Happy Hearts

Miscellaneous Happenings

Well, I have definitely been doing a really poor job at keeping my blog updated and for those of you who are faithful to check for new updates... I'm sorry!  I blame it ALL on facebook, but I am going to do my best to at least post once a week.  That shouldn't be too hard.  Right?  So, I'm going to do my best to get you all updated.

We had an amazing time in Florida.  It was super hot but we survived and I don't think the kids knew any different.  They didn't know that Disney World could be enjoyed any other way so they had a blast.  I really will post some pictures as soon as I get them from my mom.  She is getting closer to getting them all edited.  I will save the vacation post until I have pictures.  I promise it will be much more fun hearing about our vacation when there are pictures!

I came home and decided that I needed something else to distract me from the pending cardiac cath and most likely surgery that Maggie will have at the end of this month so I am planning a house warming party which involves getting lots of little projects completed like...

TAKING THIS TABLE...

AND MAKING IT LOOK LIKE THIS...

 

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PICKING OUT THIS AMAZING FABRIC FOR PILLOWS FOR MY SOFA AND LOVESEAT...

 

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FINALLY SETTING UP MY BIG BOY'S BUNK BED

 

AND HANGING SOME THINGS ON HIS WALLS

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TURNING MAGGIE'S ROOM IN TO A SWEET LITTLE GIRL'S ROOM

 

 

 

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When I haven't been enlisting my very agreeable hubby to help me with the above projects, I've been doing fun things like...

SURPRISING MY SWEET GIRL...

WITH A VERY SPECIAL PRESENT SHIPPED FROM DISNEY WORLD...

 

Maggie's favorite thing at Disney World was the"tastle" so we surprised her with this very detailed castle.  It arrived about a week after we got back and boy was she surprised.  It was a little pricey but I'd spend way more than we spent just to see the look on her face when she opened the box!

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Every minute of the day that has not involved one of the above projects, has been filled with worry for this sweet little girl...

 

Maggie Jane has been so sleepy lately.  She even asked to take a nap on friday evening when we had a houseful of friends and little kiddos over.  She had a 3 1/2 hour nap that day and was still exhausted.  She's been pretty blue lately and has had no energy.  I hate seeing her like this.  Maybe this is God's way of showing me that she truely needs this next repair.  I can't wait to see her full of energy again and pink, pink, pink!

So, this is what has been happening in our lives.  What's happening in yours?

Getting Settled

Yesterday, marked one week that we have been living in our new house and we are LOVING IT!  We are settling in quite nicely.  Ryan and I have both said that we didn't realize how much we missed our own space and things.  Trent took a little while to adjust to not being at Papa and Mammie's.  He's doing much better, but still adjusting.  Maggie is just fine.  She loves her new room!  Even more, she loves having her bubby's room so close to hers.  They have been playing together so much more this last week. 
I am almost completely unpacked.  There are several boxes in the basement storage area that I need to go through and pull out stuff to get rid of, but other than that we are UNPACKED! 
Ryan and I both have lots of projects to get completed:  landscaping, planting grass, installing cabinet hardware, organizing the garage, installing fence, etc...  However, we are settling in quite nicely. 

Movin' In!

We got the occupancy permit today so we're movin in!  The final cleaning should be finished tomorrow around noon and we will start moving in as soon as the cleaner leaves.  I am so excited but already anxious to get unpacked.  We plan to move as much from my mom and dad's tomorrow and hopefully sleep in our house tomorrow night for the first time.  On Saturday, we will move everything from storage, and that will be like Christmas.  I haven't seen that stuff for almost a year.  Anyway, several of you have asked for new pictures so they are in the house project album.  I didn't get them cropped but they are there.  There is tons of landscaping to be done.  We are doing it all ourselves so it will take a little while.  I have it all planned out and budgeted for... we just have to get unpacked and then the real work begins!  Anyway, enjoy the pics.  The master bath and closet are my favorite.  Oh, and I love my hardwood floors!

