Face lift

Our house before face lift.......... new windows and shutters

we already has a new storm door, kick plate and door knocker put up

the old windows are painted shut, have snap in grids, no screens and the trim paint is peeling

the shutters are also in need of paint or replacement

the house with all the shutters off

obviously our house used to be red and when the old owners painted it they painted around the shutters

all new windows and shutters on the front

 

can you see a big difference in the before and after?

we are so excited to have one more side of our house with new windows, two sides down two to go

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

I saw this recipe and just had to try it!  I did leave out teh coconut and I used fat free sweetened condensed milk.  Oh boy is it yummy, very rich but excellent with coffee.  Let me know if you try them and what you think.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

A friend recently told me about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and recommended I sign up my kids.  Sydney is over 5 years so she has aged out of the program but Griffin will receive a new book each month until he is five.  All you have to do to start receiving books is register your child online.  I try to remember to give all my little patients a form to register.  I love to read and my kids love our time together with books.  We have lots of books at our house but it is so fun to get a new one in the mail each month.  So far we have received The Little Engine That Could and Bun Bun Button.  Check out the website and register your child today. 

home remedies

I like things that are natural and I also believe in being "green" and easy on the environment.  I believe in recycling and reusing.  I think it is important to be conscious of our resources.  I believe in medicine since that is my profession but I also think there are natural remedies for certain things, such as honey for cough and garlic for colds and respiratory illnesses. 

I do buy household cleaners but I use vinegar on my floors and I also like baking soda for scrubbing grime, such as in my oven or shower.  It is important to me that I use products that will get the job done yet not be toxic to me or my family.  I still make my own laundry detergent for two reasons, it is cheaper and also I know what is in it and I am not putting a bunch of chemicals on our clothing.  I recently noticed two of my shirts had white stains in the armpits from antiperspirant.  One of the shirts is older but a favorite and still in good shape and the other is relatively new and from Coldwater Creek (although it was on sale) and I did not feel I could wear these shirts looking the way that they did.  So I goggled antiperspirant stains and found a site that instructed me to mix 1/2 cup ammonia with 4 cups of water and using a sponge blot the stained area.  I did this and immediately saw the white disappear.  I then washed the shirts as usual and let them air dry to be sure all the stain was removed.  I was so happy that it worked! 

I also frequently use a stain recipe that my mom shared with me- you mix equal parts Clorox 2 powder and cascade powder (without bleach) and hot water and soak your stained item overnight and then wash as usual.  If I have several items that are similar in color I will use 1/2 cup each and soak but if it is a small stain I will just make a small paste and apply it to the stain and let it sit overnight and then wash.  This recipe has worked on new and old stains!

Do you have any home remedies that you would like to share?

Daddy Day List

Saturday I went shopping with my friend Ellie for the day, the kids and Bill made a list of all the things they wanted to do while I was away.

• Have a pizza party and stay up until the cows come home
• lunch at the club
• hit golf balls at club
• ride in golf cart
• pick up sticks from tree trimming and yard
• paint edge on front door
• cut grass in backyard
• ride bikes in cul de sac and scooter
• go to Cliffs and get gas for mower and treats
• go to Karen's and See Evan, trim edge of her sidewalk and swing on tree swing
• go for walk and see frogs and fish in pond
• go see Miss Lynn

The list was rather ambitious and they did not accomplish it all but they did more than half. 
I enjoyed some time away, Bill loved his time with the kids and the kids had a fun daddy day.

Proud Parents

 

Last week Bill called me on my cell and was very emotional. When he starts a conversation with “everyone is okay” my chest starts to ache. I just start imagining scenarios and what could have happened to make him so upset. He had just taken Sydney to school and as he was walking her into the building and Sydney saw one of her friends from the after school program she attends. Her friends mom had dropped her off and this little girl was crying and upset about being dropped off in the car line. Sydney went right over to her and gave her a hug and said “its okay, I was nervous about school too, my daddy and I will walk to your class.” She took her by the hand and walked her to the door of her classroom. Bill is an emotional guy and he was so proud of our little girl. Sydney was given a little certificate for helping others from her teacher and we both gave her praise. We are so proud of her for loving others. The next day the same girl was upset and Sydney and Bill walked her to class again. The timing was coincidental because I was planning to read this to Sydney. I guess I do not need to because she already knows how to love others.

Sydney is doing great at school. Some days I ask Sydney questions about her day and she gives me short answers or does not want to talk about her day. I like details and knowing how the kids are while they are at school and/or daycare so I emailed her teacher to get an update. This is her response:

 

She is doing great in class. She has made a lot of friends and is a leader in the classroom. I asked her today if she was enjoying Kindergarten, and she said yes with a great big smile!! I get a lot of participation from her during whole group activities, which is WONDERFUL at this point in the school year! I hope you and your husband are enjoying the changes that you have seen and I look forward to creating wonderful memories with your family as this year continues!

With Kinder Love,

Mrs. Fearnside :)

Laundry Room

Our laundry room needed an update. I forgot to take a before picture so I will just have to describe it a bit. Just past the closet on the left there was a bookshelf that held buckets and baskets for craft supplies. Then the freezer on the left, topped with the oatmeal play bin. After the freezer was a large blue recycle bin. On the right side everyone piled up shoes and there is also a large plastic bucket for shoes. Also when the kids get undressed downstairs they would just through their clothes on the floor by the washer. 

