Blog fail and an update

Okay, I really thought I had posted a weekend recap last week.... I was certain I had made another post since writing about Thanksgiving, but it doesn't look like it.  Must have thought about posting it, does that count?  I guess since I haven't blogged in forever it's time for an update!

 

So what have we been doing since Thanksgiving? 

 

The first week of December my younger sister and her squad had their regional cheer competition.  After work I headed straight to the Expo center to watch.  The girls did great and got 1st place in their division, sending them to state!  Also during the first week of December, my younger brother and sister turned 15 years old. 15. How in the world did that happen?  The morning of their birthday we had church directory pictures to take at church and then afterwards, Brinley came to our house for a little while, we watched The Grinch if I'm remembering correctly.  Brice had an away basketball game.  Later that afternoon, two of Brinley's friends came to our house and we headed to get some necessities for the evening at Wal-Mart.... and by necessities, I mean biscuits and gravy, ice cream, and a gingerbread house kit.  We had breakfast for dinner, at the birthday girl's request after we got back to the house.  Shortly after, Brice and my parents got back from his game and brought a cookie cake to celebrate their birthdays.  They stayed a little while and then after they went home, the girls made their gingerbread house  a mess. It turned out....okay. Cupcakes were also baked and decorated that evening. 

 

The second week of December, we had church and then went out for lunch to celebrate Brinley and Brice's birthday since we didn't get to have a "birthday dinner" on Saturday.  After lunch we headed to my parents' house for Brinley's ice cream cake (remember, Brice had a cookie cake the day before). Also in the second week of December, Preston and I finished up making some props for our youth Christmas program.  We also attended a concert and finished Christmas shopping.. but that's for another post. 

 

This week, we're wrapping and getting everything for Christmas. I'm also working extra hard at work (part of why I have been MIA lately) to be ahead since I will be taking off the whole week of Christmas and will have 9 glorious days away from my office that will be filled with family time, friend time, and sleep.

 

Anything new with you all?

Thanksgiving 2014

How has Thanksgiving already came and gone?  Is it me, or is the end of this year flying by?  Thanksgiving was wonderful and I certainly enjoyed 6 days off of work, what a treat! Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but sometimes you just need a break!  I worked extra Monday and Tuesday so that I didn't have to work the half day scheduled for Wednesday.  So we'll start this recap there on my first day off.

 

Wednesday, the first thing I did was sleep in (of course). I didn't even set a clock Tuesday night which was awesome. This girl loves her sleep.  After sleeping in and then having breakfast, I got ready and went to my parents house to make a few things with my mom and then brought my sister back to my house.  After making a few errands and dropping Brinley off at cheer practice, I spend most of the afternoon/evening at home.  Later we had a Thanksgiving service at church, which was also really good.  After church we went to my grandparents house and visited with my family for a while.

 

Thursday morning we were up and on the road.  We headed to Virginia to spend Thanksgiving with Preston's side of the family. We really enjoyed family time and the meal was delicious (thanks again, Nana!).  After eating and visiting, we rested a little while and then Preston and I got ready to do some shopping.  Our first stop was Kohls, getting there right when they opened.  Surprisingly, lines weren't bad at all and it went so much smoother than previous years.  We continued our shopping through the night and got home around 1am. 

 

Friday (my birthday!) we were back up and at Lowes for a few things around 8:00am.  We went to a few other stores, got breakfast, and then headed back for a quick nap.  After napping we got ready and went to the Barter Theatre and saw a Christmas play with Nana and Pawpaw. The show was really good and definitely a great birthday treat.  After the play we were back on the road again and Asheville bound.  One of my best friends had her baby girl this week so we went to visit.  We got to their house and had lots of baby snuggles.  Baby Zoe is absolutely precious and so so tiny! We headed to our hotel for the rest of the night.

 

Saturday most of the day was spent continuing baby snuggles and visiting with friends before it was time to head back home to KY.  We stopped for a birthday dinner at Bonefish grill and then were on the road again.  Once back in KY, we went to my parent's house to get Chloe girl who had been staying there while we were away.  Brinley and Brice decided to stay with us Saturday evening.

