Let there be light!

We have NEW light fixtures and a NEW potrack in the kitchen!!!
Can you feel the excitement!!!
images coming soon

Laughter Lives Tuesday- take 2

This post is part of "Laughter Lives! Tuesday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check our their blog to read everyone else's "Laughter Lives!" posts.

This week is The Funny, Cute & Endearing Ways We Say 'I Love You'.
I'm not sure anything we do is really that funny, but here goes.

Bryan and I have always said the numbers 2-1-4 to each other, on the phone when it is not the best time to say 'i love you', at the end of little notes or letters, and he has even been known to write it on the steamy bathroom mirror. I won't go into detail what these numbers signify to use, I'll keep that our little secret.

Little Buddy is the most loving child, always telling us out of the blue that he loves us. The other day we were talking and he told me he loved me. I asked him who else he loves, he answered "Dude (daddy), Miss Brainy, The Chatterbox, Badger Boy, and The Boss." Then he paused and said "but I don't love her hole!" (he of course used their real names :)!!)
The Boss had surgery this past fall to place an ostomy (or hole) in her side to make cathing easier. Well she finds it hilarious to tease Little Buddy by showing him her "hole" and telling him that her "guts" are going to fall out. He is terrified by her "hole", but that is what brothers and sisters are for, terrorizing each other one minute and the next huddled up together plotting against the grown-ups!

Not Me Monday

I did not almost forget to post a "not me Monday" post. Well maybe I did "almost" forget but 8:48 p.m. is still Monday so it counts!!

I did not allow my 14 year old daughter to "dorkstamp" my 3 year old son. I also did not tell him that it said his name so that I could get these shots of him!

See that purple stuff on his nose and neck? I did not allow him to color on himself because it is washable marker, only to find out he was using his sisters markers that weren't washable. Only took 2 baths before it faded away.

I would never call my daughter Owen, when she comes home from a youth group lock-in at church, complaining that she may have broken her nose. She only slightly resembled Owen Wilson and you would never hear me tell her that his slightly deformed nose only adds character!

I definitely did not almost get up and walk out of Village Ick (oops I mean Inn) when the waiter brought me not 1 but 2 glasses of water that looked like he grabbed them from bussboys dirty dishes tray. The only thing that kept me there was my dear husband who refused to let us leave, good thing he has manners!

I did not buy a pumpkin cheesecake roll yesterday and then eat almost all of it in one day. I did not leave a small sliver for Bryan just so he couldn't claim I had eaten it all!

I did not go to Walmart to buy a tube of adhesive for Bryan because he was still in his pajamas at 3 in the afternoon and then buy the wrong thing. It couldn't have been because the item was in the wrong bin, in the area that my husband manages. My dear darling husband did not get mad at me for buying the wrong thing. I did not post on my Facebook "Courtney thinks her husband should go shopping himself if he is going to complain when I buy the "wrong" thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I did not find it extremely funny that one of Bryan's manager's read it and asked him if I was mad at him.

Head on over to Mckmamma's blog to see what she didn't do this past week.

http://www.mycharmingkids.net/

Happy Birthday Toby!

Today is my big brother's 35 birthday! I'm sure they will go out and do some insanely fun activity to celebrate! Happy Birthday Tobe!

Just a couple fun pictures of Toby (and Katie). Yes, that is a Christmas ornament dangling from his nose, he definitely knows how to get in the Christmas spirit.

They also know how to dress for Halloween. Yes, that is my brother in the fishnet stockings!

Laughter Lives Tuesday

This post is part of "Laughter Lives! Tuesday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check our their blog to read everyone else's "Laughter Lives!" posts.

Ok so if you know Little Buddy you know how scrawny the little guy is, built just like his daddy. He has a difficult time keeping his pants above his non-existent behind. The other day he walked by me showing off his rather impressive "plummer's crack". I told him to pull his pants up I could see his butt. He turned around and very matter-of-factly said, "So why are you looking at my butt!"

That's what happens when 3 year old's spend too much time with thier 3 teen/preteen sisters!

On a separate note my step-brother Brad and his fiancee Bridget had their baby boys Sunday.

Brayson Scott

5lb. 13oz

Bransen Earl

5lb. 12 oz

They are in the NICU in K.C., doing well but needed a little extra care. If you are the praying kinda person please send a little prayer their way.

