Hello Summer!

Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass....it's about learning how to dance in the rain.  Be kinder than necessary, because everyone is fighting some kind of battle ....

Love endures many things.

Surround yourself with people you love.

My latest wreath.

I have so much to share.  I am redoing an antique dresser for Sawyer.  I have plans to spruce up her room and maybe invest in a toddler bed or a twin.  I want to paint our pantry door with chalkboard paint.  I want to make a headboard for our bedroom, possibly out of six foot dog ear cedar fence planks?  We need to rip out carpets in our living room and finish fencing the back yard.  So much to do.  I am also dedicating the month of June, studying for my CEN exam, it's time.

We also went to the ocean for memorial day weekend and it was perfection.  I can't wait to share pictures and stories.  Stay tuned.

 

My Sawyer's new favorite movie.

A bad day turned good...

I take pride in how organized and efficient I am and today my worse nightmare came true.  Well, second to worse nightmare, first being all of my teeth falling out into my hands.  To make a long story short.  I showed up to a two day class, thinking today was day one...when it was actually day two.  Oops.  After pulling myself together, I called my mom and husband, they both made me feel better.  Seriously, I wonder sometimes.  This class was in Silverdale, so I drove to Bremerton to figure things out.  Then I parked, where I always do, to go into the hospital and a parking nazi security guard, told me I couldn't park there.  What, but I park here all the time?  Apparently, only after 11am am I allowed to park there.  This is after I already trucked up the hill to get there.  Holding back tears, I walked backed to my car and drove around and parked as far as I could away from the freaking hospital.  Thank god my cert didn't actually expire until Fall and I could register for another class in July. 

Then I got a pedicure, shopped at Target, and had a mom made egg sammy.  Things were getting better.  My mom gave me a sweet pyrex dish she found.  I tried to find a picture online and this one is the closest I could find.  

Pretty amazing right?  I thought so.  It's sometime after 1961.  Then to finish off the night with some homemade taco soup, a pampered chef party and good friends.  Oh yeah and American Idol, and kisses from my husband and baby girl.  Goodnight moon. 

Jake said I could...

Projects just come to me in my head.  Then I google them, and find out that every one and their mom already came up with this brilliant idea.  I know chalk board paint is the new fad but I really did think I was the first with the pantry door idea.  Silly me.

Check out the chalk board God website, I found while searching for pictures...

Be Kind

I finished reading The Help by Kathryn Stocket.  I couldn't put it down.  It was amazing.  I didn't want it to end.  I told Jake that when we get a big dog, I want to name her Mae Mobley.  I also tell Sawyer every day.."She Kind, She Good and She Important."   This book is just a reminder of how far we have come as a society.  But in my opinion we aren't even close.  Be kind, and treat others how you want to be treated.  Surround yourself with people love you.  Sometimes, I wonder how people sleep at night?

Just make me think of how things have calmed down so much since Sawyer came into the world.  The last time I actually read a book for pure pleasure was when I was pregnant living at my Grandma's.  I was on a role with the Evanovich series.  We read so many baby books.  My favorites were What to Expect when you are Expecting and What to expect the First Year by Heidi Murkoff.  The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp.  The Sleep Easy Solution by Jennifer Waldburger and Jill Spivack.  I think it's funny, how there is one little sentence at the beginning.  If your baby cries for longer then four hours, seek medical attention. If you baby is sick in any way (reflux being one of the reasons) these techniques won't work on your baby.  I wish these were bold and highlighted!!!

Look at the big 'ol head, her hat kept slipping off.  She was so gorgeous....she still is.

She had a binkie before we even left the hospital. 

Most of her pictures look like this for at least the first month or two, if we even remembered to take pics.  This was her first bath at home.  I remember she cried the whole time.  Jake said, "Let's not give her another bath for a while."  I was like, "Deal."

I didn't realize Sawyer was a colicky baby until she wasn't anymore.  Either did Jake.  We were just like, holy crap this is hard.  I thank all my close friends and my family for realizing this.  This just makes us prepared for next time.  Jake is such a good daddy. 

I am so excited for Summer.  I can't wait to go garage sale hopping, swimming at Lake Tahuyeh.  Sawyer is going to have so much fun this year.  I haven't really done any new projects lately.  But I have so many ideas up my sleeves.  We are going to the Ocean, one of my favorite places.  Jake and I have never been together. 

