The Wise House

2014

2014-01-09T12:32:00.001-05:00

Where to begin?

I have been on quite the blogging hiatus for the past few months. No real reason other than life is busy with a three year old, a husband, work, a house to clean and of course lots of other things like family, friends and the holidays. All good things, but all things that take up lots of my time.

I so love to come here to write and share pictures, if for no other reason than I love to come back and look at my blog to see what we were up to during this time in our lives. So here's to hoping I can find a few free moments here and there to update this here blog :)

And no post is complete without a few pictures of my Sweet but Sassy girl!

She LOVES Grandma Linda's cat Mitsy :)

Always such a lady!

And the poor thing has no personality at all, wink wink!

Happy Thursday!

Emma Kate {3.5... well almost}

2013-09-17T11:00:00.000-04:00

So I realized it has been way too long since I have done an update on Miss Emma Kate so here it goes...

Dear Emma Kate,

You are almost three and a half years old and I really cannot tell you were the time has gone. You are growing and changing so much every day!

You are in LOVE with Gymnastics!

You love going to school and you get so excited about doing your homework.

You are NOT a morning person but if we can just get you out of the bed and get you ready then we are good to go :)

You are still a very picky eater. The list of things you like to eat seems to get smaller by the day but I am hoping (and praying) that one day you will eat a vegetable again!

You are a "Daddy's Girl" all the way! You get so excited when your daddy gets home from work and never let him far out of your sight :)

Your favorite show right now is Doc McStuffins. As a result you love to play Doctor and you are constantly giving your Daddy and I a little "check-up".

You may be the only 3 year old I know who likes to pull up YouTube so you can watch and sing along to country music videos. Your favorite songs right now are "Wagon Wheel" by Darius Rucker and "That's My Kinda Night" but Luke Bryan.

You are also a great little dancer, especially when you "shake it" in the car! :)

You love to help Mommy and Daddy in the kitchen. You are great at making pancakes :)

You are still very strong willed, stubborn and determined. I know you will use these characteristics to take you far in life.

You make our days brighter, our smiles bigger, our laughs louder and on some days you make our hair just a little grayer! Honestly, we just don't know what we would do with out you! We love you so much and can't wait to see how much you grow and change in the coming years :)

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Wednesday Randoms and a Good Read

2013-08-21T12:33:00.000-04:00

1. EK is still loving her new class at school. We were expecting it to take her a few weeks to adjust to her new room and teachers but she just jumped right and went with the flow. One great thing is that she has been with most of these kids since she was in the baby room. I love the little friendships she has formed and I love that she gives them all a big hug goodbye when we pick her up in the afternoons. It makes it so much easier to leave your child for the day when you know they are happy :)

EK's first "real" homework assignment!

I know! Homework at age 3!

She was definitely more interested in coloring than in writing her letters, ha!

2. We kept Reesie for Hannah last weekend and I am pretty sure he was praying his mommy would come pick him up right this second! EK would NOT leave him alone. She wanted to pet him, wrap him in a blanket and be his BFF. Reesie on the other hand just wanted to be left alone, haha! At least he was a good sport about it :)

3. EK and I went to the grocery store last Saturday. As we were getting out of the car she insisted on bringing her baby doll in with us. She told me, "Mommy, my baby has to wear her diaper so no one will smell her booty!". I just don't even know where they come up with this stuff, ha!

4. She seriously needs to stop growing up so fast!

5. I wanted to share this post by Blue Eyed Bride for all of you moms out there who, like me, can beat themselves up for not being the "perfect" mom. If only we could give ourselves the same amount of grace that we give to others... We should all be a little less hard on ourselves.

6. Our baby chicks aren't really babies anymore... they are HUGE!

And they officially gave us our first little egg this past Monday!

EK was so excited and since then they have laid one more egg! Michael seems to think Princess is the one laying the eggs right now, but hopefully they will all be laying on a regular basis soon.

Hope y'all have a Happy Hump Day!

I just can't get enough of this silly commercial! Haha!

Beach Pictures....Finally!

2013-08-18T08:55:00.002-04:00

The last week of July we were able to enjoy a lovely Beach Trip with Michael's family. To me, the beach is like my second home. I could move there tomorrow and never look back. I love the slower pace of life, the sun and the sand... OK, well maybe not the sand so much but you get the point :) We have like a million pictures between mine and Amanda's cameras so I am just going to share ~~a lot~~ a few of my favorites from the week.

Thursday Randoms

2013-08-15T12:22:00.000-04:00

1. I still plan on sharing our beach trip pictures however I just can't seem to find the time at night to upload all of the pictures I want to share. Granted I can find time to play a game on my phone or watch a TV show but can't find time to load pictures or get my laundry done. I'm all about putting priorities first at my house... ha! This is my fave pic of EK though :)

Doesn't she look so sweet and innocent?

2. Can we talk about this glorious weather we woke up to this morning?!?! It actually feels like football season y'all! It was 63 degrees when I woke up and for the first time in a while I didn't break out into a sweat while blow drying my hair. It's the little things in life that bring me joy...

I'm thinking I need to move somewhere that is stays 70 degrees year round!

3. We have pretty much entered Fall and I am realizing that I somehow managed to put off "Spring Cleaning" all summer long. { Who am I kidding? Spring cleaning isn't really in my vocabulary.} Looks like I have my work cut out for me around here. I should be ashamed to let people come over with the amount of dust on my window sills... But lets be honest, I'm really not. I'm just sad that I will more than likely be spending this Saturday dusting every surface in my house and washing couch cushions... If anyone knows of a housekeeper who is reasonable please give me their number!! And by reasonable, I mean free ;)

4. EK is still loving Gymnastics and as of last night we turned a huge corner. It was the first time we have left gymnastics without her having a major meltdown while screaming "I DON'T WANNA GO HOME!". I am sure all the other parents have been wondering to themselves just what horrible parents we could be that our child didn't want to go home that bad! I am happy to say that last night was much less stressful and I am actually looking forward to taking her back next week. Now if we can just get her to stop talking while the teacher is talking we will be set :)

I could just eat her up!

