We Made It! Fun with Friends Day 1

UPDATE: If you haven’t seen Jen’s post from today, you should go check it out here.  I am not sure if I should laugh, cry, or crawl under the table from embarrassment.  HA!

We are so excited to be with our friends in South Carolina!  We made it safely and Hayden had a great trip on the plane…even waiting in the plane for about 45 minutes before take-off.

Because we were late getting here, we exited the plane on to the tarmac.  Thankfully, someone carried the carseat and stroller out of the plane for me.  But, I then had to carry Hayden, the carseat, my HEAVY backpack, and my purse down 1 and up 3 flights of stairs!  I was seriously out of breath!  I guess I needed to work off those donuts from this morning anyway!  HA!  Jen and Hudson met us at baggage claim and we headed to Moe’s to meet Landree and Jeff Gray for lunch.  Moe’s is a yummy Chiloso/Chipotle type restaurant.  So good!

After lunch, we headed home for some playtime!  Hayden did sooo good!  But, I think he was ready to be FREE!  I am pretty sure Hayden and Landree chased each other around the house about 100 times.  Hudson was right behind them! 

Hayden was so happy to see Landree and Hudson!

The boys  really loved playing with the dolls and the dollhouse.   I know the Daddy’s will be so proud.  Ha!

They also loved playing in Landree’s chair.   Hayden loves this chair!  He might need one for his new room. 

Hanging out in their diapers enjoying a nice cold cup of milk!

The babies took a good nap, enjoyed some more play time, and then after dinner they had a super fun time taking a bath!  There was water everywhere!!

Jen and I ended our night with a trip to Sonic for a sonic blast.  Yum! 

We are having so much fun and it only Day 1!  I am having Hayden’s pictures taken in the morning at USC by a lady that Jen always uses.  She always gets fabulous pictures so I am so excited to see how they turn out!   We are excited about the next 8 days!  We have plans to go to the apple orchard, the zoo, and of course…do some shopping! 

4:00 AM came early, so I am off to bed! 

House Rebuild Update 9-30-10

A little house update for you and a couple of pictures of our baby boy too!  Check out these pictures of the foam insulation sprayed in.  Looks like a mess huh?  After it is sprayed they come back and shave if off flat. 

Looking from the back door into the kitchen, living, and dining room…

 

Looking from living room down hallway.  Kitchen on right.

Dining, kitchen, and utility room…

 

Master bedroom and bath…

Master Bath…

Having some fun on the back porch…

Hayden and I left this morning for South Carolina to visit Jen, Jeff, Landree, and Hudson!  We will be gone for 9 days!  We left the house this morning at 4:45 AM.  Early, early!  But, Hayden did great.  We played for the first hour of the flight then he couldn’t stand it any more.  He was out!  Lucky for us it wasn’t a full flight so I was able to bring his carseat on the plane.  I am typing this on the plane and this is a picture of Hayden right now.  So peaceful.  Makes for a happy Momma! 

  We are so excited to see our friends!

House Update (9-28-10)

So this is what keeps me awake at night…

Thinking about paint colors.  Or light fixtures.  Or cabinet decisions.  You get the point.

Today I finally picked up a few more paint samples after meeting with our flooring/countertop/shower lady and finalizing everything. 

I saw this idea on another blog (can’t give credit because I can’t remember where I saw it…maybe The Nester?).  I thought it was fabulous! 

They suggested getting large pieces of poster board and painting your samples on them.  Then, they are large enough yet you can move them around, compare, hold them up in different lights, etc.  I have some bedding, our kitchen countertop sample, flooring sample, cabinet sample, swatches from our couch, etc. that I like to lay out 4456 times a day to look at paint colors.  It really is an obsession.  A ridiculous one I think.  However, a ridiculously necessary one that I like to obsess over.  Ha!  Typically I am a tan kind of girl. I like to step out of the box on occasion.  I always love red, just not really sure I have a place for it this time around.  Two houses ago it was in our laundry room and I loved it.  Our new washer and dryer is a cranberry color, so that doesn’t work now. Before the fire, out kitchen was red.  Now, our kitchen really will not have much to paint, so I am not sure I am going to do a red again.  But, I just had to try it out…just in case.  You know, obsessing again.  I really like the blue on the top left in person. It looks a lot brighter in this picture to me.  I am kind of thinking this color for Hayden’s bathroom.  I also really like the gray on the bottom left.  Again, looks a lot different in person than in this picture.  But, not sure I really have a place for it. I am afraid it might clash with our carpet choice.   So, in conclusion, the deliberation will continue.  But, not for long.  I have to make a decision SOON! 

