just sayin'....

my girls Christmas gifts to each other....

2010-01-01T00:11:00.004-06:00

Last year..we started a new tradition where my girls actually MAKE a Christmas gift for each other. I blogged last years experience, too, and you can read about that here. They had so much fun doing it and couldn't wait for this year to do it again. I, being the bad mother that I am, kinda wanted to skip it this year because I was so busy with sewing projects and other stuff....but once they started talking about what they planned to make for each other...I knew skipping was out of the question. And thank goodness we didn't because I truly believe that it helps to really build on the bond they have with each other. The pictures speak for themselves as to how happy and proud they were to give and recieve these gifts.

Evan's gift to Ella was a tooth fairy pillow. I wrote the word tooth fairy on a piece of fabric and then she hand embroideried over it with embroidery floss. SO easy. Then, with a little help from me, she used the sewing machine to sew on a pocket and sew two pieces of fabric together. Then she stuffed the pillow and finished sewing it up and TaDa...a gift Ella will cherish forever.

(this is by no means a perfectly sewn pillow with pretty fabric and perfect stitches, but Ella doesn't mind at all)

Ella's gift to Evan was a tin to put all her bottlecaps on (for those of you without school age children, bottlecaps are little magnetic necklace thingys). We just got a metal pail at Michaels, she spray painted it pink, and the she put her name on it with stickers and bedazzled it with rhinestone stickers. Precious.

The smiles on their faces in these pictures says it all!

hrk

a Christmas tradition...

2009-12-21T18:12:00.003-06:00

For the last couple of years...my sister in law and I have gotten the kids together to make Christmas cookies at my mom's house. So today was the day and I think everyone had a great time!

Happy Christmas!

hrk

Evan's Piano Recital 2009.....

2009-12-18T15:44:00.002-06:00

Check out my new 'shirt' blog...........

2009-11-25T09:39:00.002-06:00

I have started selling my shirts from a new blog......LaLa {a blog shop}. Go check it out. Fancy Miss Jen fixed it up all pretty for me, and I'm having so much fun sewing and posting all my new creations!

I have big plans for the coming summer....I want to teach Evan to sew and let her put some shirts on the blog, as well. And I hope to include Ella by letting her help me design some shirts and maybe do some cutting.

For now....I am doing some fun Christmas shirts and such...so go take a look!

hrk

well......

2009-10-08T22:52:00.007-05:00

Obviously, since I haven't blogged in FOR-EVA, I have a lot to share! I have been psychotically crafty lately. I feel like I have A.D.D.....I'll start one project, then get distracted by another.....random, but it makes me crazy. I am normally a person of order and direction.

Exhibit A: this desk

Free! from my sister-in-law...it was her's when she was a little gal...been sitting in her garage....so she gave it to me for Evan's room. It was yellow, and kindof weathered a bit.

I painted it the same color that I have painted all of the other furniture in her room, distressed it a little....a ta-da! lovely! And OH SO FUNCTIONAL with 4th grade homework and all!

Oh...then we (Evan and I, with Angie and Stacy and Sophie) went to see THIS little lady in concert!

Talk about a good time!!! We all had so much fun....I just love making memories like that with Evan! And I know that this is one concert she will never forget! She is such a Taylor fan and knows every word to every song.

So in the lobby area of the arena, they had this place set up where you could make a video to one of Taylor's songs.....Evan was all for it. Angie got this picture of Evan during her 'making of the video'! Hands down....this is one of my favorite pictures EVER of Evan! It captures her personality perfectly! I will treasure this photo FOREVER!!

Exhibit B:

Home from concert...back to reality. I got on a shirt making kick. I've been making these t-shirts like crazy. So fun....and I've managed to make a little extra money by making them for others that want them! Always good!

Exhibit C:

My dear friend Rachel called me to tell me that one of her neighbors had set this dresser out with the trash! I was on my way out of town....so she went and got it for me!! I loved it so much! Couldn't wait to try to transform it.

I have been needing a piece of furniture for my dining room so i decided to paint it to kind of be like a sideboard. I painted the top black, then the rest of it green and distressed it with black glaze. I love how it turned out!

Exhibit D:

This little treasure is calling for me everyday from my garage! It is another free dresser (thanks again to the sister in law) that I can't wait to paint and find a place for!

Hopefully I can get back into the swing of blogging! I will definitely post pictures of the transformed blue dresser when I get it done.

hrk

first day.....

2009-08-19T09:59:00.003-05:00

Another first day of school......bittersweet. I hate giving up the easy livin' that comes with summertime, yet I can't help but be a little excited about the things I want to accomplish with the girls back in school.

The morning went well. Ella had a moment or two of dread and watery eyes, but she pulled herself together and survived the morning! Evan was just super excited to get back into the social scene and all the fun that comes with school!

I hope everyone had a great first day back!

Now I am going to go psycho cleaning this house that has not been cleaned in 10 weeks!

back to reality......

hrk

Evan goes to camp....Mommy cries.

2009-07-02T04:27:00.004-05:00

So, Evan went to Kamp Kanakuk today. This is her first camp experience and she will be gone 7 days. Very hard on her family, but I'm sure she will have the time of her life! We get to email her everyday, but she doesn't get to contact us by email or anything else. We won't hear her sweet voice until Tuesday!

How fun does this look? Especially for Miss Fearless!

Her counselors She got a top bunk.....she was sooooo glad!

It's gonna be a long week for the rest of us....but I hope that she is too busy having fun to even think about us. I know she will make memories that will last a lifetime. There is a camp store and I had money in an account so that she can just go in there and buy whatever. We talked about it today and I suggested that she buy a t-shirt and some face paint and a few other things. So, tonight (her first night there) I looked on her account to see if she spent any money. She spent every dime! On crazy stuff. No t-shirt. No face paint. She bought a pink blanket w/ cross! What? A blanket? It's only 101 degrees outside and there is NO airconditioning there! A blanket! Really? She also bought some decals for the car (I suspect these are gifts for me and hubs, a charm bracelet (possibly a gift for sissy), some pens, a Bible study book, and some pens. Seriously? The girls at work and I got a big kick out of checking out all her purchases. Obviously, I'm going to have to put some more money in her account. It is so not like her to spent all the money on the first day! She usually analizes a possible purchase for a month or so until she talks herself out of it. I absolutely cannot wait to talk to her and hear her stories about everything!

hrk

long time, no blog......(picture overload)

2009-06-05T18:28:00.004-05:00

So....I haven't posted in for-eva! I have been a lazy, sun-drenched loser, busy with end of the year parties....Memorial Day cookouts....swimming.....baseball camp....blah, blah, blah.....

I can't even tell you how happy I am that school is out and summer has begun. Our long, lazy days spent at Eastgate Pool have started and we enjoy them soooo much.

I am vowing 2 things this summer.....not to go so long without posting on this blog...and to stop biting my nails. We'll see how this plays out.

We went to Ella Katie (yup, for those of you who don't know, Ella is named after Brad's aunt, Ella 'Katie') and RonDee's on Memorial Day for some swimming and good food.

I wore my rarely seen afro so we were sure to take lots of pictures for proof that the 'fro does exist.

The last day of Kindergarten was bittersweet. I am so glad for school to be out...but sad that my baby girl is growing up. There was a little assembly, and Ella was recognized for being an Ambassador (chosen by the teacher to help out with stuff).

And all the Kindergartener's get a certificate.....So Cute.....and you can bet I was crying.

(that's my girl on the top row, far right)

All her BFF's! I love this picture, and I know these kiddos will be friends for years to come!

Last day of Mrs. Fimple's class. I cannot say how much we love this lady. She's been such a blessing to both of my girls.

Evan's 3rd grade end of the year party was big fun.....but I had worked the night before and didn't have time to sleep before it started....so in this picture I had been awake for about 28 hours. Needless to say, my brain wasn't working well and this is the only picture that was taken.

By the way....straight A's for Miss Evan!!!!!!

So....now school is done and the fun begins....

Lounging at Eastgate....

Evan diving....

Last weekend, we met Jamie and Lorelei and the kids at Katie's for some family swim time.

Girlys decided to sport their bikinis.

This week, Ella went to UAFS's baseball camp. Talk about good times. She had a blast and learned so much. Was she the only girl at baseball camp? OF COURSE. Did she care? Absolutely not! She had a blast and I have a feeling that her being the only girl got her lots of attention from everyone. She was chosen as a 'camper of the day' every single day and she loved every minute of it. Let me tell ya, this girl works as hard (if not harder) than any boy out there! She makes us proud!

On the last day of camp, they teach the kids how to slide, 'slip-n-slide' style!!!!

Ya think she was enjoying that?

And, seriously, why wouldn't she be the favorite camper? Just look at her. You know that none of those silly boys look this cute in a baseball helmet!

Alrighty.....long post! I'm gonna do my best to keep up better this summer....but the lazy days make me.....ummm.....lazy!

hrk

end of an era......

2009-05-21T21:28:00.003-05:00

The kindergarten era of our lives is all but over. I will never again have a kindergartner. (ok, i'm a never say never girl, so scratch that. just sayin'). I know we all say this about everything....but doesn't it seem like I JUST posted about that horrible (for me) first day of kindergarten a minute ago...and now I'm posting about the end. UGH!

Today was the kindergarten picnic and it was a great time. The kids all had a blast. I did lots of face painting, which was interesting, to say the least.

I just can't believe it's about over. Kindergarten is so much fun. I love that they are learning and socializing and having so many new experiences, but you don't have the seriousness that comes with the grades above.

I took a few pics at the party, but nothing great because I was busy painting kitty cats and such on faces, so I took this one of Ella when we got home. She had such a great time.

All that said, we are counting down until Eastgate Pool opens and we can begin our 'lazy days of summer'. The girls are dying to be staying up late, sleeping in, and spending their days at the pool, and SO AM I!!!!!!

hrk

happy times....

2009-05-12T13:49:00.003-05:00

Just some pictures from my best mother's day ever! They got me an iPhone and let me just say, I. AM. IN. LOVE. I don't know how I ever lived one second without it. It is the best invention ever. period.

The girls made me tons of stuff and were so sweet, and hubs did the Sunday grocery run for me. Life is good.

This picture is for anyone (and that would be all of you) who says Ella has Brad's eyes.

HMMMM.........

Those eyes look pretty similar to me and that. ain't. Brad. in the picture!

word to tha mothas...

hrk

her best hit ever.....

2009-05-12T13:48:00.003-05:00

Monday night, Ella had her best hit yet! It's hard to tell in the video, but she hit a line drive between thrid base and shortstop, then it rolled almost to the fence. She has been working so hard on her hitting and she really hits pretty good, but usually she hits ground balls. So this one being 'a pop fly' as she calls it, was such a reward for her hard work. YAY Ella!

The best moments......

2009-05-10T09:53:00.002-05:00

.....of my life, have been the moments that I became a mother. The very first moment...an incomprehensable love........

and the second time, the same overwhelming feelings....

These are the very first moments that I saw my girls....and they are moments I remember every second of....moments that mean more to me than any other I have experienced...

I am so blessed to be a mother.

Happy Mother's Day!

hrk

blah...blah...blah....

