What a difference a can of paint makes....

 You know how I said I was in a funk?  It must have been going on  much longer then I thought...We moved in to this house last April.  I had to paint the kitchen because I hated the color.  No offense Erin (my sweet sister-in-law who had to pick out paint colors on line...that never works...and is the one who picked out the green you see on the back wall).  I don't hate the color really-there was just WAY too much of it.  Aaron and Jake picked out a color that, although I do not hate, just didn't work for me.  The blue that was supposed to be more gray on the right wall....

 So....back to the funk.  I painted half the kitchen the color Aaron and Jake choose last April...You can see where I tested several other colors since and never really found what I was looking for.  So I did nothing...which is so not me.  I usually go into Lowe's see a paint chip color I like (in about 2 minutes), buy it, paint the room, and live happily ever after.  Now fast forward about 10 months later and Aaron came home with a paint chip one of the homeowners he is working with has picked out for their house.  He liked it and thought I would too.  He was right...

 The picture above is the first wall painted with my new favorite color...It looks gray (lighting isn't so hot) but it is really blue/green.  The funny part is I was planning on painting the dinning room (which I did and I love that too but the room isn't put back together yet.  Pictures of that later...) and my mom called while I was taping and said she would come help.  We are a good team.  Mom is the edger and I am the roller.  We ended up rocking out two rooms in a little over 3 hours.  Yep we rock.  And yep that is Mom on top of the fridge.

Bye bye ugly green...

Hello my lovely new light bluish-greenish kitchen....

The funk is leaving me...

One more thing...

Here is the before of the dinning room.  It doesn't usually look like that-all messy and stuff  (okay sometimes it does) but that is when I was moving stuff to paint.  The table is obviously the best place for stuff.

The color was okay, but a little too "flesh tone" for me...I love it now and will show you later!

And we are painting the living room this afternoon. :)  More on that later too....

This guy...

...Is headed to the State Archery Tournament with his homeschooling team, the Mavericks!!  Only 24 middle schoolers can shoot at state, and there are more than that on their team.  They held a mock tournament to determine who would actually shoot at State and who would be the alternates.  Jake qualified with at 219 to shoot at State!  It is his first year and we signed up the last possible day to do archery.  It had been going on for 6 weeks and I kept trying to get Jake to go but he didn't want to.  Finally the last day you could sign up I told him we were going-if he didn't like it fine, but I wanted him to try.  He thanked me that night for talking him into trying and he is loving it!  We are so proud of you Jake!!! 

On an upswing...Tender Mercy #2

My list of things I wanted to do didn't quite get done today...My goals may have been a little lofty, but I did get a lot done.  I baked some cookies that came out totally flat (I got distracted and only put 2 of the 2 1/4 cups of flour it called for and the butter was a little too soft), and I am waiting for the banana bread to finish up in the oven.  I don't have really high hopes for it because the batter was thicker than usual...

I did clean our bathroom, pick up our room, vacuum twice (and I already need to again), and a lot of laundry.  There is a load for me to fold and put away in the dryer and one to transfer from the washer into the dryer...and fold and put away.  I did make a menu and grocery shop...but I already altered the menu because I ran out of time and we just got a piece of pizza from Sam's club after we grocery shopped.  We found vanilla chips at Sam's so I even made some vanilla chip cookies (instead of chocolate chip) that I will like....doesn't get me any closer to being skinny, but that wasn't really going to happen today any way. :)

I am going on Monday to pick out and buy paint and the dinning room will be painted on Tuesday!  I didn't get to the book cases, but what is a couple of more days.  It will be a fun project for Jake and I after co-op on Monday.  We can organize our library together!

My to do list didn't get done but I feel like I am on the upswing.  We had to vacuum two times because Jake and his friends had a great time playing in the backyard and they tracked in some of that fun.  How lucky are we that our neighbors have three grandsons that get along great with Jake and visit often!?  The laundry isn't done because we are blessed to have too many clothes, towels, blankets, and sheets!  The cookies are flat but they still taste like cookies and the thin crispy ones soak up milk better any way!

The best part of the day is that Jake, by choose, is sitting at his desk (while I am sitting at mine typing and Aaron is happy watching the Bobcats because they are winning!) working on a project that he is very excited about.  He is reading a series now that has inspired him to start his own book (more on this later.  I really will post about this later because this is a big deal!  The boy who hates writing asked me if authors make good money!!!)!  He asked to stay up late to work on the map of the land he is creating...Why am I in a funk when I am so blessed?

