It feels so odd to be doing nothing today...to be so close to Christmas, to feel like it has gotten away from me, and that the excitement I have been used to my whole life is somehow escaping me a bit. I am excited to have a Christmas at home with my little family, but I just feel like it is not the same. I can't wait until my kids get excited about it. I think next year River will be counting down the days until Christmas and that will bring more excitement.
Deric has done so well this year! He got all my gifts before last week, and they will all be here in time. He actually is getting excited about holidays and realizing how he can take part and enjoy them with us! I am so grateful for his coming around. I just hope my hesitating with the Christmas cheer this year doesn't ruin it for him.
We get our carpet on Tuesday next week! To say I am "excited" would be the understatement of the year! We finish painting the ceilings and trim Saturday...or maybe Christmas. Then we will be all set for the downstairs bedroom and hallway to be done! I just can't wait to get it all done down there; theater, bathroom, and my craft room. :-)
Tonight we are going to the Kimber side's Christmas party. It is always a little bit...er, boring...but it is good to have family that is happy to have us around at least. Even if we do just stare at each other. Tomorrow is the Meldrum side Christmas party...that will be interesting as always. I just hope that it will be a good one. I can't wait to give Joan her gift, we got a hardback book printed with pictures from us and Evette and family. It will be wonderful to see her reaction to it! (It took a week of work!) Christmas day we are spending with our little family. Just opening presents in the morning, then awaiting Doug's call. It will be nice to talk to him again.
What a year...it is swiftly drawing to a close. I pray next year brings much happiness, excitement, and joy...not to mention continued good health and prosperity. :-) I wish that for all of you too!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Crunch time...
We ordered the carpet for downstairs! We went with a higher grade (premium) carpet instead of what our upstairs carpet is. It is close in shade to upstairs but without speckles and without the twist. I hope I don't kick myself for having gotten it. It is a light color...I should have compared it to the paint color...eh, oh well, at least it is coming soon enough. 1 1/2 weeks until Christmas and just two and a half in the year/decade! What a crazy last few years this has been. I am excited for the years to come.
I am spending the majority of my week at Alaris' house. She is having me help her with a video she is doing for Christmas presents for everyone in their family. She has to have it done by friday in order for it to make it to all of them in time, more like in the mail friday. We will see how it goes. I am happy River will get to play with her friends, but it will also be a lot of work for me.
I am spending the majority of my week at Alaris' house. She is having me help her with a video she is doing for Christmas presents for everyone in their family. She has to have it done by friday in order for it to make it to all of them in time, more like in the mail friday. We will see how it goes. I am happy River will get to play with her friends, but it will also be a lot of work for me.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Christmas is creeping up on me!
I feel like I have no time to enjoy the holiday this year. I am just running around trying to get the things done for Christmas. I went to a couple parties, which was fun. But, it seems like it is getting away from me this year. Well, off to work on gifts....
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Yes, it has been a while...
So, I realized that blogging is really exciting and fun for the first few times you do it and then it gets a little bit hard to keep up. Just like journaling. I did write in my journal about my trip out to PA though. So, yay me!
So, my trip out to PA was interesting. It was really a great trip all around, but there were a lot of things that made me really think about what I am thankful for. That is particularly good because I was there over Thanksgiving and I haven't sat down and contemplated it to that degree for a very long time. My family's life is kind of in an uproar at the moment as they have a rather untidy family living with them. It opened my eyes to just how lucky I am to have a semi-tidy husband, and one that encourages me to clean. Odd as that sounds. I am grateful for children that are fast learners and for the fact River speaks with such fluency and can say all her letters. My children will not be behind in any schooling, I can tell already. I am grateful for the fact my husband has a great job and has so much more self-worth now than he did before we were married, and even in the first part of our marriage. I am grateful that I was able to have my grandparents in my life for as long as I have and that Grandpa Bill was in my life when Grandpa Phil couldn't be. I am so grateful for having my own house to do with what I want, but that I get the opportunity to help others with theirs on occasion. (It's fun to clean someone else's house!) Haha! Life really is, that good. ;-)
We are nearly completed in the hallway and bedroom downstairs, a few more touch ups on the walls in the hall and then trim and ceiling paint to do. We order our carpet next week and get it installed around the beginning of the year! I am soooo happy for it to be so close. (Though, I wish we could be getting carpet IN next week!) The paint color is gorgeous, I went downstairs and thought that the light was on, but it was just the sunlight reflecting off the color! Beautiful! Deric isn't too thrilled, but he only gets it as his office a little under two years. (until the next child is born.) Hooray for getting rid of more of the brown in this house though!
