Before

Cheeseball in a Party Skirt

First Painting Project

So I needed a plant stand for our Peace Lilly since we don't have any half walls like we had in our old house. I found this one at a garage sale for $5, but it was green. Sherwin Williams was having a 40% off sale this weekend and I am testing colors for our walls and bought a sample. Their samples are usually $5 but only like $3 on sale. I was able to use my left over sample to paint the stand a really nice cream. So my first painting project was a whopping $8!!! Love it!

Big Dog, Little Chair

We were all in Clayton's room reading last night and Keely was tired. She didn't want to get on the bed, shocking. :) So this is where she picked. I don't think this is what Pottery Barn had in mind for their toddler chair. She is so funny. Love you Keely.

Motor Mites

I just can't say enough about the community we have moved into. It is a stay-at-home-mom Dream World and awesome for the family too. Once work slows down we will be able to enjoy soo many more activities. We have been here less than 3 months and I could be busy every single day with a million things. One great thing the Peoria Park District does is, Motor Mites. This is an awesome idea for the winter months, or rainy days. On M, W & Friday they have a kids open gym with tons of scooters, mats, slides, basketball hoops, and much more. You can bring your kids, they can play and you can chat up other moms! GREAT FUN FOR ALL!

More Pics from Galena Halloween

Not the best pics since they came from my phone, but thought I would add. Hope Miss Sue at the Owners Club doesnt mind her clown pic :)

Halloween Fun!

We continued the tradition of spending Halloween weekend with my family. This year we relocated the fun from Savoy to Galena. The kids were able to go to a AWESOME Halloween party at the Owners Club where Aunt Anna and Uncle David just had their big party. :) The kids had so much fun decorating cupcakes, seeing the other kids dressed up, playing games, eating snacks and doing crafts. We also went to the biggest Halloween Parade in Illinois, in Galena. It was crazy how many people were there. The kids loved it and Uncle David helped Clayton score some candy. Of course we had to have an adult activity so we hit the Galena Brewing company afterwards a few beers for the adults and some fun music for the kids.

Can't go to Galena without seeing Great-Mimi and Great-Papa. We all went to the farm so Justin could help get the blind up and do some target shooting. Maddie and Clayton had fun exploring in the yard and playing with Great-Mimi. I think Maddie rearranged her chair, arm covers about a million times. Clayton got to snack on venison his favorite!

Clayton would be upset if I didn't mention Billy the Bull, his and Mimi's good friend & Farmer Thoele's Pumpkin. Let's just say Anna and I were about to loose it as mom was hanging out the window yelling at this HUGE bull, talking like they were old friends. :)

Thanks mom and dad, we had a blast! Hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween!

I Don't Like My Room

Clayton has decided that he doesn't really like his room and doesn't want to sleep there. Ha, I wish it was my room since it is the only one we have completly finished right now. So it is both funny and scary where I find him sleeping these days. Here are a couple of pics of his recent nap locations. Maybe they should build toddler cribs for this phase. :)

Crafting Project #1!!!

What a great weekend! I can't even begin to say how much I love being closer to my sister and brother-in-law! Anna was able to come over yesterday and stay the night. The kids loved playing with her and we got to have some sister time too! We did our first craft project. (Credit goes to Deanne Panther for the idea!) This is super easy, super cheap and tons of fun!!! We can even take our berries and flowers off after fall and put something Christmas on it, with a different ribbon to re purpose it. Mine is a cream since my door is darker. Anna's is on the right, she went with a darker burlap because her door is cream. Pics arent the greatest, they are from our cell phones. All you need is:

• 1 1/2 yards burlap (Whatever color works for your door)


• 10-14 inch Styrofoam wreath


• Box of 100 pins with a head so it wont go all the way through


• Ribbon to tie the wreath up if you want


• We got the 3M hooks at Michaels and they had the nice bronze finish on clearance


• Go to the link below for pictures on how to make the pieces
  
  http://todaysfabulousfinds.blogspot.com/2011/07/burlap-bubble-wreath-tutorial.html

Justin & I

So the focus of this blog is usually the kids. Lets be honest, I know that is why most people check it. They want pics and fun news about Maddie and Clayton. :) I thought I would take a second to share how busy and great work has been for Justin and I though.

Justin started with BNSF last October! Wow, it is hard to believe it has been a year. While the journey was a bit longer than we hoped, our destination is incredible! We love being back in Illinois and LOVE the Dunlap/Edwards area. Justin has been really busy at work and loves the new challenges that working for the railroad bring. The claims he sees are very different than the insurance business, that is for sure. We love to hear his stories and Clayton is over the moon that daddy works for Sir Topham Hatt! Justin has worked so hard that he was given a promotion back in September. We are so proud of him and thank him so much for all his hard work so we can be back in the IL! Oh, and thanks Uncle Warren, you have a great company!

