I found another project... & visiting Cortney!

In the mist of helping my sister find furniture to refinish for her new home I found a dresser that I like for myself... I hate that I didn't take a before because it looks so different now... so you can get a idea of before it was peeling white paint with a wood looking top, it had water damage that I sanded out and repaired with wood filler... It also used to have 2 wood nobs on each drawer... It was so hard to change the nobs because I don't have a real drill... It's a power screwdriver and it's not that powerful... it took a long time to measure the holes and I was nervous to drill them... But over all I like how it turned out! I just bought the lamp shade today and I think it is too big but it matches one on my other lamp... but I may have to take it back...


Carson Wyatt and I got to visit Cortney in her tiny apartment and it was so fun! I forget what it is like to be single and in college... (glad that is over actually). But she was doing great and sounded like she was having fun... We went out to lunch and just got to hang out together and it was nice... The boys are still talking about it...



Owen found a nice quiet spot in the back yard for some digging.... in his socks.



Wyatt asked today, "Mom, does our computer have a dotcom?"

Project

Last year my sister in law gave us their old armoire, my plan was to refinish it... like I said that was last year. It took me so long to try and decided what I wanted to do with it and what color to paint it. Finally, one Saturday morning I woke up and said lets go buy paint, what I thought would be a Saturday project took till Monday...




I wasn't sure I wanted to do red, every where I look right now everyone is painting the furniture white or that blue color that is so popular. I loved the look of both those colors but blue just wasn't working with my decor and right now with white walls (that we can't paint) I just couldn't do that, I needed color!I had a heart attack when I started painting the red because it looked purple! But it ended up drying a beautiful red that I am very happy with. Yes that is my foot in the picture below, I couldn't get an accurate dipiction of the red we used, in the pictures it just looked too bright but I found if the flash was focused on something else (such as a foot) it was closer... so there you go...

We painted the top cream to add some contrast and I really like it, then I sanded the edges for that antiqued look... I also used a little stain on the cream which you can't see in the picture because it's not actually done yet. If you look above the armoire behind the baby gate next to the front door there is a little table that I got for $7 dollars at a yard sale and I painted that to match the armoire. It's kind of fun having furniture that matches (which I've never had before) even if I had to make it.

(This looks better in person)

I like the idea of all the shelves and cubby things but I didn't like the way it looked when we started putting things on them but Brady suggested that I make a curtain held up by a tension rod... very fun idea to cover up our mess! On the wall going up my stairs I have a piece of black and white fabric framed, once I got the fabric up there I didn't love it so I'm going to change it and have it match the entry table fabric when I find what I like...

These are some frames that I got on clearance at Michaels and painted them to match as well...
Any way I've been having fun doing all these projects, now I plan to work on my bedroom... We've lived here for a year and I have nothing hung in there and I have just barely moved the furniture to where I like it now... It takes my brain such a long time to be creative!

Carrots!

Wyatt and I started out our day by reading the books about airplanes we had checked out of the library yesterday. We talked about pilots who fly the planes and how they need to have good eyesight and one thing that helps us have good eyesight is eating carrots. So we went out to the garden and dug up our little patch of carrots, I think that this was almost his favorite part, he loves digging. We then washed, peeled chopped their tops off and threw them in a blender... which shredded them nicely for us. Wyatt then helped me follow a carrot cake recipe and dumped every thing in a bowl and mixed it well. We made carrot cupcakes, most of which looked like they exploded then con-caved because they were filled too full but that is nothing a little frosting didn't fix! It's so fun to be involved with Wyatt's learning, I look at everything we do in a different way. I feel like instead of trying to just survive what we do and the mess that is made we go and search for ways to make messes together and it's fun.
It was a good day and I just wanted to write about it. (and the carrot cupcakes were really good!)

Playing with pictures...

WYATT

This is my Wyatt.

My days are full of silliness, messiness, and loveliness!

Summers Fading...

I always think, "I'll just jump on the blog real quick and post something new." What actually happens is I jump on my blog real quick and see the list of "friends and family" and I think to myself I haven't read so-and-so's blog in a while so I click on that, then another, then another and my "real quick" post turns into absolutely nothing. This time it started the same way but I caught myself before I got too far, so I might actually post something new...

(oops I just caught myself deep in reading and widdling away my time while I waited for pictures to load!)

This is Carson and Wyatt on the first day of school. Wyatt had to wear his back pack as we took Carson to kindergarten. He also pick up a random feather to hold up in the picture...


Carson was so excited for school to start! We were counting down forever, then we went to the open house and when we got home he started to cry and say he didn't want to go. I think he was just overwhelmed... there was so many people at the school and having never been to the school before we didn't know where we were going and I think it made Carson more nervous because I didn't know where to go or what to expect. But the next day he quickly changed his mind after we went back for his kindergarten assessment and had fun with his teacher.


