House Changes

I don't have a lot of time to blog... But let me blog about something I'm so thrilled about.


HOUSE CHANGES!!!!!


Yes... you got that right! Tons of changes, work, and new decorations! I love it!
Some things on the house fell through so we are no longer buying a house so we have decided to "fix" our current house and bring it back to life!


I couldn't say how thrilled I am to have a nice house... There are no words honestly. Let's just put it this way... The house where we live now (before me) was lived in by 2 males, father and son, and they worked opposite hours, around 60 hours a week, in a rock quarry, and so dust/dirt/rock just built up and nothing was every really cleaned or taken care of.


They were men... so it didn't really need to be nice just livable. This past May I have lived in Mannford (in this house) for 3 years. We have done some minor things to it by painting, adding a few pictures, etc. Nothing drastic...


So last week I tell my husband (I was really upset about the other house) that since we can't have this house I wanted then we are fixing this one and I gave him a list of things I wanted done:


Kitchen - New floors
Dining Room - New floors
Laundry Room - New floors
Kitchen - Cabinet/counter torn out
Kitchen - Pantry built in place of cabinet/counter
Master Bath - Tear out counter/cabinet/sink and add pedastool sink & new tile
Spare Bath (dog's bath) - New floors


Long list, right? Well I was determined that I would have things done, like I wanted, and timely. So Saturday we went and picked up a new sectional for the living room in Tahlequah. Tommy & Dara went with us and helped us move old furniture to father in law's next door, his old furniture to the front porch, and our new furniture in...

(Here's the new sectional)

Let me tell you... I have never been one for sectionals because they are so hard to rearrange and some only go certain ways (like this one)... But this has 2 recliners and a bed in it and we got a great deal on it. I love it and so does everyone... Our 2 kids (Anastacia has been at Nana's since school got out) spent the night with Wayne Saturday night. We got to talking about all these changes and how hard the tile (dining room) was going to be to get up, etc. So Albert takes a butter knife and a long flat head screw driver to see...

Didn't seem so hard so I figured we could get a couple tile tools at Walmart and we could pull up the tile ourselves and not spend extra money. So then he went from pulling up this tile to the kitchen and it's linoleum and he ripped a huge chunk out...

The plan was to start working on these floors this weekend (9th & 10th) and then he goes and tears tile and rips the linoleum in which I freak out and his response... "This will just help me make sure I get it done." So I agreed and I figured I have a week of walking on this stuff, oh well...

So we head off to eat dinner with family for a birthday and then go to Walmart afterwards... Pick up a couple tile tools and a few other things and come back home. We sat up until 3am tearing up tile in the dining room and pulling up linoleum in the kitchen...

(The view of the dining room after all the tile was removed)

Well at this point I figured was the stopping point because Albert was suppose to be working on his mud truck this weekend and we were working on the house next weekend... So this was Saturday night/Early Sunday morning...

Sunday I get up and around and dress in some comfy clothes and decide to do a little cleaning... Albert heads next door to get his Dad to start working on the truck and then he comes back telling me to get dressed we are going to get tile... So Albert, his Dad, and I jumped in the truck and headed off to Home Depot to get tile... We picked it out and come home with it and started working on it...

Albert finished ripping up the linoleum and moved the appliances and got it out from under there and then we tore out a cabinet/counter...

(the cabinet/counter that we tore out)

(the space after it was torn out)

And then the tile laying begun... Albert laid the tile and I pulled the backs off and handed them to him. Swept when we needed to sweep. Moved items when they needed to be moved. A lot of stuff was thrown into the living room... Here's my view...

(OMG what a mess, right)

Anyways we worked all day long and finally got the dining room, kitchen, and laundry room tile laid and it looks AMAZING... Here are a few before and after shots. Please don't look at my counters, etc because at this point I hadn't had time to put everything back in the right spots... I was just so excited about the tile and the floors...

(before linoleum in kitchen)

(after - tile in the kitchen and laundry room)

(before dining room - ugly green tile)

(after dining room)

(before with counter)

(after with new flooring and this is where my pantry is going to be build - where microwave stand is now)

So to me this area looks 150% better with just new flooring. I absolutely love the new floors... I have been working on decorating the kitchen/dining room (mainly dining room because kitchen doesn't have much wall space) with a wine theme (type thing)...

I bought this sign that said "Bistro" and added it above the dining room window...

(before & after)

Then I bought this HUGE wrought iron piece for the wall (bare wall in dining room by the table) and hung it up...

(before & after - the picture doesn't do justice as to the size that this piece is - HUGE)

So now I have a few other things in the work... I'm picking up a wine bottle holder this evening. I wanted one that hung on the wall but a friend of mine is selling me a counter top one... Well my counters don't have enough space so I'm trying out a new idea... I'm going to use that metal picture wire (or whatever it is) and suspend it from the ceiling in the corner and then I'm in the process of getting another item to make the wine glass holder out of... I will leave that in suspense until I post the pictures...

