Projects on the cheap

I have been working on decorating on the cheap.  A challenge to myself to repurpose things and have fun doing it.  Pintrest usually becomes the first place I look for ideas.  As my dad would call it "Pins I stole."  I simply say "repined with a twist".  And, some of these projects I create on my own.  It does take practice!

This was a broken coat stand that was missing the coat stand pole.  I glued it back together and added some paint and ta-da! I have been looking for the perfect umbrella stand for awhile and now I have it!  Project cost $3

We have a huge basement full of white walls that I needed to temporarily give some life too.  Here I took scrapbooking paper and taped it up to make wall paper in the kids play area.  It really brightened the area.  Project cost $5

Here it is all completed!

This flower and paper plane mobile was a fun project.  

I just had to add this because her face is too cute.  She was pretty excited about all the organization happening in the play area.

This is the reading area.  I painted the shadows this past summer and I think they do a nice touch.

Introducing Cora

Meet Cora, the newest addition to our family.  She is a Terrior mix and about a year old.  We adopted her from the Huntsville Animal Services Shelter.  We have talked about getting a dog for the past couple of years but the recent interest that Noah has shown was part of the push.  With dave traveling to Afghanistan we thought that this would be a perfect time to give Noah a best friend to keep him occupied.  And she has done just that!  He loves walking her and shockingly enough, poop scooping.  She is amazing with our kids, house trained and off to a good start with obedience training.  She is a great addition to our family!

Never say never

Ever said never?  I did.  I will NEVER move to the south.  I will NEVER have my husband travel for work.  I will NEVER be able to be a single mom.  I will NEVER....well, I see a pattern, don't you?  I have learned in the past 10 years of my life to NEVER UNDERESTIMATE GOD.  He really does see the big picture.  Why, this tiny being that I am, do I feel the need to control everything and set such defined limitations to my life?  Guess that is being the sinful human that I am.  Well, newsflash for me.  God had a different plan.  He said, you WILL move to the south and I will enrich your life.  You WILL endure months (maybe years) with your husband traveling overseas for work and it will bless you.  And You WILL be able to be a single mom, because I will carry you through it.  Whew.
Okay, so, here we go again, trip number 3.  And guess what.  We are alive!  This doesn't take away the fact that the kids and I miss Dave terribly.  Heck, I can't even watch a sappy romance movie without crying for my husband.  The kids see me boot up the laptop and they both race to the screen anticipating dads handsome face to pop up and greet them.  And it is very hard for them to not have their dad here.  Just as it is hard for dad to not get to hold his babies.  But, the point is, Gods grace is getting us there.
It is tough to be apart for long periods of time.  I try not to worry about him over there and stay busy here.  Keeping the kids is a very fast pace and tiring lifestyle.  I am thankful for my friends and family who have pitched in to help along the way.  It is always nice to get a break, and even get to pick up groceries by myself!
Perhaps the hardest part of this trip so far was the fact that just after dave left all three of us caught Influenza.  I have never been so sick in my life, and I am sure the kids felt the same way.  I found myself in panic because my husband was not here to make everything okay.  I was on my own.  But, when I thought I couldn't do it anymore, God provided help.  Wonderful people from our church and friends around where here to help with the kids, meals, anything.  I am so grateful to each of them for their time and love.  (And hoping we didn't get everyone sick!)
Each time dave heads to Afghanistan I pray that we will grow stronger and deeper in love and that our situation will not work against us.  So far I have found that we all grow stronger in different ways.  I know for myself God is helping me to be a better mother and wife, through each trying moment.  (Even though I am sure he gets tired of hearing me grumble!)
We are almost one month down.  As we get ready to celebrate christmas in a couple of days.  I just want to tell those in my life that they are a blessing to me.  To my husband, I am proud of you.  And to my savior, thank you for never saying never.

