Cararra Marble

I did it! I finally switched out my granite for cararra marble on my kitchen island. I have a very small kitchen with a very large island. I designed it so I can't complain. I admit I was a little over zealous with the measurements of this massive island. At the time I loved black granite with antique white cabinetry. However, I wanted the island to look like a piece of furniture so I painted it a very dark chocolate brown. We have saltillo Mexican brick tiles which are also very dark. After it all came together my kitchen looked like a cave. When we first bought the house I even had black wall paper. It was beautiful but after a short short time, I realized I had a made a serious design faux pas. From the mouth of the famous Van Day Truex, "A kitchen should be white" taken from Bunny Williams, An Affair With A House. I knew it would be a LONG time before I was able to start making any changes to the kitchen we had just completelt gutted. After about 4 years, I stripped the wallpaper and painted it a beautiful SW Antique White. One can't go wrong with Antique White. I've never liked stark white or brilliant white for me. I love it in other homes, but it just doesn't feel right when I try it for myself. So we painted... I still wasn't happy. The kitchen still seemed too dark. I always seem to happen upon good things and I recently scored a slab of cararra marble for very reasonable. I just had to find a fabricator that would install it for me. This proved to be more difficult than I had imagined. Well.. today is the day my friends!! It's here and they are installing now. Next I will have the base painted Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray similar to this... (well I can't paste it) It was in Southern Living several months back. i'll work on it! Before: During: This is what my kids looked like during: I'll leave you with this from a friend... you'll curse me once you try it. it's so good you could drink it! serve with warm corn tortillas or tortilla chips! YUM I'll show the whole kitchen once the island is painted. The white top has made a huge difference but I think the lighter color on the island will really do the trick!

God Bless America, My Home Sweet Home

Happy 4th of July~! We had plans to spend the day at the beach and I even got all packed and ready. Lambert made a game plan change at the last minute. He got up early, washed the cars and made his family, his famous homemade waffles. I was good and just had a half :) it took restraint... he is the waffle king! After breakfast I went for a jog around the neighborhood, took a quick shower and then we headed to the movie theatre. We didn't think it would be very busy today.... we were so wrong. Apparently we weren't the only family that hadn't seen Brave yet. (according to Hoot EVERYONE had seen it, but us). After the movie we stopped by a bike shop to purchase Lambert's new bike. I bought him a new Schwinn for Father's Day... but... he is high maintenance when it comes to bikes... We ended up with a new Marin and a Limo seat for The Doll. We had dinner at McCallisters Deli (dad'd choice) and then came home to assemble the bike seat. We took a stroll around the neighborhood. It was a packed day. Hoot did a little skating and Wawa enjoyed driving her Nascar. Lambert had bought a few fireworks hoping his son might be interested this year. Hoot has been terrified of fireworks since he was a baby.. today marked a big day. Hoot held his first sparkler and even stood by while dad shot off a few bottle rockets and smoke bombs. Hoot held his ears and watched from a safe distance, but he did it! Usually he's in the house hiding under the covers. Libbie is a little pyromaniac... fearless. I love my swing. I love this picture. What a great day. They wouldn't stop swinging so the pic is a little blurry. I still love it. Sweet babies No days is complete without a little Nascar The kids had just finished fudge pops... I said it was a good day:) Look at my brave boy!

Peanuts in July

We had dinner with http://3peanuts.blogspot.com/ this weekend. We always enjoy our time with the peanuts. Hoot loves the boys. Harry is the COOLEST according to Hoot. Libbie really let down her guard with Kate this visit. Libbie is very cautious with girls her age. She doesn't like to be picked up or bossed around...I think this comes from her time in China. She keeps her distance from most kiddos and it takes her a while for her to warm up. Well... all week she talked about Kate. She couldn't wait to play in Kate's kitchen. Kate is so gentle and sweet and I think she won Libbie over! I've never seen Libbie let down her gaurd and act so silly. They danced and laughed all night. Libbie was asleep in her car seat almost before we got out of the driveway. We all enjoyed the company and the yummy yummy dinner. Dave is quite the man when it comes to smoking brisket. Kim and I took the girls to a park for a little mini session. It was awesome. I love this picture. Kate has a spring in her step. Libbie was in awe of her and mimicked everything she did. (look how Libbie is watching her) so Libbie found a spring her step as well Can you say silly? Kate put a little flower in Libbie's hair HAM Can you feel the love? The lighting is terrible in this photo, but I love how Libbie is watching Kate Kate gave Libbie a little private violin lesson. Thanks Peanuts for a delightful evening... I haven't uploaded the firework photos yet... more to come!

