progress???

Can I just say that I realize that the "progress" you see here is ridiculous? I know that to the untrained eye this looks exactly like my last post...but it's not. I can appreciate the work that has been put in here because I did it! The hours spent sorting paper-work are burned into my tired brain! I still do not have my recycle bin or shelves (thx for the advice Sarah and Jenny),but I no longer have a dinosaur, Darth Vader or spider man inhabiting my space. Little by little this will all come together...and for my sanity I must acknowledge the baby steps that are getting me to my ultimate goal. And for my readers who scoff at my "progress"...you must understand what I'm up against...

Any questions? (God love the little guy! :))

my space?

People...I need help. Seriously. This is my desk at home. I can't believe I'm actually posting a picture of this because I am, normally, or used to be quite organized. So this picture is the equivalent of posting a naked picture of myself for the world to see. It causes me some serious embarrassment! As much as I try to organize this mess it just keeps reoccurring!

Of course, it's not all me...as much as I love spider man and dinosaurs and darth vader and paper chains and safety books from first grade, they aren't normally my top pick for desk decorations!

And, the floor next to my desk...well it's not safe either! This pile being what was on my kitchen counter 30 minutes before the rehearsal dinner this past weekend. Needless to say our upstairs was off limits! So...again...I need help. Any strategies for keeping your space your space? And what about the school papers...I swear I recycle 95% of it but the remaining 5% that would be nice to keep...what the heck are you people doing with those? This has to be my next project...it just has to be! So bring on the ideas people....

it's finally finished!

Our kitchen...in all its finished glory! (and yes, we're still married). If you want to recall how hideous it once was you'll have to scroll back to my May posts...

May people...

can you believe that?

And we're still married...amazing!

P.S. We had a rehersal dinner here this past weekend. It was supposed to be outside...but it rained...so it was inside...and we're still married...I guess we're meant to be...or I have a really patient and totally "opposite-from-me" husband who puts up with a lot...or maybe a bit of both :).

keeping the faith

We are blessed to say we are once again expecting! And...if you can trust an ultrasound...it's a girl! Um... I gotta say, was totally not expecting that...really had the boy feeling... I was surprised... pleasantly :).

Most of you are aware of the devastating loss of our daughter, Clementine Grace, at 20 weeks this past January. It is a loss that will be with us all of our days. It was extraordinarily difficult to decide whether or not to try again, but we chose to take a leap of faith. Let me tell you...trying to keep the faith while coping with extreme fear is challenging to say the least!

We can't ever replace Clementine...but, this new little ray of hope feels good. I'm starting to feel less fear and more joy...and that's good...

Weeping may endure for a night,
but joy cometh in the morning.
-Psalm 30:5

two-wheeling!

Look at my little Ty! All grown up (except for the diaper he refuses to give up). Proof of how much he's grown up since the beginning of summer since we tried this a few months ago and it was not happening. And now...

Are you watching Mom? Oh yes, I am... (I especially love the way your older brother is directing your every move...God love the bossy first born). So proud...so, so proud. Time flies... sniff, sniff.

my problem

I came upon this quote this evening while reading my Simple Abundance book...

"One must also accept that one has "uncreative" moments. The more honestly one can accept that, the quicker these moments will pass. One must have the courage to call a halt, to feel empty and discouraged." -- Etty Hillesum

The entire month of August the author, Sarah Ban Breathnach, has devoted her daily essays to creative energy. And so all month I've felt like a blob reading on and on about how to conjure up my creative spirit...a spirit who has clearly given up all hope when it comes to this poor, unmotivated creature. And then here...on the last day of August...my problem so eloquently revealed to me like a breath of fresh air...it's ok...I accept! And, of course, that means it will soon pass! Hooray!

Look for my creative spirit to make an appearance...sooner rather than later, please!

proof

Are you wondering what this is? This is picture proof that a certain brother-in-law of mine is not just a clown who likes to occasionally shoot at innocent animals with paint balls. This is picture proof of what I've known all along...he is a wonderful, caring individual who rescued this baby robin from certain death after a storm knocked it's nest out of the tree. In fact there were three baby robins to begin with; one unfortunately did not make it through the first fall, the second did not make it through the second fall, and this little one here survived only due to the ingeniousness of my brother, who duct taped the nest to the tree to keep it from falling out again. I'm happy to report that this little guy flew the nest and is probably out hunting for bugs just like the grown up birdie that he is. And Andy...you never fooled me...I've known you've had it in you all along!

our summer so far...( told you I had pics!)

Our first run in with stitches... I'm sure not our last. Let's just say Colin and Ty both learned important lessons: Colin to look around him before he swings the golf club and Ty to stay the heck away from Colin when he's swinging a golf club! (Oh... and Mom to not let Colin play with metal golf clubs! One good reason I will not be winning Mother-of-the-Year this year! :))
Also a first...T-ball! We had so much fun! (A lot more games than I bargained for and more assistant coaching than I would have preferred, but fun anyway. I kinda miss the little buggers!

And still another first! I caught this fish! The first decent fish I've ever caught! I usually catch the crappy croppies... :)

And last but not least our first campfire of the summer (also our first s'mores of the summer...see below). I love campfires! It is one of my favorite things about summer and we are so lucky we can have one in our very own yard... a benefit of livin' in the sticks! :) Hope your summer is going great as well... All three of you :) (I've picked up another reader! Thx Ali!)

ridiculous

Seriously...May 26th? That was honestly the last time I was able to post? Maybe pathetic would be the....(hang on...have to check out a kitten or Ty will melt down) more appropriate title for this post. It is pathetic. I cannot sit at the computer for more than 1 minute without being interrupted...(see above) hell, I cannot have a train of thought without it being interrupted. God, I love my children but my patience needs a little boost! I have two camera cards full of our summer events so far but I haven't had time to upload them to the computer to share! Our kitchen is still under construction, which is frustrating, but hopefully it will be painted soon so that I can show the after pictures. (I'm sure that most of you are not surprised by that seeing as our upstairs took 6 years to complete and our windows still need to be painted :)) However, I have spent much quality time with my two quickly growing and changing little boys and that is, after all, the important stuff. Besides, judging by the comments I receive, I'd say there's approximately 2 readers who may be missing my posts! :) Thanks you two!

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!