Because guess what, we should have all sheetrock  up and our walls textured by the end of next week! Half of our walls are currently sheet rocked.  We had to get that done because we are getting insulation this week. We decided to do foam in our outside walls and attic/ceiling.  We are going to do the cellulose in the inside walls again for sound.  Exciting stuff!

Just in case you want to know the color names of the Sherwin Williams samples above here they are.

Top (Left to Right):  Rain, Dormer Brown, Townhall Tan, Meadowlark

Bottom (Left to Right): Keystone Gray, Antique White, Salute

Good Samaritan Saturday 9-25-10

Happy Saturday! 

Even in the pouring rain, I went to Good Samaritan this morning!  Have I told you how much I love that place?  Ha!  I thought it might be fun to compare how much the item might actually retail for compared to what I paid for it. 

Here are my treasures for today:

Mighty Tonka Dumptruck (Retail on ebay for $45.00)

Large (and very heavy) Glass Bowl 

(I am not real sure about a price since there is not a brand on it but, I am guessing it would retail for atleast $15.00)

I can see banana pudding in it now!  :-)

More Toys for Hayden  (Poor thing doesn’t have any toys! )

4 small Chuck and Friends Tonka cars/trains (retails for $10.00 for a set of 5)

6 Little People (retails for $6.00-$13.00 for a set of 3)

Melissa & Doug Wooden Geometric Stacker (retails for $14.00)

Fisher Price Poppity Pop Truck (retails for $14.00)

John Deere Truck (retails for $4.00)

Large Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl (retails for $12.00)

White plate for my plate wall collection (retail range from $3.00-10.00)

Three books for Hayden (retails for $17.00)

 So, a total about about $155 worth of stuff and I got it all for…

Are you ready?

$10.00

What a steal!

House Rebuild Update (9-21-10)

We are getting closer!  Last week most of our electrical was done, ac/heat duct work was done, and the rest of the trim was put up on the outside.  This week electrical will finish up, hopefully ac/heat will finish up, and gas/propane lines will be run for our tankless hot water heater, dual fuel oven (gas range/electric oven), outside port for the grill, and for our heater.  They are going to start putting up sheetrock today on one side of the walls so we can get ready for insulation. 

Jeff and I met with the countertop/flooring lady last Friday.  I think we have just about finalized everything for our countertops, backsplash, floors, and shower.  Whew!  We felt like we had really accomplished something when we left there.  We go back this Friday to really “finalize” everything.  We are really excited about what we have picked out.  I can’t wait to see it all come together.  I just hope and pray it turns out looking as good as we think it will! 

Until next time…

Rains County Fair Parade

Let me tell you, there isn’t much more fun you can have on a Saturday morning than going to the Emory square for the Rains County Fair parade!  This was Hayden’s first parade experience.  He seemed to enjoy it.  He kept pointing at all the balloons and just sat back and took it all in.  Even Granddaddy Red went with us!

The parade includes the country fair pageant winners, horses, fire trucks, the high school band, 4 wheeler riders, and anyone else that wants to be included.  :-) 

Check out this cool contraption…

 

The highlight of it all is when the participants throw out candy!

It was a little toasty, but we enjoyed the 15 minutes of entertainment!  They also have  a car show around the square, but we decided it was a little warm for that!

Showered with a Shower!

Last Wednesday, the day it rained so much here and we had crazy weather around including tornadoes in the Dallas area, we were blessed with a little house re-building shower.  The ladies of Woosley Baptist Church, our community church I grew  up going to, gave us a towel and hand towel shower.  Most of the ladies all live really close to us.  But, we hardly ever see them.  You know how that goes right?  Busy, busy, busy!  They had the shower at a local tea room/home cooking restaurant.  It was great to see the precious ladies that have always been so good to me!  They were so generous!  There were even ladies there with gifts that I didn’t know.  So sweet!  Handtowels and bathtowels…one less thing to buy!!  We are so grateful!

Hayden had a great time too! 

Growing up

Hayden does things every day that make us say, “Our boy is growing up so fast.”  He just does so many grown up-big boy-things now.  Sniff, sniff! 

One day after we came in from outside (where we live) for a “cool-down” break (notice the sweaty-curly hair), I found Hayden reading.   He loves to be read to, but I really love to see him” reading” on his own. 