Date Day

This weekend our church hosted a Princess Daddy Daughter Breakfast. I had planned on treating Lambert to a get away golf weekend for his 40th Birthday (which is in July, but were crazy busy in July). However, he came down with SHINGLES!!! It's horrible. So we were in town and he was able to take sweet Wawa to her first Daddy/Daughter event. I decided I would take Hoot on a date as well so he wouldn't feel left out. We dropped Libbie off at the church to meet Daddy and Hoot and I headed to Cracker Barrel for a country breakfast. Hoot really wanted to go to the Lego Store for our "date". I think the "date" was just a catalyst to get him to the Lego Store. We decided to take the kids out separately that evening for dinner and some quality one on one time. Daddy and Wawa dined at Mario's Flying Pizza. Hoot and I spent our evening on the patio (his choice) at Cafe Express... It was soooo hot, but how could I tell my 7 year old gentleman, no.?? We had the best time just talking and being still. Hoot decided he would like to take a stroll through Barnes and Nobles before heading to the Lego Store... He's going to be a catch someday for all you praying moms!! My favorite date night activity includes dinner and a bookstore. After our one on one time we met Daddy and Wawa for dessert. Lambert's been driving my car all week and he left a Michael Jackson cd in the player... We drove with the sunroof open and the windows down with Michael Jackson cranked! I rarely change my radio station or listen to it very loud, so Hoot thought he was big stuff listening to Thriller and Dirty Diana... (it won't happen again anytime soon). He asked me to turn down the music and wanted to know if I thought Michael Jackson was in Heaven.. I told him that I didn't really know where Michael Jackson was and changed the subject. He was good with that, but I'm pretty certain our conversation will continue when I least expect it...  (consquences for my sin!!! )Hoot was such a gentleman on our date night. He even walked around to open my car door for me. He pulled out my chair and held all the doors... AND HELD MY HAND during dinner.... I'm not sure where he learned all these skills, but like I said... CATCH some day. Doesn't she look so proud to be with her daddy? It was such a sweet event.