2009-05-03T01:25:00.003-05:00

So....it has rained basically everyday for a week....and it is really making my life boring and miserable and my hair is a frizzy mess. (a little dramatic...i know). Ella's preseason t-ball tournament was this week....so, she played one game on Tuesday night (that was supposed to have been played on Monday). They won without even playing good. The little team they played looked like it was all 4 year olds, and some of the kids on our team look like they're 8. So, it was a pretty boring game, but cute to see her out there looking all serious with her eye-black on. The rest of the tournament ended up being cancelled....Shocker..I know....with only 25 inches of rain this week, why not go ahead and play? Most importantly...she looked precious.

oh..and we have these two cutie-patootie bat girls this year......

let me tell ya....they take this job very seriously.

It briefly quit raining on Friday...so we headed out to the I.C. Spring Carnival. That's always fun....though the big-frizzy-mess-of-hair on my head made me a little self-concious.

And tonight....my parents had a cook-out...or, rather a cook-in....thanks to the rain and all. But it was fun, none the less.

my sweet nephews...Tyler and Blake.....i heart these boys.

how sweet is that smile? (blake's, not brad's).

SO......in conclusion.....I. Hate. Rain. And as I type this, it is pouring down rain....and there is rain in the forcast for all next week, too. So just shoot me.

till the rain stops....

hrk

good times.....

2009-04-23T19:28:00.006-05:00

and finally.

i couldn't love these girlys more!

hrk

guess who is all better?...........

2009-04-21T10:56:00.003-05:00

poor baby Brother before: (look at those cute little teeth...heart him)..... and after, he got his stiches out yesterday:

It's so good to look at him without throwing up in your mouth a little. He is so much happier now, too. We got our Brother back! Woohoo! Thank God for sweet doggys and good vets!

hrk

feast your eyes.......

2009-04-16T23:18:00.002-05:00

ON THIS!

The finished painting of our precious Brother Bear Kohler.

I absolutely love it. It is hanging right in the living room for all to see. And the frame is just as gorgeous.

Angie and I are hosting our party at my house tomorrow (Friday) night. If you are interested in having something painted or a frame.....let us know! All the paintings from the last party turned out gorgeous. And look here to see the frame that Angie got. Very striking!

You know you want one......come on to the par-tay and check them out!

hrk

a bookshelf transformation......

2009-04-15T21:05:00.002-05:00

I have been searching for a bookshelf for Evan's room FOREVER! I wanted one that was about 4 foot tall by 4 foot wide. Evidently, I'm the only person who has ever wanted a bookshelf this size because it seemed impossible to find. So...Saturday, I went to an antique mall and found this one. It was in an abandoned booth with no price on it. I asked the lady working and she told me $30.00. SOLD! Even the crappy, not right sized ones I have seen are usually $100 or more...so this sounded good. It is definitely not in good shape, but I figured for the price, I could make it work...and if not...it would be good storage in the garage.

Here it is before:

and after replacing the back with a piece of bead board and doing some painting and distressing:

I did alot of sanding and did some crackle spots...I am not very good at the whole crackle thing, but it's fun to try..... Here it is in the room. I got a few things on it tonight, but still have alot to go.....

The problem now will be figuring out what to hang above it. Since the tv sits on top of it, it's going to be hard to hang something without it being really high or off center. I may order one of those vinyl wall sticker off of etsy to try. Maybe some kind of tree or branch with a bird or something.

Anyway....it certainly isn't a fabulous piece of funiture, but the size is great and it will do for now.

Now, on to curtains and pillow shams.

hrk

sweet treat for Brother...

2009-04-14T22:30:00.002-05:00

awwwwhhh.......talk about a spoiled pup! Look what Rachel, Maggie Rae and Landy Lou sent to my pitiful Brother Bear today.....

Is that not the best? I gave him the squeaky bone and he went to running around and being all playful. It was great.....he has never had a toy that squeaks before...and it was so good to see him act like himself and not all sickly....

Twenty minutes after I gave him this toy...he still hadn't put it down....

he was not about to let Dixie touch it. I mean, come on....if Dixie wants a squeaky bone to play with, she can go get HER eyelid sewn shut. Rachel is obviously as crazy about dogs as we are. (ok..maybe more). She's been calling daily to check on Brother. Hmmmm......I had a little foot surgery last year and I didn't get a squeaky bone or anything.....just sayin'.... Thanks so much, Rachel. Brother is loving his treats!

Update on Brother..........

2009-04-13T18:34:00.004-05:00

First thing this morning, hubs took Brother to the vet. He was acting like he felt better but the ulcer (sorry...I called it a tumor in the last post) was still there and didn't look any better. Once at the vet, Brother underwent surgery to sew his third eyelid shut so that the ulcer could heal. It has to stay that way for 7 days. He is very pitiful right now....we are treating him extra sweet but he just doesn't feel well. Here is how he looks....it's a little painful to look at:

Poor baby!

hrk

Easter Happy.......

2009-04-12T18:23:00.004-05:00

My little cuties on Easter morning.... This afternoon we went to the family Easter dinner......good times.

missy prissy.....

a bunch of silly girls...... doing the Cha-Cha slide......

All 15 of the grandchildren in hubs family....not an easy picture to get...... Hope everyone's Easter was great! hrk

happy, happy Easter.........

2009-04-12T10:29:00.003-05:00

First and foremost.....please keep our Brother Bear in your prayers. He has a tumor in his right eye and he is in alot of pain. He started on eye drops yesterday but the tumor looks worse today. We emailed Uncle Vetrenarian a picture of the eye and a close up of the tumor this morning....he said that the tumor looks deep and that we need to take Brother in on Monday morning to have it looked it. He could potentially need surgery. Uncle Vet says that these tumors are not uncommon in Boston Terriers and can quickly cause them to lose their eye. Hopefully we can prevent that. Our poor baby boy....it's awful to see him so miserable. Boo Hoo. On a lighter note, the Easter Bunny stopped by sometime last night and filled the girls baskets with goodies and hid some eggs. He left the girls a Boston Terrier Webkinz....how much fun. And some cute tshirts and WAY TO MUCH candy. Silly Easter Bunny.

Hope everyone has a great Easter. I will update on Brother later. Rachel sent us an Easter dress for Brother to get all dressed up in...but he just isn't up to it today. We will dress him up when he is all better.

don't let the rain get ya down!

HE IS RISEN. Glory to God!

hrk

Hello. My name is Heather. I just made a trundle bed.

2009-04-10T23:20:00.005-05:00

Yes.....I did! Here is how:

Gather your supplies.

Piece of plywood cut to my measurement by nice man at Lowes...check.

Five wheels.....check.

Some screws......check.

Two handles.......check.

Drill.....check.

Diet Dr Pepper.....check.

Attatch the wheels.....

Carry to girls bedroom (all excited)...only to discover you must have measured wrong. Get hand saw and remove 2 inches....get blisters on your hand and sweat off your new spray tan.... Find that it now fits perfectly.....Thank You God!

Attach two handles at perfect width for Ella's little arms......

And you get this........ Melts my heart.

So....yes, I am quite proud of myself for this one. It is not perfect, but it works and it only cost about $50.00 rather that $120 like the one I found at the furniture store. I was planning to paint it but after all the sawing....I'm done for tonight. I also am going to sand the corners down because I can forsee injury if I don't get rid of those sharp edges.

good night to tha peeps...

hrk

mark it down in the books..........

2009-04-09T21:56:00.006-05:00

.......that on this day, April 9, 2009, Ella Katherine willingly wore JEANS. To school. Without complaining. Not even once. Yes, my peeps......this is a very important day! A very good day.

I'm pretty sure the decision to wear jeans stemmed from seeing how cute 'sissy' looked in her jeans and rain boots.

Once at school (all cute in her jeans).....Ella's class headed to Methodist Nursing Home for an Easter egg hunt. Guess who found the prize golden egg?......yup, that cute little girl in the cute little jeans! The egg had $3.00 in it and the director gave her a stuffed chick that squeaks!WAAAHHOOOO. look at those eyes. and those rosy cheeks. and those bushy eyebrows. LOVE. IT.

love to tha

hrk

finally.....

2009-04-09T00:50:00.003-05:00

oh....how long they have waited to be able to do this! The room is nowhere near finished, but I got this twin matress today for the trundle part of the bed and the girls were so excited.

I don't have the trundle yet because I am planning to make one myself. How hard can it be? Probably a lot harder than I think.....but we shall see! So for now the matress is just on the floor and we will just slide it under the bed in the morning....how much fun.

hrk

let the games begin......

2009-04-08T08:47:00.003-05:00

Last night was Ella's first soccer game. They kicked some tail!!! She scored a goal....so proud of her. I can't believe how much her team has improved since the fall soccer season. Everyone of them has gotten so much better. And I'm proud to say that Ella no longer runs in slow motion. That's not to say that she will be winning any races, but she has definitely gotten faster.

Love this action shot! Look at her intense face and that perfect running form! LOVE. IT.

And who's team did we play......Miss Maggie Rae's. Her team is called the Highlighters! How perfect is that considering those uniform colors!

Our team is called......are you ready for this........the Blue Demons! Not sure who came up with that one. Probably our crazy coach (and by crazy I mean fun and hilarious). He brought Mt. Dew and porkrinds for snacks for the kids. Not lying. Gotta love him!

I love spring. Soccer...baseball....sun...longer days.......Life is good!

hrk

Oh....by the way......Evan's soccer career has ended. She just kindof decided it wasn't for her, which is fine. She's going back to tumbling and dance....definitely for her. I'm glad she tried a few things and has realized what she really wants to do. I finally just told her...."ya know, Ev, some girls just aren't sports girls.....and there is NOTHING wrong with that!"

She can rock the piano....she is good at so many things....just not really sports. What can I say, She comes by that honestly! (mama ain't no athlete!)

What A Giveaway!

2009-04-06T13:51:00.001-05:00

Metro Builders Supply is giving away a new washer and dryer on Motherlode! Someone's gonna win.......never hurts to try!

Click the link below to register:

http://nwamotherlode.com/archives/1699

good luck!

still working.....

2009-04-05T19:41:00.002-05:00

So....I am just going to live with the paint color for now....it seems as I get more furniture back in there, it might look ok...I'll live with it for a while, and if it doesn't grow on me...I'll paint it again.

Now I've moved on to the dresser, painting it the same color that I painted the bed. The dresser was white, now it is crumb cookie. Not much difference, but I did a little crackle distressing. I turned out ok. Not great....but ok.

I just did it in random spots...not sure about it.

by the way.....I love lazy Sundays. Not that I got to be too lazy, but everyone is back from out of town....and we snuggled on the couch and watched a movie while hubs made a big pot of chicken noodle soup (yummy)...Brother and I were so glad to have everyone back.

Did you all know that I had a boy? I don't talk about him much, but here he is..... Seriously, can you believe how much Ella looks like a boy here, all decked out in the turkey hunting clothes that her daddy bought her. Crazy girl! She is such a funny mix of tomboy and girly girl! Baseball and hunting........makeup and dresses! You never know with her. hrk

Hmmmm....regarding the paint color.......

2009-04-04T19:04:00.001-05:00

The second coat is complete, my hands have blisters, and the paint color now seems to have ABSOLUTELY no relation to the bedding. None. Like they don't belong together.

So....I think I'll go have a cocktail and a good cry......

hrk

Girls Room Makeover....just a peek....

2009-04-04T00:17:00.002-05:00

I finished painting the room in a little over an hour. It's amazing how fast you can get things done without "little helpers". So....it's definitely not 'brown paper bag'. It turned out much darker than I expected, which is good......I think.

I will take more pictures tomorrow when there is more natural light in there. I still have to touch up....but what a relief to have it done.

Off to bed!

hrk

girls room makeover: in progress.....