I'm excited for the change in this... This weekend we are working on the bathrooms and possibly the pantry. I wanted pantry first but we will see what comes. Albert bought more tile yesterday for the bathrooms and our bathroom (I believe) is first and it's tearing out a cabinet, painting under that, and then adding the new sink and new tile... I have the white shelving that I want in there already so it's just a matter of timing...

Until next time... I hope you enjoy the updates...

Anniversary

Well our 2nd wedding anniversary has come and gone... 
It was fun. It was relaxing. It was needed. It's gone!


Well we started out rushing around Saturday morning to get out of town. Finally got on the road, made a stop by my Mom's for my HUGE cup and then got some gas and snacks and headed out... We made a stop at the World's Largest McDonald's and kept on going. We listened to music, talked, laughed, and had a good time. 

We drove through MO and into AR and then into the small town of Yellville, AR. We arrived in Yellville about 4:15p and we had about 14 more miles to go to the lodge. Arrived at the lodge and met the owners and they took us on a tour of the lodge and grounds. We paid for our reservation and unloaded the truck and settled in some. Took a walk around the grounds and then decided we were going to head into Yellville to go to the store to get some food to cookout with...

(our room)

(the main deck on the back side)

(the grounds looking from the main deck)

(the lodge from the backside)

(the gazebo/cooking area)

Into town we went and went to the grocery store... Bought a small ice chest, ice, steaks, potatoes, corn, and BBQ sauce. Picked me up some new clogs and to the Beer Barn (yes that was the name) we went... Got some AR 6-point beer, wine coolers and wine for me and ice and packed it in and headed back to the lodge. The lodge had a charcoal grill out under the gazebo and so we grilled. We had the meat, potatoes (wrapped in foil and onto the grill), and corn on the cob (wrapped in foil and onto the grill) and we drank wine and beer, relaxed, and waited on the food.


We had NO seasoning for the meat (we didn't buy any on purpose), no butter, sour cream, cheese or anything for the potatoes or corn... We had BBQ for it all... But it was actually GREAT food. The meat was tender, the potatoes were great (little BBQ sauce for taste), and the corn was so sweet. Sometimes we take the small things for granted. We always think we need to marinate, cover the taste with other things, etc...

Dinner was done - The gazebo had some rope lighting around the top and so we sat in the small amount of lighting, enjoyed our dinner, and then watched out fire that we built in the fire pit...

We sat outside for awhile while this fire burned and then we headed back into our room... 

We played Jenga...

And then we headed into our hot tub... 

(this was in our room - perfect, right?)

The night was very relaxing. We sat in the hot tub, drank some drinks, watched some TV, and just talked...

Bed time...

We woke up the next morning and had breakfast...

(blueberry pancakes, sausage, and strawberry yogurt, with orange juice)

Breakfast was great, we then showered, got around, packed, and loaded up (bought some shirts as reminders) and started our adventure... We headed into Rush, AR which was only a few miles away. It's considered a Ghost Town...

Here are a few of the houses and buildings in the town... 

(the General Store)

(house)

We continued on to the lake, Buffalo River National River, and looked around and made a couple more stops and then we went back towards town, filled up with gas, and headed towards home... We took the back way home and went into Siloam Springs, AR...

We stopped there and got the kids some things...

The older two a cool sprinkler, Preslee a pool, the older kids some sand shovels and buckets for their sand box, and Preslee a sock monkey and then we made one last pit stop at Dickey's BBQ Pit for lunch...

They have GREAT food so if you are ever in Siloam Springs, AR make a stop here... We both got 2 meat plates: 

Me: polish sausage, sliced brisket, coleslaw, onion tanglers, roll, and a drink

Albert: polish sausage, pulled pork, baked beans, waffle fries, roll, and a drink

They serve ice cream to everyone... It was less than $25 for everything... Great food, great taste, not a bad price for a lot of food... Anyways... We headed on into Sand Springs and picked up our kiddos and then homeward bound we were...

Our anniversary weekend was great...

Oh yeah... This was a sign at the lodge that I LOVED...

Strength To Go On...

I'm sure this will be random and scatter brained but I need to write...


Why is it that cancer attacks bodies? Why is it that this disease doesn't have a cure? Why can't it just go away?!?


I know that's a vague statement but if we can get a man to land and walk on the moon how can we not have something to help... I just don't understand! Though that's not my job to understand but I would really like to know.


Currently I have a friend laying in a hospital bed in OKC fighting for her life... She's been through a hell of a lot of the last year or so and it's just not fair to her, to her children, and to her family.


