Anna

I'm sure noone has a daughter like mine. Biased? Maybe. She most certainly is the kindest, most thoughtful 10-year-old I've ever met. She thinks before she does. She realizes her actions have effects on others; she chooses to always be nice. She loves without expectation. She's honest. She is easily broken by hurtful words or actions. She's a giver. She sees the world as a child should....all good.

Favorite Song: The entire Mama Mia soundtrack or anything Taylor Swift. Thank you nanny for the first. We sing or dance almost every night as she is tucked into bed. Even her daddy gets up and does a little "Dancing Queen" number. We all laugh.

Star student, no doubt.

Main man in her life: still her dad. I think he is her idle.

Her best friend's name is Anna...imagine that.

She truly loves those close to her, without reservation. She gives them her all. It is absolutly amazing to watch. I wish I could be more like her.

Jake

"Momma, I have two damaged legs. The right is worse than the left. It's been kicked, smashed and now it's full of ant bites. I guess it'll have to be cut off soon. I'll have to hop on one, I guess." Oh the thoughts of a six-year-old.

Again tonight..."Momma, you know hell fell from the sky." Who taught you that, Jake? "Momma, hell does fall from the sky. I've seen it." Took me a minute to figure out that hell was hail. He certainly has his dad's drawl.

His favorite song at this point in time: Eye of the Tiger.....seriously. At any moment in time, he breaks into song and guitar stringing action.

School: "Wonderful, bright student." Those are the exact words of his teacher. Relief for Cory and I.

"Momma, I'm going to be a soccer playing, artist when I grow up. I can draw, and I'm a good goalie."

"Momma, can I marry you?" No Jake, I'm married to daddy. He started to cry.

Baton Rouge Balloon Fest 09

This year was a bit more relaxing than last. Jake did not whine. I did not break and buy the $15.00 light up sword or $10 glow stick. He still did not whine. This is progress. The entire family enjoyed the festival THIS YEAR. Past experiences have been less than lovely, for a variety of reasons. The weather...hot but tolerable. Sweat free.

Home Sweet Home

How Far We've Come

It seems like yesterday that this house encompassed every moment of free time in our life. We were determined; I'm not sure what else to say. Thank you is in order to the family members who helped us through the journey of making our home. Selflessly, they worked and worked and worked some more without gripe or expectations in return. 3 years. I sit here at this computer, amazed. It is a beautiful home. I'm in awe each time I walk through the door. Many thought we were crazy. I never questioned our decision to take on this task; however, I'm not sure I'd ever do it again. No regrets. Cory and I celebrated our 8th Anniversary yesterday. Our children started the 1st and 5th grade today. It will be a lovely year, I'm sure of it.

Tennessee

Just as soon as we were finally able to move into our house, it was time for vacation. That means we left the house that we had been waiting three years to move into full of boxes. The little week in the Smokey Mountains was well worth it! We all needed a break.

I'll post more house pics as we decorate....slowly!

Pictures of Random Assortment

The appliances are in, except for the microwave....whewwhoo! So, what's left to do? Cabinet hardware, 2 sets of steps outside, painting touchups, sheetrock replacement in the master bedroom, floors in the upstairs closet, vents, and passing inspection (both bank and parish), oh yeah...cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.

Daylight Savings Time + Beautiful Weather = Very Dirty Children

Happy Birthday to You

Tonight we celebtrated Anna's 10th birthday. I could just cry. She's my baby girl, always.

My Favorite Part of this House

I am soooooo ready to enjoy a rocking chair and a cold beer on this porch. Won't be long!!!

Reflection of our Sunday

We spent our day today in Covington at a volleyball tournament for our daughter Anna. Won 1, Lost 2. I'm still proud as we lost to teams older than our girls. Interesting Sunday it has been. The lovely, to many infamous, mayor of New Orleans daughter happens to be on Anna's team. It was just strange to hear him cheer my daughter's name as she served. I'm only accustomed to hearing him on TV defending himself or his great city; I enjoyed seeing a different side. So, now on to Jake...the little mischievious 6-year-old. He played with a few other kids for a while. Next thing ya know, he's running to his dad with 3 other little boys chasing him. I knew, instantly, that this meant trouble.

