Weekend Photos

We had the perfect weather this weekend! 

Ohhh...How I dream of Spring! :)

Hughes checking out his letters.  The "H" is the only one he knows.

Appropriate, I think!

He says, "ateCH"....with a big "ch" on the end!

He is headed somewhere in this picture...not sure where...but somewhere!

Hughes is really loving his two hats.

He asks to put his hat on before we walk out the door.

The hats make him look like a big boy... tear... sniffle.

Saturday, we enjoyed a little MSU baseball!

Hughes loved every minute.  From the music, to the JUMBO hot dog, to the clapping.

He would watch the boys on the field and say, "Toooow it!" (aka. throw it)

Near the end he got very sleepy and crawled in daddy's lap.

It was a great day.

Looking forward to many more sporting events with our small team of boys! :)

Happy Monday!

Spring Wreaths

Hughes and I made some Spring Wreaths for our front doors!

We started with vine wreaths.

We then added a bottom layer of dry moss.

After the entire wreath was covered in dry moss, we added a layer of sheet moss. 

The sheet moss creates the more natural look.

Then we just added some ribbon.  Thinking about adding a bow on the top.

May wait until the first day of Spring, which is March 20th!

Ohhhhh...we just can't wait until Spring!

Hughes was playing with his car and tractor...

and floral pins...

and pulling the ribbon...we actually played tug of war with the ribbon BEFORE it made it to the wreaths!

Oh No....Hughes is fixing a flat tire! 

That Crazy Coupe

(I'm aware they are called Cozy Coupes, however I feel Crazy Coupe is more appropriate! :)

This picture is from yesterday.  Hughes had just woke up from his nap.

This is how he slept.

Since we are LEARNING to drink from a big boy cup, his clothes were SOAKED!

So, diaper and tennis shoes were the attire for about 30 minutes yesterday.

Oh...the empty milk carton?

That, my friends, he WOULD NOT LET GO OF...

I ask him to put it in the trash after fixing him a cup of milk after nap time.

But, he had too much fun with the empty cartoon.

We took it to the grocery store...

AND to see Granddaddy Brown!

The things that interest children! 

Happy Friday!

Balance

Balance.

Been thinking ALOT about balance recently.

There are many things in my life that I am trying to decide if there is a balance or even SHOULD be a balance.

Since Kent and I took separate cars to Jackson yesterday, we were talking on the phone on the way home.  Here is a small piece of a conversation we were having:

Kent:  "You seem like something is bothering you.  You're not yourself.  What's going on in your head?"

Me:  "Honestly, I think my mind is so overwhelmed about having the baby, getting the house ready, making sure we still make quality time for Hughes, seeing family and friends, not getting rest at night, my emotions are excited and scared at the same time, .......I don't know.  Really, my mind has been on overhaul so long, it has switched on to auto pilot.  My mind is kinda just....well...numb right now."

Immediately, I thought the statement that just came out of my mouth should be my title for this week's chapter in my life:

"..My mind has been on overhaul so long, it has switched to auto pilot."

There you go.  That sums up my past month. 

Which brings me back to the subject of balance.

Here is a list of the things that I, personally, have a struggle finding the balance:

(note: some are actually important and some are not, but none-the-less, they are things that run through my scrambled mind)

* Rest vs. Play.  
This comes in all forms.  Mostly, with Hughes.  I know he needs to be interacting and learning his environment during the day.  That's where the foundation of a child's education comes.  Therefore, there is no balance in this area.  Play wins...every time.  At night, it's Rest vs. RESTroom...again...RESTroom wins...EVERYTIME! :)

*Selflessness vs. Selfishness.
I'm sure EVERY Mom feels this way and I can probably guess that Selflessness wins....EVERY TIME.  But, could there be a balance between being Mom and being your original self?  Just asking.  So many things fall to the wayside the minute you put your Mom pants on.  For example, my hair hasn't been cut in 8...close to 9 months. 

What? 

