Sunday's Getting to Know You

I want to participate in a fun game from a brand new blogger friend! 

To play..Grab the questions..copy them onto your blog..answer them..come back here..put your link in and let the Sunday Fun begin!

Let's get this party started!!

The questions..

1. Do you iron your sheets?

Excuse me, I have a life. No I do NOT iron my sheets...who has time to do that?!?

2. Your dream car is....?

When I was young, it was a Yellow Ford Mustang Convertible. And I don't know why. I actually love the newer mustang models, but I think I'd love a nice SUV to tote around the fam. I'm practical like that.

3. Do you have an innie or an outie belly button?

Innie =]

4. What meal do you look forward to the most..breakfast, lunch, or dinner?

Depends on the day. Most days it's dinner, cause we try to do that as a family. But I LOVE doing Sunday lunch with friends after church.

5. Favorite mascara?

I don't even know the name...it's the pink and green one. I've used it since day 1 (of me wearing make up, that is)

6. What would you say your decorating style is..traditional, modern, eclectic, country, french country, shabby chic, etc..?

I would say I have an eclectic mix, but I'm definitely a Pottery Barn lover, with a little shabby chic thrown in. Is that traditional?

7. Have you ever been skinny dipping?

Yes. In 8th grade. With two girls. We thought we were getting away with murder, lol

8. I hate the smell of...?

Ketchup (especially when mixed with mac and cheese), Love Spell by Victoria Secret, and Dog Food Factories.

Daddy says the darndest things

Okay, so yesterday while I was writing about the funny things my kids say, I was thinking about all the crazy things my husband has said to them. Mostly joking, sometimes inappropriate, he comes up with the craziest things! Here's just a few things I've caught him saying that had milk shooting out of my nose:

1. "I just asked you to clean up your playroom....it's not like I'm asking you to shoot a puppy!"

2. "If you don't knock it off, I'm gonna kill Santa." (LOL, seriously?)

3. "If you're not smart enough to NOT eat the paint, then you're not smart enough to use the paint."

Have you ever caught yourself saying any of these things? What's the craziest thing you've caught yourself saying to your kids?

And just for good measure....

Because he really is a pretty great dad...

Kids say the darndest things...

Another installment of 'Kids Say the Darndest Things' and the last bullet point I wanted to cover here. First, let me remind you how cute my kids are:

I actually think they were a few I wanted to remember, but didn't. I need to start writing them down as soon as they happen, but these are the ones fresh in my mind:

1. Last week, I was helping the Dude go potty. I thought he needed to go #2, but he did not. Finally, he got off and I was pulling his pants up, he said "Mommy, I think I just need to toot." and he proceeded to tooting away. I said 'Buddy, are you sure you don't have to go poop?' To which he replied "Nope, I'm just nasty." !!! That's what we say to daddy when he rudely interrupts us with his gastric musical interpretations. Like father, like son.

2. My kids call people 'Silly Goose Pigs'. I'm not sure why, but it's spread like wild fire. While I was at Gulf Coast Getaway, I received this text message from my dear friend Sarah who was selflessly watching my kids for the weekend: "So, Faith just called me a silly goose pig, and I totally thought she called me a silly douche bag!" I have accidentally taught my kids things I'm not proud of, but I don't think that is one of them!

3. This one is hilarious but hard to describe in writing: I'll do my best. Last week at the end of the school day, I had one of the girls come up to me to angrily tell me "Miss Veronica, Faith keeps spitting in my face!" Obviously appalled, cause my kids would never do something like that, I marched right over to her and started accusing her. "Who on earth would you spit in someone's face?" Well, Faith got just as angry back and declared "I was NOT spitting in her face, I was just trying to show her THIS: (this is the part I would love to demonstrate for you, cause I can't really describe it, but Faith proceeded to beat box). If you need the background to this, we've recently released our Praise team CD from church, with is Acappella, so there is some vocal percussion. The hubs also travels in a group, DeeperStill, an Acappella group with vocal percussion. Faith is a big fan. And since the release of our new CD, she has been practicing along! The funniest part was listening to her beat box with an angry face in hopes to describe what she was doing was clearly not spitting! I will have to get her on tape ASAP.

4. I love the mispronunciation of words by toddlers. My current favorites are Caleb's recent discovery of his "Niffles" and Faith's wiping her "prilates" - about the only way to make those two words cute!

My fabulously inappropriate children - You. Are. Welcome.

Calm before the storm

Bullet point #4 that I am suppose to cover, as promised here, is the hardest to write. Mostly, cause I don't know where to start or even how to talk about it without talking about everything at the same time.

Basically it's along these lines: God has been workin' on my heart a lot lately.

