Letting Life Happen

Finding perfection in the imperfection

2013-06-30T23:19:00.001-05:00

The past few days; even weeks seem to all have molded into a perpetual day. Not that I'm full on the calendar, but this sense of unrest; a dog chasing their own tail. I'm a believer in "to-do" list, written budgets & meal planning, but lately just finding the time to sit and write anything is truly an act of congress. My days were ending with that dull feeling of not really completing a task ... just a feeling of failed accomplishment. But, then I saw my sweet girls enjoying the early morning sun and it completely refreshed my thoughts.

I knew then that even when life feels blemished and flawed, that really its exactly how its suppose to be.

Beautifully flawed in the most perfect of imperfect ways.

I find that I routinely follow this cycle. I will knock out major task; clean out an abandoned closet & sweep the cob-webs out of the garage, but even when I've burned the "to-do" list a few days later I'm stuck again...and again.

So, I'm committed to breaking this cycle. Teaching my selfish butt just how gracious this life has been to me.

Everyday since this I've made it a point to sit & quiet my racing mind. Put some reins on this perfectionist drive & enjoy the ride, take deeper breaths & soak in the view.

I miss my weekly yoga classes for this very reason. It gave me a guaranteed hour of peaceful reflection with physical reinforcement. I ache to get back in the studio, but this shouldn't stop me from implementing home practice...let me add it to my to-do list:)

Love,

Shannon

Got Milk?

2013-06-15T22:09:00.001-05:00

It was a slow start to our Saturday, but in many respects thats the perfect way to tip-toe into your weekend, right?

I came across the documentary, "Food, Inc" {which if you haven't seen..you must}. And even though over the past year I've been becoming increasingly aware of just how conventional farming has lost all conviction. To watch it can be heart wrenching, even when you already know. We can debate GMOs, organic vs conventional & so forth, but the topic that I feel no one has the true right to argue is, animal rights {especially in the farming community}. We share this planet and like us all creatures deserve to be treated with dignity. Dignity in life as well in death. Honestly it breaks my heart to see just how heartless our industrial farming has become. Ok,ok I'll hush.

This journal wasn't suppose to be about animal rights, but in many ways it stirred the need to go & visit a local farm and love on some happy critters.

While we visited calves, goats & horses we went ahead & picked up a gallon of raw milk, 1/2 gallon of chocolate milk {Peyton's fave} & a dozen of free range eggs.

Peyton spent the night {along with her cousins} at Nana & Papa's house and Lee was spending the weekend at his father's, so it was just 3 of us, Dad, Piper & myself.

Piper loves feeding the baby goats & nahing with the horses. All three kids have this love for animals that almost comes instinctual for them. You know as parents we pray over our children constantly, let them find peace & self acceptance, have a compassionate heart, see beauty even when faced with adversity. You know what I mean, and then God allows us to see the fruits of those prayers & truly, it makes your soul smile. I hope they always carry compassion close within them.

We wrapped up our impromptu dairy visit & headed home with happy hearts & some great goodies. Piper took a afternoon snooze, I cleaned up a bit & Wes was able to veg out..pretty perfect.

Love,

Shannon

Breathing life...

2013-06-14T19:56:00.001-05:00

into this deserted blog..lol Its been just over a year since my last entry and I really feel a calling to revive this little corner of the web. Life has definitely been "happening" around here. Kids are growing, spreading wings & some are getting their feet wet in the early phase of young adulthood.

Peyton soared through Kindergarten this year & will begin her journey into her elementary years in 2013-2014. She really has bloomed in this past year & I am so happy we chose to delay her entry into the public school system {she's a early September baby}. In the past year she has matured and I really feel she can now adequately handle the challenges that will come {not all being bad either}.

The 2nd man in my life, Lee is entering high school for the 2013-2014 & this has me in a state of complete denial. Not only that Lee is 15 years old, but that I'm 34!! What?! I'm now in the "older mom" group. Its ironic in many ways. I started off as the youngest mom at PTO meetings, cub scouts & athletics ... and now here I am 34 years & having Piper {just turned 2 years old on June 13th} I find that I'm in the "older" crowd. How strange it is my friends. Wes is still working .. working & well working more. We've been blessed any many ways, but with these blessings sacrifices have been made as well. I just continue to be so thankful to have the ability to be home with my children. I can truly say without any hesitation I do not miss working. I know many stay-at-home-mom struggle with the limited "adult" conversation, but honestly I stay so busy & involved that I feel that that need is met, in friendships & in family. My sister & her little family has finally made the final trip back to Texas & this time they are staying. My brother-in-law does have one more deployment commitment with the Marines, but they chose to move Sabrina and the kiddos back home prior to him deploying. Its great having my baby sis home & being able to see my niece & nephew is incredible. A lot has change since that entry to this little blog...I've started running, going to gym, practicing yoga & making many small lifestyle changes. But, more importantly to mention is that I'm loving ever step of it! I hope to become better at vlogging & blogging about this whole journey & super excited to share it with anyone willing to listen..or read. Well, I have the cutest little two year old tugging at my toes so I better head off to get our night on the way. Hope this finds everyone well, happy & safe. Love, Shannon

I'm kind of obsessed with Instagram, so if you are too I'm @Shannonllh

Welcome Home Parade

2012-04-09T22:46:00.001-05:00

Oh, its been a very busy week & to say we're exhausted is truly an understatement, but its a good exhaustion {if that even exsists}.
This past Saturday, 4/7/12 Wes participated in the City of Houston's, "Welcome Home Veterans of the Iraq War" parade. Its was an awesome experience; not only for Wes but for Peyton as well. We invited Wes's brother, Brian and his wife, Melissa with their two boys; Jacob & Jackson to come share in the fun..and it turns out not only was it great to share in the fun, but they also helped me out TONS!