2009-04-03T20:08:00.002-05:00

OK.....I found bedding that Evan and I both liked for her bedroom. I found it at Joni's (which I thought had gone out of business but turns out they had just moved...thanks to Rachel for that info).....

So....I found this khaki colored duvet cover with a pink floral print. The back of the duvet is just khaki and cream stripes. The pattern has been discontinued (good: because it was on sale, bad: because I originally wanted it in the quilt but they were all gone and there are no more pillow shams). I ordered a pink and cream (tiny stripe) bedskirt and pillow, and I ordered an extra duvet cover so that I can make pillow shams and whatever else from it. (funny.....i say that like i have a clue how to make a pillow sham.....i do not).

Here is the duvet and pillow:

The girlys have gone out of town with grandparents this weekend, so today I went to get paint so I could get this room DONE! I had in mind going a shade lighter than the khaki color in the material....but it was so 'blah'! Just. beige. Boring. So I ended up going a shade darker, thinking that would add a little more richness than the 'beige'.

Here ya go:

It's hard to tell the true color from the picture. I have to say, I'm a little scared. Lots of brown, and not chocolate, just brown. I am fearing a 'brown paper sack' look. But, what else can I do at this point.....I just have to go for it.

I forgot to take a before picture until I had already cleared the room, so here is the one I got...

I love the green color that the room is right now, but I guess it's time for change.

Stay tuned to see how the color looks! I will post soon.

For now.....I'm Scared!

hrk

who doesn't love a good 'before and after'.....

2009-04-02T17:16:00.003-05:00

Well....I decided enough is enough....all the comments I was getting about Ella's teeth not looking "quite right". What? I mean, I know all mothers think their own children are beautiful, but I pride myself on being able to accept it when my kids have a 'quirk' or a misbehaving or have a feature that isn't so great. But, really, her teeth looked fine to me. Anyway, I decided to take her to the dentist so he could reassure me that her teeth were just fine.

Here she is before the dentist:

Cute, huh? I know, ya'll are all like "what, she is presh! nothing wrong with her teeth!"

But the dentist actually found a few problems and fixed a few things....nothing major. I can hardly tell the difference in the before and after!

Here she is after the dentist:

Same cute smile!

love to tha peeps!

hrk

Spring Break.....How I Heart Thee..........

2009-03-25T12:04:00.007-05:00

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade." ~Charles Dickens

all the things i ♥......

Morning walks......

Hunting for abandoned birds nests.....

lazy afternoons, snuggled up for some tv.....

spending time in separate rooms....then deciding to be friends again.....

the non-stop giggling....

finding this tree at WalMart....I have been looking for it all my life....

what kind of tree is it?, you ask......

pajammas till noon....impromtu concerts.....

♥ to tha peeps....

hrk

Happy Birthday.....

2009-03-24T10:13:00.001-05:00

to my momma....the best Mom and Nanny in the world! We love you!

Lovin' me some patio......

2009-03-22T22:00:00.004-05:00

Soooo.....the patio is finito! Done. And I love it. We have spent sooo much time out there already. It makes me sick that we didn't do this 5 years ago. It's just so nice to be able to spend time outside in a comfortable place. We got the table and chairs at Wal Mart. It's brown wicker with big, thick, red cushions and I love it. It did cost more than I wanted to spend, but I think in the long run, it was better to spend a little more, rather than get something I didn't love.

We had the wicker conversation set already, but it was white. 16 cans of brown spray paint later, it looks pretty good. (ok, maybe 8 cans).

And here is the most popular area....the basketball court! The girls have played every. single. day. since we got this done.

The back doors got a fresh coat of paint.....the were disgusting. This black stuff (mildew or mold or something) was all over them....

And you gotta love the gray area down there from where the dogs have scratched the paint off.... Here they are all painted up pretty.....this literally took me about 30 minutes to do....Why did I live with it looking filthy and gross for so long?

Now, the work turns to the yard! It looks terrible. Besides the ruts left from the concrete truck, there are several other area that need to be sodded. I need a money tree to plant out there! Anybody know where I can get one?

And....it's getting close to t-ball time again...so Ella has been practicing like a mad girl! Hubs is coaching her team this year, which makes the obsession even worse.

She has been begging him to get her a bucket of 24 baseballs that she saw at Academy. He got it for her yesterday, and she hit them all afternoon and evening. She has come a long way from last year with her hitting.

I got a little video: She fell asleep sitting up on the couch tonight. She's a true die-hard t-ball girl! I. love. it!

Evan sat out there and watched her a cheered her on...then came in and wrote a 'Sports Report' about Ella's t-ball/batting status. Then she reported the story, evening news style, for everyone about 25 times. Too cute!

hrk

Wanted: Girls Room Makeover Advice.....

2009-03-19T19:16:00.002-05:00

Here is a desperate plea: Have I mentioned that way back before Christmas, the girls got ahold of a Pottery Barn kids catalog and decided that they "had to have" a daybed and trundle and that they would both move into Evan's room to sleep on the "fabulous" bed. Evan and Brother in the bed, Ella and Dixie on the trundle. So, obviously, the PB beds are way beyond what I want to spend on a bed for this phase they are in, sure to outgrow soon. Well, I have been searching high and low, internet and furnitures stores....and after months of searching, I lucked into a bed at a local store (Odom's) that gets trucks of furniture from damages to overstocks and whatever. Waahoo, right? Well, kinda! Here is the bed:

Not bad for $150.00!

I did have to paint it because it was a little 'scuffed' up. And it doesn't have a trundle, so I am hunting for one now. But, overall, it's a great bed and the girls love it.

The problem is: bedding! Ugh! I have searched and searched and I can find nothing. Everything looks cheap, is way to bright, or is way to expensive. We are planning to redo it all. Paint, bedding, rug, new bookshelf or desk, etc. Where, oh, where can I find cute bedding? I have looked at all the obvious places...Pottery Barn, Company Kids, Restoration Hardware Kids, Posh Tots, Target, blah, blah, blah.....

Nothing.

Right now we have the Simply Shabby Chic from Target (that is what is on the bed in the picture). She is tired of that. Evan wants pink and brown, but I'm not crazy about the idea. I would love to find a khaki or mocha color to put with pink, but not chocolate brown. She is pretty open to looking at everything....even some brighter prints (but not neon-ish bright). It's making us (me and the girls) crazy because we got all excited about finding the bed and now can't find anything to put on it.

SOOOOO, I beg of you....my peeps.....my girls.....my go-to-for-anything in blogland friends....tell me where, besides the obvious places, can I look for cute stuff?

Have you seen great stuff somewhere? Help me, please! Desperation is setting in!

If this post goes commentless......so help me, girls, I will shut this baby down! Down, I tell you!

I am counting on you!

DOWN!

When you type the word 'down' alot, it looks weird!

hrk

Guess who's lucky.....

2009-03-19T18:49:00.004-05:00

Why, the girl who was born on St. Patty's Day, of course!

Today, at school, they awarded the prizes for the chocolate bar sales. For every $50.00 in sales, your name went into a drawing. We sold $200.00 so Evan and Ella each got their name in twice. One of the prizes was a chance to smash a pie in the principal's face! How Much Fun! And Evan got drawn!!! She got to go up and smash a pie in Ms. Penix's face. I missed it by about 5 minutes. SO SAD I didn't get to see her do it, but I'm so happy that she got drawn. Ya know, when your a kid, stuff like that just ROCKS! What a great week for her.

Thanks to everyone who bought candy bars!

hrk

Evan's day.....

2009-03-17T22:54:00.006-05:00

Well.....I think Ev had a great birthday! She isn't having a birthday party this year, which kind of stinks. A few months ago, we found a really fun summer camp for her to go to (for 1 week). The camp is somewhat expensive, so I told her she would have to give up some things in order for us to be able to afford it, and one of those things was a big birthday party. It was her decision....to choose between going to camp or having a big party...she chose camp. I know she will be glad. Tonight, we had my mom, stepmom, sister-in-law (karen) and my nephews over for pizza and cake. Evan had a really good time playing with her cousins. This weekend we are having Brad's family over for a cookout.....so Evan said today that it's like she's having two parties and she was all excited, which made me feel better about her not having a big party with her friends.

Ready for school...seriously, she looks older, doesn't she?

Posing with the gift that we got her......

I picked her and one of her BF's up and took them to lunch.... new Vera Bradley purse......lucky girl!

Stinks when birthdays come to an end, huh?

She's such a sweet girl. I am so proud of her. And I just want to say that she is the Best big sister to Ella. When I think back on things that have happened since I've become a mother....the proudest, most beautiful memory I have is of Evan meeting Ella for the first time. She came right over, got up in the bed with me, and just started kissing her....then she would just stare at her and touch her face...and kiss her some more. It was...by all means...a beautiful moment. And from that day on, she has exceded any expectations I had of what kind of example she would be for her baby sister. When I work at night, I don't usually get home until 7:25am. On those mornings, Evan sets her alarm, gets up, then gets Ella up. (while hubs is still in bed or in the shower) Then she makes breakfast for both of them....whatever Ella wants....cereal, oatmeal, milk, orange juice....whatever. We have never asked her to do this, she just does it on her own. During the summer, while I sleep a few hours in the morning after I've worked....Evan totally entertains and cares for Ella the whole time....plays games with her....watches movies with her....reads to her.....colors with her.....just whatever it takes to keep her happy so that I can sleep for a few hours.

It melts me to hear how gentle and nurturing she can be.

Anyway, I'm rambling, but I don't say enough how lucky I am to have a daughter like her.

hrk

Evan.....

2009-03-17T17:05:00.007-05:00

1 day old and already hiding from the paparazzi!

age 1.....

turning 4....

age 6.....

Happy Birthday, My Sweet Evan.......

2009-03-17T07:03:00.006-05:00

On this day, nine years ago, I was given a gift. A gift that changed everything. A gift that made me see things differently. An amazing gift. A beautiful gift. It was her.

the day before 9....

2009-03-16T22:45:00.003-05:00

Yup, she's gonna be nine tomorrow! My sweet, sweet Evan. It's so hard to believe. And she is embarking on a new career....in soccer. Maybe this will be 'her sport'! She's so excited about it. Tonight was the first practice, she was a little intimidated. Alot of those girls have been playing for 5 years, so they are pretty good. I think she kind-of expected everyone to be on her level. She had fun, though....and even practiced her cartwheels and handstands during practice (not kidding)! Bet those coaches were loving that! I feel so bad for her because we just didn't offer her the same opportunities that we have Ella. (live and learn, ya know....poor first born children) Evan didn't really ask to play soccer or t-ball when she was 4 or 5, so we just didn't do it. Looking back, we should have put her in it and let her decide if she liked it. Starting at age 8 or 9 is a bit of a disadvantage, when all these others have years of experience by now. So....Bad mom! I know. But I am determined that she will find her 'niche'. I will sign her up for anything she wants to do...I owe her that. She is very good at playing piano, but that doesn't satisfy her need to be a part of a team, and to compete. Watching Ella play soccer and t-ball last year seems to have awakened the team player/competitor in her.

Anyway....enough rambling.....tomorrow is a big day!

Ode to Ra-Ool....

2009-03-11T11:16:00.004-05:00

Well, the patio work is done, and I must say...Ra-Ool pulled it off. We were like little kids, watching the concrete truck pour the new patio. It was very interesting and with all the chatter coming from Ra-Ool and his peeps, it kinda felt like we were in Mexico. But that's beside the point!

