December House

I am quiet in my soul.

Peaceful and Grateful.

This was a very good season.

Three little Christmas Houses remind me of the cold and blustery day in November that my Mama, Ashley and I (with little Poppy) ventured out to Nell Hill's in search of Holiday goodness.

Candles burned all month long.

Evergreen, pumpkin spice, and peppermint crush were the scents of this season.

New stockings!

Before we ever had children I purchased the bow and flower stockings at an after Christmas sale.

Each and every year I would lament the fact that I didn't make new stockings to accommodate our growing family.

This summer, unbeknownst to me, David dug the two stockings out of our tub of Holiday decor, and took them to a very talented lady who created two new matching stockings for my boys!

How very very thoughtful.

You bet I cried when David presented them to me this October.

New Books!

My favorite Christmas gift.

Admittedly, they never get a lot of action the morning of.

There are other shiny new things.

But books are friends that last longer than all the other toys and goodies.

Last night at 10:30pm, Roman snuck into my room with his new book.

We read about Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne by the light of my lamp.

He loves that Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel Mary Anne.

I am looking forward to the new year, but sort of want to hang on to the last bits of loveliness this December has been.

Poppy Love

The story of Poppy's birth is different in some small ways than my previous experiences.

But in the most important ways it was exactly the same as each of the others.

There was a lotta love and excitement in that room. The mood was relaxed and peaceful (thank you epidural/anesthesiologist) and I only pushed one time before she made her debut.

(it's obnoxious i know, you can hit me later)

I am grateful for the blessing of healthy babies and big hips. :)

I guess at this point, when I think about the story of Poppy's birth, I'm not thinking as much about time-lines and numbers anymore.

Stepping back a bit from it all I see another story,

about how Poppy has brought so much to our home.

My mom sewed the blue pillow for me.

It was a project I had tucked in the corner of my room for so long.

I am not a seamstress.

And I'm not sure why I always collect projects that require the sewing machine.

Also, my bed is clear.

Clear of laundry that is.

Friday after Poppy was born, I hit a personal slump.

I think the reality of 4 children certainly caught up with me.

(and that is an understatement)

I burst into tears no less than 3 times that day, and my sisters and mom caught wind.

They converged on my home Friday night and brought dinner, folded my mounds of laundry and then took Zach, Lily and Roman for overnights at their homes.

I'll take the opportunity to publicly thank my patient husband who put up

with endless "to-do" lists and never once complained or told me (rightfully so) I was insufferable/pushing it/a slave driver.

These lists were split down the middle.

My side and his side.

Except my side said things like *purchase pacifier *order this/that

...and his side looked more like *build bookshelves *paint and move furniture *make crib skirt (yes, he really did that...he's way better with a sewing machine by the way) *switch light fixtures *clean your nasty garage.

Ahhhhh, I only wish I was kidding.

I can laugh now, it doesn't all seem nearly as important as it did a few weeks ago.

The book ledges are in the boys room.

And below are pictures from the girls room.

A lot of love went into the preparations for Poppy's arrival.

Meals and well-wishes from family and friends have been abundant and so so appreciated.

It is humbling to realize just how essential the kind service of others has been to our family.

And although we have our moments of crazy,

everyone is a bit softer,

the kids beg to hold Poppy all the time,

and we are more interested in making the feeling in our home a little more heaven-like.

Fresh starts

Winter break is over, and tomorrow it's back to school.

At dinner, David asked Zachary if he was excited for school and to

"get back into the swing of things".

Zachary said very matter-of-factly, "Dad, we don't even have swings at our school".

True, true.

But seriously, I'm a mother hen at heart.

I love when all my chicks are together, all day long.

Sure, it's been louder, and probably more chaotic, but it's been fun.

As part of our last hurrah today, we planted paperwhites.

A pot for each babe.

While they were making the mess, and arranging their bulbs,

I thought about how fast paperwhites grow.

It's incredible really.

My my, how appropriate.

I feel the same way about my little sweeties.

**tip of the day**

these paperwhite kits (that come in a great silver, red or cream planter) are on Christmas clearance at Target. But they aren't with the Christmas clearance. They are hiding in the Smith & Hawken aisle. Some stores haven't even posted the sign, but they ring up at $2.49.

The planter alone is totally worth it!

Where credit is due

Last week David spent an entire day painting furniture for me.

We're swapping rooms around here.

It's a lot of work to decorate on a shoestring budget,

but David is always willing to make my dreams come true :)

Oh, and it was also deer hunting weekend.

