A Makeover

No, not a makeover for me...rather for Kennan and Brayden's room!! We bought them bunk beds a few weeks ago and felt like it was finally time to do something to make their room more colorful and "homey" feeling. We've been in this house for 2 1/2 years so I think it was about time!

Here's a before of part of the room...

Kenny and I toyed with the idea of painting their room some type of green color, but then I decided I wasn't ready to commit. So, we enlisted the help of the kids to paint some canvases to put on the walls. I bought 4 colors of paint that match the colors in their bedspreads and put them to work!

They loooved it!

I bought a $4 twin sheet that matched the green in their bedspreads and turned it into a valance. Here's how...

I cut it into a manageable size to work with. Then I took it to their window and measured how low I wanted it to hang. (Don't I have the cutest helper?)

Then I folded it in half so that it would be a little thicker and not quite as see through (it was a cheap sheet, you know!). Then I went to work with my iron on hem tape and iron...

After I got it hemmed down I cut off the extra so that it was a little shorter than the front side...so you can't see my uneven cut!

Then I had Kenny put sticky velcro squares on our existing blind valance.

I hung the new valance up with the opposing velcro pieces stuck onto the fabric and just matched it to the ones Kenny had hung.

Finished! I know it isn't sturdy and definitely homemade...but I know that the kids won't mess with it and it should last for awhile (I hope!!!).

Then I put up some plastic hooks and twine to make my own art clothesline. I painted the clothespins the same colors as the ones the kids painted with.

Here's the finished room!

We made this area into a reading corner...

We also got a new dresser to go with the new bed...

When it was all said and done, we spent about $55 to decorate their room...about the same as 2 gallons of paint. I'm thinking this was definitely the way to go! The kids love it! And so do we!

Cute

A certain blog reader, ahem...mom, has been hinting that I haven't updated lately. So, I've got 2 posts for you tonight...mom. Let's just start with these cuties!

I guess I might be a little biased, but I think these are 3 of the cutest kids ever!

Tonight...

Family +

Popcorn +

Games =

Family Game Night!

Kennan won Monopoly Jr...Kenny lost.

Brayden won Uno Moo...

And Kennan won Yahtzee!

What a fun night!

(I feel the need to apologize for my hair/clothes/no make up in the first picture...at least I took a shower today!! I guess now we know where Brayden gets her hair issues from...)

Bad Hair Day?

I think so...

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10 Months!

Our sweet baby boy turned 10 months on Monday. Unfortunately, he has spent the last week feeling pretty crummy. He was diagnosed with croup at the end of last week and has had a yucky runny nose for the last week. So I've been putting off this post thinking I could get some good, cute pictures of him when he was feeling better. He's getting better, just not quite himself yet.

Anyway, at 10 months our sweet boy is still easy going and laid back. Even while sick he still is as sweet as can be - just not as bubbly as usual. I snapped this picture of him today. Obviously whatever I was doing made him smile real big!

I zoomed in on the picture above so you could see a few things...

1. An extremely snotty nose. Grayson hardly ever cries, but the second I pull out the nasal aspirator he lets me have it. Sometimes I don't fight the battle, as seen in this picture.

2. Grayson now has three teeth. Two on the bottom middle and one on top. But it's not the traditional first tooth in the middle. It's one of his canines! Can you see it on the right? I'm thinking the one on the left isn't too far behind.

3. See those big, beautiful brown eyes? They get me every time.

Crawling is still Grayson's preferred mode of transportation. He pulls up occasionally, but only to his knees. He has no interest in standing or walking at this point which is totally fine with me. Kennan and Brayden both didn't walk until 14 months so hopefully we still have some time!

This was a posed picture. I got him to this point and he sat down about 10 seconds later...

What else?

*Solid foods are going well. Grayson likes orange foods - carrots, sweet potatoes, squash. He also like bananas, apples, and pears. Yogurt is a new addition and he loves it!

*Foods with textures are not enjoyable for our little man. He gags on them when they touch his tongue and he spits them out immediately.

*He does like to feed himself soft green beans, yogurt melts and puffs.

