  Back and forth they went.  I could hear the giggles of girls as their attack was executed.  It then hit me and I knew just what was going on.

We were being Flamingoed.  Yep that's right...in the morning we awoke to a yard filled with pink Floridian flamingos scattered about.  Mad...no!  It made me chuckle and I was certain that the boys would love this discovery when they awoke.  Needless to say Jud could not believe his eyes and wondered how all of these "penguins" got in his yard.  He was certain that I would be mad at whoever had done this!  Brodee actually ventured out into the grass...which doesn't happen often...to check out these pink unusually birds.  So thank you Dassel Ambassadors for the fun excitment for my boys and I.  I might have got a very interepted night of sleep but it was worth it in the morning. 




P.S. The red spot came out but that little tree frog as not yet been captured.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Where, Oh Where Have I been!

So you know it's bad when you can't log into your blog because you can't for the life of you remember your password or login name...and you can't for the life of you figure out how you are going to retrieve that information.  Needless to say after much trying and digging I uncovered the crucial information needed to bring you this much over due update. 

Okay so where was I?  I wish I had some great story about some amazing summer travels or about a much needed media fast or a huge summer project that has eaten every last spare minute...but the truth is...well I just took a break.  I even many times wanted to blog to you dear readers but as you and I know that never happened.  I did realize that I missed the blogging community and the freedom I had to share some of my most meaningless and meaningful thoughts.  So with that being said I am back..for now.  Back to hopefully brighten your day, give you something to think about, chuckle about if you will.  A lot my dear friends has happened in these few short months and I hope to share some of those moments with you. 

Totally threw the pictures in to show you how big my sweet, precious boys are getting...plus I think a blog with pictures is well...better.  Okay I am pledging to you my readers that I will blog at least one more time this week...cross heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye!  Amen!



Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Sitting Back and Enjoying the Show

Our House
I have had the amazing pleasure this year of sitting back and watching the wonderful show that the good Lord performs every spring.  The greening of the grass, the budding of the trees, the pushing through of the plants, and the blossoming of the dandelions.  This year is quite different than last.  To begin with, last year at this time I was 35 weeks pregnant and huge...yes, I truly was huge, ask anyone.  Second we had no grass, just a whole lot of dirt with weeds in it.  And thirdly we had no landscaping!

The side of our house...notice no deck!
So...needless to say their was no enjoying the show last spring just a whole lot of putting on a show.  Can you imagine me 35 weeks pregnant bending over picking up muddy hoses, dragging them around the yard...my feet getting stuck in the mud, losing flip flops, all for the sake of the perfect yard.  Mercy!  The landscaping was another fiasco...but thanks to the help of momma Sue quite successful. 



Our septic tank--retaining wall built by Matt!


Some of Mamma Sue's Landscaping


The beautiful colors!

I love the way the hostas open!

The late bloomers...literally!

The pear wreath given to me by Allie that my hubby HATES!  I love the color it adds to the door...perfect!

Another wall Matt built with the help of friends!

Our new Maple Trees!

My Tina Crab Tree...not flowering yet!
So this year was easy...fun.  It was fun to see everything come back and looks so beautiful.  All we needed to do was fertilize and weed...not too bad.  I thought I would give you a little glimpse of the show that has been unfolding in our yard this spring. 

Monday, May 9, 2011

Time to Switch it Up



Before...sorry the best I had!
Okay so I did it...it was time for a change.  Normally I leave this sort of change up to the professionals, but the timing and money just wasn't right so I did what needed to be done.  With that being said... I give you my new dark ash brown hair.  Now if I could please explain.  Here is the deal; we are getting family pictures taken at the end of June and my hair was in desperate need NOW of a coloring.  So the dilemma... get it done now and it won't look good for the pictures or wait and suffer through for another good month.  That's when it hit me.  I once read in a magazine that if you are going to color darker you aren't going to hurt your hair by using a home kit (don't worry I'll add that one to my coffee table book).  You know I'm a sucker for what I read in a magazine...so there you have it!  Problem solved.  I simply bought the box at target--L'Oreal Paris 4A Dark Ash Brown cooler...because I had a coupon...and embarked on the self-coloring journey. 

Notice all the hair dye on my forhead.


I have been on this journey before, but not since college, so I felt a little rusty.  Needless to say I read the box, then reread the box, and then gave it another quick read.  Once I felt I had mastered the 3 easy steps it would take to take me from a highlighted warm brown to an almost black I began the process. 

Pour, shake, shake, and begin applying, first to the roots and grays...yes there were a few of those, and then all over.  It was painless .  Then the 25 minute wait.  I was kind of like a young girl waiting for her prom date, impatiently pacing to see what my lovely locks would look like.  I tried to keep myself busy cleaning the kitchen, but was relatively unsuccessful.  The minutes on the clock ticked oh so slowly.  Finally 25 minutes..Hallelujah!