Sorry for the bad iphone pic!

5. This pretty much sums up what a lucky girl I am to have such good friends in my life :)

6. So my friend Meghan made this Crescent Chicken a while back and had us over for dinner. It was delicious!!! I finally made it myself the other week and again it did not disappoint. SO yummy!

7. And last but not least I had to share this picture Michael sent me the other week of EK before they went to run some errands. As you can tell, she dressed herself :)

It's not easy being a Princess you know!

Happy Friday Eve!

Just a little reminder to us all...

2013-08-13T05:26:00.000-04:00

Via

3K

2013-08-12T12:35:00.000-04:00

Each day EK turns into more of a big girl and less of a baby. She is growing up so fast! Some days I want her to stay this age forever, and some days I want her to just be four so we can get away from "the three's!!", haha!

My sweet and sassy girl started her new class at school today. She is now in the 3 year old class and I couldn't be more proud of her! She is learning so much and reminds me every day that she is a "big girl" now. {except for those days she asks me to sit in the rocking chair and "wock me like a baby mommy"... And well, that just melts my heart :)

First Day of 3K!

Last night I asked EK what she wanted to be when she grew up. She said, "I wanna be a duckter". I smiled and told her it would be so great to be a Doctor. "No mommy, I wanna be a duckter!". I replied, "Yes, EK, you want to be a Doctor!". To which she said, "NO! A Duckter on da twain!". Michael and I just died laughing because we finally figured out what she was trying to say, a Conductor!! I think someone has been watching a little too much Thomas the Train :)

But by all means, if she wants to be a conductor, then we say go for it!!

I'm just glad we still have quite a few years before this little girl will be going anywhere!

I pray she has a wonderful year and learns so much :)

P.S. I have lots to catch up on so check back later this week for beach pics!

Quotable Tuesday

2013-07-23T06:18:00.000-04:00

Monday Randoms

2013-07-22T12:32:00.000-04:00

1. I've gotten into a bad habit of sharing pics on Facebook and Instagram and not sharing them on the blog. I like to put all of my favorite pics on the blog as well so when I eventually print my blog out by the years they will all be in one place. Unfortunately for those of you who follow me on social networks this means you have to see these pictures twice.

2. EK has really loved helping with the garden this year. Unfortunately we have had SO much rain that a lot of our plants have died. At least we were able to enjoy a few of each vegetable so far this summer :)

3. EK's school had their annual parade for July 4th. They made these cute T-Shirts and marched around the school. She really enjoyed the face painting and the big jump houses.

That afternoon when I picked her up we both went for hair cuts and some color for me of course. I had our hair lady cut hers in a cute little bob and it has really made her hair look so much healthier. It has also cut down on the crying and screaming in the mornings when the brush comes out.

** Don't look at the mess on my counter tops! I swear I clean them off on the weekends but by mid week you just never know what will have found it's way to cluttering up my kitchen!**

4. And what's July 4th without a few frozen drinks??

5. I don't know about you but one of my guilty pleasures in life is getting an ICEE and a popcorn when we go to Target. To be honest it's kind of essential to surviving a trip to Target with a 3 year old. Sometimes I even share a little with EK... I'm kidding, I always share :)

6. July 4th we enjoyed some time at the lake with friends and EK was in heaven as usual. Saturday night we went back to the lake to visit some other friends and one of the guys had his guitar with him. EK's favorite song right now is Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker. When I say it's her favorite song I mean that she thinks that is the only song that should ever play on the radio, ha! Needless to say when she found out he could sing that song she was smitten! Michael and I think we may have a music groupie on our hands!

7. Here is the last picture of the Sunflower before the head got so heavy it drooped over! Last measure was around 9ft tall! The rest of the garden may have died off but this sunflower definitely benefited from all the rain :)

EK told us the other week she wanted a pink sunflower... I told her she needed to take up that request with mother nature :)

8. So I am a lover of most everything that has seafood in it and my new favorite thing is Shrimp Salad. I had the best Shrimp Salad sandwich in Charleston the other week and I have been craving this stuff ever since then! So I decided I would try to make a batch myself and it turned our pretty darn good :) It's really simple... just some boiled shrimp, mayo, celery, red onion and some salt and pepper to taste. I think I could eat it everyday!

9. Speaking of the garden... this is what it looked like the other week after a wind and rain storm. To say Michael was upset is an understatement. First it was a raccoon stealing the corn and then it was the wind. Luckily Michael was able to tie the corn back up to our fence and we have been able to enjoy a few ears so far.

10. Last week I entered the final year of my twenties. We had a very low key weekend and celebrated with some brunch and cheesecake. EK was a little disappointed after we left brunch. She kept saying, " I tought we was going to yo Burfday Party??". I had to explain to her numerous times that when you get old this is about as good as it gets, haha! I am pretty sure she though my birthday stunk! And to think I really enjoyed it, ha!

When I came into work on Monday my co-workers had decorated my cube and brought in Chicken-Mini's for breakfast :) Y'all don't be jealous of my penthouse office with a view now, hee hee!

11. EK has a rough life doesn't she?

12. Last week I kept these cuties for their mom and dad to go out. I got a little taste of what it would be like to be a Mama to three and I must say I don't know how you moms out there do it. At least 2 of these children actually listened to me... I will let you guess which one did not, ha!

We went to Chick-Fil-A to eat and play on the playground and then it was home to roll down the hill. Oh, to be a kid again!

13. The Yearta's had us over for supper the other night and we had so much fun catching up and watching the girls play. Lindsay made and amazing meal and the girls had a blast playing dress up. Aren't these two just the prettiest princesses you've ever seen?

14. I love walking into EK's room in the mornings to see where she has ended up. (You know, on the mornings that she has actually stayed in her bed all night, ha!) She is always all over the bed!