I relearned  (for the 7, 945 time) a lesson today:  That if you look for your blessings you will always find them.  So what if the cookies are flat-they are still a sweet treat, not a disaster!  Tender mercy of the Lord # 2 of 2014 (that I have taken the time to notice...): ask and you shall receive.  I asked to feel better and get out of my funk and I stepped back and saw the blessings in little everyday things that I would normally grumble about.

One more thing...I  also cleaned out the freezer and now there is room for the huge pack Eggo waffles from Sam's club.  Jake is a happy camper. :)

In a funk...

Me.  In a funk. It happens from time to time.  I don't feel like cleaning or cooking (in truth I hardly ever feel like cooking) or doing anything.  I thought maybe blogging would be a pick me up.  I don't really write so much any more. I just post pictures and say, "this is what we were doing in this picture"...Boring.  I guess I haven't really written because of the funk.  It has been here for months.  Not sure why.  No really stress in my life besides the stress I create. I have just been grumpy and blahhhhhhh.

There are so many things I want to do.  Paint the dinning room.  Paint the kitchen.  Paint the whole house.  Organize the whole house.  Spring clean the whole house.  Make a menu and stick to it.  Write a novel.  Bake bread.  Bake rolls.  Be skinny.  Go shopping.  Be a better teacher.  Be a better person in general.  But all these things take a mental energy I just don't have.

Life is good!  I know this.  But I can't seem to remember it when it is time to get up in the morning.  I slept in this morning and it felt good...but not really.  You know what I mean? I was groggy because I got too much sleep.

But then I decided to vacuum the living room (while Jake dusted.  Aaron has to work today to make up for one of the snow days so it is kind of like a week day for us), dining room, and the kitchen, and I am going to vacuum the rest of the house.  I cleaned the kitchen (after Jake emptied the dishwasher) and I am getting ready to scrub my poor crock pot (the outside metal part) that got bubbled over onto.  I am doing ALL the laundry today.  By "doing" I mean: washing, drying, and putting away!!!  I picked up our room and even put the clothes that have been clean and folded a basket for several day.  I cleaned our bathroom.  I am going to clean out and organize the freezer and I am going to wash the cabinets. I am going to make beef stroganoff  for dinner with a strawberry salad.  I may even make rolls from scratch...If I still can!  I am going to make banana bread and chocolate cookies.  I am going to make a menu and grocery shop.  I am going go pick out paint (which I have done a million times and just never painted.  I used to pick a color in like 5 minutes, paint, and love it...I can't do that lately), and this week I will be painting!!!  I am going to put the bookcases together that we got a couple months ago (and I have waited for forever!!!) from Ikea and I fill them with books...by subject.  Math. History. Science. ETC!!!!

I am doing all that!!!  But right now I am going to stop and make lunch for Jake and our neighbors grandson's that are over playing.

I don't have time to be in a funk!

Valentine's Day 2014...

 I have to admit I have been somewhat of a holiday slacker as of late.  I used to wake up early on Valentine's Day and make pink heart pancakes and we would eat them on our our heart shaped plates.  But after 4 days of being house bound we did it a little differently this year. 


Aaron had to go back to work so it was just Jake and I for breakfast.  We headed to Chick-fil-A for some heart shaped biscuits which were only kind of heart shaped...But they were delicious!

Then we headed to Krispy Kreme for some heart shaped doughnuts that we shared with Nee and Papa.  We spent the afternoon looking at houses...again.

 This Valentine's Day also marked a first in our house.  This was the first year that Aaron and I went on a date and Jake stayed home all by himself.  When did we get so old that our child is old enough to stay home by himself?!

 (I love the way the light is coming through Jake's hand in this picture...not planned but I love it)

 Jake has been grounded from TV and his Kindle (He has been taking a little too much time to follow instructions lately...) so he was thrilled that I let him play a couple games on his Kindle.  He me made a heart on Mine Craft and on Sandbox to mark the day.

And don't feel bad for Jake.  While Aaron and I ate a piece of pizza at Sam's Club and then went and saw Winter's Tale, Jake watched his new DVD of  "How to Train you Dragon".  He was excited to have the house to himself! 

