Almost Christmas

I can't believe it's almost Christmas again. I think I do this every year. I Marvel at the pace at which life has passed us by as if it's such a surprise. Anyway I wanted to look at some of the pictures I took last year of my house decorations, hoping it would motivate me and excite me to do it all over again. That led to me reading some of the blogs I posted last year about what was going on at the time. It made me realize that it's actually a neat thing to have these blogs to look back on. I really have forgotten about a lot of the things I wrote about. It was almost this time last year when we were hit with the possibility of Gary losing his job and it was such a scary time and here we are a year later and he is thankfully still employed. I started slacking on writing down or writing about our day to day happenings probably because I lost a little desire and I also figured there really was no point to it. But I just realized that I like looking back and reading about our life and it surely served as a great reminder of just how Thankful I am and how worrying really served no purpose. So I've decided to start writing things down again. For me! Well at least that is my hope anyway. We will see how long this renewed desire to document lasts. So okay, back to the post. It's almost Christmas and I did not get that desire to decorate that I was hoping for.....but at least there is an ember burning. Maybe I will listen to a Christmas Song. Or maybe not. I wonder what Christmas song puts people in the mood. The Chrismas Mood! Here is a fun one. It's Frosty the Snowman performed by Fiona Apple. .

October 19th, 2009

Wow. I can't believe I have not written a blog post in this entire magnificent month of October. Ocotber has long been a favorite month of mine. I also can't believe we are on the down ward slope of the year. Hello...... didn't I just put away all of my Christmas decorations like 5 minutes ago.

My little family is having family portraits taken this Sunday. This makes me quite nervous because none of us are what I would call "photogenic". We all tense up and muster the strainiest of smiles when the camera is about to click. I pray the photographers have some mad photo taking skills and will work some kind of photographer magic to capture some decent photos of us. I hate the way I photograph.....my nose is too large and my chin is too pointy that I feel like I end up looking like the wicked witch of the west. I think I posted about that before. But other than that I am really excited about it because we have never taken professional pics as a family of 4. What do we wear! I feel that will be a major project this week. Picking the outfits.

And if that is not going to keep me busy enough my Purse Party is this Saturday! Well, it's this Saturday if the swine flu does not make an appearance in one of our bodies again. Yep, Hannah had the swine flu a few weeks ago and it really kicked her in the behind. Thank God none of us were infected. Thank God for Hand sanitizer and Lysol becaues I think I just drank it daily to kill any and all sickly germs I may have inhaled while caring for her. So, hopfully all goes well and the party will actually take place.

Gary recovered very nicely from his "surgery" and No,he did not have a Vasectomy! Haha... I had several people think he had one. Trust me....he would have happily taken a Vasectomy over what he actually had and that' all I have to say about that! Well and that I am thankful for all the prayers. I know with out a doubt it was the prayer that allowed everything to go as smootly as it did.

Bella....my sweet Bella. We'll see how she does this week with mothers day out. Girlfriend had a MAJOR meltdown last week and was taken out of class by the teacher because there was just no returning to her normal, sweet, easy going self. Girlfriend was apparently having a bad day in the highest sense of the word. It's hard to see her like that. We'll see how this week goes.

Fiction

So I think I may have posted before of my disinterest in fiction. However, having read 2 fiction books in the last few months( one I did not care for and one I more so did), I'm finding myself looking for my next book to read. I browsed down the aisle's of the Target book section the other day, picking up numerous attention grabbing titles, just to be disappointed. I was waiting for one to pull at my interest.......and nothing. I considered just holding off since I'm more than likely going to join a " book club" that my best girl friend from back in high school will be hosting but then again I want to read a really well written, not light and fun, piece that I can indulge in on my own. Maybe that's just the loner in me..... Who knows. Anyhow Memoirs of a Geisha keeps popping up in my mind and I think 2 people have recently commented on how great a book it is so I'm thinking of reading that. If you've read it let me know.....if not if you don't mind leaving me a comment with a book recommendation.....I'd truly appreciate it.

Oh and I am just LOVING this gorgeous fall weather.

Time wounds all heals

And it begins again. If you feel like praying for me that would be greatly appreciated.

