Need an excuse to smile today???

Having a bad day??  Need a reason to smile?  Or maybe an excuse to laugh??  Check out my SUPER cute nephew Ian!  You just have to smile when you look at his sweet face!!

2010 The year I achieve these goals!

I've already written a blog about some of my goals, but I was browsing through blogs and saw several that posted pictures.  I decided to really be concise and post more in detail.  I'm going to make myself a 2010 board with these goals.  I know the concept that we unconsciously complete our goals when we have stated them and make them more tangible.  This is my tangible list!

List of 2010 goals:

Sell our house!  This is a picture of our house after Ike!  This is actually after much of the clean up, with much left to do!  Ike put the brakes on any idea of selling in Sept 08 with the housing market crash happening in Oct 08!  Now the market has rebounded somewhat and in the area our home is, we can now sell it and still get plenty of our equity from it!  Ike left a laundry list of things that must be done before we can sell it and this spring all those details will be taken care of!  YEA!

Once the house is sold a new addition will be added to the family!  Please meet Lola!

I'm a car girl!  Love 'em.  Love muscle cars!  Is was born in '69 and some day I will own a '69 Camaro!  It will sit in the garage with my 2011 model camaro.  I've been waiting since GM first starting talking about this and finally it's here.  She's gorg!  


Goal number 3 is about working out.  I began dancing at a young age!  I love to dance and I've always been very in shape.  So......the fibromyalgia diagnosis several years ago was devastating!  I'm not one to be held down or back, but my body sure did do it!  I can no longer exercise.  Even if I go shopping I can't walk too long.  I'm so limited by my pain!  I will be starting a work out program.  The mayo clinic recommends tai chi as a gentle effective exercise for people with fibro and I'm going to try it!

With our house sold the door will be open to purchase a new home here in our new town!  Right now I'd like for this to be my new home!

I have posted the pics of this house inside and out...I look forward to making it my own!


Another goal I have is to get back into my college studies!  I am not sure that I have the strength or energy any longer to complete a nursing degree, but I have all the prereqs I need to complete any bachelor's of science degree.  I never got back to school after the big move here in June 2007, this is the year!  I've only got four semesters left!  I can do it!!!! 

Last, but not least; in fact, this is the most important thing on my list is getting back into in depth Bible study.  Again, something that I haven't gotten back into since I moved.  I used to go to a Tuesday Bible study class that had five days of homework.  Usually about 30 to 45 minutes a day.  However, the homework usually led to a curiosity to know more.  So studying and learning were hand in hand with prayer and a closer walk with my Lord.  My walk with Him is much more important than anything that this earth holds and I have been lazy.  I'm ashamed of myself.  This year my passion as a student of the King will take first place!

Later!

Outdoor pictures

I promised to post pictures of the backyard and here they are...

Here we are looking out the back door.  I really am having a hard time getting used to seeing a house when I look outside, but we don't live in a rural area anymore!

Poinsettas in my backyard!  How cool is that??  Very cool to me!

Looking toward the back door

A peek inside the workout room

And the lime tree!

That is all! :)

Happy New Year!!

I'm not sure if I can adequately express my jubilation at seeing 2009 wave bye-bye!  This year, full of its ups and downs, was done!  Just wrung out and overwrought!  I'm happy happy to welcome the warm embrace of a new year.  Fresh, clean...full of promise, just as every new year is.  I'm pleased as punch every year to see the next one marching in.  Obviously this year is no exception!

I don't make resolutions, it seems like its just something to look back at with regret if it doesn't happen.  I have things I'd like to do and accomplish, goals if you will.  None of these things will have to be done and completed before the next new year begins.  2010 will continue my march toward health and peace.  This year we plan to sell our home in Houston and buy a home here in our new city.  Put down roots, roots that run deep and strong. I'm going to find a place to take ti-chi lessons.  I'm not sure if that's how its spelled, but I need gentle exercise that works, and from what I understand that's a great place to start.

