Bedside Table

Blood, Sweat, & Tears!  It's what projects are made of, right?  Well, maybe not for everyone but it was for this girl!  I worked hard on this first project, really hard.  I sweated a LOT and I cried a few times.  I had the help of my amazing husband as well, but 95% of this project was done by ME!  

I started with this table.  I used in my living room when Larry & I first got married.  When we got new furniture in our bedroom and we couldn't have two nightstands I moved it into my bedroom.  It stayed in my bedroom until we moved to our house.    

Now, at the new house the bedroom was already a deep red and I decided I wanted to keep that but I wanted to add a pop of color.  I picked my color and started to work on this project.  I looked on pinterest and I read a few different blogs where people had done the same thing but with different pieces. 

So I started....  First, I did a little sanding - just to rough it up.

Larry was sure I was going to need to paint on this stuff that makes the varnish bubble and come off.  I did, but I don't think it really mattered if I used it or not... so don't tell anyone but on my next project I am NOT using it!  Of course, you have to do a little more sanding to get that stuff off, which is one reason I think I am NOT going to use it!  

I picked up everything I needed at Lowe's to get started. 

I was ready to prime it!  This was pretty fun because I was able to paint like I was in 1st grade & well it was just FUN!  I did two coats of primer! 

Finally, I was ready to start painting that baby "Ocean Soul"!  I couldn't wait, so I started with the first coat.  And let that dry....before going on to coat two.    

 Well, I couldn't go on to coat two without a little help from Larry, but not by my choice, mind you.   The whole time I was painting and sanding Larry was giving me advice on how I should do this or that.  It was perfectly fine, but when it was time for the second coat, he thought he would do that for me with the sprayer.  That was really nice of him and actually it looked really pretty...

 UNTIL the polyurethane came out!!  What a disaster... this is where the tears came in!  Larry sprayed it and the paint started coming off.  All my hard work...going, going, gone...  So like any normal girly girl, who has just finished her first "real" project, I ran inside and cried while Larry worked outside "distressing" the table.

It isn't exactly what I was wanting but after having in my bedroom a couple of days, I really do love it!  Maybe, because I know how hard I worked on it or maybe it is because it is my first project.  And when I am ready to have a bedroom make-over I know how to repaint this beauty! 

Family 4th Time

After all of our super fun adventures we headed back to my mom's for dinner.   Love it when my mom does dinner and we don't have too!  Anyway, of course I took some photo's before we went and while we were there.  

I LOVE this picture of Cade & I!  It is just too cute to me! 

This picture of Marissa and I just blows me away.   I can't believe how grown up she is now.  

I remember when she played with baby dolls and Barbies.  I remember putting her hair in big bows and dressing her in sweet dresses.  It still amazes me to see how much she has grown in the past 11 years years.  I am very proud to be her SMom.   

 

Larry & I - love this man so much for so very many reasons!

The boys at Grammy's house!  Yes, all in her bed - watching TV and playing video games!  

Our attempt at a family photo taken by mom of course!  

My mom and I together!  I love her so very much!  She is just an amazing woman.

4th Fun

The 4th wouldn't be complete without the downtown vendors, activities, swimming in the pool, going to Grammy's for dinner, and watching the fireworks with the Birts!

Downtown and their kids activities suck us in every single time!  Oh yea, and the popcorn!  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the popcorn!  I wait ALL year for the popcorn... Oh LAWD!! 

Since having Cade, I have a phobia of germs!  It was AWFUL for a while and I mean awful.  This year, when Cade asked me before we left the house to get in the ball with water, I felt my whole body cringe!  Every year I try to avoid this activity and every year so far, I have!  I have been able to redirect him to something else, but I knew that was over and done with when he asked me before we left the house!  As soon as he saw the ball with water he was beyond excited and jumped right in that thing!

Blowing up the ball...notice he is covering his ears!

Blown up and ready to GO!

There he rolls!! 

Cade loved that silly ball and I can see it becoming something he wants to do each year.  Just like the good ole' cow train!   Seriously, both boys know where the train is going to be and they don't walk they RUN to it every single year.  It is classic! 

Colin held onto the sides the WHOLE time!  Even when we tried to get him to wave he refused to let go.  He is something else.

After all of this fun we had to head over to Grammy's neighborhood pool.  All I can is WOW!  Her pool is so nice.  I like our pool, but I am seriously in love with her pool.  The whole layout is so nice and the kids loved it.   I only got one picture because I was too busy enjoying the pool myself!  

And of course the one picture I did get doesn't even begin to show the awesomeness of this pool!  But it does show some pretty cute kiddos! 

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July!!  

It was a WONDERFUL laid back day.  We really enjoyed ourselves so much.   I wanted to have a cookout at the house, but just didn't get things together in time so I wasn't able to do it.    I was a little sad, but after having such a fab day - I was not so sad, because the day was so stress free!  STRESS-FREE!  LOVE STRESS-FREE! 

We start our morning out at the annual 4th of July parade in St. Marys!  Of course, I couldn't get the boys to look for a picture!  Silly boys! 