What did I get myself into

I'm not sure if it's common knowledge that I am not the most social person in the world. I think if you have at least met me once that you might catch the drift. Not that I try to emit "stay away from me" vibes or anything but I have been told a time or two that I am kind of just quiet......aloof. Not all there. I assure you, I am. My brain just operates at 500miles an hour and when you are trying to carry on a conversation with me I have wandered off into lala land and that accounts for the blank stare because I probably have no idea what you are talking about. So it's just easier to not talk to people. I can't count the times people have told me they think I'm a snob! Ouch. I'm not a snob, I don't think I am better than anyone else so much as I think that I am not. Going back to, I think it was high school........I've never been one to enjoy being around large crowds, making mindless chit chat about the weather or in high school about getting drunk and partying. It's when I started feeling kind of like an outsider or like something was wrong with me because I did not seem to fit in with all the other kids my age. I had no interest in their immature shenanigans and I guess that made ME weird. Anyway.......WOW.... Okay so just to be to the point.....Yeah, I'm not all that social of a person. Or maybe I am, I just have a hard time finding people I actually can relate to or that I actually want to relate to. Oh my goodness.......maybe I am a snob! It has nothing to do with the fact that I don't like people because on the contrary I do. I like people very much. I just get caught up in this mind game with myself that I won't bother typing out but the scenario typically plays out in my head and usually ends up with....Monica, you're lame and people don't like you. I always think people don't like me....and it probably in turn makes people not like me. You see?? Yes, it's very difficult living with a mind like mine.....but it's what I got and so I must find a way to get on. So all that to say that I somehow found myself organizing and hosting a "party" and I am terrified! I mean what in the world did I get myself into? Oh Dear Lord please give me the brain function of a normal person for this party and let me get through it with as little internal conflict as possible. Agh!!! What if people don't come? I can't believe I am putting myself out there so that when people deny the invite I can carry it all on my shoulders . Then I will really wallow in lameville.

I can't believe I just admitted this for who ever reads this to read. Oh and I was kidding......I'm really listening to you when you talk to me.

; )

4 years ago

This was me 4 years ago! Not so patiently, and miserably waiting for Bella to make her appearance. I can't even remember how many times people would ask me if I was having twins since my belly was humongous!

So Much I Want to Do

And so little time. And shall I say more correctly.....so little money. Money shmoney. Why do things have to cost so much? I have caught some sort of "bug" and I can't seem to shake it. Symptoms have been - Wanting to redecorate, wanting to buy more furniture, wanting to buy new bedding for my bedroom, wanting to recover my dining room chairs, wanting to install wood flooring in the entry,dining, and part of the living room that is high traffic, wanting to redo our kitchen cabinets, wanting and wanting and wanting. I better get over this bug quick or I'm likely to get real sick and do something like Charge all these things on a credit card just so I can have it all now. Gasp! What would Dave Ramsey think?? The funny thing is that my hubby is such a softy when it comes to things like this and so when I say......" I want to go buy such and such" he says, "Okay....go get it." So not only do I have to be the one that wants all this stuff, I also have to be the one to say, NO! "Not now honey.....just be patient and we will have all that someday" I have to convincingly say to myself. It's so hard. For now I'll just be thankful that I was able to buy us an entertainment center (something I have wanted for 2 years) and it will be here Thursday. I have had my eye on this piece for 2 years and had hoped the price would come down.....and it hasn't. It's not anything fancy and even at the price it's a great deal compared to all the other similar pieces out there. I hope/think it will satisfy that big empty wall that's been begging to be dressed up.

Back to School Bella Style

Back Pack - Check
Stuffed Animal - Check
Diamond Tiara - Check
Barbie Laptop - Check

I says she's ready to go.

My girls

I LOVE THIS PICTURE

Hello

Something is calling me but I'm not sure what.

5 days and counting

We leave for our little beach vacation in just 5 days! I think we will have a great time just lounging on the beach and playing with the kiddo's. Hopefully my hard working hubby can get some much deserved rest and relaxation. While I had a "stay cation" of sorts last week, he still had to work and he was insanely busy. You can Thank your wonderful Government for that for implementing Cash For Clunkers with no real plan of how it would actually work out. But it was a great idea and I guess these days we run on ideas only. Who cares about the details.....right? Who cares if there is no system in place to actually handle the program. Needless to say they have been slammed and overwhelmed with all the people trying to take advantage of this deal that all our tax dollars are going to fund. I mean I guess they are thankful for the business( if they actually get paid ) but as with everything government born, there's a headache the size of Africa that comes along with it and everyone there is running around like a...... But anyway I totally digress.....

