how is it october?

It's October! And clearly I'm having trouble with regular blog posts. So, for that reason, I have some catching up to do. Allow me to take you back a few weeks.

The Monday after our trip, I brought cupcakes to Hannah's class. Just one last little celebration for the birthday girl!

…Even if the class crown was too big. I had to wake Joseph up from his nap, but he was fine once he realized cupcakes were involved. He tagged along happily.

We were so excited to get back home from our trip and see the new driveway. I cannot tell you how many times a child has fallen, tripping over the huge cracks and uneven surfaces, on their way to the mailbox. A new driveway cost a lot of money and it's something that has been on the church trustees committee's to-do list for a long time. Finally, it's DONE!!! {Insert big smile from me here.}

Now they can run, play and ride their bikes on smooth, beautiful pavement.

Show and tell has become a favorite part of the week for Hannah. Each Friday she can bring in something that starts with the letter they are working on. A couple weeks ago she took a wooden fish Joe and I brought back from Mexico.

It was also "Hats for Hope" day, and in support of childhood cancer she brought a donation and got to wear a hat. The girl loves accessories!

The letter the next week was L. She brought in a lion she made in preschool.

Show and tell is a favorite part of the week. On the weekends, she's a cheerleader.

We cheered on the Yellow Jackets as they beat Virginia Tech. Hannah wore her size 2 cheerleading outfit (a little small, but fine for home) and danced and cheered all over the house.

We watched the game on TV. Yes, watched on TV. As in, not streamed on the computer or followed GameCast via the ESPN app. We have TV again.

I thought I might write about our decision to get rid of TV but I never did. Together, Joe and I decided in February to get rid of TV for six months. It cost a lot of money and we weren't watching much of it. So we did it and, honestly, it wasn't that hard. We missed watching things like the Masters, the World Cup, and the Tour de France, but otherwise we were ok. I was more ok than Joe.

It would've been nice to have easy access to the DVR and record shows for the kids. But we have DVDs and were fine. We read news on our phones and via email and really didn't feel like we missed out on much. Joe and I watched a few series on DVDs (like the Pacific and Duck Dynasty episodes) and movies we hadn't seen in a while. I should also add that we have Netflix and occasionally watched TV shows through that. We saved some money and even contemplated not turning it back on.

But it's football season. And we are BIG football fans. And we love ESPN's GameDay.

…And this season is looking good for Georgia Tech and Auburn. We cheered them on to victory this past Saturday night, too. What great games those were!

So we have TV again - through a different provider and at a better price tag - and I think everyone is happy about the convenience and luxury.

On the subject of football, we went to a local game at the private school and the kids were introduced to playing on the field during half time. Man, they had a good time - Joseph running around throwing himself on the ground like little boys do, and Hannah also running around (mostly with the boys). I got one picture of them standing still.

We grabbed pizza at Mellow Mushroom and spent a Saturday afternoon playing at Lake Sinclair with good friends. Hannah and Joseph with Sydney (another PK).

…And we celebrated America's Favorite Traveling Dog.

That really is his official title. {If you don't own any Spenser books, you must! My mom is the author and the proceeds help feed hungry children.} Spenser just celebrated his century! We watched him with his birthday cupcake on FaceTime. Happy 15th birthday, Spensey!

In other miscellaneous news, Joe and I attended Catalyst in Atlanta last week. Catalyst is a Christian leadership conference, and this year's theme was "A Community of Change Makers". {You can check out the website here.}

The speakers were great. Worship was incredible. Such an amazing, spirit-filled experience. The content provided at Catalyst has been described as "drinking from a water hose".  I think that's a pretty good metaphor. Good thing we took notes! A lot of information and thoughts to ponder.

I am so thankful to Meme for babysitting my little ones so I could go with Joe for the second year in a row. A huge blessing!

big boy room {beds}

There is a cute little, relatively new, consignment and antiques shop in Savannah. Joe and I visited back in May and got lucky, finding something perfect for Joseph's big boy room on the first stop on our hunt. Of course, just as happened with my wedding dress (among other purchases), sometimes when I find something perfect (or darn close to it) on my first try, I doubt my decision and keep looking…eventually leading me right back to the thing I saw in the first place.

And that's what happened. A few weeks later when we were back in Savannah, I called Clutter (cute store name, huh?) to see if the beds had been sold. They hadn't, surprisingly, and were loaded in my car an hour later. They were even better than I remembered, made of mahogany and in good condition. I stored them at my mom's house until we exchanged beds for kids week before last.

