Grant the Lego-Maniac

Remember this television commercial from the 80's?

Well this is my kid except my boy is Grant the Lego Maniac!

He's been working on this Lego set for hours....as he should be.....it's like 800 and something pcs.

he loves it though, I hope he goes into architecture or engineering

maybe he can put on his resume how many Lego sets he's built?

hair

                                             BEFORE                                    AFTER

I absolutely love my hairdresser. I was trying to do a semi long hair thing but it began to make me look old and ragged. I saw a hairstyle on Pinterest and showed it to her and she worked her magic. I also got the caterpillars ove my eyes trimmed and waxed. I am so blessed to have found her, she is wonderful and I can't imagine going to anyone else! So what do you think? Better? Oh, and I'm gonna color it too, on my own, out of a box....we'll see how it turns out?!

Christmas morning

Christmas morning was fun as always. Grant even got my camera ready and put it in my chair so it would be ready to shoot. He loved opening each gift and he was super excited about his Lego set and his new scooter. He found out that his "Rent a Brother", Maddox got the same one....I told him that Santa knew they were best buds and knew they would enjoy riding scooters together! My brother gave him the Wii YouDraw tablet and he about fell over in disbelief. As of today, the only thing we haven't opened and explored is the Microscope he got. That will be next, I'm sure.

Hope your Christmas morning was worth the wait!
until next year.....

Merry CHRISTmas

It really was a perfect Christmas day! I set my alarm because I knew Grant would be anxious to open gifts. He told Bill "I better get the camera ready because you know who will want to take a bunch of pictures!". He knows me too well! We all gathered in the living room and watched him rip open all the gifts. After all the hoopla, I made a quick batch of cinnamon rolls and sausage biscuits for breakfast. We got ready for church and left for the morning service. It was delightful. It reminded me of God's infinite love for us and his ultimate gift of baby Jesus. I felt for a brief moment the peace, love and joy of Christmas.
I had our Pastor and his family over along with Lillian *M.O.M" for Christmas dinner. It was very delicious if I do say so myself.
I got a ham from Honey Baked and whipped up all the 'fixins'. I think I pretty much committed gluttony. I shouldn't do that to myself but it was so good! When the dishes were cleared and the company had left, I laid down for a wonderful well deserved nap.
I had to go see my daddy-o and we needed to put fresh flowers on Bill's mom's grave so we left the house about 5pm and made our rounds. Bill's dad is in the hospital so he's gone to see him now before visiting hours are over.
Grant has been busy opening all his stuff and is most excited about building his Podracer Lego set tomorrow. It's fun watching him open stuff and making all sorts of funny comments. He is one of a kind for sure!
Now, I'm just sitting here chillaxing with a warm blanket and some sweet tea. That's been my Christmas day! I wonder how much our lives will change by next Christmas. They seem to get here quicker each year. I hope and pray for all my family and friends to have the best year ever!
Merry Christmas!

