Friday, November 30, 2012

Random Happenings

Fore Warning * This is just a boring ole post about our daily life.
 
Monday: We stayed home all day and continued to decorate the house for Christmas along with playing, eating, baking some desserts, and taking long naps :)
 
 
Tuesday: Kevin's 1st day off work after 7 days at work. We missed him greatly. The boys and I ran a few errands in the morning and Kevin had a friend over to practice bow shooting and then they went hunting. We put up our Christmas lights before dinner and the boys loved "helping".
 
 
Wednesday: Karson went back to preschool after having a whole week off for Thanksgiving Break. He only goes on Wed and Fri mornings from 9-11:30 and it's been so wonderful having a place for him to go play with friends and learn to be away from me and his house. He is still a big homebody and loves being at home in his pajamas :) He goes right into preschool without even looking back for me and wants to find a particular teacher that he LOVES on those mornings.
 
Karson got his first progress report when we went to pick him up. All check marks and about 8 check plus's which means above average. I was super proud and loved the comments from his teacher.
 
We had told him that if he got a good report that we would take him out somewhere special. So I made spaghetti that night and after dinner we took the boys bowling for the first time. I didn't take my camera but they had a BLAST! Afterwards we went looking for Christmas lights. It was a great evening.
 
 
Thursday: We stayed home all day and cleaned and got ready for our guests. Kevin had 4 guys over from work to hunt and to practice bow shooting. They had a great time and the boys wore them out. I'm sure they were ready to go home to their quiet houses because most of them are single guys or married with no kids. Kevin fixed deer chili from one of the deer's that he has killed. It was really good and then fixed deer jerky. The boys eat it like candy. It is super hot but they love it.
 
Friday: Kevin had to go back to work but we are getting back to our normal routine. Karson had a great morning at preschool and afterwards we went to the park to play until lunch time.
 
Kipton really enjoys time with just mommy. We normally read stories, visit the library, play at home, go to the park or the grocery store while Karson is there.
 
 
While I was upstairs in our storage area getting Christmas decorations down I found this teeter totter that Nana had bought the boys and I put it up there for a few months. I like to hide toys so they don't have too many out and then swap them every few months and they act like it's a brand new toy!
 
They are really enjoying this toy again.
 
 
 
Karson wants me to rock him hard on it and pretend he is riding a bull. He likes to see if he can stay on for 8 seconds. O to be a BOY!

Thursday, November 29, 2012

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Christmas!
 
I started decorating the day after Thanksgiving and I'm still not finished.
Is anyone else having to decorate with kids under their feet and in between cooking, cleaning up messes, and playing? I guess that is why I'm on Day 7 of decorating but I'm almost finished!
 
 
I had been wanting a 9 foot tree ever since we moved into our new home last December. It didn't happen last year so this year I waited for one to come on sale at Hobby Lobby and went for it. We have 10 foot ceilings in our living room and kitchen so it works perfectly.  
 
I have been watching lots of tutorials and videos on how to use deco mesh and ribbon throughout your tree. I really love Liz's blog HERE and watched many videos from her. With the help of my mom helping to be on the other side to string lights around this huge tree and adding her touch with the deco mesh, I got the look I was going for.
 
 
I added lots of Christmas picks also from Hobby Lobby throughout the tree. I also bought different Christmas picks to put up at the top of the tree but it ended up not working out well so I changed it and just left the star at the top.
 
 
Another tip that I learned from LIZ is to take the top hooks off of your ornaments and push them onto the tree limbs instead of hanging them on the tree limbs. Then you can move them around and bend them so that the bulbs are just the way you want them.
 
Normally I decorate more with a country theme but I really like the sparkle and shimmer in my tree. I didn't buy a new tree skirt because they were so expensive at Hobby Lobby even with the 50% off but I used an older one that had Disney characters on them and just cut them off from the back thread. Maybe I will pick up a new skirt after Christmas when they are really on sale.
 
 
 
We finished up our outside lights last night. Kevin was just thrilled to be on our roof. It is VERY steep. Even our contractor was not thrilled with our choice in house designs because of the roof.
 
Hope everyone is getting their decorations up and enjoying them.

Monday, November 26, 2012

After Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a good weekend. It was very busy! Friday and Saturday we mainly shopped and decorated which is super fun with two boys that are REALLY into Christmas this year.
 