First off Wes {stressed about being late} had us there, parked & ready about 2 hours prior to the march even beginning..lol.

It was okay simply because I'd rather be the early birds than the laters. So, we're there & ready to get this party started. The kids were pumped, but unfortunately Jackson {5yro} was feeling a little crummy {eventually started running a fever;thank goodness Melissa had packed tylenol}. One of the awesome treats the Houston Astros {baseball} gave the participating Soldiers were tickets to that evenings game against the Colorado Rockies. It was a double +..parade, then a baseball game..now thats an awesome Saturday.

Before Wes headed off for formation to prepare for the march he handed out all of our tickets. And I had put Peyton & I's in my back pocket of my jeans {scared to stash them in my over stuffed diaper bag}. Me & the crew headed towards Minute Maid Park's entrance at Crawford {the troops would actually march directly into the park}. I sat Piper down & was getting things together to let her have some lunch & I happen to check my pocket and low & behold..tickets were GONE!

I of course stripped the diaper bag inside out, double checked pockets..looked around our immediate area..still no tickets!

Sister-in-law even double checked me just to be sure I wasn't missing anything...no tickets.
Of course I call Wes & tell him. His response.."oh, Shannon..here let me call you back".
It was kind of a damper on a great day, but what was done was done. I couldn't change it.
Few minutes later its was Wes saying he got 2 more tickets, but he was in formation for the march & I needed to head back to him.
And this is where Melissa saved my life..or least my afternoon.
Rather than me having to pack up kids, and head back up 6 blocks she went and got our tickets.
The parade was great & then we lined up to enter Minute Maid Park for the game.

They did an awesome job! A disabled vet was given a home {mortgage free}. Which was awesome to watch & we even got to see Maj. Gen. Wells throw the 1st pitch of the game.

All in all it was a day of great memories & we hope the parade continues in the future. Even if Wes doesn't participate every year we will definitely share it with the kids.

Oh, hello again...

2012-04-04T14:16:00.005-05:00

So, its been just about a month since I had popped in for a blog post, so I figured it was about time to update on a few things. Piper is a very active {almost} 10 month baby girl. Doing absolutely fantastic. Let the real adventures in parenting begin. Shes pushing her little walker along, crawling, climbing and tasting everything along her way. Easter is just around the corner & I really look forward to this holiday with the little ones. Lees' a bit old {14} to really get all gitty about a mysterious bunny sneaking into our living room and leaving a basket full of goodies, but hes definitely a good sport about it all & allows Peyton {and soon Piper} get the full experience.

We of course took our annual bluebonnet photos with the kids & it was gorgeous March morning. Every year I'm just so amazed at just how beautiful they are when they bloom along with the indian paint brushes. Just love Spring in our little town.

I don't have all of Piper's stats as of yet, but she will be going in for her 9 month "well baby" check {yep, at 10 months old} & I'll know more about length, weight & so on.
Our bathroom project is definitely a novel in the making. Its taking 4-EVA! I absolutely hate this, but honestly this past month has been a month of many plans, milestones and so on.
Wes opened up a 2nd location for his business so of course this is back to the 6 days a week from daylight till dark hours. So, this leaves me here to carry much of the home duties and of course that includes the bathroom. Much of the work that is needed are things that require uninturrupted time, but as we all can guess having a 14yro. {whose here, there & everywhere} a 5 year old {who wants to be here, there & everywhere} and a 10 months who is here, there & everywhere ALL THE TIME. This venture has been dragged out. But, my lovely father-in-law has been helping us tackle some of it & we are SOOOO grateful for his help {like, I don't think this would ever get accomplished without him..grateful}.

Apparently our camera now wants to make watermarks on all of our photos...awesome. But, as you can see the nook where the tub will be has been tiled & painted. We love it & it has turned out better than we pictured in our minds.

The old light fixtures {dated, dome light was here} have been replaced.

We had a horrible floral ceramic fixture above the vanity & as you can see that has also been replaced. Once all said & done we plan to also frame the mirror itself as well.

All the exterior cabinets & walls have been painted. Next is actually painting drawers & cabinet doors.

And after all projects are painted and reinstalled we have to peel the lenolium & strip,clean and then stain the concrete {sooo, not looking forward to that task, but I know it will tie the whole space together}. I've avoided purchasing towel wracks, decorations and so on till the entire room is complete. I really want to see the whole picture before filling the space.
Now, as for me...I'm just a woman in too many places at any given moment. Life has been very busy lately. Brother in law resently had a wedding, so we had bridal showers and so on {so worth it, love weddings}. Had birthday parties for friend's kiddos & including Lee turned 14 on the 30th of March! Can you believe that?! 14!! Its amazing..seriously..

This young man is just amazing to say the least. Being his mother has been such an honor & I look forward to what his future has to hold for him.

That day 14 years ago I felt like the world stood absolutely still just for the birth of this beautiful child. Outside of that hospital room the world could have been unraveling, but at 12:43pm that Monday in March my entire world was in that one single room. I love you, Lee. And I'm so grateful that I get to be your mom. Reach for the stars & enjoy the ride.

I hope to get back in the swing of things and keep on a better track record with keeping y'all {and myself} updated :) Hope this finds you all well!

Remembering Layla

2012-03-09T14:32:00.001-06:00

2 years ago today Layla Grace Marsh went to heaven after a valiant fight against Neuroblastoma stage IV. Please consider a contribution to the Layla Grace Childhood Cancer Research Foundation in her honor.

