Monday, March 30, 2009

Almost ready

Not too much to report this week... we've worked hard, we've played hard; all in all it's been great!


Most of the week has been spent working on the house, so that it will be ready to list at the end of this week. The bathroom has been torn apart and put back together again. We had to fix a patch job done by the previous owner on the ceiling that was done badly... And ended up replacing a large section of dry wall on the wall, because it was put in horribly and was cracking and peeling. The tub has been re caulked (and I am still trying to find something that will clean it enough that it doesn't look like a 50 year old tub), and fresh paint has been added to the door and trim. I am just waiting for Hubby to add texture to the dry wall for me to repaint the room.


The part of the ceiling where the Spackle and texture were coming off in the entry way is all fixed. When the house was first build it had this strange ( and nasty) sliding divider there that was an attempt at creating an entry way... hard to explain except that it was nasty. Some previous owner took it down and 'patched' the ceiling where it was affixed. They did a really bad job and shortly after we moved in, the patching started to crumble off... We've lived with it, but needless to say we fixed it! The best part was having my front entryway/living room tarped off all week while they sanded and Spackle and all the other stuff that was involved.


We also have a lovely new back door. I replaced the front door with my father in law, shortly after we moved in, but have waited hopefully and patiently for three years to get a non ghetto back door. Well, I finally got one-- just in time to move! It is lovely though and being white makes the room seem much more open now!


The back yard has also been completely ripped up and will hopefully be reseeded today. The dogs trashed the backyard this winter, and managed to ruin most of the grass. So now that that doggies have gone to live at new homes (since we will be living in an apartment while we build) we are reseeding the back yard.


So all we have left now, is installing the tile around our fire place, finishing some painting and planting some flowers in the front to give the yard some more colour (all my plants are late spring/summer bulbs). And cleaning!!!! The house is so dirty and neglected from doing the projects it needs a good deep cleaning. Wish me luck!!!


We did take Saturday off though, and went to the Gilbert House to play. My mom had never been there so we invited her to come with us. When I don't have Boy trying to eat my laptop, I will post pictures. For now, here are some cute older pictures that I just want to share, because I love them!






Wednesday, March 25, 2009

One year of Boy- 100th Post

I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate my 100th post than to put up pictures of Boy over the last year. He certainly has gotten big and beautiful!

(and it only took me all day to get them up too!)



Birth!
One Month

Two Months

Three Months

Four Months

Five Months

Six Months

Seven Months

Eight Months

Nine Months
Ten Months

Eleven Months

One Year Old!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Hubby and Boy's birthday party.

Had family over for supper on Sunday night to celebrate Boy and Hubby's Birthday. It was a nice gathering with some interesting adventures (like a clogged sink and a forgotten roast!) All and all I think it went well, and I certainly enjoyed watching Boy eat his birthday cake. He is the first of my children to REALLY get into smashing and gobbling the whole thing up.

Opening his present from Hubby and me: An pull along Peter Rabbit

Before the birthday cake


Just starting off (it was the Cat's hat from Cat in the Hat.)


Too bad he didn't enjoy the shower afterward nearly as much as he enjoyed eating the cake. He ate nearly the entire thing!

Train trips and other family fun

Okay, Hubby might think I have wasted my day when he sees the amount I've posted today.... but if you read this before getting home, rest assured, I did get stuff done today! The yard is as ready to be rototilled as I could get it, and I have laundry and birthday mess under control.
(And is anyone else having a problem resizing their pictures on blogger.... mine all turned out super small! Sorry)



Over the last month or so of weekends we've been off on so many adventures I could hardly keep up with it all... So I thought I'd share a few photos of what we've been doing. Nothings been edited or retouched because I'm trying to hurry along and do some other things, but here you go.


We recently bought a membership to a children's center called the A.C. Gilbert House, in Salem, and it is great!!!

Sheepie working the grocery store at the Gilbert House (above) and Frog Prince

driving a boat down river (below).



Along with our Gilbert House membership comes a free membership to OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) and we've enjoyed having free access to both.


Frog Prince working at the water station in OSMI.

Two beavers *really they were chipmunks but my kids are from Corvallis* hard at work.


Daddy and a baby Beaver... they even had the costumes in little baby sizes!


And just to prove I was there: Me impersonating the Mona Lisa at OMSI's 'mysteries of da Vinci.'


The weekend following our trip to OMSI we thought it would be fun to take the kids on their first train trip. It is something I've wanted to do for a while, and it was as good a day as any, so we bought tickets and away we went.... It actually turned out to be quite an adventure! Our train to Salem was delayed until the time at which our train from Salem home was to be leaving Salem... so we had to figure out how to get up to Salem in time to get on the return train.... enter the greyhound bus. The 'only' option was the change our out going train tickets for bus tickets and ride the bus up. It would get us there just in time to catch our return train... So we did... I am NOT a fan of buses. They kids were thrilled though; not only did they get to ride a train, but a big bus as well! When we got to Salem, our train returning home was then delayed and it turned out that the train we were supposed to ride up to Salem arrived just before (and I mean literally; they had to decide which train to pull into the station first) the one we were taking home. So we could have skipped the bus all together... It was a great adventure though and one the kids won't forget anytime soon. They are already asking when we can do it again.


Boy and Sheepie on the Bus!
Hubby waiting for his 1st train ride in Salem

A friend of ours ended up being at the station and took our picture in front of the train.


Finally on the train; everyone is Happy!!!!

That kind of sums up most of our recent adventures.... if you've not been on a train lately, I recommend the trip (just for fun)... it's cheap and relaxing.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Guess where we were one year ago?