And here is the view from the door off the laundry room. We had dye put in the concrete so it dries to a color called sandstone. I really considered staining it, and after researching, it would be pretty easy to do it ourselves....but it costs the same to just dye it and not have to do any work. The fear of screwing up this patio that we have spent so much on kept me from going with the stain.....paying someone to do it wasn't an option, because they charge a fortune. We are pretty happy with the color, it's much better than the whitish gray that concrete normally is.

Ra-Ool left me these sweet, huge ruts in my yard, (courtesy of the concrete truck-which also broke the Nuns {next door neighbors} driveway after they so graciously agreed to let the truck back up their driveway to get to our backyard) Yes-broke their driveway..you heard me right.

If any of you know Sister Judith Marie, you know how distressing this is. She is one hard-core, serious business type of lady. (Scares me!)

We still have a TON of work to do, but I have to say that already, we have enjoyed this patio more in this past week than we have the entire 5 years we've lived here. We put the basketball goal on the edge of the uncovered part and the girls have spent hours out there playing HORSE and shooting baskets. (maybe this will help with the b-ball season next year, since this year was a little rough....just sayin') We also got the tetherball up and ready, so we are making progress as far as entertainment for the girls and their peeps. The very daunting task that I am facing now is finding affordable patio furniture. My lands....that stuff is EXPENSIVE! Seriously? It sits outside! How much can your really pay for furniture that sits outside? And you can imagine how durable it's going to have to be.....with psycho dog unattended outside at times....it could be ugly. So, no expensive cushions for us!

I will post more pictures of the finished patio soon.

And, by the way, Ra-Ool did fill the ruts in with dirt and clean up all his messes. All said and done, I love me some Ra-Ool!

hrk

Brother: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly......

2009-03-04T17:06:00.004-06:00

I have a love/hate relationship with my sweet/terrible doggy Brother! He's great and all, he minds well, he takes turns every night sleeping with Evan on odd days, Ella on even days. He tolerates the nemesis, otherwise known as Dixie (the malti-poo). I could go on about his good qualities....but.......he also has a dark side. You see, if Brother was a human, he would be on NUMEROUS medications for anxiety and depression. Example, once Brad went out of town for a week....Brother broke out in hives and vomited the whole time! And, everytime it rains....and I mean even a fine mist, Brother starts pacing the floors and acting a fool. Now if we have a full on storm......well....(and I'm not kidding about this)....Brother has to be sedated! And if we happen to be out of his sedatives, and a storm comes at night, well, let me tell ya.......ain't nobody in this house sleeping because Brother has a complete PANIC ATTACK! Now....being a dog and all....he hasn't mastered the ability to tell the difference between a storm...and say...fireworks. Or the difference between a storm...and say...a jackhammer. Yeah! Ya see where this is going now...don't ya!

So, the other day....when sweet Ra-Ool came back with his jackhammer and I left to go check myself into a mental ward.....well, Bro flipped out!

Do you want to know what he did? Well, I'll tell ya what he did!

Hanging on the back of a chair in the dining room was a pair of jeans that I ordered Evan from Gap. Cute little faded jeans thinking they would be cute with flip flops and a tee for spring....opened the package, looked 'em over, hung them on the back of the chair.....left for mental ward....Brother got them off the back of the chair........and chewed a hole in them! A perfect square hole! What tha?

Oh...can I just tell you how mad I was? This little incident came the day after I came home to find an old leather cowboy hat (that was Brad's when he was little) shredded into a million pieces! And I won't even get into what my couch pillows look like right now....or how many blankets and sheets in this house have holes chewed in them......Seriously?

Check out the jeans:

Soooooo.....I have not been speaking to Brother since this 'incident'........but funny how things happen......today I got an email from the lady I ordered the 'Brother portait' from and she has attached a picture of the finished painting. I HEART IT!......and now I heart Brother again!

Here's the masterpiece......

Now, seriously.....it that not amazing! I love it so much! And Meatball, Angie's dog that she had painted, well..his portrait is stunning, as well. Meatball is quite the poser!

And I know that you all are dying to get something painted....and you will have your chance! Angie and I are having a party on April 17th, here at my house.....so start picking out the picture you will have painted! The prices are right!

So....I have forgiven Brother......for now! But he will strike again, no doubt!

And here's a look at the patio progress:

Pretty, huh!

Love to tha peeps!

hrk

Guess What....

2009-03-02T11:36:00.003-06:00

(cleansing breaths)

Ra-Ool is back with the jack hammer! Isn't that special?

i'm off to check myself in to a mental ward somewhere far away from this house!

hrk

What Up, Homeys?

2009-03-01T19:53:00.007-06:00

Long time, no post! I have wanted to post several little things but my bleeping card reader is not working on my laptop and it is so aggrivating. Anybody know how to fix that?

So here is a random post.......

First....Anybody like choc-O-late? Because these two sweet girls........................................................

You know 'em? They are trying to earn a little money for their school AND maybe win a digital camera or a chance to throw a pie in their principal's face. "OOOOOHHH," you say......."of course I want to help out these two cuties, but How?" ............WELLLLLLLLLLL...........

How about a little Worlds Finest Chocolate! (screams, applaud, roars from the crowd)

Oh, Don't turn away! You know you want some. It's WORLD'S FINEST, for goodness sake! I've been eating this stuff since I was in a baby bed and it IS the finest! We got your milk chocolate, your caramel, your chocolate with almonds, your dark chocolate with almonds, your crisp! SOOOO, just give us a comment or a call if you are interested, and I know you are....because............Good Morning America says that, by now, most of us have fallen off of the big New Years Resolution diet we started on Jan 1. So...come on....have a candy bar!

Moving on.....

Saturday morning, I woke up to SOMEONE'S Tv blairing and I tried to ignore it and sleep in because I had to work Saturday night and I always try to sleep in super late....ya know....like, till 8:00. But, I couldn't sleep over the TV noise, so I got up and walked into a certain 6 year old's room to do a little griping.....

and this is what I saw........

So, that just melted me because I love these little sisters and you know all that stuff I've said before about needing therapy because I don't have a sister, blah, blah, blah.........So I was over that immediately! Isn't that the sweetest? Them all snuggled up in bed together on a Saturday morning, watching a little SpongeBob? I l.o.v.e. It!

And lastly........I have a little video for you, but let me set the scene, first! I worked last night, we had a very critical baby, so it was a very busy and tense night. I come home this morning...get to bed around 8:30am....dream about work, and wake up at 11:20. Lay in bed for 30 minutes or so until family discovers I'm awake and all come in my room to talk to me at once about 20 different things. I get up....eat a bunch of crap (because that is what I do when I don't get enough sleep)...(ok...that's what I do even when I do get enough sleep) sit and stare at the Matilda Jane website because I am going to order stuff this afternoon and I LOVE that stuff and would probably sell my kidneys to buy it (see....i'm obsessed).

Then, Ra-OOL (Raul?) arrives, the nice hispaniol fella who is going to bust up our hideously ugly patio and replace it with some pretty new stained concrete. This is all exciting, right? So, Ra-OOL goes to work! With a Jack Hammer. And after about 3o minutes, the jack hammer is making my brain vibrate against my skull in a very negative way. So, I have to have a cocktail at 3 o'clock on a Sunday afternoon (and this does not make me feel good about myself) because there is a jack hammer in my head now and the Motrin isn't working. So........fast forward to NOW (yes, it's 8:30pm)....'Ra-OOL' just left because hubs told him we needed to get the kids to bed (and you KNOW the neighbors are HATING us). So, for very many hours now.....I have been listening to a jack hammer....and it's right at the back door....which is right in the living room....and I have had 3 hours of sleep....and it's not exciting anymore. AT. ALL.

This was taken through the window in the back door. The door is closed. Is it just me, or is that enough to make you slit your wrists? (just sayin')

And......don't ya love that patio.....all that 'lovely' terracotta tile? UGH! I'll be glad to see it go, but I'm gonna need some sleep to get through this.

Nighty-night!

hrk

And the Oscar Goes To..........

2009-02-24T16:46:00.002-06:00

Ok....maybe it's not an Oscar.....but it's close enough for me! I got this award from Jennifer and I am so thrilled! My very first blog award. I've waited a lot of months for this.....ya know....I keep seeing all these blogs where people are getting awards and I'm all...."Hello...people....I so need one of those and we all know I am worthy!" Well.....now I've got one! And I get to give it to people. I am giving to...........My Blogger Besties! (you are supposed to give it to 10 people...but I'm a rebel)..........

1. Angie....because she totally gets my humor and dishes out her own on her blog

2. Jenna......because she trusted me with her blog password (and don't ask me for it 'cause I will NEVER tell)

3. Rachel.....because she is completely HILLARIOUS!

4. Lesli.....because she has the most fabulous, well-stocked liquor cabinet you have EVER SEEN (and I am not even kidding!)

Now for the fine print.....

The rules of this award are: 1. Put the logo on your blog or post. 2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude! 3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post. 4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog. 5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

This is my first post in a week.........I had to take some time off to recover from the freezing cold ski trip (where I was left for dead on a freezing mountain...but I'm over that).

So, I am back at it!

love to tha peeps!

hrk

There's No Place Like Home....

2009-02-17T10:30:00.006-06:00

Ahhh.....Home Sweet Home! We got home last night at about 6:15pm. Took us exactly 10 hours to get home! I read a whole book again, The Secret Between Us. Good book! Poor hubs drove the whole way....I am not good about that...ya know...driving. I like to relax and read and sleep and watch movies and never drive. Thanks, babe, for driving the entire 20 hours.

Soooo....I have to post a video of Evan skiing a black (that is the hardest of all ski runs). She is such a great little skier! I was seriously so impressed with her. You would never think this was only her second ski trip. And she was sooo sweet and good and patient with Ella and me when we went way too slow for her and could only go on the easy stuff (not that I would call it easy---because it was NOT!) but Ev thought it was, and she cheered us on and was a doll!

This video is short, obviously hubs took it because my butt never even looked at a black, let alone attempted one. (i am not even gonna get into the story about hubs leaving me for dead on the mountain when i fell and my ski came off and he just kept on going while i ALMOST DIED up there in the freezing cold, stuck, and i ended up basically sliding down half the mountain on my butt....nope...not gonna get into that because i am over it...can't you tell).

So here is the video (it doesn't showcase her talent, believe me, the girl is a pro!)...(i'm not proud, huh?)

view from the patio of our house.....it was really pretty

Talk about a proud Daddy!

Sweet sisters.....warming up at lunchtime in the Lodge.

So...now I'm off to plan our next vacay to somewhere warm and toasty where I will have no fear of being left for dead on a snowy mountain...but, like I said, I'm over that!

hrk

Ski Trip Update.....

2009-02-15T11:07:00.002-06:00

Hmmm...did I say that skiing was fun?

I changed my mind!

hrk

We Came. We Skied. We Are So TIRED!

2009-02-13T19:13:00.002-06:00

OMG! I did it. I skied and I have to admit, it's fun. I was pressured into going on way more advanced runs than I ever should have tried, and I fell a lot....and it is exhausting to fall..get up..fall..get up..fall some more! I have never been more tired!

Ella finished ski school....not before begging me to let her quit before lunch...saying her head hurt, she hates skiing, she keeps falling.....she tried everything. But for the first time ever I did not cave in to her whining...I just walked away from her class and left her crying. Then I fretted and worried over it for hours....and when we picked her up, her teacher said she did the best in the afternoon and that she was ready for the bunny slope! She went up several times...came down like a champ...and loved it!

