Last week's project..

When Jordan turned 2, we started looking for a mattress set so we could switch her out of her crib. We cannot afford to go to a store and buy a full bedroom set for her room (we don't even have one in our room!) so I figured mattresses were a good start. I found a headboard online that I love, and Jon is going to make it for me. I never took down her changing table--she is long past being changed on the table, but I still use the drawer and baskets for her socks, bloomers, swimsuits, and PJs.

A couple weeks ago I answered an ad in the paper for a dresser. I drove out to Gurley to look at it, and instantly loved it. It was only $25 for the dresser!!! I knew I was going to re-finish it in a white, but I bought it immediately!

Projects around my house tend to be put off...sometimes for months and months. I was determined that this would not be the same. In fact, I bought it on the 20th, and I am very proud to say that with Jon and I working on it alternately, it's done today on the 30th! I can't wait to put it up in J's room and break the changing table down! I think it will look so pretty!

The paint and knobs cost about $40. I say $65 for a solid wood dresser is a good deal! I distressed it a little on the edges, and I am SO pleased with how it came out!

Free Family Fun

Friday afternoon I met my friend Heather and her little girl Kaley at a park in Madison. The park is at the top of Stoneway Trail in Madison, and has several hiking trails that branch off and meander around the top of this little mountain. Friday we pretty much stayed at the park, but I began to wonder if my kids are old enough to start doing a little hiking. We walked in on a trail for about 5 minutes, and the kids were just taking it all in. They loved seeing all the nature, and we were going slowly and I was trying to point everything out to them.

I told Jon about it, and Saturday morning we decided to head up as a family and take a little hike. We had pretty low expectations--not knowing how much the kids would tolerate. We just wanted to see how they would do. We love to camp and fish and hike--anything outdoors--and are so excited that both of our kiddos are getting to the age to participate in that kind of stuff with us!!! It was a beautiful day--started off with cool brisk weather and warmed up. The sun was out and we really had a great time out in God's nature!

Jordan wanted help walking down this little trail to the park. Sweet Lawson was there to lend a hand.

There weren't any picnic tables, so we sat on the playscape to eat our picnic.

Jordan on the bouncing horse. I love the expression on her face--she was being so silly!

Lawson and Jon looking at a Daddy Long Legs and his web.

Practicing. This is a good sized little rock that's at the playground. My kids played on it forever...they kept calling it their mountain! Lawson's practicing his rock climbing!

Jordan walking around. She looks so big to me in this picture!

We found two little lizards skittering around on a fallen log. Jon took this picture, then tried to catch one for Lawson to see. He almost got him, but the little guy scurried into his little hole!

This is Jordan's face and expression when she found a huge spider web and turned to tell Jon! This makes me laugh!

Okay, fine...you got me...I think this kid is pretty cute! I can't stop taking pictures of her! :)

We were hiking on this cute little trail. Jordan took off in the lead and ran ahead for a little while, but then Lawson announced he wanted to be the "line leader" so he ran up front to lead the way!

Climbing up this pretty big rock to get all the way up to daddy. I must say that I was impressed that my 2 and 3 year-old kids got up this by themselves!!!

We made it!!!!

Close-up...

Down a rocky trail... Kinda steep, huh?

They did so great...we hiked for about 35 minutes, and they only complained about being tired for the last 5-10 or so. Jordan got a little lift on Daddy's shoulders, and Lawson wanted to sit on this rock and take a rest. When Jordan was climbing up her last little rocky trail before the end, she kept whispering to herself "My heart goes bum-bum, my heart goes bum-bum, my heart goes bum-bum..." SO CUTE! :)

Despite the fact that a couple times a year I am plagued by poison-something--oak, ivy, sumac...I have no idea--I don't know what any of those plants look like. I know you can look them up online, but I can never recognize them in real life--you know, when it matters...

I was totally paranoid the whole time we were walking around, sure that every plant that grows in the wild must have some itch inducing oil on it!!! I saw this plant and it is red and has 5 leaves...someone tell me--did I spot one??? :()

We got back to the park after a completely enjoyable little family hike! I am so excited--the kids did great, and I really think they loved it! I think this is just the beginning of another family hobby for us to all do together. This is when our trail came back to the park. We took a little swing to rest and cool off...then headed home for NAPTIME!!! :)

Does anyone have any ideas for me?

Sorry to do a Jordan post two days in a row...but I don't know what I'm going to do with the child! Seriously, she is the most bug-bitten person I have ever seen in my life! Earlier this summer she got into an anthill and had about 30-40 ant bites all over her body.

