Projects

So I usually have a project or two up my sleeve. Here are some that have kept me busy over the past several months.

Bathroom Mirror Before

Most recently, I decided to frame the bathroom mirror. I know, I know, it's all over Pinterest, but I must say that I saw the idea originally on HGTV and liked it and Pinterest just reaffirmed my desire to do so. When Nate had a week off of work, I put him to work at home. I really like how it turned out. Now I just need to figure out what to put on the wall above the tub and towels. I am open to suggestions.

Bathroom Mirror After

A over a year ago I decided to do something with this hutch that was just sitting in storage. My parents picked it up at an estate auction a few years ago and no one was using it. I had originally thought about just staining it but never got around to it. Then I saw painted furniture becoming all the rage. My kitchen was in desperate need for some color and I wanted to display my china. So I went for it and painted it a sage green. I love how it turned out. The top shelf is my china and the middle shelf has plates from my grandma (and mom they have the same china pattern) and 2 of my great grandmothers. I love looking at them and remembering what great women they were (and are).

Sage Green Hutch

Play Kitchen Before

Another project I took on was this little play kitchen. Nate's cousin was giving it away. We have been looking at them and trying to decide if we could make one or just buy one, but not really wanting to fork out $100. So we jumped at the chance to pick this up. I think my favorite part of the before is the "fresr." With a little bit of paint left over from previous projects (notice the light blue on the kitchen is the same blue as our bathroom walls) and some help from my dad making new knobs here is our end result. No more pink - we had to go blue all the way for boys. We do still need to figure out a faucet but we are working on it. The boys love it already.

Play Kitchen After

Dad's T-shirt Quilt

This quilt comes with a back story. When I was a senior in high school my dad got this great idea to take all of his T-shirts he had collected and worn over the years and make a quilt. He cut up his shirts and marked where to cut with a sharpie. I don't think any of them were the same size (sorry Dad). Then he tried to convince my mom and I to make the quilt. He laid it out in the living room. We just told him he was crazy. One weekend night my friends and I were meeting some guys at my house to hang out. The guys got there before we did and my dad was in showing the guys his T-shirt quilt that he wanted us to make. I was pretty embarrassed. So anyway, the t-shirts had been sitting around for 10 years. Every once in a while he would try to get my mom or I to make the quilt for him. We'd just laugh and tell him he was crazy again and again. Well earlier this year I took the shirts and decided to make the quilt for him for Father's day. This is what I came up with. Oh and he had bought a couple of random 1 yard pieces of fabric to go with it on eBay. So thus, the back is pieced together to work in the fabrics he had purchased.

Back of the T-shirt Quilt

Nate said that he can't picture my dad wearing these shirts because now all he wears are solid colored T-shirts or button down shirts. But this is all I remember my dad wearing growing up. I think my favorite part is seeing all of the grease stains on the shirts. I think it turned out rather well - considering... and I think my dad liked it too.

Grease Stains on the T-shirts

Antelope Island

As a family we made a list of things to do this summer that were around but that we hadn't done in a while or never done before. One of the first things we did was head out to Antelope Island.

I grew up extremely close to the Great Salt Lake my whole life, there's Hooper and west of that there's the lake. I had never been to the Great Salt Lake until this summer. Our YM/YW usually had an activity on Antelope Island every year but for some reason I never went. Nate had taken the Scouts there a couple of times but not me. So... we decided that it was time. We went out at dusk to watch the sunset which was really beautiful. It was cool enough that the bugs weren't too bad, but it was a pretty stinky drive out there. We went on a little "hike" out to a peninsula on the island on the lake. Brockston liked the idea of hiking at first and then he just wanted to be carried the whole time. We kept convincing him that he didn't need to be carried and we were just going a little farther. He ended up walking for most of the time.

It was a fun little adventure, but I don't know that I'm in a super big hurry to get out there again anytime soon.

Waiting for the sun to set

Some of the wild life we saw... Antelope and Bison in the same shot!

Stopping for a little rest and a drink from the camel bag

Daddy gave in and gave B a lift

Sunset

My Lucky Charms

New Bike

Look who got a new bike this summer!  He was super excited to have it, but not super interested in riding it. He still isn't, but hopefully he'll catch on eventually and want to ride it more.

Tape Road and Experiment

Trying to keep a toddler busy has been a very difficult task for me. Especially with a baby, it is hard for me to give him the attention that he needs/demands. Here are a couple of activities that we tried out for entertainment.