 

We enter our house through the laundry room and so do many of our friends. The only people who use the front door are people making deliveries and occasionally guests who are coming for a party. So when I walk in the laundry room and things are scattered and the shelf is stacked with papers and misc toys it really grates on my nerves. I am a bit OCD about organization.

So we took out the shelf and minimized the craft supplies that are available to the kids.  If you look at the far left corner on top of the cabinets you will see two buckets- these have paint and play dough supplies.  You can also see part of the oatmeal bin.  We moved the freezer down into the left corner which opens the view as you look out into the room.  I replaced the big blue recycle bin with two smaller white bins.  We ordered a red bench from Ikea for the kids to sit on when putting on shoes and the shoes are in separate bins under the bench (Syd blue, Griffin yellow and momma blue).  I bought a collapsible clothes bin.  

Sydney modeling the bench- silly smile

We still have two craft bins on top of the freezer that have crayons, markers and stickers. 

Bill hung the window mirror in front of the fuse box as a decoration and to hide the ugly gray panel door

The room is now more open and organized and less prone to clutter

Have you done any reorganizing or arranging lately?

Rainy day fun

Bill took the kids up to the club to hit golf balls and they were rained out. Since they were already wet we decided to just let them play in the rain.

Hello Fall

I know it is not actually fall yet but we are finally having cooler temperatures which gets me in the mode for fall. 

I ran last night and the temp was perfect, I was the happiest runner!

We love being able to open a window or two at night for cool air (we have 4 new windows in our house and 2 of them are in our room)

I am ready to get my bin of fall decorations out of the shed.

I am craving apples and pumpkin baked goods- especially after reading my recent Southern Living! 

I am working on the kids birthday party invitations and decorations- DR SEUSS theme! (sorry mom)

I love fall for so many reasons!

Mailbox

One of our recent projects at our house was putting up a new mailbox. Some type of carpenter bees had damaged our existing post and our mailbox was about to fall over. We decided to go for a new style of post and also changed the flowers around the post.

I forgot to get a picture before we pulled out existing post

Bill at work on the new post

My job was to help stabilize the post while Bill added cement and attached support piece

new mailbox!

we had some monkey grass in the back yard that we transplanted

it feels so good to see our work and to have another project checked off our list

Aquarium

We had one rainy morning at the beach so we met Val and Vinney at the aquarium

we love the tunnel, you are surrounded by fish and all you have to do is stand on the conveyor belt and enjoy the view

touch tank, horseshoe crabs

mermaids!  they had a mermaid show and then you can have your picture taken with them

it was very crowded but we had a great time while we waited for the rain to clear

Sunday Afternoon

Last weekend we decided to go out to eat after church, so we headed to Bravo, one of our favorites in Greensboro.

They always have fresh flowers in the bathroom

the kids get dough to play with while we wait

Bill always orders Spaghetti and meatballs

and I vary but this time I ordered a favorite

Chicken Parmesan

we share with the kids which makes it very affordable

after lunch we went furniture shopping

this chair looks fun but it is not what we were shopping for

we thought this was wild and yet classy but not right for our home and style

we actually ended up ordering two chairs in this style, but a different print

 

We have two bulky, old (how old I am not sure, Bill had them before we met so at least 12 years plus) recliners that we need to replace.  The seam in the seat has torn and the stuffing is coming out. We have been putting it off and keeping the seats covered with afghans but it is time. We were not shopping for recliners, we wanted more of a sitting chair because the recliners tend to be so bulky. Lazy Boy has these chairs that we did not even realize were recliners but they are! So we are waiting for our new chairs to be delivered and we are so excited.

we have several projects going on at our house, some big and some small

I will share more pictures soon

what if and pass it along

I read this post on my mom's blog and I decided to pass it along. 

 

What If?

What if you woke up tomorrow

and the only things you had

were the things you thanked God for today?

How empty or full would your world be?

 

 

I have so many things to be thankful for:

my family

Bill and our kids

Bill's big kids and grand kids

our jobs

my friends

a safe place to live

the freedom to worship

the finances to provide food, clothing and shelter- plus more

our health

 

yet still I am self centered at times and I want more or complain about what I do have

Thankfully God is gracious and forgiving

 

what are you thankful for?

Griffin and golf

While on vacation we bought Griffin his first set of "real" golf clubs". He has a driver, a nine iron and a putter. One afternoon while Sydney and I went to the pool the boys went to the driving range and had a great time. Sydney and I decided to tag along the next day so we could watch.

Griffin carrying his own bag

 

 

Looking at these pictures reminds me of the years Bill and I spent watching Christopher play golf.  I never imagined I would enjoy watching golf but it was very exciting and I actually miss those days.  Bill and I would be delighted if Griffin followed in Christopher's steps and became a golfer (we all know he does not have the height factor to follow Marcus and be a star basketball player :))

 

Sydney may be his personal caddy

 Griffin in action- he is so coordinated (a talent he did not get from momma)

and hits the ball almost every time!

 

The week Sydney started school Bill was home almost every evening, the first thing Griffin said when we pulled in each night was "can we go hit golf balls dad?"

So they grabbed the clubs and headed out our back gate onto fairway 6 and hit balls!