Kelly Green

Although I started this DIY project when Jake was here I was finally able to completely finish it this week.  Now that everything is all done I can say it was probably the best 40 bucks we have spent on this place so far.
 
As soon as I saw this giant frame (Ex) full of smaller frames and pictures on Pinterest I knew I wanted one in our new place.  Since we have a completely open concept in our place our living room and dinning room both have the same long wall.  I thought that one giant frame would take up a lot of space on the wall and give me a place to show some of my favorite pictures.   

I started out with created a rough idea of what the frame would look like on the wall with masking tape. I used this to figure out that I needed 6 (5x7) frames.  I knew I wanted white frames that were small and inexpensive since I wanted the pictures to stand out as opposed to the frames. Michaels had a pack of 6 silver frames for $15 that were perfect.  So I snagged those and white spray paint.

Jake and I then went to Home Depot to get the wood and paint. After deciding on the perfect Kelly Green color, and cutting the wood we returned home to nail them together and paint it.

I was debating about putting anything behind it.  So I just had Jake attach it to the wall with those velco command hooks to test it out.  I knew right away it needed something behind it to help the pictures stand out.  It just looked blah without anything behind it.

    
 So I ventured out to Joanns to get some fabric for the back.  Jake helped me hot glue and super glue the fabric to the back of the frame.  We then attached command strips to the back of the frames and super glued them to the fabric and finally it was done. I actually love it more than I thought I would and am currently trying to figure out how to make one work in Ty's room.

 

 

Now onto the next project! 

DIY Week

This week I am attempting to make the time pass quickly (until Jake is done with his business trip) by doing all the DIY's I've coveted for like ever.  I will be spending my time trying to figure out a photo wall in our living room, a giant frame for our dinning room, making our shower curtain, starting on at least Ty's Christmas stocking and buying just a couple of nick-nacks that will make our place finally done! Fingers crossed it all works out.

To keep the good news rolling my grandparents are driving into town tonight! I always love me some good family time! Maybe we'll venture out to a fun new restaurant...try and cross one off our never ending list.  

On a rather funny and small side note I have found myself all day randomly busting out into church hymns when I start psyching myself out about being alone with T (cuz apparently my large collection of knives and our alarm isnt enough) oh well I guess its not the worse thing I could be doing with my time.

The Best Days

Always involve this cute boy and spending time as a family once Jake gets off work. I just love this little boy, I never thought I'd love/need to make him laugh, smile, cuddle and all things mom related. It's days like today where I can see how much he has changed and how before I know it he'll be off on his own. Until then I'm going to cuddle him and chase after him in stores just to hear him laugh.

Sweet 16

Happy Toto Brenna!!

     

I wish we were there to celebrate with you on this big day! We all miss you around here and the ridiculously funny things you say. Bubbas and I are picking out your present tonight, so I thought besides making a little video I thought I'd share some invaluable pieces of knowledge with you. 

A few words of advice:
-when driving to and from seminary dont go 10-20 over...(someone will always recognize your car and tell mom and dad about it) save yourself the lecture

-do drive people (when its legal) to and from seminary, as well as church activities some of your best memories will be made on the way to church related things 

-if you happen to get pulled over for speeding ALWAYS call Dad,  its easier to break the news to him

-even though you can date DONT have a serious/steady boyfriend. Just have fun and keep those friendships actual friendships. There is plenty of time for y'all to get together later on in life if you decide that's what you want.  

-there are a lot of stupid drivers out there...dont be one of them

Being 16 is a lot of fun, it opens a ton of doors to your world. Enjoy this time in your life! I wish we were there to celebrate with you! We love you!!

Shark Week

Instead of finishing all our unpacking and cleaning (our stuff finally got to us this weekend!!! No more living off of 5 outfits!) we are watching shark week. It is epic and a much needed break from all the cleaning! It still makes me want to go in a cage with them someday but for now I'll watch them safely in my place in a state smack dab in the middle of the US no where near an ocean.