Oh yeah....Little Boy #1 (actually about 2-3 years Jake's senior): Your son was outside saying a curse word over and over again. Little boys #2 and #3 in agreement, shaking their heads up and down, but not saying a word.

Me: Okay, I'll take care of it. You can go away. Jake, were you cursing?

Jake: It was an accident. I didn't know it was a bad word. (Everything is an accident, according to Jake).

Me: What word were you using?

Jake: It was the F word. (I sigh, maybe gasp).

Me: Where did you hear that word?

Jake: On that medium sized boy's cell phone (gasp again...this is not the first time Jake describes someone as medium sized...and why does this kid have a cell). He pinky promised and sweared that if I said the word, he wouldn't tell on me. I can't believe he told on me....I mean he PINKY PROMISED and SWORE. He is not my friend. Can I go back outside momma?

Me: No. No. No. (He begged and begged and begged, relentlessly). ABSOLUTELY NOT! You will sit here with mom and dad and stay out of TROUBLE.

This, my friends, is nothing that a mom wants to hear. My son seems to be easily persuaded to do wrong. I need to work on that.

Thirty minutes later: A tournament official approaches us. Jake has been in Cory's lap this entire time, writhing to go back outside.

Official to Jake: "Have you been on a cell phone outside?"

Jake smiling: No, I was not talking on that cell phone.

Official: Did you call 911?

Jake: No, I did not call 911. It wasn't me. (Official looks at me for some kind of answer).

Me: He's been with us for the last 30 minutes, but yes, he was outside earlier. (She gives me a look of disapproval. At this point, I know the blame is being placed on Jake. She leaves with that all so dreaded "watch your kid lady" look. WHATEVER.) Jake, did you call 911?

Jake: No, it wasn't me. I did NOT call 911. I know that you go to jail if you call 911 and there is not an emergency. That boy is going to be in so much trouble. He might go to jail.

I believe him as it is extremely easy to catch Jake in a lie. Mostly, he doesn't deny when he has done something wrong; he just uses the "it was an accident" defense. I also came to the conclusion that he was the scapegoat for the other kid. I'm not in denial. I just know. I know Jake. I know his lies. I know his truths. I'm his momma! Oh what a day! Thank God this was the last tournament of the season.

Everything and the Kitchen Sink

This sink has been a pain in our royal a&#. First, the granite guy needed the dang thing in order to measure the countertops precisely which meant we had to have the plumbing supply company give us our sink before the plumbers were due to come back. That is a feat itself. Then, we get the sink. It weighs nearly 100lbs as it is a solid, clay fired piece. Moving it around to find the perfect place was difficult. The next disaster: the cabinet guy built and installed the cabinets without the sink; therefore, the sink didn't fit. He had the measurements but we all seemed to have skipped over the (+ or - 2 inches) and the tiny statement clearly saying that the cabinet maker should have the sink during cabinet construction. There is now a piece of cabinet missing; noone will know but me! It doesn't stop there. This lovely sink needed to be braced...with 2X4's and plywood from beneath as it weighs a ton. No big deal, right? Well, the 2X4's and plywood were installed, the sink was put in it's place, the granite went on, and everything looks beautiful...except the drain hole. It's blocked by one of the 2X4s. My wonderfully talented, patient husband fixed the problem without dismantling the entire setup. So, I better ENJOY this sink for the rest of my life.

This pic is mainly to display the master bath shower which was installed about a week ago. We still haven't put in baseboards or refinished the windows in the house. It's amazing what trim can do for a home!

Updated Stairwell and Exterior

We are HOPING to be in this house within the next 2 months. Lots of little stuff left to do, but coming along!!

Even More Kitchen

Parent's Christmas

It's 80 degrees out, but we had to try on our new pjs and robes! Harrison, Avery, Anna, and Jake..love these babies!