This made my little Mommy-Heart sparkle!

Another thing that is just growing and changing like crazy is his vocabulary.  Although, he does still like to grunt or whine to get his point across, he is saying many more words each day.  Last night we walked outside by the barn where Jeff and Daddy were working and he kept pointing up saying “C’MONE” or so I thought.  He says this quite often these days.  I couldn’t figure out where he wanted to go or what he was pointing at.  I finally stepped back and figured out that he had noticed the crescent moon in the afternoon sky.  He was saying “moon”.  Oh yes, “MONE”.  I guess that is the country way to say it? 

House Rebuild Update (9-12-10)

It was a pretty productive week at the Smith house!  We got our plumbing top out done and we got most of our outside metal up.  They will finished up with trim and gutters tomorrow.  A/C and electrical should start tomorrow.  My goal is to be finished with those by the end of the week so we can get ready for insulation and sheetrock! I also met with our cabinet guy.  I am so excited about them!  I think they are going to look so good!

The front and south side now…

The back now…

We figured out this weekend while we were cleaning up that we blocked our south wind on the back porch with our utility room add-on.  We are quite sad!  We almost always had a breeze back there!  I guess we will be thankful in the winter that we blocked the north and south wind!  I found the cutest chiminea I want to get for our back porch!  I am so excited about it!  But, for now, we are going to work on getting some big fans for back there while its hot.

This shows the north side of the house.  It is one long wall with no windows!  It will be ok.  We will just need to plant some trees to break it up some.

Hayden’s favorite thing to do while we are working or hanging out at the house…

EXPLORE!

Hayden has the best time walking around, going through the “walls”, picking up screws and nails on the ground (that’s what good moms do-let their kid play with sharp objects), sweeping, picking up concrete pieces and taking them to the driveway, etc. 

We have to make some decisions about what we are going to do in our bathroom as far as our shower goes.  It is kind of stressing me out!  I am trying to decide whether we want to do a tiled shower, marble, or cultured marble.  I love the custom look of a tiled shower.  I am just not sure about all the grout and upkeep.  If you have marble or tile in your shower, I would love to hear feedback on what you like or don’t like about it!  Same for out bathroom countertops…gotta make a decision on what to do about them as well! 

I need to start finalizing paint colors too and finish picking out light fixtures so I can tell my electrician what I want. SOOO much to do!  So many decisions to make!  You would think we would be good at this by now!  Hayden and I are leaving in 2 1/2 weeks and will be gone for 9 days to South Carolina to see Jen, Jeff, Landree, and Hudson!!!  I am soooo excited, but I know I have a lot to get done before I leave!  No pressure! 

Did you have a good weekend?  We spent most of the weekend doing stuff around and for the house.  We cleaned up inside and outside of the house and Jeff mowed and weedeated this afternoon. It made it look so much better around there!   I am sure tomorrow, it will be a wreck again.  If you have ever built a house before, you know how much time you spend cleaning up!  That’s ok…it is all worth it! 

We did get to enjoy a night out to dinner with Mom, Dad, and Robin last night at Monroy’s.  Delicious as always!  Church was great this morning too!  I hope to share some of the message this week!

Hayden always looks madder than a hornet!  I wish I could make him smile for the camera.  I think he frowns purposely when he gets his picture taken!  All boy!

Ok, I know this was a random post.  Please forgive me.  I am also asking for forgiveness ahead of time if I don’t get to post as much this week. It is going to be a busy one!

My Granddaddy and Aunt Kathy are coming in from Vegas this week.  Excited to see them!

Good Samaritan Saturday

Oh yes, I got to go today!  Good Samaritan was a success this morning!  Oh how I love that place!

For $13.50, this is what I came home with…

Old metal toolbox, 2 bed skirts for our extra bedroom (I couldn’t decide which one I wanted, so for a $1 each I decided to get both), metal colander, Veggie Skillet for the grill, glass pitcher, dark denim material (matches a pattern of some of the pillows I got for our new couch-you never know if you might need it), 2 bowls, another white plate for my plate wall, several linen valances (not sure what I will do with them, but couldn’t pass them up), and that thing on the right is a linen cover that you put over your toaster.  Isn’t that awesome?  All for $13.50!!