Vacation! Yes, relaxation! Maybe a trip to Schlitterbahn, some seashell exploring, pairasailing....and who knows what else. Accompanying us will be my little sis Melissa and her fiance and 2 crazy kids. But not the middle sis.....they bailed on us for their own personal reasons, for reasons I do not care to share with my 5 or so readers. But I'm not bitter. I promise. But I will say that I wish they had not bailed on us, but I get it. I hope they have fun in the great state of Alabama on Dauphin Island instead. Seriously. I feel everything always ends up just as it should. There's always next year. Maybe.

Last Year at the Beach

REBORN

I finished my desk remodel project for my Hannah. She will be so excited to finally have a real desk in her room. I put the final coat of the polycrylic and it is drying as I speak. This sure was a learning experience and I really loved doing the work. I stressed about the quality of my work but had to settle for the fact that I'm not a pro yet so there are going to be a few imperfections. It gives it character, right? My dad stopped by yesterday before it was all the way finished and he was so enthusiastic about it and thought it was just Awesome! He loved it. My Hubby on the other hand never really shared his opinion ( other than to say what was wrong with it) other than he did not care for the decorative paper but said it was fine. My mom stopped by last night and did not really say anything much either, so when I prodded for her opinion, I said, "you don't like it, do you?" To which she wrinkled her face and said, " Why did you put that paper on it?" Hahaha...okay fine whatever, the paper was a mistake. You live and learn right? Then she mustered a, " it looks good".....yeah......right. Her face told a completely different story. But I guess that's what happens when you do something and you put it out there for people to see. They don't have to love it. But I DO.

.

Oops

Well I have been non stop busy since the little girls left me. This desk remodel played a MAJOR part of that. Silly me thought I could get this "redo" finished in 2 days! My hubby said that was mighty ambitious of me, I just think it was plain old ignorance. I did not want to spend every single one of my free days working and it's exactly what I have done. I have not spent one moment doing something nice and relaxing or pampering to my body or mind. Goodness! Tomorrow is my last day of freedom and I at least wanted to watch a movie or go get a manicure ( you should see my hands)or pedicure or go buy myself something totally self indulgent. Jeez.....I have not even slept in past 6:30. I'm retarded. Well if it means anything I have at least enjoyed redoing the desk. I enjoy learning how to do things and this has definitely been a learing experience since it's the first time I've ever done this kind of work. I LIKE IT! I just wish I had had a whole week to work on it......but Hannah comes home Saturday and I wanted it to be all done and set up in her room when she got back. So, next time I'll know to allow myself more than 2 days to get it done. And next time I will know that wrapping paper is not a good idea to use for decorative touches. The paper part of the desk is a disaster! One I'm afraid that can only be remedied by ordering wall paper ( it's really thick) and praying I can get this other paper off and just redo that for another time. For now the paper will have to do( it's glued on there) with it's air bubbles and wrinkles and all. Eye yi yeye...... That bugs me, but what can I do. Here are some sneak peak pics.

The Color

The Paper and Knobs

Adventures in my own Home day 1

So life is completely different once you have kids. And you can only know what I'm talking about if you have them. Well for the rest of the week they are with their Grandmama in Pittsburg, TX and I plan to take full advantage of their time away. I cried a few tears even though I told myself not to. Oh well. Now here I am, I can blog with out guilt. I can sleep in if I want. I can pretty much do whatever the heck I want. It's amazing and something that has not happened here in my own home for a pretty long time. I've never been home before with out a kid around. I plan to take full advantage. First up..... CLEANING! I know, I know that does not sound all that glamorous but instead of paying the cleaning lady to come and do it, I will just pay myself that money and do the cleaning in peace and quiet with no kids around and then go shopping with the money I paid myself! Genius isn't it?? Well I think it is.

Update - 2.5 hours later. Note to self.

It's much easier to be on vacation outside the home with out the kiddo's than it is to be just home with out them. I've been cleaning and there are a million reminders of them and I burst out into tears. WHAT?? What's wrong with you! Really?? Get a grip! You'll see them in a few days. Now get back to cleaning and listening to your ipod with no interuptions. That is what you dream about isn't it? A day with no interruptions?? Geeze!

Running through my head

So many thoughts and not enough time to think them through. So maybe I will jot them down....or type them out. Just real quick.


Death is all around and I keep looking over my shoulder at him. Protect my family and me, LORD!

2 little girls,one just 2 weeks old, and their daddy, Lost their mommy( and wife) way too soon. I pray they all be comforted their whole life by knowing she's in Heaven. My heart aches because I know they'd rather have her here.

There is a time to rest and a time to be busy. Thank you that my time to be busy is behind me and I pray to have a restful remainder of the summer.