 

Sunday we went to church, had lunch at my parents' house and then had a pretty easy afternoon.  These few days off of work was just what I needed and I'm looking forward to an even longer break for Christmas in just a few weeks!

 

What did you spend your Thanksgiving weekend doing?

 

Hope all of you are having a good week- only 22 days until Christmas!

Thankful Thursday

Thursday is here again and I only have 2 more Thursdays this month to finish out my goal of writing about things I am thankful for every week in November.  Even the little things are important, so here's what I'm thankful for this week:

 

1. My awesome husband that warms my car up in the mornings that it's not in the garage.

 

2. Friends that are encouraging and comforting in tough times.

 

3. Neosporin

 

4. Friendly co-workers

 

5. Manicures.

 

6. Heated mattress pad.

 

7. Evenings with no plans.... relax!

 

8. Apple cider k-cups

 

9. Getting my license plate and tags changed, thankful it's over!

 

10. Random lunch dates with friends.

 

What are you thankful for?

Wonderful Weekends: Newsboys concert

Rainy, cold, possibly going to snow.... this Monday is definitely one that I'd be okay if I were staying at home...in my bed.  This past weekend was a good one- it just ended too quickly, as usual.  Here's a brief recap:

 

Friday I wasn't feeling well at work- it's hard to be productive when you are sneezing, blowing your nose, and then getting hand sanitizer repeatedly.  I ended up leaving about 1:30 and went home to try to get some rest.  Friday was cold.... very cold. However, we spent the evening bundled up under layers of clothing (4 for me) at a football game. Normally I wouldn't have gone feeling the way I did, but it was my younger brother's last high school game and I didn't want to miss it.  After the game we went home and I went straight to sleep. 

 

Saturday morning we slept in a little while and then did some things around the house.  I gave Chloe dog a haircut and a bath. We got some laundry done and "tidied" up the house.  Then we headed to the store from some much needed grocery shopping.  The rest of the day was pretty low key until we got ready to go to a Newsboys concert with our youth group.  The 2 opening bands, 1 in particular were.... interesting.  However, we enjoyed the concert much more when the Newsboys started.  It is so great to be reminded that God is NOT dead. After the concert we loaded the buses and got back home around midnight.  Brinley and a couple of her friends spent the night at our house- started a movie and they were out.

Source

Sunday morning we got ready and went to church.  After church we had a dinner honoring the senior citizens at church.  After serving, we enjoyed lunch with them and then went home for a much needed Sunday nap. Sunday evening we went back to church and then had to run to Walmart for a hair dryer- mine was sparking and smoking when getting ready for church so I realized it was time for a new one.  Getting a new one was more difficult than I thought, I had my hair dryer, that I loved, for 7 years.  Oh well, the new one works and dried my hair so I suppose that's what matters.

 

Anyways, we had a good weekend, already looking forward to the next one! What did you do with your weekend?

Thankful Thursday

 

Part of me feels like last Thursday was yesterday and the other part of me feels like it's been forever.  Anyways, we all have things to be thankful for, here are some of mine for this week:

 

1. A reliable vehicle- transportation to and from work would be much more difficult if I didn't have a reliable car.

 

2. The extra day off I had on Tuesday. It was so nice to sleep in, get my hair cut, get the oil changed in my car, embroider with my mom, and visit my grandparents- all things I usually don't have a lot of extra time for on a weekday that I'm working.

 

3. Good family visits- this happened this past weekend and it was wonderful!

 

4. Coats, gloves, scarves- temps are really dropping this week and I'm thankful for my warm clothes.

 

5. Warm showers- even though I'd probably rather be asleep, at least when I get up to get ready for work I have a warm shower waiting on me... silver lining of the morning!

 

6. Hulu- So I can get caught up on Parenthood, any Braverman fans out there?

 

7. My siblings.

 

8. Frozen yogurt- no explanation needed.

 

9.  A fun weekend coming up- we are going to a concert with our youth group.

 

10. Thanksgiving break from work coming up very soon!

 

What are you thankful for this week?

