Home improvement

I love home improvements. I love a fresh coat of paint.  I love making something old look new or a new/old look to something.  Distressed is my favorite look.  I love recovering stools or adding a little material to something to give it a softer look. 

I love to look at DIY blogs.  My newest favorite site is http://www.thehouseofsmiths.com.  This lady is amazing!!  I can't even say enough about how much she has changed in her house.  Her house is amazing to start with but her changes are outstanding (in my book atleast).  She inspires me to finish a few that I've started and start a few more.

This lady inspired my kitchen. http://timmonsfamilylemonade.blogspot.com/2011/04/kitchen.html. I love what she has done to her's.  I've painted my kitchen cabinets to look the same but I used a natural bisque color as my under tone and I don't love it.  I've looked at paint colors to paint the walls but I haven't found any so I will just repaint my under tones white and re-glaze.

My next project is a built in storage area for the kids coats, shoes and backpacks.  I'm so excited/nervous to get started.  I also need to paint my back door and replace the weather stripping (this may have to be done before my storage area).  Once that's done then my bathroom is getting repainted and my bead board walls redone.  I LOVE home improvements.

Just so you know, one of my favorite shows in "This Old House."  My kids think I'm crazy.  YOU think I'm crazy too!  Well, maybe I am:)

My Amazing Friend

Meet Laura, my amazing friend!  This is her darling family, Boyd (husband), Heidi (daughter), Josh (son), Heather (daughter) and Maggie (puppy dog).  

I met Laura when I was 7 months pregnant with Brooklyn.  I was her visiting teacher when we lived in a condo ward.  The first time I met her was my first visit to her condo just across from my condo. Josh was two weeks old and I will never forget his yummy chubby cheeks.  He was so cute and it made my wait for Brooklyn even harder.  We became friends instantly. She was welcoming, friendly, witty and an amazing person to visit with.  

After a year a majority of our ward was on the move.  We were all excited to buy a house and most of us was heading straight out by Jordan Landing.  There was two different areas people talked about.  Everyone was heading west of the airport.  She described where they were heading (east of the airport) and we had put money down on a house right down the street from her.  

For 13 years she has been a wonderful friend to me.  We've had some great times and shared some tough times together.  She's been through all my miscarriages and healthy babies.  She never judges me for my short comings and as you all know I have way too many.  I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to get to know her through visitng teaching and to have gained a life long friend.  Love you Laura!

 

My computer is back, yay!! I've got lots to catch up on not to mention a camera to go wild with:) 

Fall 2012

Fall fun...soccer! Calvin loves soccer and begged to play this year. We made a deal that if he works really hard each week in school and with his homework that we'd sign him up. He has really tried hard. He has played so well and has loved the entire season. We are so proud of him!

More exciting news, Brook is concert mistress for both orchestra's she is playing in. She is thrilled! She has wanted to be the first chair in the Jordan Youth Symphony since she started playing in 3rd grade. She went yesterday for the first rehearsal. She said it took a min to sink in but she is elated! She is the concert mistress in her orchestra class at school too. She had to try out for the advanced orchestra last spring and was accepted into the class. She had the opportunity to try out for first chair at the start of the school year. Her teacher told her he had never put a 7th grader as concert mistress. He explained the duties and leadership skills required for the job. She was worried that she was in way over her head. She made it! She is so excited for the opportunity.

Batter's Up

Croy's first lesson in baseball or "b" ball as he calls it.

A great time was had by all thanks to Uncle Alan and Grandpa Fagergren!

Easter 2012

Easter with family is always so much fun!  We spent time with Brian's family this year.  We had a fabulous dinner and then an egg hunt with way too many eggs.

We start oldest to youngest.  Baby Jeffrey went first but I missed the picture of him heading out. Grant is 9 months old and 2nd to head out for the egg hunt.

Croy was 3rd with the help of Uncle David.

David was great with him.  Croy LOVED hunting for eggs once he figured it out.

Uncle Alan and Aunt Ashleigh with their new baby Jeffrey.  He's 2 months old and the sweetest baby ever.

Brooklyn with Aunt Megan.  Calvin was too fast for me to get a pic of him running out the door.

Grant got a few eggs and was content to explore his basket.

It wasn't hard for him to figure out how to bust open an egg and devour whatever was in it.

We were fishing out candy as fast as he could put it in. 

Croy was a hoot to watch find eggs.  He always had something to say when he found an egg. 

Cute little boy!

Calvin scored big with the egg hunt!

Brook even joined in the fun.  Your just never too old for a good old fashioned Easter egg hunt!

Cute baby J chilling with his mama!

Grant with Grandpa after he did some damage to his candy.

Uncle David and Aunt Megan

David and Megan helping Croy open his eggs.

Brook checking out what was hidden in the eggs.  Grandma and Grandpa fill the eggs with money.  It's always fun to see who gets the most.

Calvin busting into his eggs.

Grant hanging out with his daddy.

Aunt Megan helping out Croy.

Uncle David helping Calvin count his loot.

Calvin with Uncle David.

Brooklyn counting her little bit of lolly.

Croy with Uncle David

Baby J with Grandma

Baby Grant with his teddy bear from Great Grandma Becky.

Baby J and baby G planning their escape.

Baby J

Moments from my day

I let Grant feed himself this morning. I stripped off his clothes, not wanting to ruin them and gave him some macaroni and cheese. He loved being able to pick it up with his chubby little fingers and put them in his mouth. I forget sometimes how mesmerizing it can be to watch a little child learn about his world. I decided it would be easier to give him a quick bath to clean him up. I put him in the sink so I didn't have to kneel at the tub (kills my knees these days, I told you I'm getting older:). I love watching him play with the water.

It's joyous to watch! I've enjoyed being able have young babies again. I definitely appreciate more this time around.

When Croy was 5-6 months old he was playing with a toy. I watched him pass the toy from one hand to the other and try to coordinate his hands so they would meet together. He was studying his hands and the toy. You could almost read his thoughts.

I was sitting with my dad that day while my mom was at work. The reality of my dads disease hit me really hard. My baby, young baby had more coordination than my dad. I felt like someone socked me in my stomach. It was so hard to not cry. I can't even imagine how hard this must be for him. He is a wonderful dad and a great example of enduring to the end. He continues to work everyday on his family history. He has a great attitude.

I feel very lucky to have the technology that we have today. He can text me and give me his lunch order. I can send him pics of my kids from my phone. I have three messages on my phone that I have been saving starting in Aug 2009. The first is in Aug 2009, he had called to tell me what he would like for lunch. He sounded fairly normal maybe a little aged. The second is Dec 2009 when he called and left me a message to return his call. That was the first we noticed a real change in his voice and the struggle to speak. The last is Aug 2010 when all he could say was "this is your dad, call me." You could tell he was struggling to talk. It was strained and very slurred. It's heart-wrenching to me to listen but it's also the last vocal recordings of him.

I didn't mean to go off on that. I guess watching Grant study the water brought back tender memories. I love my babies and my parents deeply!