Sometimes I forget that not all people live like us( my family) and that what's common to me, can be so foreign to others.

Just because you volunteer and give a lot of your time to things that are bigger than you, does not mean you deserve anything in return. No Prasie, no recognition. Because if you think that you do, you're doing it for all the wrong reasons and will only make yourself bitter.

It was so important to me to be liked by people. Then I realized that I should first focus on liking people.

If you have a problem with people or with people's behavior and things they do drive you crazy or offend, or hurt your feelings...etc. Naturally you want those people to change their ways. Really that's a selfish way of thinking and all you're really saying is their behavior does not satisfy YOU. Why don't you change your own reactions to those things instead of expecting them to change. Really that's all you have control of. Yourself.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Matthew- 5:9

It's not so important to be understood. More so to understand what is important.

Still Have / Only Have

Depending on whether you are a pessimist or an optimist.....we still have / only have about 5 weeks left of summer vacation over here. If you are a pessimist then it's a bummer because that means summer vacation is half way over or if you are an optimist it's a good thing because you still have half your summer vacation left.


Regardless, it is what it is.


Lately things have been crazy for me with helping out at the new church property to prepare for our first service in the new place and with decorating for VBS which started today. All I have left of my churchly duties is planning Family Night this Friday to wrap up VBS. The theme is the Australian Outback and we will be having a Sausage Sizzle. I'll make some fruit kabobs and we will have a big jumpy thing and snow cones and lemonade and if all goes well it will be a grand ol time. Then I will undecorate the place and I am DUNZO! I can go back to enjoying my lazy summer days with my girls and I can give my husband back his days off from work instead of dragging him along and helping me out with everything. He's been such a trooper! Amazing really. I don't know what I would do with out my handy husband. Did I tell yall he built me a little contraption for VBS decor to add to the snack room rotation. Yeah.....he's pretty much awesome and got a few job offers. Little do they know he only does these kinds of things for me for extra kisses and I'm sure he will completely hate that I just said that.

: )

Up next -
Grandmama coming to town this weekend and then taking the girls home with her for a few day. OH MY! That means I have 4 days all to myself to do whatever I want. Kind of makes me sick to my stomach and happy all at the same time. I think I will finally redo that desk I have been dreaming about and depending on how smoothly that goes....I might work on that old dresser that has been sitting in our garage for over a year. We'll see. Then we have our beach trip to look forward too as well! Can't wait.

My Sisters Keeper

Don't worry I don't give any of the story away......


So I read the book My Sister's Keeper over the span of about 5 days. I was not really even sure I wanted to read it but I knew the movie was coming out and I figured I might as well since my mom had the book and books are usually better than the movie. As soon as I started reading it, I wanted to hurry up and finish it. And I don't mean that in a good way. I don't know if it was the style of the writing, or that I read it even though I usually don't like fiction or that it was not something written by C.S Lewis but I was just completely bored. I forced my self to finish it though because I guess I can't just stop something that I started. I have to go full circle. For some reason though I just never really connected to the book or the characters, even though at times the story was very grabbing. I can think of maybe 4 or 5 scenes in the book that were really really good. Other wise the writer fell short for me. I like books whose words come alive and who phrase things so beautifully that it's like reading art. I mean I could still envision what I was reading in my head but they already had faces and to me that took away from it a bit. Most of the time, I was just longing to get to the end so I could know what happens and be done with it. Maybe it was too many story lines going on at once when she could have had a more narrow focus to really make an impact with that story. Don't get me wrong.....I shed some tears but for what that story was, I should have been sobbing. I don't know.....I'm no writer and I am definitely no literary critic either. I'm just a stay at home mom, whom some think rank at the lowest end of the totem pole, who thought it looked like a good movie and possibly a better book but, I was wrong. I don't feel any better or like I improved myself for having read it and so to me it just seems like a waste of time. I wonder if this time the movie might be better.

Que sera sera

I am bad about writing something on here and then forgetting to follow it up. So for those of you that have asked about the MRI, it came out completely normal. What a huge weight that was lifted off my shoulders. So I can rest assure that there is no degenerative muscle/nerve disease going on like MS, or ALS or Parkinsons. I twitch..... that's all. Thank you LORD!

Now that I know that I am a okay......I surely do have BABY on the brain. I sure do miss Bella when she was little and so cute and I am finding my self seriously wanting a baby again. I mean I love the freedom that I have now, but that will come again in time and 3 just seems like a nice round number. I don't know......... In a week or so.....I'll probably snap back to reality. But just look how cute she was........and Fat!





















