Baby Bryan

Our 2-heart signature just became 3!

Oh come on...with how much Steve and I LOVE kids, you didn't think we'd make it a year without any, did you?

Well, God has blessed us and right on our 6 month anniversary I discovered that I'm pregnant!

Keep praying as we look forward to Baby Bryan joining us in Oct 20, 2012.

Trooper Mitchell

Thusday, February 9th, We went with Nate and Dani to the 121st Recruit Class Graduation in Tallahassee, FL.

Our friend, Adam Mitchell, graduated to become a Florida State Trooper!

We got there right behind the bus of graduates.

Adam's parents, aunt and uncle, and many friends came.

The Commencement Speaker was Jimbo Fisher, Head Football Coach for the Florida State University.

Ready to receive his badge...

Finally!!!!  The troopers could choose who they wanted to pin their badge on. Adam asked his father to pin his on.

He is so happy :)

Adam's car is in Jacksonville right now, but he gets it in a few weeks! Look out Pensacola, you've got a new State Trooper patroling the highway!

More on home projects

I finally put some flowers on the front porch...for all of a week :) It froze the last two nights, so since Friday all my plants have been in the kitchen and living room looking Green.

Our high chair! Being used for the intended purpose, finally. Sara said that, like a good cast iron  pot, the chair needed to be seasoned.  Lily seasoned it well with some banana and noodles :)

Helpful hubby and creepy cats.

My headlights were getting dangerously cloudy, so Steve cleaned them off for me.

 He put some Bar Keepers Friend on.

 Let it sit.

 Then scoured it off. Voila!

On another note, our neighbourhood has a family of 5 black cats. (Fun around Halloween time)

The other day, one was SOOO daring!

 "Let me just scare all the birds away for you."

"Anyone on the back porch?"

I hate cats...

Grown-up girls' sleepover!

I really miss my sisters and Alyssa, so last Friday I hosted a "girl's night" at our home.

Eight ladies came to watch Anne of Green Gables, eat yummy food, and, of course, play fun games.

One game made some words taboo until the end of the movie. Some were 1. Sleep, 2. Gilbert and 3. "Awe!".  Anytime a lady said one of these during the movie she was bombarded with, "Who said that?" She had to surrender one of her 5 paper clips to the one who found out.

Rachel won at the end with 20 paperclips!!

I LOVE the smell of coffee, but hate the taste, so I made this coffee candle (tall one). 

 The arrangement got moved to the snack table that evening.

Each lady brought something, and I ran out of room on the table before long :)

 Several air mattresses became movie station for the night.

We had seven ladies sleep over and I made cinnamon rolls and coffee Saturday morning for breakfast.

Seven ladies, a brand-new baby boy, and one adorable girl, that is :)

Organizing the kitchen...

I have been needing either better shelving, or a different set-up for my kitchen cabinets.  Several shelves had fallen out, since the tabs that held them up were plastic, and broke off.

About two weeks ago I emptied out and organized every shelf in my kitchen.

 To the left of the sink,

 right of the sink,

 and continuing clock-wise around the room...

 In lieu of a pantry we have extra cabinets.

 I finally got the trash can out of the laundry room!  And yet I open that door every single day to try to throw away something... When will I learn?

A clean laundry room makes me happy :D

Flowers

A lady at church, Mrs. Rose, gave me several plants and some seeds, too.

I've been nursing them, and one of my Christmas Cactuses surprised me with these deep pink blooms!

More later.

Out of the fryingpan. . .

I got a cast-iron skillet a few weeks ago. I am already in love with it.  This skillet never sticks (once it's seasoned, that is), it cooks evenly, and it's healthier (since you get extra iron when you cook with it).

Plus it cleans up the kitchen and starts the laundry afterwards! LOL

Anyway, here was breakfast this morning.

 Hashbrowns

And eggs-in-a-basket.

No complaining about cholesterol or carbs now.

I'm doing a pantry challenge for January, and I was out of milk and fruit, or I would have had Raisin-Apple Oatmeal, or Homemade Pancakes.

Besides, it was yummy :)



Valentines wall art

I wanted something Valentine-y.

 Sorry about the glare..it's the best one I could get.

Happy February!

Painting Project

We were a few months from moving into our home, and Steve and I didn't have a bedframe or mattress yet!  What kind of honeymoon couple could survive that, right?

So Steve surprised me and built a frame for us.  Sara gave us a mattress, and we were set.

Well almost. We were warned that treated lumber was poisonous to breathe, so I primed and painted the frame just last week.  We're 6 months along being poisoned now, I'll tell you the results of that when they start appearing :)

The frame is so heavy and sturdy that I decided to 'antique' it a little.  The results reminded me of a bed in a big farmhouse somewhere.

 Painted white with primer, then with brown and sanded.

 I hand-painted the sign we've always wanted!

All finished

Awe

Pappap and Grandma's visit 2

Monday morning the three of us headed to Fort Pickens.

We explored for several hours.  It was great!

Super windy though... 

My Grandma...what an explorer :) 

 "I call her Tammy Turtle" (for Steve)

'Keep off Gun'

 "I see a light at the end!'

 Pardon the smirk, I'm trying to copy an old picture my sis-in-law, Sara, took of Steve 2 years ago.

 One of the first pictures I got of Steve. Whoo! He's cute :)

'Keep off Gun'

"I thought I just told your Pappap that, young lady! Don't you ever learn? Tourists..."





Pappap and Grandma's visit 1

My mother's parents brought Luke, my brother, back to school in January.  They stayed with us for several days.  We had such a good visit!  I only took pictures twice.  Once when we went to Lambert's Cafe in Foley, AL with my brothers.  Again when Pap, Grams, and I went to Fort Pickens for the day.

This is just from Lambert's.

 Luke drove us there...notice the gps?  It's really possessed and takes you the longest possible way to get places!!!!

 James took this for us.

 Then I took one of him. James had worked over 8 hours, and been up since 4 am when we took this pic. He was a trooper to come with us!!

 Lambert's is most famous for its...throwed rolls.  Yes, it's true!, a waiter comes around calling out, "Rolls, Hot Rolls!" If you want one, you raise your hand and he lobs one to you. :)

This freaky guy followed me in and actually came and sat by me!  Can you imagine the audacity?

We had fun, and Luke got settled back into Pensacola Christian College.



Restored high chair

No, Steve and I don't need a high chair yet!  Don't assume things, people :)

It's just that everyone that comes over seems to have a small child with them that needs a booster seat, or stack of phone books, or something similar to let them see their plate...

In the attic there was an old, wooden high chair.  Steve and his brothers had all used it growing up, but it was shaky, and the seat was cracked.

I went to see what I could do.

 I started to take it apart.

 I sanded down every last piece three times

I cut out a new seat, painted it, and put it back together.

Right now it's a stand for my...plant that I just forgot the name to...anyway, a lovely plant my mom gave me.