Pinewood Derby

For the past few weeks Todd and Brian have spent many evenings painting, sanding and plotting the weight placement for the Pinewood Derby with Brian's Cub Scout troop.  Tonight was the big night so we all went to cheer him on.  The boys were so excited about their cars and they had the best time.  I was so impressed with them for being good sports and congratulating the winner.

The little girls were not impressed with the clowns who came by for the race, but 2 slices of cheese pizza made up for it!

I started to write this post last night, but then a storm hit our area and we lost power until this morning when we found out it was actually a tornado that came right through our neighborhood and brought down many trees and caused tons of damage.  We were so blessed and didn't even lose a limb from our big, old trees.


We enjoyed a beautiful day today to that has me wanting to get my hands in the dirt and plan some outdoor projects. I've been worried that my leg is going to prevent that from happening, but guess what? At my check-up with the doctor today, he wants me to drop the crutches and just walk in the boot when out in public and around the little one's and use one crutch without the boot the rest of the time...whoo hoo! I couldn't wait to get home to try walking with my bare foot, but it took me forever to work up the nerve to take a step because I was so afraid the plate and rod would break or something. Of course it didn't and I've been cruising around every chance I get...I find it ironic that LJ and I are learning to walk at the same time!

To add to a very excellent day, I was given this blog award by a friend and blogger I admire so much.

Liebster is a German word that means dearest or favorite.  After receiving the reward, I am to share my favorite blogs with you and introduce you to the sweet friend who passed this award on to me.


1. My Barefoot Farm Samantha is a mom to 7 who homeschools, keeps bees, raises chickens, and quilts..just a few of the things that she writes about and why I keep threatening to show up on her doorstep to try and absorb some of her talents and knowledge!  Thank you, Samantha!
2. Team Skelley the blog  Katie and I grew up together and I love seeing and reading about her life with her husband and 2  cute kiddos.  From fashion to music to party planning ideas, Katie's blog is always a great read!
3.  House of Stephens  Allyson writes about the happenings with her 4 little ones and the 5th on the way...such a sweet family and blog!
4.  Savvy Little Women and One Little Man  Kate's blog is the first multiple multiples blog I ever read and I continue to look to her for inspiration in these crazy days.  Not only does she have 2 sets of twins, but she also has two other children.  Her blog is so honest and I love her outlook on being a mother.

Catching up....

All 4 kiddos went to CC and Coach's for the weekend (my parents) leaving Todd and I to enjoy a very relaxing weekend with the perfect combo of friend time, dates, and sleeping in late.  This is the first time the little girls have gone without us and they did great!
 I don't know if LJ was motivated by MC and her younger cousin, who are both walking, or what but the little sweet finally took steps tonight like 7 or 8 different times!

One of my favorite parts of the day with our four is watching how excited they get for each other and how encouraging they are to each other....you can see she is pretty proud of herself!

Symmetry

I  love symmetry....

 I do have two sets of twins.  I think that's God's way of saying understands my need for symmetry.

Source: phoebehoward.net via Michelle on Pinterest

It calms me.

Source: lorilangille.blogspot.com via Michelle on Pinterest

It makes sense.

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Michelle on Pinterest

As my children get older and the amount of primary colored toys, art work, cub scout projects, and treasured keeepsake boxes filled to the brim with rocks, leaves, dirt, and the occasional lizard grow by the day , I find myself craving symmetrical beauty even more than ever.  Especially after this week, where craziness has reigned supreme.
A basic design formula is using no more than 4 matching pairs in a room to keep the space interesting.  A great rule of thumb, but I'm thinking our home might be an exception.

  How much symmetry would it take to create a sense of calm around a 8 story roller coaster that has taken up residence on your dining room table?  

Love Is In The Air

Hope you all are enjoying an extra special day filled with love! 

Happy Valentine's Day!



Progress...

Slowly but surely things are taking shape in the changes we are making in our master bedroom.  Last week the bedding and drapes were delivered and I am so happy with it...

 You can see a peak of drapes in this picture...it seems I had forgotten that this room is crazily sloped (the charm of an old house!) so some of them are headed back to the workroom for hemming.

The bird print leaning on the nightstand is one of 4 that I currently have in the dining room, but I'm thinking of using them on either side of the bed, either stacked 2 above each nightstand or 2 above the headboard and 1 above each nightstand....hmmmm what do y'all think?
Have a wonderful Monday!