This year Wyatt is three and we planned on him attending preschool, the same one that Carson had for the last 2 years. But we have decided to save more money this year and cut back on some things and this on one of the things we thought we could do with out. But Carson has been telling Wyatt about how fun preschool is and when he is 3 he can go... So not to disappoint I decided to have "preschool" at our house while Carson is at kindergarten. I found a fun little curriculum online plus added some of my own ideas and... Voila! We've been having preschool everyday at 10am (just after I put Owen down for a nap). It's been so fun to spend time with Wyatt, he is learning so much and I get to really see his personality shine through. We have a preschool board that hangs next to the computer that we are using to help organize our "school time."


We've also been doing a lot of fun things as the summer runs out on us... the boys love miniature golf! It was really fun to take them... one of our top 10 outings with the boys. They were so well behaved and had so much fun.... The only problem was that Owen wanted to pick up the balls and throw them everywhere...

This is Owens new perch...

Carson LOVES bowing!!

We also had fun going to seven peaks last Saturday! The boys just had a blast! We had to talk them into going down one of the big slides with a tube (they are the biggest chickens!) and they both said that they didn't like it but the next day they couldn't stop talking about it! They kept saying how brave they were and how much fun it was, I hope they learn to try new things without being so scared....

16 hours and counting....

16 hours left, 132 hours accomplished. Wyatt plowed head first into our 1970’s rock fireplace, that was fun. Took him to the doctor, he is fine but looks a little like a Klingon from star trek. I might have over reacted with the doctor’s visit, but I had just heard a story about someone hitting their head and it stuck with me. Poor kid was telling a story over dinner and forgot about the huge deformation on his head and swung his hand right into it while trying to making some point in his story more real. He cried. The nurse gave him 3 different band aids to take home, apparently that made things better. I wish I could remember everything thing my kids say and do… my brain just won’t let that happen.
Carson: “mom you know what my 3 favorite vehicles are? 4wheeler, motorcycle, and van.” He misses the van too. “Starts with chocolate, ends with milk, so it’s good.” “I think Owen likes you because you feed him all the time, like breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”
It’s been a hard week, but I have good kids, and an amazing husband that I can’t wait to see in the morning!

Day Four Check List

1. Children fed, check.
2. Children bathed, check.
3. Children in bed, check.
4. Mom having ice cream, check.

(Watched video we took from Bear Lake Family Reunion Dance Party, cracked me up, I will have to post that later, then of course we had to have our own dance party. My boys are so cute!)

PS. got the closet under the stairs cleaned, I thought it was worth mentioning.

I will survive... day ThReE

Thunder, dying phone, and a smoke alarm that needs a new battery, makes for a lousy night but at least the boys stayed in their own beds. Owen is pooping again, right now! It’s like he saved it all up because he knew Brady was gone. Low on diapers and I don’t want to stuff the kids in the car again, if he would just stop pooping 5 times a day (literally) I’d be fine. Cross your fingers. We had a few minor melt downs at our house, Wyatt. No one walked the right way for him today. "Mom, my mosquito bites look like nipples," not sure I like that I taught Carson that word, made me squirm, but I guess there is nothing else to call them. Today is lasting forever... Bathroom cleaned, more laundry done but nobody cared that it got done but me, can’t wait for Brady to come home so he can appreciate me. Flew kites with the boys today (thanks Grandma Hulse) had to come in because of lightning. Is it bed time yet? Apparently today is Carson’s stupidest day… we don’t say stupid at our house. Sigh.

Day Two

Brady would have called the movie corny, but it made me laugh and that's the point I guess. Shoved 3 kids in the back of little red, buckled (that was a challenge) added antifreeze to the drained jug somewhere under the hood. 250,000 miles, poor little red is dying on us… trying to hold her together for another year… then maybe we can get Brady a new one :). Miss my van. Getting to Wal-Mart while it was still cool, 81 degrees at 8 o’clock, ha. I forgot a few things but have decided we will just live without them this week. Stressing scouts today but it turned out good, besides my co-leader not showing or calling, or answering her phone. Thanks Cindy for standing in. Talked to Carson about why Jesus put weeds on the earth. The kitchen got cleaned today, mopped the floor…. spent a few hours on the floor in the boys room, they talk a lot, sometimes I don’t notice, but today I just sat and listened. Spaghetti for dinner, dishes are still in the sink ;) 9:50pm.

First day of Husband gone at scout camp.

I woke up tired.... Brady had kissed me goodbye hours ago on his way to scout camp for the week. Wyatt was crying... which woke of Owen... down stairs now for some Curious George. Breakfast was peanut butter captain crunch (99 cents at Macey's :) It was nice of Brady to run get milk and toilet paper this morning before he left... 10:46 and I'm still in my jamies... I don't usually do that when Brady is home... But a day full of camping laudry and playing catchup on the dishes I didn't want to do yesterday doesn't deserve anything better. Boys have been "cleaning their room" for the last 2 hours - I know they are going to wake Owen up from his nap but he keeps on sleeping and they keep on playing, at least they are upstairs and giving me some time to myself, for now.
Unpacking is hard by yourself. The closet under the stairs is a mess, one of my many goals for the week I guess. Free red box code today, yeah!... I will get a romantic comedy, Brady will be happy he didn't have to watch it. The boys and I will do something fun today, if they every get that room cleaned!

