The People that you Meet When you are Walking Down the Street

The people that you meet when you are walking down the street.. OR in a grocery store...

I met two very "interesting" people today in the grocery store.. both older gentlemen.. somewhere around their 50's... My boys were taking up the entire isle at the store so I asked them to "come touch my cart" to get them close and not out in the middle..then explained to them that they needed to stay close and not take up the entire isle because other people wanted to get through... another guy in the isle said "ahhh a good parent!" then turned to me said "I am so glad to see that there are good parents out there.. take what I am saying as a complement I was an elementary school teacher for 35 years and you are wonderful" I said "thank you very much" and we all continued on our way.. I was feeling quite good about myself and my parenting at this point.. I chose to continue shopping... not that I needed anything else but we were trying out a new discount grocery store and I just wanted to look around...

The boys and I headed down another isle and they squeezed through a shopper and a worker and I said "Connor, Riley you need to stop Momma can't fit through there" I was about to call them back when the customer moved so I could get through, as I passed I said "thank you" My boys and I were headed to another section and the gentleman we just passed poked his head around the isle and said " you could have just asked me to move.. that was not a suggestion!" I was stunned!? ... I checked the faces of my boys they did not even notice him and were excited to try out the freezer section... So of course we did... Should I have said sorry? should I have said excuse me?... I just don't even really know... I don't know what to do or say in situations like that... why do people feel the need to be mean to others? everything nice the first gentleman said I feel like went right out the window and I was the rudest person in the store...

First Snow of the Year

First snow of the year (2012) and the Boys were LOVING it!.. I was woken up to Connor informing Riley that it snowed last night... "look outside Riley... here I'll help you up"... (Riley is a little too short to see out the window in the upstairs hall.. but if he stands on the radiator he can see just fine)

This picture is from the living room I didn't have my camera in bed to capture the boys on the radiator

all Connor could talk about was getting his 4 wheeler out and driving it around in the snow...

I made some breakfast (these boys have really been eating a lot recently... half a dozen eggs today *well that was including Steve and I...  BUT... 2 bowls of oatmeal yesterday plus toast all for Connor...more on that later)... and we all bundled up....

 Riley enjoyed every bit of the snow.. even eating it...

Yum..?

Daddy worked on our sidewalk.. and a few of our neighbors sidewalks as well... WITH the help of our next door neighbors snow blower that she kindly bough "for us"... WELL not actually for us..  She purchased one for herself and since she does not have a garage so she asked if she could keep it in ours... and we would be welcome to use it whenever we wanted... Well sure we said... and so now "we" have a snow blower!..

The boys and I went exploring..took a sled ride out to the "cabin" checked on the mingo's living out there...

We built a fort and had a snow ball fight..

 

the 4 wheeler in the snow didn't work quite as well as Connor had pictured... he got stuck almost immediately...

 Poor Riley his wouldn't go at all....

 

 And of course we had to have some hot chocolate once we were inside...

 I enjoy playing in the snow with the boys.. especially on a Saturday when I have nowhere to go and nothing to do... Its a gift from God, like a now toy to play with, I am once again filled with thanksgiving for all these moments I am able to spend with the boys... making memories...

This picture is not blurred due to any editing... It is just the old glass in my window that made the effect...
~ Momma

Shoes

Today I walked into our kitchen and I saw Myfamily in shoes...

I saw Connor and his new "skate boarding" shoes which somehow give him the ability to jump and spin all over the place.. Look how BIG they are!

Riley's church shoes that are loafers that he prefers to wear without socks... sooo MY child...

Daddy's large sneakers which look super-sized next to Riley's tiny shoes

Momma's flats... never really been the heal type of girl... I have always felt "too tall" I am really enjoying these ballet flats that are currently "in style" ( I am not really sure if they are in style or not BUT I enjoy wearing them)

I love our little family... I love how each of us as our own style... Different enough from one another that I can see each person's personality... but similar enough that I know we are belong together.

