Happy Birthday Kacey Michelle ~

 

 

Just look at those pigtails!

 

Easter 1991 ... Matt is totally working the camera ... you couldn't care less.

p.s.  I made that little dress and hairbow for you.  

 Ah the ole' farm ... and your first little brother. 

 All dressed in white, ready to be baptized.  

You stayed true to the covenants made that day.

 Constantly making me smile 

... and even crack up!

Happy Birthday little one.  You put the sparkle into this guy's eye, but you light up everyone who knows you.  You've created the best possible 22 years any mother could ask for.  I love you!

Rambling with a headache ~

I woke up this morning with something wrong ... it was my head.  My head was ALL WRONG.  I don't get headaches ... hardly ever.  This one was a doosie.

Last night, I went to a Yoga class.  I came home craving Crunch and Munch, but opted for Cheerios instead.  Maybe the healthier choice put my body into a tailspin and mustered up a good headache to teach me a lesson?

Jake came home from school yesterday, immediately displaying tears over a test that he had taken earlier that day.  After a few minutes of whimpering, he went into his room and promptly fell asleep for what I assumed would be a much needed nap ... he woke up this morning.  I'll say it was much needed!  Happy Valentine's Day to him!

So I think there's something in the air over here.  I think Jake is certainly going through a growth spurt.  And maybe I'm going through a "spurt" of my own.  Because sleeping for 13 hours sounds like pure heaven to me!

And I found out that we have some new neighbors moving in sometime soon.  She's fancy.  She's young, beautiful ... and fancy.  I'll bet she's going to be completely taken by my vast array of sweats.  I'm not fancy.  Oh well. 


How do you treat your headaches?

Have a ramblin' day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Mr. Shaker - thanks for teaching me the art of F-U-N!

Modern Day Overhauls

Mammogram in November was lovely and of good report.

Got my teeth cleaned last week ... no cavities!

On my way to the ole' Pap Smear now.

Do you ever wonder what cave women did?

Wardrobe dysfunction ~

I don't like shopping, I hate to spend money and I don't like to play dress up.  I'm a little bit of a boy in that regard.  I can't walk in heels and I don't like clothes that touch me in my ever-so-sensitive crevices, so I buy things that pretty much hover around me, all the while keeping their unflattering distance.  I perfected the look of lounge wear at a very early age ... see here!

Oh my word I was so cute!  Look at that scrumptious blond hair
and that perfect outfit!  Sigh.

Anyway, at a gathering of friends last month, it was noted that most of my wardrobe is from Sam's Club.  It's the perfect scenario.  I grab a bag of Laura Scudders and a shirt!  Consequently, I'm starting to look at my closet with a bit of disgust.  In my world, lounge wear is usually perfectly acceptable.  However, on the rare  occasion that it isn't ... I panic!   I walk into my closet and scope over the same Mtn. View Toro football shirts and try to imagine adding a necklace to spruce it up a bit.  So my dear friends have volunteered to take on this challenge.  They're going to show me how to shop wisely and possibly even in the right size and shape.  I am skeptical, yet hopeful about this process.  If it doesn't work out, I'm going to wear my very best pajamas to Matthew's wedding ... and I may start wearing them to church.

Does every other girl like to shop?

F words!

Don't you just LOVE a captivating title?  Ha!  

I just wanted to wish everyone the happiest  

First Friday of February

... ever!  

Because I love my Friday's ... and I thought you might to.

Sin makeup.  Eeesh.  No, I'm not making a religious statement about makeup, I'm just throwing some Spanish your way ... because I took two years of it in college ... and I'm pleased that I remember the word sin!  Anyways, maybe next week I'll tell you how I ended up with that Tiffany ring on my wedding finger.  It's my favorite.  Have a lovely weekend!

The Reveal ~

First of all, I should tell you where I got the inspiration for my new room.  I love this blog call The Lettered Cottage ... and I follow it like any good blog stalker should!  They create these adorable cottages in Alabama ... and it made me want one ... only in Arizona ... and in my house.   So I called THE brothers ... have I mentioned them before?  Yes, my brothers are possibly the best at remodel work, since they were taught by the best ... THE Dad.  I'm very lucky to have such perfectionists of the trade in my family, but they would totally work for you as well ... just let me know if you need a Contractor!

I started snapping shots of my room to post, and they all ended up looking like crap.  So I called Kacey.  Maybe you've heard of her?  Yep, my daughter is the first K of K & K Photos!  AND she's the Kacey of Kacey's View!  Man do I know people or what?!  She was kind enough to throw on her coat (because it's still freakishly cold) and grab her little Roscoe and head on over to take some pictures of my room while it's still clean.  :)

And here is what my brothers and my Kacey have created for me.  

Thank you!

 Here is the before.  I just threw up a little in my mouth.

 And here is what happened, when I dared to dream ...

and call my brothers.

 I didn't buy any new furniture or any decor.  This stuff was already in my old ugly room.  Everyone should have a good bookshelf to hold all of their crap most important pieces and reading material.

 This used to be my office before Kacey got married and gave me her room!  My sister-in-law found the desk and the hutch separately at Goodwill.  They were both old and brown ... hard to imagine?  She gave them a pretty new black coat and placed them together and voila ...
lovely desk that now encompasses Gary

and his stuff.

  He is happy.

 This is me and Roscoe ... my first Grandson.  I love him.

 I had all white blankets on my bed, and then my dirty plumber handsome husband came home and plopped down on the bed.  It was his idea to grab an old brown blanket and put it down so that I wouldn't give him that look.  Then he brought in some excess pillows from the family room couches ... and it was a match!  Now he can plop on down with his boots and all for a quick nap without the look.  

 See that tall black hutch?  It used to be old and brown as well ... a hand-me-down from Gary's Dad years ago.  Same sister-in-law, Nicolle, wife of Timmy extraordinaire Contractor ... created some more magic and gave it new life just when I was ready to get rid of it.  It's one of my favorite pieces.

 This is me posing for the cover of a magazine called Ugly Bedrooms Have Hope! 

I love my new room.

Thanks for visiting.

The weather & Elder Shaker ... hoppin.

Today is cold ... freakishly cold for Arizona.  I've been watching the news and wondering how other people function in such conditions.  I am a true blue native of warmth ... I wouldn't be able to handle my world being covered in frigid white.  Whenever it's cold here, my mind immediately wanders to Pocatello, Idaho.  I usually hop online to see how cold my boy must be.  Yesterday's report was this ...

Pocatello, Idaho -- The National Weather Service in Pocatello has issued a wind chill warning, which is in effect from midnight Tuesday until 10 a.m. Tuesday.  The coldest wind chills will range from 20 below zero to 28 below zero.  Wind chills of 20 below zero will freeze exposed flesh in about 30 minutes.  Pets and livestock are also exposed to life-threatening temperatures if left outside.

Holy gosh.  Keaton, please cover your flesh! 

He has not once complained about the weather or any part of his mission.  He LOVES serving ... and has jumped in with both feet ... proof below.  He is the one on the right.  He makes me smile.