Doorknobs!

I saw on Pinterest that you can spray paint your ugly marked up brass doorknobs, so we gave it a shot since we had nothing to lose.  They couldn't have looked much worse.  I wish I had the before picture.  We loved how it turned out.  For $3.99 a can, we have painted all of the upstairs doorknobs.   The cheapest black doorknob I found to buy was $12.99.  So we saved a lot of money, and it didn't take too long.  It made such a big impact, and so now we are going to try to paint other things that we didn't think we could.  It's all in the details!  Stay tuned!

This week

We started working downstairs and most of the wallpaper is down!  The kids even got into it since it came down pretty easily.  They liked pulling it off.  Today I will start painting.  Matt is finishing up the trim upstairs along with a few smaller things.  Still working on our goal of being done this week.  Not sure we will make it but we will be pretty close.  It will be so nice not to be consumed with it.  

Floors!

The last big piece of our remodeling puzzle is in place!  What a difference it makes!  We are on a mission to get this house done in the next couple of weeks so that our family can see it when they come down for Jack's birthday.  What a relief it will be.  Of course there will always be tweaking, but it makes such a difference to be able to look around and have it be pretty.  Next stop - baseboards!  And various other smaller things we are working on.  Mostly Matt working since I have the ideas and not usually the know how (or he would say patience) to pull it off.  He is a great handyman to have around!  And pretty cute too!

The Big 4-0!

Yes I am 40!  And I'm not depressed but kind of excited about our new life here and our future.  And it was also fun to celebrate multiple times!  I had time with some good friends, a family party at MOA and Crave, and Matt took me to a play - Fiddler on the Roof at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre along with some other special things which included his parents taking me to one of my favorite steak places, the Outback.  It was the coldest day in decades, but we partied on!  The best part was being together, and I am overwhelmed at the love shown me.  So thank you all who love me.  I know it's much more than I deserve, but I'm so grateful for you!  Here's some pictures and if you have seen them on Facebook, I'm sorry that they are duplicated.  But I know some people aren't on Facebook so this is for them.  

Ava Update

Ava is in my favorite stage for kids.  Of course, since she's my favorite girl, I will always enjoy her stages.  But I especially love the ages 3-5 and always have.  She sings all of the time, and I never get tired of it.  I just soak it in every time.  She sings when Jack is preoccupied and won't play with her or even while they're watching a movie that she's not that interested in.   She sings at the table when she starts to lose interest in eating.  She sings with me when I'm holding her or lets me sing to her.  She sings on the potty.  She sings in the car, in the store, anywhere.  Lately she has enjoyed belting out "The wise man and foolish man" at Walmart.  I just let her.  I think I will miss her not being able to say her "R"s when she finally learns how.  She just learned all of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Stow" and "Jesus Loves Me", so those are two more new favorites.     

She is also talking more, and I love hearing her little voice try to get big kid thoughts across.  She started saying, "I'm vewy hungwy.  My tummy huwts" when it's mealtime.  I've noticed both kids say "Mommy..." with a pause a lot and then a random thought like "Are you wet?" when I get out of the shower.  l hope they always want to talk.  She likes to talk to me, and she likes to shop!  It's fun to have a buddy since Jack likes to opt out and stay home if he can.  She's a great hugger.  She falls apart pretty easily if things don't go her way.  Just like her father ha!  But she is always comforted by a hug.  She gets pretty distraught when she gets in trouble.  She needs hugs right away or it escalates into hysterics.  This can be challenging sometimes in teaching the lesson.  But overall, she is a delight, and I'm delighted to have her in our family.  

I just wanted to write it all down.  Time with little ones goes so quickly!  I know I will always be grateful I am able to be home with them.  I have quality time and quantity time.  I hope I am a good steward of this opportunity God has given me.  

On the cat tower at my parents 

Smiley face!  She's not the best with smiling for the camera on cue so this is what you get.  And it's still pretty cute!

Happy 2014!

We had a great New Year's holiday even though the weather is really not cooperating lately.  We had to cancel our New Year's Eve service at church due to snowy weather but still were able to have some people at our house to play games and ring in the new year together.  Lots of food and laughter going on, and I can't think of a better way to welcome 2014.  

Also it was my sister Nancy's birthday on the 1st, so happy birthday Nanny!  We will be celebrating with her later this week.  January is a busy birthday month for our family and 3 of my really good friends.  Bring on the parties!  

In the meantime, we are trying to still work on the house little by little.  Lots of little things and one big thing left to do.  And that is the kitchen and bathroom floor which we hope to get done next week.  We are getting ready to have Jack's birthday here in a few weeks, and I would be pretty excited to have it completely done by then.  Here's hoping!  

Christmas week

We had a great Christmas week!  The best and most meaningful part was just being together with family.  I like presents just like the kids do, but each year the part I like best is when all the hoopla is done and there is time to just be together and really focus on Christ's birth.  Here's a few pictures!  We did stockings and gifts at our house on Christmas Eve and then headed to the cities in a snowstorm to be with our families the next day.  It was a little scary and long, but we made it. 

Reading the Christmas story at grandaddy's 

One of the favorites for Ava - a Rapunzel dress!

Jack's favorites were his weapons I think.  

Lots of bustling in the kitchen

Yum!

Kimber getting a holiday pat!

I got a fireplace

And a bench with my gift cards

The kids got to spend lots of time with the grandparents and there was snow tubing and shopping and movies.  Ava's new favorite is picame 2 (Despicable Me 2) that we bought them.  So many memories made for a great time together!  And it's not over!  Birthday celebrations coming soon!