I have been working on Christmas presents and cards the last few days. Got the pictures printed and ordered, got Doug's gift ordered (an 8-bit tie--think: Mario pixels), Molly's gift ordered (a bib with a runway on it and a matching airplane spoon! They light up!), Plus, Joan's gift ordered (a book of pictures from us and Evette's family--she complained about not having us in the one the step siblings did last year.), plus more that I can't tell you about. Hehe! I got all the neighborhood gifts out this week too (purple ornaments with a little "reminder" attached about Christ being "King", get it? Royal purple...anyway). I am excited about Christmas, but behind on getting the tree up, we put it together tonight, and will decorate it tomorrow.
I had a terrible night last night of about 4 hours total of sleep. Molly was wide awake for some reason...so, off to bed I go. Goodnight! Happy Holidays!
So, my trip out to PA was interesting. It was really a great trip all around, but there were a lot of things that made me really think about what I am thankful for. That is particularly good because I was there over Thanksgiving and I haven't sat down and contemplated it to that degree for a very long time. My family's life is kind of in an uproar at the moment as they have a rather untidy family living with them. It opened my eyes to just how lucky I am to have a semi-tidy husband, and one that encourages me to clean. Odd as that sounds. I am grateful for children that are fast learners and for the fact River speaks with such fluency and can say all her letters. My children will not be behind in any schooling, I can tell already. I am grateful for the fact my husband has a great job and has so much more self-worth now than he did before we were married, and even in the first part of our marriage. I am grateful that I was able to have my grandparents in my life for as long as I have and that Grandpa Bill was in my life when Grandpa Phil couldn't be. I am so grateful for having my own house to do with what I want, but that I get the opportunity to help others with theirs on occasion. (It's fun to clean someone else's house!) Haha! Life really is, that good. ;-)
We are nearly completed in the hallway and bedroom downstairs, a few more touch ups on the walls in the hall and then trim and ceiling paint to do. We order our carpet next week and get it installed around the beginning of the year! I am soooo happy for it to be so close. (Though, I wish we could be getting carpet IN next week!) The paint color is gorgeous, I went downstairs and thought that the light was on, but it was just the sunlight reflecting off the color! Beautiful! Deric isn't too thrilled, but he only gets it as his office a little under two years. (until the next child is born.) Hooray for getting rid of more of the brown in this house though!
I have been working on Christmas presents and cards the last few days. Got the pictures printed and ordered, got Doug's gift ordered (an 8-bit tie--think: Mario pixels), Molly's gift ordered (a bib with a runway on it and a matching airplane spoon! They light up!), Plus, Joan's gift ordered (a book of pictures from us and Evette's family--she complained about not having us in the one the step siblings did last year.), plus more that I can't tell you about. Hehe! I got all the neighborhood gifts out this week too (purple ornaments with a little "reminder" attached about Christ being "King", get it? Royal purple...anyway). I am excited about Christmas, but behind on getting the tree up, we put it together tonight, and will decorate it tomorrow.
I had a terrible night last night of about 4 hours total of sleep. Molly was wide awake for some reason...so, off to bed I go. Goodnight! Happy Holidays!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Stuff, n' stuff...