Bella @ 7 months old

So yeah....it would cause some major changes in our life and would completely throw us upside down for a while......but it's kind of now or never. I'm not getting any younger and it would be our last chance at having that little boy! 3 girls would be totally fine too. We shall see.......

One of a kind

He simply is the best person I've known my whole life.

He is the glue that held us all together.

He goes above and beyond for his girls and set the bar so high, I'm not sure anyone can ever really reach it.

He's the one that can comfort me, when it seems I can't be comforted.

He's the one that prays and has faith that never waivers when mine is being tested.

He's the one that taught me about God and about his son Jesus.

He's the one that I can go to with my innermost fears ( still) and they will be quieted.

He's the one that I can depend on and he will never disappoint.

He's the one that can make me laugh for days because he mixes up his words or phrases.

He has the purest heart and most humble nature.

He's like no other.

He is my father.

Charming Aliens

I had an interesting start to my day. I was kidnapped by extra terrestrials and forced upon their spaceship and was subjected to some testing so that they could learn more about my human brain. The aliens were very nice and only slightly ghoulish looking......The one that inserted my IV was tattooed and reeked of smoke so I guess even Aliens can be rebels because it was very clear that he was an " alternative" alien. I wasn't scared but I was quite concerned with what they might find. They had to inject me with some sort of dye but they assured me that the dye was not harmful in anyway, shape or form and would not kill me unless I was allergic. Oh, okay....well inject away then! They said it would help with the images. Okay, okay wait....I wasn't actually kidnapped by aliens. But that's how I felt and I only pretended that's what was going on when I had to have a MRI of my brain done this morning. And aliens did not perform the MRI, it was a doctor. But the part about the being that inserted the IV was totally true. He was covered in tattoos and reeked of smoke! But as I was laying there in this cylinder shaped contraption my brain starting getting imaginative and I was feeling like I was in some sort of space whatsa mathingy. Yes, I might be crazy and maybe the MRI will prove that but most importantly hopefully it will either confirm my worst fears or let me be at peace with normal results. I'm praying for the latter.

After my MRI I treated myself to a Caramel Machiato,( many moons since I had one of those) non fat of course, and headed to do a little retail therapy......ALONE! Oooohhhh....maybe I was/am in some sort of alternate universe.............no, Gary is off today and he stayed home with the girls( they totally missed out on the Aliens) and I ran to a few stores. One which was called Charming Charleys. If you have not been there, you must! It was jewelry and accessories galore and they had some of the cutest shoes and dresses and it was all very reasonably priced. I think I just found my new favorite accessory store. After stopping a few more places, and running into an old high school friend, I headed home. Men sure don't do things the way we women do, do they?? I come home to find Gary napping! Surprise, surprise. Bella was watching a movie and Hannah was just playing in her room. Haha....I just had to laugh. Hey, I'm not going to complain, I had a whole morning to myself and as long as the girls were fed, and safe......Gary did a good job.

So that's been my day. I hope to enjoy the rest of the day hanging out with the family ( when Gary wakes up from his nap) taking it easy and anxiously awaiting my results from the Aliens.... oops......I mean doctors.

Day 8

Well I would say we are pretty close to being finished. Haha....I say " we" like I did some of the work. Gary's dad has been working hard on this since yesterday morning and managed to get all the tiles cut and layed and my dad did the grout work today( Gary had to work). The tiles that were layed today will have to be grouted tomorrow and Gary's dad has to leave so this means Gary will have to do the last little bit himself. After the grout work will be the caulking and then cleaning the tiles all up and sealing them one last time to keep them shiny. All the major work will be done by Monday and then the counter top people have to come back and buff a few spots that have scratches and finish smoothing in some areas they left unfinished. Goodness.....my kitchen is a MESS! I've been really good though and not stressing about it and being very patient and I know that all this dirt and mess will be worth it in the end when all is said and done. Wednesday the cleaning lady comes so my house should be all spic and span clean and our newly remodeled kitchen can shine! And don't telly anybody but we are totally skipping church in the morning. Shhh....

Here they are

This will be the back splash. Slate tiles and they all look very different so it's going to add a lot of color to the kitchen since everything else is pretty colorless. I hope it looks good.
The new counter tops are in!