I Want to Build Something

.. I am itching for a new project...
I have a million and one Idea's but I don't see to have the supplies or the "know how" to complete the projects...


is so full of good idea's I want to do them all... here is my current list:

For the play room I would really like to add "wainscoting" like this person...

Source: granvillehouse.blogspot.com via Kiersten on Pinterest

I love the last two colors in this picture for the room... somehow.... I kinda picture the walls the pool color and the bottom the white wainscoting... and somehow the ash ... maybe the furniture?.... or maybe the top of the walls Ash and all the accents the pool color... I don't know... But i don't have to know I am still in the dreaming stages...

Source: jessicatierney.com via Kiersten on Pinterest

I would LOVE to turn my attention and "skills" to our sun room

Oh my "sun room"
how I sooooo desire to make it a welcoming space... The indoor outdoor green carpet just isn't cutting it if you ask me...

Source: houzz.com via Kiersten on Pinterest

wouldn't you just love to walk into a place like that!

with floors like this?

Source: designsponge.com via Kiersten on Pinterest

or this?

Source: designsponge.com via Kiersten on Pinterest

or this?

Source: aimee-weaver.blogspot.com via Kiersten on Pinterest

But back to the "sun-room" itself with a leaky roof and old louvered windows...
I kinda think it would look better as a screened in porch...

Source: envisionbuilt.com via Kiersten on Pinterest

Attached to the new "sun-porch" I picture a pergola or some kind... maybe a small one like this...

Source: blueroofcabin.blogspot.com via Kiersten on Pinterest

Or something larger like this....

Source: houzz.com via Kiersten on Pinterest

Kitchen kitchen my super small kitchen... I would also love to re-do you....
Turn you into the LARGE county kitchen of my dreams... That will never happen.. BUT I would like to make some simple color changes that I think would really brighten up the space, because as it is right now it is very very DARK....

Source: houzz.com via Kiersten on Pinterest

Source: houseandhome.com via Kiersten on Pinterest

Source: theoldpaintedcottage.com via Kiersten on Pinterest

... so many dreams... But I love to dream! .. I think a part of me forgets  it is winter out there... I went out to the garage today to get some wood to start a sign... or the floor in "sun- room".. But quickly returned to the house because it was really stinking COLD! burrr! I think I will be content to be INSIDE.. and dream about spring...

Thoughts from a Mother's Heart: What Makes my Heart Happy

Yesterday we were creating houses for out "pet's" out of left over boxes from Christmas and we made "chimney's" out of Leggo's.... which helped me to remember Marry Poppins and the chim- chim- cheree song.. and the step in time... I looked the songs up on you- tube and Connor LOVED IT!... we watched it a few times, It was really neat for me to be able to show him something I loved as a child and have him watch it himself and love it as a child. It is such an amazing feeling to have your child enjoy the same kinds of things you enjoyed as a child.

Sitting there with my boys on my lap I just thanked God over and over again, I thanked him for giving me the time to spend with them.

Sometimes I fear I take all the small things we do together for granted, I want to make every moment with them a memory.

~Momma

Farm Show 2012

The title says it all... We went to the Pennsylvania Farm Show today... WE had a good time.. parking was CRAZY! we actually had to park in the HACC lot and use a shuttle to get to the complex.. Booo... BUT this was actually the first time the boys were able to ride on a school bus... It was actually not to bad!

we walked intot the tractor section and just stopped... the boys drug us from tractor to tractor to tractor...

we had to try a bunch of them out too...

We left the tractors and grabbed some lunch.. YUM!! (kinda the reason we go) We had pulled pork sandwiches, Strawberry smoothies, chocolate milk shakes and of course french fries...

 the boys enjoyed watching the steer judging from the top of the small arena...

They were each given maps of the farm show and were felt very important to "know" where everything was 

Riley Reading us his map...

we got to look at Lots and LOTS of animals.... I could totally take this fuzzy guy home with me he was awesome!