Then, I went to another sale down the road and spent $6.50.  I got two old windows (for 50 cents each) and two old picture frames that I will do something with.  :-) 

I have a vision, and I can’t wait to put in into action!  Mom said, “You sure have lots of projects to do.  You better get started.”  Maybe I should! 

I know this stuff may not be your style or you wonder why on earth I buy it.  But, I will prove to you that it was worth it!  Hopefully soon! 

I also went to another garage sale and got some super cute things for Hayden.  (Thanks Jayde!) 

I felt like I had a very successful morning of bargain hunting!  How about you, found any bargains lately?

16 month stats-just a little late

Before Hayden turned 17 months, I wanted to remember his 16 month stats!  We missed our 15 month appointment due to our doctor having to cancel our appointment at the last minute.  So, when we finally went for that appointment, he was 16 months. 

Here they are:

Weight-25 Pounds (50 %)

Height-31 inches (40%)

Head-19 1/4 inches (90%) 

He had gained 4 pounds and had grown 2 1/2 inches since his 1 year appointment.  Can I just say, I thought that watching your newborn get shots was the worst thing ever!  Holding your 16 month old down during shots is much worse!  I know there are more to come, but it is definitely one of my very least favorite things to do!  When we went back for Hayden’s “sick” visit last week, he got so upset when he saw that nurse that gave him his shots.  It was so sad!  I felt so bad for her and for him too!  I couldn’t believe he remembered her, but he sure did!   I guess it is a necessary evil!  Atleast we think it is!

Life is a Gift

I typically don’t post things like this or even send forwards through email.  I know I am being kind of sappy two days in a row, but I could not resist.  A friend sent this to me and it really hit home for me.  I hope you take the time to read it.

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her,'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?' The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.  Her  boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.'

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.

Life Is a Gift

Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion.

Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven.

Before whining about the distance you drive-Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and think: by GOD's grace, you're alive and still around.

Throughout this whole “house burning” ordeal and process, Jeff and I could have had one big pity party.  But we don’t.  Or, atleast  I hope we don’t.  We have tried to stay focused and remain positive.  Of course it is hard, very hard, at times, but I think we always  try to remain focused on how blessed we really are.  It’s amazing what you find out about yourself and also find out about other people when tragedy strikes. We are so thankful for all we have…God, our precious baby boy, family, and our friends.   I just want to say thank you to all of you again  who have reached out to us  with your sweet comments, uplifting and encouraging words, and all you have physically given to us.  WE ARE BLESSED!  Remember, life is a gift!

Our Concrete-The 2nd Go Around.

 

The verse we decided to inscribe into our concrete is 2 Corinthians 5:1. 

“Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”

I know this verse has many different meanings.  But, we felt this verse spoke to us when we found it.  Basically, we applied it to our situation and know that if our home is destroyed, we are blessed to have God on our side.  We know that this is only our temporary home. 

Our real and eternal home is in Heaven.

House Rebuild Update 9-5-10

The house is looking so good!  Atleast to us it is!  :-)  We are so excited, we can hardly stand it! 

They got all the plumbing roughed in, concrete for add on, and all the framing done this week.  Monday they will start putting the sheet metal back on the outside.  Hopefully we will get cabinet measurements and electric, plumbing top out, and our ac/heat started this week as well.  Our builder says “Labor Day means labor.  We work!”  Good for us, but kind of sad for them!

These pictures will probably be a little hard to tell what is what, but I will do my best to describe to you what they are!  :-)

South side of the house.  Shows utility room add on to the back.

Utility Room

I am so excited about this big space! It is about 12 1/2 ft. x 11 ft.

Standing in the back door looking into the kitchen, living room, front door.  Previously this was the garage.  To the right of the picture is where our living room was.  It is now a 3rd bedroom.

Standing in the front door looking at the living room, dining area, and utility.  Again, previously the garage area.  We decided to go with 9 ft. ceilings in the living, dining, and kitchen areas this time to make it more open.

The kitchen. 

We flip-flopped our kitchen so it could open up to the dining and living room.

Standing in the living room looking down the hallway.  Hayden’s room and the extra room are on the left.  We added a linen closet in the hallway as well.  Extra bath, our room, master bath, and our closets are on the right. 

Our Master Bedroom.  We added 5 extra ft to our bedroom and added the master bath as well as another large closet.  We will end up with 3 closets in our bedroom/bathroom.  A girls gotta have room right?  Ha!

The back of the house.

It has come a long way from this huh?

And this.

Just because I love my boys!.