Ps please excuse the mess in the pictures its impossible to unpack with a crawler!

Hell On Earth

The DMV is literally hell on earth. Most of their employees are rude and nasty and the spawn of Satan. Jake got of work early so we decided to "quickly" go on down and change our drivers licenses. Big mistake! They changed their system and so I apparently didn't have enough valid proof showing my new last name so jake could get his but I have to come back and get mine. Never mind it's takes an average person 2-3 hours with this new system. Blah I hate the DMV. On a side note it took me 3 I'm not kidding 3 separate trips to the Utah one (2 ppl told me 2 different things!) I figure it an accomplishment if I can get this done in 2 tries. Oh well I gives I'll just spend my free time playing with Bubba and searching pinterest. Hope your day is quite a bit better than mine!

Macys

After weeks of shopping in stores and countless hours shopping online last night we finally bought couches!  When we got married we were given a nice couch from Jakes parents.  Our place was so small that we didnt need anything else besides that one couch and my lovesac. When we moved out of that place we gave the couch to Jakes sister.  Buying a couch was always in the back of our mind of things we needed to get.  When we found our place we struggled with what kind to get.  I wanted to keep an open feeling in the place, I wanted something modern but still somewhat traditional, and I wanted a specific color.  So we searched everywhere!! We came really close to buying this one couch 1, and then almost bought this one couch 2. We just couldn't really decide on what we wanted. Last night we decided to drive over to the Macys Home store and look around.  We found a beautiful couch, chair, and leather ottoman (soft things for Bubbas)! I absolutely love them! They are exactly what I wanted.  Its a bonus that Jake likes them as well. It took a little longer than we thought because we decided to sign up for a Macys card. This is my first credit card so it was the caramel on top of my ice cream, cuz I dont like cherrys.  

It feels like things are just now falling into place and life doesn't seem nearly are hectic.  Direct TV is finally installed, AT&T is doing our internet tomorrow, our stuff FINALLY arrives on Friday along with the movers to carry it all.  Now we just have to do the little things, like look for another car, rugs, pillows, and all those other little things that make a home cozy.  In my searching I have found great websites that offer a lot of bang for your buck in various home accessories.  I'll post those websites later, right now I am going to snuggle my chunky baby and watch water-polo. 

You've Got Mail

Sometimes I wish a little recording said that everytime I opened my email/open our mailbox.  It would just make those days when you get bills that much better because the bad news would come in a happy tone. Which would be helpful since we got our confirmation letter from the USPS yesterday confirming our address change...but a huge slight problem.  They decided to forward all mail with our last name.  This is a slight problem, considering we lived with my in-laws before we moved. After a 45 min phone conversation we got the mattered cleared up (if you don't count that we will receive all my in-laws mail for the next 5 days). I guess that's life though right?

Although I feel bad that we are putting my in-laws out for a couple of days nothing could have put me in a bad mood. Why? Because yesterday the best kind of package came.  My mom sent me all of Bubbas clothes that we ordered from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! The best days are those that involve getting Nordstrom things. Before we moved out here I was able to go to the pre-sale with my Aunts, Gma, Mom and Sisters.  It was a blast to spend an entire day shopping and picking things out for one another. The best thing about the sale is that you can pick out what you want and if its not there just order it. I probably love Nordstrom a little too much...But on a side note I have been talking Jake into getting stuff there lately!!

It felt like our second round of Christmas (outside of getting our King bed delivered) and it came with a sweet little ceramic alligator my cute sister Gabby made for Bubbas room.  All around great day! The only thing that would make it better is for fall to get here now! Everyone tells me fall is amazing here and I bet it is. Plus I want to put Bubba in all his new fall clothes!

Here are just a few of my favorites for Bubbas! (pss Thanks MOM, love you!!)

Thanks Gab! It fits perfect in his room

Another Northface to match Papa

These pjs make me laugh everytime!