Reflections

Do you ever go back and look at blog posts that you wrote a year ago? I have and still do. I can distinctly remember this time last year the anticipation of what 2011 was going to bring. Today, I am really looking forward to 2012.
This past year has not been a shining year for me. It has not been what I expected.....far from what I expected.
As I sit here and write this, I am thinking about how much has changed in my own life and in the lives of those around me.
I started 2011 with the same job. I was hoping by the end of the school year and at least by the end of summer, that God would open the door of opportunity and put me in a classroom as a "real" teacher. I watched as time ran out and here I am at the end of 2011 and I still have the same job. I hope that changes in 2012.
I watched my baby boy end 1st grade coming out reading like a champ and becoming so smart, it was amazing to observe his growth. First grade is a very important grade.
The summer brought lazy days filled with lots of swimming, day camps projects and birthday parties. I turned 34 and Grant turned 7. Ahhh, seven years old, the most magical age of childhood. So I think. I am in love with seven. I would go back in time just to be seven again. It's perfect. I am trying hard to keep Grant under that umbrella of innocence for as long as I can. It's soooo hard to do too.
My marriage has seen some deep valleys this year. It's been a hard road to travel. It's been hard enough that separation was on the table. There, I said it. Now everyone knows. Oh well, the truth always sets you free, so they say huh? I am not a quitter, or at least not on this marriage thing. No one has a perfect marriage, I don't care what you say. We are working on it,. again and again and again until we get to a point where the mountaintops are seen more often than the valleys.
Took an unforgettable road trip with my mom. Drove back alone in my van and really searched for the presence of God in my life. I have been through some tough situations and I needed to be reminded that God has me right in the palm of His hand. Growing up spiritually can be very painful at times. It's hard to release the fear, frustration,and pain of life's lessons. I really connected with God on a whole new level.I even wrote it in my journal so as not to forget what I experienced.
This year I filled up my time with a lot of obligations and roles. I think I'm going to try and commit to less next year. At times, extracurricular things can suck the joy out of life. I strive every day to be present and experience the day but sometimes life and its responsibilities can really distract you from what is truly important.
Last year around this time, I was praying fervently for an answer concerning the addition of a child. Bill and Idiscussed ALL sorts of options.  Truly God knew that this was not the year to add a baby to our world. A very small part of me is beginning to accept that maybe I was meant to be a mom of one.
We still have options but I can't really say where this will go so I say....stay tuned!
Finally, I have to say that I have learned a lot about life and a lot about myself. I guess that's the gem about getting older. You become wiser and more stable in your identity. I know I will grow some more in the next year. I also hope that God has some good stuff planned for me. I think I deserve it after this year!

What are you reflecting on this time of year?

home movies

Last night, on a whim, we pulled out some old home movies. Not really real old, like 50 years or something but Bill and I have been together for 15 years and although we don't have a lot of memories on tape, there are a few holidays or events we have remembered to tape. One of them was our first Thanksgiving as a married couple. That tape was hysterical. My brother was dating a girl by the name of Amanda too. My dad wasn't disabled like he is now and Bill's mom is on the tape and you can hear her just chattering away.
My most favorite home movie is the tape of Grant's birth. WOW! a lot has changed in just seven short years. I remember so much of that day and how it all came to be. I can remember that overwhelming sense of joy when he came into the world. It's an unexplainable joy, one that stays forever. I can't even imagine the joy that our Creator must feel when he create each one of us. We only get to experience a small amount of that pure joy.
I wanted Grant to watch this with us. He was interested but lost focus at times. That's a seven year old for you! The sweetest part was seeing his little face as a newborn. I was astonished at how much I had changed. My maturity level, the way I carry myself from then to now. A lot of the ways I think and feel about life have changed. It's pretty amazing.
It also is a bittersweet reminder that I still yearn for another sweet baby to hold. Time just keeps ticking away and I'm asking God fora definite answer. Seems we're still in limbo on this and surely by the end of 2012, we'll know what God's answer is.
I went to bed just mesmerized by the creation of human life. I can't fathom why people treat it with such little respect. What I wouldn't give to save all the babies of the world!
The video was also a reminder to soak up every moment of Grant and his personality. To remember the funny things he says, like when I asked why he didn't wear deodorant, he replied "because I'm not weird like you". I hope he continues to be so funny. Laughter truly is the best medicine. and who better to make you laugh than your own child.
Life is so short, I'm trying so hard to live in the moment of the day.
How 'bout you?

Dear Santa....

Writing prompt from Mama Kat's Workshop!
Dear Santa,
Wow! What a year for this girl in TN! I hope you're ready for all that travelling this Christmas.
I am sure you'll get it all done, that's the magic you have! I have been thinking about what I would ask you for this Christmas. I don't want to be too selfish so I'll start with what I want for others.
I know how much you like bullet points because it makes it easier and quicker for you to read and absorb. SO here it goes....

