my frugalness..

I found..or rather my friend Melanie found me a new blog that I love!! I love to do crafty, inexpensive things...this blog was so my kinda blog!! It is Frugal Fabulous and it gave me some fun great ideas! I love spray paint..that may inadvertently have something to do with the fact that Bradley hates it!! She has a tab on the side for all her spray paint things..I love the idea of doing the laundry room cabinets..there was nothing wrong with them, they just needing some "funnin" up!! I will finish the other cabinets in there..on the other wall....and then head into the rest of the house!

When I told Bradley I wanted to spray paint the cabinets and he about died...he was dead against it and was for sure they would look terrible. When I showed him the finished product, he was shocked at how good they looked! He asked me which cabinets I was doing next!! My answer was all of them..in time, of course!!!

before

After

the flash on my camera is adding some weird circles that are not on them in person..total time was 58 min..I used the fast drying paint!

Valentines Day part 2

For Valentines Day...ours at least, Bradley got us a room in a very unique hotel..NYLO, in Las Colinas. We do not always celebrate Valentines Day..and we don't always celebrate "big" on other birthdays and anniversary's. We do some and not others...were kinda hit or miss! This year was a hit!!!

We celebrated our very first Valentines Day in 2002...there was a Valentines Day celebrated in 1995 in which I received some perfume...a bottle I just recently threw out (along with the receipt to our dinner, the to-go box and the wrapping to the gift, but that is neither here nor there!!)..but in general, our first was 2002. I knew Bradley liked sushi and he had asked if I wanted to try it sometime..I said yes, partially cause I was still in that "I really want you to like me and if I have to eat some raw fish for that to happen..I am in!" He double checked with me that trying sushi on Valentines day was okay....and off we went. I was not an instant fan, Ill say that. And there may have been incident with some wasabi causing me to think I was dying, but in general, I did not want to throw up...well, maybe a little when I heard there was seaweed in my food! We continued the tradition of eating at that sushi restaurant in Las Colinas for a few years and went back there this year..and it was so stinkin good!!

Not only was the food great and the room super cool, but Bradley planned a great weekend for me! We went to the Galleria and he offered to take me ice skating since he knows I have been wanting to do it! I loved him enough to tell him we could do it later in a location not quite so public...he thanked me!! We shopped and people watched..which I could do for hours! We grabbed a few things for baby #2, which always makes it feel real that someday there will be a baby #2...headed back and bummed out at the hotel and then ate dinner. My husband knows me so well...he knows that I am weird and want ice cream every time I have sushi..so he had found the closest Marble Slab!! That is my kinda planning!! It was a great, great weekend..and as an added bonus...our room was $43 with tax..I was a bit worried about it being shady or creepy, but we just got real lucky!! Since the place was so different I felt the need to take some pictures! Our room had a loft feel to it..the walls were concrete and so were the floors..which I really love!

Our dinners were so pretty I had to take a picture..I am sure you can guess which belongs to which based upon the amount of raw food on each plate!

we even had a decent view

I really like "this" look..I just don't quite know how to describe it..I think they called it "Urban Chic"..or maybe I made that up???

Fun chair, not so comfy!

I really would have loved to sit down there a while, they had tons of great books!

It was a great weekend...thanks to a great husband!! I am super lucky..and once again..could not have gone on our super fun, relaxing weekend if we had #2 here..but now that we went and are super relaxed and recharged...Bring it on!!!

Valentines Day Part 1

I worked this year on the weekend of Valentines...not too big of a deal, it just meant we had to rearrange our annual V-Day dinner with the Brooms and Bradley and I decided to celebrate the next weekend..that is post #2!!

I had all these great ideas for some "red meals", but in the end..I settled on easy!! We kept it simple with a peperoni pizza twist..still kinda red! We did have cookies for the kids to decorate and in keeping with tradition..I loaded all the kids up with sugar!!

Charlie was in sugar heaven..he just kept loading more candy on the cookie, eating it off, then adding more on...rinse and repeat!
Casen thought we were just crazy and was not having any part of this!

Our Pro!! She was a bit confused at first..kinda like, "Your letting me do this"...and then she was game!!

The cookie almost grosses me out!!

For lunch on "Valentines Day" we met Libby, Laura and Tutti for lunch..there were very loud squeals coming from Charlie and Libby when they saw each other!! Almost bordering on girlie, but I let it slide since he was soooo excited!!

Can you tell these are out of order...this was our breakfast that day..he could care less about colored food..not the least bit excited. I think he just thinks this is normal and everyone does it...such a waste!!

For super bright food you cannot get the regular food coloring..I cannot remember the brand, but its "neon something"..helpful, huh!?

His breakfast that he ate none of...he was so excited and called it waffles...when he realized it was pancakes..he wanted nothing to do with it...??? It's the same thing...to me, but apparently there are a lot of you out there that like one but not the other..weirdos!!

Like his hair!! This was before his haircut! This was brunch that day..since there was no eating breakfast that day!! We were talking about shapes..he knew that macaroni was a in a square shape, but he could not get that the hot dogs were in a heart shape...and he knows his shapes, so I kept trying to get him to guess it. Finally he grabs a hot dog and very firmly says..."Mommy, it is a circle..see?" and then he gave me that Bless your heart look!

He eventually got what I was talking about!

Duh, mom!

Hope your Valentines Day was great!!

Celebration

Today is a day of celebration...because today we have waited one year for a baby..a baby that we still do not have. We could have chosen today to be sullen or bratty that God has not seen fit to give us a "yes" yet, but where will that really get us anyway. Don't get me wrong, I will have a weepy day here shortly and run to my go-to people and whine and they'll make me feel better, but I choose to make this a great day..a day of thanksgiving and praise and celebration..for all the great things that have gone on this past year..things that may not have happened or been possible with a baby!