Linking up with 
Between Naps on the Porch
Savvy Southern Style
Saved By Suzy

18 Months

Lyla James and Mary Connor, y'all are 18 months old today!

Lyla James you are finally showing some interest in walking- you cruise around on the furniture and love to hold our hand and walk, especially when everyone claps for you!

You LOVE Elmo and find your Rock and Roll Elmo first thing every morning when you get up..you push the button until it plays your favorite song and sing and dance like crazy over and over.

You are also crazy about your Daddy and brother- no one else exists if they are in the room...the feeling is mutual. 

When we ask where someone or something is, you put your hands up by your shoulders and say, "I no know."  You also say "cheese" when you see the camera.

Mary Connor, you are a busy, busy little sweet...you run so fast it's hard for me to keep up with you, especially on crutches!  

You push the shopping cart around at lightening speed loading and unloading all of the treasures you find throughout the house.

You are talking up a storm...what's this, who's that, stop (specifically when LJ is taking something from you!), and tonight you said Mark to Uncle Mark who is here visiting.

Showing where your noses are...

I am amazed at how much you both have grown up over the past few months and want to freeze you both at this precious age, but I know it's just going to get better and better!  You both bring so much joy and laughter to our family and we love you all so much!

Mr. Longarm

I've been working in our master bedroom for the past few weeks and hope to be able to show y'all some pictures soon, but in the meantime I wanted to pass on a great little tool I heard about through Linda at It All Started With Paint.
The room has lots of painting to be done- the ceiling, walls, trim, and built-ins, so I being the ever-patient-one that I am decided to attempt the walls and let a pro come in for the rest. Obviously, I can't climb on a ladder with a broken leg, so I used the Mr. Long Arm Brush and Tool Holder to attatch the brush to an extension pole for cutting in and it worked great!  Of course, there are some places that it got on the crown molding, but it's fine since that has to be painted anyway. 
Sometimes being impatient has it's benefits, don't you think?

3 Random Thoughts On This Beautiful Tuesday

1.  While I was at physical therapy this morning, I was doing my exercises beside two girls who are athletes at a college in town.  They were discussing their injuries- one was injured during a soccer game and the other while at lacrosse practice.  Then they turn to me, "How did you break your leg?"  I was really, really tempted to make up a story about falling during a marathon or something equally admirable, but took the high road and said, "Oh, I was just walking down a driveway."  To which one of the girls replied politely, "Well, when you get older, you do have to be careful."  Yes, Maw-maw needs to be more careful, apparently.

2. 

  Since seeing this lamp on pinterest, I am totally obsessed with it and have spent the afternoon trying to find a place for it.  Nevermind that I have 10 lamps sitting in my attic that I can not part with...if you know the source for this lamp please let me know...

3.

 So true and well said.

Hope y'all are having a great Tuesday!

Our Story Board

A few of you asked about these wine cork boards from the living room freshen post last week.  I admit, I totally stole the idea from my friend, Meredith, but I loved it when I saw it at her home several years ago.  

Do y'all have empty frames on your walls too?

  It marks all of the big moments of our 11+ years...new homes, anniversaries, home renovations, twins, twins AGAIN...it's our story.

I love the thought of having tons of these frames from activities to come...graduations, weddings, more anniversaries, grandbabies...

Linking up with:
Between Naps on the Porch

Craving Spring

Good morning!  Who else is so thankful it's Friday? 

 This week has been a whirlwind of activity and I'm ready for a slower-paced weekend.  I started physical therapy for my leg and somehow those 2 hours per week seem to take away a lot of time...not complaining, as I am glad to be working toward walking.

We have had some beautiful, warm days here lately that have left me with a bit of spring fever and I always look forward to seeing all of the plants and trees popping back to life.  Hope you all have a relaxing and peaceful weekend!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

After seeing many recipes for homemade laundy detergent on Pinterest and other blogs, I decided to give it a try back in October.  For some crazy reason, I am always quick to dismiss homemade cleaning solutions thinking they don't work as well or are a pain to make.  After using this laundry detergent for 4 months, I think I might be cured of that thinking!  It works so much better than regular detergent and costs just a few dollars.
Samantha at Barefoot Farms has a great post with her recipe and a step-by-step tutorial, plus her blog is so inspiring and I wish I could accomplish half of what she does in a day!

Just in case you are like me and think it will take a lot of time, I timed myself yesterday and it took 15 minutes start to finish...15 minutes every 4 months plus all of the money saved?   Yes, I can do that....