Love from TX

Oh my! Its been a Month since I posted last! and So much has happened! Ill try and keep it all in order!

 First we laid new flooring in the living room and hall way

  Then we had a company lay some new carpet in all of the bedrooms! 

We decided its worth paying the extra from now on!

√ Check one more thing off our "to do before we sell list!" 

As for our new house- well after we bought it... it seems that the work just stopped! haha maybe because we had some other super important things to do like .... 

Going to my little Sisters Graduation from Hope College!!! 

My gorgeous sister and her friend Jamie

To understand why this graduation was so important to not only me but my mom, I feel that I need to share some history that I have hardly ever talked about but now Im about to post on my blog for the whole world to read... so here goes..

Now for all who don't know I was born Sept. 20 and then my sister Nov. 3 the very next year.  She was given away at birth because  (summed up version)  our father decided he only wanted three children total and told our mother she had to abort her. Well as you can tell she didn't. She gave Julie Ann up for adoption hoping it would save her marriage but later realized how strong and smart she really is and divorced him. One thing she couldn't get back was Julie Ann- when she was born my mother never even got to see her. So this graduation was more than just a graduation for us it was a huge day in all of our lives, especially our mothers, and it just happened to land on mother's day.. Pretty awesome!

 Now due to email and the wonderful word of Facebook (FB) my sister and I have been talking and getting to know one another for a while. I wrote her my first email July 13th, 2010~ and wow did we have a bunch in common! Including our looks! *we laugh the same!*

The first time I seen a picture of her I asked my self when did I take that?! I don't remember being there!
Jumping ahead in our trip~ We made it in to Holland, MI rather late but Julie Ann said it was ok to go ahead and come over, so OF COURSE we did!

This is a video of us seeing each other for the first time

*beware there is screaming!* :D

Our mother on the other hand was very quite and after we left for the night I asked her if she was ok and she told me something that made me cry... "It was the first time I had ever seen her with my own eyes" I cant imagine how she was really feeling but the next day she was happy and she smiled the whole time we were up there. It was wonderful seeing her smile like that, really truly happy. 

We had a wonderful trip and I will add more of it in a different post,  right now I need to get to making some dinner! 

A few more pictures....

Some of Julie Ann's adoptive family and us

From left to right:
Kathy (Mom), Jim (Julie ann's dad), Sue (her aunt),
Julie Ann, Me, Luke behind me, Evan holding him, Linda (Julie Ann's mother), Alex, and then Howard (Her uncle)

 She plays the organ beautifully!

 Sneak peak of the chapel 

and of course Alex being himself!

Hope you have a wonderful week! Love,

Never Say Never

You know that saying "Never say Never"? Well it has come around to show me just how true it is.  There are two things I always said I'd "never" do. 

The first was painting a wall in our home a really bright color. The thought scared me about how bold it might be. Let me interject that my husband and I have a really hard time agreeing on color. I would say green he would say BLAH, I would say blue he would say nursery! The only color he wanted was red. I was so reluctant to buy it that when I was in the store I asked different sales people what they thought! Well after losing the vote 8 yes to 2 no I ended up buying a gallon of "Wild Rose". Three coats later and I think I like it! I know this sounds funny but it looks bright and warm at the same time! With it being on just one wall it really gave our tiny living room that pop that everyone talks about. Now just to put the living room back together! 

My second has to deal with salesmen.. I really don't mind when your in a store and someone tries to sell you something, after all that is their job but it's when they come to your home and bother your children's nap that I start to get my feathers ruffled. (Yes I love Schwans and that's different. I schedule for that! My Schwans lady has her timing down so perfect I never have to worry about the boys)

This morning we all had an apt with the dentist at 8 so we had an early start. Once we got home we had lunch and soon after I put the boys down for their nap. 30 minutes later a young guy Probably late 20's is knocking at my door offering me a "free" pack of Lysol wipes. I asked "whats the catch are they poisoned?!" He runs off laughing and returns with his foreign friend who starts telling me all about this wonderful vacuum. He ask me to bring out mine and begins to vacuum a small portion of the floor. Oh Did I mention that I was in the middle of painting? So my living was all pushed to the front so he had literally 2 ft to work with!  Then he puts mine aside and uses his with the little side dirt catcher. Needless to say to picked up a bunch of sand and hair... all the while I'm thinking yea tell a women how dirty her house is and wake up her kids .. that'll make her want to buy something! The boys come in and he continues on with his demonstration and begins to pour baking soda all over rubbing it in well and giving my boys all sorts of wonderful ideas on how to destroy mommies house. He once again uses the vacuum and shows us how it pulls the soda "all" back up all the while swapping out the little circles and leaving nice little piles. I could see the look on Luke's face just waiting for no one look so he can grab it!  On he went with all the attachments and then he  pulls out a folder with pictures of dust mites to gross you out- as if the dirt and hair weren't enough. Goes on to the sales pitch and I tell him I need to talk to my husband first and he packs up all of his stuff. His partner who has been sitting on the couch this whole time quiet beings to say that they have to get up to Canadian next and starts in on a bunch of Canada jokes about bacon and health care. I just look at him and say yea I've heard that one before but you might not want to mention it to any of them. After laying the boys back down I show them to the door. I walk back into the living room to find those dirty little circles still laying in the floor but all the dirt that was on them... gone.... Wonder who could have done that... ;)   

So I wont say that I will "never" let another salesman in but I shall "try not to" let another vacuum sales person in my home again!

Busy little bees

Work Work Work.....

Oh what all have we been up to!
Our "temporary house until we can find a bigger one" has turned into a home. After three years of living here I'm pretty well settled! We finally put the go ahead to start making it ours this past January. We started with the living room. Painted the paneling (which to most is a huge "no no") but I couldn't help myself. I was living in a world of brown. From the walls to the carpet- our couches are even a dark leather. Needless to say it was way to much. So the first color I picked was a light blue- one of my favorites. Turns out its not such a great wall color! Once on the wall it turned our living room into a nursery! So now WE are sorting through swatches and chips and have moved on to the kitchen. The old cabinets are now an antique black, and we painted the walls a mid grey. Really gave the kitchen have a "country" feel.

Before

After

Above the fridge

Evan knocked out an old key cabinet and built me a new pantry. You can now pull out the shelves too! 

 hand painted my canisters. Just Love polka dots!

My Inspiration for our kitchen 
  

  

The panels I made.... no need for a large window covering when you have a beautiful view!

New faucet and white scroll detail Evan added- so pretty!

We put up an antique light and now are moving our way to the counter tops and back splash. We know for sure we want a tin look but we still can not decide between real or faux. I found some real tin panels at Coyote candle in Lubbock Texas but Evan wasn't totally sold so we just bought one and brought it home. Good thing he spoke up too. Found the raised punches to be a bit to much but it will some make for some great art work in the office!