It was a beautiful May!

Hi!  We had a pretty busy May around these parts!  I have a few (okay, maybe a lot of) photos to share.  There were so many new adventures as well as some tried and true fun activities.  We were VERY ready for Spring weather and have been taking full advantage.  Hope you enjoy sneaking a peek into the fun we have been having.  :)

 

Matt's Aunt invited us out to her house early this month to enjoy an air show that was put on by her town.  Lucky for us she has a beautiful home overlooking the area where the air show would occur so we were able to enjoy a unique view and avoid the craziness of the crowds.  The air show consisted of planes from WWII and the Blue Angels.  So neat!

 

Chase's crazy hair after playing in the water fountain but it also shows a good

view off her back patio

 

Natalie showing her 'Holy Cow' face.  She made this face every time a plane flew over.

 

Chase playing in the water waiting for the show to start.  Hence his crazy hair in the pic above!

  What?  You couldn't nap with the Blue Angels flying over your head?!?   :)

 

So cool!  You can see 3 of the Blue Angels in the pic if you look closely.

 

This picture isn't zoomed in or doctored at all!! 

It was crazy how close they were and right over their house!

Meeting Llama Llama in his red pajamas at the library.  Do you love these books as much as we do?

I love Chase's face in this pic, like he is saying "Seriously, do you see this thing?!"

 

 Somebody moved to his big boy seat!

 

arts & crafts to celebrate Memorial Day

Her last swim lesson. 

Yes, she is holding a plastic spider that she chose for her 'prize'.  She loves that gross thing thanks to recently watching Charlotte's Web.  Lovely :)

One of many park days....and another spider....

Our town hosted a Public Works Fair where the kids could check out all their machinery.  We have a lot of construction going on around us right now so it was pretty cool for Natalie to get up close (and inside) some of the big machines we have seen around town. 

 

She also got to work the arm of the recycling truck.



 Our first swim of the season!  Chase was one happy little guy!

 

  Natalie showing off her diva shades!  I was so impressed with her bravery and the skills she learned during swim lessons. 

 

Sidewalk chalk!

 

When did my baby get so big?!

 

Nothing better than hanging out with friends and enjoying popsicles!

 

Well, unless your Chase, then maybe there is nothing better than Grandma's baked beans!  

 

 Matt's family owns some property and clubhouse on a local river so we headed out there over Memorial Day weekend to do a little fishing and a little exploring.

Natalie was so excited to go fishing and even more excited when she caught 7 fish!

Last week we explored a local bird sanctuary.  The bald eagles they have are so pretty.

 

Of course, the kiddos were very excited to see the chickens.  ;)  Chase really wanted to be out and part of the action...which went well for at least a little while!

 

So excited to show me the eagles!

 

Mama and Daddy turkey with their babies.

 

Natalie enjoying the motorcycle ride at our church picnic.

And the carousel with Aunt Megan. 

 

Showing off her winnings (tiara and poster) from the duck game.  She was so excited to hang the poster in her room!

 

 

Whew!  So much fun these past few weeks!  Looking forward to even more outside activities this summer!

 





New Year's Resolution Update - Month 5

Start a blog.  Post at least 4 times a week

I think it is safe to say I have being failing this goal recently.  Oops...  Well, here is to a fresh start in June...

Lose the last of the baby weight
Thanks to a beautiful all-inclusive resort in Mexico I am not doing quite as well as I was here.  I added just a couple pounds back on though I am still shy of my pre-pregnancy weight which is good.  Definitely need to kick this up a notch as I think I have stagnated on the lbs that are going to come off without a ton of effort.

Try a new recipe each week

I tried 2 new recipes this month and neither were a success.  Boo!  Seriously, my husband had some entertaining comments about whether or not I should make either again....  ;)

Make an effort to be less tired
Good!  We are keeping busy and moving which definitely helps!

Be present
Same as last month -- a work in progress but I do find it so much easier to ignore my phone and other distractions while we are out enjoying the beautiful weather. 

Thanks for checking in and keeping me accountable to my goals!!

What's on....Your Walls

Hmm, has it really been 3 weeks since I last posted?!  Where has the time gone?  We have been crazy busy enjoying the Spring weather, celebrating Memorial Day and of course, enjoying some much needed relaxation in Mexico!  Do you ever feel like you have so much to blog about that you don't know where to start....and therefore, do nothing?!  No, just me?  Ha! 

Well, anyway, today I am linking up with one of my very favorite bloggers, Andrea to share what is on our walls.  While taking pictures I definitely noticed I have some 'go to' decorating themes.  Oops!  We still have some bare walls and there are some current décor items that I am ready to change up so I can't wait to see what everyone has on their walls!

Here goes....

So apparently I LOVE hanging letters on my walls!  Ever since we got married I have loved my new last initial.  :)  Not so much the letter...P's are great and all but it isn't like they are that much cooler than H's.  (Though I do have to say that hanging a P is much easier!)  I just like what it symbolizes.  Our marriage and our family....we share a last name and I love that simple thing.  :)  That is a little too corny/cheesy for a Monday isn't it? 