Evan (this is her second time to ski) took off and was unstoppable! Seriously...I was soo proud of her. Not only did she tolerate Ella's mood this morning and keep a positive attitude...she skied like a pro. She is sooo Brave! TOO Brave!

Anyway, all is well and we are ready to do it again tomorrow!

Evan...the champ!

My first of VERY MANY falls!

At the top of a BEAUTIFUL mountain after I dove off of the ski lift and made a complete fool of myself.....It wasn't pretty!

Ella's first time down the mountain!

And back at our house, the kids got some relaxing hot tub time! hrk

We made it!

2009-02-12T23:19:00.002-06:00

We are here in Santa Fe and all is well. We went to rent ski equipment after we got here, and I caved in to the pressure from hubs and the couple we came with and rented skis. We shall see how that goes! I am refusing to go to ski school, so I'm sure I will never figure out how to do it...but at least I can say I tried. It all looks a little scary to me. And cold, which I hate!

Anyway, no pictures to post yet. We are all so sleepy and have to get up early to get the kids to ski school....so I'm off to sleepy town.

Keep me in your prayers. It could get ugly tomorrow....with me trying to ski and all!

hrk

Half Way There....

2009-02-12T08:54:00.002-06:00

So, we headed out yesterday afternoon for the snowy mountains of Santa Fe. We got to Amarillo, TX at about 10pm and stopped at a hotel. Actually, we stopped at 4 hotels before we found one that had a room available. It is such an easy drive from our town to Santa Fe. You literally get on the interstate and never turn or change until you reach Santa Fe. I read an entire book on the drive here. The Reader. The book was sooo good and now I can't wait to go see the movie! The girls are such good travelers. This trip is 10 hours total, so it is cake compared to our last ski trip to Colorado that took 13 hours, or the trip to Destin that t00k a little over 12. DVD players and Nintendo DS's have changed the world of traveling by car for kids. My brother and I used to fight like crazy when we were stuck in the car together on long trips. We would draw an imaginary line down the middle of the seat that the other couldn't cross, then we would cross to make each other mad. Ha! Those were the days.

Anyway, we will head out of here soon for Santa Fe. I can't wait to see it. I am not skiing (not for me) but I have heard that Santa Fe is a beautiful place to visit, so I'm looking forward to that.

No pictures to post now, but I will post tonight...hopefully!

love to tha peeps

hrk

Want to see something AMAZING.......

2009-02-09T20:54:00.002-06:00

You have maybe read by now about the party at Lesli's house on Saturday night. You bring a photo that you want to have painted, and this gal sends it off somewhere, someone paints it, and you get a fabulous oil painting of a treasured photo at a GREAT PRICE.

The problem is....they paint the photo exactly as it is, there is no modifying it.

Hubs and I decided we wanted a portrait of our beloved Boston Terrier, Brother. But, you see, Brother is very weird (VERY weird), and everytime I would put him somewhere and try to pose him...he would hunker down and lay his ears back (can you say FA-REAK!). Not so cute for a portrait. On the other hand, if I brought him into the kitchen with a bunch of ugly stuff in the background, he would sit up....ears perched...like the beauty that he is (just sayin').

UGH! What is a desparate girl to do?

Why....call upon a fabulous photographer to work some magic with Photoshop, that's what!

Here is the picture I took: (note the lovely pink basketball between his ears....wouldn't that look fab in an oil painting?)

And after MikaBeth works her magic:

Could you not just die!!!???!!! That chair is in HER house. Brother has never even seen it...let alone sat up in it like a handsome stud!

I love it soooo much. This is going to be the prize possession that my girls will fight over after hubs and I die. When hubs saw what MikaBeth did with this picture....he was seriously beaming. Now anyone who knows him knows how he loves this dog (and everyone else's dog for that matter) so this is such a great treat for us. (non dog lovers...bear with us).

I will be sure to post a picture of the painting when it arrives. And Angie and I are going to have a party in April, so start picking out your pictures that you want to have painted.

She had a ton of examples at Lesli's party and they were amazing....and I'm telling you...the price is right! hrk

Ella's Perfect Day.....(part 2).....

2009-02-06T21:06:00.003-06:00

Ahhhhhhh......home.

The party was a success. All Ella's friends came.......so much fun.

Here is the delicious and soooo cute cake!

And below, the shirt I had made for her at Snug as a Gypsy (or whatever they are now). Told you I went over the top with the Spongebob.

Love this picture! And this one. This is all of her BFF's from school. They are such a precious bunch of kids.

She had the best time and got the most fun gifts. Lots of Spongebob stuff and lots of puppy dog stuff. Her peeps know her well!

Evan got her a tetherball set. How much fun! We are going to try to get that all set up tomorrow. How much would you have loved a tetherball in your backyard when you were a kid? I would have.

The perfect day.

hrk

Ella's Perfect Day....(part 1).......

2009-02-06T14:23:00.003-06:00

Ella's day started with waking up to a house full of birthday decorations (ok..just a banner and balloons) and this gift! WOOT WOO! A Nintendo DS of her very own....and blue I might add, her favorite color.

Then lunch with mom and dad and her BFF...Hungry...(he's one of daddy's coworkers, nickname is hungry).....at Art's Barbecue (her fave).

Then back to school....and mom got busy making goody bags for the PAR-TAY!

Check out these yummy goodies:

OH-YEAH!! That is a Spongebob iced sugar cookie from Paul's Bakery. There is nothing better!

On the otherside, I put stickers that I made with....Spongebob...of course.

Let me warn ya...I am THAT mom. The one who let's her kid pick a theme and the goes over the top. The mom I SWORE that I would NEVER BE! Wait till you see the cake and the shirt I had made for her. You'll just puke!

Be back after the party!

hrk

Awwwww.....Had to add the pictures.............

2009-02-06T09:12:00.003-06:00

Ella in the belly.... Ella out of the belly....

Ella at 12 weeks.....

Ella at 1!

Ella's one year pictures!

I know, I know, how many posts can there be about Ella's birthday?

Well.....we haven't even got to her party yet....so probably at least one more!

hrk

Happy Birthday, Sweet Ella Bella.........

2009-02-06T06:16:00.004-06:00

Ella Katherine... she is my kindred spirit. she wants to live with me forever. she can make me smile at a glance. she never stops talking. she loves animals more than anything else. she would spend every waking moment outside. she is tender. she is loyal. she has the BIGGEST heart. she is my soul mate. Happy Birthday, Sweet Baby Girl!

the day before 6.......

2009-02-05T17:29:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow, this sweet baby girl will be 6 years old. Hard to believe!

Drum Roll Please.......

2009-02-04T20:25:00.004-06:00

Let me start off by saying that I am pleased with the turn out for this giveaway. 17 comments. That's better than the 9 I got last time! That said, I entered a contest today on some blog and I was comment number 241. But, whatever, I'm feeling good about my 17 entries. So good, in fact, that I decided to have 3 winners. HERE THEY ARE: Grand Prize Winner: (according to random.org which picked #8) the Sharums. Yay for you. If you will email me your address at heatherkohler@cox.net, I will put this in the mail to you.

The next winner of this canvas: (accoring to random thingy which picked #2)

is ANGIE!!!! @ Miss Dylan!! HOORAY! I could not be more excited about Angie winning because she was as excited about my giveaway as I was. She texted me this morning to tell me she was on pins and needles till 8pm. Love me some bloggy enthusiasm!

And the 3rd winner of a little chalk board on a ribbon thing is:

(according to random doodad which picked #11)

is Lesli at the Alder Boys!

(Sorry, Les, it's kindof a wimpy prize but better that nothing, right?)

That was so fun!

hrk

It's Giveaway Time!!!!!

2009-02-01T18:47:00.003-06:00

Go Shorty...it's my birthday!

I know, I know, you've been waiting all day for my giveaway post. (kidding, only 9 people entered my last giveaway....I know I'm not that popular!).

Anyhow....this giveaway stuff is FU-UN!

A Home Sweet Home sign, Some Vera Bradley stationary, and one of my home-made chalk boards on a ribbon. Check out the goods:

All you have to do is leave a comment. That's it.......no jumping through hoops and turning circles....just a comment!

The contest will end on Wednesday night at 8pm and I will post the winner then!

And......you don't have to have a blog to play. Just be sure to leave an email address so I can contact you if you win.

By the way....look what my sweet girlys got me for my birthday.

Nanny took them shopping at Wal Mart and this is what they picked. I love these gifts more than words can say.

And I have tortured those girls all day long........every single time they start to gripe at each other or argue about something........I scream "I WILL NOT LISTEN TO THIS ON MY BIRTHDAY!" or "THIS IS NOT MAKING MY DAY FEEL SPECIAL"

and what can they do?.........they stop fighting. For only one day...but it's great.

love to tha peeps

hrk

ps....thank you for all the sweet birthday wishes! they made my day before 33!

the day before 33.....

2009-01-31T09:09:00.005-06:00

Well, here is a self portrait of me, the day before my 33rd birthday.

I don't like to have my picture made, and don't like to post pictures of myself on this blog, but for my birthday.....I might as well.

I am not sad, or feeling old, or anything. I love all birthdays, mine and everyone elses.

I still think I'm young. No sad birthday woes from me. Worst part was taking this picture, and I took about 20 before I got one I was willing to post.

Sooooo.....

no major plans, but having your birthday on Super Bowl Sunday (this happens to me 'bout every 7 years) is fun because it's already a day of parties and celebrations..........and I just pretend like they are all about me. "oh, look, Hooters has a special on wings for my birthday!", (just sayin).

AnYwAy.....

I am thinking I should have a giveaway for my birthday.....cause I'm just generous like that.

Today, I am going shopping and I am going to try to find something fab to give away. Check back tomorrow to see the big prize and LET'S GET READY TO PAR-TAY!

Love to tha peeps.

hrk

Snow Words.....

2009-01-28T17:06:00.004-06:00

Well, when I woke up this morning (at 9:30-love a snow day) and saw the thin blanket of snow, I was thinking of some cute pictures I could take. Then we lazed around all day until almost all the snow was melted. I managed to get a few pictures, but nothing like I had in mind. I wanted to have the girls draw hearts in the snow to use as Valentine cards, but the only snow left when we got out there was on this bench. So......not what I had in mind.

We are going to frame this picture below and give it to Papa for his birthday. I tried really hard to get a picture of Ella jumping today to use for her birthday party invitation. God love her, she feels pretty bad today (i'm pretty sure she has pneumonia along with the strep throat) and she just wasn't all that in to it. This one below was the best one we got. Not sure what I'm going to do. This may not be the year to do an invitation with a picture.

Hope everyone enjoyed snow day #2 ! We sure did, although, I think Brad is pretty sick of all of us. I'm sure tomorrow will be back to reality and packin' those stinkin' lunches!

hrk

I heart Snow Days!

2009-01-27T22:11:00.004-06:00

Sleeping in, staying in pj's, lounging all day on the couch......what's not to love?

Ella has strep throat....(poor baby)....so she was extra snuggly today. Evan is always snuggly, so we had a great day. I am anxiously awaiting them to cancel school for tomorrow so we can have another one of these days......surely they will. (please, mr. superintendent!)

I am praying the power stays on.....if it goes out, the snow day won't be so much fun. Lots of Monopoly and Yatzee, I guess.

I'm worried about all the outside animals. How miserable this must be?! We put a heating pad out for our outside kitty (she refuses to go in the garage tonight) and she got right on it and got all cozy.