Wow! What an ordeal remodelling can be. We of course are over budget but it has been for things that were unseen. We did not know the backsplash was going to tear out the existing sheet rock which would require new sheet rock in all the back splash areas. Then we had to buy a new faucet because our old one did not have the proper connections to hook it back up. That means I had to run to Home Depot on the spur of the moment and find a new faucet I was going to be happy with and I had to do this pronto because the plumber charges by the hour! After 2 trips to Home Depot we finally got it all installed but I have decided I am going to change it out again. It looks silly with the faucet I picked out. It needs to be a lot bigger. So now I am on the hunt for a new faucet. And who new plumbers were so expensive.....he charged 100/hr! Gary is in the wrong line of work. So what I have learned is to budget probably 10% ( suggested by Sarah H) for just in case things that might happen so you're not stressed out for going over budget.

Remodel day 1

There they go

Only 1 minor accident involving a hand saw



What a mess

My make shift kitchen for bfast time. Bagels and coffee.

Birthday Dinner

Waiting for our table at Matt's El Rancho

This is how he always looks
Delicious Fish Tacos with spicy cole slaw and rice
awww
Dad and Mom
I don't know what we are doing here
TThe Carpenters
I had to hold her up she was so drunk....just kidding
The Manager bought me a Mexican Martini to celebrate turning 25 for the 9th time
Come on babe....you know you want a sip

Like Father like daughter

Voracious

My hubby can't just eat one honey peanut butter and banana sandwhich, he has to make it double decker. Or sometimes he eats 2. Really that's nothing compared to the times he ate 2 hamburgers like it was an appetizer. The boy can eat! A lot! He claims he's a growing boy. I claim he's gonna be a growing boy all right if he keeps eating like that!

The New Do

I can't even remember the last time I actually had a professional hair cut. It has been years. I have been letting my hair grow out for quite some time now and on the occasions I felt like parting from my split ends I did the chopping my self or let my mother in law ever so slightly trim it. I must say those methods worked out just fine for a while. Then the other night, since I am so confident in my hair trimmimg ability, I thought I could cut a few inches off here and there and shorten it up just a tad. Snip snip. Okay maybe just a little more here......okay now a little more on this side....Oops. Not good! If I kept going at that rate, to make it look even, I would eventually have no hair and my long hair loving hubby( he doesn't have long hair...he loves long hair) would probably see me and weep. So I just stopped. So today I made an appointment at Avant Salon which is a big deal because the last place I went for a cut was super cuts! And before you say....you can't even tell I got it cut, just know that I did. She cut about 3.5 inches and I think I cut about 2 so that's a big difference. Personally I would have gone a little shorter (and I still might) but I have to take baby steps to ease the hubby into a shorter look. Maybe I'll go back in 6 weeks and cut two more inches. And maybe some day I'll even get brave and get a style other than this. Or maybe bangs, or high lights. Maybe.

Design Dilemma

So we are having our counter tops installed next week.....YAY!!! I'm truly excited. All along I've had this look in my head of what I wanted our kitchen to look like but it's going to be a several step process. What I envision is painting our cabinets a white or off white color in the future but that will probably be the last step in the remodel process. We are installing black granite counter tops and with the white cabinets and black counter tops I envisioned a slate back splash. Can you see it?? The slate back splash is multi colored....it has a lot of color variation from earthy browns to ashy greys. I also have the design of how I want the back splash layed out. However I am starting to worry that my vision might not look right because my hubby seems to think we need to add some black into the back splash to pull it in with the counter top. While I agree it will tie it into the black counter tops I'm not really sure that it's necessary. I think it almost might subtract from the natural beauty of the slate. Sure it might dress it up but I just don't know. So you see, I have a dilemma. I know there are a few of you that read the blog that are designers( sara w. ) or that are into decorating ( amanda g. and elizabeth h. and you sister) out there that can give me their input. Even if you are not a designer or into decorating, I'd still love to hear your opinion. Thanks!




This is the one with black little tiles added to the slate ribbon that will separate the straight tiles from the diagonal.




This is the one that is just all slate tile with a ribbon of smaller slate between the straight tiles and the ones set on the diagonal.

Life

Life for the Clifton Family has been so crazy and busy the last couple of weeks it seems like there is something to do every single day or evening. Whew..... I am exhausted and I notice when I am exhausted I tend to be more anxious and stressed and my twitching flares up. I am definitely ready for Summer and to slow down! Soccer season has ended, my pilates class ended, my women's weekly bible study has ended, school is ending....Hello relaxing Summer. Or at least that's what I hope for anyway. I am so looking forward to sleeping in and not having to wake up and get Hannah fed and make her lunch and get her to school. Blah blah blah.... anyhow...you get the drift.