Christmas, Cousins, and New Jammies for All

More Kitchen Ceiling

Funny Story

Okay, so I decided to take a few pics of our newly installed, hundred year old kitchen ceiling. It's midnight as I am a night owl lately. I'm a little freaked out because it's already pitch black, and then these white spots appear in every picture that I take. I clean the lens. Still, white spots. Then I hear a loud thump. I run my ass out of my lovely house as I am scared out of my mind by this point. White spots and loud noises in the dark can freak a person out. I slip and fall on the stupid temporary ramp at the back door, hurting a knee and ankle on the way down. I run into the abode with electricity and take a picture of my dog....no white spots. I'm convinced at this point that my house is haunted. My husband laughs. We look through the camera; there are other pictures, other than the house, that have white spots. So, my camera is shot and these are not spirits trying to run me out of my house before I ever live in it! But still, the loud thump???

I'll try to get better pics during the day..with another camera.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

On December 11th 2008, snow fell in Louisiana. Mother Nature left us with 3 inches of the lovely white blanket. The kids had a blast. "This is the best day ever." Today, the ground is a mixture of brown and green (yes some green) once again.

Master Bedroom

The floors have been laid. Now, we just have to sand and stain! I say "just" very lightly; I know that task will be one of the hardest we'll encounter.

Kids Bathroom Floor

Cory and I installed these floors this past weekend. They are perfect! This will be the kids bathroom with the wonderful clawfoot tub that I have yet to refinish.

Anna and Madelyn

I think they enjoyed themselves, dancing to some tune at the Balloon Festival this past August!

Real Wood!!

Cory has begun the daunting task of installing the wood floors downstairs. They are absolutely beautiful, much prettier than the stuff upstairs. Of course, the picture above shows the floors in their unfinished state. We still have to stain and seal them. There is nothing like the "sound" of REAL wood.

I'm a little aggravated with my blog these past few days. For some reason, I'm having great difficulty uploading pictures. I have no idea how this one snuck past the glitch in my system. Sorry, I know it does not do the floors justice.

Guest Bedroom Upstairs

Some pics of the guest bedroom...WHO WILL BE OUR FIRST VISITORS? There are a few finishing touches still missing, ie, shoe molding, paint on molding, clean up, light fixtures, a bed, ha.

ANGELS

Until I get a new camera or I find a way to make the old one work, I cannot post new pics. Yes, my life is still consumed by this house on a daily basis, but the house is not what makes my life MY life. At the end of the day, my kids are my saving grace. They really are so funny and fresh and innocent and hopeful of the world that surrounds them. Here are the things that really make me smile and enjoy the moments in life rather than a picture of our future... Jake (5-year-old blonde headed tornado)...getting out of the car from the bus stop to start our daily homework routine..."Mommy, you know that when you die you don't turn into a bug or anything like that. You turn into an angel and you get to fly around God all day long." He smiles, then skips and jumps into the house. Just like that. My baby boy has it all figured out. The world is good.

Sweet Conversations

So tonight Anna, Cory, and I were having a conversation about boys. Not sure how it came up, but the conversation went like this: Kristy: "Who are the cute boys in your class this year?" Anna: "Ummm, none! They're all stinky and disgusting." Cory: "Good, you can't have a boyfriend until high school anyway." Anna: "No, I can't have a boyfriend until I say I want a boyfriend." Cory: "Good enough." Kristy: "Just make sure that when you do pick a boyfriend, he is as good of a guy as your dad." Anna: "That'll be hard to do."

I think both of our eyes (Cory and myself) were instantly filled with tears. She knows how to tug on her daddy's heartstrings.

Randomness: Living, Dining, Kitchen

Flooring in session: The upstairs guest room.

Jake's Future Room

Poof!! Floors!

Another Job has Begun!

My man and his dad hard at work, again! WE, or I should say Cory and his dad, are installing all 3700sq ft worth of floors. Although Cory has never laid wood floors, he's handling it like a pro..especially in our lovely, unleveled house. The floors are a bit dusty at the moment due to left over sheetrock residue, but man they are pretty. My time is coming with the bathrooms; you tube is an excellent resource on laying tile.

Camping

The kids had a blast on our mini camping trip. Here are Adam, Anna, and Jake cheesing it up for the camera during the marshmellow roast.