15. I feel so blessed to call these two sweeties mine :)

16. For some reason EK thought she didn't have to take naps this past weekend. I don't mind her not taking a nap if that means she will go to bed at a decent hour but that's never how it works out. She wants to stay up until some ungodly hour because she is so delirious and overtired and we all end up being crabby with each other due to lack of sleep. So yesterday I put her in the car and drove around for about 10 minutes and she was out.

The bad thing about a late nap though is that she ~~wouldn't~~ didn't wake up until 8:45pm. She ate a pancake and drank some milk on the couch and then wanted to stay up until 10:30... The only plus to all of this was she was extra chipper when she woke up this morning which is not the norm at all. Hey, Ya win some. Ya lose some.

17. And just a little quote I found on Pinterest to start your week.

Happy Monday!

Open Shelving In The Kitchen {DIY}

2013-07-11T12:25:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that I am addicted to Pinterest. At least once a day (if not more) I will use the Pinterest App on my phone to save the millions of recipes, ideas and projects I would love to try out one day. I love to use this website as inspiration for myself and for my home. The only problem is I don't have unlimited time and money to complete all of these projects, ha!

One of the things I have been eyeing for quite some time on Pinterest as well as in "Blog-land" is the idea of open shelving in the kitchen. These are a few of my faves....

{all pics are from Pinterest}

Love these shelves!

Yep, I'm pretty much drooling over these kitchens!

I am sure some of you are saying you would HATE open shelving in your home because you would have to keep everything neat and tidy. You probably like hiding all of your uglies behind closed doors, right? And I totally agree that every kitchen should have closed door cabinets... with maybe a few open cabinets or shelves thrown in so you can show off all your pretties :)

But let's be honest, although I really wanted open shelves to the right of our sink, there was no way I was going to convince the Hubby to take these cabinets down. Reason number one, it would require me to repaint the whole kitchen as there is no telling what color was behind there. Second, our back-splash was specifically cut (by him) to fit next to our current cabinets and there was no way he was going to install a new back-splash either. Sooo, I decided on the next best thing.

I took inspiration from Emily A. Clark's kitchen and decided to remove the cabinet doors...

If you don't follow Emily Clark's blog you should really start! She has great ideas and a beautiful home! Go check out her kitchen right now!

Another view...

Next, I removed all of my dishes and glasses...

And I got to work painting!

All of my dishes are white so I decided to do What Emily A. Clark did and paint the back of my cabinets black. This way you can actually see the dishes and it gives the cabinet some depth :) I used chalkboard paint I already had sitting around the house.

I re-installed my shelves and then it was time for the fun part....

decorating with my white dishes!

I really do love the way it turned out! The black background really makes everything pop and I love getting to display my favorite white dishes!

Now it's time for the Hubby to get to work on adding the crown molding to the top of all of the cabinets and this project will officially be done! Hope to show you the finished project soon!

One of the best parts of this project was that it was totally FREE! I already had the white and black paint around the house from previous projects so all it took was a little time! Also, if I ever get tired of this look all I have to do is re-attach the cabinet doors and no one will ever know I even attempted this little project! Gotta love some DIY!

Catching Up...

2013-07-01T12:24:00.000-04:00

Life has been crazy busy lately. Nothing glamorous like trips to far away countries or anything (ha!), just busy with everyday life. Early to bed, early to rise. Work, daycare, EK, family, friends and trying to maintain somewhat of a clean house... or at least I keep downstairs clean in case we have someone stop by. They never have to know what upstairs looks like right :) Keeping house is for the birds!

I am officially counting down until our beach vacay. It really can't get here soon enough. I want to start packing but think it may still be a little too soon, heehee. Summer is already flying by... we seriously only have 6 months till Christmas y'all! If you don't believe me just go to Hobby Lobby and you will see they are already putting out scarecrows and Christmas ornaments. I kind of wanted to vomit a little. It should be against the law to put out scarecrows in JUNE!

Not much else going on around here. EK is growing up entirely too fast. She is talking more and more like a teenager everyday and sometimes even acting like one. But she is also the sweetest, most cuddly, loving child ever. I love that she still wants to be held, kissed and hugged. If you are sitting on the couch with her she will sit just as close as possible to you and you must put your arm around her. Please don't ever grow out of this baby girl!

So here are some pictures from the last few weeks to get us caught back up...

EK and her Daddy on Father's Day!

I think we could fool a few people into thinking we have twins with this picture, haha!

If only we had put them in matching dresses!

EK absolutely loves dogs! She and Bailey had fun playing a little ball on the porch :)

EK started gymnastics two weeks ago and she LOVES it.

Diva WHO?

She is in the Tumble Bear class. She loved gymnastics so much in fact, that when the class was over she cried and cried while screaming that she didn't want to go home!!! Lord help us all if she does that every week when we leave!

I think I may have mentioned it a few hundred times but EK is a Daddy's Girl all the way :)

She just cannot wait for him to get home at the end of the day... and Mommy can't either, ha!

EK has grown up so much but I am happy to say she still kinda looks like a little baby when she sleeps. And yes, she still has her "pappy" when she sleeps. One in her mouth, the other in her hand. All I can say is at least we broke her from it during the daytime :) We are taking baby steps here people...

Someone loves her some Oreo's!

This past weekend we stopped by Samantha and Rocky's new house on the way back to Rock Hill. They were so nice to cook us dinner and take us out on a little boat ride. We can't wait to go back for another visit!

I found this on Pinterest the other week and I love it!

We are all only given one life, so we better love it before we lose it!

Just a little something we all need to remember to do :)

Happy Monday!

A Few Pictures

2013-06-14T12:27:00.000-04:00

Well not much has been going on around here lately. Just working, playing with EK and living life. Nothing exciting, yet nothing to complain about either. We've been enjoying the warmer weather and the great outdoors. There is just something about the longer days that makes things feel more relaxed. I love me some SUMMERTIME :) Here are some pictures from the last few weeks....