Stay warm!

hrk

I love this picture. (i know, i say that all the time)

My little honeys last year when we actually got snow, not just rain and ice.

Silly Ella......

2009-01-25T14:23:00.004-06:00

Here are some silly conversations with Ella that I never want to forget...... Ella fell last week and hit her tailbone pretty hard. Brad was all "I'm sorry babe, when you hit your tailbone it really hurts." A little while later, Ella says, "Dad, my 'butt knuckle' still hurts." Seriously? Butt knuckle? That is almost a brilliant description of the tailbone, isn't it?!?! I picked Ella up from school one day and this is what she said: Ella: "Mom, I taller than Hayden!" Me: "Really. Wow." Ella: "Yeah, but not very much. I'm just one 'cemipede' taller." Made my day! This conversation was today: Ella: "Did you know that Barack Obama is the first African American president?" Brad: "Yes, I did. Do you know what African American means?" Ella: "No." Brad: "It means he is black." Ella: "OOOOOOh. So all the rest of them were just skin color?" Huh? Five year olds are so funny! hrk

QUICK....grab your purse, grab your keys......

2009-01-22T11:47:00.006-06:00

And get your boo-tay down to TJ Maxx. It's Customer Appreciation Day and you get 15% off your entire purchase! WOOOOOHOOOOO! I love me some TJ, and the prices are great all the time. Add 15% off and....oh....this is just too much (hand to forehead, faintish). I scored some great things that I won't bore you with, BUT there is one thing I have to show:

BEHOLD....the biggest prize of all........

these Cole Haan sunglasses. WaaahhHoooo!

Huh?

What was that? Oh,you're thinking I paid a pretty penny for these.

Not so! They were on clearance for $20.00. TWENTY DOLLARS! I'm pretty

sure I heard a church chior singing "Hallelujah" some

where in the background when I picked these up!

Well, what are you waiting for?....Get down there before all the good stuff is gone!

hrk

A Little Lesson......

2009-01-21T08:43:00.007-06:00

Ever wonder what will happen if you suck up not-quite-cooled fireplace ashes with your handy little vaccuum? Weeeelllllllll, I'll tell you what will happen..............sparks will fly out of it and this will happen to its insides:

Poor Baby! I love this little guy!

Never fear, I put him out on the patio to cool off for a few days, brought him back in and he's purring like a kitten. It's gonna take more than some hot ashes to put my little buddy down!

I am a little worried about how long he will make it with a hole in his guts, but we'll see!

hrk

Guess who the girlys met?!?!

2009-01-20T22:17:00.004-06:00

Junie B. Jones!

YAY! Fun!

And her friends: (l to r): May, Lucille, Mr. Scarry, Herbert, and Sheldon

For those of you who have preschool or younger kids (or none), Junie B. Jones is a book character in a series of books that kids usually get into around kindergarten and 1st grade. She is precious and sassy (and always getting into trouble) and my girls have loved all her books. So tonight we went to the Alma Performing Arts Center to see the play, 'Junie B. Jones'.

It was the CUTEST ever! By far, it was the most fun play/show that I have ever taken them to and they both loved it. After the show, they had a little meet and greet in the lobby, so the girls got her autograph and a picture. I would highly recommend seeing this one!

Love a fun night with the honeys!

hrk

Stolen Idea.....

2009-01-19T14:39:00.006-06:00

I saw this idea on another blog (can't find it again to give credit) and knew I had to steal it. I found these at Michael's. The round one was 29 cents (swear) and the square one was 99 cents.

**edited to add** the blog I found this on was Joys of Home! (thanks to an anonymous commenter)

A can of chalkboard spray paint and some old ribbon and you have......

Wall-AH!

Since my cabinets usually look like this.... all sticky-noted up....I thought this would be a little cuter. The one on the blog I saw was hanging on a back door with a "take out the trash" reminder.

No more sticky-noted cabinets for me!

hrk

Mission Organization-Project 1: Done(ish)

2009-01-18T12:41:00.004-06:00

Ok....stop holding your breath....I am finally done with the first of my Mission Organization projects. Sooooo...you remember this eye candy below:

Well, feast your eyes on this:

wait for it....

wait.....

keep waiting.....

TA-DA!!!!

I am not lying girls, I did this all by myself. I know, I know.....your thinking I must have had some profesionals over here building and organizing and such, but, no-sir-E-bob....it was all me.

For the shelves in the picture below, I just bought one those pre-done shelf kits at Lowes and had the nice worker man cut it down to the right size for me. Wellllll, he must have been intimidated by my extreme hotness (just sayin'), and he cut it tooooo short. So he just went over and got another one.........and he cut it too short, too! Not kidding! So, in his complete embarassment, he was all, "if you think you can make 'em work, just take 'em both and go on without paying for the second one" Well, no kidding, I wasn't gonna pay for the second one. This definitely worked out in my favor, because I got 2 shelves for the price of one (about $17.00) and they were just BARELY to short, so they still worked great!

I used my old organizer that used to be in that dreadful computer cabinet. It was cream, so I just spray painted it brown. In the basket, I put all of our stationary! That second shelf still needs a little something, but I haven't found the right thing yet. I want a little gold "K". Or a little picture frame And underneath, our printer and filing box. The little chests are being used to store tax reciepts (the small chest) and books (the big chest). The basket on top of the file box is a new trick I just read about in a magazine. You just throw anything you get that needs to be filed into the basket, then when the basket is full, you file! It eliminates filing all the time and keeps everything that needs to be filed in one spot! Love it! I bought a $3.00 clearance 8x10 picture frame at TJ Maxx and just stuck the cork from an old bulliten board in it. Perfect! For the desk top, I just bought a small piece of wood at Lowes and had them cut it to the right measurements. So don't worry if your hubs doesn't own any power tools and wouldn't know how to use them if he did, because those sweet fellas at Lowes will cut your boards for F.R.E.E! Then I put a little stain on it and put it on some cheap metal brackets. The most expensive part of the project was the glass that I had cut to put on top of the desk. It cost $21.00, but totally worth it. I just called them with my measurements and they had it ready in an hour. I stuck some picutres and things under it. Love it! Oh.....now, I know you are all like, what about that FAB skirt? That must have been custom made by Martha Stewart or something! Ha! I made it! Woo Hoo. It is some cheap fake silk fabric and it was my first time to sew with elastic (and I did have a few mini disasters).....so much fun. I can't wait to make something else with elastic. I could so make myself a skirt, you know, all comfy and dowdy with an elastic waist. (Nah.) Anyway, it by no means was hard or requires any sort of skill, because I don't have any. Easy Peasy!

So there it is, peeps! I'll be starting project 2 soon.

Word to tha mothas! Get inspired!

hrk

ps....I also still have to find a small chair to put there. I have a little piano bench, but hubs insists that if he is going to use this desk to work at, it must have a chair with a back. So, then it will be done, not done(ish).

I'm In Love.......

2009-01-16T16:20:00.004-06:00

with this necklace! Isn't it beautiful! This website has the neatest personalized jewelry and I love me some personalized stuff!

I also love this. I have something similar but it's fun to change things up!

And these! I am a plain jane jewelry gal so these are right up my alley.

I have too much time on my hands, sitting here staring at crap I want on the computer.

Not good!

hrk

a few silly pictures.......

2009-01-14T17:52:00.003-06:00

Before I head off to the NICU to light and heat the earth for the 3rd night in a row, I wanted to share a few silly pictures I've taken this week.

Since hubs does most of the cooking around here, I try to do my part by making it as comfortable for him as possible.

Soooo...when I came across these onion goggles, they were a must have. He's always complaining about tearing while chopping some onions. Well, we cured that little problem.

Tonight, he tried them out while making fajitas! (yum)

How cute does he look? Seriously!

And they worked GREAT!

On another note, we are going skiing next month and I've been trying to find ski clothes for all of us (preferrably very cheap ski clothes)! Well....SCORE! I found a whole set (ski bibs and ski coat) for Ella at TJ Maxx (love ya TJ) on clearance for $20.00. Whooty hoo!

So I came right home and made her put it on. Besides the fact that it added 20 pounds to her and she looked like Ralphy from A Christmas Story, it was PER-FECT-O!

Since I do not allow my girls to use the word FAT in any context, Evan kept staring at her and finally said, "She looks C-H-U-B-B-Y." Had to let it slide because she did! But sooo presh!

hrk

Dear Cleaning Lady........

2009-01-12T14:48:00.004-06:00

This is tough. This hurts me far more than it hurts you, I promise. Cleaning Lady, I have to quit you. I know, I know....we have been so good together! And I will never forget the aroma that you leave behind when you go, but it's for the best. The economy is just too unstable for us to be friends right now. It is time for me to make some changes, Cleaning Lady, and you are one of them. But Cleaning Lady, you are not alone. I am also ending a long time affair with Starbucks. This one is just as painful, and hurts just as much. Cleaning Lady, I hope you will forgive me. And I hope that my sweet home can adjust to my ways of cleaning without too much pain. Maybe when the economy stabilizes, sweet Cleaning Lady, we can be friends again. Until then, may all your dust bunnies disappear. All my sorrow, hrk

Another Food Blog I Love......

2009-01-10T21:16:00.005-06:00

ok.....here is another great blog I stalk. It, of course, is all about FOOD! Check it out! (and this gal seriously must be a professional food photographer because the pictures are amazing)! http://www.picky-palate.com/ There is a recipe on here for White Chocolate Butterfinger Blondies! I made them for Ev's piano recital and the were FAB-IO! Enjoy getting hungry! hrk

Leslie's Challenge.....

2009-01-10T20:06:00.004-06:00

Leslie is playing a fun little picture game. Open your 5th picture of your April folder and post it. Here's mine!

Ugh. Our kitchen....pre-remodel and right after we discovered the disasterous leak! And look....right there, on the counter...Ella's mailorder bug larve. Lovely.

Seriously........

2009-01-10T11:27:00.002-06:00

Have you seen that commercial about all the animals that are abused and abandoned? O.M.G. I am crying....seriously...CRYING TEARS. All the little doggies and kitties look like they are crying in the commercial. How do they do that? You got $18.00 a month, you can make one of them stop crying! I'm depressed!

Another Project (and a sneak peek).......

2009-01-09T08:57:00.011-06:00

OK....Tanya over at the Sunday Baker has the neatest blog. She is always posting new recipes and takes amazing pictures of the food. I (and I am no kind of cook!) have even made some of the recipes on her blog and they turned out great! (not lying)!

Anyway, if you love food, you can spend hours on this blog looking at recipes, staring at food, and making yourself hungry when you should be doing laundry or dusting or something.

Sooooo, she is hosting a Pantry Challenge that is really neat! You should read about it. It's a great way to use up ingredients you already have and try new recipes.

Now, that said, I ain't doin' it! I mean....if you are a seasoned cook, this is a great idea...but, seriously...I melted a sauce pan straight into two pieces while I was simply boiling water! I am sooo not ready for a pantry challenge! Buuuuttt....while I was there, I saw this picture of some cabinets that had chalkboard paint inside them and it INSPIRED me! UH-OH!

Has anyone ever done this? I think I will, although, since our cabinets are brand new and cost a stinkin' fortune, I am sure I will meet resistance from the hubs. Look at this picture:

I love it. It doesn't look like that chalkboard paint is on the inside of the door, but whatever!

SO...here is a picture of my cabinet insides.....(it's not pretty, girls):

Soooo....would you do it? I am thinking I will try to put corkboard on one of the doors, too. Ya know, good place to tack up the Boxtop sheet and the Boxtops, and recipes!

