No, It's MINE...

Up until a few months ago I knew what a blog was but had never read one.  My time was better spent on facebook spending time with my family :)  We lived in military housing and one day I just got an itch.  I was sick of living in housing.  I wanted a nice house with a big backyard for my boys.  The school district we lived in was not horrible but it wasn't the best.  Who doesn't want the best for the ones they love?  Hubbie and I dreamed of owning our own home but we didn't think it would happen anytime soon.  That was our One Day Dream...  We would have a fabulous house...one day... we would have a big backyard and a beautiful kitchen- a place to call our own...one day.

Well, when I got that itch I became obsessed at looking at houses to rent.  Hubbie would not hear of it.  One night he got sick of me calling to come look at THIS house.  Really it was beautiful.  Get off the couch and drag your bootie in here finally told me we were not moving unless it was into our own house.  Now, to be fair we have moved SEVEN times since we have been married, yes SEVEN!  Well, once Ryan told me that I started looking at houses to buy.  It seemed unbelievable.  I did it all out at first and then half-heartedly.  I didn't want to get my hopes up only to be disappointed.  And then we called a realtor.  And talked to the finance guy. And it was set.  We were going to buy a house.  Just like that.  It seemed to happen so quickly.  We found our house and fell in love.  Worried and stressed and hassled our agent we moved in the week of Thanksgiving.  Yes, apparently we are masochists. :)

I know you must be wondering what does this have to do with blogs?  Patience :)

While waiting for closing I started searching all the home improvements I wanted to tackle DIY style in our soon to be very first home SQUEAL :)  And I came across a blog.  My very first, Young House Love.  I loved the simplicity of this blog.  If they could do all these things so could we!  I read all their past posts and took in all the information I could on how I could improve our house with little money and lots of elbow grease.  I was a sponge.  It was my crack.  I would excitedly call Ryan over, "Look Babe.  They tell us exactly how to paint our cabinets.  Look how EASY it is.  We can tooootalllly do that too :)"

Then one day I noticed their BLOG ROLL.  I don't think they call it that but it's essentially what it is.  Anyhow, I started reading all these design blogs and started bookmarking like crazy all the blogs I liked.  Not only were these women inspirational(they are crafty like crazy) but they are so nice. Well, in bloggyland anyway.  But I collected all these blogs to get inspired from and started bookmarking all my project ideas.  I have so many it can be completely overwhelming.  Lots of these women host giveaways or linky parties to showcase other people's creativity and talents.  I always lurk and try and find new blogs and more inspiration.  But that's all I ever do.  I only look.  I never post anything.  I am afraid.

I started this blog for my husband.  To keep him connected to what we are doing at home while he is on deployment.  I also thought it would be great for our family (who all live at least 10 hours away) to see our new house and the boys.  But noone knows about it. It's not even public.  Only I can see it right now.  How awful is that?  I would love to open it up to my family and friends and even share ideas with other women like me out there but it's so intimidating.  I have to remind myself that things take time.  I am not going to have a showcase ready house right thisveryminute.  It will take time. I am not going to be the craftiest motherwhatter out there.  I need to be okay with that.  I need to be more than okay with that. I need to be happy with it.  Do you ever feel that way?

So here is my point.  Do I take my little blog public and share it with others? Or do I continue to hoard it...?  Haha... When I put it that way....  Also, does this mean all these posts have been a little creepy because essentially I have been talking to myself?

Oh and BTW one day soon I will have pictures of my house on my blog.  Hubs won't let me load pictures on our ancient computer.  Something out it imploding...  I don't know.  We plan on getting a new one in the near future.  Maybe I'll go public then :)

Time for bed and a good book...

Love and Marriage...

We were blessed this weekend with some warmer weather... mid 50s... ahhh... Not quite warm enough but after the freezing cold winter we are experiencing here in North Carolina it was heaven!  We were able to work in the front yard, work on projects, play with neighbors and rock out to awesome music :)  It was so nice.  The kind of weekend where the kids are finally in bed and you sit down and realize it's the first time you've rested all day long.  A few weeks ago I had dumpster dived and scored a nice little side table.  I planned on painting it white and using it in the guest room to hold my sewing machine.  Tres chic, no? 