So he was just scoring some extra points

and ensuring I had nothing to whine about while he was gone.

(It worked.)

I've started to assemble the rooms,

and there is a lot left to do.

But boy oh boy, it's my favorite thing..."setting up".

Just ask my mom, who swears I never never actually played house as a little girl.

She says I spent the whole time setting up my kitchen.

I annoyed more than one playmate, and some sisters too I'm sure.

**Lily's beautiful bed is an antique from craigslist,

and the detail shot is her polka-dot duvet cover and fabric for a pillow...

(that has yet to be made).**

A penny saved...

I've experimented with many many different ways to conserve money.

Makes me chuckle to think about all the things I have tried.

Mostly though, I'm encouraged by the valuable deals.

Yet the fact is, no one really cares. I'm sure my husband appreciates it, but I have a hunch he is feigning interest when I display my loot on the island and declare, "LOOK! Look what I got for $2.34!"

And so it goes with the laundry soap.

I've been making my own for almost a year.

It works, is amazingly economical, is not a difficult process, and I've upgraded the look from a 5 gallon Lowes bucket to pretty glass bottles. (recycled $1.50 Heinz vinegar bottles)

Oh, I have a feeling that picture of soap will send me down memory lane in about 30 years.

Ahhhh yes, those days of business start up, making soap and clipping coupons.

And speaking of memory lane, I hope this is one I will never forget.

Last week I hopped into bed next to Lily after she was asleep.

I kept staring at her sweet little pigtail,

thinking about what an amazing perk it is to be able to

crawl into bed for a nap on a sunny afternoon next to my little 3 year old.

If I have to make soap the rest of my life...so be it.

Stream of consciousness...

I'm nervous that my sister Anna is going to be disappointed with this post. I doubt this is what she had in mind when she pulled up the blog on her phone tonight and told me she needed something new to read :)

I've started with the back to school dreams. Except this time it's not me who is standing naked in the halls. I've morphed into the mother role. (of course) And in my last dream, I realized school was starting the following day and I had not bought Zachary his school supplies, and I didn't know what his bus number or who his teacher was. Those are horrible dreams. It's such a miserable feeling.

This blog has officially been kept for 3 years. And while it is certainly not a comprehensive record of my thoughts or our family doings...it's something. And it really, really makes me smile.

I won! Or at least that is the feeling I have about my latest craigslist-ing adventures. I saw the iron and wood table and thought the lines looked similar to THIS one. Plus it was $965 cheaper. And that mirror was an old wooden mirror (with cat claw scratches) that I scooped up and decided to gold leaf. fun times. It's not a great picture because (1) the angle...you can't tell how long the table really is, and you can't really see the mirror (2) we don't actually have an entry way...so it is a bit out of place here in our rental (3) it's not styled yet. But that's the fun part for me. I'm sure I'll spend the next few months trying to figure out exactly what I want.

But you know what I really want? I want to jump off a cliff. No I'm serious. I sort of want to do something crazy and wild and fun again. With David. We used to jump off cliffs or what about that time we pulled the rip cord ride and dropped 190 feet...free fall, or swam in those caves in Maui or hiked that tiny trail on the edge of a mountain in Colorado. And because we knew each other when we were teenagers, the list of stupid/ridiculous activities we participated in (or snuck around to do) is long. And laughable. Like..."Hey, remember that time when we were making out in the creek and...". Yeah. Stuff like that. I'm not sure what spurred this on. Maybe I've bought one too many boxes of diapers lately, or maybe it was the roller coasters at the amusement park last weekend. I guess I need to shake it up a bit.

heat index

This week my weatherman loved to talk about the heat index.

Let's just say it was Hot. And Humid.

And during a Missouri summer those words are capitalized.
Yes sir they are.

My respite is sparkling water.

It's refreshing, I think it must be the bubbles.

And when the heat index is 105,

and it is still only June,

well,

I've earned it.

I've always heard that gardening can teach you a lot about life.

I've been searching for ideas that make living with vegetables pretty. On a deck these plants take up a lot of room. I say, make those tomato cages earn their keep! What a great idea. Of course carrying out such a project is more difficult than it may appear. When do I have time for frivolous things? If you want to know the nitty-gritty of this DIY, it involves me at the edge of the woods, in the dark, with a flashlight, 4 wire cages and a can of spray paint.

Logistics aside, I find satisfaction in this aspect of motherhood. Finding ways to make our lives a little more comfortable and beautiful is important to me.