I SWORE to myself I would NEVER be one of those people who just let themselves go after they have children.  You know the Mom with seasonal sweaters, button covers and keds painted to match. (okay, so maybe it's not THAT bad) But, like my daddy ALWAYS says, "Never say Never.  It will bite you in the rear every time."  So, he's right...once...again. 

The hair is just one example.  I had just rather do things for Hughes and Wiley than myself.  Then, sometimes I stand still long enough to look in the mirror and think...whoa sister...yourself 5 years ago would have chewed you out for doing this to yourself.  What ARE you thinking?  How have you missed that hair that is growing out of your face for long enough that it has gotten an inch long.  You need to slow down.  Is a doodoo bun at the bottom of your neck REALLY acceptable EVERY day?  If you tuck the ends, it looks nicer.  Doesn't that count for something? :)

And then, Hughes wakes up from his nap and suddenly none of these silly mindless things matter. 

But, the point is...well, if I have one at all, we mom's should take care of ourselves, at least a little bit.  Our children may not care about our 4 inch split ends and granny panties, but, I like to think that our husbands do.  They do...right?  I know they say they love us for who we are, but you've got to know that they want to see some pep in our step/style.  Don't they want to be proud of their wife and mother to their children?

*Overhaul vs. Auto Pilot.
It seems that lots of women out there are on overhaul.  It also seems that the other ones, even smart ones maybe, are on meds = auto pilot.  Some, like myself, are on self inflicted auto pilot.  Is there a balance between the two modes?  I sure don't know. 

But, the only way I have figured out how to TRY to balance this little life is this:

Prayer.  God is my balance.  Sometimes I talk to him past the point of auto pilot kicking in.  Shame on me.  But knowing He knows and cares allows me to let go of the silly things.  So, He can be my Pilot when in auto pilot.

Over and Out. 

I hear Hughes screaming from his bed now. 

Here we go...doodoo bun and all! I'd rather go play outside than put on make-up.  Vaseline on the lips will just have to do.  Shine is good after all....right?

Wiley's Dresser

Kim found this dresser for me on Craig's List and

thought it would be perfect for Wiley's room.

Turns out...it will be more than perfect!

The price was right and the timing couldn't have been better!

We made it a family project.

Honestly, we had so much fun working on this piece!

I can see many more weekend projects in our future!

First, Kent took off the hardware and sanded down the dresser.

Hughes helped, of course! ;)

 

Then we applied a light coating of blue as the first layer of paint.

Then we applied a slightly thicker coating of white over the blue.  Then we sanded around the edges until we got the look we wanted.  Here is a close up of the dresser mirror. 

Here is the finished piece.  We also put two coats of white paint inside the drawers for a more finished look.

I will post another picture once we have the dresser/changing table in Wiley's room!

Gran, Papa Sam, Kent, Hughes and I all had so much fun putting some love into Wiley's piece of furniture.

The sweet baby boy doesn't have MANY things that won't be hand me downs, but he will have a custom piece of furniture....made with so much love!

I bought a canvas yesterday to work on a painting for his room.

Still trying to decide how I want it to turn out!

I have definatley gotten into the nesting mode.

These are things that are in process and trying to be accomplished BEFORE the arrival of Wiley:

1.  Nursery decorated and everything in it's place.

2.  Bathroom addition bricked up.  Our mason is here now banging away:)

3.  Mirror and lighting hung in the master bathroom.

4.  Fix the water standing under one end of the house....

5.  so we can start the landscaping.

6.  Yard mowed and presentable.

7.  House cleaned and decorated for Spring/Easter.

8.  House, concrete and driveway wall pressure washed.

9.  Construction site GONE and looking like a home.

Yes, Kent, I realize you are reading this and probably you are sweating bullets.  But, these are just WANTS not really NEEDS.

But, feel free to get as much done as possible :)

-------------------------------

On another note...

or perhaps the SAME outline...different bullet....

The doctor's appointment went great yesterday.

I am going to the doc on a weekly basis now...

along with gaining weight on a daily basis.

But, it is ALL worth it and we can't wait to meet our new little man.

A New Frame

Kent found a picture for us to hang in our home. 

