Super Scrap Closet

So, This post is a little late, but still needs to be shared!  My super creative and talented friend, Mary, helped me turn my scrapbooking storage closet into a super Scrapbooking Room!  She first wigged me out by making me take out everything I owned for scrapbooking and organize it all.  You know what I mean by wigged out when you look around and it seems as if things exploded everywhere.  We had to kick my OCD husband out of the basement so he didn’t have a nervous breakdown!  Anyway, we widdled away at the work for 2 weekends in a row, and I worked on “homework” she gave me for the week in between.  Not only is Mary crafty, and a super organizer, but she is mean with some power tools!!! She built a workspace from a lot of things I already had, and added a countertop!  She borrowed her in-law’s circular saw and just did it!  I was so impressed.  I had taken advantage of my new space with all of my supplies organized and well labeled(Mary brought her Label Maker over).  I absolutely love it and appreciate her hard work!

 

Here is the mess/ work in progress:

All of these things and closet turned into this:

This project turned out awesome and I am so thankful to have such a great crafting space!  Oh yeah—my husband and kiddos bought me my own label maker for Mom’s Day so I can try to stay on top of the whole organized thing!

We’re Still Here

Hi all!  Yep, we are still alive and kickin’!   Time always seems to get away from us just with the routine of our daily lives.  Here are some updates: 

We had an awesome Valentine’s Day complete with heart shaped pizza!  Daddy grabbed the sparkling grape juice and we all drank out of wine glasses.  The kiddos were pretty impressed with that! 

Here are a few pics of the weekend before that when Lane and Kate stayed with us.  While the little ones napped, Norah and Lane frosted heart cookies!

 

Here’s our bed the next morning: There was no room left for Me!

 

We have a couple of goofy kids living here that keep us laughing everyday!

Got to love the outfits! 

 

We tried out a little potty training for Brennan last weekend…he is NOT ready.  Although he did do #2 on the potty, he looked completely traumatized and didn’t know what to think.  He wet his pants 5 times that day, so we have decided to just wait a couple more months and try it again.  At least now he knows what being wet feels like..too bad it didn’t seem to bother him much. 

One progression in Brennan’s life that we have made is that on Monday night we took the side off of his crib to give him a “big boy bed”.  In the recent weeks he starting climbing into the crib, and I knew it would be only a matter of time until he realized he could also climb out.  After his nap on Monday, he climbed out, opened his door and walked right out.  It startled me that he was just standing by me without a peep.  So, for safety sake, we made the crib into a bed until we decide how to decorate his room and buy a twin bed.  He is growing up so fast…isn't it crazy how fast time goes?

We spent about an hour outside playing on Monday, and I am sure glad now that it is SNOWING again…yuck.  The kids had so much fun discovering their outside toys again.

Girl’s Day!

Norah was super excited to learn that last Sunday we were going to have a girl’s day!  What might a Kath Girl’s day entail?  Well, it started right after Norah’s Sunday School class.  We picked up Nana Judy and headed on our way to Rochester.  We had a yummy lunch at The Olive Garden.  Soup, salad and breadsticks…it was great!  Then we went to Herberger’s to kill a little time before Norah and I headed to Rochester Scrapbooking Company for a Kids Class!  We worked together and handmade 24 valentines for her friends at school!  It was a blast because I have passed my love for paper crafting on to Norah and she was thrilled that we got to do it together.  Mind you, the store did a great job of having things ready to assemble, but we did have a bunch of things to cut out, ink, ect…  One of the other adults with a little one put it best when she said it was kind of like making cut out cookies…the first six were a lot of fun, then the kids just wanted to know when we would be done.  Norah did awesome for only being 4.  It was around valentine #15 that she started to get antsy.  I ended up finishing them up with her occasional glue stick help.  It was a  great time and the valentines are super cute.  From there we picked up supper for Dad, Brennan and Papa Kevin…Chipotle.  Then the girls got a sweet treat and headed home.  Norah was asleep before Byron.  Hope to do it again soon.

Thank You Shout-Out

Just want to send out a BIG Thank You to Dawn and Jason for watching Norah and Brennan for us while we had a getaway the week after Christmas.  They were brave enough to have 4 kids in their house along with all the new Christmas toys!  It is so awesome to be able to get away and not have to worry at all about the kids.  Thanks so much! 

We enjoyed our days in Florida- especially the sunshine.  It was chilly there the first couple days, but ended in the 70’s.  It was great to spend some time together and were gone just long enough to miss the kids a bunch and wonder what we did before them!   

3 Christmas Celebrations!

We had a wonderful 3 days in a row celebrating Christmas with our family.  We started Christmas Eve day at Kory’s aunt and uncles house with the Kath family.  Santa paid a visit to the little ones and much food and drink was had by all.  There are at least 50 people there so it is a flurry of activity.  The kids run around and play and stop occasionally to eat another cookie.  It is a great way to spend the day. 

As you can see, Brennan needed his cousin Chase to be a buffer between him and Santa.  He wasn’t really sure of the big guy!

 

After enjoying our Christmas morning at home, we headed to my parents for the day.  We ate a great lunch, opened presents and got spoiled by grandma and grandpa and Dawn and Jason.  Then kids had a blast playing with all their new toys and watching their new favorite Christmas movie—Santa Paws.  (for those of you who haven't seen it-its cute!)  It is so nice to just relax and enjoy being together, it is something that easily taken for granted even when we don't get to do it enough with everyone's busy lives. 

On the 26th we headed to Kory’s Dad’s house to celebrate with them and His sister and her family.  We all brought some delish snacks and grazed all day.  The kiddos played hard and enjoyed presents AGAIN!  Brennan got more Mickey stuff, Norah some beads for bracelets and perfume from her aunt and uncle.  They were spoiled by papa and nana too.  Later they all cuddled to watch and movie with papa.  It was a great holiday weekend!

  

Thanks so much to EVERYONE for making our Christmas so very Special!

Happy Holidays!

So, is it just me or is it hard to believe that we are already a week into 2011?  The days just fly by with the flurry of activity that every busy household has.  We had such wonderful holidays, celebrating with family and friends.  Christmas was so magical with a 4 year old and 2 year old.  They must have been extra good this year because Santa made all of their dreams come true.  Norah asked for a violin for herself and one for Lanie(her American Girl).  She also wanted matching PJ’s for her and Lanie and a sleeping bag and pillow for Lanie.  Wouldnt you know that Santa brought all of those for her!!!!

Brennan’s answer to what he wanted from santa was “ Mee Mouse!”  aka Mickey Mouse.  The boy is obsessed with him with a capital O!  He thinks they only tv show we should ever watch is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or any Mickey movie. Santa delivered him a Mickey Mouse flashlight that he loves.  You know Mickey is tops with him when he raced to the flashlight even though there was a shiny red and chrome drum set right next to it.  Needless to say, Santa thought we needed some music(mostly off key) in this house. A violin and drums!  If you hear some strange sounds coming from this end of town, I would say it is our toddler band!