I know I've said this before but EK has a deep love for Mexican food. I guess she gets it honest because Michael and I do too. We could seriously eat there every week!

Queso Queen!

We found these two little love bugs snuggling on the couch last weekend. Meghan and I thought EK and Jackson would love to have this picture for the slide show at their wedding one day :)

I am sure they won't mind going along with an arranged marriage, right?

EK loves any excuse to play with water! I think she stayed dry for a total of three minutes, maybe? This was right before she decided the water table would be a much better pool so she just climbed right in, haha!

In case you were wondering how our "baby" chicks are doing...

Well, lets just say they aren't babies anymore. They are huge!

Meet Princess Emma Kate.

She is constantly saying, "Mommy, you da queen and I da pwincess!"

She is such a smart little cookie :)

I shared this picture on Facebook already but I wanted to share it on here too.

EK picked our first Zucchini from the garden last week. She ran to her daddy and said, "I picked a bikini from da gawden!"

We had our first real "mess" of squash and zucchini to cook this week and it was delicious!

My favorite way to cook squash is to saute' it with a little butter or olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and a sliced onion, yum!

Tuesday night we took EK to the tiny Rock Hill Airport to watch a few planes land. Luckily a beautiful yellow airplane landed right as we got out of the truck. EK was SO excited!

We took her inside the airport to look around and of course she found the candy machine right away! We told her we didn't have any change because my purse was in the car. She said, "Ok mommy, just take a picture. " Ha! This girl sure knows how to pose for the camera!

By the way, who told EK she was old enough to eat at the bar on a stool all by herself! She was just in a highchair the other day, right?

EK planted this sunflower at daycare from a little seed a few weeks ago and it has really taken off. At over 7ft tall now, I am afraid we won't even be able to see the flower once it blooms!

And just because I never want to forget this "stage" in our life, this is what a typical night around our house looks like when we aren't outside.

Michael is cuddling with a pink blanket and EK is hanging upside down while watching PBS kids on her daddy's phone. I am guessing Michael was probably catching up on a few Duck Dynasty reruns :)

There is no doubt they were both praying I would just put the camera down!

Hope yall have a great weekend! TGIF!

Bowling And A Trip To The Music Shoppe

2013-06-08T18:20:00.000-04:00

Well I figured if I was going to share any pictures from last weekend I better do it today before I forgot what we even did. Michael had the weekend off which is always such a treat :) Friday the Switzer's came down for a little bit and the kids played in the back yard until the mosquitoes chased us inside for the night.

Then Saturday morning EK woke up with this...

A big, nasty, ugly, puffy eye. There was no goop, she said it didn't hurt and the eye ball itself wasn't red. It was just the eye lid that looked awful. With no goop or pain we figured it would be OK. We had plans to go to Ross's Birthday Party so we decided to still go after giving EK some Benadryl and eye drops.

We didn't want to miss this cute little one turning five!

I just loved these little bowling shoes they had for toddlers. Back in the day when we were little you just had to bowl in your socks if they didn't have shoes small enough for you, ha!

EK was a big fan of bowling. She kept clapping and jumping up and down saying, "I'm just having so much fun!".

A busy and exciting morning led to a wonderful long nap for Miss Priss. Then it was off to drag Michael and EK (aka Michael Junior) to the mall. For me, this is about as much fun as beating my head on the wall. Everyone knows I love to shop, and I love to find a good deal. I do not however, enjoy shopping with the husband. He is an amazing man but he is not a shopper. And he especially does not like to spend money on clothes for himself. His motto about his favorite jeans is, "If they have holes in 'em, that means they finally fit just right." Anyways, we were able to get him a few new shorts, jeans, etc. before EK met her shopping breaking point and we carried her screaming to the car. Let me just say, I think I will leave them at home next time.

On the way home I declared that we would be going straight upstairs to clean out our closet and rid ourselves of everything that we no longer wear. I am sure you can imagine the excitement on Michael's face. Then we got a text from Hannah telling us to come over so EK and Caleb could play. I think I may have seen a huge smile come across Michael's face when I said we would be going over there instead of tackling our closet. The kids had fun playing while us adults enjoyed some time catching up. A perfect summer night.

Sunday morning we had plans to go to Columbia to spend the day with my family but EK's eye was still puffy so it was off to Urgent Care to get it checked out.

Luckily, the doctor confirmed it was not pink eye but looked to be some sort of allergy or irritation to the eye. She gave us a prescription for some eye drops to give her before bed and we were on the road to Columbia as planned.

We had left EK's sunglasses in Michael's truck so I was the lucky person who got to give up my sunglasses so EK would not be bothered by the sun. Don't worry, she's not high maintenance at all. I hear all the cool kids wear their sunglasses upside down these days...

The whole way to Columbia EK kept proclaiming that we were going to "The Music Shoppe"! I informed her on numerous occasions that in fact we were going to the Museum. She however, was determined that it was called a "Music Shoppe". So, as with most things these days, I just let her believe what she wanted so as to keep the arguing to a minimum. Are all children born with the idea that their parent's are always wrong or is that just my child? Ha!

We met PawPaw, Grandma, Jim, Angie and Abby for lunch and then headed over the the State Museum. The girls had a great time exploring and running away from us. I couldn't tell you how many times I had to tell EK not to touch something but I am guessing that number is higher than she can count.

This is the best photo I could get of them halfway looking at the camera.
EK is acting like a monkey and I think Abby was trying out a few swimsuit poses??

I think this will probably be the only phone booth these girls will ever use! Don't y'all remember the good old days when you had to have a quarter to make a call? I am sure in the next few years these two will have cell phones and just text us parents to come pick them up... Lord, please make time slow down!

And here are NASA's next rocket scientists...

