My Children's Room

Will and Shelby have the best rooms in the house. They are certainly my favorite bedrooms. My sister painted the wall art and murals in their room. She always does a fabulous job!

Shelby's room was a big paint job for mommy! It had previously been W's until he turned three, then we moved him down the hall so it could later become Shelby's room. I had painted this large mural in the corner of the room for W. It of course had to removed so I sanded it down and repainted the walls green. I was a little sad about having to paint over the mural, but I quickly got over it. I'll have to admit there were a few tears shed.

Shelby's room is now painted green, just a shade lighter than our living room. It has light green polka dots painted at the top of the walls. It's not girly unless you have polka dots somewhere in the room!

This is where Shelby and I spent many late nights while everyone else in the house was asleep! It was always hard getting up in the middle of night for feedings, but thank goodness it was only for a short period of time. Shelby was a great baby. She and brother both started sleeping through the night at around 10 weeks of age. I was a very lucky momma!

These are 5x7 canvas boards, each hand-painted
by Shelby's aunt. They are individually hung with
pink satin polka dot ribbons.

The valence in Shelby's room is made from a sheet
of canvas. Another one of H's crafty ideas.

One of my favorite pieces in the room is this
area rug purchased from Pottery Barn. You
can never go wrong with Pottery Barn!




This is big brother's room. It's painted in a
light butter cream,and decorated in red, white, and blue.

Just before Shelby was born, brother got this big boy bed.
He was so proud! Mommy was a little sad though.
W was no longer her little baby anymore.

This is W's train table. He is a huge fan of Thomas.
He definitely has plenty of toys to keep him busy!

W enjoys playing in his room. He recently started
listening to music while he plays. He has always liked
music and is a huge fan of the Little Einsteins. He knows
more about music than I will ever know!

W Turns Four

W turned four this year and it was a week long birthday (lucky for him I guess)!! On the weekend prior to his birthday, we had a cookout at his Mimi's house where he celebrated with my side of the family. B and I planned a grill out. It was a beautiful, warm and sunny day. Definitely perfect weather for a cookout! We grilled burgers and hot dogs, and had a Curious George cake, which was all very delicious! He had aunts, uncles, cousins, and Mimi celebrating with him. He was very thankful for all who could be there. He got lots of nice gifts. He especially enjoyed playing outdoors with his cousins!

Make a wish!

A big cheese from the birthday boy!

His actual birthday was on a preschool day so he got to celebrate it with his teachers and friends. After school we headed to the park for a picnic and some playtime with his cousins C and K.

Birthday celebration at preschool

Getting his birthday crown from his teacher.

W decorating his cake with candles.

Picking out a toy from the birthday basket.

Picnic at the park

Yesterday we had a swimming party with W's Nana, Papa, and friends. We celebrated with pizza and cupcakes. W had a great time swimming with his friends too. He received some more really great toys!

Birthday cake made up of cupcakes

Blowing out the candle

Opening his presents!

A view of the pool

Little sis' gets to swim too!


What a great week it was for W. It was definitely a week to remember. He is thankful for all the gifts and best wishes received from all of his friends and family.

Happy 4th W!

Four Years Ago

Four years ago marked a very sad and happy time for both me and my family. I remember just like it was yesterday. My father passed away. I was 9 months pregnant at the time. My husband and I were expecting our first child. I never imagined I would lose my father at such a young age. I never thought I would experience both life and death at the same time. It really hit close to home.

Three years prior to my fathers death, doctors diagnosed him as having both bladder and prostrate cancer. During that time, he spent days at a time both in and out of the hospital. Doctors were confident they caught the cancer in time and would be able to control it. After being in and out of the hospital, and running extensive tests, they found his bladder to be worse than they originally thought. His bladder needed to be removed. They thought he would be a good candidate to receive a reconstructed bladder. So they removed a portion of his lower intestines and with it reconstructed him a bladder. At that time, they also removed his prostrate. They felt the cancer had been removed.

Following my father's surgery, it seemed as though his overall health had declined, and this time at a much faster rate. His bladder was not functioning properly. He was in and out of the hospital a lot. He spent much of his time lying in bed. The cancer was spreading to other areas of his body. The doctor ordered both chemo and radiation treatments. Neither were successful as his body did not respond to the treatments.