Yes, besides staying home with my adorable kiddos, I am also working. Things have been nuts. It was official on Friday that Ingersoll Rand the parent company I worked for, sold off their Hussmann division to be a stand alone company. Hussmann manufactures the refrigerator units you see in a lot of grocery stores. Next time you are in Hyvee look! :) It is cool to work for a company that really does have an effect on our everyday lives. It is amazing the technology and innovation that is needed to keep food costs down and keep food fresh from "farm to fork". I am now working as a HR Specialist for Hussmann and couldn't be happier. (Just celebrated 5 years with them in September. Time flies!) The next few months will be filled with work and possibly travel, but I do enjoy using my "adult" brain. I couldn't be luckier though to be able to spend all this time with Clayton and Maddie. I can't imagine not being able to see them grow, learn and play together everyday.

Well, that is enough. :) More posts to come on the kiddos!

Family Fun

I can't take credit for the idea, my great friend Megan got us a subscription to Family Fun magazine. It is a cool magazine full of ideas that are actually reasonable to do. The kids loved making these and they were super easy. All you need is a canning jar, masking tape and acrylic paint. Total cost because I bought smooth canning jars was $3. I had the ribbon laying around so I through it on. Just put masking tape on the jar in any shape to make eyes, nose and mouth. Let the kids go to town painting and then let it dry. We put tea lights in them and lit them last night. The kids love it!

Crafty Sarah

I really don't have enough to do in life, so I have decided to be crafty and do home improvements. :) Dear lord, I am crazy. I am actually loving doing this stuff and it kind of gives me a break from reality. So stay tuned, I have lots and lots of ideas. The pic here is my ugly laundry room. I have already taken down the boarder, but it is small and not enjoyable to spend the amount of time I am usually in there. :)

Also working on some fall crafts, some with the kids and some on my own. Hope everyone is having a good week!

Fun Fun Day at Tanners Orchard

We spent a great Saturday at Tanners Orchard! It was a bit cool, but that also meant there weren't a million people. The kids loved it! They enjoyed seeing the goats, playing on all the equipment, eating yummy cider donuts, playing in the pumpkins and much more. Clayton's favorite was the barrel ride, I think he would have done that all day. Maddie loved playing in the wooden trains.

We also got quite a bit done yesterday. I was able to finish the work on the holes left in the wall by the previous owners decorations in the kitchen. Then I painted it. I also got the first layer of the boarder down in the laundry room. It didn't come down as clean as I hoped, so more work to do. I am hoping for a great before and after to show you!

We finished off the night with a fun fire pit so it has already been a great weekend. We are headed today to Lincoln to have lunch with Justin's mom for her bday! Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

PS Did I mention how happy we are here! LOVE IT!

Whirl Wind Week & Weekend

Wow, it has been a hectic and fun week/weekend. The kids and I started off the week playing at the park with a neighbor. I flew out to Charlotte, NC for work on Tuesday and the kids got to spend a fun day at home with Justin. My parents came in on Wednesday night and stayed till yesterday. (Yes, best mimi & papa ever!) I flew back in Friday afternoon and then Justin picked me up and we drove to Chicago for one a wedding. We had so much fun as you can see below, Justin was in the wedding. Great couple, great food, great dancing oh and of course great drinks. :) Clayton & Maddie had a blast with Mimi and Papa. They went to the park, had picnics, got ice cream, Papa Murphys pizza, road bikes and much more. My mom and dad hadn't been gone for 2 minutes and Clayton was asking when we could go to their house. :) While I was gone, Clayton started pre-school. (tear) That will be another post. They are growing too fast!

We have a fun week this week too. Story time, Kate & Nora are coming and much more!

10 Years Later

Wow, what a difference 10 years can make. We were excited back in August to get together with two of my great friends/roommates from college. Instead of going to Murphys and drinking Long Islands, we were all running around after the 5 kids we have between the 3 of us. We had so much fun in Lincoln seeing Marissa and Jeremy. (They just moved back from Germany!) The kids had a blast seeing the balloon glow. Just wish we could all be together more often!

Daddy Fashion

Daddy is teaching Madeline all about fashion and updos while mommy is away for work. :)

TROUBLE! :)

We love these 2 so much!

Fun at the Dairy Farm

The kids and I had a blast on Friday going with a local moms group to a dairy farm. They got to see and touch sheep, cows, chickens, a dog, kittens and got to see some beautiful horses. We are loving our new neighborhood and are so happy about the move.

We had a busy Saturday too. I drove to Bloomington to buy a vacuum, so glad that is over. :) Then we headed to see baby Nora for a bit and then to Nora Beeler's 1st Birthday party (confusing). The kids had so much fun playing outside and running around with the other kids. Of course the cake was great too!

To top it off it was a great day of football and Justin & Clayton are all ready for the Bears game tomorrow! We love the fall!

CLOSING DAY-FRIDAY!

WE ARE MOVING INTO A HOUSE!!!! If you are reading this we probably already closed since we are doing it bright and early Friday morning. We are excited can you tell?!?!? Here is a rundown on our new digs in Edwards/Dunlap Illinois.

• We are in one of the best school districts in the state


• We live 1.8 miles from the Shops at Grand Prairie


• There is still a brand new library really close


• We feel like we are in the country (horses, cows and barns right around the corner)
  


• There are TONS of young families in the subdivision


• We have a great size yard with a vegetable garden


• We will have bedroom doors to shut again!!!!!!!!!!! BEST PART


• We already have Clayton signed up for preschool, 2 days a week for a couple of hours.