Boys...are just different

Yesterday, while Dude took all the girls to the K-state/Nebraska basketball game, Mom and I took the boys to the Children's Museum. It was a ton of fun but boys are just so different. When the girls were little and I took them there they played in the same area's but boy play is so different from girls. The girls would have been content to have their faces painted, play nicely in the water tables, or play in the dr. area. The boys had to crawl into every vehicle (not Little Buddy as he is afraid of those), get drenched at the water table, build in the block room, and play football and volleyball in the Nebraksa room (shhh don't tell Dude how much fun they had in there!) All the way home we heard the boys pretend play in the backseat. Little Buddy's new favorite game in playing Transformers, they make the noises, pretend to fight and shoot at each other. It is a different world riding in a car with only the boys. I'm sure Dude would have plenty to say about his ride with the girls (3 teenage and 1 preteen). I think I'm glad we had the boys instead!

Not me Monday!

I did not spend all of the morning in my pajamas at the computer today, while Bryan took the kids to school, ran medicine to The Boss at school, made me lunch and took the dog outside 4 times!

I definitely did not buy Christmas cards, order pictures of the kids, address the envelopes and even put stamps on them just to let them sit in the front room. Nope not me!

I most certainly didn't start my headboard project that I know my husband does not like this weekend. I also didn't end up making him do most of the work, I would never do that.

It wasn't me that let Little Buddy eat 2 poptarts for breakfast and a bag of carrots and Cheetos for lunch.

Hopefully this will be a start to "Not me Mondays" on my blog, if I can remember. This will be a great way to get off my chest the horrible things that I would never do, not even if I wanted to. Check out the other participants of "Not me Mondays" on Mckmommas blog- http://www.mycharmingkids.net/

2009 Resolutions

Courtney: Lose weight and become healthy
decorate our home

The Boss: Stay out of trouble

Miss Brainy: read for fun everyday

The Chatterbox: not to lose her nintendo ds again

Badger Boy: do good on his deer drive wii game

Little Buddy: to be potty trained

Bryan: Finish the house -he doesn't know that this is his, I haven't told him yet! :)

Marry me Marry Me....

I am sitting here laughing as I watch Little Buddy pretend to be in a boat. As he rows his boat he sings " Marry me, Marry me, Marry me, life is down the drain!" That is one depressing version of Row Row Row your boat!

All about Me!!

I saw this posted on someone else's blog and thought it was a neat idea. Of course anytime I get to write about me is a good idea, right?

50 Things You Possibly Didn't Know About Me

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now?
What isn’t, is a better question. Let’s see 1 car seat, a couple kids books, too many candy wrappers, apples to apples game, travel cooler, and probably a few items best left uncovered.

2. What's your favorite curse word?
Bryan doesn’t like me to curse, but it would probably be s**t.

3. Name 3 people who made you smile today?
Azariah, Allie, and Sawyer

4. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
Taking a shower
5. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
I was at the studio with a customer who was picking up their order.
6. What will you be doing 3 hours from now?
Probably laying in bed watching friends
7. Have you ever been to a strip club?
Does seeing the Chippendales count? If so then yes, one of the funnest nights of my life.
8. What is the last thing you said aloud?
“it‘s just a scratch”

9. What is the best ice cream flavor?
I really don’t like ice cream, but my favorite would be homemade vanilla.
10. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Cherry Diet Pepsi
11. What are you wearing right now?
Sweater and Jeans
12. What was the last thing you ate?
A gumdrop cookie

13. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
no
14. When was the last time you ran?
When I worked at the fire dept., 4 years ago.

15. What's the last sporting event you watched?
K-state Basketball game

16. Who is the last person you emailed?
A cusotmer

17. Ever go camping?
Every weekend in the summer when I was growing up. Real camping, teepee and all.
18. Do you have a tan?
No, I am currently ghost white, as opposed to in the summer when I am off white.

19. Do you drink your soda from a straw?
In restaurants yes, at home no.
20 What did your last IM say?
I only use it on Facebook and it was probably to Chip Ebel, one of the few people who actually know it is a feature.

21. Are you someone's best friend?
I hope so

22. What are you doing tomorrow?
Partying it up like it’s almost 2009

23. Where is your mom right now?
I don’t know, she didn’t answer her phone when I called an hour ago.

24. Look to your left, what do you see?
My new corkboard that I made myself and just hung 2 days ago.
25. What color is your watch?
Silver

26. What do you think of when you think of Australia?
Kangaroos and Steve Erwin
27. Would you consider plastic surgery?
Yes, if I had the money and I wasn’t afraid of what a botched surgery would look like.