On May 4th, 2005, doctors delivered some very devastating news. My father had taken a turn for the worst and his health was declining rapidly. The cancer had taken over his body. He was told he had a matter of weeks to live. We (my mom, dad, and three sisters) were all with him when they gave him the news. We were completely numb. I remember looking into my father's eyes that day. I can see him now. He was very pale and slightly jaundice. I even remember exactly what he wore that day. I was crying and totally besides myself. I was at a loss for words. It felt like my heart had sunk into the pit of my stomach. I was completely heartbroken. All I could think about was what might be going through his mind. What are someone's first thoughts when you're told you're going to die?? It was too much for me to absorb. I know my father was scared and angry. He looked at us in shock and disbelief. All he could say was, "I'm sorry". It broke my heart to hear him say those words. They will remain with me for the rest of my life. He was not supposed to be the one saying sorry. I can only believe he said it because H and I were both pregnant at the time. She was carrying twin boys and I was carrying W. I know he was proud to be getting three more grandsons. That afternoon, went to my parents house. I could not tell you what happened or what was said from the time we left the doctors office until the sun went down that evening. It was and still is such a blur. I was completely numb. Thankfully we were able to spend the next several days together as a family.

There were nights I went back to our house and had a really hard time sleeping. I was afraid my phone would ring any minute. I just could not bare the thought of being away from my father. We traveled back and forth for many nights. B and I lived and worked about 45 minutes away from my parents home. So I stayed at my parents house for a few of those nights. I remember lying there awake in bed at night. I was afraid to fall asleep. I was afraid of what was going to happen. His breathing patterns were inconsistent. Every breath sounded like someone snoring. There were times when he even stopped breathing. We knew it was just a matter of time.

Before my father was told cancer would eventually take his life, I had been showing signs of pre-eclampsia at 32 weeks into my pregnancy. My OB ordered me off work and on best rest. My blood pressure was slowly on the rise and bed rest did not help. I only continued to get worse. Just about the time dad was moving into his very last days of life, my OB decided she would induce labor. I was completely torn about what to do. I knew I could not miss my father's funeral. My doctor and I talked it over. She was aware of what was going on at home and felt it would be okay to wait it out a few more days.

On May 15th, my father died at the age of 62. I never thought I would lose someone so close. I was devastated. All I could think about was how cancer robbed him of his life, and he would never have the chance to hold my son. I would never again have the chance to hear him laugh , see him act his goofy self, or even spend father/daughter time with him. It was a very sad time for me and my family.

On May 18th, my father was laid to rest. We said our final goodbyes. It was difficult. It was especially hard for me, because I knew I would soon be bringing a child into this world without him ever knowing my father. Bringing a son into the world was supposed to be the happiest time of my life. I needed to mourn my father, but I also needed to be there for my newborn baby. I was experiencing both sad and happy times. I sometimes wonder how I got through it, and then I remind myself it was by God's grace. It was He who helped me get through it all.

His memory booklet reads. . . .

God Saw You
God saw you were getting tired
And a cure was not to be,
So he put his arm around you
And whispered. "Come to me."
With tearful eyes we watched you
And saw you pass away,
And though we loved you dearly,
We could not make you stay.
A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard working hands to rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best.

On May 19th, we brought our son, William, into the world. The delivery went well. B and I were first time parents! It was some of the most beautiful moments ever. He was beautiful. He was all I could have ever wanted in a child. I knew the moment I laid eyes on him and held him in my arms, I could feel God's blessing upon us. I truly believe God had a place in what happened that day. Had it not been for Will, I would have not gotten through those very difficult days that followed my father's death. God knew my father, too, would be so proud.

Picture of the new floral arrangement made for my father's
grave. Mom got the flowers herself and I put it together. She
certainly takes care of him and wants him to have the very best.
Dad always liked flowers. He enjoyed photographing them too.
This one's for you Dad!

I miss and love you Dad! I'm still you're "little baby",
just as you and Mom have always said. I am still
sad you are not physically here with us today, but I do know
you live within our hearts. I cannot wait until we meet again.