I decided to let the boys pick out their own "real" tree this year for their toy room and decorate it themselves. To say that Karson had a blast, would be an understatement. He decorated that tree like it was his favorite day EVER! He loved every second and took almost an hour on it. He never asked for help and did almost everything besides stringing the lights.
 
 
Super proud!
 
I will also say that Karson is very into dressing himself as you can see :) He LOVES pajamas and takes his "real" clothes off as soon as he gets home (I don't know where he gets that from) and puts on his pajamas. You know boys don't care if they match or not...I am just happy that he has taken such an interest in dressing himself. He is always telling me that he can dress himself that I can go just put on Kipton's pajamas for him.
 
 
Kipton just kinda helped and played with his toys while Karson decorated. We had some extra colored lights so Karson wanted to string them around their chalkboard in the toy room. He LOVES going in there to play in the dark and shows everyone that comes over.
 
 
On Saturday..our Elf on the Shelf appeared on our door step. Karson just couldn't believe his eyes and listened so carefully to the story that explained about our new visitor. The boys decided to name him BUCKY after a buck deer. How fitting :)
 
They have really had fun with him. Karson has taken more of an interest than Kipton but I expected that. I am not really putting a huge force on the Elf thing because the boys shouldn't be reminded a million times to be good for toys. But rather just use the Elf for a fun factor and a little reminder that Jesus and Bucky are watching to report to Santa.
 
 
Karson had a performance with his Sunday School class this past Sunday.
 
The boys wanted to get their picture taken under our big tree in the living room that I was still working on. It has taken me almost 5 days to finish it. It is super hard to decorate with little ones around :)
 
 
Their class sang 5 songs and Karson did WONDERFUL! I couldn't have been more proud. He sang and did the motions along with the words. I loved their little performance and so thankful he has a great church to go to with other friends his age who are learning about Christ.
 
 
 
Hopefully I will get my decorations finished up this week and ready for the holidays. I am getting super excited for the parties, and fun things we have planned.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

More Hunting

We live in a place where you hear gun shots MANY times throughout the day during gun season.
Sometimes they sound TOO close but I know they aren't. I have made the boys wear their blaze orange a few days because there is soo much woods around our house and even though it is our property and my parents, you never know who is hunting out there.
 
Plus, they love wearing it like daddy :)
 
 
Kevin has killed 3 deer this year. He is really loving it in the country. He has had a few friends come out to hunt with him. Most days, the boys and I wait and wait and they ask me 100 times when daddy will be home with his deer. The boys are so bummed when he comes home empty handed. haha
 
 
I know it's kind of sick but Kipton LOVES to pet the deer. Like LOVES it.
He keeps petting it's head over and over and says "awwww baby deer" lol
 
 
My boys are destined to be hunters, and I am so thankful for a husband who teaches his boys about hunting and the outdoors. I love that they are learning and getting these awesome life experiences with their daddy. So blessed!

Friday, November 23, 2012

Thanksgiving Day

We had a good Thanksgiving Day. We had "lunch" at our house around noon and my parents and grandma came. It was nice and mom and I split the cooking. It was very good!
 
 
Guess who didn't want in the picture? Yep this screaming cat :)
 
 
He wanted on his bulldozer and not in the family Thanksgiving picture. O well :)
 
I made the boys turkey shirts this year. They turned out really well.
 
 
They love digging in my mulch even though they are told not too....but it was keeping them busy while I was finishing the cooking so I didn't mind.
 
 
 
Karson is really loving the Wii. He loves to play Mario Cart and Kipton "pretends" to play with Karson. Karson is really good at it, but I don't like him play a lot so he really enjoyed it today while I was finishing up the cooking.
 
 
We had a great dinner and very thankful for family.
 
 
We visited Kevin's parents for their dinner around 5 and stayed for a few hours. The boys went to bed early. I think they were exhausted from all of the excitement.
 
Hope everyone had a great day!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

1 Year at our Home

 
It has been exactly 1 year since we moved into our new home. I like to update about our house so that I will remember. I will probably read this back someday and think "I had horrible taste back then" or that I blogged about silly things but right now, I thought it would be fun to look back.
 