These last few months, I've just had a lot going on. I mean, I always have a lot going on, but I've been convicted to find joy in the midst. Ironically, trying to find it was causing discontent and frustration in my life. I'm ready to move on. I'm struggling through financial hardship right now, but I'm confident that God will provide, as He always does. I'm frustrated with the plateau I've hit in my weight loss, but I know that it's about balance and taking care of myself to live my best life. I get down on myself that I'm not always being the best parent I can be, but then I realize I'm raising some pretty fantastic kids.

This is the lesson I'm learning: I am blessed. Yes, I knew this already, but I didn't really know it. Ya know? My weekend at Gulf Coast Getaway was the first time in a long time that I sat back and listened to God and what He had to say. I never stop long enough to listen. Being away from my kids for 5 days was the hardest thing, but I have been a better parent since. I've been cherishing every moment with them, and keeping my cool when little meltdowns don't matter.

This is the other lesson I'm in the middle of learning: I don't know what's ahead. It's scary, unsettling, frustrating, and down right aggravating, but the only thing I can count on is change. There are a lot of possibilities in my future, and I have no idea the path that God will lead us through. I just know I'm ready. I literally feel like I'm sitting in the calm before the storm.

Something big's a comin' - are you ready?

Project ideas

Back to the bullet point updates I wanted to get through from this post. Bullet point #3: Projects around the house.

Okay, since I've finally started connecting with other bloggers and trying to actually do something with mine, I've been so inspired by so many talented women out there! It's insane how many unique ideas I see on a daily basis...it totally has me itchin' to get my hands on something and transform it! Also, being featured yesterday on BetterAfter has me excited to get more BEFORE and AFTER photos going!

So the wheels have been churning. I, of course, barely have the money to look at buying stuff, let alone do a huge makeover, so this is all brainstorming....for now....

1. I have been wanting to paint like nobody's business.  I painted a few rooms when we moved into our house, but I'm still itching to paint this:

My bathroom needs a facelift. I'm thinkin' a burnt orange/copper color.

2. I also want to paint my livingroom:

This neutral gray/beige was easy to work with when we moved in, but I'm over it! It's too dull for me. I want something a little warmer....but I'm not sure on the color yet.

3. The next project is actually two parts, and I've been dreaming about it for over a year now: 

Because I don't technically have a 'dining room' in my house and it's such a small space, I wanted to create something to make this feel like another space. I really want to paint the back wall a different color (maybe the chocolate brown left over from my bedroom makeover). I also want to put up curtains to add some drama and warmth. The second thing I really want to do is re-finish the table and chairs (now that my kids are out of highchairs). It's a cheap set we got when we were married and since I don't see the budget for what I really want in the near future, I'm gonna make this one the best it can be, and I have a really cool idea for it!

4. I would LOVE to get into to buying and repurposing furniture, maybe sell some on Craig's List or my own store. I always see potential in great pieces when I thrift shop, I just need to start doing it.  (oh, and find some space for it!) Where there's a will, there's a way, right?!?

Well, what do you think? Any suggestions before I get my hands dirty?

Featured on Better After!

I am taking some time out from my bullet point updates (and writing 2 blogs in one day!) to brag.

I was featured on Better After, one of my FAVORITE blogs! =]

So excited, especially since it was such a measly project compared to some of the amazing makeovers I see on her page. But, it was Scrapbook chair makeover I did over the summer. Check out my original post here.

Okay, carry on....

Gulf Coast Getaway

As promised here, I'm giving you updated of my life over the last few weeks, when I slipped away from blogging. Bullet point #3: Gulf Coast Getaway

Last weekend, I had the privilege of leading worship and event in Panama City, FL for around 2,000 college students. There are really no words to describe the experience I had. But you know me, I use 12 words when probably only 1 will do, so here goes:

First of all, let me start off by saying this was my first time flying since my honeymoon...6 1/2 years ago. This was also my first time away with my hubby since we had kids. So, even though I was there with a job to do - this was a vacation for me. It was cold and rainy while we were there, but it wasn't snowing. I'll take it. We stayed at the Edgewater Beach Resort in a beautiful condo with a master suite, and of course, a King sized bed.

Oh yeah, and this was the view from our room....

Okay, on to the good stuff (yes, it actually got better than this)...

I've been singing for most of my life. Specifically Acappella music. I've worshipped in many places and lead worship at a lot of places, but very few came close to my experience this weekend. It was a fairly large event, which always helps. But these college kids came ready to worship. It was heartfelt, emotional, and captivating. A few times during the weekend, I had to stop singing just to listen. I held back tears almost every time we got up to sing. I felt God's presence in that place, He moved in me. It was so encouraging to hear the kids come up afterward to say how uplifting the worship was and how blessed they were by it, but hands down, being up on the stage was the most powerful point in the whole room, hearing praise to God coming right at you.

And man, was it fun. Hangin' out with some of my best friends, meeting new people, singin', dancin', chillin' with Sean Algaier from Biggest Loser for awhile, late night runs to the Waffle House....it was one of the best weekends ever.