DIY all day, everyday!

    I'm officially in my 3rd trimester. I'm almost ready to move AnnElise into her new room, ALMOST. There are several reasons why I don't care to move her yet, mostly convenience on my part, but also I worry it may be harder on her. I've slowly started moving her stuff over and changing her in there hoping it'll be an easy transition. Its a louder part of the house, further away from our room, and there's no closet in the room so we'll have to keep her sweaters and dressers in her old room. I am excited about finishing up nurseries to ease my mind since AE was early and I was on bed rest a full month before I was due. I just hope I can get it all done.
   While I've been working on the nursery stuff  Daniel has been working on the tile backsplash in our kitchen. Its taken longer than expected with finding just the right tile, but its well worth it. Our kitchen is almost finished!!!! My husband is amazing. Its DIY day everyday at our house! I love it!!!
   For all of my prayer warriors out there, I want to request you add my 91 grandmother, Mama Dot, to your prayer list. She fell last week and was stuck in the same position all night long which resulted in enzymes building up in her kidneys. She's been in the hospital getting flushed out, then rehab to hopefully get her walking again. I would specifically like to pray that she gets good quality care while she's there and she can return home where she's comfortable. Thanks in advance for the prayers.
 
 

Project Dresser Makeover

   I've been wanting to try a dresser makeover for a while now, and finally did it! I am sooo happy it is finished! Not that it wasn't fun or easy, it was, but also time consuming. We had a dresser that wasn't in terrible condition, but it was ideal for my project: some knicks, worn out varnish, and cup rings on the top. Its very sturdy, solid wood, and perfect size for AnnElise's new room, plus I can make a changing table out of the top of it too. I got Daniel to sand down the finish for me with his palm sander, and I started with the painting... it took several coats. After painting, I added a water based minwax polycrylic, and distressed it a bit. I decided to keep the old hardware and paint it as well except for the top drawers and got some pretty cheap knobs from Hobby Lobby to add some character. VOILA! Here's the finished product along with the crib I put together by myself in 30 minutes yesterday! I would like to add that if you're painting furniture, use the foam rollers, no streaks, and leaves a great naturally looking texture!

The sanding process! Thank you Daniel.

I was worried about distressing it, and had decided against it when I finished all the painting, then just went for it anyway! I'm glad that I did now. 

Crib Mobile

   This is the latest project finished. There are many more underway right now, not quite finished though.  I'm trying to get most everything done by middle of June before I get too tired to do it. The crib mobile is the easiest project I've done lately. I got the inspiration from a blog that I follow, sewshesews.wordpress.com. You can search "crib mobile" on the site and it will come up.  Mine is made differently, but same idea, I suppose. Total cost of the material was 12.08, much cheaper than any crib mobile you can buy. We never got a crib mobile for AE, but I saw the idea and felt like I needed it for the next baby.

  

  If you wanted to do this yourself and want directions, you'll probably find better directions on the blog I mentioned. I'm terrible with directions and kind of did my own thing with what I could easily find around the house or at the local Michael's craft store. Since we don't know gender we went with the colors based on what we already have: brown, cream, and green. We just ordered a new crib for AE, and her old one along with changing table, bumper and bed skirt are going to be handed down since they are all neutral. 

Silhouettes

  I've been crafty! Here are some pictures of the silhouettes I completed in a couple of hours. I underestimated the time it would take, but it was well worth it and very easy.  Daniel especially likes the one with AE grabbing the rooster while the dog is chasing her. I also got the frames 1/2 off at Hobby Lobby.

The far right one is what I look like so far for pregnancy #2. I believe its what I looked like at the end of my pregnancy with AE.

Next up, I'll post the finishing pictures of our furniture makeover and the crib mobile for the new little one.

Happy Mamma Day....

   AnnElise has a message to her Nana (a day late but my camera batteries died yesterday in Lewisburg)...  Mom you are awesome! Enjoy this video from your favorite Grandchild:)

The Growing Groen Kids

      I've been really blessed to see the Groens the last three nights. I couldn't believe how much they have grown in two years. I don't know what I had expected, but we think Hailey has changed the most. They are all still very pretty girls who are very well behaved. I got to keep them one night so Calvin and Alicia could go to Five Senses with Becky, the elderly lady they stay with when on furlough. They were treating her to a nice meal without the kids. While the kids were eating McDonalds for the 1st time in a while, Kate said that she was ready for rice and beans again. Kate kept asking if there were any chores they could do, insisting that they liked doing chores. Hailey wanted me to tell her where to sit at the table when I told her to pick a chair to eat her dinner and Sadie, she was afraid of eating too much again. The night before she stood over the garbage can b/c she ate too much. Sadie said that she really liked my cooking saying "its probably b/c it mostly comes from a box."(referring to why she likes it) Ha! I love missionary kids!!! These girls are the most polite girls ever. They also really like AnnElise! I'm not sure what Sadie was doing with her before dinner but all I could hear was AE laughing really hard with her in our living room. When the girls were watching a movie, AE kept getting in their face trying to get some attention from them and they were all glued to the TV despite her attempts. She can already say Kate and Sadie, which we taught her last night to say. She is talking up a storm lately, and learning new words everyday. When Daniel comes home, I have to catch him up on what she can say. We have successfully taught her poop, but she says it after the fact as she pulls at her diaper. She also has for the very first time gone down 2 steps without holding on to anything or crawling. She mastered my mom's flight of steps without crawling, holding onto the rails by herself last weekend. Just this morning she climbed up in her high chair on her own. I've never really seen her attempt it, but she sat down in it ready for breakfast. One less thing I have to pick her up for.

   I thought this was the typical Duke biting AE's bottom photo.

    They were very zoned in on the movie. Not even AE getting in their face would change anything.

      

 The Groen girls have been talking non stop about a toddler (our friend's daughter, Baylor) on the team thats just a bit younger than AE. It makes me really excited to have them come home later this summer. It sounds like she's a climber too and can really run already. Maybe they can run each others' energy out when we get them together. Baylor sounds like a lot of fun and it sounds like she's on the same level as AE with climbing, running, talking, and adventurousness.