• that every soul on Earth comes to acknowledge and accept the free gift of Salvation and the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
• I want my family and friends to live a happy, healthy, fulfilled, and balanced life.
• I want for children across the world to be protected from evil and the consequences of poor choices made by adults in their world.
• I want for people who are dealing with physical, mental, or spiritual problems to find peace and health.
• I want for our nation to turn back to the values and moral standards that our country was founded on. and stop the nonsense of being "PC". That's just plain ridiculous!
• I want for all the great Teachers in the world to be appreciated and told how important they are.
• I want peace for all those who just need a little break from stress, worry, or problems.

OK, now for Me, I'll keep it down to three!

• I would love for 2012 to be the most phenomenal year of my life!
• I would love to find a teaching job that I just know was the hand of God and the perfect school for me!
• maybe you might see about getting me a new little baby. If you can't get that, at least give me a little sign that I have what I need.

Thanks Santa....you're the Best. Remember to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus too!

Hugs and Kisses
Amanda

I'm sitting here thinking about ALL the things I need to do and yet there isn't enough time int he day! My mind is all boggled up with thought after thought, idea after idea....it's extremely overwhelming!
A part of me wishes I was a SAHM but even they probably don't have enough time to do everything they want. I can also see why God gave me the "not yet" answer for the teaching job. I think I would be in tears! I'd like to take a day but since thee is a lot of testinggoing on at school and I know they count on me to help, I ca't really take a "mental health" day. Maybe next week?
There seems to be something to do or someplace to go every single night this week. It's a small secret but Bill and I aretaking dance lessons....GASP! I think it's good for us, it's sort of like being forcfed to go on a date. Tomorrow night, a small Christmas party, Wenesday afternoon I have an appt and then ther's church, Thursday night is Scouts and another dance lesson on Friday afternoon. I need to clone myself so I can be in two places at once. I think I need to find a small window of time and prioritizse my list of to-do's. I did get the tree up and a few Christmas decorations. Well, let's see how the wekk goes. Wish I could share some pics but now it's time for bed and if I know one thing about myself, it's that I need my sleep! G'night!

Italian Thnaksgiving

The only reason I truly love Thanksgiving is the time off of work. I know that sounds insensitive but I think I have figured out why this holiday isn't such a big deal to me. Growing up, my family never really went all out with the whole dinner thing. I cant' really remember ever gathering around the table and giving thanks for the things we had. When I moved to TN at 15, we went to my Mamaw's for Thanksgiving breakfast. Since it's just the three of us plus the Grammy and I didn't want to travel anywhere except to the comfort of my couch, we decided that our Thanksgiving menu would consist of Homemade Spaghetti & Meatballs, garlic bread and salad! Yup, that's how we do it here at the DeFelice house! And it was delicious! Here's a few pics I snapped of the G-man!

Look at those two kooky kids!

Takes one seven year old to know one!

a bigger boy bedroom update

On my list of to-do's over the Thanksgiving break was to clean and spruce up Grant's bedroom. Lately,he's been sleeping in the same bed as Grammy and I know she loves the company but seriously, he's a wiggle worm when he's asleep. So, I started by taking all the toys off of his two shelves and putting them on his IKEA bunk bed.

Ugghh....what an atrocity!

I took the advice of the BFF and put the two shelves together. The good ole' hubster screwed them into the wall just in case some one gets the urge to climb them! by the way, I have had these shelves forever, I snagged them from a daycare I once worked at when they were getting rid of them!

here's what they look like stacked!

The boy is obsessed with Star Wars Lego's and there is no such thing as an inexpensive set of Star Wars Lego's, so I stole the idea of putting sets into those plastic containers and later I will label them. I totally reduced his collection of "junk" toys and got rid of some games he hasn't played in months.

I kinda just threw some decor up on the top. No rhyme or reason. Those books on the right are old and eventually I want to read them with him. I made that silhouette of him last year and of course his crown is a souvenir from the circus.



I was going to flip his bed over and nix the bunk bed idea but it really opens up the room when I moved the dresser which was next to the bed. He had a tent thing on the top bunk but I took it off. He didn't like it much but I convinced him that it's going to be easier for me to tuck him in. I also bribed him with the glow in the dark stars. l let him stick them wherever and then I put double sided tape on the inflatable shuttle and stuck it on the wall. Moved his "work" table next to the bed and hung up the posters. Ignore the stack of books sitting in the chair. They have to go downstairs to be stored for a future classroom?!