At our fancy dinner at Sam's Club I drank 1 1/2 of their huge soda's and regretted it when we got to the movies.  I think the movie was good but I was concentrating on not peeing my pants so I will have to see it again when it comes out on DVD.  :)

The words just aren't flowing today...I just wanted to not get ridiculously behind again....Now I really need to stop and clean my house!!!

The End.

A Snow Day...Again!

 We are in the middle of "Snowmageddon" here in SC.  We woke up this morning (day 2 of the storm) and it wasn't even snowing. Light flurries had just started, when Aaron headed to work, and about an hour later he called and said he was coming home.  In a matter of an hour it started coming down hard and coating the roads.  That is the beauty of the South we have snow days where the whole family gets to stay home! 

 Jake went outside to grab something from the car and check out the snow.  He wrote "Hi Mommy" on the Jeep and about 20 minutes later it was gone!

 When it snows and you are stuck in side you have to make very fattening comfort food.  It's a rule.  It may even be a law.  So, Aaron made the homes fries (Jake chopped the potatoes), bacon, and sausage.  I made the omelette's and cinnamon buns (tube not homemade...not as good obviously, but it works.  Jake frosted them). 

 Aaron acted like he was going to just keep stirring and at the last second did this...

 Yep.  We ate too much.   But it was delicious...and it is the snow day law, and we are law abiding citizen's so...we kind of had to.

Jake had to do some school this morning so we didn't head out into the snow until the late afternoon...Not because he did that much school, just because.  Jake decided out Shark box might work as a sled so we started to bundle up and get ready for the cold.

  Little did we know that it wasn't snow coming down...The freezing rain had started and it was pelting our faces.  I am almost to the point that I like to look at snow, but not so much be in it...

 Aaron acted like he was going to give me a white wash and I was nervous until he winked at me and I knew I was safe.

 Jake was his real target and Aaron hit is mark perfectly.

 Jake wanted to walk up to his friends house and the big dogs needed some exercise so we headed out...but not before I traded my hat in for a mask one like Jake's.  My neck was cold!!!  Some of my hair was sticking out from under it and it got a good coat of ice on it.  So did the dogs fur but they didn't mind because they were outside with their people and that is heaven to dogs. :)

 We got to Jake's friends house and played for maybe 10 minutes because it was that yucky out.  The snow wouldn't pack for snowballs and what else is there to do if you aren't sledding? 

 The snow is quickly turning to slush, that will be ice all over tomorrow.  It is supposed to sleet until about midnight and then turn back to snow.  I am glad I ran out this morning to get Valentine's day treats because we aren't going any where tomorrow!

We went to the steep part of our road and Jake was really hoping the card board box would work. 

It did....

...But only a little bit.  Tomorrow we are going to try it on a steeper (and it will be more covered with snow and ice)  hill.  The one Aaron used to sled on when he was a kid.  We live in the the same neighborhood that he grew up in.  That is kind of an awesome thing. :)

Sadie love every second of being outside.  Aaron was standing on the porch while Jake was trying to sled, so she ran back and forth between us.

Sadie is technically on a leash but no one is holding it...On a snow day that is also okay to do because: 1.) hardly anyone was on the road, and 2.) certain laws are different on snow days...maybe...

,

And then I finally just took it off because, really how could you refuse a sweet face like this? 

And then when she does this she really melts your heart.  Penny (our dog-in-law), who is usually a very photogenic dog, would not hold still.  I think she was ready to call it a day.  Plus she has longer hair which meant more ice (I felt her pain being a long haired girl myself) and she isn't as crazy as Sadie.

 We thawed out with some hot chocolate...

 ...And a fire.  Aaron wore his slippers (they have soles) out to get the wood and accidentally stepped off the path into the snow.  He is drying them by the fire. :)

 We are ending the day by watching the Bobcats game and my bookworm is reading while watching.  He finished all but just a few pages of a 300+ page book yesterday and is on to book two of the series today. 

And here I am blogging by the fire and the Bobcats pregame.  I am going to warm up some leftover spaghetti and call it a day. 

Day 3 of Snowmageddon will start with me sleeping in...Another rule for snow days when you know the night before your husband won't have to get up and go to work because the roads will be iced over. 

Three cheers for Snow days!!! 

