New Digs-Part Deux, The Walk-Through

We moved in on August 3rd.  This is the sneak peek before all our junk messed the whole thing up! ;)

Standing on the driveway looking towards the front of house.

Office on the left of the entry

Standing in entry looking towards living area.

Dining room on right of entry

Close up of living area fireplace and windows

Standing in living looking towards breakfast area

Standing in living looking towards breakfast and more of kitchen

Standing in breakfast looking into kitchen

Standing in hall looking into kitchen from other side

Down the hall from kitchen; standing in hall looking towards garage door with mud room on left and laundry room on right.

Mud room-yea, color!

Laundry room on right-yea, even more color!!

Laundry room on left

Hobby/Craft/My Whatever nook!  Right middle pic. 

Hobby/Craft/My Whatever Nook-middle left. 

B's FIRST room!  It only took 15 months! :)  Looks towards front of house.

Looking toward L's and A's rooms.  I am sure you can't tell which is which!  :)  The wall on right backs up to bathroom between boys' rooms.

L's room-looks towards back of house.

A's room-looks towards back of house.

A's bathroom with shower.  This will allow our princess a little privacy and place for guests.

Coming back down hall looking towards living, dining.

Standing in living looking towards dining room and front of house.

Powder bath that is between office and our bedroom.

Looking into master bedroom which faces back of house.

Left side of master bath

Right side of master bath

Left side again

Shower and going into closet

Master closet-right side

Left side and back

Back and corner

Back porch from master door

Entry floor design

Standing at house looking towards front and driveway

I am too tired tonite, but I plan on doing a commentary on the results and the whole process later this week.  If you have any questions, I can throw in some Q&A as well.

Stacey

Group Hug

I feel like I dropped the ball in so many areas of my life this summer (and now creeping into fall).  I allowed too many things to overwhelm me which made even the UNoverwhelming things feel like too much to deal with.  Whether it was family, friendship, social, professional, spiritual, personal, I feel like I have wasted a lot of time.

I am going to try to do better with all the live and in person situations, but today I wanted to share a big ol' group hug with those whose blogs I visit regularly.  I am going to try and get back on a schedule so I can visit and comment with a little more consistancy without allowing it to be one more thing that overwhelms me.  Truthfully, I have been keeping up by reading my blackberry at night.  I just haven't had the energy to fire up the computer and make the rounds at night. 

Soooo, it is kinda like I have been spying on you!! :)

I will be dropping by soon!!

Stacey

May 2010

Sadly, it has come to this for sharing some of my life here.

Dated posts!

My silly boy after school one afternoon!

 Somebody might have had to have a time out soon after, resulting in an impromtu nap!  Can't you just hear him saying minutes before, "BUT I'm NOT tired!". 

I still love watching my kids sleep.

B wants to escape outside every chance he gets.  Luckily, big sister is there to shadow him on his adventures!

Oh my!

I love this pic~he looks like he is stretching.

Self-portrait #429!

If you think these are interesting, bet you can't wait for me to figure out how to download my phone pictures!

Stacey

&%$*(&^!@#%&(

Yay, me too.

That is exactly how I feel each time I receive a comment in a language that I don't speak.  Or read.

If you are leaving those comments, please know that I don't speak or read any other language except English.

Well, except for a little Dora spanish and the remnants of French I remember from high school and college.

And while I appreciate your attention (I think), it is really a futile effort on your part since your comment is rendered useless on me.  I would encourage you to comment in English or comment on someone else's blog that can better appreciate what you are saying.

For everyone else, can you help me figure out how to delete comments?  I see it all the time on other's blog, but can't figure it out for some reason.  I am sure it is smack in front of my face!  Just want to do a little housecleaning because it creeps me out a bit if I can't read what is written.

Sorta that feeling you get at your local nail salon!

Stacey

OUT.OF.CON.TROL!

I am seriously SO behind here that I HAVE to catch up.

I am going to ignore my Google reader until I can make some progress around here. 

Most of the stuff that I read but don't comment will have to succumb to the delete button.

But for all my friends, please be patient.  I will save you and catch up very soon!

Don't give up on me!

Stacey

Fly on the wall

It's just pretty darn crazy around here. 

Why don't you share in my craziness.  I need the company!

All last week:

• Packing
• Preparing for garage sale
• Life in general

Friday and Saturday:

• Garage sale 7 AM-1 PM (more on that another day!)
• Packing
• Birthday party
• Laundry
• Look at washers/dryers
• Life in general

Sunday:

• Church
• Swim practice for both kids
• Packing
• Laundry
• Life in general

Monday:

• Drop-off/Pick-up kids at school
• Oil change/Car inspection/Free carwash and vacuum (oh my, did I need the free vacuum!)
• Grocery store for few necessities
• Meal prep for our family and another family with a new baby
• Deliver meal to family
• Laundry
• Try to contain a very, very busy 10-month old who loves to play catch-me-if-you-can up the stairs as he laughs all the way up!  Not only is he taking steps, but the dude can crawl faster than Apollo can ice skate!
• Ahhh, don't you love Apollo!
• Pack and ship goody box for a special friend of mine!
• Forward our mail
• Do a work report
• Pack
• Life in general

Tuesday:

• Work
• Baseball practice
• Evening routine with family
• Pack
• Skip bible study because I am overwhelmed
• Life in general

Wednesday:

• Drop-off/Pick-up kids at school
• Pack
• Make some appointments for myself and the kids
• Prepare for weekend trip
• Try to see a home health client
• Dance/gymnastics practice
• Evening routine with family
• Life in general

Thursday:

• Work
• Try to see another home health client
• Evening routine with family
• Pack
• Life in general

Friday:

• Drop-off kids at school
• Finish packing for trip/load car
• Prepare as much as possible for husband to move us over the weekend while we are gone
• Write/fax home health reports so I don't get the evil phone call for being tardy with my paperwork
• Pick-up kids at 12:30/1:00 PM and leave for Oklahoma
• Make a whirlwind trip, returning on Sunday in time for swim practice

BREATHE!