The picture has TONS and LOTS and TONS of gold tones in the painting.

The painting was originally in a gold and wood frame.

Which, needless to say, was ENTIRELY too much gold and brown.

Ewww.

So.

I painted the frame.

First, Daddy primed it with Kilz.  Just the kind in the spray can.

The fam wouldn't let me spray the Kilz...being on the brink of baby and all! :)

Then, I used some left over paint from our house and painted the bottom coat a putty color.

We let it dry.  Which took about 10 minutes because it was basking in the sun.

Here is the frame with the complete first layer of paint.

Yes, you do see a linen band within the frame.

I wasn't careful with that layer.  We primed over it also.

 Then I added the top layer of paint.  This layer will end up being the dominate color of the frame.

Next came the time to sand.  I sanded harsher in some areas than others.

All of the paint layers show through.  I even sanded down so that just a touch

of the original frame would peep out!

So, now we have a new piece of art for our living room!

And a great technique to use on any other frames we see the need to spruce up!



Working Weekend

We had a Working Weekend with the help of Papa Sam and Gran!

We painted a dresser that I found on Craigslist for Wiley's room!

Painted a frame for a picture we are going to hang in the living room!

And recovered the stools we use at the computer.

Gran washed ALL of the newborn outfits and blankets to get ready for Wiley's arrival.

The nursery is SLOOOOWLY coming together.

And my mind is more at ease knowing that the bulk of the grunt work is complete.

Expect some new posts of all of our handy work very soon!

To start it off, here are some photos of Hughes being busy, busy, busy!

Don't ask me why, but Hughes finds it humerous to use the

WRONG END OF THE FORK!?!?

Why, little buddy, why?



Bring on Spring

We played outside MOST of the day yesterday. 

The weather was sooo nice and made me ready for spring!

So, Bring on the Spring!

Here are a few pictures of Hughes playing outside!

Is it just me, or does he look so BIG in this picture?  Tear.

Sniffle Sniffle

Tear

Hughes and I are trying to learn how to drink out of a big boy cup. 

This is actually a Mason Jar, but same purpose.

I am learning that OUTSIDE is the best place to practice our drinking skills. :)

Chilling on the porch

Whatchu say?  Huh?

Hughes is a working man.

Not ALWAYS certain of what we are working on...

but nonetheless, a working man!

Hoping to get outside AGAIN today and enjoy the weather!

Valentine Goodies

This Valentine's Day was filled with goodies.

I made my FIRST homeade strawberry cake.

Being pink and all, I just thought it was appropriate!

Daddy came home with goodies for Hughes.

He had just woke up from his nap and was pleasantly surprised with his balloons!

Kent and Hughes

Ma'Lyn came over and brought Hughes and Wiley their Valentine!

Clearly, Hughes LOVED the strawberry heart shaped marshmallows the most!

See...

I told ya!

Hope you had a Valentine's Day filled with so much love!

p.s.  The Valentine Bag's were a hit!  I had tears in my eyes the entire time we read them to each other!

Meaningful Works of Art

You are about to see one of my favorite things.

This collection is very important to me.

Vera Green was my great grandmother.

Ma is my mother's mother.

She was truly amazing.

When I was a little girl, I would stay at her house.

The things I remember the most were the following:

The mornings included Bozo...

speaking of Bozo, where is that guy!  I LOVED watching Bozo.

After Bozo went off, we would watch The Price is Right...

the BEST Price of Right's game, in Ma and my opinion was Plinko.

She would let me go to her pantry and get the cheese puffs off the bottom shelf, plop right in front of the TV and watch until my little heart was content. 

Ma always sat in HER chair.  It was in front of the picture window in the living room.

As I remember, every time I turned around to talk to her or just to check and make sure she was still paying attention to me, she had her bible in her lap.

Around lunch time, we ate a REAL lunch.

You know.  COOKED vegetables...from the garden.

Boiled okra, fried okra, potatoes, carrots, green beans...the good stuff.

Yes....I said boiled okra.

And Yes,  I still LOVE boiled okra.