I have a large distressed P in our living room.  I stumbled on this one at Hobby Lobby on clearance.  I originally thought I would paint it but it ended up fitting in perfectly. 

 

 

There is a P in our command center collage....

 

The other P is over a console table in our foyer.  The N, C, M and L are part of our gallery wall.  Our MASSIVE gallery wall.  :)  This wall is on the open staircase to our basement and is a huge space....I think we have about 35-40 pictures on that wall alone.  Eek!  However, it is the ONLY place in the house that I have family pictures hung (currently) so although we joke that it is 'a whole lot of us in one space', I love it.  I love going to that wall and seeing so many happy memories in one place.  We mixed professional pictures and candid shots.  We have wedding pictures from all my husband's brothers and sisters included.  We have pictures from when we were dating and pictures of our family of 4.  So much love on that wall....  :)

 

 

A few things about this wall....  First, I scoured Goodwill and our basement for frames.  It didn't matter what the color of the frame was because I was going to spray paint them all the same.  I was looking for different shapes, sizes and textures to add some interest.  The oval is my favorite frame of all!  I didn't just look for picture frames either.  Goodwill was fantastic for different frames with painting or décor pictures in them!  Not to mention I found some of the coolest textures on frames there. 

As for the pictures, it took me FOREVER to decide on pictures!  I wanted a good mix of the years together and I wanted to be sure our entire extended family was represented on the wall as well.  I love that we have Matt's brothers and sisters wedding pictures in the top corner (with ours) and that each one is similar in that we are looking at our new spouse.  So much love in that little corner of the big wall! 

 

Before hanging the pictures on the wall, I did two things that I believe made the whole process 10x's easier.  Plus it helped mix my OCD and my husband's tolerance for hanging 30+ picture frames (while using a ladder on stairs!).   First I laid out all the pictures on the floor.  I had measured the wall so I knew the layout and angles I needed to work within.  This step helped me ensure that I didn't have two similar pictures next to each other (2 honeymoon, 2 wedding, 2 of the kids, etc).  Yes, I was that particular about it.  Plus it helped me mix the shapes, sizes and layout of the pictures.  After getting a handle on the layout, I used craft paper and traced each picture and marked the paper with the hangers (where we would need to place the nails).  This step was HUGE for our sanity!  We taped up the paper in the layout, put the nails right thru the paper and then just traded out the paper for the pictures.  So easy!  Just be sure you know which paper goes with each picture.  ;)

 

Whew!  Okay, so I also love making my own canvases and utilizing my Cricut paper cutter.



The top left is in our main bathroom (the shower steam is starting to affect the stickiness on the vinyl....), the Cinderella quote is from Natalie's room (of course!) and the black and silver is currently hanging over our bed. 

 

One of my first DIY projects for our home was making these bad boys.  It was super simple and I love the uniqueness.  The frames and scrapbook paper were from Hobby Lobby and I cut the diagrams out in black paper using the From My Kitchen Cricut cartridge. 

These were inspired by Better Homes and Gardens. 

Chase's room has a sports them so I made these designs using the Team Spirit Cricut cartridge.

I also love mirrors....well, in my dining room, anyway.

 

Also in my dining room is one of my very favorite things currently hanging on our walls.

This is a pencil drawing of our first home.  The home where we lived when we got engaged, when we got married and the place we brought Natalie home.  I honestly could not love this picture any more!  It was a first anniversary gift to Matt and I am looking forward to adding a picture of our current home to the wall as well.  Now if only I could find the name of the company that did this picture!  Oops!

 

Continuing my apparent love for vinyl....

Part of the gallery wall.

In the kitchen...

In our bedroom...

This is a picture from our wedding that my Matron of Honor gave us.  During my wedding planning I found a beautiful blessing called the 'Blessing of the Hands'.  It made me tear up every (yes, EVERY and even to this day) I read it so I knew it had to be incorporated into our ceremony.  Our priest did an amazing job reading it and I love that we have the words and picture of the moment from the ceremony in our bedroom.

 

I couldn't find a link to the exact blessing we used though there are many versions online.  If you are curious here is the blessing as we used it....

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and vibrant with love, that are holding your on your wedding day as you pledge your commitment to each other and promise to love each other all the days of your life. 

These are the hands that will work long hours for you and your new family. 

These are the hands that will work along side yours, as together you build your future, as you laugh and cry, as you share your secrets and dreams. 

These are the hands that will hold each child in tender love, soothing them through illness and hurt, supporting and encouraging along the way, and knowing when it is time to let go. 

These are the hands that will countless times wipe tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times, they will comfort you when you are sick , and console you when you are grieving.

These are the hands that will give you support as you encourage each other to chase down your dreams, together as a team, everything you wished for can be realized.

These are the hands that will love and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.

And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

God, bless these hands that you see before you this day.  May they always be held by one another.  Give them the strength to hold on during the storms of stress and the dark of disillusionment.

Keep them tender and gentle as they nurture each other in their wondrous love.  Help these hands to continue building a relationship founded in your grace, rich in caring and devoted in reaching for your perfection.