Ugly Bella

\

NO, I'm not calling my beautiful, precious child ugly. I'm just saying........

Fruit Fly, Gnat. Whatever

For the past week or so we have had a problem with fruit flies. Gnat's. Those freaking little annoying bugs that fly around and for some strange reason that I can never kill. We had this problem last year and I thought I had remedied the problem only to find they have returned. Are they seasonal? I clean my kitchen at least 5 times a day and I spray everything down with clorox spray. I spray lysol on everything, I clean the disposal with bleach and hot water and also with those disposal cleaning packets (I love doing that by the way) that really gets down there and gets all that yucky stuff out. I even cleaned the trash can lid yesterday just to make sure they were not attracted to that. I do keep fresh fruit out on the counter but have done that all year and don't understand why they only now seem to be around. Hopefully it's seasonal but I sure am getting tired of them. I am even embarassed to have small group tomorrow for fear that these little freaky flies might land in someone's hamburger. Ooops. Sorry about that! Anyone else having this problem. They sure are bugging me!

All Good Things Must End

I really dislike when things I enjoy come to an end. Today was the last meeting for my weekly Bible Study I have been doing for the past 10 weeks. I so thoroughly enjoyed these lessons and learned a lot from it. Now I may not have perfected implementing it all into my daily life just yet but it surely is something I will keep working on. I KNOW I've grown in my faith and I am way more trusting in GOD than before we started. I think I have a better understanding of who GOD is and who I am. The lessons were so beautiful and eye opening and the lady that wrote the curriculum is brilliant! I also got to know a few ladies that go to my church but I've never really spoken to and gained so much from each of them. It was a great group of ladies. And now it's ending and I am a bit sad. And not just this but my Pilate's class that I have also been doing the past 10 weeks is ending on Friday. I have enjoyed the Pilate's as well and not only was it a chance for me to gain some strength in my body but also was a chance for me to sort of rekindle an old friendship. My best friend from junior high and high school( we were inseparable) and I took this class together. We had lost touch through out the years and reconnected through facebook! I enjoyed getting to see her every week and chat through our pain.......I mean Pilate's. Surely we will keep in touch but again it just sort of makes me sad when something has to come to an end. It's kind of like a chapter is ending and I don't quite know the title to the next one.

I am thankful for both of these opportunities and feel like I have grown in faith and body and I can tell I am stronger. I can't wait to see what the next few months will have in store. It is going to be Summer soon so I know it will be interesting. Thank you GOD for these 2 wonderful experiences I got to enjoy and I'm trusting you that great things are still to come. Happy Wednesday!

But I NEED it

Okay well I don't NEED it, but I sure, really do want it. Thanks to Amanda G and Karina B, all I can think about these days is getting me a new wallet. It just so happened that I was considering replacing my old one because it does not match my purse all that well. Now, not just any wallet will do. It has to be A Hobo International Lauren clutch wallet. I feel like that little boy from A Christmas Carol that wants that red rider bebe gun and it's all he can think about. But at least I won't shoot my eye out. These little thingys are amazing! And if you've seen the contents of my wallet and if you want to be right you will agree that I NEED one.

Out with the old

This is our current countertop in our kitchen. I'm not going to say white ceramic tile as a countertop and back splash is hideous because we all have our "taste" but it just doesn't work for me. The grout is dirty and dirt and stains show up no matter how many times a day I spray them with clorox cleaner. I did not like it when we bought the house and it was one of the things we said we were going to change. And I am happy to say.....It's time for that change!

This is also the sink that was in the house when we bought it and it's old and also stained and despite the fact that I too spray this many times a day with the clorox bleach cleaner, it just does not stay white and sparkling clean. So that's a changing too!

But I have to say that my least favorite part of the kitchen is the backsplash. I just laughed when I saw it when we looked at this house because the house we had before this one had the same exact tile backsplash ( except blue ) and we had to change that one out too. Bye Bye green tiles.

I can't wait to have our new and improved kitchen. We picked out our counter top and it's a beautiful black granite. Upon first glance you would just say it's black but it has some beautiful color variations that will go nicely with our stainless steel appliances. The official color of it is black pearl. The new backsplash will be slate tiles that also have lots of color variations that will pick up some of the color in the countertop. Here is the granite.