Joseph was one step closer to having a big boy bed…or two.

My plan is to create a "big boy" room from a nursery, on a very small budget, not changing wall color, rug or any other furniture. Essentially, the only difference is the beds. Not a lot of fun for a designer who likes to make changes, move things around, decorate and re-decorate. But such is the case. And again, the budget is itty bitty. The challenge is finding bedding that will work in the space and figuring out where to put everything.

Here's my starting point:

I liked Joseph's nursery. {I would rather not have carpet, but I live in a parsonage, so I'm limited to the changes I can make.} It has evolved over the last three years with subtractions (the changing table) and additions (the teepee, his second birthday present). When I put the room together, I selected things that could be a part of his room for years to come. There are many special elements and things that are very old and have been a part of our family for a long time, so I'm glad that I created a room that could grow with him, so to speak. We'll see how it turns out. I do like how the beds look in there…

We didn't have the mattresses when the kids came home from Camp Meme, so Joe took the one off of Hannah's trundle to put across some wood slats. Joseph was very eager to sleep in a big boy bed when he got back, as we FaceTimed while he was in Savannah and he saw the work-in-progress.

Figuring out the beds - and by that I mean mattresses and box springs - was a headache. The beds are lower because that's just how they made beds back then, and a standard box spring at 9" would put the mattress (also 9") so high it would cover up the beautiful spindles. Which is the whole point of these cute antique beds we love. 

I bought the mattresses from a wholesale mattress place in Savannah, but they were out of stock on the low-profile box springs. I researched a few options: go with bunkie boards, have boxes made with 2x4s and plywood at the local building supply company, or special order low-profile box springs to be shipped to a store here. You can buy low-profile foundations (4" or 5" height) online, but they are hard to find in twin size (without also buying the mattress) and they are expensive when you go that route. Due to cost, practicality, and options #1 and 2 making the beds a little low for what I wanted, I ended up going with option #3. We are cooling our heels while we wait for them to arrive.  

I'm ready for this bed saga to be over. I have mattress pads, duvets and sheets and have ordered duvet covers. Keeping my eye out for cute stuff like throw pillows to add to the mix. And the best part is - Joseph is so excited! About the beds…not about throw pillows. When planning this room, Joe often reminds me it belongs to a boy…and boys don't care. 

But I do…and so it will look nice. :)

outdoor kids

My kids love to be outside. It may seem like a simple thing, but it is something I'm very thankful for. They are moving and getting some exercise, using their imaginations and exploring things…and keeping my house tidier by them not being in it. A win/win!

The weather has been mostly nice the last several weeks so we've spent hours playing in the backyard. The fun never ends; there's so much to do.

Hannah and I recently spent some time together in her clubhouse. I had my iPad and took a video of her talking to me. I couldn't stop looking at her. She looked so grown up and beautiful. The clubhouse is very much her space and she collects all sorts of things up there. I'm thinking she and I might decorate it a bit this summer…

I was reading on the back porch and had to stop to take a picture. I don't usually have my phone when we're playing outside, so most cute moments aren't photographed. But this time I did, and they were so sweet playing ring-around-the-rosey together.

At the end of April my dad and his wife came to visit us for a couple days. We spent most of our time outside…

And now that the days are warm and the pollen has gone, we are in the backyard every day after nap/quiet time.

The tractor and jeep are getting a lot of use. Sometimes they chase each other around the yard. They play in this fantastic imaginary world. I love to hear what they say - what they're doing and where they're going.

They've recently started riding the tractor together.

…I love that look he's giving her.

Weekend before last friends came to play. Joseph and Rue:

And Tuesday afternoon… I told them I was thinking about driving my car into the backyard and washing it.  You would've thought I announced they were going to eat pizza every night for the rest of the week. They were ecstatic. After that reaction, I didn't really have a choice; I had to follow through. And so, we washed cars and had a grand old time.

More fun memories on Evergreen Drive.

one (big) thing checked off

On President's Day, we rode over to Augusta. Joe needed to visit the food bank our church is partnering with for our Backpack Buddies program, and I had a couple errands to run. We ate lunch at Five Guys. I could eat those fries all day long, but the whole family loves the peanuts. My kids could live off of them.

I picked up these:

Such an overdue item on my to-do list, that actually having them in hand was almost overwhelming. I am so happy with the way they turned out. I did not want them to match exactly, but I did want them to coordinate.

