weekend projects

we have had quite the weekend around here. I think we may have gone a bit mad! We took on a whole lot, yet again…

our first activity was dancing on the front porch

Next happened to be the painting our front door. I have thought about this a whole long time and after two trips to Lowes and two quarts of paint later, the right color was found. I was kind of bummed that the $15.00 project ended up being $40.00. Ugh! But… I am so thrilled with it!

Our before photo… notice all the projects needing done. Oh, it is atrocious!

Notice the murky gold and white light abhorrence on the front porch-

and the sconces on this side with some chipping numbers-

I had LOTS of help!

Ugh, that grass behind her is yet another project

And we just decided to paint the light fixtures as well. I tell you what! That Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint has been our BEST friend in this house! We have done all the hardware and light fixtures. I can’t believe how much better these look!

So here is the inside without the hardware on.

And a finished light!

And a FINISHED door!!!

We are doing the railing this week and I think that will make a difference.

So now on to some more crazy in our back yard. Remember that $25 tramp? Well…

And this is what my backyard looked like at 2pm yesterday afternoon (6 hours in 95* heat). We went out even later than that and it is even more crazy! We have been dumping the dirt in the future flowerbeds around the backyard and it looks like gophers have gone nuts. I am pretty skeptical about the finished product, but I am always that way when I am in the thick of any project! Ask my mom, she always gets calls from me when I am about half way.

The girls were pretty good. They stayed in our sun tent and then played in the pool most of the time. When Brookie was getting needy tired she would come over to the back flowerbed that I was working in (you can see it in the photo) and help me eat spread dirt.

We have LOTS AND LOTS of projects to get done now. It is tough because I think I would rather have a couch, but I know that when next spring rolls around, I will be thankful that I have flowerbeds to cultivate. I had the itch to do it this past spring, but had no finished place to fulfill that need. Now I won’t be wanting for space.

More photos to come this week of our progress!

my girls today

I thought these skirts turned out SO cute! The netting edge really made a difference from a plain skirt to a notch above.

a father’s day birthday

we had such a wonderful Sunday last weekend. We were able to celebrate Brookie’s birthday and father’s day together. Abi and I made breakfast for our two honored guests and then we had presents!

her large personality just can’t be contained in such a teeny body

Abi gave Trout this little Elmo. Abi has a Grover just like it-

giving Elmo loves

Abi was so excited to give Dan his present that we had made together. She couldn’t contain herself-

Abi made Dan a cute card. It was a drawing of Dan and then she picked out computer stickers to put on the card- she passed up all the hunting and camping ones to pick out computer ones – does that say something about where you can always find him?

Brookie was enthralled with licking the tag on Elmo

Then she leaned down to look at something on the floor and hit her head on the table- I love the succession of the next photographs.

She got a baby doll from us – and like I said in another post – is obsessed with eyes.

For the past year, I wrote down something I was thankful that Dan did or something that I love about him – every day! It was a tough year to remember to do this, but it felt so good to give it to him!

After church we were invited over to our friends’ home to eat dinner and have cake. This was the cake I made for Brookie

She wore a cute ribbon that said, “birthday princess” on it.

We enjoyed watching her try a whole bunch of tactics of eating the cake- fingers, tongue, and then thinking she was close enough to the cake to take a bite and bite air instead. It was way cute! Abi, or course, enjoyed it right along with her.

We went to the doctor on Monday and here are Brookie’s stats-

Weight – 22.3 lbs. – 71%

Height – 30.25 ins – 85%

She doesn’t look like she weighs this much, but even the nurse was a little taken back when she tried to pick her up and it wasn’t what she was expecting.