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!