That Makes Three

Joshua and I were very excited to see our sweet baby on Friday. Baby S will be arriving in late August. So much to do between now and then!

Really?

Not a single canopy bed in all of Good's Furniture. Quite disappointing.

Fun Week!

As I've mentioned before, birthdays in our family last for an entire week. Mom and Dad got my week started with a beautiful flower arrangement on Monday. Mom usually thinks of this, but for some reason I was completely surprised. Fun!

Wednesday was my actual birthday, so after work Mom, Dad, Shaun, Bill, Joshua, and I went to Mexican. What can I say, queso fundido is a guaranteed way to make sure I have a happy birthday. There also were some delightful gifts: Old Maid cards and an adorable birdie platter from Shaun (hoping this can find a spot on a wall wherever we live next), Gushers and car decals from Bill (I LOVE GUSHERS), a very pretty summer shirt from Dad and Mom (not sure how that was left out of the picture, sorry! I will have to model it another day.), and Downton Abbey and cherry lime gum from Joshua. (Downton Abbey is a British soap opera set during World War I that I'm into right now.) I have such thoughtful family members.I'm hoping to find my final birthday gift today. Shaun and Bill are coming to pick me up to go to Good's Furniture in Kewanee. Bill is looking for a couch, and I'm looking for the canopy bed of my dreams. Ever since I saw one in the JC Penney's catalog around 1993, I've wanted one. Well, I'm looking today, and hoping to find the perfect one to be delivered after we move. Crossing my fingers!

In other news, the house preparations continue. Mom and Grandma came last week to paint the man cave. After three coats of primer and one of neutral paint, the deep green is gone. A new furniture arrangement, and it's a totally different place. Joshua is very sad and has declared it a cave no more (he is calling it the rumpus room), but everyone else agrees that it looks fantastic.

All I can say to Mom and Grandma is THANK YOU!!! I have no idea how those ladies cranked this project out in one day and were still smiling at the end. I so appreciate it!

Ready for Spring!

Each year I look forward to the arrival of spring weather like no other season. While this year's mild winter weather has made me less... grouchy, I'm still excited for the sunshine and warmer temperatures.

Last weekend, we celebrated then end of February (my most-hated month) with a pizza party. Everyone was here, even Grandma Bev. We served Olive Garden salad, GF breadsticks, GF pizza, and deep dish pizza. Delicious! I forgot to take a few pictures during the party, but the party centerpiece has been making me smile all week.

In other news, Joshua and I had a date night on Wednesday to see South Pacific at the Civic Center. The tickets were purchased back in November as an anniversary gift, so I looked forward to it for months. We went out to dinner at Rizzi's before the show, and then went on the the theater. We had a good time, despite the late night and Joshua's tired state from being on service this month.

I think the last thing I have to report on is the status of the house. Dad made a professional flyer for me with financing options. It will be perfect to put along with a second page that describes the house in a bit more detail. Also, Mom and Grandma are coming on Thursday to paint the man cave a more neutral color. I know Joshua will be sad to see the Bond Lake green go. This morning at Wal Mart I bought two cans of Kilz primer and am crossing my fingers that it doesn't take more than that. Such a dark color, that Bond Lake green. Finally, after getting after Joshua to pack up some clutter, I decided to take some of my own advice today. I packed the first tote, ready for storage. It did make me sad to think of moving out of my beloved split level. You can see from the picture background that not much of a dent was made in the crafting supplies. Good thing felt doesn't weigh much!

Opinions?

Two days ago I decided that the house needs to be on the market by April 11. Now that I made this deadline up, I have started my to-do list... and it's long... but doable.

My pack rat husband (love ya!) and I already discussed storing the clutter, and now I'm working on the For Sale By Owner flier. Which picture should I use? I like them both for different reasons. Any thoughts?

Other items on the to-do list, just to name a few:

Fix broken window cranks

Paint man cave and guest room more neutral colors

Put away personal photos

Move some furniture around

Move the deep freezer to Bill's

Sew new office curtains (not sure on this one)

Clean the garage

Get the water softener up and running (It's been sitting for three years, not good, I know.)

List the house!

The next few weeks are going to be busy, but I'm going to rock it out!

Speedy Delivery!

I'm sure you all remember Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. My favorite episodes always included a video delivery from Mr. McFeely. You know the videos I'm talking about, tours of factories where I learned how any number of items are made. Last Saturday, I was excited to enjoy a live factory tour.

For the past several years, I have driven past a sign on Interstate 74 offering a factory tour of Homeway Homes. Joshua and I finally joined the tour last Saturday. We began the tour thinking it might not be all that interesting, but it was something to do on a lazy, rainy Saturday. By the end, we were enthused and ready to sign a contract on a Homeway Home. Seriously, people, take the tour. It was fascinating!

Another February event was the return of the toothpaste game. Each time the tube approaches empty, Joshua and I battle to see who will be the last to squeeze a reasonable amount onto the toothbrush. The last person is the winner. I won this round by cutting the top off and using a toothpick to scrape out the last bit. Joshua was not pleased, and we agreed that next time, cutting the tube will be illegal.

Are we nerdy? Yes. Is this game completely ridiculous? Yes. Will I continue to play it, laughing hysterically each time. Yes.

Hot Off the Needles

It seems that my normal winter blah mood has set in the past weeks, leaving me nothing to be inspired to write about. Sorry patient readers! I will do my best to not let February suck me into apathy as January did.

A bright spot during January was the process and completion of another sweater, this one at the request of Jon G. In an attempt to sell more of the supplies needed to make this particular sweater, it will be hanging on a model board at Franks for the next six months. It was quite fun to browse through all of the patterns and choose something different. This sweater introduced me to several new techniques, such as the honeycomb stitch pattern and the three needle bind off. It turned out nicely, and I'm sure the pattern book ($17.95) and yarn ($7.99 per skein x 4 skeins) will be flying off the shelves in no time! All available at Ben Franklin Crafts, Moline, IL!

Over the weekend, I delivered the sweater on a weekend trip to visit Scott-o and Jon G. Mom and I spent Saturday cranking out Dana's wedding flowers. We accomplished a lot, and only quit once we ran out of supplies.

Sunday was the annual Methodist Church Ladies Luncheon. This year's theme was sports, so I can't say as that spoke to my heart, but it was a delightful afternoon spent with some of my favorite ladies. I'm already looking forward to next year.

Okay, February. Let's get this over with :0)