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Let there be light

2012-02-03T12:20:00.004-06:00

Really just wanted to come on & update on the progress with the bathroom. Its slowing down, but I'll settle for one "to do" comepleted per week. We're just about ready to paint the cabinets, but the prep is just dragging tail. Especially with Wes only being home once a week to help. My accomplishments are achieved in baby steps..literally. 10 minutes here; 10 minutes there, but I'm not being greedy. I look at it as if I am able to put in a solid 30 minutes into the room each day, well..thats a success. Piper has just been super clingy the past few weeks.

on a "family" note. Piper is mobile! Now, granted she hasn't mastered the beautiful "all 4s" crawl just yet, it looks more like an ape crawl..lol. And when all else fails she drags her body in the typical "army crawl" fashion:) Either way..its awesome watching her little mind put things together. But, with crawling comes frustrations. When she just can't seem to get her body to cooperate with her mind, she has found a yell that strikes the pit of your stomach. So, theres a lot of me saying, "now,now girlfriend..we don't need to yell like that". She looks at me as if she really wants to say, "yeah, right..whatever {ahhhhhh}".

Now, back to the bathroom. We purchased the light fixtures from Lowes yesterday. This was a tad-bit more difficult that I honestly expected. It can be overwhelming..seriously. Do you want feminine, scrolls, bars, basics, hidden and the lists goes on & on. I really didn't want to go very feminine since the color scheme is more "womanly". So, heres what we chose...

I promise that just as soon as we make some head way in the room I'll share some pictures. Its just been at a stand still for a while, but hopefully we'll make some more progress this Sunday {Superbowl...hmm, probably not..lol}

I {heart} you!

2012-02-01T15:34:00.000-06:00

I can not believe we are already tip-toeing into February 2012! I just seems like yesterday we brought Piper home from the hospital.

Today Peyton & I worked on some little handmade gifts to give to family for Valentine's day. We're still not quite finished, but so far they are turning out super cute. Now, granted this year Ms. Peyton has an opinion of her own & the days of me picking out colors for paint,paper and so on are long gone, but never-the-less she has done a great job. Now, all she'll need to do is place her John Hancock & then we're ready to pass them out. The only thing that kind of stinks is I dated them for the 14th & well we're only on the 1st..lol. Oh, well, at least I'm in the right month {-;

Piper will also be making her stamped cards as well, but this mama is going to wait till that little wiggle wart is sound asleep to get our stamp on. I can only imagine the rainbow of color we would achieve if tried to make these while she is awake.

Homemade Laundry Soap

2012-01-31T16:37:00.012-06:00

So, in my journey to reduce our exposure to harmful or at least unnecessary products I thought the first place I would begin was our choice in laundry detergents. In my mind this would be one of the simplist ways we can step into a healthier home. Typically I would use Surf or even Tide. And honestly I don't have many "bad" things to say about these products, except for the obvious reasons.

no.1
Packaging {one less item that is needing to be recycled, so often}
Yes, even with your homemade detergent you will have items to
recycle, but be mindful that you will only be using 1-2 tablespoons
for each load. Therefore, way, way less on the containers needing
to be recycled. Another plus {+} is that most of the items are in
cardboard containers, and easier on the recycling process.

no.2
This is way less harsh of a detergent. So, if you have family
members with sensitive skin, this is the way to go.

no.3
Less is more. Like I mentioned you'll only need to use 1-2
tablespoons {1/8 cup} per load. So, your homemade batch will
last FOREVER {In fact I plan to update as soon as I have to
make a new batch}

no.4
Less money spent for a product that last longer! And right
there..I'm sold. I actually had the Borax & Baking Soda on hand,
so I can't honestly quote an exact number, but I'm thinking for all
ingredients your looking at $12. or less.

Now, before I step off here & give you the magic ingredients for your laundry potion, I need to give credit where credit is due. In one of my late night Pinterest obsessions I found this recipe. You can visit "Being Creative To Keep My Sanity" if you would like as well. She has some awesome stuff on her blog. Definitely worth the time to check out.

Okay, back to your laundry soap...

So,simple...you will need...
A bucket {or something large to store the bulk of your laundry soap}
A trash bag {to put all ingredients in & to mix together}
1 - 4lbs. 12oz. box of Borax
1 - 1lb. box of Baking Soda
1 - 3lbs. container of Oxi-Clean
2 or 3 bars of Fels-Naptha heavy duty laundry bar soap {5.5oz. each}
1 - 3lb. 7oz box of Arm & Hammer All Natural Super Washing Soda

and there you have it!

You'll put your plastic bag into your bucket...

Then put all the ingredients into the plastic bag/trash bag. Now, the next step is you'll need to grate your Fels-Naptha soap bars. I used my cheese grater and it worked perfectly. Absolutely no worries about the shredded pieces being a little chunky. After you've grated the soap bars, run your hands under water & you will see that the slivers just melt away. This will also occur in your machine.

Now, put your shredded Fels-Naptha into your trash bag. Secure it somehow {I used a twisty-tie} and then mix together by swishing the bag around. You'll probably feel little balls of the Borax, just use your finger to break them up. I put some into a smaller container that I will keep on our laundry counter top with a 1/8 cup scoop {just makes it easier for the other humans in the house}.

Personally, I chose to only use 2 bars of the Fels-Naptha just because I was concerned that over time the soap would build up and actually cause "crunchy towel" syndrome {but, as of yet no problems}. I would love to hear if you've used a homemade recipe for laundry soap & how is it working out for you? Or if you had to switch things up a bit for the right recipe. Also, just a side note...supposively this is HE machine safe. I still have the ancient top loader, but others have said that its very low suds & HE safe.

xo, shannon

Holy toledo, Batman..we have progress!

