I borrowed a neighbor's camera yesterday (thanks Shannon!) so I could take a few pictures for stuff to put on Craigslist and shot a few of Sawyer while I was at it.



Feels like he's hit a growth spurt all of a sudden- moving into 3-6 mo clothes and isn't fitting in my arm the same as he did last week. Since I didn't want to change the settings on her camera or use the flash they are pretty dark-doesn't help that it was gloomy and rainy out. Oh well-I still think they're cute-can see him flappin his arms like a little bird and grinning...



So this morning I go to open the new box of Cheerios and there is a Batman movie action figure in there. I pull it out and it's the Joker. Now is it just me-or is pulling Heath Ledger's likeness out of my cereal box a little disturbing?

Oh ya! So last night Trav went to the neighborhood association meeting and they were selecting new officers-including the new association president since ours moved. He comes home and says welp, guess who is the new president and grinned sheepishly. I laughed and said so does that make me a first lady??? lol-crack myself up...

This was taken on Chloe's bday a couple weeks ago in the Walmart parking lot. (lol) It bugs me not to add pics with each post so I thought I'd just put one up-just cos it makes me smile-what a goof.

Gabe~


*Upon enlarging that pic and looking more closely at it-it would appear that he has a very sinister idea cooking up in his head...I can almost hear a cackle and him rubbing his hands together -mwu-hahahahaaaaaaa!!!

It's been awhile-why? I have no camera-agh! The stinkin thing bit the dust and it's driving me crazy! We had already been looking into a new camera-what timing. Trav wondered if I broke this one on purpose-ha. We've sat and researched and I think we've settled on the new Canon coming out next week-the Canon XS. woohoo! I can't WAIT!!

The porch looks great. The columns and railing aren't done- but we've been enjoying our new porch furniture! If I had a camera I'd show you-lol. It's so comfy.

Chloe's got her first sleepover tonite at a neighbor's house. She's the only girl-lol. I think they'll play w/ pokemon cards all night is how it's sounding...

In jewelry news-I received an invite last week for the annual Holiday Hall at the Art Association. I've got a few ideas of things I'd like to whip up for it for this year...I'll post pics as I get it made- assuming I have a new camera by then :)

Trip to the zoo

We ran to the zoo yesterday with our neighbors. It was Gabe's first trip that he'd remember so he really liked seeing the animals. He was a little nervous, I think, about being in close proximity of the goats while he fed them but ended up doing ok-lol. Man was it HOT out! blecchhhh...



Chloe has a new project she is antsy to get working on. There is now a HUGE box in our garage-so big we can't fit it thru any door to bring inside. (our new porch furniture arrived in it) She's cooking up designs for it. I went to find old gallons of paint for her to paint it with but we can't find what we're looking for and truthfully I'd love to wait til the weather is a little cooler out!

The porch project: the floor is now stained and looks pretty good. I was having a hard time finding stain that matched the ceiling stain color-(long story) but I think we got it! The porch furniture arrived and I LOVE it! It looks awesome and we're both excited to get it out there. I think on Sunday he'll start wrapping the columns and measure for railing. I still need to look for a doormat and flower pots. I'm narrowing down what I'd like to do landscaping-wise out front but we're needing to haul in dirt to build it up a bit...I mentioned this to a neighbor and luck has it-they have alot of dirt to get RID of! (digging down for new patio) woohoooooooo! Good timing. So hopefully the yard will start taking shape soon too :)

Sunday picnic

Welp, the porch floor was sanded but the stain was NOT the right color or covereage sooo-it's not done like I had hoped it would be by now...

So I decided today since no big projects were going on we would go have a picnic at the park-it was GORGEOUS out. Sunny, blue skies,a slight breeze and 84 out. I took some pics w/ our, um, "camera" (I want a new one soooooo bad!)