Sunday we went up to Deric's grandparent's house. (The Abels) They hadn't seen Molly yet and they basically told us "get your butts up here". So, we went and visited with them a couple hours and saw Pat and Von (Deric's aunt and uncle, the cowboy-Dad's side). Then we went and visited with his half-sister, Monica for a little bit and went to dinner with them. So, we got to see everyone up north, they should be good for another year. ;-)
Monday night was the opening social of the snowmobile club. It was fun. I made Chili and nobody ate any. :-( Sad, so, I froze half of it. I won a hoodie in the prize drawing! Yay, I love hoodies! Got to see some friends and talk with them briefly. We are starting to upgrade this club a bit. It is getting better than just being thrown together each year. It's kinda exciting.
Today we went to the temple for the first time in three years. It is pretty crazy it has been that long...but the last time we were there we asked to get pregnant and River was conceived just days later. I didn't learn anything amazing, but those few moments of pure si9lence and peace in the celestial room were worth it. Molly slept the exact amount of time I was gone too. :-) Good day...
Monday night was the opening social of the snowmobile club. It was fun. I made Chili and nobody ate any. :-( Sad, so, I froze half of it. I won a hoodie in the prize drawing! Yay, I love hoodies! Got to see some friends and talk with them briefly. We are starting to upgrade this club a bit. It is getting better than just being thrown together each year. It's kinda exciting.
Today we went to the temple for the first time in three years. It is pretty crazy it has been that long...but the last time we were there we asked to get pregnant and River was conceived just days later. I didn't learn anything amazing, but those few moments of pure si9lence and peace in the celestial room were worth it. Molly slept the exact amount of time I was gone too. :-) Good day...
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Super Productive Saturday :-)
This is all we did today...so far:
Winterized the trailer
Cleaned out the garden
mowed the lawn and put the debris on the garden (compost)
tidied the yard
tidied the carport
trimmed the blackberries
trimmed the fruit trees
moved the play set
trimmed the rosebushes
insulated the new bedroom walls
weeded the flower bed
We are still going to cover the trailer and go trick-or-treating. :-)
The room downstairs will have WALLS by Wednesday! Yay!
Yay for productive days like this!
Winterized the trailer
Cleaned out the garden
mowed the lawn and put the debris on the garden (compost)
tidied the yard
tidied the carport
trimmed the blackberries
trimmed the fruit trees
moved the play set
trimmed the rosebushes
insulated the new bedroom walls
weeded the flower bed
We are still going to cover the trailer and go trick-or-treating. :-)
The room downstairs will have WALLS by Wednesday! Yay!
Yay for productive days like this!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Shedule
Well, I decided that the only way to be less stressed and get more done would be to create a schedule for myself. I have never been able to stick to hourly type schedules because I don't like the limitation...so here is what I did:
Monday--vacuum the house, art and music with River
Tuesday--Laundry, art and music with River
Wednesday--Sweep/mop the floors, special treat making with River
Thursday--Grocery Shopping, play group (for River)
Friday--Clean Bathroom, art and music with River, "date night"
Saturday--Yard work/Family Home project day
We started this on Monday and I really like it. I have gotten my house totally clean throughout this week. There are the normal everyday things to do, but it has divided the big stuff over the week. :-) I also like having a plan of what I am going to do with River for at least half an hour each day. I get a teaching moment with her, she gets a creative outlet, and I feel like a good mom! haha! Monday we made a Fall leaf collage, Tuesday she painted egg carton bugs, and Wednesday we made oatmeal-molasses cookies.
Last night was the Halloween Party. Again, Sister Frost went ALL out...yikes, what a crazy night. There were so many booths, and it was just nuts. Last minute the Relief Society Activity committee was told they were in charge of a booth. Yah, it wasn't really very fun...we have young kids, and it is geared toward the kids...so, it was hard to enjoy it. River was so distracted by everything that she didn't eat her dinner or really pay attention to me at all. She just wandered around looking dazed, and staring. Funny girl.