It would be a little scary to do, but I think the results would be soooo great!

And, I've been working like a mad woman on one of my Mission: Organization projects.

Remember this:

Well....here is a sneak peek at the transformation that is underway!

I still have a few things left to do so I can't show it all yet.

Stay tuned for the big reveal! I am not sayin it will take your breath away, but it will definitely make my room look better and add some organization to my life!

hrk

Whooty Woo!

2009-01-07T07:59:00.001-06:00

How 'bout those basketball Hogs! Wooooo Pigs!

Ouch........

2009-01-05T12:16:00.007-06:00

Well.....back to the mundane, day in and day out school life we go! But not without a small glitch. Oh, no, not at my house! Brad and the girls left last Thursday morning and headed to his dad's cabin in "Middle of Nowhere, Arkansas". (I know...poor me, I had to be alone here for 3 days....you know I was hating it (wink, wink)! Anyway, they spent almost the entire time outdoors, exploring in the woods, sitting around the fire, and all things fun for outdoorsy people (not I). When they got home Sunday, Ella's eye was a little swollen. You never know with that girl because she is NON-STOP! So, I didn't worry too much...until she woke up this morning. WAY WORSE! And she was complaining about it, alot. Now, out comes the nurse: oh, she could have something in it....it can cause permanent damage....it could be a horrid infection...oooh.....MRSA, Staph.....UGH!....and this goes on until I get her to her pediatricians office and wait for an hour....to find out..............it's her allergies! Go figure. I sure didn't expect that, but was glad to hear it. He did some neat test with a black light and a flouresent eye drop to check for an injury to the eye. VERY COOL! (COOL because there wasn't a tear. If there had been, not cool). Worst part....she was dying to get to school this morning because SHE'S THE LEADER! I am just not sure how the kindergarten class made it until 10:30 without her this morning.

No Leader!!! Seriously! Oh, the drama!

Honestly, this picture makes it not look so bad. Swear- it looked bad!

hrk

And the Winner is...........

2009-01-03T11:18:00.004-06:00

I went to this website and the random number it gave me was..............3. WooHoo......Rachel is the lucky winner! YAY! I love contests! I'm thinking I will do this again, soon. And it is quite obviously easier to win my contest than some, because I only had 9 comments. The ones I have tried to win have, like, 400 comments. So what does this say to me......my blog isn't so popular! It's ok. I can deal, peeps! Unpopular blog=g00d chance to win! Whet Whew!

And.........look what I bought yesterday at my fave place...TJ Maxx.............

What is so great about that, you say? Well, it got me motivated to do this.......

Oh, no, your eyes are not playing tricks on you.....that is the computer cabinet from yesterday and it certainly is almost empty! Hooray! It only took me about 20 minutes and 2 completely full trashbags! Why didn't I do that months ago?

Love to the peeps!

hrk

Mission: Organization.........

2009-01-02T12:29:00.003-06:00

Well....here it is....my long awaited New Years Resolution post. (I know you all have been dying to see this one). Here goes....There was a time when I was a MAJOR NEAT FREAK. Like the one that puts your glass in the dishwasher before you are done with your drink. Like the one who (I'm not kidding about this) STARCHED AND IRONED sheets before they went on the bed. I'm not lyin', girls! And those of you who know me well know that this is the truth. Problem is.....after a couple of kids and a very messy husband, well, it just left me. The neat freak has left the house and here I am just to look at the messes and shut them behind a door. Now, I'm not sayin' my house if filthy....I still keep things fairly picked up and surfaces clean and all that...but, I have started doing something that my mother (love ya mom, i'm just sayin') has always done. It's called PILES of STUFF! UUUUUGGGGHHHHH! So....in order to get this under control....I took some pictures of just a few of the piles so that you peeps can see what I'm talking about. Look (with the pleasure that I know you are feeling) at these:

This is a little alcove cutout thing in my bedroom. I had the shelves put in in an attempt to make it a place to keep my embroidery machine and make it look neat and organized. Well you can see that the organization stopped with the shelves. Seriously. It's random piles of crap, some sewing stuff, some pictures that used to hang in my bedroom, a notebook for something, a basket of papers and stuff. What the heck? But keep lookin' girls, cause you ain't seen nothin' yet!

This is Ella's closet and, honestly, this picture doesn't do the clutter and mess justice. It's a nightmare, people...a nightmare! (but when you can just close the doors, it's so easy to forget)

This is a section of cabinets in my hallway that we use to store....um....every single thing that will fit! It started as a game cabinet for all the board games and puzzles and such, but after 5 years in this house, it has evolved into this. Scares me!

But this....oh, girls, this is the cream of the disasterous crop! This is a computer cabinet that is in our dining room. Whaaattt? "Why! There is no computer in it!" you say. Well......sweet friends.....actually, there is. Evan's laptop is in there, only the mystery is.....where? Who knows? Not I. I just open this cabinet to throw in any loose paper, book, balloon, picture, hairbow, whateva....then close it back real fast before everything falls out! Don't ya love it?

SOOOOO.....thus brings us to the Mission....Organization! I have got my work cut out for me, but I am giving myself the entire year to tackle these four projects. I will post the results (if they happen)!

Be sure to enter my contest.....check the post below!

And don't ya'll go talkin' about my messes behind my back!

hrk

My favorite pictures of 2008........(and a giveaway)!!!

2009-01-01T16:40:00.010-06:00

Just for fun, I decided to have a give-away. I see people do this on blogs all the time and I always try to win, but never have. Maybe if I have a give-away myself, it'll change my luck. So I am going to give away this bag that I bought at Pier One a few weeks ago. It's one of those reusable shopping bags and it is pretty good size (like the size of a brown paper sack). I am going to use mine as my pool bag this summer because it's waterproof. I actually bought 3- one for a gift, one for me, and I have this one that I don't have anything to do with.....so.....I am giving it to one of you! All you have to do is leave a comment, then I will use that random number picker thing to pick a number and that comment will win. YAY!!!!

The contest will end on Saturday morning! Check back to see who wins!

Haaaapppppy New Year.........

2009-01-01T10:03:00.006-06:00

Good Morning! Am I the first one up? Hope everyone had a fab-u-lous (and safe) night and is recovering well this morning. We had a great time. We started the night with some take-out sushi, cocktails and a little Rock Band at Jamie and Lorelei's.

Then we went to MikaBeth's for a little while. (Thanks for having us!) We met Shane and Piper (Matt's sister and her hubs) and they were super sweet. We hung out there for a while, had a few more drinks, then headed home.

When we got home we watched The Dark Night. Scared me. I don't like scary movies AT ALL!

But it was so nice to have a night of just me and hubs, so I toughed out the scary movie and stayed up WAAAAYYY too late. Whatever, on New Years Eve, there is no too late!

GOOD TIMES......good times!

Brad worked so hard to get this dog to like him and let him hold him. Look at the pridein that face. He conquered. Gotta love my dog-whisperer hubs!

Love this pic!

MikaBeth fixed this one up all pretty. L.O.V.E. it!

Isn't this the cutest picture of them? I love those genuinely happy smiles!

Whet Whew! Happy Happy Day! My big resolution post will come later today! It's gonna be good with pictures and all. (don't act like your not excited about it)! Love to the peeps! hrk

I love New Years Eve.......

2008-12-31T08:35:00.005-06:00

AAAHHHHHH...........I love the promise that comes with the New Year. I love resolving to make changes, and sometimes failing (it builds character, right) and all that comes with it. I love that it feels like the perfect time to start something new, forgive and forget, or just clean your house really good. I have ALWAYS loved the whole New Year's resolution concept, though I haven't always shared these because I didn't want pressure or people to know I failed. But really, I don't care anymore. Nobody's perfect! (I have learned that from Hannah Montana- did you know I met her?) So this year I am going to share my resolutions on this blog. But that post will be tomorrow........because todays post is my simplified "what I will do different during the holidays next year" list: 1. have cuter Christmas cards that do not have a typo on them (holdiays? are you kidding me, I proofed it like 100 times) 2. have an advent calendar 3. make gingerbread houses 4. make tree prettier 5. have a tree in the playroom that girls can put all their ornaments on 6. make the Christmas light cross bigger and better 7. decorate more 8. bake more (i'm being serious) 9. get shopping and wrapping done earlier 10. have a small tree in each girls room (at their request) 11. read the Christmas story to my girls several times during December 12. watch Miracle on 34th street with my family (we got it this year and never watched it) I better stop there, I'm getting overwhelmed. So, anyway, I hope everyone has a fabulous New Year's Eve. We have some tenative plans, and my mom is watching our kids!!!! yay!!! so who knows. How long has it been since we have done something on New Years Eve without our girls?...........um..........I can't think of a time, ever! (seems like I've always been working or on call or something-darn hospital won't close down for New Years eve!) Not that it is a big deal, just means the possibilities are endless. We could drive somewhere and stay the night. That would be fun. But we will probably just hang out with friends. That will be more fun. HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!!!! Love to the peeps! hrk

Doggie Makeover..........

2008-12-30T18:31:00.005-06:00

It's shameful....I know. We have let poor Dixie's beautiful looks go. She hasn't had a haircut since.......maybe August. And, to say the least, she hasn't been feeling good about herself for months. So what's a girl to do.....perhaps, a day at the spa! Here is the"before" picture. God love her, she ain't lookin' so good.

Here is a full body "before" so you get the whole shaggy effect.

And after a relaxing day at the spa (not really, scares the crap out of her), here is the

"after"!................

From shabby to chic in less than 5 hours!

Can't you just see the new confidence exuding from her!

Working the fireplace hearth in a pink and cream WalMart special!

And I can't leave this little fella out of my Doggie post. He's so handsome, he doesn't need a makeover! (Rachel, I knew you'd be disappointed if there were no pics of Brother). Show some love to the animals, peeps!

Here's a little commercial......

2008-12-29T16:24:00.003-06:00

Tin cans, ribbon and decoupage = 7.99 Apron, ribbon, material for pocket = 5.99 Two sisters with gifts they will cherish FOREVER = Priceless Ok....taking time to do this with my girls is by far the most meaningful thing I did this whole Christmas season. The girls had sooooo much fun making the gifts for each other and the pride they felt was amazing. They have already been talking about what they want to make next year and asking if they can do it for birthdays, too. They couldn't stand waiting so they opened them Christmas Eve morning. It was the best. The screaming and excitement was so priceless and they seriously have enjoyed these two gifts better than any other. It made us all feel very good. I highly recommend doing this if you have older kids. If I find the blog that I found the idea on I'll post it because she had a lot of neat ideas for things to make. She had younger kids, too, and she included them by letting them go to the store to choose something like new toothbrushes or a fun box of bandaids for each of their siblings, so you really can do it with all ages. So. Worth. It. hrk

I swear, she hasn't had this apron off for more than an hour since she opened it. She even slept in it last night (not to my knowledge,until this morning).

She. LOVES. these.

I sooooo love this picture! I am going to frame one for each of their bedrooms to remind them of what they accomplished for the sake of their sister!

I'm Back...with the 2008 Christmas tour!

2008-12-29T15:19:00.007-06:00

Ok...after my little blog hiatus, I'm back with a buzillion pictures of random Christmas moments at all the places we went. We had a great Christmas and had so much fun visiting with all of our families. The girls were so good and very gracious and made us very proud. And as much as I love Christmas and all that goes with it....I am glad it's over. My tree is down, the decorations are put away and man, it feels good! The "santa came" run into the living room!

