Oh, what have I done!

Well I finally did it! I have convinced Jason to agree to, and help me paint not only our kitchen cabinets but the laminate countertops. (I am both excited and scared. I really hope it all works out.) I love the layout of our house. I love the large living room, and the fact that it is completely open to the kitchen area. I have never been a huge fan of the cabinets or countertops, but didn't know exactly what I could do with them either. We have never seriously considered replacing them because they are still very functional, and we wouldn't want to rearrange the kitchen so we are just trying to work with what we've got.

We are day three into this process and so far we still have a huge mess on our hands. I am hoping to complete the cabinets today and start on the countertops tomorrow. I have already decided on what phases two and three of this kitchen remodel will include. I will post some pictures once completed but I wouldn't dare take a picture of the way it looks right now. What is it about home improvement projects that seem to be well contained into one area yet the entire house seems to be a mess? I will probably be spending just as much time on cleaning after this is done than I did on the actual project itself. I will leave you with a before picture.

Kitchen Before

SUYL - Singles....My Big Brother Kelly.

Today I am linking through Kelly's Korner. It is Show Us Your Life Friday - Singles. If you are coming from Kelly's Korner, then welcome. I know there are a lot of posts to look through so I will keep this as short as possible.

I would like to take this time to tell about my single big brother Kelly. Kelly is 29, and lives in Central Kentucky. He is a Probation and Parole Officer and is very proud of the work he does.

Playing Church Softball.


He is a great guy that loves all sports, and plays softball and basketball year round. He is a fan of UK basketball and football, Reds baseball, and Bengals football.



Kelly with our Grandmother.

When not playing or watching sports Kelly enjoys spending time with family and friends, eating, and listening to music.


Kelly at Family Christmas Party.



Kelly has been a great brother to me and deserves a great down to earth girl. I am hoping everyone in Kelly's Korner will help match this great guy with a great girl.

18 Months already??

Haley is 18 Months already?! I can't believe how fast time has gone by or how grateful I am that I am able to be at home with her each and every day. As sad as I am about her growing up so fast, I am also very happy because I have not missed any of it. Anyone who had visited our house in the first twelve months of Haley's life can attest to the fact that I enjoyed every minute possible with Haley. They can tell because my OCD about the cleanliness of my house had gone to the wayside. I didn't vacuum the house everyday, I didn't scrub baseboards, I only shampooed the carpets twice. Anytime I thought about cleaning I thought of how fast other parents said time would go, and how I should enjoy this time with her while I can. I took all that advice to heart and am so glad I did. My OCD about the house is back, but has had a major tone down. I love this little girl more than anything in this world, and look forward to all the fun we will have this summer.

Four years and counting!

On May 26th, Jason and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary.

I cannot believe I have been married to this amazing man for four years already. Then it really blows my mind when I think that we have been together almost 8 years in all. Time has gone by so fast, and only faster now that we have Haley. I can only imagine what it will feel like as we hit those milestones of 25th anniversary or 50th! I wonder if it will still seem like time is flying by us.

One of the things I am very proud of is that we were married in the same church as my parents, my grandparents, and many other family members of mine. I love my church so much and growing up I always dreamed that my wedding would be here.  Following are some more pictures from our very special day.

For our anniversary Jason and I always get all dressed up and go out to eat at the same little romantic restaurant in downtown Lexington. The Metropol always shows us a good time and this time they didn't disappoint. They have expanded and had a gentleman playing the piano in the background. It was just simply wonderful. I look forward to many more great years with Jason.

You just can't reason with a toddler.

I am quickly finding out that you just can't reason with a toddler... (they are almost as bad as husbands)



Jason was off work today so I took full advantage. It is always so great when he is home. I get a chance to relax and sit back a little bit while Haley gets some one-on-one time with her daddy.

We had lunch gathered around the coffee table today. Jason gave Haley her first taste of some spicy food. Now, it wasn't real spicy, but I am sure to Haley the spices on it were enough to catch her attention. She immediately started spitting it out. Then she grabbed Jason's fingers and tried shoving them into her mouth in an attempt to let him know to get it out. She then made the move of going over to our recliner and shoving her face into the cushions licking the fabric...haha. Poor thing. She was so caught off guard she didn't know what the heck that was. I tried getting her to take a drink of her juice, but she was not having any of it. It wasn't a few minutes after I explained to my 17 month old about spicy food and how drinks help that she tried another bite, only with the same results. I explained it to her again that taking a drink of juice is always a better option than licking the cushions. Finally the third time was the charm. She took one more small bite and immediately started drinking her juice. She had such a look of excitement like she had figured it out, she had beat the spices that time. It just amazes me so much how quickly she will pick up on things or how well she will listens. It is as if she says, "I will listen to what you have to say Mommy, but I am going to figure this out on my own."

It was a great day and I love all the sweet little moments she gets to have with her daddy. Thank goodness I am never far from my camera so I can catch these moments. I know we will cherish them forever, and I am sure we will cry over these when she becomes a teenager and wants nothing to do with us. Until then, she loves us, and I know by the way she looks at us as if we are the coolest people in the world.

Wordless Wednesday!!!

Someone is ready to watch the Reds play!

The Mom I want to be!

Mother's Day and Father's Day are right around the corner which gives me a bag full of mixed emotions. I am constantly questioning how I can be a better mother for Haley, and constantly keeping my eyes out for good role models to learn from. Growing up I have two friends whose mother's I admire the most, and who have made lasting impressions on me. These two mother's couldn't be more different, and yet they are a lot alike. Both Susan and Gina have devoted as much time as possible to their children and have really taken active roles in who their children have become. I am a firm believer that a child's behavior is a direct reflection on the parenting they have received. And I think it is all based on open communication, not only between the mother and child, but the family as a whole. The best way for a family to support someone through a rough time is to be involved completely in what the details are to a certain situation. Keeping no secrets.

With this said, I am a firm believer in family dinners. I think it is a good time to get the whole family around one table and talk about what is going on in each other's lives. Jason, Haley, and I try to make sure each and everyday that we are together for dinner and enjoy that time together as much as possible. Since Haley is only 17 months old at this time I think Jason and I are still trying to figure out what kind of parents we will be. We have discussed tactics for teaching money management. Money management is something I was not raised with, but Jason was. So it is interesting for us to talk about how we have learned our money management skills and how we will instill these qualities in her.  Another topic we find ourselves discussing often is that of discipline. Again, Jason was raised in a very strongly disciplined home and I was not. Thankfully I didn't need a lot of discipline...lol. I do want Jason and I to be strict parents, and I think starting off with this early on will help Haley learn the limits of us as parents. Learning early on that there are consequences both out in the real world and within our home to everything she does.

I am always looking for ways to make a positive impact on her life and have seen many negative things to show how not to do things as well. I guess only time and a lot of prayer will show if we have succeeded in raising successful self-sufficient children.

I also want to add....since I have not advertised that this blog exists and Jason is the main follower I want to add that Mother's Day IS coming up soon....a mani/pedi would be greatly appreciated!!!!  I love you honey.