Mom & dad get away

Grandma & grandpa were so sweet and they sent Dave and I off for a night away. It was wonderful! We enjoyed the ocean and a stormy night. Followed by, blue sky! We also enjoyed a walk up to the light house and it was so beautiful! What a relaxing time together. Thank you!!'

That's junk food!

Today marks day 8 of a surprisingly seamless journey our family has ventured to take.  No gluten, dairy, corn or corn produce, or food dyes.  Yikes, looking at that list it makes me wonder what we can possibly be eating! So how did we begin this journey you ask? Well, one day while driving around town with my ever so perfect side kicks I passed back some snacks to the back seat.  Within minutes, my ever so calm child was scaling the walls with a very wild look on his face.  It started to sink in that something I was giving him was not agreeing with his body thus driving him to be angry and hyperactive.  I started to do some research (and without going into too much detail) found that food allergies are a very common cause of these behaviors.  So much in fact that once you eliminate the culprit, your child's personality can dramatically change.  Determined to find the harmony in my child's world we have vowed to do the elimination diet for two months.
Sounds easy right?  Yes and no.  First of all, one slip up means starting from day one all over again.  Ouch.  This has lead me to some lengthy conversations with teachers and other caregivers.  And, well, finding foods to eat outside of fruits and veggies can be a bit challenging.  I had never been so aware of what was being dumped into our foods-when I thought I was eating healthy- until I found myself tossing every food item we owned.  The empowering side of this is that we are eating so much more of the stuff I always hoped we would be eating.  It is such a wonderful feeling to have my child tell me he is hungry and needs an apple than that he is craving a granola bar or some other processed food.
So how is it going so far you ask?  Well, by day three we have seen unbelievable changes in his personality the main one being that he is very calm and cooperative.  I cannot even imagine what I will be seeing in him in thirty days!
Finally, in making this lifestyle change we have started to educate our children on the difference in junk/processed foods verses healthy foods.  We have been encouraging him to think about the foods and how it makes his body feel.  Here is an example of his thought process-unprovoked:
While at Publix picking up a few items we passed a lady holding a large back of M&Ms.  Noah excitedly pointed is finger to the bag and said "MMM Mom, look M&Ms!" Shaking his head side to side he followed with "But, I don't eat them because they are junk food and when I eat them they make my tummy sick!" The lady holding the bag smiled.  I wonder if she put the bag down.
I am proud that he is starting to understand that food is a fuel and we need to eat the stuff that makes us feel the best inside.  And that is what this lifestyle change is all about.

Reflection one year later

It is amazing that one year to today I was 7 months pregnant sitting on my living room floor chatting with a good friend from Portland watching the wind bend the trees and shake my windows.  "We are suppose to have bad storms today...maybe some tornadoes..." I told her.  After a while the sky got darker and I knew we where in for it, but I didn't know bad it would be.  Sitting in the dark in my closet trying to distract my two year old with "closet camping" while rubbing my belly with a twisting fetus, I prayed hard for safety (and that I wouldn't go into labor!) Now, one year later, I sit in my home (which I am so lucky was not hit by the F5) with my big boy and beautiful little girl.  In reflection of this horrible event I am grateful to my God that he carried me through my fear that day and protected us and so many of my friends.  Though I would NEVER want to experience this kind of event again, followed by chaos and no power for a week, I am reminded today how loving and gracious our father is.  No matter what storm is in my life, I know that he will be by my side.

To My Vet

Dave said to me the other day that he doesn't make choices in life based off of "fears" or "what could happen" but rather on opportunity. Here is a big opportunity that I believe changed his life. I am proud of him for serving our country and for making the leap that I don't think I would be brave enough to do. I love you!

Super Mom...

