One Of My Fav Home Improvements

I love that we have a TV wall mount in our kitchen. It sure does make that room a hub in our house! They actually sit at the kitchen table and eat, and even play, color, or want us to read books.

I have had to make a rule about no TV in the mornings when we are getting things ready for a day at school. There was really no fussing about it! They just said, okay! I'm so proud of my boys! On days when everything goes smoothly and they are fed, dressed, haired & teeth brushed, and bag packed I let them watch for a few minutes, but that is only when everything is done!

It makes it super convenient though to have that tv right there!

Back Yard Adventures

Hank and I are on the lookout for redline and clearance priced garden stuff. We want to work on our backyard in 2009. We focused a lot on the inside this year (and still are). We've remodeled the hall bath and the kitchen, updated light fixtures, and painted just about throughout the house. Lots of improvements made... and lots we want to make!

One that I'm excited about is extending out back deck. I can't wait for that. Right now, it's sort of small, but functional and fine. When we extend it, it will cover up the rock 'garden' that the previous owners did. Of course, the rock looks like gravel to me... and it is. So I'm ready to cover it up, add some benches and outdoor patio furniture and voila! Instant play area outside!

Then we want to work on an outdoor grill area over near our turn about. We want to get one of those fire pits, use some patio furniture there, and spread out on our land a little... something we couldn't do in our old home!

And then I want to invest in a play set for the kids. That will involve clearing and leveling some of the back yard, but Hank and dad can handle that in one afternoon!

A 'Hank' erin'

Last night, Hank and I got to spend some much needed and rare time WITHOUT our children! Gasp! I know. It's horrible to admit that we might need time away from our kids, but we do. It keeps us sane and it helps keep our marriage strong. It was so nice to not have the baby girl needing me, or a son pulling at our legs!

We went and ate at Wings. We tend to do that just about any time we go on a date night. When we were dating, we went to Wings a good bit, because it was close to my apartment at the time, and Hankie loves Wings. In fact, we frequented it so much, that we had our rehearsal dinner there!

We walked around the mall for a very short time, then we decided to just head on home and watch a movie or shows we had recorded on the tivo. Something we don't take for granted is quiet time at home. Quiet at our house is usually a precurser to something wrong. Smile!

We got up this morning, and I asked Hank if he wanted to grab some breakfast and go with me to CVS. He agreed, but I don't think he knew what he was getting into! He was a little antsy, but I think he may appreciate how much effort I'm putting into saving our family money. Because after 6 transactions, this is what we had:This is $114.48 worth of merchandise. I spent a total of $3.87 out of pocket. I went in armed with coupons and $10 in ECB's. I left armed with 10 ECB's. If I do it right, I walk out with the same amount of more in ECB's as I walk in with. All for less than the price of the one gallon of milk. If anyone wants a break-down, I will happily e-mail it to you! It would take too long to detail it here and bore the rest of you to pieces! ;)

After that, Hank and I went to a local warehouse called The Loading Dock South. We found new countertops for both bathrooms... the perfect length and everything... and spent only $25. We plan to keep going in to look for other things too. If you are doing a home improvement project I would suggest looking into The Loading Dock!

Now we are at home, and gonna get the kids to rest. The boys and I have plans later to get Hank's Father's Day surprises ready while he and Sophie run a few errands.

It's been a good day so far!

We Stimulated The Economy!!

So we did our part this past weekend! We went and used our economic stimulus check and purchased a new stainless steel refrigerator! Yeah!! It's so much nicer and bigger than the little original-to-the-house beige one that is now living in our basement!

So Hank and I sat back and took inventory of the things we have done to our house since we moved in and realized that we have definitely made some good changed! In the kitchen most notably! We added a pantry, updated all the appliances, installed a new kitchen sink and faucet. We've painted everything from trim, to cabinets to walls, and we've updated the lighting fixtures. Although, Hank says he doesn't like the ones we have. But, even though I hate it for him... we won't be replacing those for a while since we JUST DID IT!! Thank you very much.

Next on our to-do-list is tiling the front bath with tile we have already purchased, sanding and painting those cabinets, replacing the countertops, and installing the two new faucets we already have purchased!! I'm excited.

Kitchen Overhaul!

