Extreme Home Makeover - Hannah's room edition

It all started when a good friend of mine sent me a coupon for free delivery from Nebraska Furniture Mart. She knew that we were looking for bed rails for our kids...and that was all. Our poor children have been sleeping on mattresses on the floor for almost two years! And actually, Hannah hasn't had a bed since her crib! There really were many legitimate reasons... first being that fact that we were moving houses and didn't want to buy a single bed frame for Hannah when we knew she'd have a double bed. Then we didn't buy a double bed frame because we were planning on having more kids and didn't know what room she'd be in and what size bed she'd have. Plus, I really wanted a white bed for her but not for Caden and if I bought the white single bed frame and then the kids had to change rooms it would just mess everything up.

Little more info then you needed but you get the point.

So, we set off for NFM, coupon in hand, planning on buying both the kids bed frames. Well, I got a little distracted by the beautiful white bed I saw for Hannah. And then we figured we might as well get her the dresser to go with it. After our purchase we took the kids to Red Mango and I got the brilliant idea to surprise Hannah with a room makeover. She already knew that she'd be getting new furniture, but she thought that she'd still be using her old comforter (which is for a single bed). I decided I'd get her a new comforter...and then a new lamp...and then a canopy for over the bed...and a new bulletin board...and then a new mirror. (I really don't like those bedroom sets that are all matchy with the mirror over the dresser and I knew I could think of something much better.) I really wanted to get her a desk as well but that's gonna have to wait for her Christmas present.

After weeks of planning we surprised her on Thursday when she got home from school. I have to say it turned out pretty cute! Needless to say she was VERY surprised and LOVES her new room.

Here, take a look




I am in LOVE with this mirror! It's one that we had at our old house and I just couldn't part with it because I really liked it. So I painted it turquoise (Hannah's favorite color) and now I love it even more. So girly and fun!

no regrets

By the time bedtime roles around at our house I'm tired. Very tired. I don't have much patience left so I normally try to rush bedtime and get the kids down as quickly as possibly. I figure I spend plenty of time with them during the day, right? But recently I read something that really struck me. It was an article about parenting and it said to take time to talk with your kids. It especially mentioned bedtime being a time that kids will normally open up and share about their day. If you don't listen to your kids while their young, they won't talk when they're older.

So the other night Hannah was calling from her room, which we are NOT allowed to do unless the tornado siren is going off or it's an emergency. And by emergency I don't mean a hang nail or a parched throat!. However, everyone once in a while my kids still try to stall at bedtime and call for us after they've been tucked. They generally want another hug and kiss or want their back rubbed. I'm a stickler when it comes to bedtime routine and I almost always respond to their pleas with "It's bedtime. Go to bed." But this particular night as Hannah was calling for her back to be rubbed I gave it some serious thought before I responded. My little girl is already 6 and I feel like she's already outgrowing her little girl phase. I don't want to look back and feel like I missed out on her growing up years. I've read many an email forward from older women about what they would have done differently if they could relive life again. Not one of those women has ever said "I wish I would not have rubbed my daughters back so much!" Nope. They all say "I should have rubbed backs more often." And so, on this night I went right up to Hannah's room and I rubbed her back. And it was wonderful. She laid so still and just chatted to me about the day and said at least 100 times, "Mommy, I love you."

It was a night I'll remember for a long time and I know Hannah will too.

rejoice

I've noticed something lately. We are a finicky, complaining people. Just step outside and you'll be sure to hear people complain that it's to hot, it's to cold, there's to much snow, it's not sunny enough, it's to windy. We're never quite satisfied. We're always longing for better and more. So I've decided something. Today, I will be grateful for the air conditioning and the pools and the ice in my drink and the sunscreen to protect me and the home that shelters me. Today I will choose to rejoice! Will you join me?

Psalm 118:24
"This is the day the Lord has made; let us REJOICE and be glad in it."

my child's eyes

I wish I could see life through their eyes.
Every day an adventure to be had.
Picking wildflowers.
Swimming with friends.
Eating ice cream.
I love the wonder in their eyes when they discover a robin's egg. Turquoise with spots.
The joy of finding a toad, chasing it down the street, happy screams all the way.
Riding bikes.
Playing at the park, sand in the toes, sand on their arms, in their hair, sticking to their sweaty, sun-screened little bodies.
Doing flips on the rings.
Picnics with their mommy.
Firefly in a jar.
Forts on a rainy day.
Books read in the shade.
Racing up the stairs.
Giggles. Lots of giggles.
Jumping off the diving board.
Licking the beater with chocolate chip cookie dough.
Kisses. And hugs. Lots of them. All the time.
Laying heads on pillows at night exhausted from the adventures of the day. But still the energy for sweet songs to sing.
They drink every ounce of nectar out of life. Every ounce.
They live everyday FULL.
And I pray that God renews my eyes to see life the way they do. To live every moment FULL. Full of wonder and awe and marvel.