They were far too busy planning the next space shuttle launch to actually look at the camera. At least I got them to say cheese :)

From there we rushed back to Rock Hill to make it to the pharmacy before they closed at 6pm. EK didn't need the medicine until bedtime so we figured we would just pick it up on our way home. We got to the pharmacy with plenty of time to spare even though the pharmacist glared at me as though we had strolled in at 5:59pm. Then as luck would have it, they didn't have these eye drops in stock. The lady was at least nice enough to call around to the other pharmacies but they too were all out. So we were told to come back Monday afternoon to pick them up. Lucky for me they did have some ice cream Nutty Bars in stock so we brought those home instead.

Of course, Monday morning EK's eye was back to normal and the need for eye drops was a thing of the past... Who knew Nutty Bars had such healing powers?

Weekly Randoms

2013-06-04T12:10:00.002-04:00

1. Not sure if any of you currently read Big Mama's Blog? If you don't, you definitely should. When I read her blog I feel like I am sitting there listening to a good friend... even though Big Mama doesn't even know I exist, haha! She did a guest post over HERE last week and it is a must read. VERY convicting.

2. I have had to itch to organize things lately, more so than normal. Organizing is fun to yall too, right? Or maybe I'm just weird. "Cleaning" on the other hand, well I will find anything and everything to do before that one. Anyways, I saw online how a girl created a list of things to organize around her house and she completed one thing a day. She called it "40 Days of Organization". I could only come up with about 30 things so mine is a list of 30 things. Some of the things on my list are things to "clean" but maybe if I call it all organizing I will be more likely to actually complete it... maybe :) Won't you do it with me?

P.S. If I know myself, I won;t be completing all of these things in exactly 30 days but I hope to at least cross everything off my list eventually... at least it's a start right?

3. I would like to introduce you to the newest doctor in town, Dr. Wise. She is very good at checking your heart beat and giving shots.

Her motto: No Shoes. No Shirt. No Problem.

4. I am finishing up a little crafty project for EK's room... Can't wait to show you the finished project!

5. We have had so much rain over the last few weeks and although we have not enjoyed having to stay inside so much, our garden has really reaped the benefits.

This picture was taken back at the end of April...

And this picture was taken this week. In just a months time our garden has grown leaps and bounds. I am hoping we have lots of veggies to eat this summer :)

Don't mind the dead grass in the background... that will be covered with new sod in the next few weeks :)

6. I found this sign online a while back and just love it...

too bad we don't have a beach house to hang it in because I would so get it, haha!

7. Isn't this the life? I sure would love some breakfast in bed :)

8. EK asks me EVERY morning: "Mommy, I go to 'nastics today?". The girl is obsessed with gymnastics and she hasn't even gone to a real class yet. I have to tell her every day that her class starts on June 19th and that we have to wait just a little bit longer.

This is her getting upset with me when I asked her to take a picture in her new leotard... Drama Mama!

That about sums up my random thoughts for today. I hope to share some weekend pictures tomorrow... which means I might have them up by Friday, ha!

A much needed LONG weekend!

2013-05-29T12:28:00.001-04:00

We had a nice relaxing weekend around here. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if Michael could have been off all weekend too. But we did get to see him some in between shifts and sleeping so that was nice too :)

I would have to say that one of the best feelings in the world is going to bed on a Sunday night knowing you don't to go to work the next day... pure bliss.

EK asked Sunday morning while we were eating breakfast if she had to go to school and I told her no, that she would not have to go back to school until Tuesday. She said, "Mommy, I am so 'cited!". Me too baby girl, me too! ha!

Our weekend was filled with a little Pre-K Graduation Party for Ross, cleaning up around the house, a birthday party for EK's friend from school, a fun night with Jackson and Ross over to play while their mommy and daddy had a date night, playing outside, supper with our favorite neighbors and a fun day at the lake to celebrate Memorial Day. It sounds like a busy weekend when you write it all out but it was really one of the most relaxing weekends we have had in a while. No packing up to travel anywhere... just home and around town doing some fun stuff :)

Lunch Date with Daddy at our Favorite Mexican Restaurant :)

EK had talked non-stop about this Birthday party for a solid week! To be honest I was so glad when party day came so she would stop asking me when she would get to go, ha!

The party was at a local Gymnastics place and the kids had a ball! They were moving so fast it was impossible to get a non-blurry picture with my phone...

EK keeps saying, "Mommy, I love 'nas-tics (gymnastics)!".

Saturday night the Switzer boys came over to play with us while Chris and Meghan went our for their Anniversary. We played outside then came in to make pancakes and watch movies.

Silly Jackson

Sweet Ross was such a big helper in the kitchen!

Me and Ross :)

EK is in love with Jackson :) Michael said he might have to come home with his gun, ha!

EK loves paying with my tupperware... not quite sure why we have a playroom?

Honestly though, if something keeps her entertained for more than 5 minutes so I can get a few things done, I say play with whatever, haha!

EK insisted she bring her baby to supper at the Switzer's.

Isn't she just the cutest little mommy?!?

Don't you just love this fake smile she gave me while we were waiting on Michael at the grocery store?

EK had a blast at the lake as usual. The water was still a little cold for all of us adults but she sure didn't mind the cold. She is definitely our water girl :) And everything is better with Cheetos, right?

So that pretty much sums up our weekend. A perfect mix of relaxation and fun...

A huge THANK YOU to all of our Soldiers and Veterans for fighting for our freedoms so we can celebrate Memorial day!

Girls Weekend

2013-05-22T11:59:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I was able to go to the beach for a girls weekend with a few of my besties. Lets just say it was a much needed weekend of relaxation and a little time away from home. I am so blessed with a great group of girls to call friends and a husband who doesn't mind me having a weekend to myself once in a blue moon :)

So pretty much we enjoyed going out to dinner at night and hanging out at the house during the day. Here we are before dinner Friday night...

Saturday we were out on the beach ALL day. It was wonderful! We talked, read books and magazines and just enjoyed the peace and quiet. Of course, we indulged in quite a bit of "people watching" which has to be one of my favorite past-times. You just never know who or what you are going to see on the beaches of South Carolina, ha!