Hankie has been hard at work on our never-ending home improvement project otherwise known as our new house! We moved our washer and dryer from a closet area in the kitchen down into the basement, and converted that closet space into a huge pantry.
We've updated light fixtures and replaced light switch covers. We changed out the stove and dishwasher to stainless appliances and have plans to purchase a stainless fridge soon. We received a new kitchen sink and faucet for Christmas from my parents. Can you believe the previous owner didn't have a sprayer on their sink? And Hank has spent a lot of time sanding and painting the kitchen cabinets to give it a brighter look. He did a wonderful job!! Then we updated the hardware and hinges. Just look at the difference!
Also, we mounted a small television in the corner near the fridge, and added a microwave cart on the other side of the fridge to free up as much counter space as we possibly could! I'm starting to really enjoy my kitchen! And it seems like my little family loves to be in there too. The boys will sit at the table and do arts and crafts, watch tv, play toys, and eat of course.

Thank you, Hankie, for working so hard on our home. You put every bit of excellence into it and I love you more for that.
Now we just need to add some new flooring and finish painting the trim and it will be a brand new kitchen!

Have a Seat!

Do you like our new couch? I'm really not feeling the new pillows, but I LOVE the couch!! We got it at Rooms to Go. They were having one of there buy now, never make a payment deals. :)


The same day we got the couch, we saw where the Bombay Company store near there was going out of business. We got two of these great little end tables for $15 each.

I think by this weekend we'll be about ready to unveil the kitchen. Hank is finishing up with the cabinets! I'm so excited!

BIG News!

My dishwasher is functional now thanks to my WONDERFUL Daddy! Thank you so much, Dad! You truely are a blessing to our family!

Ava has a minor ear infection and has to go on antibiotics... Yuck! I knew something was up because her sleep pattern was disrupted and she's been wanting to nurse a lot more frequently but not eating a lot each time.

AAANNNDDD, Sophie's trying to roll over from front to back right now!! TBA if she will actually do it. She does from tummy to back and has been for a while now.

Out with the old....

The boys helped Hank dispose of the old dishwasher in our new house. It was original to the house (1984) and had seen much better days! :) We were furtunate though. My parents had just gotten a new dishwasher and were getting rid of their old one. It is about 2 years old and just needed a few new parts. It's stainless and a perfect fit in the dishwasher hole! Aren't my muscle men cute!

HHHEEELLLLPPPPP!

I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of boxes!! But everything is sssllllloooooooowwwlllyyy coming together and our house is becoming a home! Painting is done. The cabinets are coming together. We've updated some light fixtures and hardware. We bought and installed a new stove, and are waiting on a 'new to us' dishwasher that my parents are giving us. They got a new one and gave us their old one which is less than two years old. It needed a few new parts, and we are waiting on those. We plan to upgrade the fridge in a year or so and our kitchen will be all stainless.

I now have a pantry! Can you believe it? I'm so thrilled! And thanks to buy-one-get-one-free sales at Publix and Winn Dixie, it's pretty well stocked now.

I love my hardwoods! I love the den downstairs and upstairs! I love that my children's rooms are right next to mine. I love how my kids love to play out back!

We took time out from moving about a week ago, and set up our Christmas tree and decorated it as a family. I think that went a long way in helping the boys to feel like this is home!

Now... I just need to clear out enough boxes so I can get to wrapping. That is going to be a chore, people. I am going to post before and after pictures soon. I want the rooms to look pretty decent when I take the after pictures, so look for them later this week or next week!

Weekend Warriors

Hank and I are busy painting and getting things ready to move into our house. Sophie has been our buddy. I set her up in one of the rooms that doesn't need painting and she plays and sleeps and waits for me to feed her. She makes me smile when I'm feeling overwhelmed. Thank God for her!

By the way... she's had a busy week! What with figuring out how to grab things and discovering her hands. Last week, her big accomplishment was laughing out loud.

