Before & After: Study

This is Justin's new "man cave." It used to be the 4th bedroom until someone along the way converted it into a study/office area. This room is directly off the living room.

Picture of before: (Peach paint threw up on the walls & ceiling and some awesome pastel-y canvas covering a fold down ironing board...)

Picture of after:

We painted the ceiling white (this will be a common trend in our painting endeavors. Justin is VERY adamant about having white ceilings. To each his own...), painted the walls a tan/brown color (also a common trend since I'm very in to painting walls neutral colors), took off the pastel canvas and replaced it with a simple orange fabric and threw a bunch of crap in a decorative way onto the shelves. I tried to be manly about it.

I think this room is as complete as it will be for awhile. We might get a chair/loveseat/something else to sit on to also go in here. We also want to get french doors to close it off so if we do need to use it as a guest room, we will be able to give someone privacy.

Before & After: Haylie's Room

This week I'm going to post some pictures of the before and after's that we have completed of the house. Nothing is quite 100% finished, but even just with painting, I think it makes everything look a lot less "elderly".

This is Haylie's room before:
This is Haylie's room after:

We took down the vertical blinds & ugly valence, painted the ceiling white and painted the walls a warm tan color. Projects still to come is putting up a black out shade and a ceiling fan in there, along with a few more red accents. I just realized I didn't take a picture of the third wall with cute stuff on it but you'll just have to use your imagination.

We're In Trouble

Sorry there isn't any climactic music or angels singing with the success of her new milestone. I guess I could have hummed a little ditty in the background. With her, if I say anything when she is working that hard, she usually bursts into tears and gives up. And who wants to see that on camera?!

Our lives will now be forever changed. Thankfully she is still a slow crawler so I can breathe easy for a few more...hours.

Missouri : Part 2

Missouri:Part 2 went as well as it could. We went down Thursday night and got back Sunday evening. We had a few issues leaving Edmond - such as getting on the highway only to discover we had NO gas so we got that and got back on the highway and Justin realized he forgot his suit. So leaving at 5 turned into leaving at 6 and getting into Columbia at 1 am. We also got pulled over again but thankfully only another warning. Haylie is going to think that the blue & red flashing lights are just something that happens when one drives to Missouri.

Saturday was the funeral service for Justin's grandpa. It was a very sweet time with family and friends getting up and saying something about Grandpa. It was very emotional and I loved hearing things about Grandpa that I didn't know.

The trip back to Edmond was a little trying on Justin & I, but we made it. I think Haylie cried about 5 of the 8 hours. I felt bad for her but we couldn't keep stopping otherwise we would never get home! So we spent most of the car ride in silence listening to her cry, scream, yell, etc. Here we are at a gas station - she looks pretty ornery but she was pretty happy to stretch her legs.I'm pretty thankful to be home and not in the car. We don't have plans to make any trips over an hour any time soon and I hope it stays that way because Haylie only tolerates an hour or two before letting us know how she really feels about being strapped in one position.

In a Week!

I am so excited! Financial Peace starts in less than a week and I could not be more thrilled. I look forward to this every fall because it helps us get back our gazelle like intensity when it comes to our finances. It helps us take a look at where we are investing, saving and spending. If you are in the Edmond/OKC area, then I would really urge you to prayerfully consider attending this course. We took it about 4 years ago and has changed our lives dramatically. You can sign up here. If you have any questions about it, leave me a comment and I'd be glad to respond. Also - if you just aren't sure what the course is about, feel free to come by and sit through a class! You are always welcome.

"Winning at money is 80 percent behavior and 20 percent head knowledge. Most of us know what to do, but we just don’t do it." - Dave Ramsey

Haylie Bug

It's blurry, but it's there. First tooth has arrived.

She is a little gymnast. Headstands galore!

My big girl can hold her cup all by herself. Granted, she has to have the help of gravity.

She wants to be just like her BFF Dusty. They even lay the same.

Happy 4th Eli!

My nephew Eli turned 4 years old on Saturday! It seems like yesterday we were all at the hospital waiting for his arrival. Can't believe he is such a big boy.

His birthday party was Toy Story themed. He is in love with Buzz & Woody and could watch Toy Story all day every day.

