Zoo Trip

I feel so bad that I haven't even shared these yet.  A few weeks ago (just prior to our move), Peanut's preschool class went to the zoo.  She of course had a wonderful time and she cuh-rashed on the way home.  Mommy definitely would have too, but I did have to drive home.

Sigh.  

At our zoo, they have a little lorikeet section of the zoo where you can buy nectar to feed to the little birds.  Being the sucker I am, I of course, paid the money to let Peanut feed the birds.....and am so glad I did. 

She was beside herself with excitement, but still managed to stay very quiet just like the zookeeper warned us to be. 


It was very, very, sweet. 

 

 

Another Fun Day

We had another fun day today. 

Somehow, my hubby was blessed again (and even more so than just getting off early on Mother's Day) and he didn't have to work today.

We started the morning off with church and then we came home and Hubs mowed our lawn.  Although I wanted to head over to my parents sooner than later, the lawn was in much need of some TLC.  With moving and trying to get settled, the yard has been the last thing on our Hub's list, because indoor projects have been the top priority.  

In years past, I have tried to host Mother's Day/Father's Day celebrations, but this year, my Mom was such a blessing and offered to host a big family get together at their home instead.  It was so nice of my Mom (and Dad of course!)--I have been wearing myself out with trying to get settled and my cankles have taken on record breaking size.  It was very nice to make just one dish and not have to worry about hosting a lovely get together for everyone.  Bless their hearts--we had a wonderful, relaxing (read: I even took a nap on the lounge chair outside!) day!

I even got a chance to make these for both Hubs and my Dad.  I was really pleased at how they turned out. 

 A very fun, fairly inexpensive way to treat those special men in your life!  

I am feeling rather ambitious and I may even get up some other posts later this week!   That is of course, unless our little man decides to make his appearance.  So stay tuned.....



 

The Befores

My bloggy friend Lucy and I are at very similar stages in our life right now.  Although she is quite a bit younger than me (shhh, don't tell!), we are both preggo with our second babies and we are both due within a week of each other--right around the end of June or beginning of July.  And we are both just crazy enough to throw in a move during that time.  But very unlike me, she has been very good about posting to her sweet little blog and earlier she posted some pictures of their moving/new baby adventure progress.  That inspired me to finally get motivated and post some pictures here too. 

All these before pictures you are about to see are for those three or four loyal readers I might still have out there.  'Cuz I figure that's about all I have left (aside from family of course!) after these past few months of really sporadic posting.  

BUT, just in case you are new here to these parts, here's a fast little recap of the last two and a half years of our lives.....

1.  We moved away from our HomeTown in the early fall of 2009 for Hub's job.

2.  In HomeTown we owned a home and because we knew our move was only temporary (even if about two years temporary), we decided to rent out our home, because we WERE going to come back at some point.

3.  Fast forward two and a half years and three sets of tenants later, and we finally had the opportunity {read: Hubs was able to transfer!} to move home.

4.  Due to some timing issues, we moved back in with my parents temporarily while we gave our current tenants notice to vacate. Then, while the house has been empty, the opportunity has been taken to get some projects done on our house.

So that is where we are today....getting some projects done on our house.  Please don't be mistaken.....it hasn't been me (unless of course you count stressing out a project) getting these tasks done.  No, it would be my hard working husband, my hard working Dad and Mom, and some very gracious and generous extended family members and friends pitching in where ever needed to help move things right along. 

So far the entire interior of the house has been painted (so please keep in mind the colors you see here are all the befores).  This includes all ceilings, walls, and about 75% of the molding.  I know from most of these pictures you can't tell that paint was needed, but trust me.  After us living in the house for nearly five years and then having three different tenants/families living here, a fresh coat of paint was needed!

Badly.

Most surfaces (closet and pantry shelves, blinds, windows and window tracks, screens, kitchen cabinets and counter tops) have been cleaned.  The old carpet in the living/dining room and bedrooms has all been ripped up and hauled away and new carpet will actually be installed tomorrow.  All of our belongings that were in storage have been moved into our house and either are sitting in the garage or family room area, awaiting the new carpet.  Last, the floor in our entryway, laundry room, and main bath have all been ripped up, where new tile will be laid in it's place.  So far, the entryway tile is entirely done, the main bath has tile down, but still needs to be grouted and the laundry has most of the tile down, with just a few to go.  Let me tell you, I have a really nice Dad--yes, he has installed all the tile for us.  For free.  Let's just say that if we had to pay for the labor, there is NO way we would be getting new tile floors. 

So there you have it in a nutshell.  Or at least the part of where we've been and where we are headed.  Once the carpet is installed and the tiling is all finished and complete, I of course, will have some MAJOR nesting to accomplish in the next several weeks.   Things like moving the rest of our belongings (NO, that part won't be me!), unpacking, rearranging, and settling in to this new chapter of life. 