Tomorrow we are winterizing the yard, trailer, shed, garden, and carport. Lots of work, and hopefully it will be doable with Molly...she naps for a while in the morning...so, I think it will work. I am kinda excited to do it. Always feels good to get a big project done.
I just can't wait until November 13th when we get enough money to put up insulation and drywall in the bedroom/hallway downstairs. :-) In December we will finish it up, yay!
Joan and I started a business together called Blissful Bags. We are making those scripture bag things out of the placemats and selling them on a site that contacted us about being on it. Smashion.com. They saw them on etsy and loved them so they contacted me to be on their site. The best part is, it's FREE! Yay! We are hopeful. We got 12 faux leather mats, and 12 microfiber mats, and lots of fun plastic handles (like dalmation print) and so on. If we can sell them for what I was hoping for we could have $300-$350 profit EACH! (with the bags we have already)
I'll put up pics as we make them...just waiting for everything to arrive in the mail now.
Monday--vacuum the house, art and music with River
Tuesday--Laundry, art and music with River
Wednesday--Sweep/mop the floors, special treat making with River
Thursday--Grocery Shopping, play group (for River)
Friday--Clean Bathroom, art and music with River, "date night"
Saturday--Yard work/Family Home project day
We started this on Monday and I really like it. I have gotten my house totally clean throughout this week. There are the normal everyday things to do, but it has divided the big stuff over the week. :-) I also like having a plan of what I am going to do with River for at least half an hour each day. I get a teaching moment with her, she gets a creative outlet, and I feel like a good mom! haha! Monday we made a Fall leaf collage, Tuesday she painted egg carton bugs, and Wednesday we made oatmeal-molasses cookies.
Last night was the Halloween Party. Again, Sister Frost went ALL out...yikes, what a crazy night. There were so many booths, and it was just nuts. Last minute the Relief Society Activity committee was told they were in charge of a booth. Yah, it wasn't really very fun...we have young kids, and it is geared toward the kids...so, it was hard to enjoy it. River was so distracted by everything that she didn't eat her dinner or really pay attention to me at all. She just wandered around looking dazed, and staring. Funny girl.
Tomorrow we are winterizing the yard, trailer, shed, garden, and carport. Lots of work, and hopefully it will be doable with Molly...she naps for a while in the morning...so, I think it will work. I am kinda excited to do it. Always feels good to get a big project done.
I just can't wait until November 13th when we get enough money to put up insulation and drywall in the bedroom/hallway downstairs. :-) In December we will finish it up, yay!
Joan and I started a business together called Blissful Bags. We are making those scripture bag things out of the placemats and selling them on a site that contacted us about being on it. Smashion.com. They saw them on etsy and loved them so they contacted me to be on their site. The best part is, it's FREE! Yay! We are hopeful. We got 12 faux leather mats, and 12 microfiber mats, and lots of fun plastic handles (like dalmation print) and so on. If we can sell them for what I was hoping for we could have $300-$350 profit EACH! (with the bags we have already)
I'll put up pics as we make them...just waiting for everything to arrive in the mail now.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Ben Franklin Addict...
Yes, I admit it.
I have been trying to go to Ben Franklin nearly every day this week. The first day I went by myself with the kids and Molly cried nearly the whole time while River ran around touching stuff. Too stressful to get real shopping done. Then I tried to go Wednesday night with Alaris, and we got there at 7...but it had just closed. When online it had said it closes at 8! (they changed it for going out of business) Then last night Joan and I went, and we were stopped on the freeway for an hour! It is 12 minutes away normally...but at Hill Airforce Base there was a plane that jettisoned its fuel and munitions. So, we were able to look around for only 20 minutes before it closed. Today, I am going to take my girls again...and try to have Joan come along with me, or watch River. That way I can actually really look around and get some things for Christmas gifts. I hope that it works....
I got a cute little table last night that I am going to turn into the girl's art table. It was one of their fixtures and it was only $5. So, I am going to paint it and make some holders for things to use for River's stickers, crayons, paper, coloring books, etc. I think it will be really a great thing for her to have in the room downstairs for when I am doing my crafts.
