at the lake

Some of you heard our story about Larry going up to check our lake house and the house was about 107 degrees, but for those haven't...The previous thermostat was battery powered to tell it to kick on and off.  The batteries had died, so.....heat it did!  So, we took an old school thermostat up and changed it out...but alas, now we have to fix the paint job that we just did!  We already had a flooded crawl-space at the end of last year due to a pipe that need a simple $0.59 brace to stabilize it.  Ah, the joys of home ownership.

Some pictures of the house looking lived in with artwork, etc.  Posters of Mont St. Michel, a castle in France that Larry visited when he was a child living there. I need to repaint the one frame to black, the gold is a bit gaudy. Rocking chair beneath them that Larry has had since we met, it was his grandparents.  Our table and chair set is from his other grandparents.

Three boat prints that Larry got an our church auction for maybe $15.  I can't decide whether to leave as is with old mats and frames or clean them up with white frames and new mats?  Love seat and lamp from Nana.

Three metal words I found at Salvation Army for probably $0.25 a piece

Alot of the decor were things I had, but I did pick up a nice load of things at the Lions sale they have twice a year here in town, including several metal lanterns, the old fan, and the mail basket.  I love the boat model that is from France.  The letter S I found on sale at Kohl's for about $5.  The globe $2 at a garage sale.  The mirror above the fireplace someone had lying with their garbage and I hauled it home with me...I was pushing the stroller when I found it,but didn't want to chance it being gone when I returned...we were quite a sight, that things weighs a ton!

Blue couch in our living room is from a garage sale $50, and the other was a roadside freebie...if you saw the thing uncovered or tried to sleep on the pullout bed you would understand why, but thanks to my brother for hauling it to his house for us.  We have a couple side table and a coffee table too.  The coffee table was left in the parsonage in Culver by the previous pastor, the side tables from a used furniture store, about $15 each.  We also have an arm chair that was from Larry's parents.  Blue lamp was from Nana and the brown one I don't know where it was from, but it was gold and black loveliness and I spray painted it with a texture finish.

I got the styrofoam balls at the thrift store for $0.25 and the twig ball probably about the same, the moss, berries, twine were all things I had in my craft supplies.  I made all but the twig ball, from the help of this tutorial.

The painting above the towel bar was another auction purchase, I am guessing maybe $10.  The metal candle stand was a gift way back from my friend Rachel.

The shelf was another thrift store find, maybe $1.  The boat was a model that Larry's parents picked up in California a while back.  I assembled it and painted it.  The small bucket was a freebie from a garage sale and most of the shells are ones I had from our frequent trips to Florida as a kid.  The small white frame I painted and added a shell to make it fit the decor.  The ivy I had in my craft stash.

I saw this idea and made my own interpretation of it for our hallway. The hangers were ones I had and a few my mom brought to add to the cause.  The pictures I took and printed online.

I used this tutorial to change some lovely aluminum miniblinds into custom NO-SEW roman shades.  

down.

up

with the original lace curtains over the roman shade...can't decide if I want to keep these up or just the roman shade, but the lace does give a bit of privacy during the day when we ant a bit of light coming in, but not a fishbowl effect.  Plus the windows have gotten moisture in between the panes of glass and don't look too attractive.  

Our bedroom.  I got these great curtains at WalMart...they are light/noise blocking and help to keep cold out too(or so the package claims)  They do block light well and the best part, they were only about $10.  I decided that I couldn't buy fabric and liner for that price...plus I would have had to make them.  Bonus, they were larger than I needed, so there is extra that I can use to make valances in the bath, kitchen...wherever.  Our chair/bedside tables were from an antique shop, I think $18 a piece.  Figured they work as tables and extra seating when we have guests.  Lamp and bedspread from Nana. Bed frame $20 off of Craigslist, mattress, boxsprings our old ones.

The roman shade I made in the girls room.  I used a light blocking fabric liner and did the same tutorial.  This was the first one I made, and it took quite a bit longer the first time around.  The fabric and glue total cost me about $15.

I do have some great retro Noah's ark curtains to hang on either side once the walls are all scraped and painted.  The curtains were probably about $5 or less?  The beds we have in there were given to us from a pastor friend of Larry's.  There is a dresser and a nightstand to go with them, we just haven't brought them over yet.

giving the girls a dark room for napping, don't mind the nasty looking wall...it's our last room since one of the girls is always in there napping or sleeping.