:)

Anyhow, it needed to be sanded down first- it was a nasty dark wood- and I put the first eight coats of white on... I was impatient and didn't prime.  To be fair to me I didn't have primer but oh well...  So I am painting and Nolan is digging in  helping me with the front garden and we have the following conversation:

Nolan: "Mommy how do you get someone to marry you?"
Me:  "You ask someone.  Daddy asked me to marry him and I said yes."
Nolan:  "So if I wanted to marry Christina I would have to ask her."
Me: slooowly "Yes.  But the person has to say yes.  If you ask and they say no then you don't get married."
Nolan:  "What if everyone in the world gets married except me?"

Is your heart breaking?  Mine melted into a puddle right there.  I assured Nolan that he will get married one day and not to worry.  Why is my four year old concerned about these issues that are decades away?  My little man :)  Oh and just so you know Christina is Nolan's little friend from preschool.  They have had a handful of playdates and always seem to want to play doctor.  Oy vey...

Well, I am all tuckered out from our busy weekend and I want to head to bed and curl up with a good book.  HP is calling my name...

Talk to you soon.

My Boys

Let me just preface this blog post by saying I love both of my boys very much.  I wouldn't trade them for anything!  However, sometimes I have to pray for patience instead of strength because they just KILL ME :)  Nolan was the sweetest, easiest baby ever.  Sure he threw the world's worst tantrums in public places and loved to bite- but what child doesn't right? :)  Nolan is kind and wants to please.  He makes my heart so happy whenever I look into his sweet face.  You can just see it in his eyes.  I love that :)  Kyler is also sweet as can be but there is something different about him...  Yup, the boy has a michievous streak a mile wide and he's cute to boot.  Kyler just gets into things and when I find him with triple paste smeared on his face or sticking his hands in the dog bowls I can't help but think how adorable he is.  How horrible is that?  I should be firm and tell him no and redirect him to a more appropriate activity.  And I do all those things but first I can't help my smile. 

So this morning I called Ryan after he sent what I thought was an urgent text- apparently he just wanted to chat- and went upstairs to make my bed.  Nolan comes upstairs carrying the windex, pledge and cleaning water bottles.  He informs me that these are things he has taken from Kyler who has pulled them out from under the sink in the kitchen.  I know, I know I should have safety latches on our cabinets buuuut... we didn't have to do that with Nolan and we just haven't gotten around to doing it with Kyler.  Don't judge me :) I tell Nolan to put them away, thank him for letting me know (he is a great helper!) and I will be down in just a minute.  No sooner does Nolan leave the room but Kyler comes in with a big wet spot on his shirt.  I figure that he has been drooling like crazy and just try to finish up the bed.  The next thing I know he is running in and out of our bathroom saying, "Uh, Uh."  His favorite word by the way. I think it's cute as he smiles at me then runs back in and tries to weigh himself. It's hysterical watching my 18 month old stamp on the scale to activate it just like we do.  Man they watch EVERYTHING!! Then I hear our tub running... I get in there and Kyler just puts his hands over his eyes so he can "hide" from my disapproving glares.  As I turn off the water he darts behind me and sticks his hand in the toilet.  I rush to put the lid down and Kyler sticks his wet with toilet bowl water hand in his mouth!! Disgusting right.  Apparently not because Kyler runs away giggling.  As I chase after him the smell hits me.  It's not the smell of dirty diaper but the distinct odor of a cleaning product- windex!  That wet spot was windex?  You bet your bippie.  Aww, Kyyyllllerrrrrr!  It just kills me.  My sweet baby is just a little pain in the bootie sometimes :)

Now, my mom is stressing me out because I should call posion control.  AGHHHH!!

Ok, called posion control and Kyler is ok. :)

Time to get locks on the doors.

Long Weekend

Let's discuss how awful I am coming up with the titles for my posts.  How can I make long rambles about everyday activities sound awesome?!  Apparently I cannot.  Moving on...