Colin loved waving his flag and waiting for the parade! 

Marissa waiting for the parade to start! 

I can't believe how grown she looks, even from just last year at this time.  She will be a junior when school starts in August and that is HARD to believe for me!  Wow!  I am getting old! 

 Grammy & Cade

Still waiting!  

We always have to get there about an hour early to find a spot to sit.  It normally fills up so very quickly and you don't have anywhere to sit.   We try to get in the same spot each year - the shade!   Even though it is pretty early in the morning, it still gets hot.   Cade is obviously not a good waiter!  He was ready for it to start right then and even got a little grumpy that we had to wait.  That boy!! 

But water, and a little Sissy hug makes it all worth while...

Colin & Mommy waiting for the parade!  :)

Love this picture!  It melts my heart.

Colin really wanted to see a Marching Band in the parade.  He talked about it for two days straight.  Every time I packed up to go to the pool, he didn't want to go because he wanted to see the Marching Band!  If I needed to run to the store, he needed to see the Marching Band.  I tried to explain to him many times that I wasn't sure we would see a Marching Band, but he was set on it.  Finally, I was able to tell him that they would have a lot of tractors in the parade - this is South Georgia, you know!  Haha!  The tractors were the highlight of the parade for him so I tried to take a picture of at least one! 

For Colin the parade was a success! 

Monday, Monday, Monday!

Say it in your best Jan Brady voice! 

It's been a pretty lazy Monday around here.   I have been cleaning, doing laundry, making our menu, preparing for the 4th, preparing for our cookout, and did I mention doing laundry.  If you know me, you know how much I love laundry.  Every single time I walk into the laundry I get another idea of what I want to do in there, but seriously I NEED to let the laundry room go because I have the boys room to finish up as well as a couple of projects I am working on.  

Over the weekend, I started drawing out my idea of the boys room and I think I am almost ready to start it.  I just bought their bedding - and I can't wait for it to get here so I can see how awesome it is going to look in their room.  I really think it will lighten their room up so much!  Now I am just looking for bedskirts, valances, throw pillows, and a large rug to go in there.  I know it is just all going to come together.  I can't wait to share the before and after pictures of their room.

In other amazing news, we did make it to the beach this weekend, okay so it was on Friday, but it was the kick off of the weekend.  It was nice even if it was so stinkin' hot!  The boys had a great time and so did Marissa.  

On Sunday, I started working on one of my projects, and had to make a trip to Lowe's.  I have decided that I really do love that store.  I remember hating to go there eight months ago, but now I can't get enough of that place and I always want to go.   I am heading back there this afternoon for a couple of things I forgot to pick up yesterday and I truly need to finish up this project.   I can't wait to share pictures of that either!  But my whole point was, it was so very hot yesterday and I went to dress Colin but couldn't decide what to put on him.  Larry decided at the end of last summer that Jon-Jons are silly looking on Colin, but I did pick two of them up for this summer.   I was just going to use them for church or dressier occasions.  Again, it was HOT so I thought this would be the perfect "cool" outfit.

SWOON!!  This boy is MADE for Jon-Jons!  Look how darn cute he is!  I can see this outfit now making it's way into his outfit rotation for at least once every two weeks. 

Sea Turtle Unit

I created my first "real" unit back in April.  We were going on our field trip to the Sea Turtle Center like we do every year.  It is my FAVORITE field trip ever!  Anyway, I decided to make this little unit for my team.  We loved it and so did my kids.  I am trying to decide if I should even attempt to post it on TPT. 

This is just what the cover looks like. 

 

It includes math journals, whole group math activities, math center activities, long & short vowel activities, sentence construction,etc. 

Reality Check

Today, like many days during the summer, we were out at the pool.   Now if you know me, you know I love the pool and spend most summer days there.  I always have, even as a child, it was one of my favorite places to be.  Now I enjoy it for many other reasons such as, I get to see my girlfriends and chit-chat, my boys get to swim and play with their friends, and when it is time to come home my boys are EXHAUSTED!  When little boys are exhausted they normally take naps, lay on the couch and watch tv quietly, or go to bed early.  All of these things make me a little happy, since it gives me an extra hour or so to clean up and do some laundry.  

 At the pool today, I had a bit of a reality check.  Colin, my super cautious yet has no fear child, has decided that wearing swimmies in the three feet part of the pool is NOT for him and as long as I am in the water, I don't care.   However, today he got to the opposite end of the pool before me.   Both ends have steps and are 3 feet so no big deal I can get there.  Well, as I am moving to get to the end.  His footing slips and he can't touch.  All I can see his little head bobbing in the water.  He is doggie padding and keep his head up but just bobbing.  My heart skips about five beats and then the whole pool was able to see my Olympic style swimming as I shot across to save my boy.   He was perfectly fine and scared - so was his momma!  

From now on he will be wearing his full pool attire in the pool...swimmies, noodle, sunglasses....

Because I just love that boy so much!!  And most days he thinks he is as big as Cade,

BUT truth be told, I am not ready for him to be!   I can't even believe how quickly his 3rd birthday is creeping up on us.