28. What is your birthstone?
Emerald
29. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive-thru?
If I don’t want to clean up the mess at home then we eat in, otherwise it’s the drive-thru.

30. How many kids do you want?
At the moment 5

31. Do you have a dog?
Miss Millie, a wirehaired terrior

32. Last person you talked to on the phone?
A customer

33. Have you met anyone famous?
Does Sandy Puc’ count?34. Any plans today?
Sleep
35. How many states have you lived in?
One, Nebraska

36. Ever go to college?
Just college courses

37. Where are you right now?
At my computer

38. Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
Having my kitchen torn up and wisdom tooth pain, I think they are about equal.
39. Last song listened to?
Maybe a new kids on the block song in the car with Azariah
40. Are you allergic to anything?
Nuts, strawberries, and valium
41. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
Brown slip-ons
42. Are you jealous of anyone?
Maybe
43. Is anyone jealous of you?
I don’t think so
44. What time is it?
7:33 p.m.
45. Do any of your friends have children?
Most of them
46. Do you eat healthy?
No but hopefully that will change with my 2009 resolution

47. What do you usually do during the day?
Work on the computer, laundry, play with Sawyer, pick kids up from school, repeat

48. Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
Of course

49. How did you get your scars?
2 c-sections, gallbladder and appendix surgery, smashed finger when I was really little
50. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
32

Nine years ago

Nine years ago I was finally blessed with a little blue bundle, with chubby cheeks, green eyes, and a head full of black hair.

Today that little blue bundle weighs 62 pounds

he is the 3rd grade.

loves to be outside, hunting, shooting his bow, playing in the snow, riding his bike, or playing with the puppy.

Happy Birthday Badger Boy!

Progress in the kitchen

Here are some not so great drawings of the original and the new floor plans.

Before:

After:
Before: One of the only pictures I have before we started making changes. Although I loved the huge island it was HUGE. It had no flow, blocking the other half of the kitchen and only had a small amount of storage space for its size. It was also covered in carpet, who does that anyways?! The first changes we made were to repaint the cabinet doors, paint the ceiling, and the walls were painted red.
I also faux painted the ugly backsplash, adding the "roadrunner" and fake brick.
It was at this time that we removed the built in oven (that didn't work) and got a new free standing oven. Bryan moved the laundry room door over about 2 feet and installed a new solid wood door. The other doorway (leading out back) will have a matching door.

Bryan has installed the recessed lights and electrical outlets for the new "desk". It is taller than I would like, but we have decided to leave it at that height. Which will allow us to use it as a "workspace" as well as a desk. We still need to buy the upper cabinets and decide on the shelving that I would like for baskets, mail, etc.. Countertops will be a light grey tile. The backsplash will be really cool small granite tiles, with larger tiles around the sink area and "workspace". Stainless steel hardware will be installed on all cabinetry. Since the old drawers were made of plastic, Bryan will be making new wood drawers with the existing fronts.

The floor is almost finished, I still need to grout under the stove and fridge and then seal it. That will be done in the next day or two. Bryan will be hanging the small pieces of drywall and fixing the holes in the wall that were found when we removed the paneling.

Here are a few of the distressed cabinets that I found while searching online. I haven't decided on the extent of the "damage" I will inflict on the cabinets. I plan on beating them up a little, then applying stain to the exposed areas, but I'm not sure if it will be on the edges only or all over.

We will also be leaving the new cabinetry unpainted and they will only be slightly distressed.

The ends of the island, pantry, and workspace will be cover with tongue and groove wainscotting, like the above image. I love the look of the posts on the end of the cabinets, but I didn't ask for them soon enough and will have to do without. I still need to take our existing doors to the cabinet maker so that he can make new pantry doors. The pantry will have two large doors that hinge in the middle opening up to 3 large sliding shelves. We haven't decided on moulding, although I am leaning towards a very simple moulding with either crown moulding around the top of the cabinets or some decorating trim.

New light fixtures and potrack will go above the island. I love the look of these lights, but not the price. We will also be adding beams on the opposite side of the room to balance out the already existing beams. We are still discussing what to do with the hood exhaust. Bryan would like to install a microwave/exhaust system, I would like a simple exhaust that actually vents outside. We also need to buy a new dishwasher, sink, faucet, and fridge, but those will have to wait a few months at least. I would love to install new windows and possibly patio doors, that would lead out to a deck. The deck is not in the near future so I doubt I get my new doors anytime soon. This has been a looooooong project but the end is in sight.

