Friday, May 28, 2010

Wedding Gifts

My sister and her fiance' leave for Antigua early in the morning for their wedding on Wednesday. Hopefully she won't check my blog before she gets back because I wanted to share a couple of the gifts I put together for her and my soon to be brother in law.


Family rules similar to the ones hanging in our dining room

Not a wonderful picture but I wanted to get one of it in the frame

Aaron cut, sanded and painted the plaque for me and I finally got the lettering put on this morning. This one is from my sister, Rachel and I.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

For the Birds!!

We had several apples that we somehow managed to let get bad before we ate them and some nasty peanut butter that no one would eat so I decided to try to find some use for them instead of just tossing them. The best I could come up with was treats for the birds so we went with it. It was a messy, messy project but the kids had fun and Aaron got to use a power tool. haha Hopefully the birds enjoy their treats!










Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Reptiles!

We finished up our mammal study last week and the kids agreed to start with reptiles next. Hannah got to pick which category we started with and chose turtles/tortoises and I was very thankful that we got to push back snakes a week or two. ;) Aidan keeps reassuring Hannah and I that snakes are NOT creepy in pictures or behind glass at the zoo, they are only creepy in the wild. I've really enjoyed our little impromptu animal study and they seem to as well. It ought to be easy enough to continue with once Sydney arrives since most of our learning comes from reading library books and discussing them.

Yesterday we did a little turtle/tortoise craft to pass some time since we've kinda been cooped up this week. Hannah and Aidan painted paper plates then we added a head and legs, stapled the plates together and poured a few beans into the middle to make turtle tambourines! They each added their inital to the turtle shell with some mod podge and glitter.


Today I decided that I needed to make something for my little guy since there's been so much fuss over the nursery (which will eventually be the girls' room). Extinct or not, dinosaurs are definitely Aidan's favorite reptiles and he's requested dinosaur decor when Hannah makes the move into the girls' room later down the road. Hannah fell asleep on the couch so Aidan and I picked a dinosaur I thought I might be able to freehand and then he helped choose colors that will coordinate with we'll one day do in his room. I was very surprised that what I drew/painted actually does favor a dinosaur quite a bit. The most important thing was that he loved it.

Monday, May 17, 2010

5 weeks!!

Only FIVE weeks until we meet Sydney Grace!

I really cannot believe how fast this pregnancy has flown by. I've never been 34 weeks pregnant before and I'm just so thankful for the opportunity to carry a baby to term! I'm sure I'm forgetting SOMETHING but I made a Target run today to buy baby soap, receiving blankets and a few other things we needed. All her laundry is washed and folded or hung, her room is done so now I'm looking forward to relaxing a bit and enjoying these last few weeks as a family of four. Hannah and Aidan were given Big Brother and Big Sister books a few weeks ago and I'm hoping to start filling those out with them and spending a little one on one time with each of my big kiddos as they transition to new their new roles. We can't meet to meet our littlest girl!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

The Finished Product

I'm sure I'll find a few other things to add or change but for now the nursery is DONE!!! It's not the original vision I had but I'm still rather happy with how it all came together.






















Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Busy, Busy!

UPDATE....

I decided to go ahead and throw the crib skirt together rather quickly tonight. One little corner of the nursery is almost completely done!







This verse is one that I really want my kiddos (specifically my girls) to know and find comfort in of as they grow up. Sometimes this world is really harsh but God does NOT make mistakes!! I ordered the vinyl lettering and then found a piece of wood the EXACT size I needed in the garage when we were cleaning up the other day. I finally got around to painting it and applying the lettering & ribbon today. For now it will hang about Sydney's crib.




This was my first project of the day. I made a cover for my camera strap. I change my mind and way too often to do something permanent and thankfully I found a tutorial for one that is rather easily removed. After I finished the strap cover this morning I got tons of housework done and tonight after dinner I got started on the crib skirt. It's a little bittersweet to see my to-do list getting smaller and smaller. I'm so excited to meet my littlest girl and I've really enjoyed this time of preparation as it's given me a lot of opportunities to be creative and productive.





Tuesday, May 11, 2010

More progress!!

All the furniture is painted and in the nursery so I've finally been able to start decorating a bit. We hung a shelf yesterday and I decided to get crackin' on my long sewing to-do list today. Next on my list is the crib skirt, a camera strap cover for my D60 and a couple placemat type thingies to put on top of the dresser and nightstand in the nursery.


Custom Changing Pad Cover!



Carseat Canopy to keep the sun off my littlest girlie!












Thursday, May 6, 2010

Bedding