2012-01-28T11:29:00.018-06:00

~~design & have bathroom tile complete~~

Over the course of 2 days, Wes & my father-in-law completed the Wainscoting tile work where the tub will be placed. This is exciting news! The only step thats needed to complete this task will be the sealant & then is officially checked off the "honey-do" list (:

I'm done stripping all the doors & drawers of the cabinetry in the bathroom, and next is the actual wood work & sanding everything to prep for paint. The color of the cabinets & wood work {base boards & doors} is going to be "Pale Bloom" {7002-8} by Valspar in a soft gloss finish {semi-gloss}

{Visit "Desirees Day Dreams.com"}

Now, the actual walls {other than the area where the tub will be} will be "Delicate Bliss" {7001-8} by Valspar in a satin {matte} finish.

{Visit "Color Buzz: Valspar Blog"}

And of course like I mentioned wall above the tiling will be Raspberry Wine {1009-9} by Valspar in satin finish as well (:

{Visit "Lowes" to see Valspar's line of paints}

And then after all painting is complete its the task of staining the concrete that is next..and oh, my I'm dreading the prep for that job. But, I know in the end its going to be exactly how we want it to be & it will be worth all the work.

I could use a little help in finding one main piece of art for the room {probably on the wall colored, Raspberry Wine}. I want something that has a little bit of a color pop, but also masculine, since I am having a more feminine color on the wall I don't want to totally make it "my bathroom"..lol. Any suggestions??

Rain,Rain..Can you stay??

2012-01-25T12:13:00.003-06:00

We're under a tornado warning & that's not necessarily welcomed...BUT the rain is desperately needed! Please let the sky stay open & fill our poor lake! Since the incrediably long drought this summer, water was taken from Lake Conroe to fill Lake Houston. So, combined with no rain it left our lake looking void & just sad to say the least. We love when heavy rains finally come our way, cause we know how badly its needed. Now, granted watching the sky swirl around with crazy colors its necessarily exciting, but watching that invaluable H2O fall is priceless.

Baby Girl Feeling Icky

2012-01-23T11:54:00.001-06:00

Last week Peyton had to deal with an outbreak of staph on her inner left thigh. It was terribly painful for her. It was our first experience with a staph infection, but from the get go you could tell this wasn't a normal boo-boo. So, off the the Doc we went & started her on Bactrim & now 7 days later it is all but a small red area. Then, while dealing with that she developed a nasty cough..no fever, just a congested cough. And now Miss Piper has this nasty cough, but it seems to really be bringing her down. Shes constantly rubbing her left ear, but doesn't seem to be a lot of pain. I went ahead & made an appointment for 1:00, just to have him listen to her & look her over. Peyton had pneumonia at 14 months & that was after being told it was viral for almost 2 weeks & then she begun retracting & just completely drained of energy. So, I just would rather be proactive & make sure Piper is ok.

So, we went to see Dr.Mac {incognito name}. Who of course listened, tickled & played with Piper. He looked in her ears, but at 1st couldn't get a good view of her left ear due to wax. So, he used the puffer on his otoscope to move the wax & he said he could finally see. He said it's red & "not moving". Dr.Mac hates rx'ing antibiotics in the 1st year of life due to the association with asthma, but he explained that if it was only red & mobile he would suspect drainage associated with a viral illness, but because it's non-mobile, red & she has fever, then it needs treatment with antibiotics. I'm a little disappointed, but I don't want my little one hurting or uncomfortable.

On a side note she's 21.8 lbs! She's an exact image of her sister. Dr. Mac even said that he wasn't even worried about it because of how lean Peyton is now {5 yro. 39lbs}.

Funny thing is all my babies are little chunkers & then I'm fighting to put weight on them later in life:)

Stripping {and of course its not our clothes}

2012-01-21T12:49:00.003-06:00

We've removed all the wallpaper. Patched up & leveled out the walls with wall mud. Sanded them all down & ready to get started on getting the tile set. Since we've decided to do the wainscoting tile work; painting is on the back burner till that is complete.

{ Danny Lipford Wainscoting Bathroom Tile }

We're still a little up in the air to which pattern we will choose with the wainscoting, but we are really leaning towards the left pattern with the mosaic tiles.

The color chart we are really trying to stay with is a classic, but earth tone affect. A friend of mine {Ana} really said it best, "a spa room feel". And thats really what we are trying to achieve. Relax, unwind, breath a little deeper with a tad of a vintage twist to it.

We've started pulling the cabinetry into the garage for stripping & have actually tried 3 different types of stripper to see which was the easiest & most effective with getting the job done. We really like the Jasco brand. It has a jelly consistancy & only took 2 applications to really get down to the wood.

So, the next step will be to really sand them smooth & get them prepped for painting. We are still moving forward with wanting to stain the concrete, but after looking at so, so many options we are going to wait till the tile & paint is complete to ultimately make the decision to which stain. We have to consider that this room as very limited natural light & don't want to turn it into a cave, but do want to make it a very soothing environment.

We've pulled the tub into the garage and Wes will be wet sanding it tomorrow & getting it prepped for the epoxy treament to refinish it. I'm really excited about that. Its been a LOT of prep work & will required loads more, but I'm so eager to see the finished product. The house is like a huge ash tray. I've had to dust probably at least every other day from all the sanding settling around the house. In fact that reminds me that I probably need to replace the AC filter just to help in keeping the air clear. Thank goodness the weather has been cooperative and we've been able to open doors & windows to allow circulation.

Its definitely going to be a process, but so worth it all!

The daily battle...

2012-01-18T15:41:00.002-06:00

CHORES.CLEANING.ORGANIZING CHAOS..lol
If there is one duty I totally want to rebel against as a full time mama is CLEANING. I have several friends and even family that have had maids that come in and clean once or twice a week {and yep, they are SAHMs too}. I used to think, "how crazy, you stay home, lose an income & yet still have a maid??" {maybe I was a bit envious} But, now all said and done I can completely understand to why they did or do.

