oops!...we did it again!

The lovely flowered wallpaper you see here is what I have lived with in my kitchen for nearly ten years... and the "vintage paper" (I'm being kind) on the left is the nasty wallboard that I would have had to live with had I removed the floral! Don't be jealous. So you can hardly blame a girl for the shameless begging of her husband to at least remove the paneling and put up bead board paneling...it would be "a long-weekend project at the most, and it would make a big difference"! Well, my husband must have been in a good mood cuz he bit (thanks babe...love you!) and now our long-weekend project has become a full fledged mess (as our projects have a tendency to do)! We have once again encountered the hack jobs that have entertained us (again being kind) over the past several years as we have remodeled our little money pit. Take a gander...

before...

and during the demolition...

At least one of us is having fun... but even Colin grew tired of the initial excitement and asked "Now, why are we doing this again?" We really couldn't answer him... mostly due to the fact that we didn't want to eat the nasty, old insulation filling the room as we ripped into another wall...

keepin' it simple

End of the year teacher gift time! Last year I stressed and worried all about end of the year teacher gifts... I over-worried, over-spent... I loved Colin's preschool teachers and wanted them to know it! A little older, a little wiser, and much, much busier this year. I love Ms. Aquino...she, along with all teachers, deserve a BIG thank you for putting up with our little darlings all year. However, I'm no millionaire...as much as I'd love to give her thousands of dollars it's just not fiscally responsible...especially in this economy. A gift card to the bookstore and a few tall glasses of ice-cold, delicious lemonade will have to suffice!

day trip

Some pics from our daytrip to Pella, Iowa on Saturday. Chris was golfing, so the boys and I decided to go to Pella with Gigi and Dad-dad. Sadly the tulips were past their prime but the town is adorable and completely enjoyable regardless. The windmill you see in the distance is the tallest in the U.S. and we got to tour it which was so cool for the boys. I enjoyed all of it but the top! I'm suddenly terrified of heights especially when my boys are out there running around!

Colin at the Historical Villiage in front of the working mill...very cool!

The boys at the Scholte House Gardens. Beautiful garden, beautiful day, beautiful boys (if I do say so myself!)

Dad-dad and the well behaved children :). Gigi and I were there...I promise! Dad's camera has the pics on it of me and the boys and of them and the boys...wouldn't you know. Oh well. What a fun day...

down time

Colin and Ty got to enjoy some much needed down time this afternoon. We have been going like crazy people since T-ball started. Who knew that a six year old playing T-ball would be expected to endure 45 min. practices for 5 weeks and then 2 games a week for 10 weeks (OK...actually 5, but it feels like 10!). I know I didn't expect that! So, thank God for the spring thunderstorm this afternoon that allowed them to veg out in front of the TV - something they havn't been able to do in a while.

Did I just say I was thankful for TV time? :)

Mother's Day

This... this is what it's all about!

Nothing brings you out of a funk better than kids. I am so lucky to have two amazing little boys in my life who I'm so proud of. They make life worth living in a way that I cannot describe. They've made me a better person and there is no better day to celebrate them than Mother's Day! I am blessed!

My Mother's Day started out with breakfast in bed and then a sweet treat... chocolate dipped strawberries (hand-dipped by my three favorite boys). Could you ask for more?