After I took these pictures, David called to tell me about a cockroach job he took. In haste he bid a premium price for this time consuming and undesirable task. He wasn't really concerned about getting the work, but the customer agreed. He arrived at the home to find the caller was 17 years old. The teenager met him at the door and showed him the infested house. It was a much larger problem than David had imagined. Through casual conversation David discovered that the boys parents refused to do anything about it, and he just couldn't live like that any longer. He said he wanted to be able to bring his friends over. So he was paying for the treatments, with his own money.

Sometimes my perspective changes so swiftly that it shocks me.

The Lord sees fit to teach me this way.

I see the yellow tomato cages not as a reminder of my clever accomplishments, but a reminder of how very much more there is for me to do.

Now, if we can just keep Roman from eating the soil.

Our little herb garden resides on our deck.
I wish I had my very own dirt, but for now, everything must go inside a pot.
(the mowing crew here is c.r.a.z.y. they run over everything. tree branches/small children)
kidding. but only sort of.
Zach and I planted the herbs during nap time.
It's fun to chat it up while gardening.
I made the little signs from popsicle sticks, paint, and a whiteout pen.
I loved my friend Missy's little garden sign and thought it was perfect.
We have 4 tomato plants and a zucchini too!
An heirloom Mr. Stripey, Patio, Big Boys, and Early Girls.
They are resigned to containers as well.
I'm crossing my fingers, because in my (short) experience tomatoes really prefer the ground.
I hope to prove myself wrong.
Signs for the vegetables are in the works.



Of course Lily got in on the action earlier when we planted flowers out front.
My kids do love to plant.
I think they developed the love because of my mom, who always makes sure
to include them in her flower gardening.
My mom plants annuals every spring. For as long as I can remember.
Her house and deck are always bursting with color.
Yay for flowers, yay for vegetables!

Pretty

Roses from Mother's Day.

A week later.

I like when they are almost spent.

I think it's their prettiest time.

Making me Happy

{1}

Adorable ramekins on clearance at JoAnn's. My store only had 1 box. They located two more boxes and shipped them from Corpus Christy, TX. So happy they were willing to go to all that trouble for a clearance item. I'm making mini turkey pot pies in them. With the turkey from the post below, haha.
{2}
My friend Yanery made me a beautiful camera strap! She just whipped it up one morning and said it was no big deal. It was a BIG DEAL to me. So sweet. (and if it wasn't so difficult to take the strap off my camera I'd have a picture.)
{3}
A sweet deal on a PBK lunchbox. $5.99 plus free shipping. I WILL HAVE A KINDERGARTNER THIS FALL!! I WILL BE PACKING LUNCHES!!!
{4}
My spunky, spirited little girl. I love her. I am learning so much about mothering, and about life in general through this gal. She is one of a kind, and I'm so glad to be her mother!

{5}
Swagbucks!! I am up to the equivalent of $50 in Amazon gift cards and I can't wait to cash them in.
At first I thought I'd buy something practical like diapers.
Then I thought, nah...a treat for myself.
I can't decide between my favorite candle, those beautiful books, or some specialty grocery items!
If you want to sign up, kindly use me as a referral and I'll love you for ever!
www.swagbucks.com/refer/tarap or I can send an email.

{6}

Dave continues with the cool HUD housing treasures.

He brought home 2 of those black dusty chairs, solid wood, real old, real sturdy.

They are in my project pile.

He found that big crock, an old steamer trunk, a marble topped bistro table, retro green lamp, new paint brushes, nice JEEP umbrella stroller, a bentwood-style chair. Oh my, the list goes on and on.

It's like a flea market that's FREE! Never know what you will find.

{7...}

A date night with my husband on Friday!

The Kansas City Temple ground breaking Saturday!

Mother's Day on Sunday!

Easter Weekend

I think we celebrated all weekend long.

On Friday Aunt Anna and Uncle Kyle came over to dye eggs.

I LOVE how the eggs turned out.

Every single egg was cracked when they were done.

And they ate two for good measure.

Saturday was a neighborhood Easter egg hunt

and General Conference.

Why oh why do we do this?

The older kids refused to get near.

Poor Roman.

Sunday Morning the Easter Bunny came.

An egg hunt at Grandpa Painter's house was notable.

Zach was WAY into the shiny eggs that had money inside.

Lily didn't care about the money, she loved her candy bracelets.

On Sunday we enjoyed Conference again, and made

stops at Easter Feasts. (four to be exact)

This was a beautiful weekend.

I feel such gratitude for my Savior.

I feel sustained by my faith.

I feel the gentle promptings to be better.

I will be resurrected too, and I can live with my family forever.