I am not sure I will ever catch up...

But I will try! Here are some of the things happening around here lately. I always say I will come back and post about them later, but I am making no such promises...I know myself too well. :)

We introduced my Aunt Sheila (I didn't realize her eyes were closed...) to her first Krispy Kreme doughnut that she will be able to enjoy more often because she is moving from VT to SC!!!  Congrats on the purchase of the adorable townhouse!  Can't wait until the move is official and you are living in SC!

We got a new vacuum cleaner. I loved my old Bissel Healthy Home but it had seen better days and the duct tape wasn't even keeping it together any more! I am loving my new Shark but have yet to try the stem vac that came with it. Maybe today will be the day!

I took Jake for breakfast one morning at Chick-fil-A just because he is so dang cute!

I thought we found the perfect house (yes we are house hunting...but not having much luck) but we were out bid. Every time we find one it seems to go under contract (with someone else) the very same day!!!  It will work out when it is supposed to. After owning three homes it is strange to rent, but it has worked out for the best so far. I am trying to remember that things happen in the Lord's time, not mine.  I am still not praying for patients though because every time I do I have had to be!

We enjoyed some of Aaron's famous ribs for my mom's birthday. I don't even like ribs but I love Aaron's!

We have enjoyed our science labs and Lego Robotic Engineering at our homeschool co-op and..Just pretend these words are after Aaron with his Gamecocks apron on (also ignore the still not painted walls behind him...).  I am having some technical difficulties.  My blog is mad I haven' been here for a while so it isn't cooperating...

We have had some...drum roll please...Snow days!!! (No Jake didn't go through the trampoline the snow just makes it look like he did.  Jake presented to me what looked like the perfect snowball.  On further inspection it was one of Sadie's tennis balls with snow on it.  Speaking of Sadie she loves to eat the snow!  I am typing this all above all the snow pictures because of the technical difficulties..not letting me move pic's or type in between right now...not sure why...

 Okay...all the sudden there are spaces that it wouldn't let me put in before...Not going back and changing it now because I am going to get this posted!!!

This is one after I vacuumed three rooms with my new vacuum cleaner. Sadie it is a good thing your are such a sweet dog other wise you would be out of here (I say that but 3 shedding dogs later and I can't live with out them) because I vacuum up this much (if not more) fur every other day.

We retired one of Aaron's basketball shirts, that he has sweated in for so many years of Wednesday night church ball, that the smell can not be washed (or Frebreezed) out of...Random yes-but this shirt has been worn a LOT over several years so it only seemed natural to honor it's memory here...

On another random, but very important note (I don't want to forget), I have found what may be my new favorite pasta. Have you had it before? I am in love...

While Aunt Sheila was here we took her to the Biltmore Estates and it was amazing!  So blessed to have season's passes and four free passes to let friends or family use!

This is how much I hate matching socks...

My guys hanging out...

More Lego Engineering....

A reminder to myself why I lose my phone...I set it down on whatever I pass by with out making a mental note...

We have taken Sadie on walks.  She is a wild child and doesn't like her leash...at all...

We rearranged the homeschool room for the 791st time....One day it will be perfect...

Jake built with Legos-SHOCK!

The view from another house we looked at (this is the view from the front porch...nothing but nature..perfect), only to find out moments later they had literally just excepted an offer. :(

We saw The Lego Movie (with Nee) and it was awesome!!!

Did I say awesome?  Because it was.

Jake even wore his awesome Lego belt.

And we found out there is another Muppets movie coming out-AWESOME! Can you spot Jake and me in the picture?

Have I mentioned we have been Lego Engineering it up?..Maybe once or twice.

Sorry for the blurriness but I had to post the road testing.

Jake is on a homeschooling archery team and on Monday they had an in house mock tournament that will determine who gets to go to state (only 24 middle schoolers can go and we have a lot more than that).  We will find out in a couple of weeks if he gets to shoot at state.  He did a great job and we are praying his score was high enough to qaulify!

And that brings us to today (minus about a million other things I could have posted)!  It's snowing again! :)  We have had a reading day and are getting ready to go play in the snow with friends in just a few minutes.  I should have been doing laundry and cleaning the house but I just had to catch up or I may never have been able to! 

One snow ball this morning....

And then reading.  That's what I call a good day...and the fun is just beginning! :)