 We circled around the free sample section and the boys found some train conductor hats, we had to take a second to take a picture of them looking "silly"

WE had a great time! a LOOOOOONG day... Boys didn't sleep time the way home! looks like an early bed time for my little men...

Good day thank you Lord for giving us this day where we were all together. What a wonderful gift, once again thank you.

~ Momma

Ramblings from a mother heart: my they are getting big

Sitting here listening to my heat run in the basement... 

...Thinking about summer...

So I started looking back over my summer pictures... and I was struck by these pictures... and How MUCH they have grown!!

Connor 3 years old,  Riley 1 year

Connor 4 years old, Riley 2 years old

 I bet they will be even bigger this year!... I can hardly wait for summer so we can take spontaneous beach trips!

Dining Room Table re-do *updated*

I have been talking about wanting a new table since.. well since we moved into a house with it's own dining room! 

Because I was having Christmas at our house this year I felt an urgency to get a new table... and I wanted to buy a new table till I found out what I wanted was about $900.00.... so I thought I would make one out of wood... BUT I really wanted one that would be adjustable.... I didn't always want it to be LARGE... and my father the woodworker cautioned me against using wood that wasn't "furniture grade" because it would expand and it may crack... SOOO I thought about having someone make me a table, BUT in the end I needed wanted it before Christmas so I didn't have time for someone to make it, paint it or stain it for me. I got a tip from my Mother that there was a sturdy table at a local re-use- it shop and I should get it... so I did the finish was old and yellowish... yuck ... there was some ugly trim along the sides... and some odd pattern with the wood grain on top... but I liked the "chunky"legs and I had an idea in my head that this could work for me...

 I took it home and used it for Christmas "as is" and I couldn't wait to tear it apart and get to work on it... SOOO as soon as Christmas was over I started taking off the trim... It was not pretty...

I did some of the work inside where it was warm.... and some outside in the cold, cold garage...

I made a dusty, dusty, MESS!! but once I started taking off the trim I could not stop....

We removed the Legs one of the first things... and we spray painted them black... Husband built a rig to hold the legs so we could spray all sides of them... I used Rustoleum black in a satin finish

This is a picture from my cold, cold garage workshop... I had just put wood conditioner on the table top

 

I actually did two coats of stain I got a little excited in the beginning and I think I wiped it off too soon... I am always rushing projects along...

Here is a good look at the table from the side ....

Well that's it for now.. I am waiting 24 hours for my final coat of polyurethane to dry, then I am going to remove all the tape and attach my legs and use my "New" dining room table!... More pictures to come WHEN I finish... BUT I know some people have been wanting pictures of my progress so here they are....

Here is a picture of my finished table (small: I don't have the leaf in yet)  and of course I am thinking about new projects...the China hutch... that would look better black right? I may even stain it to match the table... OR maybe the floor... How I would LOVE to sand/ strip, fix, and stain the floor... Messy, Messy, Messy...

Happy New Years Eve: and One Complete Year of Blogging * edit*

This year's new years eve celebration was similar to last.... We stayed home with the kiddo's and had a celebration with them... the count downs was 8:30 this year :) we had the usual festivities: dance party containing fun oldies: We used you tube videos as our D.J 

which of course Connor asked if we could replay the song... and I had to smile when we saw this option on youtube 

My Husband had a request for this GREAT song: 

We ended the evening with a bunch of Beach Boys songs:

Riley was very interested in watching all the old video's... and Connor Jumped and danced all around

we had glow sticks, poppers and "fire rings".

Our special snack this year was fresh pineapple and grapes.. YUM

I think the boys had a blast and I know I enjoyed the dance party and just hanging out as a family. Happy new year to everyone I hope you all stay safe and enjoy!

*Changes my post due to the new  PIPA & SOPA that our government is trying to pass...*