This past little while Deric and I have been in a slump. I have tried not to be for his sake, but I am getting worn out on being a Mom. We have been SO busy every night and day this last few weeks, working on the basement, canning, doing our callings, etsy, and doing our jobs for the snowmobile club. Plus, Molly was screaming every night from 5:30-11 because I ate chocolate. So, I have now given that up. :-( Sadly, Halloween is just around the corner...Ah well, she goes down at 9 and wakes up only once (at 4am) when I don't eat it...which is wonderful! So, here goes sacrifice. I have just been craving sugar so much! And chocolate more than I ever have in my life! Weird how pregnancy and birth changes things...
I have been pretty proud of my cooking recently. I got this "Church Supper" magazine that has something like 300 recipes for potluck dinner items! Nearly everything we have tried we have liked, there have only been a few "ok" dishes, and one "yuck". It is the greatest magazine I have ever gotten. I have been making notes in it as I try each thing...but we probably won't have the same thing again for a LONG time.
I got the girl's costumes done yesterday. They are going to be mermaids, and I think it is going to be adorable! Well, toodles for now!
I have been trying to go to Ben Franklin nearly every day this week. The first day I went by myself with the kids and Molly cried nearly the whole time while River ran around touching stuff. Too stressful to get real shopping done. Then I tried to go Wednesday night with Alaris, and we got there at 7...but it had just closed. When online it had said it closes at 8! (they changed it for going out of business) Then last night Joan and I went, and we were stopped on the freeway for an hour! It is 12 minutes away normally...but at Hill Airforce Base there was a plane that jettisoned its fuel and munitions. So, we were able to look around for only 20 minutes before it closed. Today, I am going to take my girls again...and try to have Joan come along with me, or watch River. That way I can actually really look around and get some things for Christmas gifts. I hope that it works....
I got a cute little table last night that I am going to turn into the girl's art table. It was one of their fixtures and it was only $5. So, I am going to paint it and make some holders for things to use for River's stickers, crayons, paper, coloring books, etc. I think it will be really a great thing for her to have in the room downstairs for when I am doing my crafts.
This past little while Deric and I have been in a slump. I have tried not to be for his sake, but I am getting worn out on being a Mom. We have been SO busy every night and day this last few weeks, working on the basement, canning, doing our callings, etsy, and doing our jobs for the snowmobile club. Plus, Molly was screaming every night from 5:30-11 because I ate chocolate. So, I have now given that up. :-( Sadly, Halloween is just around the corner...Ah well, she goes down at 9 and wakes up only once (at 4am) when I don't eat it...which is wonderful! So, here goes sacrifice. I have just been craving sugar so much! And chocolate more than I ever have in my life! Weird how pregnancy and birth changes things...
I have been pretty proud of my cooking recently. I got this "Church Supper" magazine that has something like 300 recipes for potluck dinner items! Nearly everything we have tried we have liked, there have only been a few "ok" dishes, and one "yuck". It is the greatest magazine I have ever gotten. I have been making notes in it as I try each thing...but we probably won't have the same thing again for a LONG time.
I got the girl's costumes done yesterday. They are going to be mermaids, and I think it is going to be adorable! Well, toodles for now!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Long time since the last time...
Hi there all who might read this...
I wanted to update you all on the progress of our BIG project. We started on the basement and so far have finished the framing of the bedroom, hallway, and most of the bathroom(we are waiting on the shower or bath to get the rest of the framing finished). We installed all the electrical outlets, switches, and light fixtures in the hallway and bedroom. We are now waiting on some money so we can go buy the insulation and drywall/mud/tape.
We just refinanced our house to 4.875% so that we have an additional $180/month to put toward paying for things and paying things down. Plus, this gives us more "emergency" money for each month--ie. more wiggle room. Which is a fabulous thing. We also subtracted 2 whole years from our payoff time frame and are under 10 years for complete payoff of everything including the house. I am really proud of how we are taking care of everything. We are putting much more than the minimum payment each month toward everything. Yay!