If you ask me cleaning takes such a huge chunk of your day & in turn it takes away from spending time with the kids. And to be honest thats why I'm staying home in the first place. But, needless to say, "we all have to clean" at some point, whether we like it or not.

I'm all about finding solutions to making the daily grind a little simpler & absolutely love getting advice and suggestions {bring it on, I did 'em}.
I really like finding home solutions to help make the job easier and cheaper! Pinterest has been a great resource {here it comes to save the day }. I found out that mayo gets water rings out of wood. If you want to get pesky armpit stains out of white shirts just put in water on stove with lemon halves..and wa-lah!

So, what have you used & proven to be a more "natural" way of cleaning or even tricks that come straight from our pantries or refrigerator?

I want to hear about them...

Restored.Refinished.Renew

2012-01-16T17:55:00.002-06:00

As many of you already know I've begun the seemingly neverending renovation of our master bathroom. It is in desperate {DESPERATE} need of just a complete overhaul {que extreme home makeover...please}

The poor thing had powder blue doily patterned wallpaper..from floor boards to ceiling {whoa}. So, down the paper came.

We will not only be painting the whole stinking thing, but also refinishing the cabinetry, installing new light fixures..

And also we plan to stain the concrete. So, this means we will be pulling up the insanely ooogly laminate flooring.
We have a beautiful clawfoot bathtub, that we are going to refinish & actually paint the exterior of the actual bath.
Pinterest has been a HUGE help in finding the sources we need to really make this a successful DIY project, but never-the-less its going to be a whole lot of work.
In the mean time I still have to love, nurture & of course feed these little humans that call me, "mom" {seriously, kidding..well, maybe not..lol}
This will be a project in the making for probably a month, but I'm super excited to see the finished product. This is one room I've wanted to tackle for about a year now. Next on the "honey do list" is the kitchen. There too we have a border along the ceiling and a light fixture that probably dates older than me :)

Embraced moments...

2012-01-14T10:54:00.003-06:00

I'm a horrible vlogger, blogger and anything else that is "ogger" related at this point. I definitely still lurk in the dark corners of the web & check on all of my favorite blogs & vloggers, but I've just been a complete slacker on mine. That can pretty much sum up my personality though. I completely over commit myself..lol.
#1 thing that has kept me over stimulated & over committed:
I've started to tear apart our master bathroom. Everyday as I got ready in my powder blue doily patterned wallpapered bathroom, I would say, "someday I'm going to make this an oasis, not a nursing home". Well, "someday" is here & OH MY GRAVY this is a project. Especially when we are a penny pinching family. So, can we all say in unison, "DIY"?
I've actually got all the wallpaper down & have applied the wall mud to smooth out all the creases left from the razor that they used to trim the paper itself & of course the nail holes left. On that note, let me say a huge "THANK YOU" to Pinterest .. you've made this project much, much easier! Chair railing has been removed, so today I will will to sand down the wall mud & next step I am removing the quarter round from the base boards since we are planning to stain the concrete {removing laminate..ugly egg shell, basic square laminate}.

On a lighter note I was looking over my "to do" list for today; when I left it on my laptop to get little miss P up from her morning nap & I returned to such sweet little note from my sweet Peyton. Peyton is 5yro. going on 13yro. This little girl is a quick witted, sometimes too smart for her own good firecracker. She is definitely the cause of many grey hairs {but I forgive her}. She keeps me on my toes & has proved to me time & time again; that you can't parent each child the same even within the same household. She requires extreme patience, perseverance & consistancy. She is a master of finding a weakness and utilizing it to its full potential {arn't most kids??}. Point in case...if she knows that I am destracted {talking with someone on the phone or even if someone is over visiting}. She will push the limits to exactly what she can get away with. I was visiting with a friend at our front door that had come to pick up some cloth diapers she had bought from me. Peyton started shutting the door ever so gently on me saying, "mom, its cold we need to shut the door". 1st attempt: "Peyton, if your cold you can move away from the front door and go play in your room". FAIL. Peyton: "mom, its too cold, we need to shut the door" At this point I'm trying to talk to my friend & at the same time ignore this ever persistant bumping of the front door on my heels. I turned around, {2nd attempt} "Peyton, you need to stop being rude & go to your room". Then its the lovely, "No, I'm not" response that we all just adore, especially in front of guest. My response, "Missy, your not going to tell me "no". If you want to stay out here, then stop shutting the door. And if your cold you need to go play in your room. Thank goodness we all have our own space". I get the beautiful smirked face & she finally stops. The fact is with Peyton..she knows that when mom is destracted this is where I'm going to push & push just to see how much I can get away with. But, on the same note she can be the sweetest, most compassionate little girl. Shes just a determined little girl trying to find her place in this big world.

So, when I come aross things like this little note...

I know that even through the winds of parenting..and during the days that you feel like you've reached a road block with these little humans..they are just tip toeing into an ocean of crazy emotions & overwhelming freedom. But, through it all...she loves this nutty mama. And God knows I love her every millimeter from here to the moon.

The Breakdown

2011-12-30T09:42:00.002-06:00

I love the day we climb into our attic & pull down all the tupperware bins that contain all of our Christmas goodies, but ironically enough I love when we creep closer to the new year & I have to pull the bins back down & pack away everything for the next year. I love seeing cleared off spaces & really love just how much easier the weekly task of dusting becomes again..lol.

This year I really hit up the thrift stores in hopes to finding storage containers for ornaments and such..and well, I DID! And I'm completely stoked about it. I can finally toss the numerous containers & have 1 bin to drag out each year {pom-poms quickly russling together}.