Happy Birthday to my sweet Boy. One year ago today we were welcoming you into the world, and marveling at your strong spirit and desire to be here.... You've brought some much joy to our lives; I couldn't have it any other way. We love you!!!






Today my big boy is up and going and even starting to self feed! Hope you have an amazing day sweetie!



Also.......

Happy 29th Birthday Hubby!!!!

Today is also Hubby's birthday, and I want him to know that I love him more than ever! He is the best possible husband I could have ever asked for, and I feel blessed to have him in my life... I know last year you were excited because you though Boy's birthday would make people not bother celebrating yours anymore-- sorry babe, I will always remember that it's your birthday!

Love you!!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

So many adventures

I feel like it's been quite a while since I've posted a new blog, and I honestly can't remember what was the last thing I talked about.


So here are some recaps of the crazy lives we live lately.


Boy and Hubby turn the big 1 and 29 this Sunday. I can hardly believe that my baby will be a whole year old already. The year seemed to have flown by, and I hardly can imagine the fat, happy little boy I see as the same tiny and fragile thing that was laying in the NICU 12 months ago. (Hubby is just happy he finally has an excuse to have people ignore his birthdays-- not going to happen, hun).

My new calling of Assistant Camp Director is going well, and I am finally starting to feel like I know what I am doing. Only time will tell how true this is, but I love the calling, and am excited to get to be with the girls!

My major project for Enrichment (women's group at church) went well-- I think-- and I made the deadline without too much duress or stress. Several people have suggested we do the same presentation for the Young Women; I think it would be fun, but I might tweak it a bit to include them more, if they do ask us.

The ickle fetus is growing like a weed and last night as I was going to bed I looked in the mirror and had that, 'Wow, I got fat, all of the sudden,' moment. Hubby just laughed and said I'd been getting fat for a while. We're about a month out from finding out what the sex is... but it's been a heated debate between the older kids as to if we should have another boy or a girl. I have tried to explain we don't have much say in the matter and we will love the baby no matter what. Right now, Frog Prince is trying to sell us on the name, "Anikan Skywalker" for a boy, and Sheepie thinks that "Oki Wan Kanobi" is a perfectly acceptable girls name. Can you tell what they love these days.

Our major adventure is a pretty one of late. We've decided that we're going to sell our house and build a new one. Told ya.... pretty big. We've prayed and prayed about selling the house and both come back with such a strong feeling that despite the economy and such it's the right time for us to be doing this.... so we're just taking the leap and putting it on the market.

This week I've been painting and cleaning and decluttering like you wouldn't believe. I am presently covered in white paint flecks from doing touch ups to all the windows and trim in our house, as well as painting all the doors white. We are going to be doing some more major projects as well, including installing a new backdoor, putting down some more tile around the fire place, and reseeding the whole back yard.

So, if anyone out there is looking for a lovely three bedroom starter home in a quiet neighbourhood..... you know where to look!

That's about it for now... Hope you're enjoying the little peeks at Spring that come and go.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Two dollar wicker baskets

Today I was at Winco and saw laundry baskets on the top shelf that I wanted.... they were perfect for the kids rooms, and they are normally cheap since they're from Winco.... so I ask one of the clerks how much they cost and he informs me according to the skew they are..... wait for it.....


$2.00


That's right. these are full sized laundry hampers. Not huge, but certainly enough to hold a load or two of clothes.


I am skeptical, so I grab the last two that are left (just in case) and head to check out, where I ask the lady to check how much they really cost. The first one run up as 19.89 and I knew it was too good to be true. So in no attempt to do anything but inform the lady that her sing needed to be fixed, I told her the clerk and I both checked it and it was marked incorrectly. Suddenly there is a mass of Winco people talking and they notice that the two identical hampers have different skew numbers on them....without bothering to check what the price was on the second basket someone just announced that I should get them for two bucks since that is what the sign said.


So I present to you my laundry baskets which I got at a 90% discount (they would have cost me 40.00 together normally and I got them for a grand total of $4.00)


Monday, March 9, 2009

More Free Stuff... loving samples

I'm thinking this is going to be a regular thing.... I won't promise that I do it every Monday, or what not, but if I find good deals, why not share the wealth.

THIS ONE IS GOOD ONLY ON TUES. MARCH 10th!

http://coupon.hangintherejack.com/fry-drink.php

More free Magazines... if any of these interest you

http://www.valuemags.com/freeoffer/thankyoumain.asp

A sample of the new Crest White Strips
http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid65100.aspx

A free sample of Parents Choice formula (and having tried this, I can say it's just as good as name brands).
http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid66928.aspx

Free Sample of the new Betty Crocker Warm Delights
http://freewarmdelights.bettycrocker.com/WarmDelights/Default.aspx?source=900

Gardening Club.... ONLY FREE FOR 30 DAYS!
https://secure1.namgclubs.com/cw/gardening/index.aspx?promotion=9G9A1VT7
if you don't want to pay make sure to cancel on time and read the restrictions.

Free subscription to Oracle Magazine (for the computer geeks in your life)
http://mm.tradepub.com/free/orm/

Free True Delights Quaker bar
https://smartsource.wufoo.com/forms/get-your-free-sample/

Free Diet Dr. Pepper
http://www.freedietdrpepper.com/

Free Red Box rental
http://www.redbox.com/Help/Signup.aspx

Free sippy cup from Juicy Juice
http://www.juicyjuice.com/Login/Register.aspx

Free BE A GIRL kit... tampons, pads and the like
http://www.beinggirl.com/en_US/sampling_teen.jsp?sourcetype=ygirl&source=beinggirlnav

Free Ziplock bag sample
https://secure.startsampling.com/sm/100624/captureAddress.iphtml?item=100624&source=&p=&key=5136fc2eeb9ebedf08f84bb6a6522a0b