Enjoying a little milk in her new bath robe.

Enjoying a little Cooking Mama on the DS in her new spongebob bathrobe!

Guess who showed up at my dad's house......the Incredible Hulk! (aka..Blake)

Evan was a little excited!

Ella and I took some pictures of ourselves.

Brad and I took some pictures of ourselves.

Has anybody seen Waldo?

Ella is now preparing for UFC with her new punching bag and boxing gloves.

Me and my Momma with my girlys! (love this picture)

It was all loads of fun and now it's time to start making some RESOLUTIONS!

hrk

And I leave you with this......

2008-12-24T08:34:00.004-06:00

This is video of a new band in town, "sassy girl and tomboy". They cannot contain their excitement and have taken to writing songs about Christmas and performing on the stage (aka. gymnastics mat) in the playroom. Merry Christmas.....HO HO HO......Feliz Navidad.....Jesus is the Reason......Joy to the World......It's the most wonderful time of the year! (really, it is)! Love to all my peeps and best wishes for the Merriest Christmas, EVER! hrk

A New Tradition.......

2008-12-23T15:35:00.004-06:00

Somewhere in blogland, a mom was blogging about how it is a tradition in their home for the children to make gifts for their siblings, rather than buying something. I usually take the girls on separate shopping trips and let them pick out a gift for each other, but I thought this idea was so much more fun and meaningful. So......we got busy. For Evan's gift, we got an apron at Hobby Lobby and we sewed a pocket on, then embroideried her name on it. Ella had so much fun doing this. She cut the fabric for the pocket, cut the ribbon for the trim, and her favorite part, she helped with the actual sewing. Then we put the name on with the embroidery machine, but she pushed all the buttons on that. So all in all, she made it herself and is very proud. Evan is always wearing an apron, so it will definitely get a lot of use. For Ella's gift, we got some of those big tin cans and made stilts. She hot glued SpongeBob ribbon around the top and bottom of the can, the we printed SpongeBob and Patrick pictures of the internet and decoupaged them on top of the cans. We tied some twine through them and there you have it.....tin can stilts. (Ella loves all things SpongeBob, so these will be perfect.) The best part was the fun they had making them, and both of them were describing what they thought the others reaction would be when they opened it. This is definitely a tradition we will continue..............

hrk

the finished product

Silly me, I didn't get a picture of Ella's completed stilts, but I'll post one when she opens them.

Blessed..........

2008-12-21T14:45:00.007-06:00

I came home from work this morning all tired and stressed, looked in Ella's room, and saw this..........................

My sweet 5 year old baby girl and snuggled up in bed, butt high in the air. It has been so long since I have seen her sleep like that. Tiredness....gone. Stress....gone. Melt. My. Heart.

hrk

I. Am. Proud!

2008-12-18T06:29:00.003-06:00

Wow! Last night, we had a Christmas recital featuring my beautiful, sassy girl on the piano. Evan has been taking piano lessons for about a year and a half and lately, she has just started to shine. We decided to have a recital for her here at our home, and invite family over to listen to her play some Christmas. We served refreshments and had a GREAT time. She got really nervous before it started and decided she didn't want to do it. But she went through with it and she did amazing. After it was over, she felt so good about it and I know it was the big confidence boost she needed to keep moving forward with her piano playing. I could not have been more proud of her. I even got a litte teary eyed when she started, I was overwhelmed with how proud I felt of her for all her hard work and for being brave enough to perform in front of all her guests. hrk

Oh-No-I-Dit-N........

2008-12-15T20:10:00.005-06:00

Oh-yes-I-DID dress Dixie in feety pajamas. Ya know, it's so cold, and the girls were getting all snuggly in their feety pj's, so................here ya go!Obviously, she loved it!

Got any pictures of your animals dressed in people clothes? Let's see em'!

And check this out! http://kristenscreationsonline.blogspot.com/2008/12/funny-dog-pictures.html

Don't think my next dog is not gonna be a Portugese Water dog!

hrk

Country Dancin' as a Family.......(ok, an elf family)

2008-12-12T07:48:00.002-06:00

Well, it looks like our country dance lessons have paid off! Don't miss hubs big cartwheel at the end!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Theme Song for my Blog (and my life).......

2008-12-09T15:22:00.003-06:00

You may have seen this before, but if not, you MUST watch it. We can all relate, I'm sure!

Hold up, girls, I'm back to Crafting!

2008-12-08T18:56:00.005-06:00

Uh-oh! I'm back at it. How fun are these ornaments? We've all seen these for sale at stores around town for $10.00-$20.00. Well, hold up, sistas, because these are so easy to make. Just a paint pen or two and a box of $2.50 ornaments from Hobby Lobby and you've got a fun little gift. (do I sound like i'm teaching craft class?)

What a fun addition to a teacher gift!

For my nephews! And a cute first christmas ornament for.....

Ms. Landy Lou!

So fun and easy and anyone can do this!

I totally expect you will all get crafting and post your creations.

Hooray for craft class!

Love ya,

Ms. Heather

(that's what you have to call me during craft class) heehee!

(do you all know I really wish i was a teacher?)

BEHOLD....................

2008-12-08T17:46:00.004-06:00

The Christmas light cross!

I know you have all been anxiously awaiting this post. (admit it, girls, you haven't slept for all the anticipation). So, like I said, not quite the impact I was going for. I guess it probably won't cause any traffic accidents, but it's an effort, at least. No one can say I'm not keeping Christ in Christmas! No 'mam! It all about Jesus at my house!!!

Here is the underwhelming view from the street!

One more close up! This is what is next door. A beautiful life-size nativity! I think my cross compliments it nicely!

(Nuns live there, so we really are working the spiritual thing in my 'hood)! And here is the inspiration! Sweet Baby Jesus! Try to contain your jealousy, peeps!

Introducing.....................

2008-12-06T18:36:00.004-06:00

The future of the WNBA! Well, a mom's gotta dream, right? Today, the girls had their first basketball games. It was fun (Ella's game) and stressful (Evan's game). Of course 5 year olds running around the court with the ball is all cutesy and fun. Eight and nine year old- it gets a little serious and way stressful. You have to keep in mind that Evan has never even really watched a basketball game, let alone participated in one. She was VERY nervous and bit her nails the whole time (and so did I, typing is painful right now because I'm typing on nubs). She was very unsure of how it all worked, one minute your on defense and everyone is screaming "gaurd your girl" "stay on your girl", then in the next minute it changes to offense and the whole concept changes, but Evan would run down there to the offense side and "stay on her girl". It was hard for her to switch gears and keep everything straight, especially because a lot of the girls on her team and the opposing team have played basketball, so they were quicker on their feet. All that said, by the end of the game, she pretty much had it figured out. The stress on her face was so obvious, though, and I hate that. I am so not competetive and I hate all the pressure they feel when they are playing a sport. (ok, ella doesn't feel any pressure-i don't think) I was so proud of them both, but especially Evan because this was her first ever game in any sport and she hustled and did her best and already showed improvement. Who knows, she may get it figured out and be pretty good by the end of the season. (remember, a mom's gotta dream) As for Ella, well it was so funny watching them. All was peaches and cream until she fell on the rubber court and tore her knees up, the she ran off the court mid-game straight to me. She did good and she made her free throw at half time. My camera battery went dead so I didn't get to much video. Not like I don't have seven hundred more games to video. hrk

that look on her face is STRESS!

this. is. precious.

2008-12-06T18:28:00.002-06:00

Hey....Did you know I met Hannah Montana?

2008-12-01T17:52:00.003-06:00

OH-you bet I did! And two years later, I finally got the picture to prove it. This picture has been on someone's cell phone for the last two years and today, he decided to send it to me. YAY! hrk

(angie-this post was just for you)

O' Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree..........

2008-11-30T19:03:00.004-06:00

Well, it was a three day process, but the tree is up and decorated. We put it up on Friday. On Saturday, my stepmom, Melody, came over and put the ribbon around it, and finally, after Ella literally driving me crazy about it, we put the ornaments on it tonight. Don't tell the girls, but tomorrow, I am going to buy some new ornaments and "tweek" their decorating a little. I have never done that. I always let them decorate it with the ornaments they want and I never rearrange it, but this year I think I will. It is way past time for some new ornaments. And it is a new tree, after all. $40.00 from Big Lots! Quite the bargain, if I do say so myself. I am not all pretty and fancy about Christmas decorating, so don't think I am showing this picture of the tree thinking it is all Fabulous. I am all about a homey tree with ornaments that are meaningful. It does have several SpongeBob ornaments, afterall! We buy an ornament almost everytime we travel somewhere and that's always fun for reminiscing (?dont know how to spell that). OH- and we put up a Christmas light Cross on our fence outside. We have never done outdoor lights and I have had this vision for a cross on our fence since we moved into this house. I was thinking it would be one of those things people would drive by, then go home and call all their friends and be like, "OMG. You have to drive by that house and look at the Cross they did. It is Beau-Ti-Ful! I am so recomending them for an Orchid award or something!" BUT-only thing is---it's not that great. Not quite the vision I had. I am going to try to refine it tomorrow, also. So, no pictures of the life changing Christmas light Cross, yet. I know- you are dying to see it. Tomorrow, people! Tomorrow! OK- enough! Here are some pictures! hrk

How 'bout this Christmas ambience. You feelin it? Ella seriously couldn't leave it alone. Like having a toddler!

The girls were trying to act like reindeer.?.

All my babies *Evan & Brother, Ella & Dixie* Can you say "I look like my aunt Jenna and my dog is possessed?"

Happy Christmas decorating to all and to all a good night!

I love Thanksgiving!

2008-11-28T15:46:00.007-06:00

What am I thankful for? All of these things!

Good times!

Good friends! Whipped cream! Aunts and cousins! Fun gals in the family!

Family basketball games!

That I am so good, I can play basketball in my black heels (no picture of that)! (LOL)

My nephews!

Sweet sisters!

My brother and Karen!

Blake saying "CHEESE!"

Close family!

My mom!

Cute dresses and photoshop! (ok, i can be a little shallow)

Edward! (like i said, shallow) All of this and so much more! God has been good to me and I am so GRATEFUL!

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

hrk

I have so much to be thankful for!

2008-11-27T08:14:00.003-06:00

And I will tell you all of the things I am thankful for - later! Right now I'm off to bed after ringing in Thanksgiving in the NICU. Now I must sleep a few hours before it's time to FEAST! Please say a prayer for all the parents who's babies are spending the holiday in the NICU. What a difficult time it is for them. (I am most grateful for my healthy children)! And think of all the nurses that are spending their Thanksgiving taking care of the sick. (shout out to my homeys)! I love you all, whoever you are that read this! (holidays and lack of sleep make me emotional) Must sleep now.

hrk

I heart crafts!

2008-11-25T17:56:00.004-06:00

Ok- I've been crafty. I am Ella's class homeroom mom - which means that when it's time for a party, I have to come up with a game or a craft for them to do.

So I had this idea to do a canvas with a turkey hand print, then have the kids draw on the turkey feet and face and write a little phrase at the top. What a fun keepsake! Lots of work, but oh-so-worth-it!

And since Ella was going to have one, I got the stuff out at home to have Evan make one, too.

I love them! Love them.

It obviously doesn't take much to get me excited, but how fun to have these to decorate every fall and hopefully, when they have homes of their own, they will use them!

I can be so cheesy! (cheesey?)

hrk

p.s. I also heart a hot vampire named Edward!