Welcome to my "Happy Place"!

After a full day at the beach we got all gussied up and enjoyed a yummy dinner :)

After dinner it was back to the house to change into pajama's and spend a wild night playing cards around the coffee table, haha!

I just love these girls!

And for those of you wondering where this sweet girl was...

EK and her Daddy spent the weekend in "The Burg" with family. Needless to say she had a blast!

I had a wonderful weekend away but must say I was so happy to be home on Sunday to wrap my arms around my two favorite people. I love how a weekend to yourself can give you just enough time to recharge and make you want to come home to be a better wife and mom! .

Thanks again to my awesome husband for a little mommy time, you are the best :)

Picture Post

2013-05-20T12:32:00.000-04:00

Every time I sat down at the computer last week I just couldn't seem to find any words. Mother's day is such an awesome day to to celebrate mother's and grandmother's. Now that I am a mother myself, Mother's day is even more special. But I won't lie and say that it isn't a little bittersweet as well. I would give anything to be able to celebrate Mother's Day with my mom here on earth. I know she is watching over us though and smiling down at her grand-babies :)

I am very blessed to have so many other women in my life though. Women that have mothered me over the years and have taught me the ins and outs of being a woman. I am so thankful that God placed each one of these women in my life to serve a purpose and to fill a void that was left by my Mom's death. I have so much to be thankful for!

Now to change the subject and stop being so sappy :) I thought I'd share some pictures... I know that the five of you who come here to read this blog are only here for the pics anyways, ha!

EK and her Great-Grandma :) Not the best picture but getting my Grandma to look at the camera is near impossible!

Uncle Jim gives the best Piggy-Back Rides!

Ma and her Grand-Girls :)

EK posing for a picture before we went to dinner one night :)

One of Emma Kate's favorite things to do right now is play hide and seek.

It took us forever to find her the other night, wink wink :)

And the roses Michael got me for Mother's Day were just too pretty not to share. I arranged them in some vases I had on top of my kitchen cabinets and thought they looked so pretty on my table :) I told Michael I think I need some fresh flowers in the house more often, he said he would try to find some out in the yard to pick for me, haha!

EK and I had some time to kill the other night before meeting Hannah for supper so we stopped in Earth Fare to look round. I don't normally shop there but EK was excited that they had pint-sized buggies. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or the worst idea ever?!?! Needless to say she only almost ran over a few of the other customers. I think we will stick to Bi-Lo from now own :)

And seriously, why does she look 5 years old in this picture?

Happy Monday!

It's Finally Friday

2013-05-10T12:28:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you but I couldn't be any more excited about it being Friday. I seem to live for the weekends these days... please tell me that is what most of you do too?

It seems like not much has been going on around here these days but then again we are always busy doing something. We are outside almost every night until the mosquitoes start biting and then we are dragging EK in the house kicking and screaming. I swear she would live outside if we let her. She obviously gets that from her father :) Other than that, our days are filled with work, school, playtime and all of those lovely household chores I always seem to put on the back burner.

So here's whats been happening around here this week...

I had some glorious mommy time at the hairdresser on Tuesday. I treated myself to a LOT of blond highlights and I love them. I am officially ready for summer!!

I came across this e-card on Pinterest and laughed so hard I had to share with you :)

We made this yummy Barbecue Chicken and Pineapple Pizza for supper Wednesday night. It was SOOO good :)

EK told us she was mad...

Mad about what you ask? Who knows :)

It lasted about as long as it took me to take this picture, ha!

This is the way we start most mornings around The Wise House. EK is still passed out in our bed even though I have already woken her numerous times to go potty and get dressed.

I wish I could say she gets this trait from her father but unfortunately that is one of the many bad habits she inherited from me. Below is my conversation with Ginny this morning...

This is her at daycare this morning.

I must say after I finally get her up, dressed and ready for the day... she is quite sweet :)

Here is to hoping you have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend.

Don't forget to tell your mom how much you love her!!

Monday Randoms

2013-05-06T12:22:00.000-04:00

1. For the first time in quite a while we have been able to enjoy a few weekends at home with nothing much on our calendars. It has been GLORIOUS!! Don't get me wrong, I love to have fun things planned and weekends away, but there is just something about being able to stay home. And with all the rain we had this weekend, it was perfect for some snuggle time on the couch!

2. I know this sounds lame but one of my favorite parts about being home on the weekends is that my house gets cleaned and all of my laundry is done. I feel so relaxed when all of the household "chores" are done. And I don't feel guilty about laying on the couch watching TV or reading a magazine :)

I found this comic in the Good Housekeeping Magazine this month...

Oh how true this is!

3. We attended a baby shower this weekend for some friends. Michael was not too excited about it being a couples shower but I think he and all the other guys had fun, even though they probably won't admit it, ha! Of course my favorite part of the shower is gift time! I just love looking at all of those sweet little clothes, blankets, lotions, body wash, diapers, etc. But don't worry, there is no baby fever here! I am perfectly content with EK being an only child for quite a bit longer.

4. One of the perks of being a toddler mom is that more than likely you can always find a little snack in your purse. I got a little lunchy at work the other day and these were the perfect little snack to tide me over. Scooby snacks are just not something I leave home without, haha! But don't tell EK!

5. How cute are these two?

6. As I mentioned before EK is the biggest helper in the garden this year. She is constantly wanting to water the flowers and make sure everything is just right!. She will even water YOU if you don't watch out :)

7. Speaking of the perks of parenting, there are even more perks to being a "Girl" mom! I love having such a girly-girl who loves to paint her nails and twirl in her dresses. I finally convinced her it was easier if she just let me blow them dry with the hair dryer. Now if I could just figure out how to keep her still while I am painting them, ha!

Aren't those the sweetest little monkey toes you ever did see?

Hope y'all have a happy Monday!