Rinse...it was time!  Up to my bathroom I marched, oh so ready for the transformation.  Oh course when it was done, it was straight for the hair dryer and flat iron I needed to know just what I had gotten myself into and what the end product would look like.  Yes, pleasantly surprised and happy!  I do feel a little more of a tan is needed to pull off the color, but I will work on that.   

Overall I am very happy with the experience!  Angela at Robert Micheals Iwill see you in a few weeks, but for now Dark Ash Brown I thank you!

Sorry for the cheesy self portrait...Just trying to show the hair!


Wednesday, May 4, 2011

And It's Official

Our Crawler
We have a crawler!  That's right dear readers, Brodeehondro can crawl.  Now this whole crawling business was a slow and painful process, quite different than with our first born Jud.  Judsen was crawling by six and a half months and was walking by 9 months.  Brodee, well at a whupping ten and a half months, he has it mastered...but who is comparing. 

Poor little Brodee is at a disadvantage in that most of our home is covered in hardwood floors.  Jud had the luxury of learning to crawl on carpet which is easier to move on and also easier on the head.  Brodee has a hard time keeping himself from slipping and he is in the constant state of bruise.  Weather the bruise be purple, green, or yellow remnants can be seen somewhere on his head.  The idea of outfitting him with a helmet has crossed my mind.



With crawling of course comes mobility and this is something that mom needs to get used too.  The good old baby gate has come out of storage, the bed is no longer a safe place for him to be set, and who needs a dog when your 10 month old can crawl...floor cleaned.  I did have a scary moment with mobility yesterday when I went to the bathroom.  While in the bathroom I could hear this gaging noise and when I came out Brodee had the wallflower out of the wall and in his mouth.  Mercy!  He had already puked up breakfast at the pungent taste of the sweet smelling flower.  Like any good mom, I myself, quickly gave the wallflower a lick to see just what Brodee had gotten into!  Yep, I know why he puked.  I quickly read the label, gave him something to eat and drink...to get rid of the taste, and called Matt to alert him.  Needless to say he smelt good and was fine, as for the wallflower...well it was moved!



Wallflowers

I must say Brodee has become much happier with his new freedom of mobility and I am very happy for him.  I just need to do a little rearranging of his environment!  Good times in the Whittaker house! 

Monday, April 18, 2011

Springing Spring


Her's

Spring has Sprung...okay no it really hasn't here in Minnesota.  Again I hear the dreaded word "snow" and think when in the world will this eternally long winter end and spring begin.  But with all that negativity about snow and winter I still have the spring bug.  This bug has bitten me and inspired me to do some brightening up of my house.  As I looked around all I could see was drab, dull colors so I decided to take on the misson of adding some much need spring colors into my house.





Mine

My first project was inspired by the blog http://www.theletteredcottage.com/ !  First let me say...Love it!  She is amazing and has great ideas.  In her blog she called it pillopalooza and so I will too.  If you click on pillopalooza she will link you to the exact fabrics she used. Most were purchased at http://www.fabric.com/ one of my new favorite fabric sites.  So I pulled out the trusted sewing machine and set to work.  If you want directions on how to make the pillows you can click on her site.  This was a fun, easy, quick, fresh update to my living room and I do absolutely love them!

Beautiful Fabrics



Next I set to work on some of my shelves.  I began adding bright colors.  I decided to pull in greens, yellows, pinks, and blues.  I found bright paper to add to frames and cute flowers to add to bud vases.  I also thought that lemons were just what the doctor ordered so I began pulling them in as well.  So for under $30 dollars I felt like I gave my house a little....and much needed "Spring Lift"!  Now if Spring could only get here!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

My Love-Hate Relationship with Forts

Todays fort...I talked him into building it in
his room and not the living room!
Forts...a word all moms know and even cringe at!  We are full blown into the "fort" age at our house.  Daily my home is being transformed into some sort of fort.  Some days I'm a better mom than others and I will partake in the building of the fort.  Some days I am not such a good mom and I ban the making of any sort of forts. 

The idea of all the cushions and pillows coming off the couch or bed or all the chairs being pulled into some sort of mystical shape in the middle of the room doesn't always strike me as "fun"!  I like neat, I like order, and no part of those first two words coincides with fort. 


Super Star Mom let him sleep in his fort
at naptime...little boy heaven!

But and it is a big but, the word fort also equates with the word FUN.  Nothing brings Judsen more joy then sitting in his fort, playing in his fort, being "the Man" of his fort.  When he has a fort to play in, he is in little boy heaven and I do love the joy that it brings to his little life.