I moved the dresser over to this coiner where I hung a floating shelf to display the Lego sets he and Bill have done together. I didn't center the shelf because then it would be too near to the other shelves on the side. Makes sense?

I would just like to point out that the Bible is just as important as those Star Wars books! LOL :D

That locker basket on the right use to belong to Grant's Grandma Grace whom he never got to meet.

I love the feeling of accomplishment!

gallery photo wall

I couldn't wait to get this little project done! Last year on Black Friday, I bought 2 sets of ten frames in different sizes. I finally got them up on the wall in my hallway. I "him hawed" about if I even wanted to put them there or on the wall in my bedroom. The hallway won!!! Here is my process.....

 I had some plain brow paper bag type wrapping paper. I traced each of frames out on this and started figuring out how I wanted to arrange them. This took the most time but when it was all up, I could change it without making holes all over the wall.  When I had the pattern down, I measured between each frame 1/2 in to 1 inch apart depending on what frame was next to another.

My 70's built house has narrow hallways so this is the view from the bathroom door LOL

This is the view from the dining room! :D

All of my favorite pictures on one gorgeous photo gallery wall!

I have 5 more frames to fill but I'm going to use them somewhere else.

I want to cut my own vinyl saying to put above the far left top frame. We'll see!

A trip to remember....

Whew! it's over! As I sit here on my warm comfy couch, I can reflect on this memory I made with my mom and even though I have nicknamed it "The trip from Haiti's", it all is seems pretty comical!

My mom and I made a mad dash to Maryland to get her things out of storage. She sold her house in 2009 and sold as much as she could but still had quite a bit left. We had planned to go get it all in June (thank God, it would've been so flippin' HOT!) so we planned on a long weekend over Veterans Day holiday.

We left Thursday morning at 6:00am! We took ALL four seats in my van out and only took what we needed. The drive was great! We stopped about 5 times for gas, snacks, dinner and potty breaks.
We got to Winchester, VA (hotel location) around 6:30pm. Mom and I freshened up and went to a local Mall to browse. We ate dinner there and I tried to convince her to do one of those photo booths with me but she "didn't have any make-up on". we went into JCPenneys and I was hunting for a new purse. I love fall and I wanted to find a "autumn" purse. Cha-ching!!! I hit the jackpot with a cute little Liz Claiborne diddy! I love a new purse!
 Anyway, we went to the hotel and vegged out.

Friday brought out the worst of me! I knew it was going to be physically exhausting for me and I prepared myself for that. What I didn't prepare for was the delirium I would experience and the physical pain of hunger and cold after 12 1/2 hours of moving, pulling, pushing, tugging, and exerting every muscle in my body.

After eating breakfast around 10:30am, we headed to the storage unit and began to pull everything out. All the big, heavy stuff was towards the back of course. After making a disastrous mess while pulling things out, we both knew that some things weren't going to make it. I am a firm believer in divine appointments. God sent a couple to us whom we had no idea what their circumstances were. We were just trying to get rid of two televisions and some other things. This lady who was my age just happened to come by to get something out of her unit and we asked if she wanted or needed a t.v. Her husband was in the car and we asked him. Anyway, they both agreed that they would take it from us. They had to go back an get a bigger vehicle. Long story short, we ended up giving them the two t.v.'s, a chest of drawers, a t.v. stand, a mattress and box springs, a desk and chair and we found a baby doll for their young daughter to take. During our conversation with them, they told us that they were starting over. They had lost most of their stuff in their previous home (maybe an eviction?). It was just good to give this all to people trying to make things better for their families.
Divine appointments....love 'em!