Lee is with his Dad till Sunday evening..and I honestly can't wait for him to get back. I miss the kid. You know I remember the first holiday I had to split with his father {he was 4yro} & it was terrible. I remember just the simple act of waking up without my little man in the house, just broke my heart. I remember inviting my girl friends over to spend the night with me or even I remember one year inviting my neighbors {single dad with his 3 sons} for a camp out in my living room just so I wasn't alone..lol. I have to wonder how in the world I would have ever survived as a single, childless young woman. I would have adopted way too many pets thats for sure..lol. But, now here we are Lee is 13yro. and I still find myself missing him like crazy. I've been blessed with such a great relationship with him & I only hope it continues to grow as he turns into a young man. These upcoming years really make me nervous. This is where Lee will more than likely be exposed to drugs, sex and major peer pressure. I just hope he shines through the pressures & sees that his life is worth way, way more than any of those things can provide. Lee & I have a very open relationship. I've always tried to keep communication open, honest and true for him. Now, don't get me wrong there are times where I have to drag the story out of him, but I just don't let him get away wih the rolled eyes that say, "mom, you just wouldn't understand". Sometimes I will just say it how I know they would say it. For example. I bluntly asked him if any of his friends have had sex. Yes, people our kids are being exposed to sexual behavior even at 11!!!! We can't put ourselves into a box & believe, "oh thats not happening at my kid's school". I have too many friends that are middle school & jr. high teachers and guess what...it is! So, back to the question. I immediately got the look of "how gross, mom. Even if they were I'm not going to tell you". And then he says, "gahh, mom..no..". Well, this answer doesn't end this discussion by far. So, I said. If they aren't having sex have they talked about having sex? "Oh, mommmmm,ok,ok, they say they can't wait to have sex & there are a few girls that they talk about". Now, I want to see what group of friends are we talking about here. Is half of football practice about girls?? {kind of saying it laughing", "no, the guys are pretty serious about football". Then of course I want to know about Cross Country. I bet the boys on your cross country team have a hard time watching their mouths at a run since its co-ed. "Nope, we're freaking exhausted and focused on the run". So, now I know its strickly kids in class that are making the comments. Which gives me a little more peace simply because these are boys he doesn't "hangs" out with a whole lot. I then just ask him, "are you curious about sex, Lee". And then I was shocked he really let it just pour out. "Mom, I look forward to falling in love with someone one day, but I really do want to be married first, then experience that with her." He has been LISTENING!! I don't live in a ignorant bubble and I'm sure he will waver in his choices, but I hope he comes back to the root of it all.
"Mom, I have dreams I first want to accomplish, I want to go to college, meet that person & then build a life for us". At this point I have that proud parent moment. My heart smiles. And I say to him, "Lee I want you to love yourself first & then at which you'll be able to love someone else beyond all bounderies. Its natural to be curious about sex, and God designed it to be a beautiful & great thing that all of us should share with our husband or wives."

Now, I will have to visit this blog once Lee turns 18yro. & we'll see how his journey in this world is going. The world is a very big & sometimes very scarey place. I just hope my babies make-it through & see the beauty it all has to offer.

Tis the season..

2011-12-03T23:12:00.004-06:00

I don't know about you, but I absolutely love Christmas. I love the decorations, smells and the feeling of this very special holiday. We celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus Christ, but our children also enjoy the traditions of Santa Clause & I just love watching them get wrapped into the holiday spirit. Wes became all super dad on us & decided that this year he would put lights along the roof of the house. We went to hobby lobby, got the big bulb light strands, roof clips & off he went. Now, about 3hrs ago we went to plug them in and wa-lah..no light extravaganza..lol. Poor guy. Come to find out with this particular brand {GE} you can only attach 2 strands of lights to each other then at which they have to have their own power cord to plug in. So, with 13 strands of lights we are going to need 6 extension cords..fun:)

But, we have the tree up & decorated, mantle has my little snow village set-up & just over all little here & there knick-knacks are placed around the house. Loving it.

Now, just for some random family updates here we go...
Took Piper in for her second round of 4 month shots {shes currently going on 6monhts, we opted to do delayed immunizations}. The HiB injection really bugged her. Her little thigh has a little red knot & she did run a low grade temp yesterday, but today seems to be doing much better. Lee went in for his 2nd immunization of the Guardisil {HPV} vaccine & seems to be doing just fine. Lee will have allergy testing this coming Monday, 12/5/11 for foods & evironmental. Now, his prior blood work came back all normal, which ruled out all the scarey things, i.e. celiacs disease & even leukemia and such, so at least we know Lee is healthy. But, because of his lack of weight gain & some other issues Lee is having his Dr. truly feels like there is something going on with Lee's digestion, so 1st on the list to rule out is allergies. Since Peyton has such a strong history of food allergies he feels that this is the most logical step for us to look into. Poor kid, I really hope everything checks out & Lee is just a lean teenager. {I've posted a video vlog on YT of Lee's testing day} I did ask the Dr. since we do not eat lots of red meats & try to stick with lean meats & non processed foods could this be a reason, but since Lee's labs all reflected so well balanced he feels that Lee is truly getting everything he needs nutrition wise, just maybe increase carbohydrates, i.e. pasta. Carbs could help Lee gain more weight. If this entry is riddled with typos I'm apologizing now. I'm absolutely exhausted, but I really just wanted to get down a lot of things that are going on right now.