I  know dear friends that our fort building days have only just begun and that in the future there will be only bigger, larger, more elaborate forts.  Brodee very soon will get involved with the fort building and playing.  So I clench my teeth and say....Bring it on!  (and pick it up!)

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Spring Break

Well hello Dear Readers,
I first must start by apologizing for a few things: First I am sorry that it has been so long since a new post...no excuses.  Second I am sorry for the amount of pictures that you are going to see of me in my swimming suit...SO SORRY!  And thirdly, my husband says I always need to have at least three things in a list, I am sorry for the stream of consciences that this is going to be written in.  With my apologize out of the way I thought I would give you a little picture tour of our wonderful Floridian Vacation! 

Brodee 9 months.
Cute Swimsuit and Rash guard that
 Auntie Minta got him for Christmas.
My dear Brodeehondro absolutely loved the pool and warm weather.  Let's be honest that last time he was really outside was last summer when he was only a few months old, so this was like a new experience for him.  He loved sitting in the water and splashing as well as eating all the pool toys!



The boys loving the pool!
  This was the pirate pool at our place.  Jud had fun going down the slide and playing with the various squirters.  The whole family enjoyed the festivities of this pool!  I might have even got my hair wet...and that's a big deal!
 


 Matt called this flotation device--Jud's Bra!  He loved to swim with it on.  He felt comfortable swimming around the whole pool.  I think he looks cute in it!

Love the face B-Road!

Brodee enjoying the splash-pad in the pool!
 This was the day we went to the beach.  Brodee stayed back at the resort with Grandma Sue.  Jud loved playing with this boggie board.  He really liked pretending that we was surfing.  Much to dad's dismay he had more fun playing with it on land!  The beach was a great day!


 This was another one of Matt's ingenious ideas...and no it will not be our Christmas card next year!  No swimming suit Christmas cards!  On a side note--don't you wonder how many pictures you are in of other people you don't know.  Take for instance the person in the sunglasses in the back.  We have no idea who he is and yet he made it into our family picture.  I'm sure I have made it into may a peoples pictures...the question is how many?  Something to think about!

Wouldn't this make a great Christmas Card!  Ha

It was a wonderful vaction.  We were able to relax and have fun as a family.  I feel so blessed for the opportuintes that we have.  Okay so now that I am back I promise to be better about writing!  Keep posted!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Things That Made Me Chuckle Today

My kids constantly keep me giggling and today was no exception.  I just thought I would share some of hysterical moments with you!  I am fully aware that they may not be as funny to you and I might not do them justice as I retell them too you but please do your best to visualize with me!

Jud (4) and I were sitting eating lunch together and he asked if you had to be old to be married, which of course I responded yes too.  (Jud at other times gets very nervous about getting married and leaving us)   I saw him sit there for a minute and think as he ate and then he said.  First I am going to have lots of birthdays, then I'm going to get married.  I think I will go on lots of trips and then have babies.  Just made me chuckle--Matt and I never took advantage of the lots of trips--where does he come up with these things.

Brodee saw Jud in the tub upstairs and started to go crazy...he loves tubbies.  So I decided to put Brodee in the kitchen sink so that I could start dinner.  He absolutely loves to play in the sink and it is a good way for me to get supper started and also a great incentive for me to wash my floors.  Jud was upstairs and I yell for him to please bring down a towel for his brother.  He comes down with the towel he just used and says just as plain as day, "I'm sorry mom there is kind of a lot of hair on it, I was wiping my pe..., I mean man berries, because their was a hair, so sorry!"  All I can say is thank you Matt!

Brodee signing please--how can I say no to that face!
We have been teaching Brodee to sign please, which is a really handy thing to do...here is the only problem.  When he actually starts to get it and use the sign it is virtually impossible to not give him what he asks for.  Brodee will see something and immediately his hand starts pulling on his shirt and mom caves and gives in.  Mercy-- I'm such a sucker!
We were having family supper together and we are trying to teach Brohan to use a sippy cup.  We made the unfortuante mistake of not getting rid of the bottle early enough with Jud and we are trying harder to be more proactive this time.  So we crack out the cup--which he loves--as a chew toy!  How do you teach a kid to actually use it.  I take the cup, put it to my mouth and suck on it and then give it back.  To which he chews like crazy.  I then take it back and repeat the motion--but this time I can hear and then see my wonderful hubby across the table making the sucking sound and motions.  Busted--he makes fun of me for opening my mouth when I feed Brod so it is nice to bust him in the act!
It felt good to laugh today as we got hammered with snow earlier.  And even though we did get a snow day out of it, all my hard work of shoveling snow back on the driveway to melt it was completely earsed and wasted.  I felt so defeated!  My boys definately helped lighten the mood today!  Boy do I love them--all of them!