History

When we were doing this whole job interview Jake and I talked about all the pros to moving out to KS and all the fun new places we could visit.  I grew up traveling to church history sites with my family and always wanted to go back.  Jake hasn't been to any outside of Utah so visiting some of these special historic church places was at the top of our list.   

Two weekends ago we traveled up to the Independence Vistors' Center and Liberty Jail. It was interesting seeing what I remembered from when I was here last (like 13 maybe?) and watching Jake experience it for the first time.  Even though we were standing there seeing everything it was still hard to actually picture these men staying in that jail for months.  It is something that is hard to wrap your head around and yet at the same time makes reading the Scriptures and Doctrine and Covenants more amazing and spiritual uplifting. I wasn't able to get any pictures inside because Bubba was having a melt down but I snapped this one on the way in

Then this past weekend we decided to travel more then 30 min and go to Nauvoo! We debated about driving up Friday night when Jake got home, but just decided to wake up really early Saturday morning (4 am) and drive all the way.  One of my favorite things about living in KS is the sunrises and sunsets. Because most all of the land is completely, utterly flat all you see is the sun and its amazing!  I wish I could somehow capture how beautiful it actually is!

  

We started off with visiting Carthage Jail. I love this place! You start with a video on the prophet Joseph Smith and then move into the jail. They begin with telling you all about the jail and how the prophet came to be there. Jake and I were talking about how little it is known that he was sent here for his protection as opposed to being forced to be in jail. They then take you up to the room they were supposed to be in but since the room can get up to about 120 degrees the Jailer and his wife offered them their own personal room wish was cooler. The best part about visiting this jail is that all the inside doors are original. So when they close the door and play the hymn that was sung before the mob came in you can see the bullet hole that broke the door and the one that came through and killed Hyrum. Its a truly remarkable church history site and well worth visiting. 

We then traveled the rest of the Nauvoo and saw as much as we could until we were completely and utterly rained out. Of course it would rain the time I wear white shorts and forget our umbrella! Anyways we had fun while it lasted.  Now on to planning trips to Winters Quarters, Nebraska and a fun long trip to NY and DC with a stop at Palmyra.

We stopped to get lunch at a little bakery and tried to wait out the rain

The Mississippi River is HUGE

Hope your weekend was a wonderful! PS Congrats to my beautiful cousin Allie and Jared! We wish we could have been there, so excited for you guys to start this new life together!

Identity

I think as a woman one of the big challenges in life is ones identity. When you are single you have your own complete identity and it centers on when you want to do things and how you want to do them. Your identity is largely comprised by what you do. A lot of times in the beginning it is being a full time student. When you get married you blend that side of you with someone else. You make little changes but keep the foundation of who you are. Now when you come home from school or work you have other responsibilities, cooking, cleaning, ect. You don't have to do them all alone but they are still there. That identity stays until you have a baby. Now more than ever everything is centered around that child. When you sleep, eat (even what you eat in the beginning), where you go, how late you stay out, everything. I find that as I get to continue this opportunity to stay home with Bubba that I feel it getting harder to find my identity. I love being home with him and I wouldn't change a thing in this world but I can relate to women who feel lost. It's hard to see yourself outside of the dishes, laundry, meals, and everything else that makes up a mother/wife's work load.

As I was throwing my self a good old fashioned pity party yesterday I had a tender mercy. As I walked into the room to put some laundry away I looked over at Little T sleeping and I gained a little bit of my identity. I am so excited for what is to come. I love that in a few short months I can use my teaching degree which I love to teach him. I can't wait to use all the things that I have learned from my wonderful mentors and from my classes and from my instinct. I know that day is coming fast. For now I know I need to be content with and appreciate that I am teaching him unconditional love. Most importantly he is teaching me. He is changing me into who I really am. Slowly but surely that identity comes.

Ps a special thanks to my own mother. Everyday I get to understand and see you in a whole new light. Thank you for everything. I appreciate it all and love you to no end!