Before...but no after...yet.

I wanted to take a before picture of the pillows I will soon re-cover.

Once again, Addie had to be in the front of things! Silly!

I took a before but I don't have an after yet. I did buy the material.
I had several driving around errands yesterday and not much time or will power to dedicate to sewing covers. And today isn't looking like it's going to happen either!
Jeff and I are leaving for Idaho around noon. Amanda is going through the temple for the first time this evening. We will leave for home right after we are done.  We wont be home till around 3:00 am. Sheyla will be home with Davis.
Last night we made a quick trip up to Ikea to buy a replacement frame for Chris's old room. Sheyla and I joked that it's the second happiest place on earth. It fascinates me to walk in the maze of that store and see all those cute rooms set up! Sigh...

Four more days till Chris get's married!

I'm actually finishing projects!

This is from Chris's old room. The old brown painted armoire wouldn't match the black bed we are giving Chris and Amanda.

This is one of our first furniture pieces we bought for ourselves. We had it unfinished until I painted it brown for Chris's room. It felt good to pass it onto Chris and Amanda. It's never looked better! I finished with the last coat Friday night! It is going to look fantastic with the big black bed!

This was our bed. It's not very old but I really didn't like it. It was too high and too bulky for me.
I asked Chris about the bed they wanted us to get for them and he told me they would like a big black bed that would be high enough for storage underneath. I knew such a bed and thus the bed is now out of our room and out of our living room and now in their cute little apartment.

This is the bed that is now in our room. The bed that I dreamt about for years. The first headboard and footboard that we bought just nine years ago. The one that has been in Chris's room for just over a year. The one that is cozy and sweet. The one that I love once again.
The bench is now black. I thought since I was painting the dresser for Chris, I might as well paint this chest! I love the simplicity of it.
I am going for a little more calmness in my home.

I loved this material when I chose it for the 6 chairs and 4 pillows years ago.
The bird put holes in each pillow. I have to make new pillows which means I have to recover my chairs. It all makes sense and a lot more work.

I finished all 6 chairs on Saturday!
I love it!

Addie follows me everywhere and if I'm taking pictures she is usually in the way. Cute!
Now off to work on more projects, take care of my family and to try to keep some of my sanity!

Sunday night.

Jeff got the tree down from storage last night. Britni and Adam set it up. Ornaments and all. I feel such a relief that THAT tree is up and done (other than a tree skirt--but I can do that later). A big thank you to the newly married couple!

Britni and Adam brought a fun game called "Ticket to Ride".
I played with them one game. I actually came in 2nd!
Then Sheyla's friend came over and the two newly wed and nearly engaged couples played a game.

I love hearing loud talking and laughter!

Christmas (and somewhat close to Christmas) throughout the years!

We were married January 1986. This was taken at a friends house. So young and sweet.

I made only a few ornaments a few years ago trying to have one for every year (sad to say that I didn't complete them).

The start of our cute little family!

Then we added Christopher!

This was the same year. Christopher was born in December.

This year was SO much fun! They were old enough to be excited for everything. In fact, this is the year that Sheyla taught me a great lesson. The night that we got our Christmas tree I had imagined a tall, full and beautiful tree. But Jeff was in school and I was working as a nurse and we didn't have much money. When we went to the tree lot to pick out the tree, money chose the type of tree we got. But when Jeff put that little scrawny tree up in our living room, Sheyla danced and danced and sang and smiled! My heart melted. I saw that tree in a different light. A much better and sweeter light.
I will always remember that Christmas fondly.

They weren't sure about Santa.

Then, along came Britni!

This was the year that Jeff graduated from BYU! Yeah!

Along came Davis!

Check out the cute little white suit that Davis is wearing. This is just after Christmas and Christopher just got baptized. 

Then a few years later. 1997. We visited my parents in Nauvoo. We drove all the way from Tampa, Florida. We were spoiled by everyone. It was a simple but very memorable Christmas.

Fast forward to 2007. This was just before kids left for missions and college.
I know there are big gaps in there. There may or may not be Christmas pictures.
Time for more pictures!
I LOVE these pictures!
I LOVE my family!

The tree isn't up yet...

This picture is from last year.
This year I have a headboard (and footboard and side boards and braces) in my living room waiting to be taken to Chris's new apartment but we have had so much snow that it makes it difficult to deliver and he just moved out.
This year I have a new stove in the middle of the kitchen (not connected). It was just delivered because we are getting new counters (which is fantastic and not so smart) soon but Jeff has had to remove the sides of the area where the stove is supposed to fit and we have to get an electrician in to put in an outlet (the wires were just connected and we didn't know). We haven't had a stove connected since Saturday.
This year most rooms look like a hurricane has come through our house. There are projects in most rooms in progress. I know it's my fault for wanting to fix up a little. Some things are because Chris moved out and is getting married. So it's all good. I just don't know what I was thinking!
I am painting a dresser that was in Chris's room (but needs to be a different color) for Chris and Amanda and it is set up downstairs. It may take three coats of paint. It will look great once it's done.
Nine days till Chris gets married. Fifteen more days till Christmas. Luckily it's 23 more days till the open house. Everything has to get done. It will look great when it's over! I am almost beginning to panic.
This year we do not have the tree up yet.

Even more SNOW!

Can you believe how much snow we've had!

Beautiful but very cold snow.

It snowed for most of the day yesterday. SO much snow!
Addie follows me almost everywhere and she looked like she had fun jumping through the snow.
Jeff's not so happy with the snow. I'm afraid it's going to be a long winter!