Do not misunderstand and think I have this down or that I am always this positive and optimistic..my real life friends are laughing right now because they know that is not a real issue!! But, you can choose how you want to be in the circumstances God gives you..I choose to be happy and grateful for what I do have..cause what I do have is pretty stinkin great!! If I had a baby in Feb 2010, I for sure would not have had the energy to bust out these cookies that ROCK!!! I know I made them and I should be humble and what not, but they are too fun!!
If God had given us a baby in Jan 2010, this date night would not have happened..and it was a great date night!!

I feel certain that if I had a baby in Dec 2009, I would not have been able to get crafty and bless sweet Brady's head with all these bows..not my Brady, my friend Bevin's baby girl!!

I love to paint..and paint in fun colors...and if I had a baby in Nov 2009, there is no way that I was painting 11 rooms in this new house....

and I really love our orange bathroom!!!
(just to clarify, its the guest bathroom and the above one is the kids)

Had I been mommy to a little one in October 2009 then I am thinking that this girls weekend may not have happened and that would have been a shame because I got recharged that weekend..and I was needing it!

My sweet Presley..had we had a baby before Presley, then that would mean that Charlie would have had to figure all this baby stuff out on ours, not Presley!!!!! Just teasing!!!!

Lets be honest..if we had a baby in September 2009..moving would have never crossed our minds...I have already sworn off moving again until all the kids are out of the house!! And I LOVE the new house and I am happy we are here!

I am happy that August of 2009 got to be ALL about our little 2 yr old and that we got more great family time in.....

and I am grateful that Bradley got suckered into this photo!

If we had a baby in July of 2009..there is a good chance Charlie would have been hospitalized for his excessive intake of paint.....I am certain I would have been so tired from the new baby that I would not have noticed the noises coming from his closet during nap time!!

and lets be real...no way would Bradley have been off to Wilderness Treck with the youth group for 13 days ..leaving me alone with 2 little ones..fat chance!!!

A new baby in June 2009 would have meant no lake trip..and that would not have been right!!! But to clarify..now that I know for sure how great it is..if we have a baby this summer I am still going back!!

it also would have meant no Minnesota trip with my girls..that would have also been down right WRONG!

I can say with 100% certainty that I would not have gotten to go to Caddo in May 2009..it was hard enough with one kid...let alone trying to make the sleeping work for us 3 and a baby!!

If I had a baby when Aric and Amber visited I would have been busy with it and would not have had so much great time with my sweet, sweet Kirkley!

(these are backwards from Feb-April)
If we had a baby in Feb 2009 then we would have missed out on precious time with our Charlie this last year..time that we so greatly appreciate!

If we had a baby in March 2009 then our Mexico vacation would have not happened...and we needed it!! We made memories for a lifetime and I am grateful we were able to be there with our friends!

..I never play cards without putting them on my head now!! Yes, even when the game doesn't call for it!!

If we had a baby in April 2009 we would have missed out on some good family time at the deer lease..we always have such a nice relaxing time there and I don't like to go with little ones, so this trip would have not happened!!

..I threw this one in cause Charlie looked like a weirdo in that picture above!!

It is not always easy to praise God when less then ideal circumstances come into our lives, but that is what He ask of us. I don't always do it..and that's okay cause He forgives us (thanks goodness, right!). But it does make it so much easier to walk through..when you can choose to focus on the good and positives.

I cannot help but think of the song "blessed be the name"..it was my anthem for those dark years and I still cannot hear it without going back there in some ways, but it has always made me feel peaceful and comforted...

Blessed be your name

When the sun's shining down on me

When the world's all as it should be

Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name

On the road marked with suffering

Though there's pain in the offering

Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,

I turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord

Still I will say.....

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be your glorious name

You give and take away

You give and take away

My heart will choose to say

Lord Blessed be your name

Hope this did not come off as preachy...just that we are a happy family of three who love and trust God and we choose to wait patiently and courageously in Him.

Last snow day pictures!

These would have been up sooner, but the whole "power outage" thing put a kink in my power blogging!!! We lost power on Thursday at about 8pm and it returned on Sat night at about 6pm. We stayed at home on Thursday, hoping and thinking the heat would return..but no luck there!! We stayed at my in laws on Fri night and spent the day entertaining ourselves being out and about and hanging with my family and we saw "The Princess and the Frog" again...such a great movie! When we went to my parents house we found out they had no power..as well as my brother. So we all hung out there together around the fire..I thought Miss Presley looked to stinkin cute all wrapped up by the fire with her mittens on!!

This is what "no power" looks like!!

Before we headed to mom and dads we had to shovel the driveway...again!! While we were out there we made a huge snowman..with a nice mowhawk!!

..and this was his face the entire time he was outside..kiddo just does not love the snow yet!!

sweet mowhawk!!

such a smart husband!!

the snow on the trees that morning was amazing..so amazing that I am pretty sure all that snow on the trees is what caused the power outages!!

..cant help myself!!

As soon as spring rolls around, this tree will be gone. We have lots of beautiful oak trees in the backyard, this is not one of them. We were really hoping the snow would snap this tree over and off, but no luck:( I wished I would have taken a pic first thing Thursday morning....it was way higher and no where near the ground.

So long to our snowman..

This was on Fri morning after the kids had played with and on these toys..

Remember how I shoveled 3 times on Thursday..this is the driveway on Fri morning..nice huh!

I am hooping to blog today about the snow day cooking I did !!