When the weather was getting warmer and warmer, our yard FILLED UP with mosquitoes. Currently, she has about 50, yes FIFTY, mosquito bites on her little bitty body. Most of these are OPEN sores b/c in her sleep she scratches them--sometimes when she wakes up her sheets are bloody. I have started putting her in pants, but it doesn't always work.

Sunday at the Youth Group's Flag Football Tourney, she got into more ants on the football field and got about 15 ant bites to add to her skeeter bites!!

Seriously!!! Is she really that sweet??? I really don't know what to do about this!!

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What I need to know....

1. What's the best thing you've used to keep mosquitoes from biting?

--I've tried Off, Cutter, SkinSoSoft...

2. What's the best thing you've used to keep bites from itching?

--I have been giving her Benadryl at night. I also use Caladryl Clear and Benadryl spray during the day. Once they're open sores, though, the medicines burn--She hollers, "It's hot, Mommy, It's hot!!"

3. Do you know anything you can spread/spray in the grass to keep mosquitoes away from your yard?

--I am hoping for a natural deterrant and don't really want to put a chemical, but I may resort to that if I have to...

Do you think...

any marker actually got on the dry erase board she was supposed to be coloring on??? :)

Kids Lately

Here are some recent pics of the kids....

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Lawson eating lunch one day...He's been making such goofy smiles lately, so I'm always glad when I get his "real" smile!

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When we play outside I park at the end of the driveway--to keep the kids out of the street and to give them more driveway. They love riding their bikes!

Lawson got his bike when he turned 2--he's getting a little big for it...I think we'll get him a bike with training wheels for his 4th birthday or for Christmas this year...

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This was at a tailgate party that our class had to celebrate the beginning of football season. Everyone was supposed to wear their favorite team's colors...My kids had outgrown all of our OU clothes, so I made the kids matching shirts with plain white shirts and red magic marker. I thought they looked pretty decent! The mark on Jordan's face was from her fall--it healed up so much better than I thought it would! :)

A little wrinkled up--Says "Boomer Sooner!!"

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The day we went to Chick-Fil-A for free Chicken Strips we came home with 3 or 4 leftovers so I stuck them in the fridge. The next morning I came downstairs after hanging up some laundry and this is what I found.....

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Last week we took the kids to the park to kick balls...we used to have a soccer ball but earlier this summer i accidentally backed over it in the van and it popped...the kids love their Kickballs, though...and it reminds me of when I was in elementary school! :)

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The other night I looked into the playroom and saw that the kids had found Jon's lunch bag and were sitting together so nicely playing 'picnic' with their play food! It was the sweetest thing! Later I snapped this picture of them sitting still and playing together...They were being so sweet I hated to break it up to put them to bed!!

My Dad's Visit

Here are some pictures from my dad's visit...The kids call him Grandad...

Jordan loved getting 'scooted' around the pool in her floatie chasing around and kicking the ball...

And jumping...

Lawson was splashing...but it was a very cool day and had been raining in the morning...we couldn't talk the kids out of going swimming...but they were FREEZING!!

Lawson is so timid in the water....

At our neighborhood park...

Swinging...

Riding in the back of Grandad's truck on the way home from the park...Don't worry--we didn't go out of the neighborhood!! The kids ABSOLUTELY loved this!! They both had balls, and they would put them in the grooves of the truck bed. When Dad would speed up, they would roll away, then when he'd stop, they'd come back! The kids thought this was so cool!

I CANNOT believe Jordan fell asleep like this with my dad!! This has never happened in her life!

While my dad was asleep, Lawson had some fun playing with Grandad's boots!

The kids had a lot of fun playing with Grandad...we're so glad he was able to visit!

L-T-N-B

That's 'Long Time, No Blog!'

It has been 3 weeks since I have posted anything. I felt obligated to post something today, though, because Jon's grandma called Jon's mom to see if we were ok! When Jon's mom said, "Yeah, why?" Grandma said, "Because Stacy hasn't blogged in a LONG time!"

My dad came for the weekend after Labor Day. We had a good visit, and the kids really enjoyed getting to spend time with him! He doesn't get to visit much, so we really tried to enjoy all the time he was here.
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Let me tell you about my Walk-In Clinic escapade....Earlier that week, I had been working in the yard trying to get it cleaned up before the Fall Pine Needle Attack! I'm not sure where or when it happened, but I got poison ivy again!! This is the 2nd time this year! Late Wednesday night I started itching, then Thursday it was a little worse. The Friday he was driving down I decided I just couldn't make it through the weekend without getting 'help'! It was all around my left eye and ear, on my left jaw and chin, down my neck, and on my right shoulder and armpit. My guess--It got on my left glove, then when I rubbed my face and shoulder the oil rubbed off.