Stephanie was diagnosed with ALL (a type of leukemia) in December 2010. She didn't know anything was wrong. 2 years ago (this week) she was helping me plan my wedding, helping me get everything together, helping me through everything, and being my friend in this all... Yes I had MANY other friends helping me also (just to clarify). May 1st everything seemed fine to her she was perfect, seemed healthy, she was Steph. Within 6 months she was diagnosed with this awful disease. She started therapies and doing everything that needed to be done. She was in the hospital so much, missed so much with her kids, but she was getting better. She had finally over time beat the cancer and she was in remission. She had the bone marrow transplant and that's what her body is rejecting.


How can someone so young, so full of life, so beautiful, and so enthusiastic have this problem. Why did it have to be here. She has children, 2 children at that that need her, those children need their mother. 


But yet her mother gave a status on FB this morning saying the doctor was only saying a "few days". A few days!!!!!! Seriously??? Last Thursday (19th) she was discharged from the hospital and now this... It's so left field, out there, not right... NOT RIGHT BY NO MEANS!!!!


A few days. A few days to say goodbyes, speak your peace, clear your head, consume it with madness, think of how unfair life is, and pray for the best... A few days is NOTHING. A few days doesn't get anything accomplished!


My amazing friend, Marisa, offered to take me to see Stephanie yesterday. I thought about it many times. I even ran scenarios through my head, words that I would say, tears that would flow... But then I realized I don't think I'm ready to face that... Watching someone die in "that" situation. 


By no means do I mean to be rude by that above statement - But my Dad passed away 4 years ago in January... He was in a coma... He was unresponsive... He was on life support... He had MRSA... He died that way... I stood in the room, by his side, hand in hand, as his heart stopped... No I'm not ready to face that again... I'm just not strong enough inside. I can't bear to see what I faced with my father... I can't bear to watch my friend go through that. I can't bear to see the agony in her family's faces... 


I pray... I pray... and I pray for God's healing hand to touch her. Give her strength to fight this. Give her more time with her children and her family. Give her the life she wanted so dearly BACK.


I'm consumed with pain inside... My heart hurts and aches for her! I wish there was something I could do or say that could take this away or even make it better! But there's not. Nothing I can do or say or anything. It's in God's hands... God is the only one controlling Steph's time on earth. Steph has been through so much in the last year and half and I know she is tired. I know she is weak. I know she probably thinks at times she can't do this anymore but I know she's not ready to go. 


I've cried for hours and hours over this. I've thought about it. Ran moments through my head that involve her, conversations, texts, calls, parties, times... Life! I met Stephanie in 2009 and she became one of my GREAT friends. She was there for me the day I found out I was pregnant with Skylar (in the work bathroom with me). She was there for the funeral and she was my friend anytime I needed to talk. She understood me and I understood her (yes many of my friends understand me also and I love them for that... This is just me talking).


God I pray that this turns around and that her life is handed back to her again. I know her body needs to rest but I don't want to see her leave this world yet! She's too young. 

Tears will flow but God is the only one with answers! Steph we love you SO much!!!!!!!

Days Keep Flying...

Well the days are coming and going and they just won't slow down! Goodness... It's already the middle of April.


I don't have a lot of free time to get on her and post. I need to because it's also therapeutic and it lets me say what's on my mind freely...


April... Ugh! The beginning of this month Preslee starting teething *molars* and then she got bronchitis... So she was on a steroid for a week and boy was she irritable. Then Easter was last weekend and we had a great time. Got together with family and did some Easter egg hunting and some family games/togetherness...

Preslee on Easter at McClure Park... She still wasn't feeling the greatest...

Jordyn on Easter... (my niece)... 

Anastacia being silly with an Easter basket...

Preslee was excited about the eggs *see the one in her hand*

I guess Triton got too many eggs... His handle broke... Glad it was fixable...

Preslee opened each egg and took the candy out... Her basket after the hunt...

Anastacia at the park on Easter...

Kids doing the egg hunt...

I think they were done with the egg hunt and contemplating what to do next...

Easter was a lot of fun. Many people were at the park and we played football, horseshoes, had cake for Brenda's birthday and LOTS of food... Enjoyed seeing everyone, getting pictures, and eating...

Now that Easter is over we are on to birthdays... Tommy's birthday is the 17th of this month. We are going to have a party for him at Mom's house on the 21st... Yay!!!!!

Jerry's birthday would have been the 20th... Another year gone and another birthday that still comes. Sucks but it's life I guess! Wish he was here to celebrate with us...

Then comes APRIL 27TH... Tommy & Dara are getting married! How fun is that!?! Can't wait for that day! Albert & I are off work that day so he will get to attend also... It's just a small, intimate wedding for family... I have a surprise I'm picking up for them for that day... It will be fun!