The birthday boy

My sister made this cake. Turned out so cute!

My monkey child. Her feet are everywhere.

Sweet Evie passed out in cousin Marley's lap.

It was a lot of fun to see Eli opening all his presents and telling everyone "Thank you" like his parents taught him. He is too sweet!

Prayers

We got the news that Grandpa Berkley passed away. We would love it if you would bathe the Cornell/Berkley family in your prayers. This has been a very hard situation since it happened so fast. We were so blessed to go to Columbia last week and that Justin got to spend some time with his grandpa. I'm sure he will cherish those memories forever.

The Days of Our Lives

I promise there is a reason for a lack of posting...we have been kinda busy.

We have been busy non-stop working on the house. Painting, cleaning, organizing...everything is painted except our master bedroom, guest room & laundry room. But 2 out of the 3 can wait until next year if I feel like it. And I might just feel like it.

We had a beach vacation trip planned, but we decided to go to Columbia, MO to spend time with Justin's family - especially his grandpa. The Cornell/Berkley family could use some prayers right now. Grandpa was diagnosed a few weeks ago with lung cancer and has gone downhill pretty fast. Within a matter of days he was up, walking around & acting like himself and by the time we were leaving town he was basically bed ridden and needed 24/7 help. Justin especially had a hard time leaving. How do you tell someone goodbye forever?

Haylie and I spent a lot of time with SIL Brei and cousins Jagger and Cash. We had fun! Haylie tried out the pool for the first time and got to be loved on (A LOT) by Jagger.

Highlights:

So happy at the KFC Buffet in Blackwell, OK. Here's a thought - if you are trying to make good time on a 8 hour trip with a baby, don't ever stop at a buffet still in the same state you live in.

Not sure she likes the pool and definitely didn't like water splashed on her face. You almost can't see her with all the green! Oh wait, there's those chubby arms. (I think she looks a lot like my mom in this picture!)

Self-portrait of Cash and myself

Jagger learned the art of self-portraits as well...

Jagger with Haylie & her 3 chins

We got to stop by some of our friends house in Wichita on the way home. We were only there for about an hour - but it was great to see them. Picture of Coralie and "Baby Haylie". Love it!

Pictures of the house to come soon...I promise.

The Parable of the Lost Keys

This past April, I somehow misplaced my keys. I discovered this the Monday after when I had packed Haylie up, got her in the car, got everything else in the car, went to dig my keys out of my purse to head to Wal-mart and found...nothing. I turned my house & car inside and out looking for them. Still nothing.

Have you ever lost your keys? I felt like a piece of me was lost and I felt very unsettled. I called the retreat hotel, I called my parents to see if I left them there when dropping off Haylie, I even blamed Justin for misplacing them. No luck.

Hoping to find them once we I started packing, I was sorely disappointed when they didn't show up. We did find Caramel's cat coils that have been missing for months but no keys.

Moving day arrives. Justin and friend are picking up one of our couches to take them out to the truck when there is a moment of weakness and one needs to adjust their hold. Hearing a "jingle", I make them stop and jingle the couch again. Sounds like keys!! The bad thing is, I can't get to them. They are inside my couch. How in the world...??

Once at the new house, I couldn't stand it any more and rip a hole in the bottom of our couch to free my missing keys. I was pumped!! Justin was not - he is not a fan of hole-y couches.

Who cares. I am complete. I even said sorry for blaming him for misplacing my keys.

The Months are Flying By!

My baby is 8 months old. Trying to take a picture of her is next to impossible - she is so into everything. If you put anything in her eyesight, she must grab and/or chew on it.

My mom discovered her first tooth has broken through - hallelujah! She is kind of grumpy when her gums hurt so I will be happy when this phase is over...although I've heard it won't be for awhile...

She is rolling all over the place and is very happy to just play on the floor with her toys. She is a really good eater and we probably should be giving her more solids but it's just easier to nurse her. I'm pretty lazy when it comes to washing dishes anyway.

She has adjusted really well to her new home but isn't very helpful in the renovations. She needs to earn her keep!

I really do enjoy spending time with her. She is at such a fun age right now!!