It's a.......(our big announcement)

It's a...........


Well, we don't actually know yet. And it isn't a baby, either. 

But it is another child. Our home is officially "open" to adopt from the state. Which means we will be adopting a child who was formally in foster care.  We are really excited about this, and really eager to meet him or her!

We don't know how long it will be to matched up with a child, it could be days or it could be months. But we appreciate any and all prayers for our family, and more specifically for the child that our Heavenly Father is going to send us, that wherever he or she is, she is being loved and taken care of.

Thanks for all your support!

Dana and the family

...In a Rut

I have stunk at blogging lately. But in my defense, this tiny demon is a full time job.

 

 

 

So a lot has happened, that I'll need to catch up on. We've had two birthday parties, Ethan was baptized, Clayton threw me a sweet surprise party for my 30th (eek!) birthday, we even adopted a dog. But here lately....

 

 

I've been in a rut.

 

 

I have no idea why or how I even realized. But I suddenly have a yearning for change, for some more color in my life. I've decided to work on my house some more.  I still love the black and brown, but I need some color.

 

So I've been working on it a little bit at a time.  It's slow going, but I'm getting it.

 

 

 

 

 The lamp is my first addition. Of course what I was drawn to was black and brown. So I added the rosettes. I like it a lot.

 

So this is no color whatsoever. But I'm proud of it. I stained it and added wheels to use as a toy box in the living room.

 

 

 

 

 So just little touches here and there so far. It was Jacque's idea to change out the B on my wreath. Thanks, Jacque! I found this sign that I LOVE. Of course it's *ahem* black and white. 

 But this is my major problem area. It's just so PLAIN. I've been thinking and pinterest-ing a lot, and I'm thinking a photo ledge with my temple picture, the happily ever after sign and some new family phtotos. I'm mulling over either spray painting some frames blue, or using a blue or turquoise background in our photos with black frames.

 

I JUST DON'T KNOW! I'd love to hear your comments and ideas. I'm working my way out of this rut, a little at a time :)



House Tour- Jordy's *NEW* Room

I'm not really sure if I consider it done or not, because there's one huge blank wall that's bothering me. But here's what I've got until inspiration strikes...


The big girl bed is both depressing AND ineffective

 

no idea what do to on this wall! (ideas are welcome!)

 

 

I do love the colors, though!

 

 

I'm no crazy about these, either. I needed something up high, but I'm not in love with them.

Jordy goes through phases of what is her favorite baby to sleep with. It was Minnie Mouse for a long time, then Dora, then a baby doll and princess. Now it's a giant turtle....

garage sale find!

perfect way to describe my mean baby

little mama

Let me know if you have any ideas!

 -Dana

A Letter To 16 Year Old Me

I recently saw a blog post on pinterest (that I won't link up to, because I didn't like the message of the blog) but it mentioned a trend of writing a letter to your sixteen year old self.  As I thought over what I would say if I were to write one, I was struck by how great my life had turned out and all that I have to be thankful for.  That made me want to share it. So, here's my letter.



how I was hoping my life would turn out

Dear Dana,

    First of all, STOP THINKING ABOUT BOYS SO MUCH.  You will meet one, he will be wonderful.  He will not come from your hometown. You will be grateful for this. Just relax and enjoy your life.  This is right around the time that we really found our true friends, the ones we stick with.  Have fun with them, don't argue about guys or clothes or anything like that.  Just be grateful that we found the ones that will always have our backs, and keep making a lot of memories.  And when you get to college, pay attention. Take it seriously. Please.

enjoy this

   Growing up is hard sometimes, and all those insecurities that we obsess over haven't gone away.   Sometimes I still feel like an invisible girl to 95% of the population. I still worry that I'm not very pretty and that I'm not very important to the people that are important to me.  Thirteen years later, and a lot of the time I feel very much the same as I did then. The good news is that I've learned to see it with perspective and to understand that sometimes, I'm just wrong.  Maybe in another thirteen years we'll have mastered that.  Maybe it will be something that we always struggle with.  But I can understand now that everyone has their issues they struggle with, even if we don't see them.  And the
people who are most important to us, really do love us. Through and through.

   The best part is that there are four
people that our whole world will revolve around, and you haven't even dreamt of their existence yet!  In all our teen-idol worshipping and ex-boyfriend obsessing, we never dreamt up someone who would be as perfect for us as Clayton is.  He is laid-back and easy-going, totally devoted to our family, and (one of the most important things) he makes us laugh. A lot. Staying up late talking and laughing with him is better than you could ever imagine love being.  Just be patient, and go to college. He'll be there pretty quickly after that.  And the other three people? Well, I know that you love kids in the abstract form, but it hasn't prepared you for the love that you'll feel for the three little ones that are currently snuggled into their beds. They are the greatest things we've ever done, and we spend our days trying to be a good mom and our nights worried that we're not one.  But they are fantastic kids and we are so lucky to have the opportunity to raise them.



more of this, please.

  On that note, go hug your mom and dad.  Seriously.  I know you're all angst-y right now, but you don't begin to understand how much they love you.  And how much you love them.  I've seen a lot of parents over the years that have made me realize how much of a brat I am, and how fabulous they are.  Stop making their lives difficult!  Take notes, because this parenting thing is hard, and they nailed it.  And as for our siblings, hug them, too.  I know things are fine with them most of the time, but make it better than fine.  Make their childhood special.  They are our best friends now, and we won't have as much time with one of them as we assumed we would.  Go and hug her and kiss her and tell her how great she is and how we'll always love her.  Then do it again. Do it everyday you can. It's the only thing I'd really change if I could.
. 
-Dana   


how it actually turned out (I'm resigned to that fact...)

P.S. Give up the Lance thing. Trust me on this.  