We got the keys to our new rent house, and it's a house that I can see us buying.  It's big enough, but not too big.  With a soon to be empty nest, it's enough room with out being too much room.  It needs my attention.  Every single metal color you can think of is there, styles all mish-moshed and dingy white walls waiting for me to change!  The two houses we've lived in here are both homes that we knew we would not want to live in long term and for me, not having roots is disorienting!  I feel almost like I have mental vertigo.  I feel unbalanced, off kilter, my stomach isn't settled and I just plain feel sick!  It sounds silly, but I just need MY space.  MY families space...our home.  I know that our home is where we are and when i'm with my husband and children, I'm home, but I like having a place to call home, a place our compass always points too, that draws the kids back and waits to comfort us after a long hard day.  So, having this goal in sight is like taking the yolk from my shoulders and taking a water break!

Pictures of our diamond in the rough so my parents can see it!  (Hi Mom and Dad)

Welcome!  Come on in!

This is the little niche right inside the front door

the formal dining room is directly to the left of the front door

Looking from the other side of the living room into the kitchen and toward the door

Breakfast area...maybe

I'm so happy to have a window in my laundry area!

All the chairs I brought over so people helping me clean can have a place to rest!  a sneek peak into the only color in the house!

The closed in back porch

guest room/my craft room

And the colorful room to be repainted next week!

the master

master bath

Well that's enough of that...I'll show the backyard and the workout/jacuzzi room tomorrow!

Life has curve balls

Well, this is just a word to let bloggyville know that life's about to get crazy here!  We are all gearing up for the wonderful holiday season and everyone is getting too busy to even stop and take a breath.  Everyone is showing off their gorgeous decor, giving ideas freely, and receiving in return.  I have been getting Christmas out and getting it ready to make the house come alive.  I have family coming for Thanksgiving so I have been staging in the garage.  The second they leave every trace of fall is outta here and Christmas is moving in!  Last year we went out of town for Christmas and had just moved into this rent house in Sept.  The unpacking was complete, but I just never got around to decorating for Christmas, so this year I was going to do it up right!

Then came the curve ball!  Isn't life just full of them!  You have to laugh!  Really, what's the option?  Wallering in self pity?  Complaining and having a hissy fit?  No, we're trying to take the whole thing in stride.  We opened a letter this week from our mortgage company that turned out to be not a letter for us, but a letter for the owners of the home we rent!  Oops they have the same mortgage company!  This house is going into foreclosure on 12-03-09!  So we have to start packing!!!  Fortunately our property manager has another home coming available in this same neighborhood on the first.  I'm going to check it out today and make sure it is wheelchair accessible enough for the hubby.  If not then we will really be scrambling for a house to move to.  We know that there are probably things we could do to stay longer, but really if we don't have to deal with the drama we don't want to.  So now, instead of decorating, I'm packing.  We really hope to be moved completely by the middle of December and be able to at least enjoy the rest of the season!

This has cemented the plan for selling our home in Houston and buying down here.  We want to put down some roots and not be worrying about paying rent to a home that's not being paid for!!  This next year is going to be a wild ride!!  I think I will need this blog to be my sounding board, just to think and process what all is going on!  As soon as we sell we hope to build.  The idea of that makes me super excited and makes me want to throw up! LOL  But the idea of having a home built that is perfect for us is so awesome!  After living for 15 ish years in homes that are minimally wheelchair accessible we can have it done exactly right.  We can choose all the fixtures and it will be just how we like it in every way!

Our home in Houston was a typical rancher and we did so many remodelling projects just to make it livable for the hubby, and to make it less 60's and 70's velvet wallpapery!  Living with half the house in the garage, or no shower for two weeks!  I'll be thrilled to have a home that doesn't need updating!!

So you can be sure that there will be pictures!  My poor little craft room/office makeover will have to start all over again at the next rent house!!!!  And I will have to figure out all the furniture placement and where to hang pictures.  There will be lots of pics here and lots of what do you think....should the couch go over here?  LOL  My hubby hates when I ask him those kinds of questions!

Okay ladies!  Let the Thanksgiving madness begin!!!!

You can go home again

Who says you can't go home again!  Last week I spent the week sleeping at my momma's house and hanging out with my family and  friends, both old and new.

I grew up in the suburbs of Houston and growing up I always considered where I was born home.  Home was an itty bity town outside of Fort Worth.  After I was grown I always thought longingly of my summers spent visiting my Granny and Papa.  Going out to my Papa's home place and playing with the smelly cow dogs, picking fresh veggies from the garden and hanging out in the trees in the evenings as the day cooled down.  I was an only child there, the only granddaughter of a granny with two sons and four grandsons!  My granny taught me to sew, bake, quilt and to starch a pair of jeans until they stood up all by themselves!  My papa came home everyday from working in the trainyard filthy stinky dirty, but he left every morning with fresh clean starched and line dried work clothes.