No baby birdies yet.

I can't wait to check out all these great antique spots my bestie Sarah (with an H) posted on her blog recently. 

Thanks God for music..it really get's me through sometimes.  Like this Song for my Grandma.

Fly Away Home

My lasted read Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner (that I just bought on a whim at the QFC in Belfair) is starting out better then expected.  Hard to follow The Help by Kathryn Stocket, an amazing book if you are looking for a good one.  So glad I got back into the routine of reading again.  I never want to stop.  Reading or running for that matter.

Did anyone watch Oprah yesterday?  One of the many things on my bucket list is to read all of her book club books.  A Million Little Pieces by James Frey and The Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller are two books I am now really curious about. 

It is suppose to be so nice out this week.  It's only 10am and I've already drank a pot of coffee and mowed half my front yard.  I had to call Jake like three times, just to figure out how to start the thing.  I told him, I'm not mowing the yard I just want to see if I can start it. (So he would be surprised when he got home from work.)  I turned the darn thing off to empty the bag and had to flip it on it's side to get some wet grass out of the blade and now it won't start.  Thus, my yard is half mowed.  I'll give it a try a little bit. 

Jake went halibut fishing and he has agreed to let me blog about his adventure. 

My Nikon camera cord won't work for some reason.  I have other pics I want to share.  Our baby birdies have hatched, and I purchased an antique dresser for Sawyer at Apple of God's eye.  More posts to come people.  Thanks for reading.

A found someone else who loves yellow.  Simple Home Life.  Thanks to her I can add these two doors to my collection.

See our yellow door HERE.

Enjoy the sunshine, we all need more Vitamin D!

Wreath Inspiration

What you missed while I was in mourning...

.....I know I'm a drama queen, just like SJ's binky says.  My Grandma Nancy passed away and I have had to do some serious soul searching and me processing this actually went better then expected. To be honest with you, I was more sad for my mom. I had to put the computer aside and put my blogging on hold. She passed away in a comfortable bed with scalloped hemmed white sheets, we were all with her, and she was pain free. She is with Grandpa now. I feel like I had a special bond with her and cherished all the time we spent together. I visited her as much as I could during her last week, two sometimes three times a day. I knew she was ready, she told me she was. Sawyer kissed her on the lips each times we saw her.

Everyone who saw her graduation picture in her obituary, told me I look like her. I loved hearing it too.

I am reading a fabulous new book, The Help by Kathryn Stocket. I highly recommend this book I haven't put it down since I bought it. Jake asked me last night, "How is your book, love?" I told him to only ask me questions he really wants to hear the answer to.

I started running. Three times last week and four times this week. It feels amazing and I push myself harder each time. I won't mention how my front wheel of my new-used jogging stroller flew off and we crashed. Apparently, the front wheel has to be locked if you decide to jog and guess who didn't get the memo? I swear to myself I won't quit. The wetlands trails at sunset are like Heaven on earth, makes me think of my Grandma.

We watched this movie probably seven times....in the last three days...

Remember my last post about of our first flowers of Spring? Well, the planer box on the side of the house, has a bird's nest. I know, isn't that awesome? Jake makes me park on the other side of the driveway so I don't bother the birds.

Just look a little closer....

Closer...

There is four light blue speckled eggs.

That's mama bird.

We mowed the yard for the first time this year...

Sawyer got a ride on daddy.  That whole day she wouldn't put down the paint brush. 

We made waffles for the first time in our new waffle maker....that we got as a wedding gift almost three years ago.

This is how Bean watches her movies...

Or like this...it's a rough life...

Tutu swimsuit and a kiddy pool...she loved it..

I heart her. (Notice the devil horns, she's a rocker through and through!)

Sweet old milk crate, that Jake scored for five dollars.  I also loved antiquing with Sara and Sarah.

I got a dollhouse for my doll.  I can't wait to paint it the same color as our house....and the door yellow.

We have a herb garden now....Chives, Sage and Thyme.

Our dogs got older...

Sawyer got more teeth...

I made another wreath...pretty much what I do.

We planted tomatoes and peppers....seems like we just put those together the other day.