My mom and I worked hard for a few hours and I had to go get some water. And I wanted to turn some heat on! It was in the 40's but the wind was blowing something fierce. I came back and I really thought that we'd be done by 8pm o so. It took a long time to get the big stuff loaded. More than I expected. I lost all sense of time after the furniture was all in. I just focused on getting as much as I could in as quickly as I could. It must've been at least 9pm and I was at the end of my physical capabilities. I was in so much pain and I was hungry and cold and exhausted. My mom had to end up throwing some good stuff away. We were shoving, stuffing, and packing all kinds of things in every crevice, nook, and cranny in my van and the moving truck. We were down to a dining room chair, a living room chair, a bed spring, a metal baker's rack, half of a bed rail, and a suitcase!
I went to Walmart to get some bungees while my mom broke down some cardboard boxes. It must've been almost 10pm when I got what I needed at Walmart and wouldn't you know, they were locking the doors on the general merchandise side and I just about had a nuclear explosion. I told the "old man" that Walmart is notorious for hiring as "greeters", that I was NOT going to walk all the way to the other end after the pain I was in and I was NOT going to move from that spot until he unlocked those dumb doors. As I was waiting for him to move as slow as Christmas, this other guy with a cart full of groceries stands behind me and says "excuse me" like I was all in his way! I turned and said " I'm waiting for the door to open too!!!" Some people!!! I really was not me in these last hours of the day.
I got back to the storage unit and wouldn;t ya know that the gate hours are from 9:30am to 10:00pm and my mom was done with her part. I was so cold, I was shaking and groaning in pain. I had my phone on my leg when I went to Walmart and I was so delirious that when I got back, I went to look for it and couldn't find it. I seriously lost my mind! I began to yell and cry and holler and panic. I was a terrible mess. At this point, it must've been 11pm. We strapped the rest of the leftover stuff to the top of my van and I started my car to leave. My mom came to my window and said that the battery int the moving truck was dead..............(crickets began to chirp)

It took us until 12:45am to get roadside assistance to come and jump off the truck and we were finally on the way back to Winchester. I think it was about 2am and when we got back to the hotel, I peeled my clothes off and got into the shower. The hottest water I could stand.  I was in so much pain, I was moaning loudly. My mom said that people next to us were going to light a cigarette after I was done. I have to admit, it probably sounded like I was having a good time with a man but I really was hurting and didn't care what sound I made or who heard me!

We both slept until about 11am. It took us over an hour to get going on the road. We had to find a place to get some breakfast and coffee. We stopped every 2 hours or so. It must've been 8 or 9pm on Saturday and we went into a McD's to get some coffee and use the bathroom. Suddenly I looked down and found that good ole' mother nature's friend showed up to greet me! Great! the trip just got even better! I mentioned it to my mom and she began to laugh hysterically in the bathroom stall. We went on to get some gas and headed on to Cookeville. We stopped one last time at a rest area about 45 miles from home. My mom  was beat down, I was exhausted in every sense of the word and she thought she just couldn't make it. I told her to push through the pain and try to make it just a little bit longer. Gosh, those last miles were so long!

It was about 2am on Sunday morning when we got to my house. She was afraid to pull the truck into my driveway at night so she parked it at Walgreen's. Bill had stayed up to greet us and helped me untie all the bungee cords and straps off the top of my van. I don't even remember what I did after that, I just remember falling into my bed and going to sleep.

Our adventure ended and I had a few church friends come over last night to help me unload the heavy stuff. Thank God for strong men!
Bill couldn't help me with his bad back and besides he was at a Scout meeting.

Thought there were parts that were hard to endure, my mom and I made a lasting memory. I have written about here just in case one day, my son wants to know how his mom can lose her sanity. LOL

Life is short and I'm so glad I still have my mom. She's one tough cookie, a gold medal winner in the category of starting over. If you still have your mom around, go do something out of the ordinary with her. Make  a memory that will last forever.

FAQ's

Linking up with Mama Kat's Writer Workshop

FAQ's about me:

1. What is your occupation?
I'm a certified teacher but my job right now is an RTI reading "coach". I pull kids out of class and work with them on various reading skills. What is RTI? it's short for Response to Intervention which in essence is a process children have to go through to receive special education services.