Because we refinanced we get November "off" from paying mortgage. So, we have about $900 to put toward the basement finishing. This means that we can finish the hallway, bedroom, and start framing, electrical, and insulating in the theater room. The bathroom is going to be our "drawn out" project. We think it will probably be able to be done by summertime however. I am really excited to have the basement finally becoming finished usable (useful) space! The bedroom down there will serve as Deric's office (and a guest bedroom) until we plan on either doing carpet and paint in my craft/guest room, or we move River down there. Which could be about 2 years.
Molly is having a tough time the last little while with getting to bed. She has always been kind of hard to get down...staying up until around 11 each night. But, I think she may not be able to handle me eating chocolate. Which is really sad, because it is Halloween month...and I love my reeces and butterfingers! :-( So, I am off chocolate as of today to see if it helps. We are going to put away the bassinet (which she has never liked sleeping in--just our bed or the floor!) and get out the crib tonight too. Which means we will be moving her into River's room with her soon. I also think I will put away the swing, since she is not a fan...
She is smiling like mad now! It is the cutest thing! She just melts your heart whenever she gets excited that you are around...even if you are sooo tired and frustrated from the fussiness it makes it all go away. :-)
River is starting to really show an interest in potty training...I just don't know what to do...it is a daunting thing to start. Plus, then we have to make bathroom runs wherever we may be!
I got all my new stuff up on Etsy. I am really excited about my Tie Tree Skirts and hair clips. :-)
www.FromEveryday2NewLove.etsy.com
I did a bunch of canning: Plum Jam--7 jars, Applesauce--10 1/2 quarts, Pear slices and halves--27 pints, Peach jam--6 jars, dried apples--3 large & 4 small containers, Dried banana chips--1 sandwich bag full
Monday, September 14, 2009
Finishing the basement!
YAY!!! I am sooo excited about our new project! We are going to start on finishing the basement today!
We have Craig Anderson (one of our stake presidency, and a long time friend/teacher of Deric's) coming to help us. He loves doing these kinds of projects to keep him entertained, so he is doing it for FREE! He is coming over tonight to help us "draw up" plans of the layout and what supplies we will be needing to get. I also get to pick a color for the bedroom at least...and probably the hallway. I dunno if we will get all the bathroom finished with our $500 budget...but we will see. I'm just excited to get everything moving down there after 4 1/2 years in this house! Having a clean space down there will be wonderful. :-) (Plus, when we get the other bedroom done we can move everything over from the "guest bedroom" now and tear up that carpet and paint and all that in there!
Today, I am going to do some scrapbooking. I am hoping to be caught up to 2009 soon in the next couple months. Even though I have Halloween and Christmas projects to start on too. With Molly staying up until 11 every night, I might just have to use 8-11 for doing my crafts. :-) Slowly I will figure out life. And have a great balance of everything.
We have Craig Anderson (one of our stake presidency, and a long time friend/teacher of Deric's) coming to help us. He loves doing these kinds of projects to keep him entertained, so he is doing it for FREE! He is coming over tonight to help us "draw up" plans of the layout and what supplies we will be needing to get. I also get to pick a color for the bedroom at least...and probably the hallway. I dunno if we will get all the bathroom finished with our $500 budget...but we will see. I'm just excited to get everything moving down there after 4 1/2 years in this house! Having a clean space down there will be wonderful. :-) (Plus, when we get the other bedroom done we can move everything over from the "guest bedroom" now and tear up that carpet and paint and all that in there!
Today, I am going to do some scrapbooking. I am hoping to be caught up to 2009 soon in the next couple months. Even though I have Halloween and Christmas projects to start on too. With Molly staying up until 11 every night, I might just have to use 8-11 for doing my crafts. :-) Slowly I will figure out life. And have a great balance of everything.
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