Bryce Canyon Camping

Bryce Canyon is so beautiful! WOW! We had so much fun. We went camping with Brady's parents for 3 nights at the sunset campground inside the park.These are hoodoos... never figured out why they were called that.



We found a nice short hike to do with the boys called Mossy Cave and found a cool waterfall that Brady and I hiked out to and got to climb around... The boys got to stick their feet in the water and that was so nice because it was pretty hot!

Owen was a pretty good sport to be packed around all day....

You can see the clouds in the picture below... we got rained on during our Saturday outing which actually felt so good! Poor Oma got the wettest... we stopped at one of the many scenic over looks as it started to sprinkle. As we looked out at the sight Oma decided to check out a little over look call Pirates Peak (I think). It was a little bit of a walk away and I was holding Owen and Brady was taking the boys to the bathroom so she just thought she would run over there by herself... It just so happened that about 1 minute after she left it started to down pour... Papa, Owen and I found a tree that did a pretty good job blocking the rain as we waited for the now drenched Oma to come back!
The boys just acting silly...

This is the natural bridge...

Our campground was not too bad and pretty shady... The boys loved it! They played nonstop and were so good which always make camping more fun. They loved having Oma and Papa come with us because they got spoiled! (I did too be cause they were such a great help with the boys and the food!)

Brady vs. The Petrified Wood!

We packed in our own wood from our back yard.... this particular log mush have been out there since 1830 because Papa and Brady worked on chopping this one log for hours!!!
Brady did finally come off conqueror! Yeah!
He was so proud he made me take a picture.

Grandma and Grandpa Hulse

We got to visit my family in Arizona and had tons of fun! It was 114 degrees so we swam alot, as you can tell in the pictures, they are the only pictures we took! (on my camera anyway, mom you need to send me the ones you and Cortney took!)Owen actually warmed up to everyone! He loved that Grandpa would take him wherever he wanted to go... Uncle Tyler did too but I don't have a picture of them :(

Wyatt and Brady swimming in Grandpa's pool!

Carson, me, Owen beating the heat!

Carson and Wyatt mostly wore their life jackets and doggy paddled around the pool... Carson really enjoyed jumping in and going under the water this year... We really need to do swim lessons!
Carson, me, Owen, Cortney, Grandpa, and Wyatt on one of our many dips in the pool!

Grandma got in the pool too but I don't have any pictures of that (hmmm... I wonder why!)

We had so much fun playing with aunt Cortney (they are still talking about you!) And they take skateboard and waterfall everywhere! They loved watching Uncle Tyler play computer games... they pretend to play "Zombies vs. Plants" almost every day!

Brady and I got to go to the new vampire movie with Cortney and it was actually really good... like 1000 time better than the others. We also went with everyone to Toy Story 3, which I thought was cute but Wyatt was scared of that crazy looking monkey!
Of course we went garage selling which is often my favorite part and we found some fun stuff! I love garage sales in AZ they always have good stuff it not just junk like so often I find when I go here... My mom and I went shopping with Cortney and I found a cute pair of capris which I so badly needed! We also made headbands out of t-shirts that are dang cute, I might just have to post a picture of them some time, they are really cute!
Brady had a good time relaxing after getting done teaching for the summer... He read 3 books.
We had so much fun! Can't wait to go back for Christmas this year!

Grandma and Grandpa Edwards

A few Sundays ago we got to drive down and visit Brady's Grandparents. It was really nice to sit and visit. They are such great people... but it's always hard to see them get older. Here are a few picture of our barbecue.

Owen fell asleep right in her arms... it's actually kind of amazing since it takes so much work for me to get him to sleep when he is not in his crib!

Summer Time!

The Pictures are in backwards order than what actually occurred but you'll get the point and I'm not good at rearranging them...
So we will start with Owen's Birthday... He turned one on June 15th! Can't hardly believe it...

This is the toy the boys picked out for him.... Carson and Wyatt rather enjoyed it... I think Owen did too once he got his turn to play with it.


On their first birthdays we usually just give them a piece of cake that they can do what they want with it.... He didn't want to touch the frosting so he just leaned over and bit into it!

Oma and Owen

I made the cake.... It was a lot harder than I thought it would be to make blocks and this is nothing close to how I had imagined that it would turn out... the blocks are lopsided and by the time it came to frost them I was shaky and tired.... so thus the squiblely lines....







We went to the zoo with two of my sisters and had a great time. Carson loved the bird show, expecially this parrot that could talk

Everyone at the bird show... Carson and I both got hit in the head with bird wings... They really loved it.

They loved this elephant that sprayed water...
The monkeys came right up to the glass and the kids thought it was great!

Summer in our back yard!Owen is such a rolly-polly! I love it!
Hard not to notice the little nose picker, sorry, I just liked the picture of Owen...




Happy Summer!