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Fathers Day

Happy Father's Day! I sure wish I lived closer to my dear ole dad. We would probably kill each other.I would be able to have him over for Father's Day supper if we lived closer. I would like that. My son reminds me sooo much of my dad in many ways. He's definitely got his temper and his sense of humor. He still tells me all the time he's easily annoyed and mostly by me. JUST LIKE MY DAD. My dad's number one pet peeve with me is that I don't answer my phone. I am the worst about carrying my phone or forgetting where I left it. I'm not a big phone person anyway. On the weekends I may not look at my phone at all. Come Monday (when I finally find it) I may have 20 missed calls... 19 of them are from my daddy dearest. You should hear the messages he leaves me. Not NICE... so for his birhtday this year he got me back. I began calling the morning of his birthday (because he gets annoyed if I wait until later... I am the same way)but no answer. I called his cell several times, then the home number... no answer. I called my sister to see if she had talked to him and she had... early that morning. I waited and called a few more times. No luck. So, finally I texted my step mom AND she didn't answer either. I began to panic. Something was surely wrong. He always answers. He never answered or called me back the day of his birthday. I felt awful. It was his birthday and I didn't get to wish him a good day. I called again the next morning fearing the worst... the dirty rat answered only to tell me he avoided my calls on purpose! He still acts like a 7th grader. He swears he will never grow up and I believe him. Truthfully, I am a lot like my dad too. I have the Truman temper curse. I'll share a funny that I'm not really proud of... two weeks ago our local Kroger Gas station dropped gas to $3.19. With my Kroger gas points I was able to fill up for $2.69 per gallon. The station was packed... cars were double lined up at the tanks. I was on empty so I circled a few times and then pulled in to wait my turn in front of a lady that had just began filling up. I waited patiently with two kiddos in the car. It was hot and I had turned the ignition off and rolled down the windows. When the lady in front of me was finishing up a car pulled in behind her... so now she was sandwiched in. She hung up the pump and asked me to back up because someone had pulled in behind her. I politely asked her if she would ask them to move so she could back out. I was sure the car other driver didn't see me there waiting... she came back to me after speaking to the other driver and told me that she told him I was there first and he said, "TOO BAD"... Most sensible moms with children in the car would probably have backed up and found another pump.. this would have been the smart thing to do... But the TRUMAN temper flared up and flew out of my mom mobile and marched right over to the other car. ( i could have been killed right in front of my two kids. I don't know what I was thinking) I calmly told the man that I had been there waiting and it would be nice if he would back up. He responded that he was not moving... Meanwhile Hoot was hanging out of my car, shouting... "just ram him mom! just ram the car!!" After a few time of "just ram him" I told Hoot to put his head back in the car and that I would be right there. I held my ground, and told the man that I had all day and wasn't going to move. (because that's what Jesus would do right?? Who did I think I was???) He must have seen the craziness in my eyes because he finally backed up as I stood at his window staring at him with my arms crossed. I walked back over to my car and got in while the lady in front of me backed out. I was trembling so bad I could hardly pump my gas. As we drove to swim practice I told Hoot that it wasn't very Christ like to "ram" people. He responded that I didn't act very Christ like either. He had a point. We celebrated Father's Day with Lambert this evening. We bought him a new bicycle, and I baked a cake. I've wanted to try making a ruffle cake since Libbie's last birthday. The cake I bought her turned out TERRIBLE and I knew I could do a better job. So this Fathers Day... Lambert got ruffles. It turned out pretty cute and by Libbie's birthday this year, I should have it perfected!! I promise not to make Hoot a ruffle cake for his birthday. I'm not that mean! I am blessed to have a wonderful father and a wonderful husband who is a wonderful father. Pray for my Lambert. He's been on antibiotics/prednisone for sinus and it looks like he might have an outbreak of shingles. He just noticed a very painful rash on his back/rib cage tonight. He's had fever and chills and flu like symptoms for the past couple of days which are all early signs of shingles... OUCH!! Yes that is a Schwinn on our dining room table... it was our centerpiece... My caked turned out pretty good... at least I didn't use pink icing:)

Babies

Lately it's been babies. I can't say that I love shooting babies unless... they are asleep. I love shooting older children that are more compliant. There is no negotiating a sweet smile for just a tiny second... with a cranky toddler. However if I can get them distracted for that money shot... perfection. Summer is in full swing. Kiddos are super busy, well at least for Hoot. The Doll tags along happily. Were making a summer list of all the things we've done. Each evening he journals the days events. So when he says he's so bored and we never do anything... he can go get the list. We've already been to The Woodlands Resort, made a trip to Nana's, joined the swim team (which practices EVERY weekday for one hour) joined the summer reading club at the library, viewed The Avengers and so on. We have a trip planned for Indiana in July and I'm certain we'll spend many weekends in Galveston. I had no idea how tiring swim team would be. Hoot swims laps in an Olympic size pool for one hour straight. I thought for sure he'd quit after the first practice. He loves it! He is so tired by 8:00 he can hardly keep his eyes open. And that's not all. My terrible eater... he's gone. This new and improved athlete eats like a horse. He is so hungry after swimming and he's making healthy choices. I've been reflecting this morning about past summers. I would be at the office by now and the babysitter would be feeding my children and then enjoying the rest of the summer day with them. I am so very thankful to be at home with my kiddos. My part time job has evolved this past year and now I am helping with a new project we've rolled out. I am still able to work from home and I love what I'm doing. God is so great and faithful. I remember how anxious I was last year around this time. I couldn't decide if I should stay at work or go ahead and make the leap to be at home. I would be giving up so much. I must be honest, there have been times this year that I wondered if I had made a mistake by leaving. I've even been a little resentful. but then I look at those sweet faces that someday won't need me and I know I'm right where I am supposed to be. The adjustment has not been easy for me. My social life has pretty much ceased. I used to enjoy lunches with girlfriends and free time to chat while I drove to my next appointment. I can hardly squeeze in a hair appointment these days. Managing a household is a full time job! Happy Summer to all you house managers! I salute you!