all in the name of procrastination

I had an elaborate post prepared this morning. Ya, it wouldn't have held your interest. So instead...

Simple Musings:

Why is it that we plan so much for ourselves when we know we are burning the candle at both ends already?

Why do children grow so fast?

I find that no matter how hard you try to get someone to do something - sometimes they just let you down.

Some people think they are better than you and treat you likewise.

Having a home is a wonderful experience.

Having a husband to work faithfully on the home is incredible.

Minivans are the single most incredible invention on the planet.

What the Bible says is true.

Mowing is fun.

Harboring bitterness feels terrible.

Little boys are cute - especially mine.

The End

TA-DA!!

To see the before pictures follow here.

A walk in the park........yikes!

So we took a stroll at Lion's park in Duncanville a few weeks ago. It was a nice cool evening. We walked the pretty trails, looked at the water flowing in the creek, gazed at the tree..... AHHH! A tarantula! OH MY GOSH!

So, we took some pictures.


Ooooh. Don't touch.

The Water Closet!

So after Wes tackled the tile in the kitchen (which is gorgeous, by the way) we really needed to jump into a project (Wes has been in school for like 7 years so is not used to idle time). So the above picture is what it used to look like. This half bath really sold me on the house but it needed a lot of work! It was very, very gross and the old man that lived here used it a lot (since it is just off the garage) but never cleaned it.... gross. Let's just say the wall was um, yellow. Ew.

I am the designated painter of the house. I am much more detail oriented than Wes and he doesn't have quite as much experience as I do with painting so this is my way of contributing to the cause. We painted the ceiling which had the original "Hollywood" style texture which is sparkly popcorn, basically. It was a pretty easy room to paint (considering it is only a handful of square feet). I chose a bright white paint for the trim and cabinet and "bone white" for the walls. All of the paint came with the house so it was totally free! Sweet!

This is Brazilian cherry hardwood floor that we inherited from a friend who put this in their old house and these were the leftovers. He put it in the old fashioned way with a hammer and nails. It looks really cool and vintage shabby chic! Thanks Thatchers!

Wes has fought the battle with this wax ring before. It seems that the second time was a charm! I had wanted a new toilet but, hey, we can't all have new toilets. I think the original is fine - all 43 years worth!
I bought this beautiful clearance faucet ($14.90!!!!!) to go in there. We have some old pipes (hello, 43 years) so it may be awhile until you see it installed. For now it is turned off and I graciously allowed my guests to use the kitchen sink to wash up. ;-)

I kinda wished I had taken a really good before picture for all of these projects.. Sorry.
The reveal picture is soon to come! It's beautiful!

A Picnic for Dinner

Well, that might sound really nice to you. In fact it might be nice. Once. Now I like being outdoors and the kids really enjoy eating outside, too. For some reason they seem to be able to keep their food off the ground and keep quiet when outside. Now let me let you in on a secret. It works for the first couple of days. After that the mosquitoes and ants find you and temperature outside tends to sneak up into the 90+ degree range. Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying it and I really truly love eating on this table because I have a really good excuse to put out the pretty daffodil and blue trimmed table cloth that my friend Jill recently gave me. But dude, I want my kitchen back.

It looks as if it won't be happening any time soon (no thanks to Big Bob's tile and the Alfagres tile company). So for now we are resigned to our hot picnic dinners and lunches (and yes people, my kids eat their breakfast outside before their eyes are even open). It's going to be a hundred degrees outside this weekend but I am still not willing to let my kids eat near that ridiculous white carpet. Drive through our alley some time around 5pm and wave at us.

(ours is totally not this nice)

Oh, and pardon all of the pessimism. Things are not panning out this week like I think they should. Me and my silly plans - what are you gonna do...

A *Cup*le Observations...

I've recently become friends with some of Amy's preschool and homeschool moms on Facebook. Added to my own group of over 25, I've got to tell you - quite a few blantant cliche abuses of this beverage made popular by rebellion of the colonists against the tea tax. Now I'll give you that it is wonderful, I used to make myself two or three cups from leftover grounds and stay up all night. In addition, I just found out this week that I have strong genetic tendancies towards coffee, in my ancestor's country of Denmark - they consume more coffee per capita than anywhere else in the world.

But come on people, you can love it (just be cool about your habit) - these are some of the extreme quotes from moms I've heard...

1. Let's get the coffee IV started right now!
2. Aw, I feel like someone switched me to decaf.
3. I'm on my X cup of coffee today. (X>2)
4. Where's the nearest Starbucks? There would have been a time when this would have been a ridiculous question, they are actually fairly scarce these days.
5. I need more coffee! I always thought you just drank a cup, singular.
6. Enjoying my coffee by the Y. (Y=a place besides work that I would love to be)
7. Coffee, pajamas, good book = happy place. I know, I wouldn't mind myself.
8. Ew... Folgers! Yuck. (Kirkland's organic blend is the best from what I hear.)
9. Dunkin Donuts has the best coffee. (Why would you go to a donut place for coffee?)

And last but not least...

When you're swerving all over the road in your Chrysler minivan and the officer comes to your window.

10. Sorry officer, I've had a lot of coffee today. (Just kidding, that never happened)

And... Amy said I should have blogged this when it was freshly brewed in my mind.

It is finished

We went to this candlelight service the night before he graduated and I had a pretty good cry.

This is me and Wes while he was waiting for commencement.

Wes is just in the middle there.

He did so well for being as nervous as he was.

WoOoOoH! Look how fancy the Bo and Betty Pilgrim Chapel(below) is ! It only cost 21 million dollars.

Doesn't he look smart and well educated?

I asked Wes to wear his regalia for the drive home. :-)

It's been a long road. Phillipians 1:4-6