Stacey

The Big Backup of 2010

 I can't stand being this far behind.

And that even includes the scrapbooks from June 2004 and May 2009 that are still waiting patiently to be started!

You are reminded even more of all the things you have been meaning to do when you are packing up the meaning-to-do stuff!

So, last we looked at my previous accountability list, I was almost caught up.

But, then life keeps happening.

Like a broken computer and packing boxes.

So, here is my updated listed for when time allows:

• Food
• Friends
• My new technology
• A supposed birthday
• B's 9-month pictures
• B's 10-month letter with pictures
• A's 8 year old pictures
• Selling, renting, building
• Any other random things I can find to talk about

And in anticipation of things to come, why not just save myself some time:

• My first garage sale
• Girl Scout stuff
• Spring Break
• Visiting friends
• Visiting family 

I started a new job today (which I am actually excited about), but I am too tired to share any more about it right now.

Should I be tired?

I have gone to bed by 8:30 or 9:00 the last 3 nights.

This coming from a night owl!!

And I am not even really sick.

Although something must be in the air, some have said it is mountain cedar?, because my eyes have been on fire and watery more than I care to say.

So, I guess I am not really tired tired, just tired eyes.

Which makes typing not fun! :)

I will find time later this week to share more.

Stacey

I ain't gonna lie

I love catching up on my Google Reader from bed.

More later!

Stacey

Accountability or Memory Jogger~whatever it takes!

Here is a running list of everything I need to catch up on around here:

Christmas
My daughter's 8th birthday
My baby turning 8 months old (today!)
My baby's super cute 6 month pics I never posted
All the funny comments my 5 year son makes
Why I reaffirmed my committment to never owning bunkbeds
My job rollercoaster
Food
Friends
My new technological advances

That is a start.  I will probably being adding more.

I am sure the anticipation is keeellllling you!  :)

Stacey

Or so I thought

Well, this won't be the week for me to catch up.

I don't have time to organize pictures and thoughts to share.

I don't have time to read what wonderful things are going on elsewhere.

This week is slammed with "to-do's" and a whole list of extra things on the side that need to somehow get done as well.

I just narrowed my Google Reader from 148 to 34 posts.  If it wasn't a "good read" or a "friend", then it doesn't really matter anyway.

Those other 34 do matter, so I will tuck them away and enjoy them like I enjoyed my decaf Peppermint Mocha today!

Maybe next week!

Stacey

One day at a time

It wasn't my favorite show.

But, it is my favorite theme these days!

You know how at parties, you have your paper plate that you fill up too full and you get the bend-almost-break thing going on, but you manage to keep the plate intact long enough to sit down and put it on your lap?

Right before you knock your glass of something over on your host's carpet?

Or something like that!

Well, that is how I feel right now.

Just trying to keep my plate from breaking these days!

So, if it has to be done, it is probably getting done last minute.

Including my presents, which will likely be wrapped or bagged on Christmas Eve!

On top of that, I so behind with visiting all my favorite cyber homes!  Have the holiday cheer ready because I hope to stop by real soon!!!

Stacey

October 2009

I was trying to do a monthly update thing, but decided that would get too long.

My thoughts would ramble more than they already do. :)

I am trying to catch up and do an update for each of the kids instead, but here are a few things that did make the cut for an October review.

My husband turned 40-woo hoo!

The woo hoo is for the simple reason that it wasn't me! Yet! My day is fast approaching.

It is ok. I am ready to embrace it! I have already started my Top 40 Wish List!! ;)

My husband is a no-frills kinda guy. He didn't want a big bash or anything fancy smancy. The weekend of his birthday was nutty busy. Birthday party, football game, Harvest Festival at school. So, I worked on putting together a simple lunch at his parents' house. I just made it seem like it would be our family eating over there as usual.

On the sly, I invited two couples from church to join us. I figured if he found out accidently, it would be no big deal.

On the double-sly, I invited his best friend since high school and his family to join us. I didn't even tell the kids because they love their kids and that excitement alone would have spoiled the surprise.

It all worked out. As he ended up greeting the local friends at the front door, he didn't see that his other friend had arrived and was entering the back door.

He was surprised! For one, he probably never suspected that I would do that. But especially because we always tease his friend about how he rarely leaves the comfort of his town!

I used the candles to create the "0" in 40.  He did generate enough lung capacity to blow those few candles out!


Noise makers for the kids. 

A fun little gift bag from our cousins/friends!  I will try to remember what all these are for:

• Warming packets b/c our circulation decreases as we age.
• A hot patch for his back aches.
• Superhero gummy vitamins for extra energy.
• Advil for the obvious reasons.
• Band-aids as you can be more accident prone in your older years.
• Q-tips to clean out your ears and minimize hearing problems.
• Tums for that geriatric indigestion.
• An energy bar cuz you get tired more easily.

The actual morning of his birthday.  We celebrated with surprise donuts!



Our other annual October event is a family reunion on my Dad's side of the family.  I got some yummy chicken and dumplings this year-ahhh!

Grandpa and B

Memaw and B.  She loves having these great-grandbabies!


Stacey