New Kitchen

We are finally almost done with the kitchen remodel and it feels like a completely new room. Before and after pics are coming soon and it is big changes! We spend so much time in the kitchen and now it is a happier place to be. Some recent activities in the new kitchen:

Painting.




Baking.



This girl loves to bake. I have finally made peace with the fact that when she helps me, she will draw letters in the flour she spills all over the counter. And I will walk on sugar that she has spilled on the floor and I will cringe because I hate walking on sugar spilled on the floor. And the prep time it takes before popping whatever it is in the oven will triple as she carefully picks out which two eggs from the carton should be used. But I have made peace with all that (except sugar floor) and now it is something fun to do together that doesn't feel like a chore.



She is trying really hard to lick that chocolate off her face.

An Exchange Between Drew and Seymour, the Petting Zoo Goat

Drew: Hey Seymour, how's it going there buddy? You hangin' in there?



Seymour: Oh you know, I've seen better days.



Seymour: It's just that nobody understand me in here, you know?



Drew: Oh pull it together Seymour. You don't have it so bad.



Seymour: That's it. You don't get me either.



Drew: Wait Seymour, I didn't mean it like that.



Drew: Would you just stop? Hug it out, Seymour.

Monkey's Uncle

The last time we went to the Phoenix Zoo was more than a year ago with a bunch of family. When we stopped at the first exhibit, the giraffes, I said to no one in particular, "People are so lame who take pictures of the animals, with no one else in the picture." I turned my head to see who I was talking to and it was my sister, Danielle, as she had stopped mid-photo taking a picture of the giraffe eating the leaves. I tried to recover and tell her I was just kidding, but what was said was said. The poor girl looked at me hesitantly before every picture she took the rest of the day and deprived herself of many exotic animal shots.

Look Danielle, I took an animal shot this time! I've always loved those flamingos.




And of course I captured other wildlife. Can you tell which is the monkey?




Drew is pretending to be a flamingo.




Attitude.




We were checking out sleeping Mufasa who barely twitched a leg for us.




The zoo was great. Sometimes Drew's personality can be overwhelming cooped up in a house, but out in the wild her excitement and enthusiasm are very entertaining.

Jason and I were also entertained by those who take video footage of the lazy animals. Do any of you do this? And if you do, have you ever watched this footage over again, say for some Friday night entertainment? Just wondering.

Drew's favorite animals: petting zoo goats, black bears, and the river otter.

Grandpa B

I can't believe it is already the middle of March. February wanted nothing to do with me and flew by in a day's time. Every day is usually the same, walking around the house covered in yellow threads, with a million things on my mind.

Two days ago the normalcy of life was interupted when I visited my grandpa in the hospital and later that day he passed away. This is Grandpa Bob, Christmas Eve 2009, waiting for the kids to put on the nativity play.



If we are the same people when we make it to heaven, and I'd like to think we are, then I have a good idea about what Grandpa B is up to.

In only two days time, the man has gathered and entertained many of the hosts of heaven. Someone hummed a tune and grandpa will have found a piano and played a loud, glorious, and grandiose rendition of the tune, just after hearing it once. (They had to stop asking grandpa to play the piano in church because his rendition of church hymns were a little over the top, but in heaven it's all good.)

Grandpa has danced the jitterbug, as he danced with us around the piano. He has preached boldly, and laughed, and already made a million friends. Most of them will probably speak Spanish with him because he loves the Mexican people.

Just two days ago heaven became a much livelier and friendly place.

Two Minutes

Drew was put in time-out last night and, as usual, tears and crying ensued. Even though she is not allowed toys in the red time-out chair, she somehow managed to smuggle her plastic cell phone. From the other room Jason and I listened as she tried to call her grandma on the plastic device. "Grandma, I'm in time out," she cried. "For two minutes." More crying. "Daddy make me so sad." And another sad, pitiful cry that would make any grandmother's heart melt. If they were listening to the conversation.

She's probably the funniest little thing ever.

Another topic... wall art. Haven't bought much of it. Our living room has a vaulted ceiling and a really big wall that I want a big piece of art. I've been searching around for prints or vintage posters to be framed and I just don't love anything yet (that is in my price range). What I'd really like is for it to be my art, taken from my Black-Friday-bought camera, and blown up huge. I have been so inspired by Pioneer Woman's recent depth of field posts and photography assignment. The photos people submitted are amazing. Some of my favorite...

, originally uploaded by baybeexjackie.

this little nutty stayed home, originally uploaded by Cosi!.

Tiggy, originally uploaded by jackiehampton.

drops of bokeh, originally uploaded by tab.itha.

I need to learn to take pictures like these.

Design Inspiration

In our six plus years of marriage I have never really decorated our home. We have rented up until nine months ago and for the last nine months the money has gone towards the outdoors.

But now it is my chance to finally shine. I have literally four big projects going on in my head: the living room, the kitchen (complete remodel), our bedroom, Drew's room. And I'm working on things for all four of them and therefore will never finish.

I am always flipping through magazines or blogs to give me ideas and inspire me. It took another annual family Christmas party to remind me that the decor inspiration and talent lies in my own heritage. My dear grandma and her decorating was something very picture worthy.



Plastic tablecloths and arranged centerpieces on every table. And Happy Birthday napkins for who? Jesus of course.




There is definitely a sequin theme going on here.




Bringing in nature with the pinecones.




Grandma, I'm so loving purple right now. It's my favorite color.




The old birthday board to celebrate the special birthday boy or girl. On Christmas of course it is Jesus. How do I replicate this?




The woman of the hour.



Grandma, I think you're great. I will help you set up plastic tablecloths any day just to see your amazing centerpieces. And I am in need of a centerpiece for our new kitchen table... hint hint.

Family Photo