Job 37:14
"stop and consider God's wonders."

Lake McConaughy

We met up with Jill and Derek this weekend at Lake McConaughy. The kids LOVE camping and it was so fun for them to get time with their aunt and uncle. Apparently it was SUPER hot the entire weekend but I didn't notice it at all. We spent most of the time in the water or in the shade back at camp. The one disappointment was the beach, or lack there of.

Here's what it looked like two years ago when we camped.


And here's what it looked like this time.

With all the flooding there's not much beach left, but that's didn't stop us from having a great time.

I LOVE Hannah's adventuresomness!

Easter dress

Do you ever have those times when you're shopping in certain stores and you just feel out of place. I'm pretty much a Target, Kohls, Old Navy kind of girl and I just feel a little out of place when I'm at nice stores. I feel like they're looking at me like "what are you doing here." Anyway, all that to say, when Chris and I were in Clearwater I was having one of those days where I wasn't feeling overly confident about myself and I just kinda felt a little out place. We were shopping at all the little beach shops by our hotel and it wasn't that they were upscale by any means but I just didn't feel I fit in with the culture. Get what I mean?

So, we were at a surf store and Chris and I had been looking around and we walk to the back. Apparently one of the female workers thought I have left and started talking about what I was wearing. "Did you see that girls dress! It looked like an Easter basket with pastel pink and blue stripes."

OK--so I know I'm not totally hip with all the styles, but if I'm honest I think I dress fairly well... like a 30 year old...not like a 16 year old beach shop girl. Anyway, I was CRUSHED! I just couldn't believe that someone would be so mean. Plus, I was so embarrassed and I still had to walk out of the shop for all her co workers to see.

Chris and I walked down to another store and I grabbed his hand and started BAWLING! Now I actually find it kind of funny but at the time it was NOT! Thankfully Chris just held me and told me that he loved me. Then he said "I hope this doesn't mean that you'll never wear that dress again." You know what? There was a time not that long ago where I probably would have thrown that dress away and NEVER worn it again! But not now. It's not that peoples words don't hurt me anymore, they obviously still do. But what I remembered that day was what CHRIST says about me. I don't have to live for the approval of others because I already have the approval of the ONE who matters. Not my husbands approval (although he does love me), but CHRIST'S approval.

HE says I'm beautiful!

Zeph 3:17
"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take GREAT DELIGHT in you, he will quiet you with his LOVE, he will REJOICE over you with singing!"

Ephesians 2:10a
"For you are God's WORKMANSHIP"

Psalm 139:14
"I praise you because I am FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

And the other cool part of that story is that the day I got back to Orlando to see my sweet Hannah I told her all about the Easter dress. I told her that even mommy's get made fun of and it really hurts, I don't think that part will ever go away. It's what we do with those feelings of worthlessness and rejection and comparing ourselves to others. We have to take it to Christ and remember that he created us and he LOVES us just the way we are!

And, because I know you all are just DIEING to see the dress, here I am in all my Easter basket glory!

my latest accomplishment

So this morning I went to put away laundry, and naturally being a women I got distracted by my closet. I'm so sick of all the junk in there, especially those pictures that I'm NEVER gonna use anywhere, don't ask me why I've kept them so long. Anyhow, all of a sudden I got the great idea that maybe Hannah's snowman picture (the one she made in art class that got entered into the art fair) would fit in one of those frames. I tried it, had to crop it a little, but it fit and it looked great.

Caden and I went trompsing all around the house trying to figure out where to hang this picture. We finally found the perfect spot right by Hannah's door. So I go drag out the hammer and nails. And then... I realized that this is that super annoying frame from our old house that you have to use screws for and of course it takes two, and of course they have to be PERFECTLY spaced apart. So I get the drill and the screws and the level (because I'm picky like that) and I set to work. I actually am sweating HOT (even though it's like 30 degrees outside) because I am so nervous that I'm gonna put some huge hole in our wall that we'll have to fix and then it never will get fixed because we never fix anything like that...even though we always think we will someday. So, I actually figured out how to get the bit to stay in the drill and I successfully drilled the screws in the wall (there may or may not be several dents around the screw). Then I try to hang the picture. Not good. I don't know how it happened since I triple checked my measurements, but somehow the screws aren't a lined with the holes in the back of the picture. So, after several failed attempts to hammer the screws in the right direction, I gave up and took out the screws and rescrewed them an inch above. I actually figured out how to make the drill take out screws!

Hannah's picture is now proudly displayed right next to her door! It looks so good! And I feel like I could conquer the world!... so look out house, momma is in the zone!

Oh, but first, I better get that laundry put away! :)