I have my pre-op lab work this coming Monday for my upcoming surgery, hysterectomy on 12/7/11. I went to my pre-op appointment with my OB/GYN & he said that hes going to try to keep both of my ovaries intact..to be continued

{continued on Dec. 16th 2011}
Holy cow I have neglected this blog entry..lol. So. lots have happened. Heres a quick run through. Lee had his testing done {check out my YT channel for updated vlogs} & the kid is allergic to so many things it threw me for a loop. I guess I will go through the actual list, rather than trying to remember it all & missing something...
{Weeds}, pretty much every single one but, his highest reaction was to Ragweed. {Grasses} same as weeds, all, but his highest reaction was to Yellow Dock, {Trees} highest reaction was to Mesquite, White Pine, Privet, American Sycamore & Candida {totally crazy question..I know, but is that marajana?..if so thats great..lol}, {Molds} highest reactions were to Aspergillus,Cephalosporium,Helminthlosporium,Hormodendrum,Penicillium,Grass Smut, & Grain Smut, {Household} his highest reactions were to dust mite, cockroaches, and cat dander, tobacco (I absolutely am thrilled that he is allergic to tobacco..lol), Soybean, Strawberries & Tomato. Now, what I considered to be a "high reaction" are level 5 or higher. So, these are things that he definitely needs to try an avoid. Now, granted we can't escape air, but we are going to try a different oral antihistamine {Xyzal} and see if this helps him. And of course it goes without saying to avoid the foods.

{to be continued..have to get these little goober faces ready for a Dr.'s appointment.}
{continued on 12/20/11}
So, I desperately need to wrap up this blog entry. We are going to try 1st an oral antihistamines to cover all the environmental allergens & just see how this goes. Overall hes doing much better & I truly hope it only continues. The true test will be that his headaches start to subside.
Now, as for me this is day 13 post hysterectomy for me & I'm feeling wonderful. The incisions more so feel like just surface bruises & there is absolutely no internal pain {other than if Piper gives me a good old 1-2 kick during diaper changes}. So, all is well with the Hall household.

{and now we can finally end this blog...wow}

Birthday, Turkey & Madness

2011-11-26T00:39:00.003-06:00
Well, the 23rd marked my 33rd birthday. Just saying, "yes, I'm 33 years old" just doesn't sound natural, but whether or not its natural, its true. Hitting 30 never even affected me, but something about creeping on 35 is just a tad bit unsettling. Wes worked & Lee is spending this Thanksgiving with his dad, so it was just me & the girls. It was a typical day in the Hall household. That evening Wes gets in from his day at work & he had the devestating news that his business had been broken into during the night. Computers were stolen & they just really tore up the place. They tossed a concrete block through the window, the alarm system did notify the police but in the matter of 7 minutes they were able to remove 3 computers & a fax machine. Just mind blowing...thank GOODNESS for insurance, but the heartbreak & stress is just so much worse than the actual crime. I just wish people realized who they are stealing from. We're just an average everyday American family, making it day by day. Our employees make more in their paychecks than we get to bring home for ourselves, we live without our husband, dad on holidays & even weekends at times. So, in otherwords your not stealing from a millionaire, thats on vacation in the carribean..we're just like you, making it day by day. Wes was so upset he wanted to set-up a cot and post up for the night with a rifle & see if they were going to return during the holiday break. After a very intense conversation about is it ethical to take someone's life over thievery...he realized that the wound didn't just hurt his wallet, but also his pride. These people invaded his space that he has worked so hard on for the past two years...how dare they do this.

So, that was the 23rd.."happy birthday to me" {sarcastic grin} & then the 24th was Thanksgiving & it was a great day. We headed to my sister-in-law's home for our Thanksgiving feast..and it was great. Piper did fantastic & even snuggled up with Nana for a 2hr. nap. There is just something about her Nana that just puts that baby girl in a coma & she'll sleep ... well, like a baby. Its just amazing. We stuffed ourselves on turkey, sweet potatoe pie, stuffing, green beans, sausage & desserts that just make my mouth drool now as I type it...it was a day of yumminess and thankfulness.

So, after Peyton got her fill of running wild with her cousins, we loaded up & headed home. Piper is slowly accepting her relationship with her carseat. I love it when Wes drives cause I can sit back with her & it just makes for a much better ride. Now, when I'm driving alone with the kids..there are two songs that hypnotize Piper. "Happy Birthday" & "You are my Sunshine" .. she just absolutely loves these two songs. Now, of course I add my own spin to them, but its enough to keep her occupied. I really want to get a mirror to be able to see her face. I've never had one with the others kids, but with Piper shes a very visual baby & extremely attached to this mama, so I think this will be good for both of us:)

We finally get home, get bathed & have put Piper down .. when I get a text from one of my girl friends who is heading out for black friday sales & wanted to know where I was heading. Well, I wasn't planning to go out simply because I was pooped. I was all snuggled up in my flannel pj's and was looking forward to vegging out in front of the t.v, but she got me stirred up so I headed out. Now, I've avoided Walmart for the past year and a half {personal decision}, but on Black Friday they really do have amazing deals. As I drove up to the parking lot my jaw just dropped...holy cow there was at least 300 cars in the parking lot. It was mind blowing. I finally found a spot and headed in. It was a mass feeding frezy of insanity in there. People had there babies, and small children..and cursing like sailors at one another..it really was disturbing. I just kind of walked around in a state of aww. I picked up two items. The Magic Globe by crayola and a Fur Real Pet {cat}. I was outta there. Then I headed to Kohl's {secret addiction}. Now, I got in the parking lot about 11:30 and there was at least 200 people in line waiting for the doors to open at midnight. So, I got my crazy tail out of my warm van and stool in line. It moved quickly once the doors open, so it wasn't terrible. Now, at Kohls I did a little more shopping. Got Lee & the girls some clothes, Peyton a sewing machine, digital camera, barbie and horse, some playskool toys for Piper. I ended up saving $225. and paid $164.. It wasn't a bad night at all. The only things I really need are a flat screen TV for Lee's room, of course he wants gift cards {hes a teenager & I no longer pick out "cool" things}. I still need stocking stuffers, but for the most part I really took a big chunk out of my Christmas shopping, so I'm pretty excited about that.