Because being a parent is hard enough

I've been noticing a trend lately. Maybe it's not a new trend, I've just really noticed lately.  I feel like there's a whole lot of judgment on everything a parent does or everyway a child acts. Everyone has an opinion for how much tv a child should be allowed to watch and what they should eat and everything else that moms have to contend with everyday. 

We have a lot to deal with when we run a home.  Between work, studying for spelling tests, making dinner, cleaning the house, doing laundry, and everything else it takes to just make it through one day, our lives are hard enough.  And we need all the support we can get.  That support should come from each other. 

Want to know the truth? Sometimes my kids watch tv. For hours maybe.  Sometimes it's an few animal shows we watch as a family, sometimes it's cartoons when they wake up at the crack of dawn on Saturday mornings. I think that's ok.  If you don't, then by all means, have different rules in your family. We need to let go of the idea that doing things differently equals thinking everyone else does it wrong. We think the way we do it is best, (which makes sense, that's why we do it that way) and assume anyone who doesn't is judging our parenting skills. So sometimes we lash out. 

I think we need to reverse this! Let's turn it around!! Other moms should be our first defenders, not our first critics.  Let's give each other the benefit of the doubt.  No one knows what it's like in anyone else's home.  That kid that you think shouldn't have a pacifier at her age? You have no idea if the last six months of her life have been unsettled and difficult.  The one who throws himself in the floor of the grocery store may be autistic and having trouble dealing with all the stimuli around him.  The mom sitting on the park bench playing on her phone while her kids run just may be doing it all alone and need a few minutes break to keep her sanity.  We don't know. What we do know is how hard it is.  We all know the feeling of having no idea how to handle a situation.  We know how it feels to yell and then feel awful. We know how it feels to be overwhelmed by something that seems like no big deal to other people.  We know how tired we are at the end of some nights, when we are still folding laundry and checking homework with dishes in the sink long after everyone else is in bed.  We also know what it feels like to love these little humans with our whole heart, and to worry that the world is not being fair or kind to them.

So here's my new motto: I have your back.  All of you.  You won't see any judgmental posts on facebook from me. I will not roll my eyes when I see a child having a meltdown in a restaurant.  I will always assume that other moms are doing their best, just like I want everyone to think about me.  We all make mistakes, including our kids.   Enough of the sweeping judgments about "kids today".  People have been fussing about how "kids today" will function as adults since our grandparents were kids.  They handled it fine.  We are handling it fine (really, I promise!). Our kids will handle it fine.  Let's just do our best and assume that other parents are, too.  That's my new plan.  What do you guys think?

-Dana

House Tour- living room/kitchen

I've been lazy, I know!  I threw myself into Jordy's new room and forgot everything else.  But anyway!

The living room and kitchen are very open, so I included it all together.  And then I threw in the hall since there's not much of it.

 

I'm not sure if I like this chair here. But for future reference, if you ever spray paint a chair, maybe wait and make sure that the paint will not rub off before you put it in the house.  Because if it rubs off on the wall, your husband will glare at you every time he walks by.

 

 

 My Mom helped me make the blue pillows, and I made the roman shades out of burlap. 

 

 

  I also made the silhouettes over the piano and the wreath over the tv.

this is made from the book pride and prejudice, my favorite book

frames, scrapbook paper, and time was all this took.  I took a picture of the kids and traced that,
no time consuming shadow tracing here!

 

it just occurred to me I'm doing half my house in one post, after doing
the small entryway in a post all it's own

 

I love this picture of my family
 

Now the transition to the "dining room"



I finally did the burlap shade for this window, and I think I might hate them.

here's another pinterest project

 

a more self-respecting blogger might have actually put the dishes
away before taking a picture
 

 

it speaks the truth

life-planning area

 

 



 

So until I get around to finishing my projects (or finding more on pinterest), I'm declaring it finished!

 



 

-Dana 

Jordy's Room

 

 

 This is my little princess.  When I planned her room, I wanted it to be a girly as possible.  We've been there, done that with the boy stuff.

The sign above her bed was painted by my awesome sister-in-law, Brenda. 

So all her stuff is very princess-y.  See her glass slipper, magic mirror, and picture of her future castle? (if this is not your castle, you are not her prince.) 

 

 

I made this mobile out of her diaper stacker, because come on. Who really uses those? Seriously, completely useless. Even if you fill them up at first, by the time your baby is two months you've stopped. I cut out the flowers that match the bedding, and used buttons, ribbons and embroidery hoops to do the rest.

 

 

I bought this at duck, duck, goose before I even knew I was having a girl.  It was purely wishful thinking.

 

 

My cousins gave me this shadow box at my shower. Isn't she cute in her crown?

 

 

My mom found this baby bed and we painted it to match her room. I absolutely love the girly stuff.

 

 This is another painting my sister-in-law did for us. Isn't she talented?

 

 

Here's the whole room together.  I tried really hard to take pictures that excluded the large green dinosaur that doesn't match anything else whatsoever.  It was in the boys room, and when I redid it in a superhero theme, I tried to get rid of it (sorry mom).  Unfortunately for me, her royal highness claimed it as hers before it made it past the living room.

                                                           

pay no attention to the dinosaur in the corner

 

Now for the depressing part.  I decided awhile ago that when I moved her out of the crib, I'd redo her room.  After I finished taking pictures of her room today, I laid her down for a nap and she climbed out of her bed.  Which means, I guess, it's time to move to a bigger bed.  Super depressing.  But the good news is that I have a beautiful quilt that I'm planning on using to inspire the rest of her room.  I got it at my shower from a sister at our church who is spectacular at quilting.  I also have a dresser that was an awesome yard-sale find.  So I am excited. Mostly sad, though.  I'll be sure to do another post when I finish her new room.

 

isn't is gorgeous?

-Dana