Thankful Thursday

Sometimes I really think about what I am thankful for, it's something I need to do more of. However, with it being November and the month of Thanksgiving, I am going to make it a goal to share about things I am thankful for every week this month. 

 

This week, I am thankful for (in no particular order):

 

1. A God who is good and pours grace and mercy every day, though none of us deserve it. (so maybe this one is intended to be #1 for a reason)

2. A husband who is willing to help me with various things at home, even when I want to clean at random hours and unplanned.

3. Our house becoming our home... we have settled in and we love our house!

4. Our new church family that has welcomed us the past few months since we started our ministry there.

5. My Chloe dog.

6. My agency hiring another worker to help me out- wooo!

7. Friends that live miles apart, yet we remain super close.

8. Movies- especially ones that can make you laugh.

9. A mom that embroiders and is crafty #monogrameverything

10. Positive changes in the children I work with... that's what makes it worth while.

 

What are you thankful for?

Happy Halloween!

So I'm a day late... oh well, hope everyone had a safe Halloween!

House Tour: Downstairs

We have been loving our new home and have so much fun making it a place of our own... here is a peak inside our place.

When you open the front door you see a hall way leading towards the kitchen or a walkway to the living room.

To the right of the door is where the stairs are. 

Living room:

The living room leads into the dining room.

The dining room also has an entry to the kitchen.

over the cabinet lighting

From the kitchen there is a door to the garage.... not a good picture but you get the idea

The kitchen wraps back around the the hall way from the first picture taken from the front door. Laundry space is to the left under the stairs (not pictured) and there is a half bath to the right. 

Close up of the floor... 

And just because I have a picture... here is a wreath I made a couple years ago (yay for surviving 3 moves!) that is on our front door right now. 

 If you made it all the way through the pictures, you're a champ! Stay tuned for a tour of the upstairs! 

Wonderful Weekends: Visit From Friends & Homecoming

(Written Monday, posted late)

First of all, this weekend was just not long enough! Am I the only one that felt like it flew by? Even though it was a quick weekend, it sure was a good one. Friday at 4:30, I left work and got the weekend started. I stopped by our house and then Preston and I went to the field for my brothers’ homecoming football game. We were glad to watch the game and not need an umbrella this time (we’ve been getting soaked at games). Just before the game started, our friends Eric and Jade made it to the school. After meeting up with them, the game started. The game was fun (we won) and then Preston, Eric, Jade, and I were headed back to our house. Jade and I have been friends for years and I am so thankful that despite the miles between us, we continue to stay good friends. I am grateful that we live closer now and they were able to make the trip to come visit us! After showing them our house and a little while of chit chat and catching up, we all decided it was time for bed.

 Saturday morning, we got started with breakfast around 9:00… biscuits and gravy, eggs, and bacon- Yum! We hadn’t made a big breakfast in a really long time and it was enjoyed by all. After getting ready and taking a few pictures, we went and got our supplies for a little crafting. Instead of carving pumpkins, we decided to paint them. My pumpkin has a black “R” with black and silver polka dots, which now sits on our front porch near our mums. After clean up, it was time to tell Eric and Jade bye. After they headed home, Preston and I left to go see my siblings before their homecoming dance. This was the first high school dance that all three of my younger siblings were at together. They all looked so great, see for yourself! Preston and I decided to have dinner out and chose a local Mexican restaurant, then headed home to watch “Blended” that we rented from Redbox. Have you seen this movie? We thought it was a really good one! After the dance, Brinley and a couple of friends stayed at our house. I thought they would be pretty rowdy, but they watched Pitch Perfect and I didn't hear another peep.

Sunday we went to church and then the afternoon was spent assisting with bible bowl. If you haven't heard of it, it's a program where kids study a certain part of the Bible and then have a competition about it.  We stopped for some frozen yogurt afterwards before going back to church.  Sunday night at home was pretty low key.  It was a good day... but a long day.