Okay, now that I've completely rambled on I'm going to sign off for now. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving & I would love to hear your experiences with Black Friday sales. Did y'all find any amazing deals out there??

Do you wish "away" your days?

2011-11-06T10:39:00.001-06:00
Four years ago I graduated from nursing school and began my first job at hospital in Lawton, Oklahoma. Wes was still active duty Army at that time & this hospital was located very close to our home on post. I LOVED THIS JOB!
As a new L.V.N it was a rare occurrence for a new graduate to get accepted onto a surgical short stay unit..needless to say I was blessed. But,from all that I learned and saw on that floor the one single most memorable moment never involved a patient. Nancy {an R.N that trained me}was an amazing person. She was the image of a nurse that we all would {or should} strive to become. She was knowledgeable, compassionate and believed we were making a difference. One day in particular we had a full surgical schedule, by 7am I had started approx. 22 I.Vs, recovered 10 patients from surgery & admitted 7 to the floor for overnight stays. It was a crazy morning. And on my "drive by" of the nurses station I whispered, "I just can't wait for this day to be over". She smiled a half cracked smile & we crossed paths and went on with our insanity. At lunch we sat down to shovel down some popcorn and a soda and she said, "Shannon, why is it that we wish away our days", "we're blessed to be here for this craziness, and this day will come to an end", "so, enjoy it for all that it has to offer".

This stuck with me...never have forgotten it. Its something that has burrowed its way deep in my heart & mind. Even on my worst days..moments..I truly try to avoid wishing away my days.

So, during this month of "thankfulness" I just want to thank, Nancy. You opened a door that can never be locked. You truly showed me a random act of kindness. It didn't call for you to purchase a coffee for me or allow me to check-out before you in a grocery store. It was way,way more than that. It was giving me the truth. Giving someone "truth" is beyond any material gift.

Thank you, "Ms.Nancy"..you will hold a very special spot in my heart & will be a apart of the stories I will use to teach my own children.

Happy Halloween, Folks!

2011-10-28T23:54:00.002-05:00

I love Halloween for so many different reasons. From the orange pumpkins, to the over all feeling of Fall to the first chill in weather {which comes very late for us, Texas natives}. I wish everyone happy pumpkin carving memories and a very safe night of trick or treating with your little ones. I know we sure are looking forward to our evening of spooks and treats!

No tricks here..

2011-10-14T17:04:00.004-05:00

but we do have some pretty cute treats:)

I've owned a Singer {model #4206} since this past Christmas {yes, almost been a year}. I've done some very safe sewing on it, but I've been terribly intimidated by this amazing piece of crafty machinary. So, the time came for me to just take off the floaties and start using this bad boy. My very first project was to create the girl's halloween costumes. I barely can read a pattern and google was my best friend for about 3 hours as I looked up terms and such. But, with a little help from my friends {gotta love my Joe Cocker plug there} I made it through & I'm little school girl gitty that I've made my girl's costumes. Especially since this is Piper's 1st halloween its a memory I will cheerish. So, in this house this trick or treating season we will have the most adorable little cat & the most precious little red riding hood this neck of the woods has ever seen.

I'd love to hear your first project with sewing? Were you wanting to shout from the roof tops, "look at me, look at me..I am crafty!" {cause I sure did!}

Just wanna eat 'er up:)

2011-10-12T15:38:00.002-05:00

Well, time flies and babies grow..how sad is that?! I just want to keep my sweet Piper as my little precious baby girl FOREVER! I think having a 13 year old and a 5 year old puts into perspective to just how quickly they grow up on us. I just love them at this age. So, sweet & everything is new and exciting and you just can't help but smile when they discover their little toes and the perpetual river of drool that runs down their chubby lil'chins. I love every ounce of this little june bug.

{happy 16 weeks piper jane-lee}

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Click here to visit Stephanie at Rustic Reflections Photography

Win a complete homeschooling curriculum!

2011-10-11T20:09:00.001-05:00
What an opportunity for both a homeschooling mama or a even if your children attend an out of home education program! I don't know about you, but anything to help ME help THEM is a definit plus!! Please visit Mothering.com's blog enter. Giveaway closes on October 14th 2011.

Click here to visit Mothering.com's Blog for the Homeschooling Curriulum Giveaway!

Yay! For Play Clay

2011-10-11T13:45:00.011-05:00
After purchasing Mama K's Play Clay {and loving it} I was determined to find out how to create our own & I think I've got it:)

Ingredients...
1 cup of all purpose flour {I used Private Selection Organic Unbleached All-Purpose}
1 cup of h2o {I used straight from my tap:}
1/2 cup salt {I used Morton Coarse Kosher Salt}
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil {I used Spectrum organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil}
2 tablespoons of cream of tartar {I used McCormick Cream of Tartar}
1/4 teaspoon of gel food coloring {I used Betty Crocker Neon Pink Gel Food Colors}

Kitchen tools needed...
pan
wisk
wooden spoon
floured surface for kneading
plastic wrap or sealed container for storage

Method...
Place all ingredients into your pan and wisk well together.
Put the pan on med/high heat and continuously stir as the clay thickens {this will take anywhere from 2-4 minutes}. It won't look much like "playdoh" at this point, but once it gets thick its time to pull off the oven.
Place your HOT clay onto your floured surface {it will be very sticky at this stage..no worries} and allow it to cool for a few minutes before beginning to knead.
When you begin kneading work in some of the flour from the surface your working on. It should start feeling more like clay/playdoh {the stickyness should no longer be an issue} it should be pliable.
Remove from your floured surface and continue to knead.
~Let the Clay Fun Begin!~

I did record a "howto" vlog on this and my dumbie butt deleted it. Its called I had a baby in my lap and was trigger happy with that delete button...lol.

Hope you have fun clay dates with your little ones :)