2. Where were you born?
I was born in Klamath Falls, OR but I have lived in several states. Since I have lived in TN for the longest amount of time, I tell people I'm from TN.

3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
I went to Sea World when I was 9 or 10 and saw the trainers with the killer whales and I knew I wanted to do that. I wanted to be a marine biologist and work at Sea World.

4. How many kids dd you want when you grew up?
I definitely wanted two but I always thought depending on who I married and how much money we earned, I would go for 3. In reality, I have one child.

5. What do you do when you get mad/upset?
My first instinct is to shut down. It's something I have always done. I don't want to talk to anyone.
I usually go for a walk, listen to music or read a devotional book. If I'm really mad, I tend to be more vocal , depending on the situation.

6. What do you absolutely HATE?
I hate when people lie to me and I hate when people steal from me.

7. What is your favorite season?
I love summer and fall. I wish I could have fall without cold weather. I love the changing of the leaves.

8. What's your biggest pet peeve?
Watching or hearing about adults who expose their kids to stuff that they don't need to know. Grant gets mad at me because I won't let him PG13 movies. Well, he's not 13 and even then, the movie may still not be appropriate. I don't like seeing kids sitting at a bar in a restaurant. I don't like seeing kids with their parents buying alcohol. I don't like hearing kids repeat stuff you know for a certain fact, they've heard at home or from their parents.

9. Who has been the most influential person on your life?
I would say my Mamaw. A woman whose strength to endure a lot of hard times has inspired me to stay strong. She has lost a lot in life and yet she is a faithful Godly woman. She is the epitome of the Fruit of the Spirit.

10. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I hope I am teaching at a great school and enjoying life with my family. I want to go to Italy or a Caribbean cruise. I want to be in better health than I am now. I hope I have a second child by then and I hope that my relationship with Christ is stronger.





3

oVeRHauL

I have lived in my house for almost 12 years....it's hard to believe at times! There are things I would change about this house and even at times, I get so irritated with how small it is. Then I remember that at least I have a house with all the creature comforts. Anyway, the basement has been a constant irritation of mine. It has been the "dumping" ground for all our crap stuff. I swore to myself that I was going to spend the summer organizing, trashing, rearranging and cleaning up the whole basement. It was very daunting and sometimes discouraging BUT alas I think I have reached some sort of semblance of an organized space. Here are some before pictures. I show you with much agony because it's shameful! the images could be mistaken for someone on Hoarders....no joke!

AFTER

I know it still looks like I have a ton of stuff but trust me, I made a lot of dump runs and recycled a bunch of stuff and gave a away a lot too.

It feels great completing projects of this proportion.

I'm still working on different parts but for the majority of the space, it turned great!

popularity

I never was popular.....not in elementary school, not in middle school and most assuredly, never in high school.....and not much has changed since then.
and another thing.....it goes along with popularity......life is not fair......never has been, never will be....
why am I mumbling about popularity?
because I experienced a life lesson this week, that merit and hard work and committment and loyalty will never guarantee you a better position in life's sticky situations.

how will I get past this "injustice"? Only with God's help and a fervent prayer to understand His timing, His will, His plan, His ways, His peace, His love for me, His unfailing and unchanging ways.
Our lives will change, our ciircumstnaces will change, people come and go, friends come and go, jobs come and go, but God and his infinitee wisdom will never change!

one of the many songs that has helped me thorough this has been "These are the Words I would say" from Sidewalk Prophets

You Capture ~ Cute

Friends Forever

Jengo Fet & Little Red Riding Hood

My Guys

This past weekend was PERFECT for takin some fall family pictures, here are a few my very favorites!

it's just me and my Guys!

praise God in the storm....