Here are some pictures from the weekend:

Brice, Popaw, Bradley, Grandmama, & Brinley

Fall List Update

How is it already the middle of October? It's definitely feeling like Fall around here lately, except for the ridiculous amounts of rain making it feel like Spring. Leaves are changing their color late this year, and it looks like this weekend will be the peak of the color change. From our house, we are surrounded by mountains and the colors are beautiful! Since we are really getting into fall now, I decided to post an update on how we are doing with the Fall "bucket list/to do list" that I posted a few weeks ago.

1. Make another Fall wreath. I love making wreaths, and my Fall wreath that I currently have has been my favorite of all the ones that I have made, you can check it out here. This is possibly happening this weekend.

2. Carve a pumpkin with Preston and siblings- need I say more?

Hoping to in the next couple of weeks

3. Decorate our new house with Fall Decor! We should be moving in sometime this month or very beginning of October, I love fall decorations, how perfect for the first season to decorate our new home?! Can't wait to scatter my pumpkins, leaves, scarecrows throughout the house.

4. Enjoy my first pumpkin spice cappuccino from Speedway ASAP. A friend introduced these to me in high school and I have loved them ever since.

5. Decorate my office w/ Fall decorations that have been in my filing cabinet since last year.

6. Hopefully have friends from NC and WV over for a Friday night. Half of this is happening Friday- Can't wait!

7. Enjoy Thanksgiving with family.

8. Maybe take some family pictures outside when the leaves change... maybe.

9. Participate in Trunk-or-Treat at our church. We've decided on our costumes.... we're going to be Indians!

10. Relax a little- Summer is super busy! We just moved, relaxing has definitely not happened, but I know it's coming soon!

What have you and your family done so far this fall?

We're Homeowners!

If you know me personally, you know that the past 2 weeks has been a roller coaster in the home buying process. However, we've gotten off the ride because we are officially homeowners !! We are thankful and feel so blessed for this house to finally be ours. We closed last Thursday evening, and after closing we went to the house, then to the storage unit where all of our stuff has been for the past two months, we found the easiest bed to get out of the Jenga grid of belongings and loaded it in the truck. We got pizza to take to the house for dinner and then after going to my parents' house to get some clothes, we were headed back to our house to spend our very first night there.

Friday was spent moving, unpacking, and organizing. We got SO much done Friday and I was glad with my decision to take that day off. We are grateful for all who helped us in this moving process! Friday evening we quit unpacking and headed to my brothers' football game. It rained the whole time, but we enjoyed watching anyways.

Saturday we finished moving everything in and had it all moved by noon. We spent more time unpacking and organizing. Preston and I headed to Hobby Lobby (it just opened in our town) and I got some chalk pens, cannisters, and some fall decorations. Saturday evening we had family game night at church which was really fun, so grateful for a wonderful church family!

Sunday was church and more organizing....

Monday I was off for Columbus Day (woohoo!!) and we finished putting everything away inside the house, now to organize the garage. Also on Monday, I may or may not have made another trip to Hobby Lobby :)

So thankful to be in our home, we love it! God has blessed us beyond measure and I can't wait to see what the future in this house will bring!

More house pictures coming soon!

Friiiiiday!!

Friday, so nice to see you are here! This week wasn't as bad as last week work wise, but I'm always happy when Friday rolls around and I can look forward to spending a couple of days at home.

We're ending the week on a good note, we did a walk through in our house last night and we love how it has turned out. A few small things will be completed today and then we will hopefully be closing next week. This process is something, I tell ya! I will be so glad when it is all taken care of, we have closed, and have our stuff moved in. I must say though, we have been blessed with the greatest realtor who has helped us in any way imaginable. The builder and his crew have worked so hard to get the house completed on time. While waiting is extremely difficult, especially with our builder leaving for 2 weeks and our storage unit rental running up, I am trying to remember that God has a plan and it will work out. I'm not posting interior pictures until we have closed and I've gotten to decorate some, but I will leave you with a picture of the exterior of our soon to be home. Have a great weekend!

Random thoughts

I've been wanting to blog... honestly, I have. I haven't really known what to write about though. Nothing really came to mind and I don't want to blog because I feel like I have to do it. There have been lots of thoughts floating around in my mind lately- here's what's been going on.

