whatever

the 3rd floor

we have a 3rd floor on our house.

i love going up there because my creativity gets swirling.

i dream up all kinds of things we could do with it.

would you like to see it?

i thought so.

to get there we have to through lauren's bedroom...no easy task most days.

on this day talby was in search of her summer clothes.

(click on any pictures if the words are too small)

when you get up the stairs it opens into a small room

and on the left there's a doorway to a big room.

there is a roughed in...something.

could be a closet or a bathroom someday.

this is the view looking into the big room.

four years ago when we came through this house i WAS IMMEDIATELY IN LOVE!!!

i kept my composure all the way though...until the third floor.

our realtor wasn't with in the room us and i looked at craig and said "I LOVE THIS HOUSE!"

the third floor sealed the deal.

i was too scared to open that box.

when craig did...i ran to other side of the room.

i've seen The Money Pit where the raccoon jumps out...i was not going there.

i walked across the room and took this picture looking back towards the stairs.

this room has been so many things in my day dreams.

so my question to YOU is....

what would you do with this space?

i am sure i could find a BIG prize for someone that can 

find a way to get a design show or magazine to come here 

and renovate this for us!!

come one ladies...who do you know?

mason

oh boy was he busy.

and very UNinterested in me.

but i had fun squatting down and chasing him around.

those eyelashes!  

he will melt some hearts with those in about 15 years.

do you love those little teeth that one year olds have as much as i do?

his sister jumped in for a few pictures...with the bribe of ice cream after.

i would jump in a picture for ice cream too.

cappuccino chocolate chip in a waffle cone preferably.

"ok...ok...we're all done mason.

but wait.

go climb those stairs..maybe we can get a few more while he plays."

amanda...it was worth the last few minutes.

and this one.

oh my....he is too sweet...he should model for GAP...

he did a great job.

thanks for asking again amanda & dave.

i hope you got ice cream for yourselves...you earned it.

it's hard work getting pictures of a one year old!

lists

so many things in my head and on my list today.

i found this picture in my car today...

we hopped in a photobooth while the kids were playing when we were in utah.

what a great memory to start my day.

sigh....

i am having a great day....for reals.

how about you?

i have sewage backed up in my basement.

my house smells lovely....if you like the smell of sewers.

but it will soon be fixed by a professional...so it's all good.

i got to go to a brunch this morning with my tuesday morning bible study.

we had a really nice time...lots of laughing...coffee...fellowship.

i got a call from the bank today.

she sweetly told me my account was $2 in the negative and was worried i didn't know.

and she said "don't worry, i won't charge you any fees, i just wanted to let you know."

i LOVE small towns.

(i just had money in the wrong place..my fault...duh)

but how cool to get a nice reminder instead of a big fine?

i have (FINALLY) finished my etsy orders!

i shipped my last box today.

you ladies are more than patient...THANK YOU.

and now this room needs a serious cleaning...i lost my tv remote a week ago in this mess!

ok...check this out.

raising money for the cora playground...my etsy shop made 

64 pillows and 75 t-shirts...

139 items handmade in my little ol' craftroom....in 69 days.

what an honor it was making each and every one of those crafts.

the playground is in the works...paperwork for now...but they will start the real building work soon.

but now...who did i forget?

i feel pretty sure that i overlooked an order somewhere along the way.

please leave a comment to tell me if i forgot to make you something you ordered!!

i saw this shirt at julie's and i had to have it.

can you read backwards?

           

i promise i was not going to kiss waffle.

but it sure looks like it.

he wanted to say hello too.

well...i am going to turn on Arthur for the kids 

and go clean the craft room.

and my bathroom if they let me.

campfire

we had our first campfire of the year this weekend.

annie was so ready.

she talked about it all day.

then just as it was time to start it got chilly so she went in for a jacket.

i had on pants and a sweater and my socks and slippers!  i was cold.

we have many skilled marshmallow roasters.

can you believe craig can get waffle to stay in our yard with no leash?!

i can't do it....but he can.

after it got just dark enough the kids begged to play "Mallow Toss"

a game our kids made up....

they jump on the trampoline in the dark and we throw marshmallows at them. 

they try to catch them and eat them.

i didn't say it was a safe game or a creative game,

but it is always a loud game!

i am happy that it's campfire weather again.

except for tonight...

it has been pouring for hours and the tornado sirens went off tonight...during our small group.

our entire small group had to go down to my nasty stinky basement!

that is some thing that really bothers me.

i tell people our basement is very Silence-of-the-Lambs-ISH.

it was...an experience?

never a dull moment.

i wish i was four....

jackson

he is edible.

he was 12 days old.

and cute as can be.

i had to restrain myself from kissing him to pieces.

don't you wish he would wrap those little fingers around yours?

i thought we had to squeeze some of that wildcat purple in there.

and that wrinkly forehead is just too much!

babies spend 90% of their time sleeping like these pictures...

but the other part of their day crying.

so we got a few of that too.

ashley and adam....good work.

he is precious!

i think you should have ten more.