My doctor couldn't get me in, but told me to go buy a cream over the counter. I left my house at 11:30 to go get it then go right home. I was only gonna be gone 20-30 minutes! I found in on the shelf and it was $40!!! And the pharmacist told me that by the looks of it my rash was too far gone for this cream to help. She told me I needed to go get a shot. I told her I couldn't get in, and she recommended a walk-in clinic. I ran through the drive-thru to get lunch to eat in the waiting room, then I toted myself and the kids over and started filling out paperwork. She told me it would be an hour to an hour and a half. I took the kids out to the sidewalk to eat a 'picnic.' After an hour of waiting-not counting the paperwork time- I went to ask how much longer. She checked and there were still 4 people in the waiting room that were still ahead of me!!! They hadn't even gone back. By now it was almost 2 and I had both kids with me, no diaper bag, no toys, no cups, no snacks--NOTHING!!

In the meantime, Jon had been looking for another place for me to call and found one that said there would just be a 30-45 minute wait to see the Dr. So....we loaded up, headed ACROSS town, filled out all the same paperwork AGAIN, then started waiting again!! I finally saw a doctor, got a shot, got a pill, plus he gave me an anitbiotic and cough med for my sinus infection. I finally got home at 3:45!!!! So much for a 25 minute trip!!! CRAZY!!!
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Last Friday was my 1-year mark from my car accident last year...I am so thankful that I am not having major problems from it!! After particularly long or hard-working days, I do have minor lower-back pain, but nothing I can't handle! What I'm worried about is that I was rear-ended right after I left from renewing my tags. Well...it's that time again, and I'm afraid to go get them renewed again!!! What terrible deja-vu that would be!!!
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Last week I called into a radio talk show that I listen to every morning! I have tried to call before, but I always get a busy signal. Well, this time I got through! I told the host how much I enjoy his show and I feel like I learn a lot about the political and social issues surrounding us today. He asked me why I was up and I told him I listen while I deliver papers, but I only get the first hour. He gave me a premium membership to his website for calling, so now I can podcast the other two hours commercial free and listen to them at the gym!!! May sound dumb, but I was SOOOO excited after getting through and talking to him! And SO excited about the membership...whenever I quit the papers, that radio show was going to be what I missed most about my mornings!
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About last Wednesday I decided to have a yard sale on Saturday. I pulled out a bunch of stuff that I've had stored and moved from house to apt to apt to house to apt, etc....It was raining in the morning, so I don't think I sold as much as I could've, but either way money is money!!! I started with 5 totes of stuff, plus some bigger things. I have a couple totes left that I'm taking to charity--and Jon and I are so happy all that stuff is GONE!! I feel like I had such a productive week last week sorting through everything then selling and giving it all away!!

Well, that may be enough for now...kinda overwhelming to try to catch up when it's been so long since a post... I'll try to get some current pictures up of the kids this week...we'll see how that goes!!

Happy Monday to everyone!!

Whooooo--eee!!!

What a great long weekend we've had! I love it when Jon is home...it's so much nicer to have another adult around to tag-team with!

It was especially nice to have him around for a couple specific reasons, though. For one, I spent the weekend subbing papers for a friend. Saturday I woke up at 2:15 and went to p/up the papers, but they weren't there yet. Turns out the press broke down and they didn't get there til almost 4! I got home at about 7:15!

Sunday we wrapped about 750 Sunday papers and Jon threw them all! (B/C he's awesome!) When the alarm went off for church, we were both tired, both had sore throats, and my left eye was red and oozing gross goo. We decided to keep everyone home and not infect the rest of the church! We slept in while letting the kids watch extra TV, then spent the afternoon going through a pile of papers that I've been meaning to go through for weeks!

This morning I threw about 950 papers, then Jon let me sleep in a little. I woke up and we started to work out in the yard some while the kids played. We went to Chick-Fil-A for free chicken strips (my grade=C-, but free!) then put the kids down for nap. Now, I'm fiddling on the internet while Jon and Mike watch the football game.

Busy, Fun, Sick, Tired, Better, Fun and Busy pretty much describes the events of the weekend. Yeah for long weekends!! :)

Well, I'm off to give the kids a bath...here's to a good rest-of-the-week!!!