Well, that is what I feel like these days. Kidding. For as long as I can remember I have struggled with the joy of cooking. I LOVE to bake everything and anything, but cooking has just not been my favorite thing to do. Then came Noah. It got not only tough to find things to cook for two picky eaters, but finding the time was hard. Now, with two kids I find time to be even more scarce. So, I have looked at all my options: Hire a personal chef, order in daily, freezer cook, or just stop eating. Hmmm...tough choice. I chose the personal chef, however my checkbook reminded me that I should probably choose again.
So, I began the journey of dabbling in crock pot cooking. The problem for me is that most of the recipes I found online were just not something my family would eat. In conversation with my dear friend Sandra, she handed me a book that changed my (and my family's) life. It is called "Fix it Fast, Cook it Slow" Apparently this author devoted herself to crock pot cooking for a whole year and started a blog to track it. Now it is the most visited site for crock pot users and her book is full of the best meals. All I can say is AMAZING! Each week I pick 7 recipes and we try them out. I have yet to find something that my family won't eat. We have done chicken pot pie, pulled pork sandwiches, spaghetti, cheeseburger soup, chicken tacos...and so on. I truly can say I have not turned on my oven in over three weeks. It feels so good to know that when dinner time comes around in our house I have something warm and yummy to offer, and a variety at that! I have found a new passion for cooking...well crock potting that is!

Garden Progress

My lettuce is getting big!

My garden is growing like crazy! I now have little tomatoes starting to sprout and so far about 7 cucumbers on the vine. Last night I got to eat some of my lettuce and radishes. Yum! It is so much fun to see my hard work pay off. Now I am just hoping that my carrots and cantaloupe give me a chance!

My first garden...progress

Lettuce...I have three heads even though they are not in season

Looks empty, but it won't be for long. This bed has lettuce, cantaloupe and squash

This bed has radish, carrots, tomatoes, beans, cilantro, basil, cucumber and peppers

Well, I don't have the best green thumb, but I have been dying to have a garden. Nothing is better than fresh veggies and fruit. So, my friend and I are trying the square foot garden method. This is where you section off the garden in one by one foot squares. Through this method you will be able to plant more variety all year long. It looks neat too. Though I am new to this, I have already found that I put way too many seeds in the ground so I just recently learned how to "thin" my garden! At 35 weeks pregnant and with some Alabama heat, it was quite the experience! My radishes are almost ready to eat and I have been loving the basil. I am looking forward to eating the rest!

Safe Room

Introducing our new Tornado Shelter! It was delivered and installed this morning. After the storm we were on a waiting list for over 3 weeks waiting for ours to be made. It is bolted through the foundation of our garage, and will not be going anywhere. (Unless we opt to move it someday!) This shelter will hold five people and is strong enough to withstand a F5 Tornado. I was told that you can stack 10 cars on top and it will still stand! I am so much more content to know that I have a place to take my family during the storms. And I have to admit, I never thought this would be something that I would own!

2011 Tornado Outbreak Cont

Well, after the storms were over we were not only left with a path of destruction in the community but with no power-in our case for about 6 days. We were very lucky that right after the storms Dave was able to locate and purchase a generator. One of the best investments we have ever made! It kept our fridge cold and our sanity intact. Short of not having hot water, we felt somewhat normal. We were also blessed with several days of beautiful weather so we were able to just relax outside in the yard. We used this downtime as "urban camping". So, we pulled out the fire pit and roasted over the fire and used candle light at night. The stars where so beautiful! The chaos was another story for the first few days though. The day after the storms hit we thought we would pack up and stay in Tennessee until we heard it was bumper to bumper for hours to get out of town. (This is when we got the generator) Then, we had to locate gas....with racing to the border with hundreds of others it was hours of waiting and disappointment as stations ran out. After a long afternoon we were able to fill our cans and return home to ride it out.
I want to say that although there was so much devastation and hundreds of people lost their lives, there was some good that came out of this. Good that I think only can come from bringing people together through a disaster and softening of so many hearts. Here is what I have seen out of it:
-Communities pulling together to get the work done
-Neighbors taking the time to greet and meet each other without the distractions of the world
-People ready to give you the shirt off their back
-Less tempers--more eye contact and understanding
-Prayer and thanksgiving
-A feeling of calm and peace...there was nothing to do but relax and help your neighbors. No Internet, phone, bills, work, shopping, soccer games....just peace and quiet
Finally, I just hope that as the power is starting to light our community again, it will not take these things away. I pray that we all remember these days and let the impact sink in moving forward. When the day to day to do lists start calling us, I hope that we are able to stop and take a breath and realize that each day is a blessing and there is much to enjoy about them. Our family has vowed to start a family tradition in honor of this storm outbreak. Every year on this date we will shut our breakers down and urban camp for the night to remind us of all that we have.
"Thank you Lord for protecting so many of us and letting us see the good through it all." Amen.