Painting, painting, and more painting

Last week involved LOTS of painting.  The painter started on monday and got everything primed and the ceilings painted by Tuesday evening.  We started on wednesday morning.  Ryan took off work and we had lots of helpers.  We hired a sitter for wednesday and thursday and then Ryan's mom and niece helped watch them on friday.  If we had not had help with the kids we could not have gotten it done.  We also had lots of help painting:  my mom and dad, ryan's mom, my brother, Jay, and Shauntae.  We are so thankful for all of the helping hands and we LOVE the end result.  I mentioned before, that my mom's friend helped me with the paint color selection and I LOVE all of the colors.  Our new home is cheery and welcoming.  In fact, it's so welcoming that I can't wait to get in it. 

Trent and Maggie did not understand why we were gone so much last week.  They are not used to me being gone all day, every day so that was a little rough some times.  Trent's hero, Papa, suggested that he get to help paint his room.  I thought my dad was crazy but we let him and he had a blast.  He was so proud of himself and loved getting in on the action. 

 

There are more pics in the house project album

So close

Our house is getting so close.  I keep saying that it is like the last month of a pregnancy.  You can see the end in sight but it takes forever to get there.  The exterior is getting close to being finished.  They have to hang the ext. lights and finish the back steps.  We will do the final grating and seeding when spring gets here.  The interior is taking shape as well.  All of the drywall is hung and the taper will start this weekend.  A week from Monday, we will start painting!  So, I have to have all of my colors finalized so we can go buy the paint.  A friend of my mom's whose house looks like a Pottery Barn magazine home is going to help me tomorrow with my color decisions.  I have a look in mind but I'm not sure how to get there, and of course my good friend who went to school for interior design lives in TX!  There's only so much you can do through email.  Our living room furniture is ordered and except for new bar stools, we're not getting any other new furniture.  I have some revamping of some of my old that I want to do:  painting, adding some moulding, cushions, etc...  However, that requires getting the furniture out of storage and that won't happen until we move.  So, it will be a work in progress but I am so excited to get moved in.  We're thinking that we'll be in there by the middle of April!  Yay!

House Update

It has been awhile since I have been able to update about our house.  There has been lots of progress since I last posted: external walls are framed, internal walls are framed, some plumbing is in.  They will set the trusses tomorrow and pour the basement floor.  So, things will look a lot different when I get home tomorrow evening.  It's so exciting.  We are getting to the stage of picking everything out and I love it.  We finalized our cabinet order yesterday!  Check out the album for new pictures and I will try to post some tomorrow after they get the trusses on.

Kaitlyn Grace

**Update:  Kaitlyn Grace is doing really well.  They did the echo this afternoon and everything was as they expected.  Jay and Shauntae were very glad that there weren't any surprises.  Shauntae is feeling pretty good, tired but good.  She and Jay got to hold Kaitlyn this evening and that makes a person feel really good, really fast.  Please continue to pray for peace and rest for Jay and Shauntae.  Also, pray for wisdom for the doctors and medical staff.  Kaitlyn is absolutely beautiful.  She weighed 7 pounds and 4 ounces!
And now, for the first glimpse of sweet little Kaitlyn Grace:

 

 

Kaitlyn Grace was born this afternoon at 1:02 p.m.  Shauntae got to hold her for a few seconds and then they took her over to St. Louis Children's Hospital.  Jay is with her right now and they should be doing an echo right now as well.  Shauntae said she looked great.  Please pray that there are no surprises when they do the echo.  Also, pray for peace and rest for Shauntae.

Breaking Ground

We broke ground today!  It was so exciting.  They should pour the footings tomorrow!  We're praying for good weather, but unfortunatly we didn't get it today.  They worked anyway and got quite the big pile of dirt for Trent to play in.  Even though it was very cold, I took the kids over there to see the bulldozer.  Trent loved watching the bulldozer and climbing on the dirt pile.  Hopefully, we will have some warmer days so we can stay out there longer.

This is our lot. (3 acres)

 

Notice the snow

 

Our Driveway!

 

Digging the hole for our foundation!

 

No Way!

Sorry, I don't know anything about baby Abbie yet.

BUT, I do know some not as important AWESOME NEWS.  We will be breaking ground on our house on Tuesday!  I was honestly beginning to wonder if this day would ever come, but thank the Lord it has.  We got the permits and we will mark out where the house goes on Saturday and on Tuesday the fun begins.  I am so excited.  I will eventually have my own house again.