It's interesting w/ 3 to get pics of-it was hard enough w/ 2 but now-lol-they just don't seem to work out. I am trying the new mindset of "they all don't have to be looking at me at once-just don't have your tongue hanging out or crying or trying to run in the opposite direction" ya know??? Here is a great example of every picture I have tried to take since Sawyer has arrived-LOL.

Note: Gabe crying, Chloe looking very uncomfortable and Sawyer looking like "um ya, let's not drop me ok?" **sigh**

Here's a few more from today...
Might have to start calling her Angelina~

Gabe-can't seen to get one of him looking straight at me-oh well~

Sawyer-complete w/ the required 5 week baby acne and dry skin~

A great one showing how Chloe is-flitting off on her own flipping her skirt around w/o a care in the world~"l la laaaa"

OPAM Progress!

So here is how the porch is looking at the moment...

Last weekend the siding was painted, lights up,doorbell on and my vent back up. (I'm finally making beads again!!)
Our porch furniture is ordered and should come on Monday. This weekend we hope to get the floor sanded and stained and the columns built. It's looking so good! I finally am starting to see an end in sight!!!

Chloe's birthday gift...

This pretty much speaks for itself...



Let me say this: I am NOT a basement person-I loathe ours. BUT it's the only place for this monster right now. I can't count how many times a day she's begging to go "just play a 5 minute game??!!" lol. She was thrilled and SO surprised!

OPAM

I've been inspired! Tara Whitney has started on her blog a OPAM (one project a month) challenge. I just LOVEEEEE the family portrait wall she just completed!! OMG. http://tarawhitney.com/justbeblogged/2008/06/02/opam-may-08-photo-wall-in-living-room-after/And upon reading some of her comments from others and seeing their projects and what they've gotten done it's lit a fire under my butt to try and get a few things done around here!!

Now that I've said that please bear in mind that with the remodel of a house that is what-104-105 yrs old there is ALWAYS a project of some sort going on anyway. I feel like a bit of a cheater this month because I've decided my project should be to finish the front porch -since it's already in the midst of being worked on anyway...Only problem is most of the work comes from Travis. It's actually almost finished being painted and only needs the columns built, floors stained and rail built. I guess MY job would be to find and order porch furniture, doorbell, mailbox, house numbers,doormat and some pots and flowers for the steps. Maybe I could throw in a bit of landscaping too- I was actually just out there w/ a hose trying to come up w/ a curvy shape for out and around the tree,etc...Not feelin it yet...

So-the before pics are already on here a few posts back-no need to re-post those. I'll hopefully be posting a finished porch pic at the end of July!! :)

So-I challenge you all who stop by here!! Go for it! Let's get some little projects done that we've been saying "oh I'll get around to that!" If you do this --don't forget to show me some before and after pics! :)

Happy Birthday to our little girl!!

I just cannot believe that Chloe is 7 years old today! **sob*choke*gasp** Where has the time gone? One minute I'm laughing at her crazy spikey hair and the next I'm helping her with math homework-agh! It's all going way too fast...









Her birthday dinner of choice is Culver's (gee, what else is new? lol) She will have a scavenger hunt to find her birthday gift after we get home...She's gonna freak when she sees what it is. -Pics tomorrow :)



She always did the silliest "cheese!!" face when we'd take her picture when she was about 2-3...



She's really grown into a great kid. She's got her moments of coarse, but for the most part she's pretty helpful, makes good decisions and cares about other's feelings.:)



I just love to sit and look at how much she's changed over the years...



HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETIE!!

A visit to the White House

Don't we look like we're really there? lol





While Trav's aunt and uncle from Florida visited we took a trip to the Lincoln Museum ( I swear we're the only ones who live here who have never gone-lol) It was pretty cool! Chloe seemed to be more into it than I thought...and disturbed by images of slavery and Lincoln being shot...It was worth seeing-especially the ghosts of the museum show-very neat!





I swear...why does Gabe feel the need to be all "girls gone wild" all the time? He approaches strangers this way and I can't count how many pictures I have of him lifting his shirt-lol. What a goof.