We have plenty to praise God for; the generosity of friends and family and cheap finds to decorate our new digs.  

make the cake

The girls and I went to my sister's place last weekend.  My nephew had a Boy Scout cake auction, so we helped to make this masterpiece...it was fun!  I did the wording, which was actually two colors...blue and gold, Boy Scout colors.  I also helped my nephew to do the icing of the "logs" and make the texture so they looked like real logs.  My sister was the coal expert, making them out of donut holes and fruit rollups.
We had a fun time making it, and going to the auction the next night.  There weren't a ton of people to bid on the cakes besides those who had made them, but it did get up to $25.  Maria wanted me to bid on a cake shaped like an Easter basket, which happened to be carrot cake.  I did bid, but when it got up to $40, I quit. She was heartbroken about that.  I did get a train cake though.
Friday during the day I took the girls to have lunch with my nephew Trey at his school.  Then afterward we went to a local park for about an hour.  That is where Anna had her first swing ride...she wasn't too impressed.  Maria was able to play with another little girl, not too much older than her, that was there with her great-grandmother.  Ironically she knows my sister and my nephew.  They girls had a great time while I chatted with the grandmother.  We went back to the house and the girls and I ALL had a nap.  That is rare at home, but since Maria had not slept well the night before, and we were sharing a bed, I didn't sleep well either.  So, nap we did...it was good.

The Swing

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside--

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown--
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down! 

-Robert Louis Stevenson

Anna's first swing ride.

rub a dub dub

translation please

We know Anna understands lots of what we say to her, but we're pretty sure we don't understand all but a few words she can say. Anyone know of a good baby translator?

dance baby dance

Anna trying out her dancing skills.

dolls

I made this black apple doll for my life long friend's daughter, Lauren.  She turned two last week, she was tweaked to look like her, complete with pigtails.

This doll I made for Maria's playmate, Sophia, who turned three last week.  Maria went to her first ever birthday party...outside of family anyway!  She had a great time, and I even left her there for a while by herself.  They played, watch The Little Mermaid, ate some goodies and just had a good time!  Now her newest thing to play with her dolls is have a birthday party instead of a tea party! :)

Faker faker, belly acher

Yep, Anna likes to fake cough and now cry.  I caught a bit of her at dinner the other night on video...and a couple pictures...yes, we did have carrots for dinner in case you couldn't tell!

what skill

check out Anna's skills...

in the navy now

bad hand

She was at it again...the hands talking to each other. She told me that her right hand was the bad hand, she couldn't tell me why though.

At dinner they are often getting into trouble, her hands that is. She said she told one to stop touching her food, and it didn't listen, so it had to go in time out!

She was so sweet at dinner tonight, saying "Thanks for dinner mommy." She must have liked it, no "you have to eat two bites before you may be excused." I think we'll have this one again.

The Big Mess

Maria made up a game complete with rules.  It was called The Big Mess...and it was a mess as you can see by the video.  Basically she dumped all the colored pencils and crayons that we own on the floor.  Then you have to  pick up some and drop them, then you have to get the same ones and twirl them in the air.  We thought it was pretty cute of her to make up a game all on her own and have rules for it.  Enjoy.

these days

Can't say what makes some days just delightful and other days that seem to drag on and on, but when you reach the end you know what type of day it has been.

Yesterday was surprisingly a delightful day.  Since we had a doctor's appointment, grocery shopping and other errands to run, it had every inclination for being one of those dreadfully long days!

We headed up to the doctor for a 9am appt.  We arrived about 10 till and barely had time to get coats off and hung(how we won't miss the coat, hat, gloves part of winter!) when Nurse Erica(our favorite!) called Anna's name.  She did the usual routine measurements(30 inches long! off the chart) , progress questions, weight(20 lbs. 80%), and told us the Doctor would be in shortly...and he literally walked in as soon as she walked out.  He did his usual checkup routine, pronouncing that Anna was right on schedule, and she only cried a bit for him and PTL no shots on the 9 mo. appt.  On the way out Maria was a very polite girl asking the receptionist for a sticker...she chose Scooby Doo, although she has never even seen it?? We also hit the bathroom and Maria didn't have her usual public bathroom paranoia of, "is this toilet loud?", "it is going to flush by itself?"  (curse those automatic toilets!)

We left and headed to the grocery.  What delight for Maria to be able to have her very own shopping cart, perfectly sized for her.  She was a very courteous cart driver I must say, not toppling too many groceries and only ramming into me once or twice. She did however block the aisle a few times, insisting that she stay beside me and not behind me, which may have been better for my calves!  Other shoppers thought she was a cute little shopper.  She didn't fuss and ask for anything, and was a great helper actually.  By the way, if you plan on Kroger shopping, Tuesday in the morning is a great time...Senior Citizen's Day...meaning all the other shoppers are usually going at the same pace as a mom with two kiddos, and they are joyed to see the girls and their smiles!

Lowe's was the next stop for a piece of glass for a frame.  It proved to be quite an interesting show for Maria to watch the worker cutting the glass.  She was full of questions and informed me that adults shouldn't use small ladders, they were meant for kids.  (There was a small step ladder in the glass-cutting area used to reach to the top of a large piece of glass.)  We looked for a couple other items they didn't have, which gave something for Maria to talk about to the cashier on our way out.

We had to go to JoAnn's next.  Anna was getting a bit sleepy by now so we opted for the stroller instead of the cart for a bit more comfortable ride.  I needed to get a few things and by the time we were finished sure enough she had dropped off to sleep.  Maria did get a bit ornery at one point by thinking that the aisles of fabric were a perfect place to practice skipping...off from mom especially.  At some point she found a penny and told me that she was going to pay for our things...if only a penny would stretch that far Maria...if only!  