Here's a few snap shots from the last few days...

Anastacia...

Triton...

Preslee...

Triton again being silly...

Our littlest angel... Isn't she the sweetest?!?

Anastacia is also gearing up for her dance recital... It's May 25th. She's been in dance almost 4 years now and this year she did ballet, tap, and jazz. She joined a new dance group last August when she moved to Mannford with us and we really enjoy them a lot. Can't wait to see the performance...

Here is a sneak peak of her outfit...

Anastacia and 2 of her friends...

Anastacia is also in soccer and it is starting to wind down... We have 4-5 games left... They have won most and she has decided that she wants to continue to play soccer also. Yay for her! Here is a couple pictures...

Mannford T-Rex

Silly girl... Ready for her soccer game!

She is the one kicking the ball... Right in the center of the picture! Go Anastacia!!!!

This month we also went riding. The Metcalfe crew and all... Anastacia didn't make it because she stayed the weekend with Nana that weekend.... Here's a few pictures...

First 4-wheeler ride with Uncle Wayne...

Triton's first time riding a 4-wheeler by HIMSELF...

Under the canopy Preslee and I were playing in the dirt... 

That kind of gives a rough idea of what we've been up to lately... Next we are planning after the parties and wedding is Albert & I's 2 year wedding anniversary... It's May 1st...

May 1st is during a work week so... April 27th we took off to get ready to go on our weekend anniversary trip... On the 28th we will be heading to Yellville, AR (about 4 1/2 hours from Mannford) to spend the day/night at Buffalo River Lodge Bed & Breakfast...

I'm super excited about going and can't wait. We get to check in at 3p and then we will get situated, have some dinner, and just enjoy some alone time. Then we have to check out by 11am... We have some plans to go down to Buffalo National River and look around (it looks GORGEOUS) and we are also going to go on 2 cave tours. We are going to spend the day doing things and drive home that evening/night. Can't wait to get away, do something different, and spend some time with the hubby...

2 YEARS ALREADY... SURE DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT!

Then the next day which is April 30th we are keeping the kids out of school and going into Tulsa to take family pictures with Dana... Can't wait. Never done full family pictures yet! Lots of exciting things going on with us this month... Can't wait to share pictures from our trip and anniversary and then family pictures...

I've Been MIA...

Well I haven't been on here in awhile. We have just been so busy lately it doesn't seem like I get a chance to stop and rest sometimes.


January passed (thankfully) and February came and went quickly it seemed. I had my 27th birthday on 02/18 and that was about all that was eventful. Had cake/ice cream at Nana's and Albert and I had dinner at the Mexican restaurant and then went and saw a movie, This Means War. Very good movie.


So here we are in March. 3 months into the new year already! Doesn't seem possible, the years just fly by so it seems. Anastacia started soccer and still continues in dance. Triton started t-ball and Preslee and I are just in for the madness!


Here is a brief schedule of our weeks (mind you I work from 8-4p):


Monday - Soccer Practice 5:30pm - 6:30p
Tuesday - Baseball Practice 5:30p - 6:15p
Wednesday - Soccer Practice 5:30p - 6:30p
Thursday - Baseball Practice 5:30p - 6:15p
                   Dance Class 5:45p - 6:45p
Friday - Nothing after work
Saturday - Games (times vary from 9a - 11a)


Saturday following games we normally try and do nothing or housework and same for Sunday. Sometimes I feel like my days run together. Since Albert works nights I am doing this mad schedule by myself. Preslee and I either walk the fields, sit in the car, or do something :)


This week has been a very trying week. Albert & I are about to make a few major changes in our life (no I won't go into detail). I will elaborate more to a few people (if asked) but not many. Some personal things that need to be dealt with (not marriage problems or anything like that, please don't think that). Once these issues have been dealt with then the beans will be spilled (and NO it's not another baby just yet).


I sometimes have had people question me as to why I have let the kids get involved in several activities making my schedule look like the above. Well here's your answer...


My kids are my number one priority. If they want to participate in something and I have the money in my pocket to do it they are allowed to do it (granting its nothing bad). If they want to play a sport, be involved in an organization, or do something fun I will do my best to make that happen. Therefore I will have the craziest, busiest schedule possible (as above) to make them happy and let them be involved. You are only a kid one time and as a parent you want to make that experience for them memorable. You don't want your child to grow up thinking that they didn't get to experience some sports/activities that others did. So with that said I may complain about being tired or busy but it's all worth it in the end.


Tonight (03/09/12) I am having a It Works Wrap party at the house. It's at 6pm if anyone reads this before then and would like to come. It's just a time for us to hang out, listen/learn about a new product, and have some girl time.


With all the above said I'm going to end this. Just wanted to let everyone know I'm still around and still blogging just rarely as my schedule allows!