Junk in my Trunk

Actually it's not so much my trunk as it is my garage. And it's actually not all junk either. Since moving I've found that much of my previous home decor just doesn't work in my new home. Plus there's just a bunch of stuff that I'm trying to clean out that I don't use or need so if you like to go a garage sellin' on Saturday's I've got a hot spot for you. A few neighbors and I have pulled together and are throwing a big GARAGE SALE on Saturday, June 11th from 7-11 a.m. Just tryin' to spread the word.

Have a wonderful rest of your day!

We're Still Married!

So we stood the test of a successful marriage. We were able to build a house without beating, strangling, leaving, or screaming at each other. Okay, maybe just a little of that last one. ;) About 3 weeks ago we moved into our finished product (minus a yard).

Good work Luv! He spent many hours there (as well as his Dad who pretty much deserves half our home). Thanks to all our family and friends who pitched in on various projects. You guys rock! We are VERY grateful for the love and support!

Getting caught up on our lives other than house stuff for the past 5 months is too overwhelming so I'm just starting with the present.

Sam has been taking Dance at Tueller's this year and has turned into quite the dancer. At her recent revue she hardly looked at the instructor as she did her 3 dances. I was impressed! We came home and found her dance music online and now I get mini-revues at home. Hopefully she decides to stick with this since it seems to be her calling. She's a very shy little girl but feels right at home on the stage or when she is giving a "show".

Ms. Sammie Baldwin in her Hip Hop costume.

Resting up before her ballet number.

Posing with her cousin Sophie. They have become little buddies. It'll be fun to have them in the same dance class one day.

A Peek Inside

We're getting close! Our walls are painted and the tile is done and we are just waiting on cabinets, counters, and carpet. We have a ton of light fixtures, plugs, and light switches to install which will take a little while but that's about it. Here are a few inside pictures (before the tile was done).

Front Entry/Living Rm. - Here's the corner where the baby grand piano goes. The front door will be stained darker as well.

Backing out of the living room you see the stairs and the beginning of the family room. The thick column will be wrapped in the same rustic cherry wood as my cabinets and there will be an iron spindle railing attached to it.

The rest of the family room.



Dining/Kitchen - this is all tiled now. It turned out great! It's all shades of brown and has a marble look to it.



Stair wells - Standing in the family room you can see the stairs going both up and down.


Top of the stairs - I have a big pendant light going here and I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

Master bedroom - We set it apart by vaulting the ceiling as much as our attic allowed.

Master Bath - Our vanity is 8 ft. long (hello counterspace!!!) and will be on the left. No more fighting for mirror space. We've been squeezing into a small 18" mirror for the past 7 months and it aint pretty.

Best part is the closet. Its not in this picture but it's large and I'm in love.

The girls room. I love these windows! It sets their room apart plus I don't have to get blinds for them since they are so high up and on the top floor.

And that concludes our tour. ;) I've wanted to put up an updated picture of the outside but there's always trucks, machinery and dumpsters out front that block the view so I haven't gotten a great snap shot yet. Hopefully I can get one soon.

Job Chart...Attempt #5

I've made several attempts at getting my kids to follow a job chart. The problem...

Me.

I'm not very good at enforcing it. It always goes good for about two weeks and then I forget to tell the munchkins to check their chart for the daily jobs and they don't generally hop on the job wagon by themselves. Or I forget to print out new jobs after they've filled up the previous chart with stickers.

So here we go again. I used these cute job pictures that my friend Kylene sent me (about 3 years ago) and made a chart. Then I laminated them so the girls can use dry erase markers to check off their jobs and we can re-use it week after week. So far so good.


The award = $$$

I was in a ward council once where the Bishop had been spending time interviewing the youth in preparation for their trip to the temple to do baptisms. He was very concerned that a lot of the kids were unable to answer if they were full tithe payers because they were rewarded with toys, activities, video games, etc...instead of cash so they weren't able to pay tithing. Ever since then I decided that my kids would earn money. For Christmas they each got one of those banks that has a slot for tithing, savings, and fun. They pay tithing first, then savings, and then put the rest in fun money.

We've been going for 4 weeks now and It's going pretty good and I don't push them too hard to do their jobs. If they don't do them, they don't get paid. And the next time they want me to buy them something (which is every time we go into any store) then I'll ask them if they have their money. If you haven't earned any money then SORRY, no can do.

Just One Word

We made it! Another year has flown by and we have managed to stay up on our game. Now I'm turning my focus on what I'd like to improve on this next year.

It's been said that no one ever is at a stand still in their lives. You are either progressing or regressing, moving forward or falling back. I prefer to make each day better than the one before but if I bite off more than I can chew then I get discouraged. So at the beginning of each year I like to pick ONE word that I will focus on for the next 12 months. Just one word. That's not so bad right? This year I have chosen...

"PRIORITIZE"

Most of us Women/Mom's get REALLY good at multi-tasking because our job description depends on it. However, I tend to take this to the EXTREME and start too many things at the same time only to get them halfway done before I burn out. OR I've run myself so ragged accomplishing my task list that I find myself feeling resentful. This turns me into a Grouchy Mama and believe me, it ain't pretty. Somethings gotta change and this is my year...ESPECIALLY since I was just called as the Primary President. Ahhhh! I can already tell that if I don't write down my "to do" lists and organize them into a realistic time frame than I'm going to get overwhelmed. Plus if I just try to remember all the things I need to do than I don't even know where to start and once again...overwhelmed!!! One day at a time people, one day at a time.

Good thing I have moments like these to keep me sane. (or maybe I've already lost it!)

Do you have a 2011 theme?