The Tradition Lives ON...

and the TRADITION continues!!! we LOVE sunday evenings :) and just for funny, here's a classic kindra conversation about our "plans" :) lol...

My Many Pinterest Projects...

 i LOVED this idea when i first saw it on pinterest...

a cute frame, some chic paper, and a clip...

i found an old white frame and had trevor screw in a few hooks...

a perfect spot, next to the wreath and the bird we made on THESE nights and then i added a vase that i found in my grandma's "stash".

2 new frames and mats to show off these...

My Man-TEREST...

it had been about 7 yrs since our ramp had been painted and re-surfaced and it needed to be done. with all of these projects that i've been doing and having trev help me "install", he decided that it was finally time to pull the trigger and do it. and for the record, HE is MORE of a PERFECTIONIST than i am! seriously...but i'm NOT complaining :)



now. no lie. our basketball backboard HAS NOT changed since the mid '60's so we figured that it too was in need of a remodel! plus it was a PERFECT job for the kids to help out with...

taaa daaaaaaa!

And The FUN Continues...

"the wood connection" and i are now GREAT friends!

woot woot! my HOTT handy-man!

LOOOOVE...



Happy Thanksgiving...

i have a hard time eloquently expressing the things in my life that i'm thankful for in a way that is full of depth. i tend to stick to the simple basics when expressing my gratitude. so. here. we. go.

i'm thankful for my carter. though he can be one of my hardest challenges, he is the most kind, loving, tender, innocent, and obedient boy. he works 100% at everything he decides to do and LOVES to have projects. he is organized. he has the greatest smile and a laugh that is addicting. he loves to play basketball, go on bike adventures, and hang out, doing absolutely nothing, with his dad. he loves to read. he loves to draw. he loves to swim. he loves to have fun. i'm so thankful for all of these traits because he reminds me daily what it's like to live in a simple and innocent world where anything is possible. i'm thankful that he was given to me because of the lessons i've learned because of him. i love my carter.

i'm thankful for my kindra. she's my mini me. stubborn, headstrong, knows what it is that she wants and goes after it, and she has no fear or the ability to hate anyone. she has a tender and sweet spirit and yet she can be a full on fire ball. she's silly. she's imaginative. she loves to be with her family. she can memorize any song and quote any movie or show. and she still psychotically loves horses and cats (though i will never understand why) she hates to do homework but loves to excel at school. she tries to act like she hates to read but i always catch her in her bed, late at night, reading when she's suppose to be asleep. she's definitely not my hard worker like her brother but if i ask her to work together, having fun with a project, she'll step up, help, and come up with a solution. she loves to goof off, play "games", and to have fun! i love my kindra.

i'm thankful for my kids because they've always kept me going. when i haven't felt a reason to get out of bed or i've struggled to "endure", they are the continual reason that pushes me forward. being a parent is the hardest "job" and yet the MOST rewarding and one that i'd never give up.

i'm thankful for my best friend, my husband. since january of 1997, he has ALWAYS been there for me and has continually put me first. even if and when we weren't dating or married, he's always been my best friend. i'm thankful for his love, his support, his work ethic, his desire to always be the supportive and loving parent, and his ability to think calm, rational, and realistic. i am thankful for the love and commitment that he has for our little family. i am thankful for second chances. i am thankful for forgiveness. i am thankful for our bond. "i promise on us that i will love you always, no matter what, for eternity. you are what, i never knew, i always wanted."