I ordered our sink online yesterday which is also a black granite sink. I unfortunately was not able to get either one of the ones I posted on but the one I did get was more similar to the top picture than the bottom. It also is bigger than the other 2 and we got it at a GREAT price with free shipping! Can't beat that. I am so excited to get started and see it all together. I hope it looks as nice in reality as it does in my head! I am sure there will be more posts to come about the remodel. Especially since my jack of all trades husband decided to do the demolition part himself to save us a little money. So yeah, he'll be tearing out old contertops and backsplash, and removing the old sink. I'm only slightly nervous.

HELP

I'm totally copying Sara H. in asking for help with something I can't seem to decide. I go back and forth on which sink to go with for our new kitchen remodel. They are only slightly different but the top one is about 60 dollars cheaper and slightly smaller. Gary likes the bigger, I like thesmaller because it's cheaper. I can't decide!

Time for a New Look

I was playing around with new blog layouts today and spent way more time on it than I should have. Something about Bella's nap time makes me want to veg out in front of the computer and check facebook, emails, read the news of the day....all with out interruptions. Very relaxing. This is what I came up with ......well I didn't come up with it....I just found it and copied it. I love changing things around. I love making things pretty and the best part of changing your blog up is that it's free! Now only if it were that easy to change myself up or my house like that. Wouldn't it be so much fun if one day you just get tired of the look of something like your bedroom or kitchen or your wardrobe and Voila! A Whole new look for free. Yes, I think I could live that for sure.

Nobody did it

It's always very interesting to me when strange things happen around here and nobody is to blame. Does nobody live in every one's house? I made some cupcakes today for small group and have them sitting on the stove all nice and neat. I happen to notice that 2 cupcakes have little bitty finger prints on them and I know I did not put them there. I casually say to Bella, " Bella, do you know who put these fingers in the cupcakes?" She immediately said, "Hannah". So I ask Hannah the same thing and she says she has no idea, maybe Papa! Yeah right, he was not even home when I noticed it. Some one is LYING! Both of them are sticking to their story that they did not do it. I have my suspicions and mom's suspicions are pretty much always right. But I don't want to out right call one a liar when I really don't know. What do you do when you know one of your children is lying. It makes me sad. I like honesty at all costs.

Surprises

I am not big on Surprises. I always seem to find out before I can actually be surprised. It's strange. I guess it's hard to hide things when you're married, especially when you are in charge of balancing the check book. You're going to see the evidence. Duh! Anyhow our 5 year anniversary is tomorrow and we do plan on going out to dinner just to quietly celebrate. We already had our big "celebration" when we went away last month to the Mississippi Coast and so I was not really expecting gifts. To me that vacation was our gift but my kind hearted husband had a few surprises, or not so surprises, surprises and I accidentally found them both before he could give them to me. The first was that he had taken my wedding band ( I have not been able to wear it for months) to the jewelry shop to be repaired. The ring actually snapped apart and one of the diamonds fell off and I have been too cheap to take it in to get repaired so he did it for me. I thought that was sweet even though I would not have wanted to spend the money on it for me. Then I got surprise # 2 in the mail yesterday afternoon( he said he thought he'd be able to intercept it) The new or updated CHLOE! It's one of the 2 perfumes I have been wanting and he got it for me. I love it! I love love love perfume. I feel so loved when people buy me things. Thanks babe!

Easter Sunday

We had a great Easter Sunday. We got to sleep in because we had the Sunday off from greeting which is a big treat for us. We went to late service and I must say Anthony's Sermon was really good. I was a little skeptical about him doing an easter sermon based on a movie we had not even seen so we stayed up late the night before and actually watched Slum Dog which turned out to be a really great movie. Loved it. I'm glad we watched it. After church we spent time at my sister Michelle's house eating, hanging out, and watching the kids hunt for eggs. We did not have the confetti eggs this year. We completely dropped the ball on that. After indulging in some delicious key lime pie we headed out to conclude our evening at another church service just down the road from our house, called Austin New Church. This church to me really epitomizes what a church should be. They are so active in serving others and the community and it's very inspiring to me. My Best Friend of my younger years ( middle and high school) invited us to see her and her husband give their "story" of how they were disconnected from church for so long until they discovered this new church and how they have been healed or are in the process of healing from their past hurts ( from their church) and how their faith and love for Christ has been resurrected/restored. How appropriate for an Easter Service. It was very moing. Anyway it was a great ending to the day and I got to hear Amazing Grace ( well Chris Tomlin's version anyway) and I just love that song. What Amazing Grace we receive! And all because he loves us that much.

The girls Easter Baskets

So much fun to look for the eggs

my easter girls