Two Things Happened

So two big things happened this weekend. First, Hank went in on Friday and had a vasectemy!! He was very nervous but said afterwards that it wasn't nearly as bad as he had anticipated. I'm sure it had something to do with the painkiller they gave him! When the nurse called me back and was going over some things, Hank kept talking, and talking, and talking!! I finally had to say, "Okay, Hank. Let the lady talk!" He thought everything was a little funnier than it really was and would just start laughing. And that would make me start laughing too. The whole procedure took less than an hour from the time he signed in to the time we left. When we left the hospital parking deck, he called his parents. He told him that now that he was no longer a stud, he could "go valaganting around." Then he paused and got a puzzled look on his face, and said, "That's not right, is it? Galavant... I mean galavant!" Then he started laughing hysterically! I took him to get something to eat, and then we went to pick up Tres from school. While we were waiting on Tres, Hank was listening to Jox, a local sports radio talkshow. One of the hosts was talking about how he was counting down to having a vasectemy and was scared to death. Hank starts grabbing for my cell phone, and DIALS IN!!! While he's dialing, all these other callers are talking about how they had the procedure done 10 years ago... 13 years ago... or a doctor calls in. When Hank finally got through, he told the lady that he had had a vasectemy less than a hour ago, and they PUT HIM RIGHT ON THE AIR! Hank tells the guy that it wasn't that bad. He said, "I'm in my wife... I mean, I'm in the van with my wife right now and I'm fine." The sports guy says, "Now there's a huge slip up!" After they chatted with Hank for a while, they asked to talk to me. They asked me if I was pleased with the results... and I told them honestly, that I wasn't able to tell right then, as I had not seen or experienced the results! At any rate, it was funny! Brett, my brother-in-law (Tonnie's husband) called us laughing hysterically and said he almost ran off the road when he heard Hank on there. Hank is recovering well, though. He spent a good bit of time yesterday with a bag of Bird's Eyes frozen peas on the 'area.' But he's just a little sore today. Brett said there's a way to hear it on their website... but I couldn't find it. If and when I do, I'll make every effort to get it on here! :) You better believe it!

The second thing is this: WE GOT OUR HOUSE!!! Thank you, Jesus! They accepted our offer, and we will be closing by the end of November. God is good people. We got it for way less than they were hoping to get. And with a few improvements and an addition of a bathroom, we will be adding some serious equity to our new home!!! THe best part to me is that it is located literally 3 minutes from the elementary school that I wanted my kids to attend! Did I already say GOD IS GOOD!!

Please Pray!

We made an offer on this house today. Then we found out that another couple also made an offer on it today. Hank and I feel really good about this one, but we trust that the Lord knows if it is our home or not. It would be a pretty big closed door if the other couples offer was accepted, huh?

This one has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths an eat-in kitchen, a formal dining room, a formal living room, and a huge den/playroom in the basement. It has hardwoods, a two car garage and a bunch of other things that we liked! It also has an unfinished room in the basement. But one of the major things for me was that it is in the school district that we wanted.

UGGHHH!!!

The whole house hunting process is driving me bonkers!! Looking for the right house and still making sure my family is cared for can get a little manic.

I'm back... at least for today! :)

The internet has been down once again here at my parent's house... plus, we've been busy adjusting to life with a baby again! Ava Sophia is doing great! She is nursing like a champ, and I am actually surviving thanks to a few helpful hints from the resident nursing guru, Mel. Thanks, Mel! We took her in to do a weight check this morning and she had only lost an ounce. It was also her feeding time, and our pediatrician said that if she had come in with a full belly, she wouldn't have lost a thing! That is with zero formula supplementation, so that makes this Momma happy! The only thing I'm having to deal with right now is an over-abundance of milk. I have to pump a couple times a day just to make it through. But we are freezing the excess for later use. Here are a few more pics for you guys:
This is one of my favorite ones so far! Father and daughter bonding. Hank is such an amazing father. He plays with and loves on his boys, but still finds time to love on his girl too! He says he wants to make sure that she and I have a close bond, but I think he's finding it hard to resist our little peanut. :)Ignore the tired mom in this picture and just focus on the beautiful babies! Hank and I make some PRETTY kids, people!My Dad's finger is the same size as Ava Sophia's arms and legs!! How funny is that! She is so tiny to me sometimes. A tiny little miracle!Here's our girl on her way home! Have I showed you guys her new carseat?? This is actually Bryant's carseat, recovered by Vickie! Isn't it the sweetest little thing? It's also reversible! She came home in her little dress, and I even got a bow to stay in her hair for a while.When she got home, she had two very excited brothers waiting to welcome her! We laid her in the co-sleeper, and they immediately started bringing her their toys. I started getting a little teary-eyed when Bryant brought her his silkie. I reminded him that she had one, and told him that he was a sweetheart and a good brother. I think he was a little relieved, but what a gesture, huh?I think she likes her crib. We've been laying her in there to nap some. And the little sweater has to be one of my favortie little things she has right now. We had to buy a few preemie clothes to get her by for now. All the newborn stuff swallows her whole!My niece Sierra is in total love with her littlest cousin! She wants to hold her constantly! :) I can't wait until ALL of her cousins get to hold her.