i am thankful for our home. i am thankful for my passion and desire to serve. i am thankful to have the drive to excel at and achieve the things that bring me the most joy. i am thankful for the health that i was allowed to keep and the understanding and knowledge that it could have been worse. i'm thankful for my abs and my "m'arms". i am thankful for the country that we live in and the freedoms that we are allowed. i am thankful for all of the "adventures" that i've gone on, both alone and with my family. i'm thankful for my love to travel, to meet new people, and to understand their different cultures. i am thankful to have been given a different and new perspective. i am thankful that i know what is truly important in this world. i am thankful for the friends that i've been given, who are there for me continually. i know that they will never judge me and that i'm allowed to be katie, never having to pretend to be something or someone that i'm not. i'm thankful for the acts of service that i've been involved in. i'm thankful to be constantly humbled and reminded of just how much i have to be grateful for. i'm thankful for the life i lived before i was paralyzed and i'm thankful for my life after. i'm thankful for my "trial" because it taught me personal lessons that i would never have learned had it not been "so hard". i'm thankful for the tender mercies that i've received. i'm thankful for my ability to hear and to listen to promptings. i'm thankful for my spiritual testimony, for the knowledge that i have, and for the strength that it gives me. i'm thankful for my ability to listen to "me" and to not disregard them as silly or stupid ideas. i'm thankful for the "greater calling" that i've been given, for the "job" that i said i would do, and in the faith that others have in me. i'm thankful that i love to read. that i can become immersed in my love of history. i'm thankful for my blog. i'm thankful that i'm a romantic. i'm thankful for my passion and for my desire to never give up. i will endure and i'm thankful to KNOW that. i'm thankful for and LOVE my life...

oh yeah. and i love my bed, my TV, and "LOST" and "Vampire Diaries"! ;)

VICTORY!!!

so you know that i've always been and always will be addicted to LOST. there will NEVER be another show that i look so forward to watching every week like that...(ok. never mind. "vampire diaries" is a close 2nd) i've been holding off re-watching it again because i wanted to go through the wonderful experience of doing it a 3rd time with trevor. he fought it for the longest time but finally gave in!!!! except i got a little worried that i was going to lose his LOST interest after a few episodes in, when he simply said, "if it doesn't pick up here soon, i'm ending my commitment." NOOOOOOO!!!! of course i had to bribe him with a few "extra's" but he came around and now he's more excited to watch it then i am! ok. not really. i just play it off like no big deal only to make him feel like he's in control and that it's his call. but really he LOVES it! VICTORY! it's no longer a "I heart LOST", but a "WE heart LOST" :)
hehehe
xx

Destiny...

it can be scary to find out that you've been wrong about something.
but we can't be afraid to change our minds, to accept that things are different, and that they'll never be the same.
for better or for worse.
we have to be willing to give up what we used to believe.
the more we're willing to accept what is, and not what we thought, we'll find ourselves exactly where we belong.

I Can Relate...

Waiting...

i'm

patiently

waiting

for my FAVORITE person...MY DAD!

And It Couldn't Be More Accurate...

ahhhh....
i. just. LOVE. it! 
xxx

You Just Never Know What Might Be Around The Next Corner...

a whole new concept to the term a "drive-thru pharmacy". it looks like a "ride-thru", or better yet, a "peddle-thru", would be the new proper terminology....

"It's not your set back that matters. It's your comeback that counts."