Now that I've moved away from where I grew up, I have those same nostalgic feelings about Houston.  Tuesday night I went to "my" Beth Moore bible study with some of the girls, then went to eat afterwards.  Beth was right on and I laughed until I thought I would wet my pants and wished I would've worn steel toed boots from all the toe steppin' she was doing, just like old times!  I spent the next day visiting with my sister in law and my niece and nephew.  We went to the fire station and visited with my brother in law and let my niece play on the fire trucks.  My niece is going to be two in January and I promise you, she's the smartest girl on the earth right now!!  :)  She came and stayed the night with me at my mom's.  Mom watched her for a couple of hours so that I could meet up with a few friends from school.  The ladies that made it were girls that I had gone to school with since kindergarten!  Very fun!  We talked for hours, then it was back to moms to tuck in my little sweetie pie.  She went shopping with me and my group of girlfriends from church.  We had such a good time at lunch.  Then we went shopping!  Boy have I forgotten how much work it is to have a little one with you!  She was so good and only had one minor meltdown.  The meltdown ended as soon as I turned onto the shoe aisle.  She lifted her little head off my shoulder and said, "Shoes!!  I like shoes!"  Yep, you guessed it ,shoe diva in training!!

Saturday morning I had coffee with another group of old friends and saw another friend from high school.  As I headed home to my hubby and youngest son I was feeling homesick.  I needed to see my guys!  My boy shot his first deer while I was gone.  He texted me immediately!  But, I missed them.  When I got home we piled up in my bed and the boy unloaded.  He talked for an hour straight!

 Yep, you can go home again.  It's true, home is where your heart is.  When I visit my Granny, I feel home in my heart.  When I visit my parents, I feel home in my heart.  However, when I'm with my hubby and my boys I just feel home.  Where ever we are, if we're together I'm home!

Creating Vignettes

Hi y'all.  This morning I'm getting ready to head off to Houston for a few days.  My son turned 22 this past weekend, so I'll be taking him and his precious other half to dinner, I'm going to hook up with my Bible study girlfriends and go to Beth Moore's bible study tonight and tomorrow I'll be going to dinner with some girls from high school that I haven't seen in 23ish years!!  There will also be serious snuggling with my brand new nephew, can't wait to meet him!!  I will also be dragging my mom and possibly son's girlfriend all over Houston shopping at the stores we don't have down here!  Any bloggers in the valley that need Houston provisions speak up! :)

I wanted to post a few pictures I took this weekend.  A post on Maria's Blog a few months ago about vignette's inspired me and I've been kind of playing around with doing it.  I'm not good at it, it's something I've always had problems with, you know, the finishing details.  Maria's post made it seem simple enough.  Let me disclaimer this by showing you a picture of how the table by the couch usually looks

Of course the boy is in school right now so his glasses and most of his pens aren't there, and I did throw away the empty dinty moore can before taking the picture!  Now here's some pics of a company's coming side table.

You southern girls will recognize my secret little habit in the background!  Me and Sonic, we are like that I tell you!  Isn't this picture so much better than teenage boys nightstand?  So peaceful!

The flowers are in my granny's baby bottle!  I thank the Lord for her packrat ways!!  I have so much family history from her!

This is the other side table.  This table was my Papa's night stand, it's scratched and beat up, I've gorilla glued the heck out of this think, it was in pieces when I got it.  I will probably paint it the same color as the other side table when I get around to it!

Y'all be sure to notice my little violet plant!  This is the first one I've ever been able to keep alive!  Despite my cats best attempts to kill it!!  It just keeps blooming and blooming! :)

This is my old, but new to me gateleg table in my breakfast area.  I've been sanding away, little by little.  It should be done by Christmas, I hope!  But I wanted it to look nice and have a focal point so I put this together.

So, you like?  See any tips that would make any off it better?

One more thing, this is to show nannykim what my new spray paint trigger looks like, I think hubby bought it at Walmart, but I know I've seen them at Lowe's!

Love this thing!!

Alrighty, I'm off to load the car!!  You ladies have a good week! :)