Laundry time ANYTIME!

I'm so excited, we have a washer and dryer now and for the first time in almost 2 1/2 years we don't have to go to Mike's parents to do laundry! YEAH! (We totally have appreciated them and now we can go to their house for Sunday dinners because we want to, and don't have to). We weren't too excited to have to buy the W/D combo since it was just more money than we expected, but I love them.

Adding to our home

My need to try to make things rather than just buy carries on into my home decorating. It's amazing what some paint can do for a old dresser.

I don't think that after buying the pillow and fabric that I really save all that much compared to just buying a pillow.

It's also great what that same paint can do for some tacky frames.

I still have more projects in mind, but it may take me forever.

Christmas Time

I had lots of plans to make things for Christmas. I have a weird disorder where I think I can make anything or I need to try before i go and spend money on something- I really don't think it's that cost-effective and I waste a lot of time. But, here are something I insisted on doing and actually got finished.

I salvaged some ornaments from last year, painted them gold along with the berries to add to the tree.

I didn't quite finish adding to the stocking i bought, and I was no where near close to finishing the stocking rack I planned to make ( when I do finish it, you'll see my nice coat rack- I planned to use it as that on the off-season)

I had some fun trying to make my gift wrapping up to par with Martha Stewart's.

Getting a little work done.

So, many of you may not be so familiar with my huge insecurity over a little non-mole bump by my eye. It wasn't too noticeable, but it was all I would see when looking at close-up pictures of myself and I was always conscious of it when meeting new people and my favorite thing was the innocent honesty of little children pointed and asking what it was, just a bump. The biggest thing and maybe the most shallow part, I didn't want to be some day known as the old lady with a bump on her face. (Here's a pic where my bump stands out majorly)

Finding out how affordable it could be, I looked into and made an appointment. I was pretty nervous once I was in the doctors office and had tons of questions but the doc was pretty quit and laid back- this was probably the easiest thing he's ever done. Dressed in a collared shirt, tie and slacks, the only thing he wore was rubber gloves. I was so surprised at how easy the whole thing was. I didn't feel a single thing, not even the needle to numb me. 5 min after the first little cut I was sewn up and done. Wow, who knew.

The following 2 weeks I had to keep sterile strips on it and I got some fun and obvious stairs, I'm glad I never got those when it was just a bump.

It's healing pretty well. It's still red and hopefully won't have much of a scar after another month or two. It's been exactly a month today since I had it done.

It's been nice to know people weren't really aware of it there, but I still feel better. I have to remind myself it's not there and to have a little more confidence. It's funny the things we care so much about.

Crazy day

It seems like we can't get a break on the weekends. Last time it snowed super bad I had gone to the store since it seemed to be decent outside. By the time I left the store, my car had about 4 inches of snow. I couldn't believe it. It felt ridiculous trying to push a cart through the snow and then loading up the groceries. Then I had to drive. SCARY! I was turning left at a light and just barely missed being in an accident as the person across from me was rear-ended. I really love the snow but only when I can watch it from my window.

WE'RE HOME!

After 6 months at the in-laws and some changes in plans, we are finally in our first home (condo). It's been so fun getting settled in and it's nice to finally have a place to settle down and really make it home.

We got the keys to our new condo November 9th and spent that first weekend painting EVERYTHNG. We had so much help from Mike's mom and brother (THANK YO SO MUCH!) The following weekend we got all our things moved in, but realized how much we didn't have, and how much we wanted to add. Our tacky hand-me-down furniture wouldn't work and we were getting sick of only having a love sack,a step stool and camping chairs to sit on. Thanks to Ikea and black friday, we found the perfect things to fit our style and make our comfortable! Mike's been great about getting everything up on the walls and set up while I keep coming up with little projects. We're not done yet, but almost.

We had friends over last night and I loved it. We finally have the space to have friends over and a place I'm happy to share with others. I know we've been really blessed to find this place and how everything has turned out.

Where does character come from?

I got this in an email from my littlest sister and I thought it a little amusing to come from her. I've been talking to my family about what kind of Christmas we will have and how my younger siblings don't know the excitement of getting new undies and socks and how Christmas used to be a day you would finally get all the things you NEED, rather than always having more than what you need and getting things you don't. With friends having kids and some day our own, I wonder what is it that I can do to ensure character, humility and hard work into my kids, (some of the characteristics that we are loosing in this world of instant gratification and over abundance.)

I hope this reminds you of being little and using your imagination to create worlds and adventures from the simple rock backyard around you, rather than passing your creativity to all the many things today that require none.

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better.

I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car.

And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.

I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy\girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.
I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.

I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Hannukah/Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.

Happy Halloween!

A HOME FOR THE HOMELESS

We've been living at Mike's parents the last 6 months waiting for a town house to built (which was suppse to have been done in July). The last few weeks things have completely changed. We backed out of the townhouse, tried to find something to rent, but instead found a great deal on a condo in the perfect location at Cambria in P. G. We 'llprobaly be into our new place my the middle of November.

I'm excited to have a place to call home and I'll post pictures of how we decided to paint and decorate.

Mission Reunion

Last week we went to Mike's mission reunion. It was what I assume is a typical reunion, guys sharing stories and memories, updating what's going on and the wives just tagging along. It was fun to see some of his companions (his closest comps weren't there :( ) and Pres. Manwaring and his wife are great. Maybe we'll go visit his pres. in Virginia, see D.C. and maybe make it up to Boston too.