Because of President's Day we have had an extra day to our weekend.  YAY!  We ran our errands on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning and have hung out at home the rest of the time. Love hanging at home. :)  So, we went to Lowe's Friday afternoon- did I mention that's our second home? Seriously, we love it there! And they were clearancing out chandeliers and such from last year to make room for this years model.  Let me just tell you we lucked out because last years model is SOOO much nicer than the new junk they have.  So because we could not pass these savings up we picked some of those bad boys up.  We got a 5 arm chandy for the dining room, a 3 arm chandy for the breakfast nook and a pendant light for over the kitchen island and that cost us under $150!!  I know right?  How could we pass that up?  So, Ryan hung up the chandelier in the dining room on Saturday and hung the other two up on Sunday.  They look so beautiful!  It is amazing the difference they make.  Before we had builders grade nickel finish light fixtures.  Not the worst( hey it wasn't gold!) but it just wasn't our style.  We knew it was on the list for down the road but the clearance called to us :)  Let me tell you, Ryan struggled to get the 3 arm up in the breakfast nook.  He just hit one problem after another.  But he kept working and finally got it up.  I won't shame him by telling you how long it took him(it was hours not minutes)  but it was worth it and I'm sooo appreciative!  What better Valentine's Day present could a girl ask for but a super handy hubbie that cares about these projects as much as I do?  Well, besides a beautiful arrangement of flowers.  But don't worry he got me that too :)   It's funny because now I am motivated to get other things on our list done so they are up to snuff with the lights.  Isn't funny how it snowballs?  You update one thing and something else glares at you as if to say, why don't I look that nice... :)
The boys were thrilled because Hubbie got them some yummy sugar cookies for Valentine's Day.  I sampled three some and they were so good.  You know the kind of good where you just KNOW they are filled with sugar?  That good :)

Unfortunately, now Ryan is on his deathbed.  He still has not gotten out of bed.  I think he picked up what the boys had but in true Ryan fashion.  Translation?  He has it worse!  I am just hoping he feels better soon enough to at least get out of bed.  Well, I am going to work on some curtains for the bedroom.  Yup, the ones I finished I am still working on those bad boys :)

Talk to you soon!

He said What?

Ok, I just had to share.  This afternoon we had the radio on and Katy Perry's, "I Kissed a Girl" was on the radio.  As the chorus is playing... I kissed a girl and I liked it... Nolan, who was playing with playdoh in the kitchen, said "SHE KISSED A GIRL?!??!"  It was hilarious!!

Right now the boys are doing handstands and headstands.  Nolan does them and Kyler tries to copy him.  All he ends up doing is spreading his legs and banging his hands down onto the ground.  Our boys are too funny!

Silence is Golden?

I have no way to lead into this except to say that this post is a little different.

Have you ever felt like a fool and then felt even more like a fool for feeling like a fool?  :) In some situations I am not as suave as I would like to be.  Afterwards, I think what I could have said or done different.  Honestly, it takes a while for me to let it go.  I can harp :) I try and remind myself that I cannot control how people around me feel and can only change how I feel about things.  Even though I want people to like me I cannot determine how I feel about myself and others based on someone else.  I have to do what I think is right and be satisfied. 

Sometimes that is hard for me.  It feels like a personal affront if things don't go the way I think they should.  It may not always be personal but sometimes it's hard to remember that.  Does that ever happen to you?

It feels wrong as an adult to be so unsure of myself at times but maybe that is what makes me grown up.   Admitting this is something I have trouble with and work on it.  I want to be confident in all I say and do.  And I want to teach Nolan and Kyler to do the same.  I want them to be leaders with conviction and not just follow the crowd.  So I need to focus on not nitpicking at myself!  I think it can be done. :)

Well, the siren song of dinner is calling and Nolan is politely asking for playdoh.  I have a feeling those polite words might change if I don't hop to it soon.  

Talk to you soon!

Hide and Seek

I have been meaning to write this post since last week!  Everytime I have thought to write this I have put it off until later and well, here we are a week later...

Last week on our way to school Nolan and I had this conversation:

Nolan:  "Mommy, I stand in the corner and count but when I turn around Kyler is STILL standing there.  He just won't go and hide!"

Me:  "Well, Kyler doesn't understand how to play.  He's not old enough."

Nolan: (turns to Kyler) "Kyler, when I stand in the corner and start counting you need to go and hide and then I'll come find you.  Then it's my turn to hide."

Me: Heart Melting...

I love my sweet boys.  It is moments like these were I can forget the times where Kyler whacks Nolan in the head with a golf club and Nolan growls at him.  Life with boys.

Last thing I want to tell you is today Nolan volunteered to help me unload the dishwasher.  It was so sweet.  My little helper.  Where will I be in the fall when he is off to kindegarten?