"BIG" (literally) Deal

I AM OFFICIALLY IN THE THIRD TRIMESTER TOMORROW. FINALLY. I THOUGHT IT WOULD NEVER COME! TWENTY WEEKS OF WANTING TO BARF ARE OVER. THE LAST EIGHT WEEKS HAVE JUST BEEN MY BELLY GETTING REALLY BIG AND FINALLY... I FEEL LIKE IT IS TIME TO GET FREAKIN EXCITED!

It's in my blood...

The end result. Blogger is so annoying that I can't get this picture to post at the end of the paragraph. A little anti-climactic!

My great-grandfather, both of my grandfathers, uncle, and dad are all woodworker handymen. Infact, on my list of requirements for a husband this was listed almost as high as being a Christian (kidding, sort-of). So it should be no surprise that when I walked into Goodwill today and saw a REAL WOOD table I got really excited. You know when you saunter over casually, but your heart is pounding and you consider how to knock people out of your way if someone happens to head that direction. Yeah that was me. I figured I would win since I could play the pregnancy card, ha!

I got home and realized that there was no way I was going to paint it.

"Dare I?'

I thought to myself.

"It wouldn't be the proper way."

I reasoned.

"But it would be so quick and MIGHT work."

This reasoning won. So I pulled up my (white) shirtsleeves, grabbed a can of dark walnut stain from the garage, and held my breath. It looks great. Now, I admit I didn't sand, dust, and prepare properly, but it was an 8 dollar table, and I was in no mood to delay the creative juices. I would do the proper technique for a bigger more expensive piece. Now I sit here and can't believe that I have to wait until tomorrow until I can put the cute candlesticks on it that I got for 1.90!

Thankfulness

Am so excited to that Thanksgiving is just two weeks away. I'm really working on thankfulness and contenment right now. Starting this new budget and wanting to be thankful for all the blessings in my life. God has been so good to me. I can't believe it most of the time. I certainly don't deserve it! I changed the bible verse on the plate in my kitchen to: "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever." I even found a yankee candle that says Be Thankful. I think tomorrow I am going to make a canvas to put in the living room.

So here's a list of things I am VERY thankful for:

1. Ellie-- what an amazing surprise! Didn't think I would get to have another baby and am loving that our family is growing.

2. Shane-- he's done so much for us this year and works so hard so that I can stay home with the kids, he's even supporting me homeschooling despite his concerns over having nerdy kids (haha).

3. Avery and Reece-- teaching me patience, and showing me the world through their eyes is so much more fun. Even the rough days are awesome. They make me so happy.

4. The Mom-mobile-- seriously never thought I would say that...but it has made traveling so much easier and I am LOVING the heated seats. I just figured out I can plug my cell phone into the IPOD thingy and play music off of there too, who knew?

5. My house-- After moving so many times in our almost EIGHT years together, to be settled in, at peace, and not moving mid-pregnancy is so wonderful. I love coming thru the door and making this a place for my kids to play and learn and hopefully it is a place that Shane wants to come home to

6. My dogs-- for barking at everyone that comes to the door and scaring people away and for laying at my feet when I am knitting and keeping them warm

These are just a few things that might seem silly or trivial, but truly make me feel so blessed.

Beyond Cute

So apparently my friend Melissa has become quite the quilter. She MADE this! She calls it their "family quilt" and I WANT ONE!

So this is a shout out for her to get her cute little hiney to my house for a visit and LETS GET QUILTING!

Finished hat...

Pumpkin Patch, Trick or Treating, and Carving Pumpkins