I need your advice

Bryan and I bought a kingsize bed last year and we have yet to buy a headboard. Well I came upon this cool bed online today and had the great idea to make one myself. How hard can it be? I plan on using an old wooden door I saw at the antique store the other day and new posts. Well Bryan hates the idea, says he will cut it in half if I make it. Should I go ahead and make it or should we live without a headboard? Our bed sits in front of a window and a couple days ago when it was really cold my pillow actually froze to the window, yeah we need new windows too. I just think it would be great to have a headboard to keep my pillow on the bed, be able to hang curtains, and have an adult bed, headboard and all. So what do you think?

Rock Stars

Little Buddy chose this Hannah Montana microphone as my Christmas gift from him, but I think he likes it even more. I love that when Bryan takes him shopping he lets him choose what ever gift he wants. Last year I received a baseball, a thomas train, and tape. This year I received the microphone and an Easter car.

Please ignore the ugly wall in the background. I am in the process of redoing the fireplace, mantle, and wall above, where the original owners had glued nasty brick panelling.

The girls jamming out! Miss Brainy still in her pajamas, takes jamming to a figurative level.

My niece has the rockstar look down, with hair in her face no wondered she had a hard time singing the right lyrics!

A few from Christmas morning

Anything with camo makes this kid smile like a fool!

Little Buddy and Badger Boy in their present forts. I really tried not to go overboard on presents this year, but again I failed miserably. If it helps about 4-5 packages contain clothes!

We had really wanted to go to Disney this year instead of buying a bunch of presents that the kids forget about in a month, but money was needed elsewhere so the trip is postponed for another year. I am really hoping that we can make it work for next year, anyone want to join us?

Hey Mom, is this what you had in mind?

My mom told me yesterday that I needed to update the blog, so is this what you had in mind?

Here's to Christmas past... Let's talk about hair, Mom, Toby, and I sporting our wonderful permed 80's hair and Dad with his sad attempt at facial hair, not to mention the full head of hair on top. Gotta love the sweater's and velour sweat shirt! Notice the doll, I had a thing with "adopting" multicultural dolls. I had a "family" of baby dolls that would put the Jolie/Pitt clan to shame.

Merry Christmas

Little Buddy on Christmas Eve waiting for "his kids" to come home so we could unwrap some presents.

" Dude you ruined Christmas!"

During one of Little Buddy's very rare meltdowns he kept telling Bryan over and over again, "Dude you ruined Christmas!". We couldn't figure out what he was talking about. Finally Bryan asked him to show him. Little Buddy took Bryan to see that part of the garland that wraps around the banister on the stairs had broken. Bryan saved the day and fixed the garland with some tape. Sawyer thanked him by telling him" Dude you fixed it bad." Little Buddy has always called Bryan, Bryan instead of Dad, probably because that is what he hears the kids and I say. Well "Bryan" has been replaced with "Dude". Now he calls him Dude all the time, even in the middle of the night when he wakes up. It takes alot to make me wake up from a dead sleep and start laughing, but hearing your 3 year old yelling "Dude, Dude!" sure does the trick!

I'm a horrible blogger.

Sorry it has been so long since I posted any current pictures or updates. Business has really taken off this fall and I have been super busy trying to meet deadlines with my customers and up to my eyeballs in creating Christmas cards. I'm not complaining, but I'm not sure I can keep my sanity at this pace.

The Chatterbox and Badger Boy had their fall program at school. The Chatterbox had a speaking part which she loved, of course. Badger Boy is content to be part of the chorus. Miss Brainy's band program is coming up in a few weeks, hopefully I can get some images on here from both programs.

The Boss had surgery again last week. She soared right through it, she even felt well enough to go the last K-state game on Saturday. She will be going to Omaha for some tests in a couple weeks to see if the results were worth it and if she needs to get on any other meds to help control things. She is not looking forward to these tests, but then again who would.

Little Buddy is loving preschool. He brings home his papers and is so proud to show off what he had done that day. My fridge is completely covered with his artwork, I don't think I remember what color it is. His new favorite television show is SuperWhy on PBS. It is great to finally see him watch something other than Cars.

Images taken by my children

I pulled these images off of my little camera awhile back and thought they were funny.

The Chatterbox and Millie, the new puppy

See they do love each other!

How sweet!
One word...Dorks!!