It seems like yesterday that this was our kitchen. We had to move in and didn't have our kitchen finished. I remember washing the dishes in the bathtub for 2 weeks. It was a LONG 2 weeks :)
 
 
 
 
 
The boys have adjusted very well in our move. I had really prayed hard that they would be happy in the country because they had lots of friends in our last neighborhood. Now we have no kids around, but they don't seem to care one bit. They love it in the country.
 
Karson helping clean up their bathroom before moving in.
 
We have accomplished ALOT with our house but still have a few things left to do even a year later.
 
I just painted the boys bathroom and decorated it in fishing. They both LOVED going fishing this summer and they have really said they love the new things on the walls.
 
 
 
 
We are slowly trying to paint each room in our house. Kevin really pushes me towards "fun" colors but I really like tan and white. The colors we have picked so far I really like.
 
I am so thankful for our home. It is my favorite place to be!
 
 
 
I can't wait to see what another year brings for our home. We have MANY projects that we hope
to do this winter indoors. Our next project is a new contractor coming to build our built in bookshelves in the living room. It is the focal point of the room and I will be so happy to decorate them!! With a fireplace and TV in the middle, I am so excited when it will be finished!!
 
I am so thankful for our opportunity to move into our home and raise the boys in the country.
 
What are you thankful for?
 
Happy Thanksgiving!!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Opening of Gun Season

Did you know that in West Virginia they actually give students 2 extra days on their Thanksgiving Break for gun season? Yep that's right! If my boy were in "real" school they would be taking advantage of it too. However, this year it's just daddy hunting and the boys seeing his mighty work.
 
 
After church today Kevin and I came home and put the boys down for naps. I started picking up my room and bathroom and Kevin said he was going out back to hunt for a while. Within 5 minutes I heard a gun shot but it's really normal to hear them around where we live so I didn't think it was Kevin.
 
He was back shortly on the 4-wheeler and said "Well that was fast!" He literally rode for about 2 minutes and saw this spike and shot him. He was happy and when the boys woke up they were happy too! Happy afternoon by all.
 
 
Did I ever think that this would be "OK" by me as a  mom? Probably not, but yep it's ok because boy moms have to overlook the nasty and gross part and just be happy that they are BOYS and are enjoying nature and the little things in life.
 
If I had all girls...would I let them touch it? Maybe not. But my life is a life with all boys, so why not embrace it?
 
 
We are proud of Kevin! He loves to hunt and this is first year "living" in the country. I did grow up in the country but he did not. He lived more in the subdivision/city so this is new to him to be able to see many deer everyday and hunt out your backdoor. I know the boys are LOVING growing up in the country and again, I am so happy for our move.
 
It's beginning to look a lot like........Hunting Season :)
 
Now to kill a turkey! haha
 

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Enjoying the last of fall

Miranda who blogs over at Our Nesting Place has a link up for Fall/Thanksgiving decor. I am a days late but finally got some pictures. Some of them you may have seen before.
 
Here is my current centerpiece on my table. I change it alot but keeping it this way until Thanksgiving. I LOVE Longaberger and find anyway to put them around the house.
 
 
I put some pumpkins up on top of the kitchen cabinets. I have Longaberger baskets all around the top of the cabinets. We are really wanting to paint our kitchen and living room but still haven't found time. Hoping that will get done before Christmas :)
 
 
 
 
I found this really pretty "Give Thanks" picture frame from Hobby Lobby for 50% off. It isn't a good picture of it because of the bad glare on the fram but I love it! I put one of the boys fall pictures in it.
 
 
A small table in my kitchen. I love these new picture frames that I picked up from Walmart.
They look so rustic and country that almost look like acorns.
 
 
 
A little corner of the living room. I should probably put the jack o laterns up but just waiting to put it all up together.
 
 
 
My little indian girl. I love her, and so do the boys! I am surprised she is still in one piece. She gets beat up alot while they are waiting for me to finish getting dressed.
 
 
My mums and ferns really did good this year. I was so surprised!!
 
 
I am enjoying this last week of fall decor. I don't put out our Christmas until after Thanksgiving or near the 1st of December. I feel like it confuses the boys and I want them to know what Thanksgiving is and not get all wrapped up into the Christmas too early.
 
I am excited to decorate for Christmas but really trying to wait and enjoy our week of Thanksgiving.
We all have soo much to be thankful for!