New house ♡ new entryway

I haven't posted in awhile. I have a fantastic excuse! We just has a surprise party for Ben! I continue to try to unpack and set up the house to make it a home. It's hard to keep a time perspective. We've only been in the house for a month now so I am trying to persevere and finish strong. 

The entry way is one of my favorite parts of the house. I'm not 100% done with it but it is close enough to post a few pictures ♡

The main wall has our family picture, rules, names, and of course stars!

The French doors house our office/ the Skidz Wife Creations sewing studio. It is wall to wall boxes in there.

The rug was a purchase from a friend in California. We only paid $10 for a 5x7 rug!

Ben got me this sweet, little table for our anniversary at a local antique shop.

This entry way bench is waiting on Ben and I to refinish, rework the wood, and get rid of the broken mirror. I can't tell you how much I want to post after pictures of this!!

This is part of the shelf about the door. I have an idea in my head of how I want it to look when finished. Now I just have to be patient until I find everything ♡

The other side of the shelf. The wreath was made by friends of ours from their grape vine in the backyard.

Looking into the hallway to the breakfast nook/kitchen area.

Obviously the shelf is so not finished but I am happy with it so far!

            ♡ Home. Family. Life. Love. ♡

Honoring Pappy

Believer. Son. Brother. Husband. Father. Pappy. Great-grandpa. Veteran. And so much more ♡

I will miss your quiet presence, your sense of humor, your love of desserts, even your teasing. 

You were there for most of my important events in school. You helped teach me how to shoot, fish, and play cards.

Most of all you showed me the devotion that a husband should have for his wife. Never once did I hear you and grammy arguing.

You were fair and honest. Oh yeah and a hard worker. 

Thankful for the blessing of being your granddaughter. 

The Disease that takes and takes

Alzheimers disease. 

My first experience with it was hearing a lecture in nursing school. I don't remember many individual lectures, but this one just stuck with me. Maybe because our instructor had personal experiences to share maybe not. She said the most important thing that you need to remember about this disease is that it takes your loved one piece by piece. 1 year. 5 years. 20 years. A slow progression of losing someone important to your life.

I worked in a dementia/alzheimers unit at a nursing home for a little bit through nursing school. It was one of the most emotionally taxing times of my young adult life.

Fast forward to a few years ago, when my pappy started going downhill. Some of his early behaviors could have been chalked up to older age unless you knew that he was as smart as a whip. And his very quick wit.

While I haven't been phsically present for his decline, I have talked to my dad on a regular weekly basis to witness the toll it took on my Grammy and my dad. 

I will remember the vibrant, funny, and quick witted pappy forever but would be lying if I said that the past few years haven't left a huge scar.

Here's to the families, caregivers, and the people who have this horrible disease. If you are walking through it right now, I am praying for peace, understanding, and endurance. Praying for a cure ♡

Ok so let me be honest, 2 kids ago I thought the ladies in my MOPS group that made their own laundry soap were a little weird. (No offense if y'all are reading this....I still loved you but just didn't understand you!)

Now several years into it, I am wondering why it took me so long to jump on this!

This is my recipe for diaster.

This typically lasts me for about 5 months. It is costly when you have to replenish but so much better than buying every month!

The kids love to help mix up the batches! 

I use a garden tool to mix periodically. I sometimes add some essential oils to the mix too!

New house, new downstairs bathroom

So y'all know I love some maroon paint right?!? (Not being sarcastic, i really do!)

Well I just found it to be a bit too dark in our new downstairs bath (plus we were going to take the wallpaper border down anyway......)

We chose this cool grey color.

We repurposed the blanket rack from Kenzie's room to hold our guest bath towels.

The flooring has some brown and grey tones in it.

My mom was getting rid of these prints so I snagged them from her. One lady's trash another's treasure ♡

I would still like to get a transition strip for the pocket door entry.

New Dining room

I knew that this was one room that I definitely wanted to make over. Wallpaper borders are not my favorite and I liked the pop of color along the bottom so it snowballed from there.

My parents and husband took the paper down and painted while I unpacked boxes. I am overall thrilled with the results. Most of my decor is rustic so I am trying to tie this into each of the rooms.

The coffee bar

I still need to sand the top down and paint it to match our wood.

We found the greyish-blue wardrobe at a local antique /junk shop. It now houses our wine, glasses, and liquor. 

I was eyeballing this at the same store that we got the liquor chest from and the owner gave it to me in honor of our anniversary ♡

New year, new state, new home

November and December 2016 found our family scrambling to excute a PCS (permanent change of station) cross country move. I flew to find our new home, we purged, had a moving sale, packed, cleaned, and so much more in a very short period of time. 
It was an interesting time of year to move for us. Traveling around Christmas time was simultaneously fun and very Stressful! We were blessed to be with family and friends the entire way across the country. 
We received our HHG (household goods) on the 29th, 30th, and then January 10th. The exhausting process of unpacking and making a home has been in full swing. I had a goal of 2 weeks in my head but I am not sure if we're going to make it!


Here are the before pictures of some of the rooms my parents came down and helped out with.....

The dining room 

The downstairs bath

Stay tuned for the after pictures! 

Continuing the celebratioin of our birthday boy!

I love our alone moments when you share thoughts, feelings, and little tid bits about your day! You just told me yesterday that you wanted to have 2 jobs when you grow up!

1. A Marine like daddy

2. A scientist

And you thought that it would be perfect if you could be a scientist for the Marine Corps!

Love you Brown Bear!!

Explaining his all about me bag....which included a science experiment!!

No big surprise there!!

8 years young

This big guy turns 8 today!! So hard to believe that my sweet brown bear is in 3rd grade and well on his way to hitting the magic double digits number!

You constantly keep me on my toes, make me smile, and are my little sweetie even if it is a bit difficult to hold you in my lap now!

Your current favorites:

**Geology (we are going to need a U-Haul to get all of your treasures to our next home!)

**Science experiments (I never know what I am going to find in all your little bottles of potions!)

**Sports! Anything that keeps you moving. Basketball is a current love for you.

**Tormenting your sisters!!

**Bouncing on the trampoline with friends.

**Magic tree house books

Your Strengths

**Your caring and sweet disposition

**Your sensitive nature

**Math....you are wicked smart!

We love you so much and celebrate everything that makes you Isaac today!