*Grayson enjoys drinking water out of a "big" cup. I usually unscrew the lid on his sippy cup and help him drink it that way. Weird, but he likes it. (Side note: Anyone have a sippy cup they just love? Ours seem to leak and it's pretty annoying.)

*Nursing 2 times a day - later morning and in the evening. I am going on a girls trip with some friends in mid-February (sans kids!!!!!) so the boy will be weaned by then. I have a feeling it won't be as easy as it was with Brayden. Anyway, we will start milk at the beginning of February and then take away the nursing so that when I leave he will be all set.

*Grayson loves to explore and is very curious. He always seems to find the littlest piece of trash or food that has fallen on the floor. He loves it when the K and B have left their toy room door open and he gets to explore in there...or when the bathroom door gets left open.

*He adores his brother and sister. Thankfully, they adore him just as much. As we were getting in the car the other night after the wedding (see post below) Kennan said, "I wish Grayson were here. I want to snuggle with that little guy." We've had to do breathing treatments with Grayson for the last week. Brayden's energy has come in very handy during this time. She sings and dances and plays with him while he is getting them. Makes it go by fast and he doesn't fight us if he's around.

We love our little man and can't imagine our family without him.

Only 2 more months until the big 1 year!!!!

A Great Weekend!

Last weekend, Kenny had the honor and privilege of officiating the wedding of a former youth group member. When we lived in A-town, Kenny and I worked at a church as youth directors and met some fabulous kids. Mark and his family are such a big part of our lives and it was fun to get to know Kaila better. They got married this weekend and it was so great to be included in their special day. Kaila looked beautiful and Mark was so handsome!

Brayden has an obsession with weddings and getting married. She wanted to be wherever Kaila was at all times. (Side story: When the kids and I got to the church before the wedding I gave them a choice to go to the nursery or to the wedding. Kennan said, "I do not want to see them kiss. I am going to the nursery." Brayden, on the other hand, did not want to miss any part of the wedding. She soaked it all up and I'm sure was making mental notes on plans for her wedding.)

Kennan getting his groove on at the reception. About 10 seconds after this picture he poked himself in the eye.

With the bride and groom!

We are still close friends with a lot of the families in A-town. There are a few that open their homes to us whenever we come for a visit. This time we stayed with the doctor and judge, Lee and RaeAnn. Here are Brayden and RaeAnn.

Kennan and Lee

Lee singing to the kids before bed. They love to play the piano at their house!

It is at this point I feel the need to mention that YES, Grayson went on the trip to A-town with us. I feel terrible that he did not make it into ANY pictures. He was feeling pretty crummy all weekend and so he didn't go to the rehearsal dinner or reception with us.

Anyone still reading this blog??

Hey friends! Hope I can get my act together this year and update this blog more often. At the end of 2010 I went back and looked over the last few years of the blog. It was so fun to go back and look at the kids and see how much they have changed. So, hopefully I'll keep this up!!

Grayson has become such a better eater over the last few weeks. He is doing better with finger foods (green beans, goldfish, yogurt melts, bread). He is a carb lover...french fries are his favorite. What can I say? He takes after me.

On our drive back home New Years Day we stopped for a potty break. I got Grayson out of his seat while Kenny took Kennan and Brayden to the bathroom. He loooooved sitting up front. He was busy looking out the windows thinking he was such a big boy.

Brayden loves the new Princess dolls she got for Christmas. I caught her in mid-sentence in this picture. The girl never stops talking so this is a pretty normal shot of her.

Grayson checking out some of his Christmas presents!

Here's our latest project. Kennan and Brayden share a room and have been sleeping in twin beds with just a frame, box spring and mattress. We got some money for Christmas and decided it was time for Kennan and Brayden to move up in the world.

So, we got a set of beds that can be used as two twins...

or bunk beds!

I think it's safe to say they like them!!

Yes, I took pictures of my kids in the dark while they were sound asleep with a bright flash. And no, they did not flinch or wake up. They are pretty sound sleepers!!!

Anyone out there still reading????

Happy New Year!!

We let Kennan and Brayden stay up until 11 CST to celebrate the east coast New Year. They had a great time.

Happy New Year!

Sweet baby boy slept right through it.

We'll tell him about all he missed when he wakes up in the morning!