A Little Yard Progress

2013-04-27T12:26:00.000-04:00

Over the past few years we have slowly been making progress in transforming our yard into a much more pleasurable area. Not long after moving in we removed all of the old over grown shrubs in the front yard and replaced them with a few small shrubs and a palm tree (my favorite addition to the front yard by far!).

We just recently planted three small palms next to the cable boxes in right corner of the picture below. It's hard to believe the large palm tree on the corner of the house was just as small only 5 years ago :)

On the left side of the house Michael just extended our fence out a few feet to create a little nook for our trash bin. I love not seeing an ugly trash can from the road! We have a lot of bulbs and hostas planted on this side of the house and I can't wait for everything to start blooming.

Last year Michael created this stone and rock path leading into our back yard. He also planted over 100 tulip bulbs and they were gorgeous this year :) I just hate that they have already run their course!! We added these concrete planters to the walkway this year and filled them with some pretty annuals. The best part about these planters is that they were free! A local garden shop was getting rid of them and I think they add the perfect finishing touch to our walkway. Still trying to decide if I want to paint them or not?

You can see our other lawn ornament sitting out on the road... the State Trooper car, ha!

I showed y'all the bench Michael refurbished the other week. It's a great little space filler for this area and I hope to add more flowers here in the coming years. Maybe some day lilies?

You can also see the new air conditioning screen Michael just built last week. I love how it covers up all the uglies!

I don't recall the name of this flower but it is my favorite little annual I planted this year :)

Michael installed the chicken coop on the back of our property behind EK's swing set. I can't wait to be able to collect some fresh eggs each day once our chicks are old enough to start laying!

Michael also built our fire pit last year and we have thoroughly enjoyed sitting our here and roasting quite a few smores :)

Our little storage shed also looks a lot better than the sad state it was in when we bought this place. Michael painted it, added lattice for some underpinning and built this cute flower bed last year. Our pansies are still going strong and look so cute in this little area :)

And last but not least is our new raised bed garden. EK had so much fun helping her Daddy and Pa plant the garden this year! They planted cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, squash, zucchini, sweet corn, and basil. We are hoping for a bountiful crop!

Pinterest gave me the idea to add a piece of lattice next to the fence four our cucumbers to grow on. I also added a few Marigolds to the garden as Pinterest told me they act as a a natural pest deterrent. We will see just how right Pinterest is as the season continues :)

Please don't pay attention to our dead grass, haha! Michael is in the process of trying to kill off the remaining Fescue we have in our yard before he plants more Bermuda grass. I know he will have it looking amazing in the next few weeks!

And I just have to brag on my husband a little bit here. Without him, this yard would still be looking like a hot mess! He has such an amazing work ethic and a desire to make things look nice. He also puts up with listening to all of my ideas I find on Pinterest! And not only listens to them but helps me make them a reality. I think I'm pretty lucky :)

Come See Me

2013-04-24T00:30:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we attended the annual "Come See Me" Festival in Rock Hill. Saturday was the Tailgate at Winthrop Lake and the Fireworks show. We set up our little tailgate along with our lawn chairs and blankets... and what tailgate is complete with out yummy food.

Yes, those are croutons in the picture below. EK is the only child I know who thinks croutons are a yummy snack?!?!

EK is always such a ham for the camera :)

I think one of the kids favorite parts was the sky diver's. It was hard to get a good picture but you get the point, ha!

Sam, Hannah and Caleb joined us at the tailgate too! They enjoyed the skydivers as well :)

Caleb and EK loved the "Come See Me" Frogs.

Just look at those sweet faces!

My little family :)

The girls :)

Can you believe the boys didn't want to take a group pic? Ha!

And the best part of the night... The FIREWORKS!

The kids were getting a little restless by nightfall so we decided to head back to the truck to wait for the fireworks.

EK and Caleb just loved them!

A perfect night out of the house :)

I Live Amongst Royalty

2013-04-19T05:09:00.000-04:00

1. So I know Easter was like three weeks ago but I still wanted to share my little Easter table setting. I found these eggs on clearance last year after Easter and I thought they would look so cute in my lantern :)

Just something simple without a lot of fuss :)

2. Our baby chicken's are getting so BIG! I knew chickens grew fast but I guess I just didn't realize how fast. They were so cute when they were brand new little babies but now they are going through that awkward teenage stage. They look like they are almost adults but haven't quite grown into themselves quite yet. I am glad to say they are now living outside full time because this Mama was tired of hearing them chirping in my kitchen!

3. Michael has been working so hard on our back yard the last few years and I must say all of his hard work has really started to pay off in the looks department. I would love to say I helped but I try not to lie too much on this here blog, ha! My favorite part this spring has been watching these tulips bloom. They are just gawgous!

I wish I had some before pictures of the back yard but lets just say it was less than desirable. It's amazing what a little elbow grease can do to get a place looking nice.

We were given an old bench that was rotting, so my handy husband replaced all of the boards. Now we have this cute little bench in our garden, love it!

4. I know I shared this on Facebook but the week of EK's birthday she was really milking the Birthday festivities to the max. She wanted to blow out the candle in the kitchen and insisted that I sing her Happy Birthday while she did. A girl after my own heart :)

5. EK has been asking for a puppy for quite some time now. Although we would love to have a real puppy one day, Michael and I just don't think we have the time to devote to a new puppy right now. Aunt Hannah found this cute puppy for EK's Birthday that walks, barks and is the perfect addition to our family. The best part is that this puppy requires no food or water, doesn't pee or poop, can be thrown in the toy box and doesn't need to go to the vet. What more can a girl ask for?

6. For those of you wondering if "pappy" is still in the picture, the answer is: yes. If you want to know when we plan to get rid of it, the answer is: your guess is as good as mine. And if you don't give EK her pappy when she wants it, well then she will just take the one from her baby doll.