I am apprehensive.

I am excited. 

I am blessed. 

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Oh, and I promise to also get up a blog post showing the afters soon. 

For reals.


 

Another Month and a Half?

Can't hardly believe I am already at 34 weeks and have only about a month and half to go!   I keep thinking this little guy is going to early like his big sister, but he may totally surprise us and be late....but that might be fun to have a little Independence baby anyhow, so we will see!

I have been feeling well, aside from being tired (with some crazy back aches!) and having some swollen feet.   I keep reminding myself this is all temporary and we get to meet our little love so, so soon! 

 

SUCH a Great Day

I had such a lovely Mother's Day....did you?  That is, of course, assuming I have any readers left out there....aside from family.  'Cause ya' know, my posting has been a little um, sparse, shall we say these last few months?

The morning started out with Peanut giving me a precious little hot pad she made in her preschool class.  She brought it home on Thursday all wrapped, where upon arriving at home, she hid the gift (I still don't know where she put it--but it's not like I went looking for it either) and then asked me each morning thereafter if it was Sunday yet so she could give me my surprise.  Seriously?  She did it just as her teachers told her.  It just doesn't get much better than that. 

She even did the same with a cake that she decorated for Grandma the day before at the grocery store.  We put the cake in the cabinet where we knew Grandma wouldn't find it and Peanut went and found it all by herself Sunday morning to give to Grandma.  She was SO proud of herself!

Peanut and I went to church a little later on Sunday morning where she made a sweet little craft that had her hand prints on it and it said, I love my mommy because..........she makes me yummy food.  The bold words of course, are straight from Peanut's mouth.  So cute and even a little flattering as well. 

Even though my track record for the past few months has been less than stellar. 

However, that would be a post for another day. 

I had planned on making my mama a nice meal because I haven't been able to celebrate Mother's Day with her for the last two years.  Then late last week, we decided to switch it up and celebrate with my uncle and aunt and cousins.  The forecast said it was supposed to be gorgeous (it was--a little hot even!) so we had a big old barbeque and made a day of it.

It was glorious.  

And the icing on the cake?  My dear, sweet, hard working husband even got off work a little early (an hour and 15 minutes early!!!) and made it home to celebrate the rest of the day with us.  My friends, that was such a wonderful present for all of us--especially for the Peanut and I. 

We ate some amazing food (what family gathering is complete without good food?) and the ambitious ones even had quite the horseshoe tournament going.  No, I would not be one of those ambitious ones.  I have no hand eye coordination whatsoever, and quite honestly, no desire to work up a further sweat in 89 degree heat.  Plus, as with my first pregnancy, I have officially joined cankle-dom once again, so I took full advantage of the opportunity to put my fat little feet up on Sunday. 

 
It was a wonderful day.  







 

So Proud

I was so honored to attend my favorite (can I say that?!?!?) cousin's college graduation today.

I cannot even begin to tell you just how proud I am of this girl woman.  It just seems like yesterday she was my ever present shadow during our family camping trips and she was my partner in crime while we stayed up late at Granny and Grandpa's for sleepovers.  Now we are all grown up and both mothers (can't even believe that!) but more importantly, she is my friend.  

L~ I am SO proud of you.  

Congratulations!  


 

Baby Progress and Spring Time Fun

I can't believe I am three quarters of the way there.  And considering his big sister was 11 days early, I may be even closer than I think!  Of course, he'll be ready when he's ready, so he'll make his debut on his own time and I am perfectly good with that.  

 











If things go as planned, we will be getting back possession of our house on Tuesday!  I am so excited!  Just in time for this nesting mama to turn this rental back into a our home. 

And really, who am I kidding? 

There are a few things I can help with, but I am really at the mercy (and blessing!) of Hubs and my parents and some other wonderful people in our life that have offered their assistance in getting all the projects done.  

In other news, I found this little sand and water table for the Peanut on craigslist.  We had seen them for the last couple of years at Costco and I actually had the thought to try and find a used one first.

photo credit: Costco

This was a big step for me people.  Used toys/baby things are one thing if they are from friends and family....they are something else entirely when these things are purchased from perfect strangers.

But I figured with it being all plastic, it was nothing that a little all purpose cleaner couldn't handle, so I disinfected it immediately upon getting home.  

You think I'm kidding. 

Peanut has a huge fenced yard to play in at her disposal while we are staying here at my parents, but at our little house, not so much.  The backyard at our home?  It's pretty much a postage stamp. 

That said, this was the catalyst to find some outside entertainment for our little girl in our teeny tiny backyard.  Of course, I don't know why I ever thought that the sand and water would stay separate as indicated in the pictures on the box at Costco.