I did the same mats, and the frames, while completely different, both have a champagne finish.

I am glad I went with this frame for Hannah's. I was initially thinking a wider molding, but this one compliments the announcement's background pattern without being over-the-top. And I love how deep it is.

Joseph's is so different from anything I've seen, and if I went off of my snap-judgement when I first got into the store I would have saved myself some time with the second-guessing. It's masculine but works well with the announcement, a good contradiction to Hannah's very feminine frame. I love it.

I hung them next to one another in the hallway outside the kids' bedrooms. Check!

You know how sometimes it just hits you and, all of a sudden, you realize how big your babies are, and that they're not really, well, babies anymore?

Maybe it's looking at the birth announcements. Maybe it's the words and phrases I'm hearing lately or the conversations we're having. Maybe it's capturing everyday moments in pictures like these… But it has certainly hit me. They are growing up…too fast sometimes for my liking.

one ice storm later...

I think when I titled the post before last "land of the living" I was foreshadowing. For 57 hours, from Wednesday morning until Friday evening, we were without power. That's a long time without power. With two small children.

It's winter, it's cold outside. No heat means it's cold inside, too. It's dark. No hot showers...and even if you could take one, you'd freeze when you got out. Food spoiled in the refrigerator and freezer. No modern conveniences. Do you realize how much you actually flip light switches and plug things in? I do now: all day long.

Wednesday morning the rain came. We saw transformers blow from inside the house. The temperature stayed below freezing and ice was accumulating on the trees quickly. Ice is heavy. The constant sound of tree limbs cracking and hitting the ground (or roof) is scary. Ice covered everything. Power lines were down everywhere. Tons of trees were uprooted, many falling on houses and cars. "War zone" was used to describe our small town.

But let's focus on the good.

We have great friends. Those with power invited us to spend the night, take hot showers, charge phones, or just simply take a break from the cold. We spent the first night with Deana and Ken and their two girls. We enjoyed a delicious supper, a smorgasbord Deana put together from her fridge. Ironically, their power went out just as we were getting into bed. We stayed anyway. The next morning, Joe and Ken waited 45 minutes at McDonalds to brings us hot coffee and biscuits.

After breakfast, we drove home.

As bad as the damage was around town, other than some big limbs down, our house was fine.

We witnessed a community come together, reaching out through Facebook, people helping each other in any way they could. Electric crews came from out of town. They worked tirelessly.

We hunkered down. And we learned some things.


You can paint just fine with a little natural light...

...The same can be said for doing puzzles...

It can be fun and exciting (and slightly dangerous) to watch ice-covered limbs fall from the trees.

...Apparently little boys nap really long in cold bedrooms with lots of blankets.

He also likes flashlights and lanterns. Really, really, really likes flashlights and lanterns. At least one was always in hand.

You have every reason to not do a thing but sit on the sofa and read (or play cake pops) by the window.

...or pretend to give Mollie a bath and then tuck her inside a blanket.

It's not too bad cooking on the gas grill by lantern-light, using up whatever you can from the fridge (sautéed spinach anyone?).

Camping out in the playroom and cuddling in front of the fire are memories that will last a lifetime. {And though not very comfortably, I realized Joseph can fit in a pack-n-play if absolutely necessary.}

Valentine breakfast by candlelight is fun...and just might become a family tradition.

A completely cleaned-out refrigerator can make you very happy.

You can still look stylish.

Can you see Mollie, her BFF, above?

Our sweet valentine...

...And she made quick work of her box of chocolates.

Eventually, you come home, drive around the neighborhood....get to your house, and see - yes! - there is electricity.

And, in case you ever wondered what was going on, Joseph was always willing to tell you: "the uhyeckchipidy" went off. Thanks for the newsflash Joseph. Electricity...what a wonderful thing.

Throughout this whole process, we stayed positive. Concerned about the children, and a little antsy after 48 hours without power, but generally optimistic. {The one time we lost our positivity was when the alarm system kept going off during the night. After waiting to hear from a technician, Joe disconnected the battery.}

And Hannah and Joseph were fantastic. Kids are resilient like that, you know. They never complained about the dark or the cold. Obviously it's not something we want to do again, but the three days provided us with a lot of time together, and blessings to realize. We are thankful for our safety and the safety of our friends and church family. There are still some we know still without power, so we continue to pray for them and for the crews that have worked so hard to get our little city up and going again.

Ice Storm Pax is in our past, thankfully, but it's not likely to be forgotten.