After finishing there, we stopped in at Penny's, mainly because it was next door and I could let Anna sleep for a bit longer, and I wanted to look for a bathing suit for Maria in anticipation of warmer weather to come.  Anna did continue to sleep and Maria enjoyed "shopping" for her friends.  Basically she just grabs some clothes and carries it around until I tell her to put that piece back and then she gets something else.  

We were getting hungry at this point and headed to get some sandwiches to eat on the way home.  Maybe we are hitting the stage where errands aren't such a pain with both girls.  Both were well behaved, pleasant, and added joy to SO many other people as we encountered them throughout the day.  To top off the good morning, both girls napped simultaneously for 3 hours, yes, 3! 

Later that night we had the joy of seeing Maria make up her own game, complete with rules.  I took a video...look for it to be uploaded soon.   I hear a little girl waking up from a nap...so off I go.  Just wanted to share a bit of our day...as these days won't last forever, this stage of the girls life is short and fleeting.  

We have plenty to praise God for; no matter what type of day it turns out to be, God is there through it all.

9 months

It's amazing how much this child has changed in 9 months.  I guess we forgot that it happened with Maria too, but it did.
Anna is finally acting like she wants to move around more.  She sits up very well, with an occasional topple.  She will often lean way over to get something and end up in a crawl position.  She also rolls easily from back to front or front to back to get things.  She has masered scooting on her back.  I will lay her all the way at one end of her crib and she is usually at the opposite end in the corner by the time she has woken up.

She is a vocal little girl too.  Saying "uh-oh" is her newest "word", especially after she drops something on the floor.  If you tell her "clap your hands" she will, most of the time.  She still waves bye-bye, when she feels like it, not always when we are leaving or someone is going anywhere.

Have I told you already how much these two sisters love each other.  Anna can't get enough of Maria and just the other day Maria commented on how Anna was much more fun now that she is older.

We noticed another new tooth pop in a week or so ago.  It made her a bit cranky, but nothing intollerable.  And then yesterday, I spied more loose gums flapping her mouth, rather disgusting actually, but tooth number 4 just popped in...and no crankiness to warn us.

Overall Anna still sleeps, naps and eats well.  She is in a pretty good routine of napping around 10:30 and 2:00 during the day.  Bedtime is still 8, but lately she has been waking up early for a feeding.  So, I generally feed her and put her back down for a few hours till 8 when we normally all wake up.

She's starting to get much better at actually getting finger foods into her mouth, when she isn't smashing them in her hand.  She likes just about anything, but definately have some favorites...cheerios are high on the list.

She is certainly attached to mom and dad, as evidenced by the fact that it's hard for anyone other than us to be able to hold her without a pretty dramatic cry.  But we're fine with that as we know a time will come when she wants nothing to do with us for a while...oh say the teenage years perhaps.

Here are some 9 months photos to show of out little ham...she does like to flirt, especially at church, trying to steal the show from Daddy.  She does this head tilt and smile.

Hey up there!

Checking out the wall.

Definitely doesn't have the blue eyes that Daddy and Maria have...but not quite brown like Mom, more hazel like grandmas.

Looking toward the noise that she heard Daddy make.

Something sure was funny!

now look what you did

Maria's newest thing...she has been having her hands or feet talk to each other.  Like they are friends, one will say to the other, "you know I don't like that, please stop."  "No, don't put a sock on me."  But the best was her saying to one hand, "now look what you did, stop playing around, you made a mess"...hmmm, where has she heard that uttered before??

Bonjour Fancy Nancy

Our local library had a Fancy Nancy tea party again this year.

Can you tell Maria enjoyed eating the cookie that she decorated...gone in about 60 seconds.

Story time

She picked out most of her outfit all by herself.

Get a look at last year when she was still SO little!  How much they change in one year.

We have plenty to praise God for; our little girl still likes getting fancy and having a good time.  (My friend has a girl about 8 who said she was much too old to go to a Fancy Nancy party!)

Focus on Haiti

This is a great video featuring the work of a mission in Haiti. A good friend has done multiple medical mission trips to Ruuska village and her adopted daughter's baby sister, Bella, is in the video. Amazing work is being done, remember to keep praying, the people still need help.

Fat Tuesday...bring it on!

Yummy Fat Tuesday meal made totally by Daddy!  

Crepes with Chicken, Mushroom and Asparagus filling.

King Cake- typically a tiny baby jesus is baked into the cake and whoever finds it will have good luck...we opted no baked in Jesus!

It has a yummy cream cheese filling throughout.

By the looks of Maria, this won't be lasting long!

Before and after

We spent a week of vacation up at our lake house.  It was a working vacation as we still had things to accomplish around the house.  Some wallpaper scraping, painting, adding ceiling texture where it had been taken off under the kitchen overhang...other odds and ends.  We can finally say we are feeling like it's our home!  Next time we go we can actually enjoy all our time there without having to work too much.

I'll have more pictures later...I should have taken a few more, but we had napping girls!