'Cause that's not the case....it was a complete mess in less than 2 seconds. 

But the verdict, despite her mama's OCD tendencies? 


Money well spent.




 

1 Down--4,376 to Go

I finished my first sewing project.

Well, it's actually not my first, as I made a pin cushion (with lots of help from my friend) for my Mom's birthday gift in late February. 

This project was, by far, much more complicated than a pin cushion.  Not the best project to "cut my teeth on" (to quote my Mom) in terms of learning how to sew.

  
But I did it.  I actually did it.

I sewed.

In the interest of full disclosure, my Mom answered lots of questions along the way and she weaved the big ol' piece of elastic through at the end and stitched together said elastic as well as the safety strap.  Oh, and she provided some help with the safety strap holes.

Those were real buggers. 

But I did do everything else.  Including having a wall eyed hissy fit (you'll have to ask Hubs and my sister-in-law about how his family even came to know what one of those is) near the end of the project.

When I made the first attempt at weaving the elastic through the edge, the thread that I used to sew the piece of elastic to the bodkin with BROKE when I had weaved the elastic through about two thirds of the edge.

The instructions didn't call for it, but I chose to cover the elastic toy strap in fabric.  I am just really pleased at  what a finishing touch it adds.  Why, yes, I am a dork like that. 

I cried.

Literally.

So my Mom took pity on the preggo and finished the elastic weaving. 

It's by no means is perfect, but it will do the job.  We have a shopping cart cover for Peanut, which has been very much used by this germaphobe, but it was a girly shopping cart cover.  And my one complaint about it was that it didn't fit the warehouse size shopping carts (also know as Costco's).  So I decided to make a boy one that fits Costco carts.

And fit it does.  Can you tell I am just plain tickled with myself?

Now on to all my other projects before baby gets here. 



 

Easter Fun!

As I stated earlier last week, I had been stalking the forecast for Easter weekend.  Well, as "luck" would have it, the day after I posted that pretty little picture, the forecast changed to rain for Easter Sunday.

Humph.

Needless to say, I was less than thrilled.  However.  We were extra blessed because that rain didn't materialize.  So not only did we have a wonderful reason to celebrate, but we had some rockin' (by Pacific Northwest standards) weather to celebrate it in.

My cousin, my sister in law, and my friend (who each have children several years older than Peanut) made comments about their kids and this being the first year they have been able to have egg hunts outside.  The eldest of all those children is seven.  So yes, it has been seven years since the weather cooperated on Easter Sunday.

Well, gosh, golly, HOORAY!--we certainly enjoyed it!

We started off the weekend with an Easter egg hunt at my friend's church (which included a very fun "stained glass" craft) and then we came home and made the Resurrection Rolls, as promised.  

However, our three year old daughter is very smart and immediately figured out that roll was empty {symbolizing the empty tomb} because the marshmallow inside {symbolizing Jesus} had melted during baking.  I asked her why Jesus' tomb was empty and her quick response was "Jesus melted!"

However, rest assured, we are getting there, because on Sunday morning as we were going over the Easter story with her again after church, we asked her why Jesus died on the cross and her response was "So He could rise again!!!!"

So, melting marshmallows or not, she is definitely starting understand.  


Following church on Sunday morning, we came home to get a quick picture in our Easter best and then it was play clothes for Peanut as she had fun outside for nearly the rest of the day. When the rest of our family got to my parents, we had an Easter egg hunt for the kiddos and had some amazing food, thanks of course, to my mama, the excellent cook.
 

After all the activities and dinner were over, Peanut let her cousin drive her car.....which Peanut got quite the kick out of, because she has never experimented with the reverse drive.  So her cousin was all about the reverse and they both had tons of fun.

Our family picture with the "entire" family.  

We had splendid day celebrating and hope you did too.....

Easter Cake

I used this idea and we made this Easter cake today. Well, actually I used this cake recipe (hopefully it will turn out good--the ratings were about half and half) and I sort of did my own thing as far as the cake went.  























I had some leftover chocolate frosting that I used for the filling and then I made a cream cheese frosting for the outside.  I also used plain {unsweetened} coconut flakes (I figured the rest of the ingredients had enough sugar!) and I did use full on food color for the grass.  I told you I could have a little fun.  A little now, not a lot.  ;)  

We "planted" the jelly beans by poking holes in the cake with a butter knife and inserting the beans inside.  Then we frosted the cake, planted the grass and now a little girl is anxiously awaiting to see the surprise that grows.

I can't wait to see her face in the morning.

Although this cake doesn't really have any spiritual significance of Easter, we will be making Resurrection Rolls for Easter morning.  I think these will have a lot more impact in terms of her understanding why we celebrate Easter. 

I just thought this idea was a fun one!