We made a road all over the furniture with tape. At first he was appalled that I was putting tape everywhere, but then he was super excited. He drove his cars all over road and bridges and we even made a tunnel - that was his idea. We had to leave it up for days.

 Another thing we tried was a science experiment. When I told him it was an experiment he had to go get his safety goggles. We did an experiment called "Elephant Toothpaste" which consists of hydrogen peroxide, a little dish soap, food coloring and yeast. It makes for some fun bubbles flowing from the bottle. We had to do it again for Daddy when he got home from work.

Snow again...

I guess it's appropriate that after a 7 month hiatus from blogging my first post is about our first snowfall of the season, when my last post was the final snowfall of the previous winter. Ironic, I know. I have missed blogging tremendously but when ever I've had a free moment, which is like never, all I want to do is rest. So hopefully this will be the start of more blogging for me, but I'm not making any promises. We've actually had a pretty fun summer and tried to lots of fun things with our little family. I've decided that instead of backtracking completely and being overwhelmed, I'll try to post a current and a past event. We'll see how it goes...

Baby J had his first experience actually playing in the snow and of course you have to see  how it tastes! He is sporting the infamous snowsuit that was Nate's as a baby and Brockston wore it for a while too.  Of course, the polar bear sled was a hit as always.

 B-Man loves shoveling the snow and pretending he is a bulldozer or any other type of machine. He would play in the snow all day if he could. As for me, I'm hoping this winter isn't too bad. Although two weeks after this storm we got over a foot of snow so we're not starting out so good. I just don't love driving in the snow and ice. I guess the winter just helps me appreciate the spring all the more.

One Final Snow Day (hopefully)

I really don't mind a spring snow storm. It is usually short, the roads aren't icy, and it melts by the end of the day. This time we brought the snow inside for some fun. Our new sand and water table was turned into a snow table. B had all sorts of fun digging in the snow. We also used food coloring to color the snow. J had fun hanging out in his chair in his cute snow hat that he got to wear one more time. But now we are ready for some warm weather!

Snow fun

Look Mom!

Look Mom I did my hair spiky!

3 Years Old

Our little "B-Rock Brockston" turned 3 in January. I cannot believe it. I think I'm in denial that he's 3. We had a little gathering with family on his birthday for cake and ice cream and then another little joint party with his cousin about a week later. He was spoiled rotten as always and loved every single one of his presents. Nate and I made him a little workbench out of an old dresser for all of his "tools" he got for Christmas (an idea found on pinterest). He insisted that he wear his jammies for the party. I guess we spend a little too much time in our jammies around here.


I made a construction site cake (idea also found on pinterest - Nate says it is changing his life because I keep coming up with projects for him to do!).






He is turning out to be such a smart little guy. He knows all of his letters and most of their sounds (Thanks to starfall.com). He LOVES cars, trucks and tractors. He knows different types of cars, that is he can point out Honda, Toyota, Jeep, Chevy, Ford, etc. He has quite the imagination. He has an imaginary baby named Stropper that he likes to take care. A friend named Doshy that he likes to talk on the phone to. He works at Bennors making taco sauce. And he loves to tell silly stories. Don't ask me where he comes up with this stuff. And it's not just a one time mentioned thing. He's been talking about Stropper for several months now. Never a dull moment with this kid around!

Most importantly, for me anyway, is that he is fully potty trained! Yeah! He fought it for the longest time and I didn't have the energy to fight it being pregnant and having a new born. A couple of weeks before his birthday we started and he's done awesome ever since. We are not without our accidents but they are becoming fewer and farther between. I'm so grateful we didn't have to deal with pullups at all. Once he decided he could do it and it had to be his idea he was fine, even at night. Hurray!

He's not without his difficulties. We have power struggles constantly. He has to say the opposite of what you want. It's a constant battle to do anything eat, brush teeth, get dressed, etc. But I'm hoping it's just a stage. We love our little B-man. He keeps us entertained and loves his little brother. We are so happy he joined our family 3 years ago!

My Little Valentines

Our "Love Bugs"

My Little "Sweetheart"

1 Month

Well we have made it to the one month mark! Things are continuing to go well - considering everything. Baby J is getting big so fast it makes me sad but it is so fun to watch all of the changes take place as he tries to figure out his little body. He continues to be a mellow guy and has even started having some good stretches at night. The longest stretch on record is 6 hours! We'll take it, especially because I'm pretty sure B was 6 months before that happened!




I thought I would take a couple of pictures of him on his one month birthday with his quilt that Grandma Sherrie made for him. Isn't he just the sweetest thing? I know I'm biased so you don't have to agree - but I sure think so!