2011 Tornado Outbreak

This is what a F4 Tornado will do to your home

Big trees down everywhere

This field is full of debris from what use to be a near by neighborhood

This use to be a grocery store about a mile from our house

Our new fence was having a hard time standing

All the rain started to creep up to our house

On Wednesday, April 27, 2011 our lives were changed forever as a path of storms took its toll on our city and state. I have always had a fear of tornadoes, but we have been so lucky that we have not had too much trouble with them. In the past six years I have seen funnel clouds and heard reports of a few here and there, but nothing like this. I know like many we had become complacent and had not prepared as we should have for such a tragedy. That morning as the storms rolled in I began to feel a bit uneasy...especially as we lost power and I realized I didn't have a way of knowing what was going on. As the rain pounded the ground I would call dave at work to find out the status of the incoming storms. Dave came home early, around 3pm, and that is when we had a return of power for a short time. We cooked dinner, and while doing so, I looked out the window and the sky was green. Then, the hail started. (See picture above) At that point we convinced Noah that we were going to camp in the closet with our flashlights for a while. This is apparently when one of the F4 tornadoes hit about a mile from the house. Once the storm had passed we got word that three tornadoes had passed through the area. Once seeing the devastation left behind we realized how lucky we were. If those tornadoes had just went straight and not turned we would have been in their paths. Our home suffered no damage other than a close call to flooding and a leaning fence. So many people lost their homes and businesses from these storms. Our community, however, was lucky to have not lost too many lives, though other parts of our state where not that lucky. I have posted a few pictures of the devastation that we could catch near our home. Driving around in days after there is so much more. I pray that through this we will all take the weather more seriously in the future. There will be a long path to recovery for all of us in many ways. I know for my family, it has left a lasting impression.

Daddy's 34th Birthday

I think Dave had a fun filled birthday this year. He certainly had lots of love from both friends and family! Noah and I made him a special birthday cake, which Noah was convinced that it was for him. All day he sang "Happy Birthday to Me" and told me how he was going to blow out the candles. Finally by the time we took daddy out to dinner, Noah had decided that daddy could have his birthday and then he was able to sing "Happy Birthday to Daddy". He did insist on blowing the candles out though. We also had a special treat. Grandma & Grandpa Parker joined us via skype to enjoy some Cake and fellowship. We had such a great time seeing them and Noah enjoyed sharing his cake too!

The To-Do List

Decorations in Noah's playroom

The boys building

Mom sporting her awesome paint clothes (aka Dave's shorts)

Painting our Master Bath

Chris painting our Master Bath

Since my mom has been here for the past week she has been so wonderful in helping us accomplish our to do list before baby gets here. So, we have painted and redecorated our master bathroom, created and painted Noah's playroom and installed closet organizers in the playroom and the kid's room. Whew! I am so grateful for all of my family's help!!

Snow Storm #2

Noah giving daddy a push

Uncle Christian & Noah

Ducks vs Auburn snowmen

Plowing the driveway

The boys with their heavy snowball

We had lots more snow this round! This is the most snow I have seen in Alabama in the 5 years we have been here. I am so glad that Noah is old enough to enjoy it! Everyone had the day off from work due to the weather so we had some fun watching movies and playing in the snow.