I can hardly wait to get there. I have found so much for the kids to do. We only wish we could transplant Bob and Donna with us. :)

I am guessing my posting won't improve much until we have settled in. I have lots of projects, etc planned. Plus we owe about a million people dinner and drinks for the last 10 months so I will hopefully be entertaining a lot! Hope everyone enjoys the last days of summer.

Oh My Son

So Clayton got a book from his Mimi from our vacation to the beach in North Carolina. It is about loggerhead turtles and how they come to the beaches in North Carolina to lay their eggs. It is written like a journal from a women who is on the "Turtle Team" that helps to protect the nests, etc. So he has insisted that we read this book every day for nap and night, even if we read another book first the turtle book must be read. I love the book, but twice a day everyday is a bit much. So today I was tired and thought I could do some mommy editing to make it just a little bit shorter. HA I am reading along and he says "Mommy, you missed the part where they talk about the Star fish being able to regrow his legs". Seriously? He knew exactly where it should have been in the story. So much for editing. :) I love how he loves to read! Thanks Mimi, he is for sure your little Scientist!

Can We Go Back

After a long week and a half. I think most of us wish we were back at the beach. I was looking at pictures trying to pretend I was there again and wanted to share some more. If you need an explanation of why we love this vacation so much or how wonderful a family we have, look at this first picture. Every night we all sat down at one table for dinner and enjoyed every minute. Yes, all 14 adults and 2 children! Also had to include a pic of Clayton and his very expensive swimming instructor. :) Last but not least a pic that shows how much my kids LOVE the ocean! Happy Thursday!

Saying Goodbye to St. Peters

So, I am really behind on posts. I don't know where to start and then the fact that my camera is a goner doesn't help. Thankfully my memory card was salvaged, I just haven't gotten an adapter to load from that to my computer. So, I thought it was long over due (2 months) that I did our say goodbye to St. Peters post.

I lived in STL for 8 years, Justin for 5 years, Clayton 3 and Maddie about 6-12 months depending if you count living there 1 week a month for 6 months. :)

I am much better at lists so we will do a list.

Here are a few things we will miss about the STL!

• Friends! We met and became friends with some wonderful people who supported us through some horrible times. We can never thank them enough. We will always stay in touch!




• Grandma Diane, I mean she even loved Keely! :)




• Sue Sue, when the kids went to a babysitter it was SueSue. They love her tons and of course Bruiser Bear the dog.




• The library was 1 min away, that was awesome.




• The zoo, the parks, the museums, all the great things to do that you don't necessarily get in a small community




• The Cardinals! Who would have thought I would be at the World Series game that yes the Cardinals lost, but Boston broke the curse. We sat in awesome seats my company gave us, took both kids to their first games.




• Our house, it wasn't the biggest or the greatest, but we had fun there! Clayton said it was his favorite. :)




• Shopping :) Oh I miss my PotteryBarn




• Cheap gas




• Low Sales taxes




• Voting in a Republican State




• The Arch




• 25 cent sodas when the Cardinals scored 6 runs




• St. Louis Childrens Hospital (Yes, I will still be calling them)

What I won't miss!

• It was 108 there regular temp yesterday. (My theory I can always add clothing when it is cold, but I can only take off so much and not get arrested) I HATE the summers there. I know it sounds crazy but there can easily be a 15 degree or more difference between Peoria and there.




• I do not care nor will I ever care where you went to highschool. I went to University of Illinois and if you ask me where I went to school that will be the answer.




• Personal Property Taxes




• Being far from so many friends and family! We have been able to spend so much more time in Galena with my parents and grandparents!




• Sunshine Slowdown (Seriously, people cant drive when the sun is out?)




• Traffic

I am sure I missed a million things, I am tired, but wanted to get this on. So we closed on our house on June 7. It had been a long 8 months. The wonderful BNSF paid movers packed and moved all of our stuff into storage that week. Wow, all I know is my parents had already said they wouldn't move me again so the movers were a blessing. (Side note in the 8 years I lived there I was in 4 different apartments and a house. All of these moves seemed to happen in the STL summer heat. I was crazy!) I don't think I can ever move without movers again! Stay tuned to our stuff coming out of storage soon!

Clayton Family Beach Vacation 2011!

We are sadly home from the beach. We had so much fun on vacation. We have the best family! The kids loved the ocean. I will get more pics up soon. My camera took a dip in the ocean. :(

Camping

The kids love pretending to camp in their "tents". They usually have all their friend, stuffed animals in the tent with them and bring all their plastic fake food too. :) Maddie wrecks the tents a lot. It is so fun to watch them play together. They usually do a great job until Maddie starts just taking Clayton's stuff.

Clayton's Photography

Clayton really likes taking pictures himself now. Warning, if you don't like your nose, don't let him take your picture. :)

Easter, Yes it was Couple of Months Ago

We had a great Easter at Mimi and Papa's. The whole family was there and we had a Easter egg hunt, decorated eggs, went to an Easter party and much more. Clayton and Maddie loved the decorated cupcake. Enjoy the pics. I am trying to catch up! :)