Note To Self...

~~~THIS IS A POST THAT I WROTE IN JANUARY 2011 BUT IT'S ONE THAT I LOVE BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT GIVES ANOTHER GREAT PERSPECTIVE~~~

there is no denying that when it comes to certain things, i have a highly addictive personality. when it comes to drugs, i've never understood it though. the getting ADDICTED part. really...it's made no sense. believe me, don't need drugs to bring out the crazy or the fun in me! i am good when it comes to that department!

being one that has to "deal" with the pain in my legs, unfortunately most of the time, all that the doctor's will do is prescribe "pain narcotics". i'd be lying if i said that i hadn't tried them. i have. but i don't like the way that they make me feel. or who it turns me into. or how sick to my stomach they make me. and many times i've wondered how a person could become addicted to these. i really don't know.

now in no way, shape, or form do i condone this addiction but today i actually heard something pertaining to this issue, that made sense 110%.

while on a surprise "day date" (a surprise for when my alarm went off at 7:30am and i opened my eyes to see trevor, i had a mini freak out that he had slept thru his alarm but no. he was just taking the day off) to see the movie "the fighter", one of the main characters had a line that explained addiction perfectly for it to finally make sense. dicky ekland, a former boxing hero from a small city in MA, was a crack addict. HBO was following him as they did a documentary about his addiction. they asked him to explain the reasons for his problem. he basically said that the drug took him to a place where the physical and mental pains were gone, correct choices had been made, regret was not seen, and wonder was imaginary. life was simple and dreams were still vivid and anything was possible. then the ugly all returns and you'd do anything to have the bliss return back so you light up again...and again...and again...and the ugly cycle continues.

that made sense. not the actually doing it or becoming that but the reasons made sense. i've said it before and i'll say it again. "ignorance is bliss" and hind site is 20/20. numerous times i've wished for a time machine so that i could go back and do things different so that i could remain in a world that is perfect. bla bla bla

but it's not. and honestly now? i'm ok with that. that's how i learn, that's how i grow, and that's what makes katie, kt.

anyway, point being, it made sense. it also made me realize how lucky i am that i'm not having to deal with that need. how lucky i am to be a mom who understands choice and responsibility. i've also learned that if i'm doing all that i feel like i could possibly be doing, then i'll have no regrets or nothing to feel like i've missed out on.

chalk it up as another one of my tender mercies because i do know that it realistically could become a problem. like i said, i'm not condoning it at all but i'm saying that i'm starting to get it and don't judge because we really just don't understand the true driving reasons behind ones actions.

ps. go see this movie. i'm a nerd, i know but it had me laughing out loud with a classic kt hand-clap followed by numerous cheers of excitement. plus marky mark is yummy yum! christian bale was awesome as always and amy adams had a raunchiness that was to die for in a weird way. don't ask. she cracked me up with her perfectly timed f bombs!!! the 90's hair-do's and fashion sense was perfect. i swear i even saw a few of my old t's making a come back!? it made you understand how good you've really got it and of just how bad it really could be. like i said...go see it!

My Toilet Paper Roll Obsession Continues---

i found a link that showed a bunch of projects that could be done with toilet paper rolls and it got my mind thinking. once upon a time, i had become lazy, allowing the $$$ to replace my creativity but not. any. more. between the DIY blogs that i find inspiration from and my new love, PINTEREST, the creativity has been resurrected :) aaaaand i LOVE it!!! i get so much done while saving so much money that we're using for more important things.

in fact, i had the funniest thing happen a while back. but let me give some background first. my mom, was the sewer of all time. she still is. outfits, prom dresses, wedding dresses, home decor. you name it, she did it. and to be quite honest, I HATED IT. while all of my friends were envious that their moms were not blessed with this talent, i loathed it. it was the most annoying thing to go into a store and without fail, my mom would pick something up and say "i'm not going to pay that for this since i can make this and for a lot less expensive." all i wanted was for once to go and find something that i loved and for her to just buy it.

hind site is 20/20 because i now fully regret not embracing this and allowing it to become a bond like my little sisters did. i even resented the fact that she had made ALL of the dresses that were part of my wedding
EXCEPT my wedding dress because i put my foot down. again, SO STUPID because they were gorgeous! i have always regretted not taking her offer of teaching me how to sew because now i miss out on things that would be so fun to make and to teach kindra how to do.

anyway, i am finally my mothers daughter because now when i see things that i'd love to have, the first thing that pops into my head is "i can totally make that by doing "this" and "this" or "this" or "this". the wheels just start turning and it makes it even better because it's my own personal creativity and touch.

so here it is. one of my favorite things that i've made so far....

obviously saving old TP rolls is a must so that you can minimize the cost and get in the habit of pure recycling...
cut them into even mini rolls and place them in a circular wreath formation...
and use a glue gun to glue them into place.
use the extra's to cut into thinner rings and even cut some/glue some to make even smaller that you will be able to use as smaller rolls that will begin to give your wreath some additional depth.
and begin randomly placing them around the wreath. as much or as little as you'd like to create your own style of wreath...

the finished product :)
and now for my FAVORITE part!!! my new best friend---drum roll please---THE SPRAY PAINT! and any color that you'd like. i went with a brown for this wreath to go in our master bedroom as an accent piece.
and i LOVE how it turned  out :)





the thing that i love most about this idea, is that you can make it as large, as small, as simple, or as whatever as you'd like. it can be an idea that you continue to remake . oh yeah, and the best part is...IT IS FREE!!! toilet paper rolls? we all have them. you just have to save them. and the spray paint can be as cheap as $1 or as much as $5 depending on the color you choose.

try one. i really think that you'll love it and if you don't? well then at least you know and you're not out a ton of $$$.

until next time because i'm now an addict!? lol
xx