1. I am really looking forward to closing on our house so that all of this "stuff" will be taken care of and we will be past it.
2. By "stuff" I mean the emails and phone calls from the bank, building delays, stress...
3. Today is the first day of fall. I love Fall.. but all of my cardigans are still in storage until we move, hoping to hold out a little while longer!
4. We had a good weekend and ended it watching the movie "Endless Love" last night. By the title, we weren't sure if we were going to like it.... and I didn't like it, I loved it! If you haven't watched it, you should!
5. We are participating in trunk or treat at our church and can't decide what we want to dress up as... and I need to decide so I can get to making or ordering costumes!
6. God's timing is perfect, I keep reminding myself of that.
7. Student loans stink.
8. We're still trying to find a good routine for us since we have moved, and that hasn't really happened yet. I think we'll be more "in the groove" once we are in our house.
9. I'm trying to be ahead in work so that whenever I have to take off to close on the house it won't be a big deal, with that being said, I worked extra 4/5 days last week and will be doing it again today. Even if we don't close in the next week and a half, I think I may take a day off anyways. Still undecided.
10. I love my husband!

And there you have it, a re-cap of what's been going on with me in a 10 bullet point post.

Hello, Fall!

Friends, I've realized Summer is coming to an end- how is it already almost the middle of September? We've been pretty busy these days, and I'm sure that has passed time quickly, but wow, this year is moving! Think about it... only 106 days until Christmas!

Are you ready for fall? I can't say that I'm going to complain about cooler temperatures, beautiful leaves, and pumpkin everything, but I will hold out wearing flip flops as long as possible! Here are a few things I am hoping to do this Fall season...

1. Make another Fall wreath. I love making wreaths, and my Fall wreath that I currently have has been my favorite of all the ones that I have made, you can check it out here.

2. Carve a pumpkin with Preston and siblings- need I say more?

3. Decorate our new house with Fall Decor! We should be moving in sometime this month or very beginning of October, I love fall decorations, how perfect for the first season to decorate our new home?! Can't wait to scatter my pumpkins, leaves, scarecrows throughout the house.

4. Enjoy my first pumpkin spice cappuccino from Speedway ASAP. A friend introduced these to me in high school and I have loved them ever since.

5. Decorate my office w/ Fall decorations that have been in my filing cabinet since last year.

6. Hopefully have friends from NC and WV over for a Friday night.

7. Enjoy Thanksgiving with family.

8. Maybe take some family pictures outside when the leaves change... maybe.

9. Participate in Trunk-or-Treat at our church.

10. Relax a little- Summer is super busy!

Anything on your agenda for Fall?

100th post: House Update!

Friends, I've made it to my 100th post... based on the random blogging breaks I take, I didn't know that I would make it to 100. Thanks for hanging around!

Anyways, what this post is really about- a house update! We are still in the buying process, as we have not closed yet, but we are very excited with the progress that has been made so far. When we first saw the house, the exterior was almost complete, however the interior was only wood frames. We were able to see the lay out, but not much had been done inside. Since then, we have seen sheet rock installed, dry wall being finished, and now the workers are painting and getting ready to lay the flooring. We are so excited, as we are scheduled to close by the end of this month! Can.not.wait! I have really enjoyed picking out finishings such as paint colors, cabinets, counter tops, hardware, wood flooring, carpet, etc. It has truly been a blessing to have caught the house in the stage it was in the building process and be able to have so much say so in it- it makes the whole bank/loan process a little more enjoyable.

We took these pictures this week before the painting started... and silly me forgot to take a picture of the exterior- whoops!

Garage

Leading into kitchen from garage

Kitchen (not all pictured)

Laundry area

Dining room

Arch way from dining to living room

Living room

Hallway from front door, living room to the left, 1/2 bath, laundry, kitchen ahead

stairs

Master

Master

Master bath window/closet

Master bath

Garage

Not pictured was guest bath upstairs and 1/2 bath down stairs, also didn't post pictures of 2 extra bedrooms. 

Can't wait to stop in again and see progress since the walls have now been painted and they are working on floors! 

Anyone wanting to share inexpensive decorating tips, I'm all ears...

Have a great weekend!