Guest Room

Welcome to our guest room/computer room. This room is located in the upstairs, just above our garage. It's where our guests have the priviledge of sleeping. I call it my plain and simple room. As you can see, there is not a lot in this room to talk about.

I chose to decorate the room in a few different colors; including red, green, and black. It all started with a fabric used to sew window treatments and an accent pillow.

This is where our computer has been setup. It's a place where I spend a lot of time re-formatting embroidery files, making hair bows, and surfing on the internet.

One of my sisters is a scrapbooking queen! She is excellent at both scrapbooking and interior decorating. I commissioned her to make these prints, both of which were made of scrapbook paper. This is another great and inexpensive way to create wall art for your home. Don't get me wrong, scrapbooking can get expensive. So be sure and watch out for yourselves!! If you hit the clearance sales at Michaels or Hobby Lobby at just the right time, you'll find some really great deals on paper. I believe I purchased these frames at Big Lots for around $15 dollars each.


I hope you enjoyed taking a peek at our guest/computer room. Come back again next Friday for another room tour.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was such a wonderful day. God has blessed me with much more than I deserve. I have a wonderful husband and two healthy children whom I love dearly. I have so much to be thankful. Life without them would not be the same.

On Mother's Day I woke up to a beautiful bouquet of flowers, cards, and a gift card to Macy's! My son, Will, also made me a few things this week.

What a blessing it is to have these three very special people in my life!! They have showered me with so much love.

Mother's Day Card from Will

(front)

(inside)

My Mother
My mother is 2 years old. She has brown hair.
She is prettiest when she wears a pretty dress. The best thing
my mother cooks is pancakes. I know my mother loves me
because she hugs + kisses me. And, .... I love her, too!!
Love, Will

Decorative finger print tile


Will made this in his Sunday School class on Mother's Day

Flowers from my husband

My Living Rooms

My formal living room is one of my favorite rooms in the house! Although we spend the least amount of time in this room, it is still my favorite.

I was a little nervous about painting it green (Grasscloth Green from Home Depot to be exact). When I brought it home, my husband said, "That's going in our living room??" Red is my favorite color when it comes to decorating a home. Green and red are complimentary colors. So green sounded perfect to me!! Plus, I am one to try just about anything, and wall paint is the least expensive way to dress up a room. When I am ready to paint a room, I remind myself it can always be changed if I wind up not liking it. Most of my house painting occurs in the middle of the night or when my husband takes a trip across the world. He has not had to travel in a long time (thank goodness for that), but when he does, he says, "Which room are you going to paint while I'm gone?" HAHA!!

A view from the foyer

A view from our dining room


Another view from our dining room


Looking towards the foyer

Another view towards the foyer

This is one of my favorite pieces of work. I used to have family photos displayed in these frames before our house went up on the market. Since our house is up for sale, we had to depersonalize the entire house (oh the fun of trying to sell a home!). So I made a trip to a local bookstore (Half Priced Books) and purchased a fairly inexpensive book of beautifully photographed orchids. If you like this type of arrangement and you do not have a good amount of family photographs, I would suggest buying a book of nice flowers, particularly closeup shots. I love my orchids, but I still miss my family pictures.

I purchased this piece of artwork from Kirkland's when Will was just two weeks shy of turning one and it was my first Mother's Day! My husband gave me $$ for Mother's Day that year. So this is what I bought. I love large colorful pieces of artwork and Kirland's is the place for great buys!

Our Family Room

A view from the kitchen/breakfast room

Welcome to our family room. We probably spend most of our time here. Unfortunately, we do not have a playroom in the house. So this is where our children like to play. It was the first room painted in the house. When I think back, I realize how crazy I was to have painted this room myself. My husband was on a week long business trip to Asia and I was 6 months pregnant with Will. My doctor approved my painting the house as long as I used latex paint!

Views from the back of the house

A view towards the back of the house

Just outside the french doors is our kitchen/breakfast room

One of my favorite pieces of furniture. Great for hiding for the television!

This cubicle is where we store our children's toy. They each have one in their bedroom closest. It is a great way to keep toys organized and a room messy free! These are a must when you are trying to sell your home!

I hope you enjoyed peeking into my living rooms! Come back next Friday to view another room of our home.