:)

thanks for bringing him over ashley.

he was the perfect little model.

call the fire dept....

we're lighting craig's birthday candles.

talby took this...i loved it.

(she took about a dozen like this...all cake, no heads)

craigs' birthday this year was the most laid back we've ever been.

his mom came over (with zwiebach and lots of strawberry jam).

my parents were in town so they stayed for dinner and brought an ice cream cake.

i didn't even have to bake...woo-hoo!

our dinner was the lasagna i put in the freezer two weeks before...craig's choice.

lauren was at a track meet so there were only the four kids.

we'd wrapped his present 2 weeks ago too...so no last minute wrapping...it was a volleyball net.

it was very relaxing.

in annie's card she put green rectangles of paper...money for dad.

scott ran to the gas station and bought 2 two liters of pop to give craig as a present.

so funny.

daddies always need helpers...especially with that many candles.

after dinner, cake, and gifts we went out for some bean bag toss.

(annie calls it "beaning bag toss")

the weather was perfect.

the sunset was gorgeous.

happy birthday to my favorite man.

my grandmother.

she is something special.

she received The Sustainer Award from the Junior League.

my parents, craig, annie & i went to a lovely luncheon where they surprised her with the award.

she didn't know we were there.

it was quite sneaky.

to present the award a Fairy Tale Princess appeared.

(bonnie bing of the wichita eagle)

she read a silly poem full of details about my grandmother and it ended with her name.

it was creative, witty and light hearted.

she was so surprised.

they brought her to the front of the room...

she turned and saw all of us there with her friends and was even more surprised.

she looked right at my mom and said "are you going to stay...i need you to fix my skype"

everyone got a kick out of that.

my grandmother is 91 and she reads this blog...she emails...and SHE SKYPES!

she is the coolest grandma in the world.

they told stories of her service all these many many years in the junior league,

thousands of hours and decades with the wichita children's home 

and raising five children.

she is amazing.

this is her telling the group "i really don't deserve this...."

and she meant it.

always so humble.  

she has been a beautiful example of grace and class my entire life.

the two princesses.

grandma...you looked so pretty in your pink suit!

annie was being shy most of the day.

which is better than being loud and crazy.

even the princess couldn't get her to talk.

her friends watched her open her gift...gave her hugs and congratulated her.

it was so fun to see her get all that attention.

and to see how she is respected and loved by so many.

afterwards we went back to her house and my mom fixed her skype.

:)

i love you grandma.

everyone loves my grandmother.

if you met her...you'd love her too.

she IS something special.

eli

he's a handsome little guy.

 

he likes fire trucks, barney and peek-a-boo.

 

it's been six years since i have hung out with a two year old boy.

back when i knew the names of every construction vehicle, every rescue hero 

and which was the best matchbox car in the box.

thanks shannon and aaron...for blowing bubbles and playing peek-a-boo.

he is such a good boy.

field trip

i spent the day on a first grade field trip.

 

i was in charge of three girls for the day...wandering the zoo.

usually when i take my kids to the zoo we don't stay too long.  

we have member passes so we can go whenever.

we go and see a few things and then go home.

all day was a long time for me to wander the zoo! (boo hoo right?  cue the violins...)

i felt like that giraffe.

bad mommy.

we said goodbye at the bus....i drove to hobby lobby for a whirlwind visit.

grabbed a giant sonic happy hour drink...

buzzed back home.

got a HUGE headache at 4:30 that put me to bed at 6:00 for 45 minutes.

i did not feed my kids dinner.

annie came in while i was resting my head and whined about 4 times "i'm hun-gry" 

(it WAS dinner time)

but instead of being nice and sweet...

i yelled "then go get some food!"  

(she does it all day everyday on her own with out any help from me...)

she started to cry and left the room.

my head was still pounding and i was back asleep within a minute.

later we found her asleep in her bed.

poor annie...probably cried herself to sleep from mean old migraine mommy dearest...with no dinner!

so there it is.

monday.

bleck.

it's over.

good riddance.