Have you ever felt like you are the only person in the world with so much hurt, so much despair, so much worry, and so many problems. You feel like the emotions could just pull you under a wave of depression. A never ending despair.....that is how felt on Sunday. Then God delivered the most amazing message to me through my Pastor. Essentially, it was about praising God amidst the "wars" we face. A portion of his sermon came from Joshua 6. If you grew up in a church where biblical songs were taught... you will know the song "Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, and the walls came tumbling down"....well, that's the main chorus but you get the point.
God called on Joshua to lead his people in praising God before the battle of Jericho. He was telling them to do what we would think is ridiculous! There have been several situations where praising God is the last thing I want to do. I want God to fix it or make it go away! It isn't in our selfish nature to do the Praising before the victory. We want a victory over whatever is weighing us down, and all we want is for others to pray for us (which isn't necessarily bad) and for God to answer our prayers quickly!
There are so many opportunities in my life where I should have been praising God before the victory. Now, I'm starting to realize how the praising of God in the bad times is just as important as Praising Him in the good times. We all have those days where we are the only guest at our pity parties. We get distracted by all the circumstantial stuff of life. We think it will drown us. We begin to believe the enemy is going to win us over. But, there is hope, there is a God. He is the God of Heaven and Earth. He knows our deepest thoughts, our sorrows, our joys, our problems and even holds the answers to it ALL! This week, my heart is set on praising God through the stroms I am facing. It will make the victory even sweeter!

Caravan Kids

Camping with kids can be challenging but these kids are a reall hoot to be around! It is a church tradition of sorts where we go camping with the Caravan kids. Caravans is a scouting program with the Church of the Nazarene in case anyyone out there is wondering.
This year, since I'm the 'director', I made the rule that kids must bring a parent and camp out in their own tents. Well, just four families showed up which was fine with me. The kids played really well together and we played a game where I asked different kinds of quesitons for each person to answer. It was fun and interesting to know what other people would say. We had the traditional s'mores and our fire kinda burned down quickly but it was fine because by the time we did allthtat, it was time to hit the sleeping bags.
Satruday morning came quick for me....I think I fell asleep sometime after1am? Apparently other campers don't knwo what quiet time is at 10pm. Saturday morning, we ate crockpot breakfast casserole, cereal, milk, juice, and banabas. After we straightened up a bit, we took off to explore a cave. Then we went to find a geocache. That took FOREVER! actually it took a little over an hour but the hike was a good 2 hours long. We headed back to our site, ate lunch, packed up and left! The kids had a lot of fun....I hope! Until next year......

a new front look

It has taken me forever to get this little project finished. For two weekends in September, I had planned to paint the door and the shutters on the front of the house. The weekend of the 24th, Bill went out of town for a weekend retreat so it was the perfect opportunity to get it done.

the door before

You can see my sample paint colors on the upper right of the door

shutters before

painting the trim a fresh color too

there is this hideous vinyl paneling under two of the windows

the caulking was terrible and dirty and ugly

I thought to myself, why not paint those too!

I chose the same color I used for my bedroom on the shutters and vinyl panels

Toffee Crunch

Behr Premium

THE BEST PAINT EVER!

My 'derduhder' moment came when I realized that I was painting with interior

latex paint (my leftover quart from the bedroom was going to save me some money!)

I had to run back to HD and get a quart of exterior

$15.00

The trim color (Lightweight Beige) was another $15.00 and

the Red Delicious for the door was $15.00

for less than $50.00, it was well worth the money

Somebody was just DYYYYINNNGGGGG to paint!

He was relentless

I told him where to paint

that lasted a whole 10 minutes

then I secretly went back over the flaws

I love my fresh Mums....I love the Autumn season!

my cute little Welcome sign....had it in a drawer waiting for the perfect place!



The shutters and the trim look fantastic!

don't ya think?

I didn't take a before of it, but I removed landscape timbers that ran along the front of my beds of mulch, that project will come sometime in the spring with tax refund money!



the best picture I could get while the sun was still shining...

Side note as I was paining, I couldn't believe that I had never thought of doing any of this sooner.

I guess I was insecure in the thoughts of what I should do to make the front look a little better.

Sometimes, all it takes is just taking the risk to do something different and to heck with all the insecure thoughts about what is right or wrong. This was so inexpensive and for the most part easy. I usually don't toot my own horn, but I think I did a great little job at sprucing up the front of my house!