You should try it...with a side of fried REAL okra. 

Not the "fried" kind that comes in a bag.

The lightly breaded kind that is a tad crunchy and taste great when you grab a bit of your mashed potatoes when you go to scoop your fork.

I'm just saying.

It doesn't hurt to get a little turnip green juice underneath your pile of okra either.

I'm just saying.

Okay.  My mouth is watering for REAL food!

Grandmother, would you mind making a trip to see us and cooking us a real dinner tonight?

Thanks!  See you in a bit! :)

I'm dreaming.

Wake up.

It's peanut butter and jelly for this household tonight!

Anyway, back to Ma.

She would let me play in her jewelry.

Her earrings were always perfect for me.

Why?

Clip-Ons.

Need I say more.

I was too young to have my ears pierced and Ma wouldn't get hers pierced.

I would SOMETIMES sneak and get in her make up.

Which didn't consist of much.

The powder was in a white round box.

With a big puff.

The box had yellow and gold flowers placed sporadically.

I can still remember the smell of that powder.

One day, Ma gave me THE BEST ADVICE.

Are you listening?

Here it is.

"Britanny, you should NEVER date a man who will work with his shirt off."

"Yes, mam."

I never asked any questions.

Wish I would have.

Just out of curiosity.

Like: "Ma, what other characteristics do "men that work with their shirt off" have.  They must all have the same things going on?  Or, better yet, what GOOD qualities do men that DO work with their shirts on have?  Tell me more!  How do you know these things?  Should he also ONLY wear long sleeves when he works outside?  Because I know you have told me that, even when it's HOT HOT HOT, it's best to wear long sleeves.  You will sweat.  The sweat will wet the shirt and the breeze will allow the sweat to cool you off.  This is just what smart hard working people know.

But, Kent is not one to work with his shirt off, so Ma would approve.

On another note, Ma made THE BEST apple pies EVER.

You know the ones that look like little turnovers.

Devine.

Maybe I will try to work on that recipe...

and master it.

Problem is, as you can probably guess, ...

THERE IS NO WRITTEN RECIPE!

A little of this and a little of that!

-------------------

So to the point of this post.

Ma's Hat.

My mother inherited Ma's hat after she passed away.

The hat is bright turquoise blue with a small rim and a neatly placed bow on the side.

It resides in a hat box in the top of my mom's closet now.

But, I took it out of it's home for a bit for a project.

When I was in college, we were given an assignment to find any item and include it in 9 different works of art.

The works of art needed to include:

One original drawing of the object and 8 other works based off of famous artist.

The following pictures will show you what I chose to create.

You will find the bright blue hat in EVERY photo except one. 

That photo was abstract and didn't include such defined objects.

We are hoping to hang this collection in our living room OR den.

I can't decide.

Here is the finished framed group!

This is the original photo that I drew of Ma's hat.

Here is the only picture where you won't find the hat.  Abstract.

This is my ALMOST favorite picture.  Love the layers of the flags with the outlines of the hat.

Good 'Ole Andy Warhol inspired photo.

I can't remember the artist that inspired this photo.  All I remember was he was a great cartoonist.

Jackson Pollock inspired

Okay, the above photo is MY FAVORITE.   Paul Klee is the artist that inspired this photo.

Love the playfulness of the little people.  ALSO, LOVED working with watercolor.

Ahhhh...Magritte.  Have you seen the movie The Thomas Crown Affair?

If you haven't, you should.  This famous work of art shows up in this film in a big fun way.

Seurat.  Seurat was famous for his works of pointillism. 

The flash hides alot of the image.

The image is of a woman sitting on the lawn, in a hat, holding an umbrella.

Well, this is my Valentine post for Ma.

So much love for you today and always!

----------------------

Disclaimer:  I know this post isn't fluent.  It doesn't read as a story.  But Ma was and has always been very special to me.  For me to include all the goodness of her in a post is, well, unrealistic.  So I typed as thoughts came to my mind.  Hope you enjoy and take the time to remember the qualities your great-grandparents and grandparents taught you today.