7. A few weeks ago I finally decided it was time to put away all of EK's little smocked dresses to give her more room in her closet. I was surprised I didn't cry. I am thinking we may get to use them again one day... no time soon though :)

8. The other night I went to supper with a friend after work and I got home just in time to for a little swing time with my favorite girl :) Love her!

9. Wednesday night as I was getting EK into the shower (yes I said shower, she refuses to take a bath anymore... taking a bath is so for two year old's, right?) and I told her I thought she was so pretty in her new dress. She said, "I know Mommy, I was a princess!".

Y'all, I had no clue I lived with royalty, ha!

And just because I love these grumpy cat pictures from Pinterest.

Yep, that's me on any given day before 10am :)

A Birthday Fit For A Princess

2013-04-17T12:32:00.000-04:00

So I meant to blog about EK's Birthday Celebrations last week but I guess my lazy bone got the best of me and I am just now getting around to it. Oh well, better late than never!

We started off EK's birthday by sleeping in late (by late I mean 8am) and then going downstairs to show EK what she got for her birthday. Michael and I both had the day off from work so we were able to make this a special day just for Emma Kate.

She was SO excited about her dollhouse... don't let that fake smile in the picture below fool you. She kept saying, "Ohhhh, My Doll House!!!" over and over again :) I am sure she was thinking, "Mommmm, put the camera DOWN!".

EK loves Thomas the Train and she loves an umbrella so when I found a Thomas the Train umbrella at Walmart the other night I knew I had to get it. Just be careful if you are ever around EK when she has this thing her her hands, she is likely to poke YOUR eye out...

Next on the Birthday agenda was Pancakes!

Since we weren't having her Birthday Cake until Saturday with our families, I thought EK might like to blow out a few candles on the pancake stack. I think it was a winner!

After breakfast we let EK play all morning with her new toys before heading out to our local Children's Museum. EK had a blast going from station to station.

She loved these binocular's and before we left we had to convince her that we could not take them home. I told her that Daddy would make her a pair, ha!

She loves boats just like her Daddy!

I tried so hard to get the little stinker to look at me and smile but she was just too busy playing :)

She loved this huge puzzle :)

After that we had lunch at our favorite Mexican Restaurant, EK's choice, and then it was home for naps and playing for the rest of the day. A perfect day spent celebrating our newly three year old!

Saturday morning we were up bright and early. We decided on a much smaller party this year and just had our immediate family over. Less fuss meant more fun for all of us :)

EK might have been a little excited about her balloons!

EK loves her new See-Saw her Paw-Paw built:)

All the kids had such a blast playing in the back yard and burning some energy.

The Birthday Princess!

Sweet Abby :)

Cayleigh and Gpa!

We grilled some burgers and hot dogs and served them on the princess plates EK picked out from the Dollar Tree, haha! Then it was time for CAKE!

Pure Delight!

And then Presents...

It was so nice to have such a simple party this year and we were able to really enjoy all of it! But I still can't believe my baby is THREE :)

Happy Birthday Emma Kate!

2013-04-05T08:34:00.000-04:00

Dear Emma Kate,

You are a Daddy's Girl and Mommy's sunshine.

You are strong willed and determined and I pray that one day you will use these attributes to do something BIG!

You love animals and continue to beg us for a puppy dog.

You are still a very picky eater and can live off of milk alone for days.

You love sweets and chocolate is your weakness.

You are creative and love to color.

You are such a big helper in the kitchen and love to stir anything and everything.

You have the biggest and sweetest smile that can light up any room.

You give the biggest hugs and kisses.

You love to play hide and seek and you love to run from the "Monster".

You are the most ticklish child I know.

You have have a million faces and I love each one of them, even that scowl you give us when you don't get your way!

You love to throw a good tantrum and Mommy and Daddy think you will be a great actress one day, heehee!

You love to sing and dance.

You love to be outside and your favorite thing to do is swing.

You love bubbles, balls, and baby dolls.

Emma Kate, the last three years have flown by and I can only imagine how fast the coming years will pass. You are such a sweet and special little girl. We thank God every day for making you ours and we pray that we can be the best parents we can be for you. We want you to know you are so loved and we couldn't have asked for a more precious gift.

You mean the world to us!

Happy 3rd Birthday sweet girl!

We love you,

Mommy and Daddy

Easter Fun!

2013-04-04T12:35:00.000-04:00

We had so much fun last weekend visiting our families for Easter. Michael had to work all weekend but EK and I got on the road after lunch on Friday and made a stop by my grandparents house for a little visit. Then it was over to Ma and Pa's house for some fun play time with Cayleigh and Chandler. The kids dyed Easter eggs and played hard all night :)

These eggs were so beautiful and bright!

Love these kiddos!

Saturday morning EK enjoyed some Ma and Pa time and even had her own little private egg hunt in the back yard :)

Around lunch we headed over to the PawPaw and Grandma's house to hang out. It was such a beautiful day and we played outside in the sunshine :) Ek just loves my parent's cat Mitsy and she had so much fun chasing her all around the yard.

Sunday morning we were up VERY early for the sunrise service at my parents church. As you can tell, EK was less than enthused that the Easter Bunny had found us in Orangeburg. The girl is NOT a morning person...

It was still dark outside when we left for church, so by the time I was able to take a picture of EK in her Easter best her dress was all wrinkly from the car seat. Oh well, she still looked adorable :) She looks 5 years old in this picture!!

After church we headed back over to Ma and Pa's house to celebrate Cayleigh's 3rd Birthday! These kids are just growing up way too fast!

Didn't my sister-in-law make the cutest cake!

Ma and Pa had a big Easter Egg hunt for the kids and they all had a blast collecting eggs and picking out their prizes!

These two little munchkins camped out in the play house eating some chocolate from their eggs, ha! Sneaky girls!

Before we knew it we were back on the road to Rock Hill. The weekends are just never long enough. We got back just in time to spend a little time with Michael before he had to go into work :) We are so blessed to be able to celebrate a Risen Savior and to spend time with our families. Hope all of you had a wonderful Easter as well!