May Lauren and Matt always see their four hands as healer, protector, shelter and guide.  We ask this in your name.  Amen

 

I also had another DIY project in Natalie's room.  I made the princess pictures using canvases (cause duh, apparently!), pictures from an old calendar, some purple paint and a whole lot of modge podge. 

 

A few other items in Chase's room.  My favorite saying to the kiddos and another DIY project.  A canvas (yes, again!), wood letters, wood glue and paint.  Perfect addition to his room!

I scored (pun intended!) these pictures for $13 at Kirkland's.  They are really large too - about 24"x24".

Lastly, I have an odd wall in our living room that is currently housing a very large metal thing.  This wall is my next project.  I am thinking another gallery wall but one sans pictures of us (because, well you know we have that aspect covered in the other gallery wall) and focused on sayings and other things.  Help!

Thanks for stopping by!  Can't wait to see what everyone has on their walls!

Come on in....to my kitchen & dining room!

So excited for the next round of Momfessionals Come on in series.  This month she is highlighting kitchens and dining rooms.  My kitchen is where we spend most of our day and thankfully it is one of my favorite places in our home.  My favorite thing about the space is all the natural light we have.  Somebody was definitely thinking when they designed the bay window/door area and the large picture window!  We get early morning sun on this side of the house but usually by 8 or 9 I can open up the blinds and bring the light on in.  :)

Please excuse the picture quality...we are still having issues with our photo correcting program.  :(

 

While I love this space now, I do have big plans for changing in up.  It is just a little to white and bright overall for what I would have chosen if we built the house.  I think the darker paint helps and I am actually good with the white cabinets.  My biggest complaint are the white appliances and the way too light counter tops. Hopefully a black splash will help too.   I have also seen some really cool islands that are painted a different color than the rest of the cabinets....maybe I will be brave enough to try that too!

The other great thing about our kitchen is the layout.  It is perfect for hosting parties and the flow was definitely well thought out.  There is plenty of room for everyone to move around and not feel crowded.  This is a huge change from our old house and it warms my heart to have my friends and family around me in the kitchen!

 

Looking into our kitchen from the back door. 

 

The view from our living room.

 

The view as you come in from the garage and mud room.

 

Same view but with our window open as it normally is during the day.

 

Looking towards the main part of the room from my standard spot at the kitchen sink.  :)

 

Also in our kitchen is our main computer and 'command center'.  It never looks like organized or clean but I took these pictures after I cleaned up for Chase's party.  :)
I spend a lot of time here keeping us organized, paying bills, planning out our schedule and of course, blogging.

 

Now on to our dining room....

I was determined to have a chair rail and the dark green paint in our dining room after seeing this inspiration picture from The Yellow Cape Cod.

 

I basically refused to paint or update the room when we moved in and until we could make this vision happen!  I had to wait a year but my sweet hubby did the wood work himself and I love it!  We decided to hold off on the picture frame molding but I do hope it will happen in the future.  ;)

Our living room and dining room are so connected and open to each other and I love the way the colors coordinate and compliment each other.  The drapes are temporary and we are still searching for the perfect items to accessorize the buffet but overall I am happy with the current look. 

 

Looking in from the living room. 

As you can see it is a pretty open area connected to our foyer.

The view in from the front door.

Open to the living room

 

If you missed last month's link up on our family rooms, check it out here.  The green paint we used in our dining room is the same as the cut outs in our living room.

Linking up with the lovely Andrea at Momfessionals for her Come on in series! 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

New Year's Resolution - Month 4

Start a blog.  Post at least 4 times a week

How about post twice a week?!?  Apparently that is a more realistic goal the past 2 months.  :)

Lose the last of the baby weight
Still on track here.  I have officially lost the last of the baby weight and a few extra pounds as well.  So excited!  We are so close to our vacation to Mexico which has been a big motivator for me.  My self confidence is up and I am excited to start toning and keep on track!

Try a new recipe each week

I didn't get a new recipe in each week BUT I did find 2 amazing new recipes to add into our favorites rotation!
The first is a White Cheese Chicken Lasagna from All Recipes.com and it was hands down one of my favorite new dinner items!  The sauce was so good and it was very easy to cut the recipe in half so I didn't have a ton of leftovers.  I was a little intimidated since I had never made a lasagna before, but this one was super easy. 
Since it was still Lent, I decided to try out a new Shrimp pasta in white sauce recipe from Taste and Tell blog.  My husband said it tasted like something we would get in a high end restaurant.  Win!  :)  Now we are not big mushroom or asparagus fans but I just traded them out for broccoli and it worked perfectly for us.
I have a couple new recipes pinned that I am excited to try out in May so hopefully I will have a few new winning ones to share next month!

Make an effort to be less tired
Backtracking a little this month thanks to my allergies.  Man, can a bad allergy day just knock the wind right out of me.  We are officially done nursing so coffee is my current best friend!  ;)

Be present
I think this will always be a work in progress but I do find it so much easier to ignore my phone and other distractions while we are out enjoying the beautiful weather. 

Thanks for checking in and keeping me accountable to my goals!!